It is now told, here in an interesting article from the New York Times.  Apparently, Brett Favre is renting out Tony Richardson’s house.  You’d think for 10 million a year Brett could help out Tony and just buy the place.  Of course then he’d have to sell, but not until after 2019 when his arm finally falls off at age 50 after he’s led the Vikings to the league’s first undefeated decade. (160-0, not including the playoffs)  By then the market should be back to normal, I hope…

(side note:  Score prediction for Sunday:  Vikings 32, Bears 14.  Over/Under on number of Cutler tears:  255)

Brady and the Pats have their hands full this week.

Off to a solid 2-1 start for week 12, thanks to the Packers and Broncos, I’m hoping to see that success continue into the rest of the weekend. It’s been a while since I’ve scored a big week I must admit. Following an 8-8 week 11 showing, and the 2-1 start to this week, my record on the season is now 93-70, which isn’t bad. However, after starting off hot, I’ve essentially been a 50-50 bettor in the last month or so.

For those who might be interested, here’s my picks for Thursday’s games:

http://masterprocrastinator.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/pass-the-gravy-thanksgiving-day-picks/

As always, remember the picks are for entertainment purposes only. Here’s the remainder of week 12 now:

Houston (+3.5) over Indianapolis

The Texans are talented enough to knock off the Colts. They are also maddeningly inconsistent and highly untrustworthy, if you’re planning on gambling on them.

When these teams played each other three weeks ago, the Texans had the Colts on the ropes, but between penalties and turnovers, Houston sabotaged their chances of pulling off the upset.

Knowing the Texans, it’s more likely they’ll find a way to lose than pull out the win. Their season has been littered with close calls. Four of their five losses have been by a touchdown or less. I’m betting on them to cover, nothing more.

Colts 24, Texans 21

Cleveland (+14) over Cincinnati

I suppose the Bengals were due for a clunker. Cedric Benson was unavailable for last week’s stinker against the Raiders, and that played a huge role in the outcome of the game.

In fact, the Bengals’ fortunes have been tied directly to how Benson has played. In Cincinnati’s eight wins, Benson has averaged over four yards per carry. In the Bengals’ other two losses, Benson was under four yards per carry. That seems to be Cincinnati’s barometer for success.

Of course, that may not matter much against the Browns, who are among the worst teams in the league and lost a heart-breaker last week to the Lions. Still, assuming Benson plays hurt and the Browns follow up last week’s performance with another strong game, I see Cleveland covering here.

Bengals 27, Browns 17

Minnesota (-11) over Chicago

Remember at the beginning of the season, when the Bears were going to contend for the NFC North title?  Jay Cutler’s been one of the big culprits in the Bears’ lost season but, at the same time, Matt Forte’s disappearance and some key injuries haven’t helped matters.

Chicago’s road woes will definitely continue this week. The Bears are 1-4 on the road, and Cutler’s interception issues are at their worst away from Soldier Field.

The Vikings have played dominant football lately, and Brett Favre has become part of the story instead of hogging the headlines. Some believe the Vikings are the best team in the NFL. While I’m not that much of a believer in them, this should be a relatively easy win for them.

Vikings 31, Bears 17

Philadelphia (-9) over Washington

Washington is down to their third string running back (Rock Cartwright), and their offense is limited already to begin with. The Redskins will need to throw the ball in order to score points, something they’ve been unable to do all season.

The Eagles will be without Brian Westbrook as well, but LeSean McCoy has proven to be a capable fill-in.

It will be interesting to see if the Eagles’ wide receivers can make some big plays against a Redskins’ passing defense that has allowed fewer than 200 yards passing on average. If DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin can break free for some big gains, this game will be a blowout, because the Redskins are unlikely to match the Eagles’ firepower on offense.

Eagles 27, Redskins 9

Miami (-3) over Buffalo

The Dolphins have rallied from an 0-3 start to 5-5 on the season, and a win over the Bills would put them squarely in the playoff picture in the AFC.

The Bills have become a train wreck. The once-proud franchise is on their second coach of the season, has an unsettled quarterback situation, and has basically become irrelevant on the NFL landscape.

I doubted the Dolphins last week, after they lost Ronnie Brown for the season. I won’t make the same mistake this week.

Dolphins 28, Bills 17

Even the normally impartial are swooning over Vince Young these days.

Tennessee

(-2.5) over Arizona

The Vince Young Comeback Tour is so amazing, even referees can’t stop themselves from getting swept up in the euphoria, as evidenced by the picture to the right.

The Cardinals’ run defense will get a challenge from Titans’ RB Chris Johnson, who has an outside shot at a 2,000 yard season. The game will come down to how well Arizona can contain Johnson. If Johnson and the Titans can sustain long drives and keep the Cardinals’ offense off the field, they’ll win.

As great as Arizona has been against the run, and as great as they’ve played on the road this year, it seems that the Titans have momentum, along with Johnson and a rejuvenated Young, on their side. I’m not betting against them here.

Titans 27, Cardinals 21

St. Louis (+3) over Seattle

It appears Mike Holmgren knew what he was doing when he walked away from the Seattle Seahawks after last season. With each passing week, it seems the Seahawks get worse. In the final game of a three-game road swing, the Seahawks get their best shot at their first win away from Seattle all season (they’re 0-5 thus far).

Of course, this matchup represents the best chance for the Rams to win a home game this season. Additionally, the Rams haven’t beaten the Seahawks since a January 2005 playoff game in Seattle. Since then, St. Louis is 0-9 against the Seahawks.

The best player on either team is the Rams’ Stephen Jackson, and Seattle hasn’t done well against the run for much of the season. I’ll bet on Jackson and the Rams to come out on top this week.

Rams 17, Seahawks 14

Atlanta (-12) over Tampa Bay

Sure, Atlanta’s lost four of their last five, but the Falcons are 4-0 at home. Beginning with this week’s game against the Buccaneers, Atlanta begins a crucial three-game homestand. This is a game the 5-5 Falcons absolutely have to have.

Tampa Bay seems to be the perfect foil for a Falcons team desperate for a win. The Buccaneers are a team building for the future and they start a rookie at quarterback. I view this as an opportunity for the Falcons to get back on track. They need it, if they view themselves as a serious playoff contender.

Falcons 31, Buccaneers 13

Carolina (+3) over NY Jets

This game features two 4-6 teams with turnover-prone quarterbacks and offenses built around strong running games.

I hate picking the Panthers, but I believe in the Jets even less. They have lost six of their last seven and seem to be in a tailspin. There is no safe pick here, but the Panthers have the veteran quarterback and coach, while the Jets have rookies in both spots. Perhaps that will make a difference in the outcome.

Panthers 24, Jets 13

Jacksonville (+3) over San Francisco

The Jaguars and 49ers are teams that play close games, for the most part, and the spread reflects that. It also reflects the Jags’ penchant for playing down to their competition lately; they’ve beaten the Bills, Chiefs and Jets respectively by a combined eight points over the last three weeks.

The 49ers have the necessary ingredients to beat the Jaguars. They run the ball well and play solid defense against the run.

I’m surprised the Jaguars are 6-4 and in the mix for a wildcard berth in the AFC at this point. They’ve survived against some awful teams in the last few weeks, and I’m betting this week, on the road, 3,000 miles from home, all the close calls catch up to them. However, as is the nature of these two teams, I’m expecting yet another tight game.

49ers 21, Jaguars 20

Kansas City (+13.5) over San Diego

After a week filled with stories of how the Chargers have regained their mojo, and how the Broncos have collapsed yet again, San Diego goes home to take on the Chiefs.

There is no doubt that the Chargers are hot, having won five straight. Still, they don’t run the ball well, and San Diego was lucky to eek out wins against the Giants and Raiders during their hot streak. I’m not sold on them as a two-touchdown favorite against anyone.

Divisional games go beyond the gambling point spread sometimes. The Chiefs have won two straight themselves, including a surprising, and rousing, win over the Steelers last week. They won’t win this game, but they’ll put up more of a fight than many think.

Chargers 27, Chiefs 17

Baltimore (-2.5) over Pittsburgh

Ben Roethlisberger wants to play against the Ravens, despite suffering a concussion last week. The Steelers, sitting at 6-4, need Roethlisberger to play in this, the first of two matchups against the Ravens this season.

Baltimore, at 5-5, need this game to draw even in the standings with Pittsburgh and push themselves back in the playoff picture. When it gets this deep into the season, most often than not the desperate team wins. The Ravens are at home and are desperate. Enough said.

Ravens 24, Steelers 18

Monday Night

New England (+2.5) over New Orleans

The Patriots and Saints are similarly explosive on offense. Many are predicting a shootout in this one.

In fact, viewers could see a game similar to the one played two weeks ago between the Patriots and Colts, in which Bill Belichick made his controversial decision to try for a first down on a 4^th-and-2 at their 28 yard line. When that failed, the Colts drove for the winning touchdown.

Their recent close calls against teams such as the Rams and Panthers lead me to believe the Saints are ripe to suffer their first loss.

Patriots 34, Saints 31

Mike Lawler

Mike Lawler worked for Runde’s full-time while he went to high school.  After graduating, Mike went off to college, but he still comes back to work here when he comes back home.  While Mike was here for the Thanksgiving weekend, we took a few minutes to chat with him and find out what college life is like.

RAC: Where are you going to college?

ML: Western Illinois University — It’s about two and a half hours away.

RAC: And do you have your own car?

ML: Yeah, a 2000 Cavalier Z24.

RAC: Nice.  Aluminum wheels?  Air Conditioning?  Cruise Control?

ML: Yes sir.

RAC: Prodigious!  Do you like college so far? You’re going to the school in Macomb, IL right?

Western Illinois University

ML: Yeah the school’s nice.  Macomb’s a smaller town – I think it’s about 20,000 people.

RAC: Runde’s sells a lot of vehicles to people from Macomb.  Do you see any cars that you maybe got ready for pick-up or took pictures of?

ML: I definitely see a lot of vehicles running around with Runde stickers.  I can’t tell for sure if there’s one that I prepped or washed, but yeah there’s probably a couple.

RAC: What are you majoring in?

ML: History, I plan to get my teaching certification.

RAC:  So you want to be a teacher?  What for, high school?

ML: Yeah high school, why are you looking at me like that?

RAC: You want to deal with high schoolers?

ML: Yeah, I’d rather deal with them than little kids.

RAC:  Have you seen the new Twilight New Moon movie that came out this past week

ML:  Definitely not.  No.

RAC:  What do you think of the whole Michael Jackson glove sale price?  Would you ever pay that much for just one glove? 

ML:  No.

RAC:  What are your plans for Thanksgiving.

ML:  We usually head over to relatives in Dubuque.  My mom, her sisters, and my grandma all pitch in to cook the meal.  After Thanksgiving weekend, I’ll head back to school to finish out the semester.

RAC: What’s your school mascot?  Isn’t it the Saluki’s.

ML: I think the Saluki is the team name for Southern Illinois.  Western’s team name is The Leathernecks.

RAC: Do you play any sports up there at the school?

ML: Nope.

RAC:  What do you think about the whole Brett Favre thing?

ML:  I wish it would just go away.

RAC: Did you come back for any East Dubuque Football games or anything?  They had a great season.

ML: A couple yeah.

RAC: Did you see the video of their last pep rally where that dads of the players dressed up like cheerleaders and performed a routine?

ML: Yeah, yes I did hear about that, but I have not actually seen the footage of it.

RAC: You will have to look it up online, there’s like 3 takes of it out there.

RAC: Do you feel like older now that you’re finally in college? … now that you are in a place like a university.  It’s like the universe of information, the Mecca of learning.

ML: I don’t feel that different, there is probably a little difference I think.

Resemblance ???

RAC: History Major eh?  Who is your favorite president?

ML: Probably Abraham Lincon

RAC: Abe? Honestly?  I would have to say that he is my favorite too when you survey the history of this country.  Do you have any skill that you learned at Runde’s that you use in the real world or at college?

ML: Umm, I think I developed better people skills here if anything,

2010 Chevrolet Equinox

ML:  I think it’s a big improvement.  I like it a lot … very nice interior and nice design. RAC: If you could say that there was one like college dream vehicle, what would it be like? The ultimate college car …

ML: For me it would have to be something fuel efficient, because I drive back and forth from home. Are you talking about like the coolness of it or what?

