It being a holiday weekend for many, including myself, the picks for this week will be brief.

Christmas Night

Tennessee (-3) over San Diego

With the glut of 7-7 teams in the AFC right now, and given the improbable nature of the Titans’ season (lost the first 6, then won 7 out of 8), it only makes sense that Tennessee would thrust themselves squarely into the hunt for a wildcard berth.

While San Diego is on an impressive winning streak, their position in the AFC pecking order is secure. The Chargers have the AFC West won. Tennessee is the more desperate team. They’re the pick.

Titans 27, Chargers 21

Sunday’s Games

Green Bay (-14) over Seattle

With each passing week, the Seahawks seem to become more pathetic. The Packers lost a heart-breaker in Pittsburgh last week. They should welcome an opportunity at redemption at home against the Seahawks.

Packers 31, Seahawks 13

Oakland (+3.5) over Cleveland

Both of these bottom-dwelling tms have played better football lately.

However, with Brady Quinn on injured reserve for the rest of the season, the feeling is that the cohesiveness the Browns’ offense has shown lately will slip against an improved Oakland defense.

Raiders 23, Browns 14

Cincinnati (-14) over Kansas City

The Bengals will feed off the energy of their fans in the wake of Chris Henry’s funeral earlier in the week. Playing the woeful Chiefs in a supportive environment should provide catharsis both emotionally and on the scoreboard.

Bengals 33, Chiefs 10

Buffalo (+9) over Atlanta

With Matt Ryan and Michael Turner both back, the Falcons won on the road last week against the Jets. Meanwhile, the Bills are coming off a sluggish home defeat to the Patriots.

It’s clear that the Falcons are the better team. However, they are not a trustworthy pick to cover the spread. The Falcons’ defense is mediocre at best, and the Bills have done better in recent games at getting the ball to Terrell Owens. Atlanta doesn’t have anyone in the secondary to match up with Owens.

So long as Ryan Fitzpatrick can get Owens and Lee Evans the ball a few times, Buffalo should make enough big plays to stay in this game.

Falcons 27, Bills 24

Miami (-3) over Houston

The Houston Texans can score on most teams, but can’t stop most teams from scoring.

The Dolphins have a pretty diverse offense and a capable defense. They should be able to contain the Texans’ passing attack and push their record to 8-7, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

Dolphins 28, Texans 21

NY Giants (-7) over Carolina

In their Monday Night rout of the Washington Redskins, the Giants played with a sense of purpose it seemed. They dominated in all areas and put the game out of reach by halftime.

Like the Redskins, the Panthers are out of the playoff picture this season. Unlike the Redskins, the Panthers have a stable front office and a coach that seems to be in place beyond this year. They should provide more competition for the Giants. In fact, they could derail the Giants’ playoff hopes.

Still, the Giants’ play last week is reflective of their understanding that their season has gone wrong, and that they have the ability to play their way into the postseason. They have something to play for. Thus, the pick is the Giants.

Giants 30, Panthers 21

New Orleans (-14) over Tampa Bay

The Buccaneers played the Saints well earlier in the season, and it was tempting to pick them to cover this big spread.

However, with the undefeated season gone, the Saints recognize that they need to play better football in the next few weeks to be well-prepared for the playoffs. Surely their coach, Sean Payton, has relayed that message to his team during practice sessions leading up to this game.

Expect the Saints to perform well and win big.

Saints 37, Buccaneers 17

Jacksonville (+7.5) over New England

The Patriots’ offense has been predictable in recent weeks, and the team has struggled to beat teams they should dominate.

Jacksonville needs this game in a big way. At 7-7, they need to win this game and see other teams (Denver, for instance) lose in order for the Jaguars to have a chance at the playoffs.

Of course, New England has yet to lose at home this season, and the Patriots are trying to play better football and improve as the playoffs approach. They need a big performance just as much as the Jaguars need a win.

The Jags have played close games all season long, thanks to their style of play, and this figures to be another one.

Patriots 23, Jaguars 21

Pittsburgh (-2.5) over Baltimore

With their miraculous win over the Packers last week, the Steelers’ playoff chances were revitalized.

Pittsburgh remains a longshot to get the opportunity to defend their Super Bowl championship. Plus, in the Ravens, they face a team that is in the exact same position they are: desperate for a win this week to have a chance at the playoffs.

This has the potential to be the game of the week. It could be high-scoring, it should be dramatic, and it may come down to the final minute.

With the Steelers at home and favored by less than a field goal, they’re the safe bet. It should be a wild game though.

Steelers 37, Ravens 34

Denver (+7) over Philadelphia

Alright, I’m personally rooting for a Christmas miracle here. The Broncos are my team and I make no apologies for my allegiance to them.

The Eagles are playing better football at this point. They’re at home, and they can put the NFC East on ice this week, if they win and the Cowboys stumble against the Redskins. This is game that many expect the Eagles to win, and win easily.

Denver, despite losing six of eight, can make the playoffs without any help by simply winning their remaining two games. If they can limit the Eagles’ big play-driven offense and open up their own offense a bit, the Broncos can win.

It’s been a long time since the Broncos scored over 20 points, and this could be the week they find holes in the Eagles’ defense and make it happen.

Broncos 27, Eagles 23

Arizona (-14) over St. Louis

The Cardinals have been inconsistent lately and could use a big game against a weak opponent to boost confidence as the playoffs approach.

Enter the St. Louis Rams.

Cardinals 34, Rams 13

San Francisco (-12) over Detroit

The Lions have played more competitive football this year compared to last year. It may be trendy to pick the Lions in a game that doesn’t matter much to either team, since neither is in contention for a playoff berth.

However, the 49ers are 9-5 against the spread on the season. They may have missed some opportunities to win a few close games during the course of the season, but San Francisco is a better football team than they’ve shown. They should be able to score easily on the Lions’ woeful defense, and give their fans reason to cheer loudly on this holiday weekend.

49ers 31, Lions 14

NY Jets (+5.5) over Indianapolis

The Colts have home-field advantage wrapped up. They are 14-0. All they have to play for is a chance at a 16-0 regular season, something members of the organization have said repeatedly that they are unmotivated for.

While there may be some measure of pride in going undefeated, the Colts’ goal is another Super Bowl title, not going 16-0 and losing at some point the postseason.

The Jets are not better than the Colts. About the only way they even cover the spread, let alone win, is if Peyton Manning rests for the majority of the game. That’s what I’m betting on.

Jets 21, Colts 20

Dallas (-7) over Washington

Speculation swirls around both of these franchises. While it’s a near-certainty that the Redskins will have a new coach in 2010, the Cowboys could also have a new man in charge if they falter in the next two weeks and/or disappoint in the postseason.

Yet, following their strong performance and surprising win over New Orleans last week, the Cowboys should ride that momentum into Washington and throttle their division rival. Based on last week’s debacle against the Giants, the Redskins appear to have mailed in the remainder of their 2009 season. This game could feature the largest margin of victory of the week.

Cowboys 34, Redskins 7

Monday Night Football

Chicago (+7) over Minnesota

Brett Favre has faltered lately, and the Minnesota Vikings have not run the ball well in recent weeks. Some of that is due to the competition they’ve faced, but part of the reason the offense has struggled is that some key players, like Adrian Peterson, are playing through injuries that have limited their effectiveness on the field.