RAC: I don’t know… I’m just asking. So your talking, for you personally it would be a vehicle where you could fold the 3 rows of seats down and pile the whole world in it, and still get 40 miles per gallon?

ML: I don’t think that vehicle exists…

RAC: well it probably will in ten years.

We’re thankful that Mike came back to work for us over the holiday weekend.  He’s a good worker and we wish him the best as he continues his education at Westen Illinois. 

Click PLAY below to find out what Mike’s most thankful for.

Vikings GamePlan will air on it’s normal day this week – Sunday. And it will air at its normal time – 10:30 a.m. CT.

But it will have a special guest – QB Brett Favre.

So tune in to FOX9 on Sunday to watch Vikings GamePlan host and Vikings Radio Network play-by-play voice Paul Allen interview Favre.

Brett Favre é um dos maiores jogadores da história da NFL. Foi eleito o MVP (melhor jogador da temporada) por três vezes – 1995, 1996 e 1997. Fez história jogando pelo Green Bay Packers, onde atuou de 1992 a 2007.

Em 2008, jogou pelo New York Jets e logo depois anunciou sua aposentadoria. Mas, no início deste ano, ele voltou atrás e decidiu jogar mais uma temporada, dessa vez pelo Minnesota Vikings. E não é que ele ainda sabe dar passes para Touchdown.

Sim, os Vikings estão em segundo lugar na conferência nacional com nove vitórias e apenas uma derrota. O Super Bowl é possível. Tudo indica que será a última temporada dele. Mas, antes de se aposentar, meu caro Favre, me dê essa camisa, please.

Éder Fantoni
Siga @ederfantoni no Twitter

Giving thanks, the Sports Edition

by Richie Wisniewski

We hear it, we feel it, and we appreciate it. The fact that Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the things we may take for granted. Whether family, friends, health, happiness, love or joy, there are plenty of things for everyone to be happy about. While I am thankful for my family, my friends and my health, there is one other thing that keeps me going: sports. Let’s face it, sports are the one thing that can bring people together. People are different, it’s a fact. We have different jobs, different personalities, with different likes and dislikes. But what brings people together is that one magic question: Did you see that game last night?

So in the spirit of giving thanks, I think its only fair to let you know what I’m thankful for when I turn on ESPN, or any other channel of that matter.

1.       Brett Favre

Basically, this guy is the reason I watch football, the reason I love football, and the reason that in the last 17 years of my life I can remember, I have been a Packers, Jets, and yes, now somewhat of a Vikings fan. If you ask my girlfriend, even she can vouch for my recent “man crush” on number four. He plays the game the way it should be played. He has fun, has passion, and a style that you really can’t help but love. Say what you want about his selfishness when it comes to retiring, but when he suits up, the world watches. And when he plays hard, celebrates like a kid, and laughs like it’s his last breath, the world does too. So I say, Brett you play as long as you want, because as long as you do, I’ll be cheering.

2.       Brian Dawkins

So if your from the Philadelphia area, this guy is Philadelphia. When he left Philly, it was because he couldn’t play, he was old, or like the Eagles organization said “it was business.” Ok. But in Denver, he was born again, he continues to dance, he continues to motivate. His pregame speeches are enough to make anyone want to get up and tackle someone to the ground.  He could make a preseason game seem like a playoff, a pregame introduction look like a page in a marvel comic book. Dawk is a warrior, he is one of the hardest hitters in the NFL, and his love for the game can not be matched. His body may say 36, but his heart and his love for the game are infinite.

3.       The Sports Section

Yup, now I realize at this point in time that’s like saying I use a horse-and-buggy. But trust me, I am thankful for the newspaper, or the sports section of it. Maybe I should be more thankful that I know what a newspaper is. But that’s another time.  I said it before, the sports section is as much of a tradition as breakfast. How many times have you seen your dad, grandfather, or husband grab a hot cup of coffee, a bagel or muffin, and the infamous sports section? Trust me, I know. I also know about its value, the columns, the game stories, its fair-and-balanced “ just the facts” style of reporting. I am thankful for the writers, the columnist, and the generosity of pulling it out and giving it to a friend to read when you’re done.  Writers will always have a place in our hearts, whether it’s Stan Hochman, Michael Wilbon, Bill Simmons and yes, Mitch Albom, just to name of few. These guys all started in what will go down in history as the sports section.

4.       Hockey

I know I know. According to T.V. ratings not a lot of people are thankful for this. And while I’ll admit I’m no expert and will at times shy away from the whole NHL conversation, it still holds a spot for me. I played it, I was goalie, and my idols were Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, and Ron Hextall. When I played forward my idols were Jaromir Jagar, Rod Brind’Amour and Sergei Federov. Hockey may not be the all-American sport, but it is a sport that keeps moving. I love baseball, but we know the speed of that game. I love basketball, but if you seen one dunk, you seen them all.  Hockey moves, in fact, they fly. When you watch it, its easy to get attached, and in case you haven’t kept up recently, the two studs, Crosby and Ovechkin, are really something to see.  And they let you fight. So even if your not a fan of hockey today, do me a favor when your bored, go to youtube and look up hockey fights. You won’t be disappointed. My suggestion: anything with Ron Hextall, or Philadelphia Flyers.

5.       Michael Jordan

Yes he’s retired. But in the words of my girlfriend –when she saw highlights of him during his Hall of Fame induction weekend –“wow he really flew.” And he did. He set the way for future stars Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and LeBron James. Forget about Space Jam, think for a moment about how in the late 80’s and 90’s every kid big or small wasn’t cool until he had a Chicago Bulls number 23 Jersey. Or, how you weren’t cool until you had his sneakers. I would still wear them.  Michael Jordan put Chicago on the map. He made us all want to wear Nike and drink Gatorade, and while it’s been a few years since he lased up his sneakers,  Jordan, for me always represented backyard basketball. It was a time to try the fade away jumper, to lead a team to win, and a chance to fly. No matter how short, stocky, or non-athletic you were,  he made you try. He made you lower the net and try to jump from a fictional foul line or try a last-second buzzer beater to win the championship. M.J. was basketball, and just like Lebron James said, the number 23 should be retired. Because, in reality, no one can do it like Jordan. And I’m thankful I got to see it.

By: Dukemich

Finally, I had a solid week with a 12-4 record. That brings my overall record to 107-54. A lot of games could have gone either way in Week 11. Let’s start with the two surprises of the week. The top teams in the AFC North both had a chance to either gain ground in the division or increase its lead. However, both lost to bad teams. The Steelers lost in overtime to the Chiefs while the Bengals lost to Raiders on a field goal  from Sebastian Janikowski. I don’t know Roethlisberger’s status and Charlie Batch injured his wrist. Will the Steelers have to go to the third string? If they both just won like they were supposed to I would have been 14-2 this week. The Colts eeked out a victory and the Saints won big. Both remain undefeated at 10-0. The Browns, Lions game was actually very entertaining with a gutsy performance by Matthew Stafford at the end. Well done!! The Giants snapped its four game losing streak. The Titans have now won four straight. The Packers beat the niners and are still in contention for a wild card spot at 6-4. The Chargers have taken the lead in the AFC West after they demolished the Broncos. Picks!!

Thanksgiving Day Games

Green Bay vs. Detroit

I’m not going to say anything. No bets on this one. The Packers just have to win.

Oakland vs. Dallas

The Raiders will not win two straight games against quality teams.

NY Giants vs. Denver

The Broncos have fallen off the face of the earth. I just can’t pick them against the Giants who got back on their feet last week against the Falcons.

Sunday 1 p.m.

Tampa Bay vs. Atlanta

The Falcons need to get back on their feet. The Bucs are a good team to do that against.

Miami vs. Buffalo

CHAD HENNE

Cleveland vs. Cincinnati

The Bengals have to recover from the embarrassing loss to the Raiders.

Seattle vs. St. Louis

The worst part about these two teams being in the same division is that they have to play each other twice. The Seahawks are a little better. Nevertheless, Arnold Schwarzenegger just wants to save everybody from the horrible game.

Carolina vs. NY Jets

I have absolutely no faith in the Jets. The Panthers are an inconsistent team. This week they’ll be ready to go starting with the running-back tandem of John Stewart and Deangelo Williams.

Washington vs. Philadelphia

The Eagles will pound the Redskins. I know I’ve said it before but this is the game the Eagles will win 51-7.

Indianapolis vs. Houston

Both undefeated teams will go down this week. The Texans get the upset.

Kansas City vs. San Diego

The Chargers will make it six straight and I’m sure Arnold Schwarzenegger will continue to back them.

Jacksonville vs. San Francisco

I’m going with my gut. The 49ers are going to come through this week. The Jaguars will have a rough time.

Chicago vs. Minnesota

The Bears are playing awful right now and the Vikings just keeps winning.

Arizona vs. Tennessee

The Cardinals are inconsistent and the Titans are rolling. I pick the Titans in the upset.

Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore

Roethlisberger is likely to play so I think they’ll be all right. They sure need the win.

New England vs. New Orleans

This is the week the Saints finally fall. The Patriots will walk into the dome and beat the Saints by a comfortable margin. I’m sure they want to prove themselves after they failed to beat the other undefeated team in the league. They need to show the NFL that they are an elite team. I know who’s pumped for the game. You guessed it, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

This week I got a little upset happy. We’ll see if that pans out.I think it’s a tough week so I’m giving myself a cushion. 9-7 or candy bars.

See ya.

The Chicago Bears are in the midst of a 3-game losing streak and heading in the wrong direction as the NFL regular season approaches its final stretch of games.

But that doesn’t have Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress fooled as he prepares his team for its 1st game of the season against the division rivals.

“For us, [a] divisional opponent is huge,” Childress said. “It’s a great rivalry. I don’t have any illusions about getting their best shot. Divisional teams are tough to beat. We play them twice (coming up); we’ve played everybody else twice. We’ll have our hands full.”

In an unusual scheduling circumstance, the Vikings have already finished their season series with both Green Bay and Detroit, while they haven’t played the Bears once. The result is 2 games against Chicago over the next month. They’ll play at Mall of America Field this Sunday and then on December 28 the teams will battle on ESPN’s Monday Night Football at Soldier Field.

Childress told reporters at Winter Park on Monday that he has a lot of respect for the way the Bears play defense and he also said that the Chicago offense has enough pieces to cause trouble for opposing defenses.

The Vikings have been riding the hot hand of QB Brett Favre for a good part of the season, and now the Purple will face the league’s 8th-ranked passing defense. On the other side of the ball, QB Jay Cutler’s favorite target is TE Greg Olsen, and the Vikings have had their share of difficulties defending tight ends (see: Davis, Vernon and Finley, Jermichael).

Add in this week’s odd schedule because of the Thanksgiving holiday and the Vikings will need to be at their best in order to hold serve at home and take one step closer to winning the NFC North.

“We need to make sure we’re about our business,” Childress said. “With the holiday in here, we just need to take care of our business and prepare the right way this week.”

It’s NFL Wednesday, and it’s time to kick this day off with the Best & Worst of Week 11. Send all NFL related questions to thesportsexpress@gmail.com, post them on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/thesportsxpress, or on the Facebook fan page here:

This week had some great moments. Two of the worst teams are on the best side, and the whole AFC North is on the duds for this week. And it took two years for this ordeal to happen? What am I talking about? Just stay tuned and find out.

THE BEST

Brett Favre- Many people thought that the offseason drama that he caused about retiring and unretiring (again) would result in the same disaster that was the New York Jets. Instead it has been the opposite. Favre had the highest completion percentage of his career (88%) completing 22/25 passes and four touchdowns. This season, he has 21 touchdowns to only 3 interceptions. The Vikings were at 10-6 team before he signed. Now they are on the verge of a potential Super Bowl trip and Brad Childress can thank him for his contract extension that he received.

The Cleveland Browns & Detroit Lions- The Browns and Lions played the best, and most entertaining game of the season and week. It was filled with drama, excitement, and the toughness displayed by Matthew Stafford after a time out was called (see worst of the week: Eric Mangini) was simply amazing. Stafford’s five touchdowns were the most by a rookie QB in 72 years (Ray Buivid did this for the Chicago Bears in 1937). The Browns showed more offense in this game than they have all season long. Brady Quinn was impressive, throwing for over 300 yards and four touchdowns. Who knew that the worst can bring out the best?

The Kansas City Chiefs- The Chiefs stayed in the game throughout against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it’s always said when a good team (and World Champions) plays a team that has struggled and not seen great times, and the bad team hangs in the whole game, they start to believe. The Chiefs started to believe and wanted the game more, and they showed in their overtime win. Has anyone noticed that this team is now 2-0 without Larry Johnson on the team? The Chiefs, Lions, and Oakland Raiders all won on the same day for the first time since September 30th, 2007.

THE WORST

The AFC North: The Bengals (with the aforementioned Larry Johnson) lost to the Raiders, in which they gave up the game and blew a seven point lead in the closing moments. The Steelers lost to the Chiefs, the Ravens came up short against the Colts, missing huge opportunities to capitalize off three Colts turnovers and a missed field goal by Billy Cundiff made the difference again. The Browns lost to the Lions, which was made by a bad decision by…..

Eric Mangini: Mangini is on here for a couple of reasons: 1. Your team is up 24-3, in the first quarter, you had to just coach up your defense, tell your coordinator to do something… the secondary just was flat, and Stafford torched them for 422 yards. 2. This was the real thing here: you suffered a terrible pass interference call on Hank Poteat, and the red hot Stafford is out of the game w/ a shoulder injury. The ice cold Daunte Culpepper enters the game, and “Man-genius” decided to call a timeout. For what?!?! This allows Stafford to enter the game with one arm and find Brandon Pettigrew for the GW touchdown. Too bad this is his last season in Cleveland. There’s no way he stays after this one.

Kris Brown: For the second straight game, against a DIVISION opponent, and to top this off, this is a HUGE rivalry game for your team, the Houston Texans. The score once again, was 20-17. And you missed for the second straight game. These two misses from the last original Texan has hurt this team, and they really could be looking at 7-3 instead of 5-5. The rope has to be getting tighter for the normally reliable kicker. Tough week for him indeed.

THE BEST OF THE WORST

Brady Quinn: Fellow blogger, The NFL Chick, said it best: He can throw a pass for more than eight yards. Quinn was very efficient on Sunday, going 21-33 for 304 yards and the four touchdowns to zero interceptions, giving him a QB rating of 133.1, which is very good. He was poised in the pocket, and this should really boost his confidence for the next game. Too bad his game was overshadowed by the dumb decisions of his head coach and the defensive side of the ball.

I hate Brett Favre. With every fiber of my being I hate Brett Favre. I hate his God complex. I hate his Wrangler commercials. I hate that he sabotaged the summer sports news (again). I hate Brett Favre.

Which is why I believe the NFL should give him this year’s MVP award.

I know that doesn’t make any sense at all, but hear me out. Every time Brett Favre has retired (twice at this point) I have been ecstatic. The news filled me with such joy that I considered writing the world’s most sarcastic email to John Madden (although the odds that John Madden can check email aren’t great). But twice I have had this feeling thrown to the dirt when Captain Gray Bush decided he couldn’t leave the game for whatever teary-eyed reason. So it’s clear to me that Brett needs to go — and he needs to go right now.

This is why he needs to get the MVP award. We need to set up a scenario so that, at the end of the season, he feels he has achieved a note high enough to feel comfortable about retiring for good.

So give him the MVP. I don’t care if Peyton Manning and Drew Brees have far better numbers, just give it to Brett. It will make him feel special. He may even cry.

Come to think of it, the MVP may not be enough. We need to sweeten the deal. In that case, I would like to kindly ask the rest of the NFC to please let the Minnesota Vikings make it to the Superbowl this year. I know, I know. It’s a hard thing to give up and some of you may never have a shot at the title ever again, but it’s for the best. You have to understand this. As for the AFC, you all must fight it out to see who gets to let the Vikings win in February. You also have to let Brett Favre play one of the greatest Super Bowl performances in history. I’m thinking 30-32, 8 touchdowns (one on a 30 yard rush) and a 47-yard field goal. This will ensure that he is the MVP of this game as well.

That should do it. But in case it doesn’t, we have to make his season (hopefully his last) memorable. So let’s give him the defensive MVP as well. You know guys like Merril Hoge and Trent Dilfer would love to attempt to argue how he would legitimately deserve the award. Something along the lines of, “Well, think about it. He keeps the other team’s offense off the field for so long that he’s actually the best preventative defensive weapon they have.” Don’t worry, it’ll work. Darren Sharper might burn someone’s house down but these are the sacrifices that need to be made at this point in the story.

For insurance? Yes, you guessed it: The Heisman. Yeah, yeah, it’s completely against the rules of but we can make it happen. There’s no real standout Heisman candidate this year anyway, so let’s just give it to Brett because he was too busy pounding brewdogs to make it happen the first time around. This ought to do it.

Seriously, I see no other possibility here. Maybe if he has a career ending injury but that’s laughable. Brett Favre is incapable of getting hurt in any kind of serious way. He survived a car accident and countless Pro Bowl pass rushers slamming him into the frozen Lambeau ground. I think my way is our only hope.

Did you get all that, Roger? Good. Now get to work.

It’s funny how quickly we can get used to superstar production from a superstar player. Last season, RB Adrian Peterson toted the ball a franchise-record 363 times and won the NFL rushing title with 1,760 yards.

This year, we’ve seen fewer sensational single-game totals – Peterson has two 100-yard games through 11 weeks in 2009 and had 6 such performances through 11 weeks in 2008 – but I would actually argue that Peterson and the Vikings running game might be in better shape this year. Let me explain…

– #28 is still on pace for 1,600 yards. And he’s going to do that with fewer carries this year than he had last year. I like that. Perhaps it’ll keep him fresher as we get to the late stages of the season and into the playoffs.

– Peterson’s yardage totals are a bit lower in 2009, but he’s finding the end zone more, too. He had 10 rushing TDs last year and this year he already has 11 and is on pace for 18.

– The slight downturn in rushing yardage this season is a function, in my opinion, of the Vikings improved passing attack with Brett Favre under center. The Vikings are throwing it more this season and they’re having much more success in doing so. This is largely because opposing teams MUST respect the Vikings ground game first, and that allows a sharp QB such as Favre to take advantage of mismatches and opportunities.

– Speaking of the passing game, Peterson has improved. His blocking is getting better by all accounts and he’s on pace to record career highs in receptions and receiving yards. Peterson’s career high in receptions is 21 and he already has 25 this year. His career-high in receiving yards is 268 and he’s on pace for 344 this year.

– I realize the Vikings have the 2nd most negative rushes in 2009, not a good trend. And Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress addressed that fact in Monday’s press conference. But it’s also important to note that the Vikings are 2nd in rushes for 20+ yards and they do average 4.67 yards per rush on 1st down, 9th-best in the NFL.
With all of that said, there’s one more reason for optimism going forward with regard to the Vikings rushing offense – there are still 2 games to play against the Bears. No disrespect to Chicago’s 2009 defense – the Vikings obviously haven’t faced them yet – but Peterson loves playing Chicago.

#28 set a then-franchise record at Chicago on 10/14/07 when he rushed for 224 yards and tied a team mark with 3 rushing TDs. He also set a team record with 361 combined yards (224 rushing, 9 receiving, 128 kickoff returns) on the day. In total against Chicago, Peterson has 554 rushing yards and 8 TDs in 4 games.

Perhaps the only angle of concern I can find for Peterson going against the Bears has nothing to do with dominant defensive linemen or athletic LBs. It’s actually a pesky defensive back.

If you’ve watch the Bears over the past couple of seasons or even the last couple of times they’ve played on prime time TV, you’ve probably noticed CB Charles Tillman and his propensity to strip the football from ball carriers. Over the last 2+ seasons (2007-present), Tillman has 14 forced fumbles, a very high number. He has 6 this year already, with 4 coming over the past 2 weeks alone.

With all of those forced fumbles to his credit since 2007, none of them have come against the Vikings. And if Peterson and Chester Taylor can continue that trend, I see them increasing the Vikings rushing trend this weekend and through the end of the 2009 season.

Both Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress and QB Brett Favre will have their usual Wednesday press conferences today at Winter Park.

You can watch those press conferences live on vikings.com and no where else.

Childress’ press conference is schedule to begin 11:45 a.m. CT and Favre’s will begin shortly after Childress’ concludes.

Click here at the appropriate time to view.

The Vikings and Bears will play against each other for the 97th time in their series history on Sunday at Mall of America Field, a place where the Vikings have won 14 of their last 20 games against Chicago and 11 of their last 13 overall. In an odd scheduling scenario, the Vikings will be playing Chicago for the 1st time this season after having already finished their season series with Detroit and Green Bay.

Sunday’s game represents an opportunity for the Vikings to move one step closer to securing a playoff bid and it also serves as an elimination game for the Bears. Minnesota comes in with a 9-1 record and an eye on improving playoff position, while the Bears enter with a disappointing 4-6 record and hopes of just staying alive.

The predominant storyline in this matchup all week will be the QB position, where Brett Favre is having an MVP-caliber season with the Vikings and Jay Cutler, acquired by the Bears from the Broncos via a blockbuster trade, is having a disappointing season under center in the Windy City.

When Cutler’s relationship with the Broncos soured, he was rumored to be traded to several destinations, Minnesota included. Ultimately, it was the Bears who were willing to trade away what Denver was requiring for Cutler’s services. The Vikings, meanwhile, continued on through their offseason and eventually landed Favre during the preseason. Cutler is struggling in Chicago and has thrown 18 INTs already; Favre has a 21-3 TD-INT ratio and has the Vikings on pace for their 2nd consecutive NFC North title.

But there are also other angles on this game; here are a few to consider:

– Vikings CB Antoine Winfield is poised to return from a foot injury he suffered in Week 6. His return will strengthen a Vikings defense that continues to improve against both the run and the pass. After holding the Seahawks to just 4 yards rushing last week, the Vikings defense now ranks 3rd against the run.

– Vikings WR Bernard Berrian enjoyed playing his former team last season and with Favre under center he has a chance to improve his already impressive numbers against Chicago. Drafted by the Bears in 2004, Berrian bolted Chicago during the 2008 offseason and signed a free agent contract in Minnesota. In 2 games against his former team last season, Berrian quickly reminded the Bears of why he commanded so much attention as a free agent. His line in those 2 games last year: 10 receptions for 203 yards and 2 TDs.

– A crucial matchup in this game will be the Vikings defensive line against the Bears offensive line. Chicago has had trouble protecting Cutler this season, which has led to offensive inefficiency and plenty of INTs. The Vikings, meanwhile, lead the league in sacks with 36 and are benefiting from not only a talented 4-some of starting linemen but also a deep rotation of reserves.

– Injuries have added up for the Bears. Middle LB Brian Urlacher was lost for the season in Week 1 to a wrist injury and fellow starting LB Pisa Tinoisamoa is also out with an injury. That leaves the talented Lance Briggs to man the LB corps.

– Along with the line of scrimmage, another area of big advantage for the Vikings in this week’s matchup is in the red zone. Offensively, Chicago is 27th in red zone TD efficiency (42.5%) while the Vikings score TDs 59.5% of the time they reach the red zone (7th in the NFL). Defensively, the Bears are 30th in red zone scoring while the Vikings rank 2nd. In the last 2 games the Bears have played in prime time, the broadcast team has hammered on the struggles Cutler has had with red zone passing/INTs. Chicago is tied for the 2nd-most red zone giveaways with 6, and 5 of those giveaways have been INTs.

– A QBs best friend is a good running game because it keeps the defense off-balance and it usually results in manageable 2nd and 3rd down situations. A great example of this relationship is the Vikings, where RB Adrian Peterson is 3rd in the NFL in rushing and that has allowed Favre to take advantage of mismatches in the passing game. The Bears have not enjoyed that advantage. Chicago ranks 28th in the NFL in rushing offense, in spite of the presence of the talented Matt Forte, and they are last in the NFL in 1st down rushing, averaging just 2.83 yards per carry. That has put Cutler in compromising situations, likely a factor in his high INT total.

Greenbay fans would probably say their NFL rival has already changed color with the acquisition of former Packer quarterback, Brett Favre. But the green I’m thinking of is much more “sustainable” than the color of a jersey, and it would mean sacrificing some of that “purple pride”.