The Bears have the talent to pull off a win. In fact, many believed the Bears were a playoff team at the start of the season. To say this has been a disappointing season for the Bears would be an understatement.

With Minnesota slipping, they are ripe to be upset. The gut feeling is that the Bears will keep the score close for much of the game and the Vikings will manage to win late, fending off the naysayers for a week as the playoffs get closer.

Vikings 27, Bears 24

This is our final post in picking the best players at each position by jersey number. If you have quibbles, or want to add someone I forgot, leave a comment and we’ll update this post. Next, we’ll combine all of our posts to create our all-jersey number 2009 team.

We started this project with wide receivers in this post and then with tight ends in this post and quarterbacks in this post and running backs in this post and offensive linemen in this post and kickers/punters in this post and defensive linemen in this post and linebackers in this post. Now we move to defensive backs, who wear numbers between 20 and 49.

20 – Ed Reed, Ravens - This hasn’t been Reed’s best year because of injury, but he still has three interceptions and three forced fumbles in 11 games. No safety in the league has had more impact this decade than Reed, and the fact that he won the league’s defensive player of the year award in a year that his team didn’t make the playoffs speaks to his greatness. So he gets the nod over long-time standouts S Brian Dawkins of Denver and CB Ronde Barber of Tampa Bay. Other notable 20s: Mike Adams, Browns; Alan Ball, Cowboys; Atari Bigby, Packers; Ralph Brown, Cardinals; Antoine Cason, Chargers; Chris Gamble, Panthers; Randall Gay, Saints; Brent Grimes, Falcons; Nick Harper, Titans; Michael Johnson, Giants; David Jones, Bengals; Keenan Lewis, Steelers; T.J. Rushing, Colts; Anthony Smith, Jaguars; Keith Smith, 49ers; Craig Steltz, Bears; Justin Tryon, Redskins; Jonathan Wade, Rams; Donald Washington, Chiefs; Donte Whitner, Bills; Madieu Williams, Vikings

21 – Nnamdi Asomugha, Raiders - It’s an incredibly difficult call to go with Asomugha over Green Bay’s Charles Woodson, who is having an epic renaissance year in Green Bay. But while Woodson has eight interceptions, Asomugha has one pick and just four passes defensed because teams refuse to throw his way. That ultimate sign of respect ultimately gives Nnamdi the nod. Injured Colts S Bob Sanders, a former defensive player of the year, would be in this discussion were he able to stay healthy. Other notable 21s: Asher Allen, Vikings; O.J. Atogwe, Rams; Derek Cox, Jaguars; Vontae Davis, Dolphins; Andre’ Goodman, Broncos; Corey Graham, Bears; Joselio Hanson, Eagles; Mike Jenkins, Cowboys; Kelly Jennings, Seahawks; Dwight Lowery, Jets; Chris Owens, Falcons; Kenny Phillips, Giants; Sabby Piscitelli, Buccaneers; Brodney Pool, Browns; Antrel Rolle, Cardinals; Lardarius Webb, Ravens; John Wendling, Bills; Dante Wesley, Panthers

22 – Asante Samuel, Eagles - First in New England and now in Philadephia, Samuel has been and still is a top-level cornerback. His eight interceptions this year is the second-best total in his career, and he now has 34 in his career. Other notable 22s: Nate Clements, 49ers; Vincent Fuller, Titans; William Gay, Steelers; Chevis Jackson, Falcons; Johnathan Joseph, Bengals; Pat Lee, Packers; Brandon McDonald, Browns; Tracy Porter, Saints; Carlos Rogers, Redskins; Samari Rolle, Ravens; Benny Sapp, Vikings; Matt Ware, Cardinals; Terrence Wheatley, Patriots

23 – DeAngelo Hall, Redskins - It pains me to honor Hall, but he’s the best of the lot at a thinner number. Hall was OK in Atlanta and then awful in Oakland, but in D.C. he’s been pretty good. So he gets the nod over New England’s Leigh Bodden, a solid but unspectacular corner, declining CB Marcus Trufant of Seattle, and CB Dunta Robinson of Houston. Other notable 23s: Tyrone Carter, Steelers; Cedric Griffin, Vikings; Renaldo Hill, Broncos; Kevin Hobbs, Lions; Chris Houston, Falcons; Marcus Hudson, 49ers; Quentin Jammer, Chargers; Tim Jennings, Colts; Sherrod Martin, Panthers; Donnie Nickey, Titans; Dimitri Patterson, Eagles; Jermaine Phillips, Buccaneers; Hank Poteat, Browns; Mike Richardson, Chiefs; Corey Webster, Giants

24 – Darrelle Revis, Jets – Revis has had a breakout season as the preeminent lockdown corner in the league. So even though he wears the same number as all-time great CB Champ Bailey of Denver, stud safety Adrian Wilson of Arizona, and former Pro Bowl S Chris Hope of Tennessee, Revis is the obvious choice. Other notable 24s: Al Afalava, Bears; Ron Bartell, Rams; Sheldon Brown, Eagles; Jarrett Bush, Packers; Brandon Flowers, Chiefs; Dominique Foxworth, Ravens; Deon Grant, Seahawks; Tye Hill, Falcons; Michael Huff, Raiders; Dante Hughes, Chargers; Terrence McGee, Bills; Kalvin Pearson, Lions; Sean Smith, Dolphins; Ike Taylor, Steelers; Terrell Thomas, Giants; Leigh Torrance, Saints; Jonathan Wilhite, Patriots; Eric Wright, Browns

25 – Ryan Clark, Steelers – In a battle of former teammates, we’ll go with hard-hitting strong safety Clark over CB Bryant McFadden, who left Pittsburgh to play corner for Arizona in the offseason. Clark doesn’t get the hype that his teammate Troy Polamalu does, but he’s a good player who really fits into the attitude of the Pittsburgh defense. Other notable 25s: Will Allen, Dolphins; Kevin Barnes, Redskins; Tarell Brown, 49ers; Chris Carr, Ravens; Pat Chung, Patriots; Kevin Ellison, Chargers; Nick Ferguson, Texans; Coye Francies, Browns; Danny Gorrer, Rams; Bruce Johnson, Giants; Tyrell Johnson, Vikings; Ellis Lankster, Bills; William Moore, Falcons; Reggie Nelson, Jaguars; Jerraud Powers, Colts; Kerry Rhodes, Jets; Aqib Talib, Buccaneers; Morgan Trent, Bengals; Pat Watkins, Cowboys; Marvin White, Lions

26 – Antoine Winfield, Vikings - Winfield is not just a great cover corner; he also hits with the tenacity of a safety. Even though he’s missed several games this season, we’ll give him the nod. So he gets the nod over fine Lions rookie S Louis Delmas. Other notable 26s: Will Allen, Buccaneers; Josh Bell, Packers; Michael Coe, Jaguars; Erik Coleman, Falcons; Abram Elam, Browns; Ken Hamlin, Cowboys; Kelvin Hayden, Colts; Sean Jones, Eagles; Kevin Kaesviharn, Titans; Dawan Landry, Ravens; Ty Law, Broncos; Mark Roman, 49ers; Stanford Routt, Raiders; Lito Sheppard, Eagles; Quinton Teal, Panthers; DeShea Townsend, Steelers; Eugene Wilson, Texans; Josh Wilson, Seahawks; Ashton Youboty, Bills