Before I go any further, let me qualify this is not coming from some girl who hates sports. I followed Cedar Falls High school’s basketball team to state my senior year by paying my own bus fare. I made a poster (as only a radical fan would) for Morningside College’s basketball team when they went to the Final IV (Div II) and made the trip to Springfield, MO. I won a national contest to see Kareem Abdul-Jabbar play his final game in the NBA by answering eighty “trivia” questions about him. And when I moved back to the midwest from Atlanta, Minneapolis was considered worthy in part, because they had three professional sport franchises (it was before the Wild).

I was caught up in the Twins pennant race at the end of the summer. I think it’s ironic (and cool) a former Laker is now coaching the Timberwolves. And like the rest of the city, I’m thrilled the Vikings national attention this year is for their plays on the field (not off).

But the field is what I really want to talk about. The Gophers recently debuted their new TCF Stadium. Spring can’t come quick enough for the Twins who are just itching to throw that first pitch outdoors at Target Field. Then there’s the Vikings. Poor Vikings. Playing at the shameful Metro Dome. Between the team and owner Zygi Wilf you’d think the place should already be sporting those bright orange condemned stickers.

Don’t get me wrong. I get they’d like to keep up with the other local teams, the other NFL teams and professional sports in general, by building a brand new, state of the art stadium. Kind of reminds me when I lived in my old neighborhood. Even though we had beautiful new custom-built homes, we often found them lacking when someone else built something bigger, fancier or with better features. That neighborhood is nearly two decades old, and while the homeowners can now justify the need to remodel and upgrade here and there, it would be ludicrous to think they all needed to move out because those homes are no longer livable.

I’ve always tried not to be too indulgent with my girls. As a single mom, financially I’m unable to give them what I once could. But for the most part, they (should) basically want for nothing, because they really do have so very much.

I think the Vikings (and everyone else) could take a lesson from my (16 year-old) daughter. Last year when I asked her what she wanted for Christmas, the file she attached to an email was three pages long and had everything on it from magazine subscriptions to a Mini Cooper and was entitled, “My Greedy Little Wish List”.

Trust me, had all the desired loot found its way under the tree, she would’ve been in heaven and I doubt it would enter her mind to wonder who paid for it all (she is a teenager, after all). But the fact she knew these things were a “greedy little wish list” tells me I’ve done at least one thing right as a parent.

So what does all this have to do with the Vikings wanting a new stadium? I know it’s the American way to want, want, want and then want more. Keep up with the Joneses (Gophers, Twins and Los Angeles). Bigger, better, newer, flashier. In fact the Vikings are just one of six NFL teams planning on a new stadium.

I’ve only been to one Twins game in the last couple years. Never seen the Vikings play live. Maybe catch the Timberwolves once a season. As much as I enjoy watching, seeing the local teams play live is a luxury not many can afford to do on a regular basis. I’m a fan of sports in general and can be found yelling at the television many times all year long during the various sport seasons.

Unless the Metro Dome (and all the other stadiums around the country) is a safety hazard, I think it’s high time we quit looking at these multi-million dollar sports complexes as “throw-away” just because it’s not “new” enough. Never mind the economy has been in the tank for over a year, and people are going without healthcare (and food, and shelter and…). Not only are we a wasteful society, we also have a tendency to live beyond our means.

With all the corporate layoffs, what company can justify the expenditure of an even pricier box at a new stadium? The so-called run down and inferior locker rooms would be something many former pro athletes can only wish would’ve been available to their generation. Taxpayers can’t afford single tickets to the games played in the current stadiums, let alone an increase in taxes to pay for a new one. Whether it’s foreclosed mortgages or the on-going deficit of the government, we seem to want it all and we want it right now, even though we don’t know how it’s going to be paid for.

Back to the Vikings going green (I know, it’s about time, huh?)! I cannot believe there are no architects and experts that could take the Metro Dome and “sustainably” rehabilitate it. Shame on anyone (especially Zygi, with his degree in economics) who thinks in this economy we should be spending millions on something this frivolous when there are so many who go without so much.

Film the process (HGTV meets Extreme Makeover) and charge the advertisers Super Bowl rates. Okay, I digress, but I’m just trying to point out there are viable solutions that are more responsible, all the way around. Done right, the team could take pride on the field, off the field and because of the field. Hmmm…

No time to dawdle today. The Super Elitist Investors Society is holding a benefit for themselves in about an hour, and guess who the MC is? Yup, it’s Fred Willard. I love that guy. And guess who’s one of the 100, vitally important, seat-holders? That’s right. Yours truly. And these pores won’t exfoliate themselves.

Q: How could you not give a Honcho Award to Favre?

- Donovan Merronious, Diamondhead, Mississippi

A: I’m going to use a technique we writing types like to call “answering a question with a question.” It’s just a little sleight of word that works wonderfully when we want to shift the onus of answering back onto you, the original, uh, question-asker person. More often than not, you don’t even realize that we’ve manipulated the conversation such that you’re technically doing all the work. When skillfully applied, as you’ll see in a moment, you’ll come out thinking that we’ve answered your question expertly, and generally feel better about yourself.

So, when you ask “how could you not give a Honcho Award to Favre”, I’ll “answer” with “what’s wrong with you?!” Then “who do you think you are, questioning my choices?” See how I did that? Yeah… crafty.

Q: I find it highly unlikely that you have a friend named Secretariat Jones. As a matter of fact, If I had to wager, I’d say you made him up. Care to defend yourself?

- Caleb Eckles, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania

A: Says the guy from “King of Prussia” Pennsylvania. If you’re going to accuse me, falsely, I might add, of making things up, the least you can be is not from some fictitious town that quite obviously doesn’t exist. And… what’s that? Hold on a minute… my editors are telling me that there is, in fact, a King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Well that’s a stupid name. Who’d they name it after?

But… oh, wait a minute. I’ve come up with the spin. Just like “King of Prussia” is a hardly believable name that actually exists, so is Secretariat Jones. Besides, in a society that produces Kokain Mothershed, God Shammgod and Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Zeus Wolfe schlegelstein hausenberger dorffvoraltern waren gewissenhaft­schaferswessen schafewaren wohlgepflege und sorgfaltigkeit beschutzen von angreifen durch ihrraubgierigfeinde welche voraltern zwolftausend­jahres vorandieerscheinen wander ersteer dem enschderraumschiff gebrauchlicht als sein ursprung von kraftgestart sein lange fahrt hinzwischen­sternartigraum auf der suchenach diestern welche gehabt bewohnbar planeten kreise drehen sich und wohin der neurasse von verstandigmen­schlichkeit konnte fortplanzen und sicher freuen anlebens langlich freude und ruhe mit nicht ein furcht vor angreifen von anderer intelligent geschopfs­von hinzwischen sternartigraum, Senior (yes, it’s real), is Secretariat Jones really that odd a name? I say no. Oh, and so does he. He’s also asked for your address so that you two may discuss it in more detail.

Q: So now that we know your take on the BCS, who would your 8 playoff teams be?

- Libby Listo, Jamul, California

A: I’ll go you one better, Libby. I’ll seed them. And keep in mind… these are my seeds, not where I think they would be seeded (i.e., I’m paying no attention to their BCS or poll rankings, only what I see… though I will be keeping the conference champs in, as I see no way this gets done without the champs):

1. Alabama
2. TCU
3. Florida
4. Texas
5. Georgia Tech
6. Cincinnati
7. Oregon
8. Ohio St.

Now, much to the chagrin of my mother, I’m no idiot. I know it wouldn’t go down like this. Texas would be #2, Cincinnati would probably be #4 and TCU would be relegated to 5 or 6. A travesty. I know this… teams that play the kind of defense they do win championships. I’m just saying.

Q: It’s clear from your tone that you’ll have an opinion on this; what’s the deal with those full body suits swimmers are allowed to wear? For? Against? What’s up?

- Grier Moses, Elton, Maryland

A: I’m not really sure how to take this, so I’ll just pretend it doesn’t bother me. I’m in two minds about it. On the one hand, if everyone’s wearing them, who cares? The playing field is level, and isn’t that what we’re after, what with the testing and the sampling and the rules upon rules upon rules? On the other hand… uh… on the other hand… that is… uh…

I can’t take it! What do you mean by “my tone”? Are you trying to say something about my manhood? Are you!?… I… you know what. It’s OK. I can handle this. I can handle this. Deep breaths, Eddie…. deep breaths…

OK, sorry about that. Anyway, on the other hand, these suits clearly make swimmers faster. The history of the sport is being shredded to bits… and what’s a sport without its’ history? And to think that it’s not just a legal form of cheating is ridiculous. Why not just allow them all to get gills and have their toes sewn together? How is changing their skin any different? In a perfect world, everyone would be nude. That would once and for all decide the best. Alas, our antiquated modesty gets in the way, just like it always does. And another… uh… and another thing… um, is that… if….

OK that’s it! What does my tone have to do with competitive swimwear?? I can’t… It just doesn’t… there’s no sense… oh, forget it, let’s just move on…

Q: Benoit Pouliot for Guillaume Latendresse? Or not sophisticated enough to have an opinion?

- Yves Roussimoff, Rigaud, Quebec

A: Nice little psychological ploy there, Yves. You toy with what you assume must be insecurities by playing on my clearly superior levels of sophistication… even applying it to something as questionably-sophisticated as hockey. Well… yes, damnet! I have an opinion!

Big picture… meh. Average underachiever for average underachiever. But Pouliot’s got skills, no doubt. You don’t get drafted 4th overall without ‘em. It seems to me the Canadiens went with the hit or miss approach… you hit, and you’ve got yourself a star. You miss, and you didn’t give up that much. Latendresse on the other hand will probably be no more than a complementary big man. His ceiling’s nowhere near as high, though the likelihood he washes out is lower as well.

Sophistication… dropped.

Q: So what are you, some sort of underdeveloped kid with a thesaurus or something?

- Irving Loamscroft, Prairie Creek, Arkansas

A: A thesaurus… I’m chuckling, you can’t hear me chuckling, but rest assured, it’s happening. About to morph into a full belly laugh. Please. My words are my own, and I don’t never use a thisaurus. Never have, never will. No dictunary, spell-check, gramar-check neither. Nope, this way I talk and this way it be when you talk to me. I know you know it true by words in qustions. Ed Honcho the man! And devloped fine, thnks. No really like way thngs going. Qustions dun, yeaux.

This is going to be my longest post yet. I will not be posting the rest of the week. This is going to top 25 pages when you include all the pictures and videos. I’d like to think it is worth the read (there are no bottom-line takeaways, but trust me there is enough to read already). So take a look, find the game or teams you want to read more about and read up. I hope you read it all, maybe a couple of games a day. Nonetheless enjoy…

Patriots 31

Jets 14

Let me start with my analysis with what has become just a mess of a Jets team. Early in the season they were treating their week 2 match-up with the Pats as if it was the Super Bowl. Rex Ryan even called all the season ticket holders with this message…

It worked…in week 2. But, when you pull out all the stops every week things inevitably go wrong. Ryan got the Jets too emotional too early. Now after a 3-0 start they 4-6 and look toast. SanCHEZ has played incredibly poorly as of late, and he might need to take a seat. I do have to give props to Darrelle Revis who once again had a big game against Moss. But, I have to wonder if he was able to shut down Moss in single coverage (the apparent claim) why were they not double and triple teaming Welker?

Let us take a quick look at the Patriots. This was a solid win, but I felt it still left a lot to be desired. We all saw their collapse in the Colts game and they came out a little slow in the second half of this game. I am not a fan of their offensive play caller, QB Coach Bill O’Brien. He does have a mean cleft chin though…

However, looking at his play calling I think he gets tight late in games and on big plays. I chronicled his 4th quarter against the Colts last week, and I do not have the time to really break down every week like that, but this is about the “eye” test. His play calling does not pass it.

Next week’s game just became a lot bigger than it should have been to be honest. With the Bengals and Steelers losing, the Patriots are in the driver seat for the second seed in the AFC and a bye. While a loss to out of conference Saints does not affect the tiebreakers (obviously record is the number 1 tiebreaker, but given two teams tie, record against the opposite conference is never a determining factor), it is important to keep pace.

Dolphins 24

Panthers 17

Wow interesting game. Ricky Williams ran wild and looked like the old Ricky Williams. The Dolphins are now at 5-5 and still have a chance to make a playoff run. In fact, if they win the next week and the Pats lose the two teams will meet with the AFC East’s first place on the line. Moreover, the good news for the Dolphins…if they win that game they would be 5-1 in the AFC East and hold the tiebreaker over the Pats.