27 – Rashean Mathis, Jaguars - He doesn’t get a lot of attention because he plays in front of empty seats, but Mathis is a terrific cover corner. He gets the nod over two safeties, Jordan Babineaux of the Seahawks and Philadelphia’s Quintin Mikell. Other notable 27s: Michael Adams, Cardinals; Kyle Arrington, Patriots; Will Blackmon, Packers; Daniel Bullocks, Lions; Joe Burnett, Steelers; Reggie Corner, Bills; Torrie Cox, Buccaneers; Jamaal Fudge, Falcons; Cletis Gordon, Cowboys; Walt Harris, 49ers; Malcolm Jenkins, Saints; Jacob Lacey, Colts; Paul Oliver, Chargers; David Roach, Rams; Fred Smoot, Redskins; Nick Sorensen, Browns; Donald Strickland, Jets; C.J. Wilson, Panthers

28 – Gibril Wilson, Dolphins - Wilson was a safety on the Giants’ Super Bowl champion team, and then got a contract that was too big from the Raiders. But the Raiders cut him after the season, and Wilson found a great home in Miami. Other notable 28s: Darius Butler, Patriots; Thomas DeCoud, Falcons; Steve Gregory, Chargers; Marlin Jackson, Colts; Leodis McKelvin, Bills; Antwuan Molden, Texans; Curtis Taylor, 49ers; Greg Toler, Cardinals; Usama Young, Saints; Tom Zbikowski, Ravens

29 – Leon Hall, Bengals – Hall has been the breakout corner of the season, as he and Johnathan Joseph have given the Bengals a terrific pair of corners. Hall has five picks and 20 passes defensed this season. He gets the nod over Arizona’s Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, another good young corner. Other notable 29s: Tyrone Culver, Dolphins; Drayton Florence, Bills; Lendy Holmes, Redskins; D.J. Johnson, Giants; Eric King, Lions; Derrick Martin, Packers; Marcus McCauley, Saints; William Middleton, Jaguars; Ryan Mouton, Texans; Ryan Mundy, Steelers; Glover Quin, Texans; Derrick Roberson, Buccaneers; Shawn Springs, Patriots; Brian Williams, Falcons; Cary Williams, Ravens

30 – Mike Brown, Chiefs - At a popular safety number, Brown gets the nod with his renaissance season in Kansas City. He has stayed healthy all season after injury problems plagued him in three of his last five years in Chicago. So he earns the choice over Charles Godfrey of Carolina, LaRon Landry of Washington, and Brandon McGowan of the Patriots. Other notable 30s: David Bruton, Broncos; Chris Clemons, Dolphins; Drew Coleman, Jets; Gerard Lawson, Browns; Jason McCourty, Titans; D.J. Moore, Bears; Geoffrey Pope, Eagles; Ko Simpson, Lions; Reggie Smith, 49ers

31 – Cortland Finnegan, Titans – If Antoine Winfield isn’t the most physical corner in the league, Finnegan is. He’s vital to the Titans’ defense and their strong second half of the season. So he gets the nod over rookie sensation Jarius Byrd of Buffalo and corners Antonio Cromartie of San Diego and Al Harris of Green Bay. Other notable 31s: Dre’ Bly, 49ers; Phillip Buchanon, Lions; Hiram Eugene, Raiders; Ellis Hobbs, Eagles; Justin King, Rams; Maurice Leggett, Chiefs; Ken Lucas, Seahawks; Richard Marshall, Panthers; Darcel McBath, Broncos; Brandon Meriweather, Patriots; Bernard Pollard, Texans; Pierson Prioleau, Saints; Aaron Ross, Giants; Scott Starks, Jaguars; Nathan Vasher, Bears; Fabian Washington, Redskins; Roy Williams, Bengals

32 – Eric Weddle, Chargers – At a tough number to call, we’ll give Weddle, a key player in the Chargers’ defense, a nod over CB Jabari Greer of New Orleans and big-money safety Michael Lewis of San Francisco. Other notable 32s: Jason Allen, Dolphins; Fred Bennett, Texans; Anthony Henry, Lions; Orlando Scandrick, Cowboys

33 – Charles Tillman, Bears – Tillman isn’t a premier cover corner, but he’s pretty good in coverage. He’s also a good tackler and great a punching the ball out, as his six forced fumbles attest. He gets the nod over Raiders SS Tyvon Branch, who has a ridiculous 110 tackles this season. Other notable 33s: Melvin Bullitt, Colts; Michael Griffin, Titans; Nate Jones, Dolphins; Elbert Mack, Buccaneers; Jamarca Sanford, Vikings; Alphonso Smith, Broncos; Eric Smith, Jets; Brandon Underwood, Packers

34 – Dominique Barber, Texans - At a thin number, Barber, a part-time starter at safety for the Texans, gets the nod over Mike McKenzie, a long-time solid pro who recently re-signed with the Saints. Other notable 34s: Marquice Cole, Jets; Travis Daniels, Chiefs; Kyries Hebert, Bengals; Roy Lewis, Seahawks; Mike Mitchell, Raiders; Byron Westbrook, Redskins

35 – Zack Bowman, Bears – Bowman took over as a starting cornerback in Chicago, replacing Nathan Vasher. He gets the nod over rookie safety Macho Harris of the Eagles. Other notable 35s: Kevin Dockery, Giants; Todd Johnson, Bills; Jacques Reeves, Texans

36 – Nick Collins, Packers - Collins is a terrific safety for the Packers, and he gets the edge over another safety, Tanard Jackson of Tampa Bay, because Jackson missed four games due to suspension earlier this year. Collins has six picks this year, while Jackson has four. Other notable 36s: Jamar Adams, Seahawks; Josh Barrett, Broncos; Josh Bullocks, Bears; Quincy Butler, Rams; Courtney Greene, Jaguars; Mike Hamlin, Cowboys; Brandon Hughes, Chargers; Jim Leonhard, Jets; Lawyer Milloy, Seahawks; James Sanders, Patriots; Shawntae Spencer, 49ers

37 – Yeremiah Bell, Dolphins – Bell is a solid starting safety for the Dolphins, and his tackle total (103) is among the tops for defensive backs across the NFL. So we opt for Bell over George Wilson, another tackling machine playing safety for Buffalo, and Raiders CB Chris Johnson. Other notable 37s: James Butler, Rams; Sean Considine, Jaguars; Reed Doughty, Redskins; Eric Frampton, Vikings; Roderick Hood, Titans; Anthony Madison, Steelers; Chip Vaughn, Saints

38 – Dashon Goldson, 49ers – Goldson is emerging as not just a starter at free safety but as an impact player for the Niners. He gets the nod over Packers CB Tramon Williams and Bears S-CB Danieal Manning. Other notable 38s: Brandon Anderson, Buccaneers; DeMarcus Faggans, Texans; Bret Lockett, Patriots; DaJuan Morgan, Chiefs; Mark Parson, Texans; Charlie Peprah, Falcons; Ramzee Robinson, Browns

39 – Brandon Carr, Chiefs - Carr has started all 30 games at cornerback for the Chiefs since he entered in the NFL as a 2008 fifth-round pick. He gets picked on a bit because Brandon Flowers is emerging as a good corner on the opposite side, but Carr has broken up 16 passes this year. Other notable 39s: Husain Abdullah, Vikings; Quintin Demps, Eagles; Trevor Ford, Packers; Chris Reis, Saints; DeAngelo Smith, Lions

40 – Marquand Manuel, Lions – Manuel has bounced around a lot, but he has been a starter in all but one of his six NFL stops. This year in Detroit, he started six of the nine games he played before going on injured reserve. Other notable 40s: John Busing, Texans; K.J. Gerard, Ravens; Jamie Silva, Colts

41 – Antoine Bethea, Colts – Bethea, the Colts’ starting free safety, has had to be the one constant in the secondary for the Colts this year, and he’s played his role well with 90 tackles and four interception. He gets the nod over Cowboys CB Terrence Newman, Saints S Roman Harper, and Bengals S Chinedum Ndukwe. Other notable 41s: Tyron Brackenridge, Jaguars; C.C. Brown, Giants; Antoine Harris, Falcons; William James, Lions; Corey Lynch, Buccaneers; Brice McCain, Texans; Kareem Moore, Redskins; Captain Munnerlyn, Panthers; Evan Oglesby, Dolphins; Karl Paymah, Vikings; C.J. Spillman, Chargers; Raymond Ventrone, Browns; Frank Walker, Ravens

42 –Darren Sharper, Saints – Sharper’s veteran leadership has helped the Saints stabilized their secondary, and the veteran continues to make plenty of plays. He has eight picks this year, three of which he’s returned for touchdowns, and now 62 career interceptions. Other notable 42s: Gerald Alexander, Jaguars; Chris Crocker, Bengals; Brian Russell, Texans; Jack Williams, Lions

43 – Troy Polamalu, Steelers -Polamalu has been hurt much of the year this year, but his ability to range and make plays is what takes the Steelers defense from good to great. He may miss the Pro Bowl for the first time since his rookie season, but he still gets the nod here in a walk. Other notable 43s: Craig Dahl, Rams; Aaron Francisco, Colts; Chris Harris, Panthers; Hakuri Nakamura, Ravens; Tom Nelson, Bengals; Bryan Scott, Bills; Gerald Sensabaugh, Cowboys

44 – Jarrad Page, Chiefs – Page was in his third season as a starting safety in K.C. before going on injured reserve after playing five games this season. Still, that’s a better resume than that of Kevin Payne, who has lost his starting safety job with the Bears. Other notable 44s: James Ihedigbo, Jets; Rico Murray, Bengals

45 – De’von Hall, Colts – Hall, an undrafted rookie out of Utah State, has seen action in four games in his rookie season, notching three tackles. He is the only active defensive back wearing 45.

46 – none

47 – Jon McGraw, Chiefs – McGraw is in his eighth season, and he has started seven games for Kansas City this season, which is a career high. He also recorded his first career sack this season. His long career of contributing gives him the nod over rookie Cary Harris of Buffalo and fourth-year man Matt Giordano of Green Bay.

48 – Chris Horton, Redskins – Horton, a second-year player out of UCLA, emerged as a starter in his rookie season but fell out of the lineup before a midseason injury stopped his sophomore campaign. He is the only notable DB wearing 48.

49 – Rashad Johnson, Cardinals – Johnson, a third-round pick out of Arizona, is the only active defensive back wearing 49. He has not seen action this year.

New York Giants :
*Placed (TE)Darcy Johnson on Injured Reserve

Detroit Lions :
*Waived (OL)Melvin Fowler
*Activated (OL)Dan Gerberry from Practice Squad
*Re-Signed (DT)Terrance Taylor to Practice Squad

New Orleans Saints :
*Signed (S)Darrick Brown/Raiders to Practice Squad
*Released (OL)Renardo Foster from Practice Squad

Tampa Bay Buccaneers :
*Claimed (WR)Mark Bradley off waivers from Kansas City Chiefs
*Waived (CB)Brandon Anderson

Arizona Cardinals :
*Placed (OL)Mike Gandy on Injured Reserve
*Activated (LB)Pago Tagofau from Practice Squad
*Re-Signed (LB)Ali Highsmith to Practice Squad

San Francisco 49ers :
*Signed (P/K)Ricky Schmitt/Raiders

Seattle Seahawks :
*Placed (LS)Kevin Houser on Injured Reserve

Buffalo Bills :
*Placed (S)Jarius Byrd on Injured Reserve
*Signed (LB)Josh Stamer/Browns
*Re-Signed (LB)Ryan Manalac to Practice Squad

Miami Dolphins :
*Released (OL)Mark Lewis from Practice Squad

Baltimore Ravens :
*Signed (LS)Nick Sunburg/Panthers to Practice Squad

Pittsburgh Steelers :
*Signed (WR)Jason Chery/Panthers to Practice Squad
*Released (OL)Jonathan Palmer from Practice Squad

Houston Texans :
*Waived (S)Brian Russell

Denver Broncos :
*Signed (OL)D’Anthony Batiste/Redskins to Practice Squad

Kansas City Chiefs :
*Signed (WR)Chandler Williams/Falcons to Practice Squad
*Signed (WR)Logan Payne/Lions to Practice Squad

Oakland Raiders :
*Signed (QB)Jeff Otis/Rams to Practice Squad
*Released (OL)Elliot Vallejo from Practice Squad

We’re up to nine in a row. Here are this week’s picks.

1. Green Bay over Seattle – The Seahawks are in the tank, and they’ve been downright sorry as a road team this season. The Packers, meanwhile, have been hot and now are looking to bounce back from a last-second loss in Pittsburgh. That’s a recipe for a beatdown – so take advantage.

2. New Orleans over Tampa Bay – If you haven’t yet used the Saints, this is the golden opportunity. Even though the Buccaneers won on the road last week in Seattle, they aren’t in the Saints’ class. And now that the Saints have lost, they’ll be looking to bounce back. That makes this an extra-juicy matchup.

3. Arizona over St. Louis – We already cashed in on this matchup in Week 11, and that game was in St. Louis. At home, Arizona should cruise to a sweep over this division rival.

Traps to avoid: Minnesota at Chicago, Atlanta vs. Buffalo – The Vikings are in a bit of a tailspin, and so while a road trip to Chicago looks tasty, we’re advising you to stay away. Chicago’s only solid performance lately was in a home game against another quality division rival, the Packers. The Falcons won at the Jets last week, and they are more talented than the Bills, but with nothing to play for Atlanta could play below capacity. There’s no use in risking your streak on this kind of matchup.

Week 15: W Baltimore (over Chicago)
Week 14: W Tennessee (over St. Louis)
Week 13: W Cincinnati (over Detroit)
Week 12: W Dallas (over Oakland)
Week 11: W Arizona (over St. Louis)
Week 10: W Miami (over Tampa Bay)
Week 9: W Atlanta (over Washington)
Week 8: W Chicago (over Cleveland)
Week 7: W Indianapolis (over St. Louis)
Week 6: L Jets (vs. Buffalo)
Week 5: W Philadelphia (over Tampa Bay)
Week 4: W San Francisco (over St. Louis)
Week 3: L Houston (vs. Jacksonville)
Week 2: L Jacksonville (vs. Arizona)
Week 1: W New Orleans (over Detroit)

Before there was Michael Vick and Daunte Culpepper, Randall Cunningham was an athlete well ahead of his time. Cunningham could do it all. He could throw it short, medium, or long and then of course, he could run.