If you were wondering how Ricky Williams stayed is such good shape apparently he practices something called Pranic Healing. What is Pranic Healing? I am glad you asked…

Please tell me you did not just watch that whole video. The quick definition for Pranic Healing is…

“Pranic healing encompasses a broad array of therapeutic approaches, both ancient and modern, based on the notion that illnesses of body or mind involve an imbalance and/or blockage in the flow of vital life energy.”

In other words Ricky is on some good stuff (note: I have nothing to back that up).

As for the Panthers…well not much to say really. They lack consistency and look to be finished. At 4-6 they have an outside shot at a playoff spot, but it is not likely. Jim Fox might be on the hot seat, but in actuality if his past performances are any indication the Panthers will bounce back next season. When Fox took over the team went 7-9, but the next season they finished 11-5 (and made the Super Bowl). Then they went 7-9 again but rebounded with another 11-5 record (making the NFC Championship game). They then had back-to-back mediocre seasons, 8-8 and then 7-9, but last year they went 12-4. Fox seems to coach a team that is either strong or mediocre, but never bad.

If I am the owner of the Panthers I actually give Fox more chance with the caveat that the next QB he picks to lead the team will dictate his future. Delhomme is not the answer, and yes I understand their next QB, if a rookie, could take a while to develop, but Fox has been stuck with Delhomme (an up and down QB, who is now on the downside) in 6 of his 8 seasons. I want to see how he does with someone with more upside.

Colts 17

Ravens 15

The Colts are playing in so many tight games that it is hard to look at them at 10-0 and feel truly confident. Even with their huge win last week seemed overshadowed by the 4th and 2 call by the Patriots. Look at the scores of their last 4 games…4 points, 3 points, 1 point, 2 points, not exactly domination station. So what has been the problem?

I think it has been a mix of things. Outside the Pats game 4th quarter they really have not had that Colts mojo going. Manning has been great but the running game is still struggling . In addition, they have had 7 turnovers the last three games. I could see the Texans pulling the upset next week, so many close games is a recipe for a loss.

I do have to give Dallas Clark props for this ridiculous catch…

For some reason this has inspired me to show some of my favorite catches of all time, check it (I have already shown Moss vs. the Colts, and Wayne vs. the Texans in past blogs)…

Moss vs. the Jets last year (the ultimate I want it more catch)…

Tyrone Prothro from college (too bad he had one of the worst leg injuries ever recorded, first video is the catch, second is the injury, hide your eyes)…

Santonio Holmes in the Super Bowl (this is to win the “F’n” Super Bowl)

Calvin Johnson in college (dude is Megatron)…

The Antonio Freeman MNF catch…

Lastly the Torry Holt catch from a couple years ago (he is running full speed when he makes it)…

I know there are others, if you find a good one send it my way.

So back to the game and specifically the Ravens…After their blowout win vs. the Broncos everyone thought they would make a “run,” but they have struggled with consistency especially on offense. Flacco is having the good old “Sophomore Slump,” which by the way is a saying I hate. It implies he is playing poorly because he is in his second year. Maybe he is playing poorly because he was not asked to do much last year and this year he has to do more and is not able to do it. It also has to be said that his WRs are not exactly world-beaters.

So looking ahead, the Ravens season comes down to one opponent. They have two games against the Steelers. Their other 4 games are against the Packers, Lions, Bears, and Raiders. The Packers are the only team in there that might be a threat and if you read this blog you know I think the Packers are not for real. If the Ravens win those four games and can take 1 of the 2 Steelers games they will finish 10-6, which might be good enough for a Wildcard birth.

Lions 38

Browns 37

Look at these two teams having themselves a regular old barnburner. The Mangina must have been enraged that his enemy Belichick was getting all the attention for a questionable play call and felt he had to beat his old mentor. For those who do not know let me “review” the end of the game…

Lions down 37-31 running the “final play of the game” from a little outside the Helmets 30 yard line. Stafford, who already has 4 TDs is rolling around avoiding the rush and throws to the endzone as time expires. Stafford gets nailed and seriously injures his non-throwing shoulder. The ball is incomplete BUT there is a pass interference penalty in the endzone placing the ball at the 1-yard line. Stafford however is hurt and there is an injury timeout to take him off the field. By rule unless either team calls a timeout Stafford cannot come back into the game for the final play. The Lions are out of timeouts, and remember both teams have had plenty of time because there was a penalty and then an injury. It would be hard to not have the “right” personnel on the field. So as a “cold as ice” Daunte Culppeper comes running onto the field the Mangina calls a timeout, effectively allowing Stafford, who has his adrenaline flowing, to come back into the game. The Lions score a TD and win the game. That timeout is INEXCUSABLE.

Any competent coach would take their chances with a cold Culppeper on that play. But don’t worry, the Mangina really put the nail in the coffin Monday when he “questioned whether the Lions faked injuries throughout the game.” The only thing I question after this game is the Mangina’s mental capacity.

I have to give Stafford credit for really gutting out this win. It was a huge performance by the rookie. Who knows where he will go from here. I was going to drop this stat at some point and I guess this is the right time. Peyton Manning threw 100 INTs in his first 5 seasons. Sometimes if a guy shows promise you have to give him time (unless his name is JaMarcus Russell).

Packers 30

49ers 24

Here comes Green Bay winning on that easy schedule and putting themselves in position to take a playoff spot in the NFC. But I have not been a fan of this Green Bay team from the beginning and for those who do not know they just lost two of their top defensive players with ACL tears, Aaron Kampman and Al Harris. They have three winnable games and three tough games left on the schedule. If they can beat the Lions, Bears, and Seahawks then they will have 9 wins and probably only need one win vs. the Ravens, Steelers or Cardinals. I really am not a big fan of this team, but I think it would be hard to bet against them. Then again it is the NFL and you never really know.

The 49ers really could have won this game had they played a full game. It was inexcusable especially because they were able to get a meaningless cover and continue my epic downfall in my picks league. Alex Smith is too inconsistent and the 49ers should not take solace in his most recent half. Consistency wins in the NFL, not a good half or a good game. It’s a 16 game season.

The 49ers did get their first Michael Crabtree TD and Vernon Davis has gone from super-specimen malcontent to team leader this year. He is putting up outstanding stats this year. He has even begun curling…

How that helps the 49ers? It doesn’t, but you have to admit it’s kind of cool.

Jaguars 18

Bills 15

If the playoffs started today the Jaguars would make it. There is no doubt that the Jags are the worst 6-4 team I have seen in a long time. MJD is an absolute stud, but there is no way this Jags team is playoff worthy. They have won their games by the following margins…7 points, 20 points, 3 points, 3 points, 2 points, 3 points. Watch out folks this team is a killer! They have a -36 points differential, meaning they have let up 36 more points than they have scored. The last team with a negative scoring margin to make the playoffs was the 2006 Seattle Seahawks who won the NFC West with a 9-7 record. They had a -6 margin. The Jags are -36 and it has only been 10 games. That is horrible. They have lost by 2 points, 14 points, 41 points, and 17 points. It does not exactly scream playoff team.

Completely unrelated…MJD has to be the most stubby star in the NFL. Look at this picture

He is so difficult to tackle and has been their X-Factor, even more than the emergence of Mike Sims-Walker. Still I cannot see them going anywhere, and if they make the playoffs it will not last long.

The Bills continue their downfall. They are now 3-7 and have an interim coach running the show. What could Terrell Owens be thinking right now about his decision to join the Bills? I always loved his attire when they first introduced him as a member of the Bills…

What is with the green shirt? It just does not make sense. I guess it is better than when he was doing crunches in his driveway…

I would expect Owens to be happy with this loss. I mean he had a big game and that’s all that matters.

Steelers 27

Chiefs 24

Do not get confused about this game. Roethlisberger did get hurt and that did enable the Chiefs to win the game, but he did not get hurt until OT. This game was a 24-24 game. The Chiefs played an even game with a team many thought was going to come out take it to an inferior team. This loss is bad for the Steelers because it came after a loss and it will be difficult for them to get in position for a bye in the playoffs. The Steelers are definitely a weaker team with out Troy Polomalu and all of their loses have come in games where he was either out or limited by injury.

Really Big Ben says he is going to be fine, but this is his 4th concussion. That is not a good thing for a QB who runs around a lot and takes a lot of hits. No one really seems to know the long-term effects of concussions, but I doubt that it is something good, I would even go as far to say it is something “not good”. Rashard Mendenhall has not exactly taken the world by storm as of late, and it looks like we all have to calm down a little bit about anointing him the next Jerome Bettis, not in the “I am fat” kind of way, but in the “lead RB of the Steelers” kind of way.

Bettis by the way is one of my least favorite backs of all time. There is no doubting he had a great career, but I always felt like he could be stopped by a good defense. Look at this Sports Illustrated cover picture…

Trust me he put on a lot more weight than that at the end of his career. The guy was basically a quick DT at RB. I found nothing more pleasing then his fumbles against the Patriots in those big games back in the early 2000s. Remember those days, when the Patriots would win big games and close out games defensively. I will now stab myself repeatedly with a pen.

The Chiefs have a winning streak and have played some solid ball the last two weeks. Interesting note for the Chiefs…every time I spell their name I mess it up. I spell it Cheifs. You see over the summer I was in a position known as “Chief Judge.” We were ordering jerseys and my buddy, also a Chief Judge, misspelled the Chief as Cheif on the jersey, or so he thought. We ended up getting the jerseys too late anyway and much to our surprise Chief was spelled correctly. Needless to say we returned the jerseys so the people who bought them could get their money back (haha yea right).

Please note the previous paragraph is entirely for one of my friends and will make no sense to anyone else reading it. The Chiefs have not lost since Larry Johnson was cut for using gay slurs and criticizing the coaching staff. Good for them.

I have to ask…Why is the word Nevertheless three words as one, but the words Needless to say are split up? These are the important things we should all take into account when writing blogs and analyzing the Cheifs (yes that is misspelled on purpose).

Vikings 35

Seahawks 9

By this point you probably know it, but it is worth repeating, Brett Favre is playing some ridiculous football. He has 21 TDs and only 3 INTs. His strong play has led to this team being considered by many as the top team in the league. You will hear people say: Are the Vikings at 9-1 really the best team in the league?!?! Let me answer the question, no. Maybe it is my hatred of Favre, my knowledge that Brad Childress is a bad coach, or the fact that their pass defense is overrated, but I do not trust this team.

With that said, can this team prove anything to us over the next 6 weeks? Probably not, which could likely create an inflated perception of this team’s actual ability. So when it comes to playoff time it is all going to be about Brett Favre. Favre has not done well in his last couple playoff appearances (the year denotes the date of the playoff game)…

2008 Packers 20 Giants 23 (OT) at Green Bay

2 INTs including one in OT

2005 Packers 17 Vikings 31 at Green Bay

4 INTs

2004 Packers 17 Eagles 20 (OT) at Philly

Packers take 14 to 0 in 1^st quarter, end up losing in OT…15-28 180 yards, 2 TDs, 1INT

2003 Packers 27 Falcons 7 at Green Bay

2 INTs

2002 Packers 17 Rams 45 at St. Louis

6 INTs

Favre’s poor play could be deemed a direct cause of his team’s playoff loses in each of the last 5 playoff loses his team has faced. His teams have won only 2 playoff games in this time span, never winning more than 1 in a given year. Three of the loses came at home (or what used to be home), a place that had never seen a loss before the Falcons came in and destroyed them. I would not feel safe if I was a Vikes fan rooting this team in the playoffs.

The Seahawks are as big a mess as any team in the league and I did not see this coming at all. On paper this team looks all set. I know, I know I say that every week but seriously. Is this really all on Jim Mora Jr.? For one thing Hasselbeck has not been healthy for an extended period of time recently. The Seahawks definitely need a new QB of the future. They used to have one of the best rushing attacks in the league, but a mix of mediocre RBs and an aging O-line have killed that. They relied on Walter Jones for so long and just hoped that he would not “get old.” Well get this…he got old. He is 35 and has been placed on Injured Reserve ending this season. He says he wants to play again next year but he is probably more of a liability at this point. Offensive line is usually looked at as a place where longevity is attainable, but I think that holds truer for interior offensive lineman. You rarely hear of the 35+ year old OTs dominating. Even Orlando Pace fell of the map after a slew of injuries and oldness.