Few quarterbacks in league history posed quite the threat that Cunningham did with his legs. During his career, the former UNLV Runnin’ Rebel averaged 6.4 yards per rush. Randall’s athletic prowess earned him the 1989 Sports Illustrated cover accompanied by the phrase “The Ultimate Weapon”.

In a cruel twist of fate, Cunningham’s head coach in Philadelphia from 1986 to 1990, Buddy Ryan, fell in love far too much with Randall’s athletic prowess. Content on letting Randall use his athleticism on offense, he hung him out to dry by focusing so much on defense when evaluating player personnel that it often led to weak offensive units surrounding Ryan’s prized asset.

During Ryan’s tenure from 1986-1990, no quarterback was sacked more times than Cunningham. In fact, he led the NFL in most sacks against four of Ryan’s five seasons. No running game and no offensive line led to meltdowns in the playoffs including the famous Fog Bowl in 1988. Despite throwing for 407 yards, the Eagles succumbed to the weather and the Bears, 20-12 in the NFC Divisional playoffs.

Subsequent playoff losses at home to the Rams and Redskins, left the fanbase unfulfilled after watching one of the most exciting three years runs in Eagles history.

Overall, Cunningham will not only be remembered for being one of the key figureheads on Ryan’s Eagles but also quarterbacking the most prolific offense in NFL history (until the ‘07 Pats came along), the 1998 Minnesota Vikings.

Cunningham was one of the most exciting and breathtaking players in NFL history. He may never make to Canton but he is a worthy candidate for induction in the JMRA Hall of Fame.

Also, Randall was a pretty good punter too…

New York Giants :
*Signed (TE)Scott Chandler off Dallas Cowboys Practice Squad

Atlanta Falcons :
*Activated (S)Erick Brock from Practice Squad
*Signed (WR)Andy Strickland/Jaguars to Practice Squad

New Orleans Saints :
*Waived (K)John Carney
*Waived (CB)Marcus McCauley
*Signed (S)Herana-Daze Jones/Patriots

Tampa Bay Buccaneers :
*Signed (WR)Michael Spurlock/49ers
*Waived (WR)Yamon Figurs

Arizona Cardinals :
*Signed (S)Hamza Abdullah/Browns
*Signed (OL)Cliff Louis/Giants to Practice Squad
*Released (LB)Brandon Renkart from Practice Squad

San Francisco 49ers :
*Waived (DE)Baraka Atkins

Seattle Seahawks :
*Re-Signed (LS)Jeff Robinson

Buffalo Bills :
*Placed (QB)Trent Edwards on Injured Reserve
*Placed (CB)Terrence McGee on Injured Reserve
*Re-Signed (QB)Gibran Hamdan

Miami Dolphins :
*Signed (P)Britton Colquitt/Broncos to Practice Squad

Baltimore Ravens :
*Signed (CB)Corey Ivy/Steelers
*Signed (S)Keith Fitzhugh off New York Jets Practice Squad
*Placed (CB)Lardarius Webb on Injured Reserve
*Waived (S)Marcus Paschal

Cleveland Browns :
*Placed (QB)Brady Quinn on Injured Reserve

Pittsburgh Steelers :
*Signed (WR)Joey Galloway/Patriots

Houston Texans :
*Signed (OL)Ephraim Salaam/Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars :
*Signed (DE)Rulon Davis/Broncos to Practice Squad
*Re-Signed (CB)Kennard Cox to Practice Squad

Kansas City Chiefs :
*Waived (WR)Mark Bradley
*Placed (TE)Brad Cottam on Injured Reserve
*Re-Signed (WR)Quinten Lawrence

San Diego Chargers :
*Signed (OL)Eric Ghiacuic/Chiefs
*Placed (OL)Scott Mruczkowski on Injured Reserve

Ken Anderson, of the Cincinnati Bengals, and Joe Montana, of the San Francisco 49ers, led the AFC and NFC in passing yards respectively. The two signal callers meet in Super Bowl XVI with the 49ers besting the Bengals 26-21.

"Ken Anderson Cincinnati Bengals 1982 Topps No. 257 back

For the Cincinnati Bengals and quarterback Ken Anderson, 1981 turned out to be one the best seasons in franchise history with the team making its first Super Bowl appearance. However for Anderson, the season had a rather ominous start as he embarked on his MVP season.

In the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, Anderson threw three interceptions in the first half to allow the Seahawks to take a 21-0 halftime lead. Bengals head coach Forrest Gregg benched Anderson at halftime in favor of backup Turk Schonert, who led the Bengals to a 27-21 victory.

Gregg contemplated starting Schonert or Jack Thompson the next week, but he decided to give the veteran Anderson another chance. The Augustana College product responded by throwing for 252 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-30 win over the New York Jets.

When the regular season was over, Anderson had completed 62.6 percent  of his passes for 3,754 yards and 29 touchdowns, with only 10 interceptions.

Anderson became the first Bengal to  win the NFL Most Valuable Player Award. He also earned the league’s Comeback Player of the Year Award en route to helping the Bengals win the AFC Central division.

His remarkable season did not stop there. Anderson guided the Bengals past the Buffalo Bills in the opening round of the playoffs, which also marked the franchise’s first postseason victory. Then a week later, he helped Cincinnati win the legendary Freezer Bowl over the San Diego Chargers to earn a spot in the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl XVI  was a bit of a reunion for Anderson and the Bengals. On the opposing sideline was San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh, who originated the West Coast Offense as the Bengals quarterback coach under Paul Brown from 1968-75.

Anderson threw for 25 of 34 passes for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions, and ran for another touchdown in the Bengals 26-21 loss. At the time, his 25 completions and 73.5 percent completion percentage were both Super Bowl records.

Since his retirement in 1986, Anderson is considered one of the top players not enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. In 2008, the NFL Network named him one of the top 10 players not in the hall.  He has been nominated for the hall of fame several times, and twice has been one of 15 finalists for enshrinement.

Anderson served as an assistant coach with the Bengals  from 1993-2002, including a stint as the offensive coordinator from 1996-2002. He then became an assistant coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003-06. After being fired in Jacksonville, Anderson was named the quarterbacks coach for the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers under then-new head coach Mike Tomlin.

Anderson earned a Super Bowl ring when the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII in 2009.

Analysis of Week 15 in the NFL

Game Recaps

Colts 35 Jaguars 31

Every week, these undefeateds get a little closer to losing their way. The Colts, however, stayed on course. Peyton Manning seemingly got out of his funk, and Indianapolis needed a performance like that to find their way over the desperate Jaguars. His completions to Reggie Wayne (five for 132 yards and one touchdown) and Dallas Clarke (seven for 95 yards and two touchdowns) made this game exciting from the start, but it was Jacksonville’s Maurice Jones Drew, who ran for 110 yards and one touchdown, that gave the Jags  lightning. For the record, David Gerrard was one costly interception away from proving himself on national television.
Game Ball: Peyton Manning went 23 for 30 for 308 yards and four touchdowns.

Cowboys 24 Saints 17

We can’t say we are entirely surprised. Tony Romo and the Cowboys have had decent games (Romo has been playing extremely well as a matter of fact) and just have not been able to come away with the win. While Romo got the job done, he didn’t exactly outplay Drew Brees and the Saints by himself. The key to this game was a massive surge from DaMarcus Ware and the Dallas defense, who forced two of Brees’ fumbles as well as an interception and held New Orleans run game to only 65 yards total. It was truly inspirational to see Ware come back from that injury and play the game the right way.
Game Ball: Miles Austin had seven catches for 139 yards and one touchdown.

Patriots 17 Buffalo 10

Traditionally, the Pats put up huge numbers and beat the Bills fair and square. This week, Buffalo beat themselves. Tony Brady didn’t have to throw bombs, Lawerence Maroney didn’t have to run the length of the field, and the defense…well they didn’t really have to try. The Bills had 100 penalty minutes in just the first half of the football game, finishing the game with 124, completely giving New England control of the game. The Pats’ defense, who now looks like the who’s-who of Madden 2001, came alive behind Junior Seau and Tully Banta-Cain, but it wasn’t a great effort.
Game Ball: Banta-Cain had three sacks on the day.

Arizona 31 Lions 24

We will say it every week if we have to – give this Lions team a couple more years and they will be competitive again, and this week they were behind third-stringer Drew Stanton who only threw for 72 yards total!  Even the Lions’ defense was up for the task of defending the great Kurt Warner, who is looking older and more tired by the day. What we are happy about is the rookie, Beanie Wells, grabbing the first hundred-yard game of his career.  One thing is for sure: The Lions can not and will not play behind Daunte Culpepper and actually win.
Game Ball: Wells had 17 rushes for 110 yards and one touchdown.

Dolphins 24 Titans 27

After a couple of lack-luster weeks, Vince Young is back with a vengeance. The Titans just won’t go away, and their defense took care of business against Miami. The Dolphins had gotten their wake up call: One good week does not mean Chad Henne is good enough to run your team around. His three interceptions pretty much cancelled out all of the running Ricky Williams did (80 yards and one touchdown’s worth). Miami’s defense didn’t look so hot either – Justin Gage only had 43 yards receiving but his short-yardage catches led to two touchdowns, and Chris Johnson had his ninth straight 100+ yard game.
Game Ball: Young went 14 for 27 with 236 yards and three touchdowns.

Browns 41 Chiefs 34

Did you think this game would be this great? The best part = Brady Quinn got another win today, and he only threw for a total of 66 yards. And this is two in a row for Cleveland! By now you know the story lines: Third string backup Jerome Harrison runs for 286 yards, while Josh Cribbs returns two 100+ kicks for touchdowns. What you may not know is that Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles had 154 more rushing yards and one touchdown. Matt Cassel can’t catch a break these days.
Game Ball: We will give it to Harrison, who along with those 286 yards had three touchdowns and averaged 8.6 yards per carry.

Texans 16 Rams 13

Hey Houston! When we say you are completely inconsistent, this is what we mean. Not only did the Texans struggle with St. Louis, but they damn near almost lost this game. The numbers here don’t match up. Matt Schaub had a fantastic game, going 28 for 40 with 367 yards and one touchdown. Keith Null only completed passes for 173 yards and threw an interception. Andre Johnson had 150 yards more than any Ram receiver. The Texans even held Steven Jackson under one hundred yards. They just can’t get it done some days, beyond all reason, and we can’t figure it out.
Game Ball: Johnson had nine catches for 196 yards.

Falcons 10 Jets 7

You keep giving them the ball, eventually they are going to score. Matt Ryan and the Falcons continue to look horrible, but they escaped with the W after numerous mistakes by the Jets. New York’s offense just couldn’t get going – After Mark Sanchez’s three interceptions, Thomas Jones only racked up 52 yards, while Braylon Edwards’ big catches led to only one touchdown. For the record, it must suck to be Kellen Clemmens… but make no mistake Atlanta did not look any better, even behind Ryan. There just isn’t enough time or space to diagnose what is wrong with these two teams.
Game Ball: NO ONE.

Raiders 20 Broncos 19

Denver must be in trouble. Oakland went thru three quarterbacks: Charlie Frye, JaMarcus Russell, and JP Lossman - all of whom only three for a combined 102 yards – and they still somehow managed to upset the Broncos. The fire in Denver’s eyes earlier in the season is gone, and the Broncos are looking at potentially missing the playoffs and having an identical season as last year’s. We won’t have answers to most of the questions this game raised, but the fact that JaMarcus Russell threw the game-winning touchdown means one thing: They will never be able to truly part ways with them.
Game Ball: Michael Bush had 18 carries for 133 yards and one touchdown.

Bengals 24 Chargers 27

This was an especially tough one to watch. It was also incredibly out of character for both teams. Both Philip Rivers and Carson Palmer played almost identical mediocre games. Both teams’ rushing games were all but completely shut down. It came down to two things: San Diego has a better receiving core and that Cincinnati’s defense slipped for just one split second… oh and Nate Kaeding’s leg is extreme to say the least. When Antonio Gates is having a bad day, Vincent Jackson steps up, and that makes them very hard to defend.
Game Ball: Jackson had five catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

49ers 13 Eagles 27

At the end of the day we have learned three things: San Fran is not there, yet… There won’t be a game where DeSean Jackson doesn’t get behind you at least once… And the Eagles should be on the league’s radar. Donovan McNabb threw two interceptions, but he never gets points for the touchdown he scored on an eight yard run or the laser passes to Jackson down the field. The defensive side of the football was equally as impressive, although they failed to shut down Frank Gore who had another 100+ yard game. The worst part of the whole day was potentially losing Michael Vick because that was a surprisingly effective part of their offense. The Eagles do, however, need to play a more disciplined game – those penalties and missed plays could cost them a playoff game against a team that can take advantage.
Game Ball: Action Jackson had six catches for 140 yards and one touchdown.

Packers 36 Steelers 37

To be honest, we can’t believe the Steelers are still considered “in the hunt”. It took Ben Roethlisberger five hundred passing yards to keep it that way. Usually, games between these two are centered around defense and huge stops. Apparently, that is no more. We are surprised and somewhat dismayed that the Steelers defense couldn’t get through to Aaron Rodgers more than once, while the Pack had Big Ben on his back five times. For two nitty-gritty teams, this was all passing, quick movement, and a very high scoring game. Overshadowed in Roethlisberger’s numbers is the fact that Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes as well – just not that fateful final one. They just couldn’t stay on the outside looking in could they?
Game Ball: Roethlisberger went 29 for 46 with 503 yards and three touchdowns.

Buccaneers 24 Seattle 7

Once again: Matt Hasselbeck is on his way out. And no, Senece Wallace is not the answer here. It looks like Tampa Bay’s growing pains are starting to pay off  – the team has a quarterback who is getting smarter with each game and can obviously rebound, as well as a defense who knows how to take advantage of the opportunities they are given. Maybe in the coming years they will be what they once were, but Seattle, we can say with utmost certainty, will not. Their quarterback may be pretty horrible, but their receivers are even worse (yes, we mean you TJ Houshmandzadeh) and their defense can’t stop a thing. They need an overhaul, and Jim Mora will be the guy to do it.
Game Ball: Josh Freeman went 16 for 26 for 2o5 yards and two touchdowns.

Bears 7 Ravens 31

Like most weeks, we could go on and on about what is so wrong with the Bears… but maybe we should concentrate on what went so right with Baltimore. With Cincinnati slipping, they are surging for a playoff spot and what a showing to prove themselves. Joe Flacco’s arm could be considered perfect after this performance – although we will say some of his receivers dropped those perfectly thrown balls – and their defense showed heart and tenacity. Chicago can’t hope to win a game on six turnovers, three of which were by Jay Cutler, although they did limit the penalties this week. It’s a long road to redemption for the Bears… but in Baltimore they will be celebrating.
Game Ball: Joe Flacco went 21 for 29 for 234 yards and four touchdowns.