The good news for the Seahawks? They have two first round picks next year. They traded away an early 2^nd rounder last year for the Broncos first round pick this year, and if the Broncos recent play is any indication, that pick could also be on the higher end. If I was the GM of this team I would target a QB, OT, and a defensive playmaker with my top 3 picks (two 1s and a high 2). Now, that is obviously easier said than done, but those are the trouble spots. Defensively they have struggled against the pass, which seems to be a factor of poor coverage and lack of pressure. Patrick Kerney is on milk cartons in the Seattle area.

Giants 34

Falcons 31

This is a win the Giants desperately needed. After starting 5-0 against a cupcake schedule they lost 4 straight and many had written them off. They benefited from a week 10 bye and were able to win this game even with the Falcons mounting a wild comeback at the end. Eli Manning played very well and threw for 3 TDs, but the Giants still have some very big issues. Brandon Jacobs is not the Brandon Jacobs we all thought he was. Where did this guy go…

Instead he has gone to the Shaun Alexander and Larry Johnson school of old RBs, where players learn to dance and fall. I have to go on a quick tangent and tell my favorite Alexander story for a second. Alexander was arguably the best RB in the league for a couple years. Well as he started to get old he got hurt. One year specifically he broke a bone in his foot. Alexander, a delusional person to begin with, came to the practice facility the next day and was raving how he “prayed the night before and God healed him.” I am not making this up. Alexander was convinced he had been cured. The Seahawks thought this was great, but also thought it might be wise to take an x-ray to make sure this miracle did indeed happen. X-rays were taken, the bone was still broken, and now Alexander is remembered as much for his epic fall as he is for his MVP season. I believe in God, but give me a break Alexander. I would have laughed in his face.

With the Cowboys playing very tight vested and Philly being so inconsistent it is not out of the picture for the Giants to make a run at the NFC East title. They still face the Cowboys again, with a chance to sweep the season series, and the Eagles at home. Before the season we all thought this would be the “best division in football.” I do not think anyone thinks that now, but it could still end up being one of the most competitive. Even if the Giants can’t win the division this win gives them the “head-to-head” tiebreaker with the Falcons.

The Falcons are an incredibly flawed team right now, even though they almost were able to come out and win this game. Ryan had a good game and I will give him his credit for that. Mike Jenkins has to make that catch in the endzone, a TD that likely wins them the game. Still my fundamental flaw with this team is there inconsistency with their offense. If you watch the Falcons it is almost as if they are scared to run plays they know will work. When Turner was running all over the Panthers last week (before the injury) they almost seemed to rather pass than hand the ball off to him on back to back possessions.

I may be wrong with this but next time you see a Falcons game watch what they do on 3rd down. I have seen only a handful of their games but they run a QB Roll Out to the right a ton of the time (they might call it a waggle, but I am unsure if they pull the guards or the exact play call). This is their key 3rd down play it seems. To me that screams a lack of trust in their QB. A Roll out cuts down options and is basically something I call a “layers option.” Here is what I mean, take a look at this image, I made it in paint so it isn’t great but you can get the idea of it…

This is a basic play with the options simply being different distances from the QB. The read is much simpler. Ryan can read it either long to short, 4 to 1, or short to long 1 to 4 depending on the distance needed on the play. My problem with the play is the simplicity. The elite QBs do not run this as their “go to” play. Trust me I have seen enough Brady and Manning games to know this. They might have it as an option, but it is not their 3rd down play. If Ryan cannot consistently pick up key 3rd downs from inside the pocket, he will never be a top QB in this league.

The Falcons are now 5-5 and will have to play very well down the stretch to make the playoffs. In the NFC there always seems to be at least one 9-7 team to make the playoffs. The Falcons have a relatively easy schedule but they do face the Eagles and Saints, that could be two loses right there. Win the other games and they are 9-7. Unfortunately it would be 9-7 with 6 loses coming to conference foes (a big tie breaker is record against conference opponents). Worst off would be those losses would coincide with much of their competition for the wildcard spots. If they lose to the Eagles they would not own tie breakers against the Giants, Eagles, or Cowboys, and one has to assume at least 2 of those teams make the playoffs.

Saints 38

Buccaneers 7

The Bucs took an early 7-0 lead and I have to admit I was thinking we might see an upset in the works. Obviously that did not end up being the case, not by a long shot. The Bucs are still the same Bucs we thought they were. Freeman has played well for a rookie QB, but I am still worried about this team in the long run. I really think things will get worse before they get better, which is a scary thought for a team that started 0-7. Offensively they are relying on two 29 year old RBs (30 is the age of despair) and 27 year old who has been hurt every season since he came in the league. Needless to say they will likely need a new RB sooner than later.

At WR they extended Michael Clayton even though he has done nothing since his rookie season and is a marginal WR at best. Their best WR has character issues and has been hurt this year. He played well in a contract year (stop me if you haven’t heard that one before) but never showed consistency in his career. Their top TE has all the talent in the world but thinks he is a soldier, remember this…

Not exactly build your team around material. So there you have it, I have completely broken down their offensive talent. Defensively they are not scaring anyone. Their best player, MLB Barret Ruud, is more of the sure-tackler type than a game changing defensive presence, and Ronde Barber is getting old and slow. Old and slow is a bad combo for a CB. There has only been one corner I know to stay super fast his whole career and that was not Deion Sanders, but Darrel Green. Check out this video of the former CB of the Redskins…

Green was no joke. Ronde has never been known for his speed and he always excelled in Tampa’s Cover 2, which had safety help over the top. I think it’s time for him to either move to safety or go.

The Saints have their biggest test of the season this week, at least psychologically. How will they hold-up against a very hungry Patriots team? It is unclear. It appears both teams do what is usually done the week before a big game. Very tight to the vest play calling, no big tricks. The Saints rushed the ball 36 times in this game. The Pats ran the ball 35 times in their game. I do not think either team would be considered a run first team. But they got the leads and ran the clock, buying time until they face a real test.

I mentioned earlier that this game is bigger in the sense of “who is the best argument” than seeding. Although the win has gotten bigger because of what opposing teams are doing. The Vikes are nipping at the Saints heals and the Patriots are in 2nd place in the AFC and have benefited from other teams losing. Neither team wants to give up its hold in the seedings. I think this is a tough match-up to predict, obviously I am a homer and will pick the Pats, but a Monday night game in the Super Dome is no easy task. I would not feel very secure if I was the Saints and had to sign Mike McKenzie off the scrap heap to play in your secondary. When people don’t make teams to begin the season it is not because they are “too good.”

Cardinals 21

Rams 13

If Warner is hurt for any considerable time I would be considerably worried (you like what I did there with the word considerable). He really makes this offense tick, and I think the trick he has mastered as well as any QB in this league is the ability to “move on.” There is a saying that you are only as good as your next play. Warner has had an up and down career to say the least. He started out as nothing, made it to the top, fell to the bottom, and now is back. He knows that one mistake will not define him and that is his strength. I would not put him in the class of Manning and Brady obviously. Both of them have the “I have done it before factor,” where they can play poorly for an entire game and you are still scared to death of them if the game is close late. Warner is more of the “I wouldn’t be surprised if he did factor.” He just never lets anything get to him. His backup Matt Leinart on the other hand has faced his adversity in other ways…

Like the “which girl to choose quandary”…

…or the “I better hold this high enough even if my arm hurts” problem…

Not exactly a guy who has experienced a ton of in game adversity and proven to be a leader. The Cards do not have to rush Warner back though if he is hurting. They have a 3 game lead in their division the 49ers, Lions and Rams. I like this team as a potential dangerous team in the Playoffs. They have experience after last year, and might have the “no one believes in us” card going. The Cardinals also now lead this blog in quotation’ed sayings. Good for them.

The Rams do not have much to be thankful for right now. They have played a couple teams tough, but besides that they have not done much. Their coach Steve Spagnuolo also does one of the weirder sideline routines of any coach. Those Pats fans who did not commit suicide after the Super Bowl loss might remember images of him “praying” or at the least kneeling on the sidelines as he coached the Giants defense. He can routinely be seen in this crouched down like this…

I feel like a coach’s body language is a very big deal, and although it’s not like he looks like Art Shell out there…

Not many men can look that clueless at all times.

Spagnuolo’s sideline demeanor doesn’t exactly look how  head coaches are known to carry themselves. Now I think he is an outstanding coach to be honest. In New York he did very well with what he had and played to his team’s strengths, an underrated skill for a coach, it might seem obvious but a lot of guys don’t do it. We’ll see how it turns out for him in St. Louis.

The Rams are in position to get a top QB in the draft, and they really need to hit on this pick. I have always been a fan of picking an OT high when your team is bad, especially if you do not like any of the QB options. Last year they took Jason Smith, who should be a solid OT for years. Now they need a QB. Seeing as I cannot predict who wins each week, I will not even try to predict which QB coming out this year will be the best pro. Nonetheless they need to get a guy for the future in their soon.

Chargers 32

Broncos 3

The Broncos started 6-0 and since then have gone 0-4. I have not seen a transformation like that since Sammy Sosa showed his face again recently…

No, that is not a vampire outfit for Halloween. Sosa is apparently turning white. Look at this picture of him a few years back…

I too am scared right now. But as for the Broncos they are a mess. Apparently Head Coach Josh McDaniels also told Chargers’ LBs that his team “owns them.” I have to say that his team did not back him up. It is always a mistake when a head coach talks trash. I don’t think we are going to see much of this any time soon…

The Broncos are playing the memory game. The entire team remembers who they are (not good), and it has definitely hurt them. How bad is Chris Simms that he got replaced after one series by an injured Kyle Orton. Talk about a big sample size. The Broncos face the Giants Thursday night, and then also face the Colts and Eagles. That could be three loses right there and thus the end to their magical season.

I am most scared of the Chargers right now. Everyone loves Drew Brees and talks about him making the “leap” to Manning and Brady status. I think Phillip Rivers is the guy who could make that leap this year. I never liked him, and still don’t. He talks trash, has a cocky swagger, and looks like Jason Street from Friday Night Lights (the tv show), check it out…

vs.

But the bottom-line is this guy is tough. I talked earlier about the gutsy performance by Stafford. Well Rivers played in the AFC Championship game with a torn ligament in his knee. This guy has earned the respect of his entire locker room and has backed it up with great games on the field.

If anything holds back the Chargers it will be their lack of a running game and lack of a competent head coach. If you read this blog you know I doubt Norv Turner almost religiously, and bash LT like it’s my job, which it’s not but it is fun. I still say watch out for the Chargers. That warning is for the rest of the league and their own fans. The Chargers have a way of lowering expectations and winning, then choking when people believe in them.

Raiders 20

Bengals 17

This is the NFL. That pretty much sums up this game. Upsets in the league really should not shock people like they used to. Think of it like this. There are 32 teams in the NFL and let’s say 50 guys on a roster (I know it’s 53, but for math sake). That means there are 1600 players in the NFL. That number seems large but it really isn’t when you compare it to how many people play college football, and it is especially small when you compare high school football. That means these guys are the best of the best.

Realistically what is the difference in skill level between the #1 and the 1600^th player? Yeah, most of you would say it’s pretty high, but what about the 800^th player and the 1400^th player? What I am trying to say is that the sample size is so small that even if a team is made up of only top 500 players and another team is made up of players between 600 and 1000 the difference is not huge, and further more it is hard to necessarily distinguish differences in the middle.

Now my examples are extreme and very simplified, and yes the team of top 500 players should win every time, but better teams do not always win. JaMarcus Russell might be the 1600^th player in the league but the Raiders have some very talented players. Factor in things like emotions, coaching, injuries, and on any given week there will be an upset.

The Raiders should actually be disappointed with this win. They now have a 3 wins and are really out of the top 3 pick race. If you can sense the disappointment setting in you are not alone. Russell finally took a seat and for the first time all season did not hurt the Raiders. I just found this clip of Russell and Ravens QB Troy Smith. Listen carefully, and to think I thought Russell only struggled on the field…

Good talking JaMarcus!