Vikings 7 Panthers 26

For such a great record, the entire Vikings team looks tired and completely unaware that they still need to earn that second seed. We won’t put this all on  Brett Favre’s shoulders, although controversy and other issues stem from his actions Sunday. That crazy defense looked completely besides themselves. Jon Stewart ran all over them, Steve Smith was pretty much allowed to run where he wanted when he wanted, and this was with backup quarterback Matt Moore at the helm! Julius Peppers came out like a complete animal – he had one sack, but completely destroyed Favre all night. Carolina needed this wake up earlier in the season… and something tells us Jake Delhomme is not welcome there right now.
Game Ball: Moore went 21 for 33 with 299 yards and three touchdowns.

Giants 45 Redskins 12

The Redskins had been playing remarkably well – that is until apparently this week. We have to say it – someone has to – that they looked completely confused and like they had no idea of the plays let alone how to execute them. The Giants, searching for a way back in to the playoff spot, took advantage of that. Eli Manning looked close to perfect, connecting with three different receivers for touchdowns, and their running game looked back on track (granted, it was used in the right situations). Five sacks by their defense obviously had Jason Campbell looking through his ear hole, but thats no excuse for his abismal performance.
Game Ball: Manning went 19 for 26 with 268 yards and three touchdowns.

Week 15 Wrap Up

- Injury Report: Eagles runningback Brian Westbrook plans to practice with the first team this week. He is expected to be available this coming Sunday against Denver… Tennessee lost linebackers Keith Bullock and David Thornton for the season. Bullock tore his ACL Sunday, while Thornton is having season-ending shoulder surgery this week…
- After their loss to the Panthers Sunday, Brett Favre made some widely inappropriate comments about his coach, Brad Childress, trying to remove him from the game. There is a time and a place boys… and that place is never at a press conference.
- Contrary to previous beliefs that Mike Holmgren would be taking over as head coach in Cleveland, Monday he signed a contract to become the team’s new president. Holmgren is expected to be involved in both personell decisions as well as game planning.
- The Cowboys cut place kicker Nick Folk Monday after a series of missed field goals. They replaced the kicker with Shaun Suisham, who was cut earlier this year for being horrible in Washington.

And the UDU Game Ball Goes to…

This week, this wasn’t that hard of a choice. Cleveland’s games this season have normally been nothing short of disasterous, but this week they have someone to thank for victory: Jerome Harrison. Harrison rushed for 286 yard (only ten shy of the record), breaking Jim Brown’s Cleveland record. His runs nearly netted the win for the Browns – seeing that their passing offense was limited to only 66 yards. Harrison rushed for more yards than Thomas Jones, Cedric Benson, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joseph Addai, and Marion Barber combined (thank you Adam Schefter)… not bad for a third-stringer.

Here is our Football Relativity comparison after Week 15. We’ve noted where we have moved teams up or down from the Week 14 comparison.

10 – Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints - The Colts, who had already clinched home-field throughout the playoffs, still went to the mat against the Jaguars and came out with a fun 35-31 shootout win. The Colts may pull back on the reins (ah, puns) starting this week at home against the Jets, but if they don’t the undefeated dream should live on. The Saints lost the bagel in their loss column by falling to the Cowboys at home. But that’s not a critical loss for a team that has pulled out its share of miracles this year. New Orleans still will want a bounce-back win this week, and a home tilt against Tampa Bay should do just the trick.

9 – San Diego Chargers - The Chargers extended their winning streak to seven with a last-second 27-24 win over Cincinnati, and with the win should be safe with a first-round playoff bye. They’ve already clinched the AFC West. That’s a good thing, because their Christmas-night trip to Tennessee is no bargain. But even in a loss that game won’t mitigate how dangerous the Chargers are to win the whole enchilada.

8 – Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings (DOWN A LEVEL), Philadelphia Eagles – The Cardinals held off a game Lions team to win on the road and clinch the NFC West. While the Cardinals haven’t been consistent, they’ve proven to be dangerous. Arizona probably can’t move up to a first-round bye, but even a Matt Leinart cameo shouldn’t hurt at home against the Rams this week. Green Bay lost a heartbreaker in Pittsburgh, and that ended the Pack’s six-game winning streak. But despite that loss, Green Bay is in position for a wild-card berth, and they’re playing a level which should scare other clubs. Philly won at home against San Francisco to hold the lead in the NFC East. But with Dallas on its tail, Philly must keep its foot on the pedal against Denver this week. The Vikings, meanwhile, have some holes in their hull right now, and it makes me wonder whether their gaudy record is due to true level of play or a schedule that has been pretty easy most of the season. Their 26-7 loss to Carolina featured an offensive line that looked big and slow, another subpar performance from Adrian Peterson, and surprising vulnerability to the running game on defense. Some of those trends are alarming, and right now that means we can’t include the Vikings with the Saints, Colts, and Chargers as the A-list of the NFL right now.

7 - Cincinnati Bengals (DOWN A LEVEL), Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots (DOWN A LEVEL), New York Giants (UP A LEVEL) – With the separation between levels 8 and 6, we moved some teams down because they are teams that are good without the capability of being great. Thus Cincinnati, which lost in San Diego 27-24, and New England, which beat Buffalo 17-10, move down. Both the Bengals and Patriots are quality teams, but they have shortcomings that do not bode well for postseason success. The Bengals don’t have a potent enough passing game to knock off high-powered offensive teams like Indianapolis or San Diego. The Patriots can keep up offensively, but their defense is too porous against those opponents to give their teams a chance. New England can keep its hold on the AFC East with a home win against Jacksonville next week, while Cincinnati finally gets a break from a brutal schedule with a home game against the Chiefs that could help them finally salt away the AFC North. The Cowboys, who won a huge game in New Orleans, are similarly flawed. Their offensive line is getting old, and the result is that a running game that was dynamic in past years is now pedestrian. It’s hard to see Dallas moving past the divisional playoff round, but they should be able to beat Washington next week to wrap up a playoff berth. The Giants broke out of their struggles, at least for a night, with a Monday-night massacre of the Redskins 45-12. The Giants still need some help to climb over the Eagles or Cowboys for a playoff berth, but if they play this way and get to 10-6 they should have a chance. This week’s home game against the Panthers should be a step in that direction.

6 – Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos (DOWN A LEVEL), Houston Texans (UP A LEVEL), Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers (UP A LEVEL), Tennessee Titans – The Ravens thumped the Bears to move to 8-6 and get in prime position for an AFC wild card. But that prime position will go away if they can’t win in Pittsburgh this week. After winning a shootout against the Packers, the Steelers got back to 7-7, and so the game against Baltimore is their shot to stay in the playoff race. Denver is 8-6, but the home loss to the Raiders could be devastating, especially with a trip to Philly on the docket this week. The Texans took advantage of the soft schedule for the second straight week, and now Houston is 7-7. But the road gets harder for them this week in Miami against a Dolphins team that lost a heartbreaker in Tennessee. That’s a playoff elimination game. Tennessee, meanwhile, has won seven of eight but won’t have a shot at the playoffs without beating a red-hot Chargers team on Christmas night. At least that must-win game is in Nashville. Jacksonville gave up its upper hand on a playoff berth by losing at home to the Colts. Now the Jaguars head to New England hoping to jump back into the race with an upset win.