If the Bengals were any other team people could write this game off as a let-down game after an emotional couple weeks. But the Bengals are the Bungles. This is their history. People thought things would be different this year, but with a loss like this you have to wonder…How can you trust this team against the Pats, Colts, or Chargers in the playoffs?

I understand Cedric Benson was hurt, but this game scares me if I am a Bengals fan. The Raiders are a bad team and you had a 14-0 lead on them. Why did you stop? What happened? No one knows and now the Bengals have a lot more questions than answers with 6 games left in the season. Luckily the Steelers and Ravens lost as well, but still.

Eagles 24

Bears 20

What a mess of a season this has been for the Bears. They lost Urlacher the first game and gave the most mistake prone QB in the league a huge extension. Their RB of the future looks like Mr. Mediocrity, and they have turned maybe the leagues greatest return man ever into a middle of the road WR. At least America got to see Devin Hester’s ass Sunday…

The Bears might be in one of the worst positions of any of the “stuck” teams out there. I know that is my go to word on this blog but look at them right now. Their defense is getting old fast. They invested in a QB who looks like a bust, and they have no offensive weapons. Lovie Smith should be on the chopping block. This team needs to start over. Too bad their fans have unreal expectations, and they are not bad enough to get a top pick, and worse they don’t have their first round pick anyway (Cutler trade).

The Eagles are winning tight again and I think their offensive woes have crystallized at least in my mind. They have big play threats. McCoy, Macklin, and Jackson. But they lack the ability to put up consistent drives. I like their TE Brent Celek, but they need a WR who can get open on short routes, not only running fly patterns and deep posts.

The Eagles face one of the tougher final 6 games of teams making the playoffs, but the right wins will get them in. They face the Falcons, Giants, and Cowboys. Those teams qualify as their direct competition for the playoffs (every contender except the Packers). I think most people put the playoff benchmark at 10 wins, but in a tight race it is about wins and who you own tiebreakers against. Those games will help determine the tiebreakers.

Titans 20

Texans 17

Rhianna must have really effected Kris Brown. He has missed huge FGs the last two weeks. In fact he missed 2 huge FGs in this game. The loss seriously hurts the Texans odds at a playoff birth this year. They are now 5-5 and to make things worse this was a HOME GAME. A must win home game on a Monday Night, with your chance to make a statement. Well they did make a statement…”Were not good enough yet.” The funny thing is either because of my hatred of the Colts or just because the Texans are so inconsistent I still think they win next week vs. the Colts.

But this column has been built of long-winded explanations, stupid stories and looking ahead, so to keep that going I think the Texans should fire Head Coach Gary Kubiak and hire one of these “big gun” head coaches. Change the atmosphere and bring in a guy who instills a sense that anything but winning is unacceptable. I mean it is hard to argue that they do not have the talent. Andre Johnson is a beast, Mario Williams is a freak of nature, Matt Schaub puts up big numbers (that might be all he does, but he has to be good enough to at least make the playoffs as a Wildcard). The Texans took a step in the right direction with Kubiak at the helm. Now it is time to break down the door with someone else.

The Titans remind me of the 2001 Redskins. The Skins that year started 0-5 then won their next 5, but eventually finished 8-8 for the season. I think 8-8 is a real possibility for this team. I have gone back and forth with my friend about whether Jeff Fisher should get canned. I think factors against him are that he has never won the big game, he has been given 16 years to do it, and his team went 0-6 to start and clearly has the talent to make the playoffs this year. Now what is funny is that as I write this I envision that Fisher would be a great fit for the Texans as a coach who knows how to get teams to the playoffs. I have mentioned change of scenery guys like Dungy and Belichick who have done better with their second stop.

Now understand this, because Dungy and Belichick won a Super Bowl after getting fired does not mean that the Titans should fire him. Me stating those coaches success is to point out that for Fisher he might benefit from a change. My gut feeling is that Fisher does not get fired.

The guy who is impressing me a lot this year is Vince Young. I made fun of him and questioned his desire, but he has played extremely well as of late. He has a nice poise to himself in the pocket recently. I am interested to see if it holds up, but as of right now him and Chris Johnson make a great duo in the backfield. Even Jon Gruden got overwhelmed by them when he dropped this great quote on MNF…

“I may not be a chemist but I am seeing a lot of explosions in the backfield”

Thanks Jon! With that said you can be an Adrian Peterson lover all you want, give me some of Chris Johnson. It is rare to see someone so fast. He is on pace for almost 2000 yards and has a 6.2 yards per carry average. This team had no QB for 6 weeks and he put up these numbers.

Last week’s blog I posed the video of Titans owner Bud Adams making a fool of himself flipping the bird to Bills fans. This past week as a way to apologize he took out the following ad in the local Buffalo paper…

In other words he did not apologize at all. This guy makes no sense if you ask me, but what do I know I just wrote a 20 page blog about one week of football, which in a  couple days will be proven completely non-telling to the rest of the season. Either way enjoy the holidays. I know I will miss John Madden and his turkey inside a chicken inside a rabbi inside a priest on top of a duck.

Not to overindulge on Purple Drink like the Black kid in the Sunny Delite commercial, but the Queens are finally starting to put it together. For the first half of the season, the Vikes played to the level of competition and struggled to find continuity on both sides of the ball. Sunday’s game versus Seattle marked the return of EJ and Fat Pat With the Astro Caps as game changers in the middle, the continued evolution of a fair and balanced offense, and an increasing awareness of an undeniable fact: the skill position players are the prettiest in NFL history.

It’s not like EJ Henderson or Pat Williams missed a ton of games this year — both have played in eight — but it’s the way they’ve played. I can’t really recall a game during the first half when you heard either’s name called much. Certainly not to the expectations of anyone involved. Henderson’s recovery from last season’s injury answered the production questions at the Mike spot, but William’s legal saga and lifestyle culinary choices extreme body mass more than explained his struggles, it had me feeling maybe he got old on us. And then Sunday happened. Good to have you back, fellas. Can’t wait to see you two meeting up with ‘Toine and blowing up Forte in the Bears backfield this weekend.

As the D rights itself, Purple Jesus and His Twelve Disciples continue to levitate their game to hallowed grounds. I’m talking Ninety-Eight isht. I could make comparisons and bloviate until my fingers hurt from typing — Favre reinventing himself much like Randall; Percy Harvin as Randy Moss-meets-David Palmer; the Visanthe Shiancoe/Andrew Glover corollary; the solid lines blending Pro Bowl-caliber veterans and young, unproven talent; etc etc etc — but I will refrain at this premature juncture. It’s too early. I will say that our receiver corps and running backs are emerging as the most talented group in the league. More freaks than a Cancun foam party.

All of which makes my last point more palatable for the average Iron Range-diehard — the starting receivers and back are beyond good looking or even metrosexual. Sorry to say this, but Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice, and Adrian Peterson look like they could be Prince’s backup singers circa Graffiti Bridge they’re so pretty. His whole fashionista ambitions aside, Bernard Berrian’s game face approximates Zoolander’s Blue Steel and his voice sounds like Ralph Tresvant in “Cool It Now.” And his hamstring is more tender than the Butter Knife Steak at Murray’s. Pretty. Sid the Kid is pure dope on the field, but he also looks like a cross between the Predator and a My Little Pony. Prettier than a Wesley Snipes jumpshot in “White Men Can’t Jump.“ And if you see me, please don’t get me going on the prettiest running back in the NFL since Jamal Anderson. Dude spends more time out of his shirt (and sometimes pants) than LL Cool J and Tyrese combined. Soooooo pretty.

• The Dallas Cowboys are the worst team with a 7-3 record.
• Ricky Williams, yes that Ricky Williams, scored 3 touchdowns to put the Dolphins firmly back in the wildcard hunt.
• The Panthers are almost there.  Almost there.
• The Redskins change their coach and they still suck.  Maybe Dan Schneider should be listen to what John Riggins has to say.
• The most exciting game of the week came from the lowly Lions and the even lower Browns.  Matt Stafford makes history as the 1^st rookie to toss 5TDs in a game.  What was most impressive is how he manned up and threw the game winning TD after injuring his shoulder the play before.
• Maybe almost as impressive was the fact that Brady Quinn actually battled Stafford stroke for stroke in a who-da-thunk-it shoot out.
• With Favre and the Vikings out of the way, the Packers are looking like a football team again with a 2^nd win in a row.  With a decent remaining schedule it’s ok for Packers fans to start talking playoffs.
• I know Ben Roethlisberger got hurt, but how in the hell did the Steelers lose to the Chiefs?!  Where there any riots following the Chief’s victory?  If not then should have been.
• Even though they have been on the wrong end of the scoreboard the last couple of game, the 49ers have plenty to be excited about considering their future.
• When someone says coaching doesn’t weigh as much as talent, tell that to the Seattle Seahawks and see what they tell you.
• Is it me or is Brett Favre getting better every week?  Is there any doubt that the Vikings are the team to beat in the NFC?  There shouldn’t be.
• The Giants end their 4 game losing streak by beating the suddenly defunct Falcons.
• The Jaguars have risen to 6-4 and no one has noticed.  Not even their hometown cares.  The most exciting thing for them is who won the office pool that week.
• It’s week 11, another Bills’ loss and no T.O explosion?  What is really going on here?
• The Cardinals beat the Rams.  Shocker.
• Free Steven Jackson! Free Steven Jackson!  Get him out of St. Louis!  A good running back is a terrible thing to waste!
• The Eagles crushed the Bears’ hopes of a playoff berth.
• With Ja-Garbage Russell benched, the Raiders upset the Bengals.  Did the Cardiac Cats go into cardiac arrest this Sunday?
• You can officially close the book on the Broncos…again.
• Tom Brady and the Patriots are finally balancing their attack and they are the team to beat regardless of record.
• The Colts edge out the Ravens to remain undefeated.  It doesn’t matter what happens to this team they always find a way to win.  Sounds like a championship team if you ask me.
• The Saints won their 1^st game in Tampa since the Jon Gruden era.  This was the tune up they needed as the Saints get ready to host his majesty, King Brady, and his Patriot army next week on Monday Night Football.
• ESPN’s panel for MNF sucked the sweat off of Vince Young’s ass.  The real story of the game is that the Texans again couldn’t close the show and the primer for next Monday’s matchup of the Patriots and Saints.

QB Brett Favre has been named a finalist for this week’s FedEx Air Player of the Week Award after his  213-yard, 4-TD performance in the Vikings 35-9 win over Seattle on Sunday.

Favre also completed 22 of 25 passes against the Seahawks, setting a franchise and personal best completion percentage (88%).

Other QBs named as finalists for this week’s award are Cleveland’s Brady Quinn and Detroit’s Matthew Stafford.

Log on and vote for Favre by clicking here.

Analysis of Week 11 in the NFL

Game Recaps

Dolphins 24 Panthers 17

Does anyone watch Thursday Night Football this season? Two weeks, and two of the most boring and meaningless games later, we considered shutting the TV off. We watched to see if the Dolphins abandoned the Wild Cat after Ronnie Brown was injured. They didn’t. We watched to see if Jake Delhomme could go another game without an interception. He couldn’t. At least this week is Thanksgiving, so they are forced to put something interesting on.
Game Ball: Ricky Williams had 22 carries for 119 yards and two touchdowns after takin gover full-time running back duties.

Redskins 6 Cowboys 7

Arguably the worst played game of the day. Dallas may be winning, but they don’t look like a powerhouse by any means. The Cowboys are squeeking by,  but they won’t be for lon gif they keep this up. To beat the Redskins by one point is a joke, especially when your defense couldn’t even get to Jason Campbell all day. Washington played like they have all season, but the Cowboys can’t afford to keep things status quo. Their schedule gets worse as the weeks go on.
Game Ball: No thank you.

Browns 37 Lions 38

Did you expect this game was going to be this incredible? Couldn’t have asked for a better game out of Brady Quinn or Matthew Stafford, but simply watching Stafford battle through injury to come back and throw the game winning touchdown was something, wasn’t it? Our theory: Both teams are about good enough to win in Division I college football, so it’s no wonder Stafford and Quinn looked like stars. It does help, however, when you have Calvin Johnson and Brandon Pettigrew to catch those passes.
Game Ball: Brady Quinn went 21 for 33 with four touchdowns, his best performance of his career.

49ers 24 Packers 30

The 49ers are a powerful team, but their last awakenings/second-half comebacks aren’t enough this season. Mike Singletary has the right to be mad – his defense could only manage two sacks and couldn’t shut down Aaron Rodgers at all in the first half. Green Bay looked like the total team Sunday – Ryan Grant led on the ground while Greg Jennings led the air attack. The defense was strong including the secondary. Green Bay is creeping their way back into relevance.
Game Ball: Ryan Grant has 21 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown.

Steelers 24 Chiefs 27

What?! Huh?! Don’t worry, we have an explaination for this: Kansas City head coach Todd Hailey spent two weeks last year trying to beat the Steelers. While he couldn’t get it done in the Super Bowl, this win may have meant more. Yes, it was in overtime after Ben Roethlisberger was injured, but even with the wins, the numbers don’t match up. The Steelers played a great game, a complete game, so the statistics were a surprise. Let’s hope, for the Steelers sake, that Roethlisberger is alright.
Game Ball: Chris Chambers caught four passes for 119 yards, including the one that eventually won them the game.

Seahawks 9 Vikings 35

The Vikings are doing this quietly, but boy are they doing it. Brett Favre is getting better as the weeks go on, this time connecting with his four best recievers for touchdowns (Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian, Visanthe Shiancoe, and Sidney Rice) before Seattle had even scored a point. At this time, Minnesota has so many weapons it’s got to be nearly impossible to game plan against them. Seattle, along with Matt Hasselbeck, looked lackluster (especially their run game, which went a grand total of four yards).
Game Ball: Brett Favre went 22 for 25 with 214 yards and four touchdowns.

Atlanta 31 Giants 34

Atlanta stages a valiant battle, but the Giants couldn’t lose five straight, could they? Eli Manning couldn’t let people think he was horrible, and the defense couldn’t have lost a step, could they? Not this week. The Giants stay in the hunt with the win, in part because their leading receivers (Mario Manningham and Steve Smith) seemingly returned to form. Atlanta may be out of the wildcard hunt, but we are more surprised that Matt Ryan hasn’t progressed this year at all (he may have even digressed a little).
Game Ball: Mario Manningham had six catches for 126 yards.

New Orleans 38 Buccaneers 7

You would think, with the coverage, that the Saints didn’t play Sunday. Oh, but they did. For a game that got off to an awfully slow start, the Saints sure put up some numbers. Tampa Bay, has lost that fire we saw in the last two weeks, especially Josh Freeman who looked startled to say the least. His three interceptions let the Saints dominate. Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas made up for the loss of  Reggie Bush. What was supposed to happen, did happen… to the Buc’s dismay.
Game Ball: Pierre Thomas went 92 yards on 11 carries.

Bills 15 Jaguars 18

This is what happens when you don’t hav ea running game. You can throw and throw and all you will get are interceptions and mismanagement. Terrell Owens got his big game and outplayed everyone on the field, but how can his day only translate to one touchdown for Buffalo? Answer: No running game. David Gerrard was sloppy and the Jags really need to tighten up their offense before they lose the games that wouldn’t put them in the playoffs.
Game Ball: Terrell Owens had nine catches for 197 yards and one, amazing, 98 yard touchdown catch.

Ravens 15 Colts 17

If you as us, as of now the Colts have had the toughest road to 10-0. Baltimore’s defense was ready for this matchip, and they did incredible against Peyton Manning, limiting him to one touchdown and two interceptions. They just have too much to guard, even for Baltimore’s defense. You block Dallas Clark? You left room for Pierre Garcon or missed Joseph Addai. even on his worst day, Peyton Manning is dangerous… and the Ravens learned that.
Game Ball: Pierre Garcon had six receptions for 108 yards.

Cardinals 21 Rams 13

ESPN’s Monday morning coverage mentioned that the bad teams are getting better as the weeks go on – as is the case with the Rams. They have a lot of holes to fill, but they gave Arizona a run for their money that suggests the Rams could be successful again some day. Steven Jackson had his fourth 100+  yard game in a row, but all fingers point to the quarterback, Marc Bulger, and his inability to keep the ball. Arizona may be 7-3, but no one is paying attention. The Kurt Warner/Larry Fitzgerald/Anquan Bodon connection is back, and the Cards are more threatening seeing that they are under the radar.
Game Ball: Anquan Boldon had eight receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown.

Chargers 32 Broncos 3

We really did think this would be a little more competitive, but San Diego wanted the AFC West so they went in to Denver and took it. Denver didn’t have much a choice in letting Kyle Orton play, but it was clear that he wasn’t the same and that he wasn’t in sync with the offense. That great Denver defense lost Brian Dawkins and never even got through to sack Philip Rivers, but it was the 200+ rushing yards that the Chargers put up that made the difference here. The Broncos can’t seem to stop the bleeding – their vets are injured, they are  yelling at each other, and it looks like they need leadership more than ever. Young Josh McDaniels needs to think of something… and quick.
Game Ball: The San Diego running backs – LaDainian Tomlinson, Mike Tolbert, Jacob Hester, and Darren Sproles – ran for 203 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 4.7 yards per carry on a whole.

Bengals 17 Raiders 20

Another head scratcher this week. The Bengals looked cocky and in control coming in – but perhaps that was too much. Behind new starter Bruce Gadkowski, Oakland showed us the team we have seen glimpses of all season (but that great team usually loses the game in the final minutes). Cincinnati’s defense that shut down the Steelers last week looked weak and tired. Three fumbles, an interception, and two Carson Palmer rushing touchdowns later (hey, if you don’t have a running back you have to do it yourself) the Bengals came out of this one looking stupid. The Raiders, however, we can assume will turn back into themselves at midnight… but this week was one to remember for Oakland fans everywhere.
Game Ball: The Oakland defense shut down Cincinnati to keep them in the game, and then held them to a shut-out fourth quarter to seal the deal.

Jets 14 Patriots 31

Even if the Jets didn’t have major injuries and a turnover-prone quarterback, the Pats still would have won. Whoever played them this week, after that fourth-and-two fiasco, was bound to get a beating. The  difference between this week and the last time they met was simple: Wes Welker. Because Darrelle Revis is so great at covering Randy Moss, Welker gives Tom Brady someone else to throw to. We are wondering, however, where Mark Sanchez of Week 3 went.
Game Ball: Laurence Maroney had 22 carries for 77 yards and two touchdowns.

Eagles 24 Bears 20

The Eagles seem to always find a way to win the game taht matter, so it was no surprise here. They’re playing well, and the tradition in Philly is getting better as the season goes on. Rookie running back Shady McCoy is progressing, McNabb is accurate, and their defense is still dangerous… but there is something lacking in Philadelphia. As for Jay Cutler and the Bears, we’re pretty sure they aren’t going to be the subject of any good news for the next couple months. It isn’t all Cutler’s fault – there’s the receivers who drop  balls aimed at their chest, and the defense who couldn’t stop my pee wee team. Can we start speculating about their off season yet?
Game Ball: Shady McCoy did fumble the ball, but he came back to the tune of 99 yards and one touchdown.

Titans 20 Houston 17

This game was a brawl from the start, but we were not sure who we wanted to see win. On one hand, you have Houston on the nation-wide screen for the first time this year, with an amazing offense and and upstart defense. On the other, you have Tennessee, who is surging behind Vince Young. The Titan’s rushing game, with Young involved, is untouched in the AFC (and maybe the league if they continue on this pace). You have two young guns, and no interceptions in a game? Any night that comes down to a last second field goal (after a last minute field goal) is an outstanding Monday night on this end.
Game Ball: Vince Young looked composed on Monday  night. He went 12 for 22 for 116 yards and one touchdown, but rushed 74 yards on ten carries.

Week 11 Wrap Up

- Injuries: Rams QB Marc Bulger is out for the next three to six weeks with a broken leg. Several MRIs revealed the break after the Rams thought he sustained just a muscle strain and a knee issue… Lions QB Matthew Stafford seperated his shoulder in the game against Cleveland on Sunday. He played in the game, throwing the game-winning touchdown pass before running off the field in pain. He may be out for the Thanksgiving game because of the short rest for the Lions… Although it was good news for Ben Roethlisberger’s head issues,Super Bowl foe Kurt Warner will undergo more tests to see if he did in fact sustain a concussion Sunday. The tests will be in around Thursday… While Roethlisberger isn’t nearly as bad as his injury could have left him, back-up Charlie Batch is having surgery on his wrist after sustaining an injury in his only series in overtime on Sunday. It is still unknown when Batch injured his wrist… Redskins running back Ladell Betts will be out for the rest of the season with strains to both the MCL and the ACL. Washington was already down one running back, with Clinton Portis out with a concussion… And finally, Bills C Eric Wood broke two bones in his left leg during play on Sunday. He is having surgery to repair the damage. DONT WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO UNLESS YOU WANT TO GAG.
- In a meeting Monday, the NFL and the NFLPA have agreed on a more aggressive procedure for players with concussion, starting with hiring neurologists for each team. The NFL will be putting up half of the money to hire these doctors, and about half of the 32 teams in the league have been approved already.
- Tuesday morning, and we have a lot of disgruntled coaches out there. Browns “coach” Eric Mangini contends that the Lions were faking their injuries in order to slow the Browns down on Sunday, while Jets coach Rex Ryan is mad that the Patriots threw a long, hail mary pass when their game was already in hand. Ryan called the move “disrespectful”.
- Just keeps getting worse in Denver. During Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, wide receiver Brandon Marshall was seen on the sidelines screaming at rookie running back Knowshon Moreno, who had fumbled the ball on the goal line. The trash talk restarted Monday morning to reporters.
- In the beginning stages of their search for a new head coach, the Bills apparently reached out to Bill Cowher, who politely declined.

And the UDU Game Ball Goes to…

We know the Lions aren’t going to be a playoff team for at least the next two years, but Detroit showed the had heart on the shoulders of their young quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford gets our game ball because he led all quarterbacks on Sunday by going 26 for 43 for 422 yards and five touchdowns. He threw two interceptions, but who wouldn’t when your throwing that much (Stafford was forced to make up for a running game that barely netted 57 yards). The final play of the game, Stafford begged to be on the field even with a seperated shoulder, and launched a rocket for the game winning TD. Tell us he has no heart, and we will ask you who does.

Viqueens QB Brett Favre moved closer to yet another NFL record on Sunday, getting sacked twice to bring his career total to 490. John Elway is the current record holder, having been sacked a grand total of 516 times. Dave Kreig, a native of Iola, Wisconsin (population 1,243), is currently in second place with 494.

Favre’s in third.

With six games remaining, Favre needs fewer than one sack per game to move into second place; 4.5 per game to take over the all-time NFL record. So come on, offensive line! Help him out!

Favre also extended his existing records in attempts, completions, passing yards, touchdowns (suck it, Manning!) and starts. But that’s it. Ho hum.

In the latest edition of Sound FX on vikings.com, you can watch and listen to an NFL Films presentation that features Brett Favre mic’d up for the Lions game in Week 10. The piece does a great job of showing Favre’s personality on game day and how he interacts with coaches and teammates.

But as light-hearted as Favre can be on the football field – and the Sound FX piece certainly portrays that part of Favre’s personality – Favre is perhaps even more competitive than he is light-hearted.

Asked on Monday what he’s learned about Favre since coaching him, Childress cited Favre’s tireless work ethic

“When you’re not in the building with a guy every day, you don’t know how he works, how he grinds, how he spends time with his trade,” Childress said. “Is he just living off of skills and ability? But I think he does a great job of spending time with our guys. There’s a lot of chatter back and forth about plays they’re looking at. He spends a lot more time in here than anybody knows about.”

To illustrate his point about how much time Favre spends at Winter Park watching film, Childress recalled an instance where Head Athletic Trainer Eric Sugarman returned to Winter Park late on a Saturday afternoon only to find Favre in the film room studying for the next opponent.

Childress said it’s rare to have a player in the facility so late on a Saturday afternoon. Once the team concludes their mock game on Saturday morning, players often race out of the facility for some free time before reporting to the hotel on Saturday evening.

But Favre saw fit to sneak back into Winter Park for one final film session before heading to the hotel to finish final preparations with the rest of the team.

“He spends time at his trade,” Childress re-iterated. “He has very good physical tools. With the length of time he’s played, he has great mental tools. But he enhances what he has by spending time at his trade and looking at a lot of tape.”