5 – Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers (UP A LEVEL), New York Jets (DOWN A LEVEL), San Francisco 49ers – The Falcons, who were eliminated from playoff contention, beat the Jets in an ugly 10-7 win. But the way Matt Ryan led a game-winning drive shows that he is the kind of quarterback who can help a team win. The Jets, meanwhile, blew a golden opportunity in the playoff race, and they now find themselves in the scrum at 7-7. Truth be told, they’re probably the worst team in that bunch, given how inconsistent Mark Sanchez’s play has been. San Francisco played tough in Philadelphia, but their lack of overall talent showed. San Francisco should get another win this week against Detroit, and they’re headed in the right direction. Carolina showed its overall toughness and talent with a Sunday-night shellacking of the Vikings. If not for abysmal quarterback play in several games, Carolina would at least be in wild-card consideration.

4 – Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins (DOWN A LEVEL) – The Bills are game, and interim head coach Perry Fewell has continued Dick Jauron’s tradition of getting the most out of a so-so roster. But bad quarterback play continues to doom Buffalo to mediocrity. Sunday’s 17-10 loss was a microcosm of what the Bills are at this point. The Redskins laid an egg against the Giants, and at this point you have to wonder whether such a 4-10 team will revert to just playing out the string. Maybe a chance to spoil the Cowboys’ playoff run will be motivation this week, but even a rivalry didn’t inspire the Redskins to do their best this week vs. the Giants.

3 – Chicago Bears (DOWN A LEVEL), Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks (DOWN A LEVEL) – The Bears have five wins, but they are so uncompetitive against good or even decent teams at this point that we have no choice but to relegate them down the comparison. The worst thing about Chicago’s blowout 31-7 loss in Baltimore was that it was completely expected. The Raiders pulled off the upset in Denver, making another game effort. That effort isn’t consistent, but it reveals that the Raiders aren’t a completely lost cause. Seattle may be that kind of lost cause at this point after an embarassing 24-7 home loss to Tampa Bay. Seattle hasn’t been good this year, but they have been at least OK at home until this one.

2 – Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (UP A LEVEL) – The Browns continued their tradition of having shootouts with fellow bad teams with a 41-34 victory in Kansas City. With the Raiders coming up this week, maybe another shootout is in the offing. The Chiefs, meanwhile, can’t seem to play well in all three phases in the same game. Tampa Bay broke through with a road win in Seattle, once again showing that Josh Freeman has potential in the future. He’s still raw, but you can see why the Bucs used a first-rounder on him. The Lions played the Cardinals tough, but in the end lost to a more talented team. There’s no shame in that, and the fact that they’re playing hard is a sign that Jim Schwartz is doing a solid job as head coach.

1 – St. Louis Rams – The Rams continue to play hard, as they did in Sunday’s 16-13 loss to the Texans, but they’re simply not talented enough to get any wins. At least now they’ll get the infusion of talent that Nebraska DT Ndomukong Suh is.

Well, the NFL Recap is here for Sunday, and it looks like the playoff picture in the NFC is getting clearer by the weeks. The AFC however, is messier than before. During this recap, which features MANY wild finishes, we’ll sort all this out. To the recap we go…

New England 17, Buffalo 10- Many people thought Randy Moss quit. He has not, and he showed up against the Buffalo Bills. Moss had five catches for 70 yards and a touchdown, and Laurence Maroney ran for 81 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown, and the Patriots rolled to their 13th straight victory over the Buffalo Bills, and their first road win this season in the United States (the other one came in London against Tampa Bay). Tully Banta-Cain led the way for the Patriots defense with three sacks, and the defense for New England played so well, that interim head coach Perry Fewell benched Ryan Fitzpatrick for Trent Edwards, but Edwards injured his ankle three plays later, forcing Fitzpatrick to come back in and throw a touchdown pass to Lee Evans. The Patriots now have move a step closer to clinching the AFC East, and can clinch the division with a win next week vs. Jacksonville or with a Miami and NY Jets loss. Patriots (9-5), Bills (5-9)

Arizona 31, Detroit 24- The Arizona Cardinals jumped out to a 17-0 lead, but allowed the Lions to get back in the game in the third quarter to tie the game at 17, but Kurt Warner found Anquan Boldin with 1:54 left to break a 24-24 tie and gave the Cardinals a 31-24 victory to move a step closer to the NFC West championship. Warner went 23-37 for 233 yards, and Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower were effective on the Cards’ running game, each scoring a touchdown. The Lions were led by Maurice Morris’ 126 yards on 17 carries including a 64 yard touchdown runs. All the Lions’ 24 points came after Drew Stanton, the Lions backup quarterback entered the game for an ineffective Daunte Culpepper, but they just fall short of getting their third win of the season. Cardinals (9-5), Lions (2-12)

Cleveland 41, Kansas City 34- In another shootout against a team that is not as good on paper as they are, the Cleveland Browns went on an offensive explosion again. Joshua Cribbs had kickoff returns of 100 and 103 yards for touchdowns, tying the single game record for most returns in a game, and setting a new career record for returns (kickoff & punt) with eight, and Jerome Harrison put on a show of his own, setting the third best single game rushing performance in NFL history with 286 yards on 34 carries, and three touchdowns, and the Cleveland Browns held off the Kansas City Chiefs in a shootout. Matt Cassel went 22-40 for 331 yards and two touchdowns and Jamaal Charles ran for 154 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown, and the Chiefs just did not have enough to stop Cleveland from getting their second straight win. Browns (3-11), Chiefs (3-11)

Atlanta 10, NY Jets 7- The Atlanta Falcons’ shot at the playoffs were gone when Dallas beat New Orleans on Sat. night, but they decided to take the New York Jets down right along with them. Matt Ryan found Tony Gonzalez for a six yard touchdown, and the Falcons knocked off the Jets in the Meadowlands. In a defensive battle, Ryan went 16-34 for 152 yards, but the Jets’ miscues killed themselves. Mark Sanchez threw for 226 yards, but had three interceptions, Jay Feely missed a field goal, and had another blocked, and Kellen Clemens botched a snap as well. The lone bright spot for New York was a 65 yard strike from Sanchez to Braylon Edwards (who finished with 105 yards on five catches). The Jets had a great opportunity to take control of the playoff picture, but are back in the middle of things. Facing the undefeated Colts next week is not going to help matters either. Falcons (7-7), Jets (7-7)

Houston 16, St. Louis 13- Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson had big games to keep Houston alive in the playoff picture. Schaub threw for 367 yards on 28-40 passing and a touchdown, and Johnson had nine catches for 196 yards, and the Texans used three field goals from Kris Brown to hold off the competitive Rams. The only touchdown from Houston came from Kevin Walter, and as a team, Houston only ran for 52 yards. In a game that was only attended by 46,256 people in the Edward Jones Dome (the lowest since the Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995), Keith Null passed for 173 yards in his second start, and threw a touchdown to Danny Amendola, and Steven Jackson had 123 yards from scrimmage (82 rush, 41 rec). Two more games and the long season will be over for the Rams. Texans (7-7), Rams (1-13)

Miami 24, Tennessee 27 (F/OT)- Rob Bironas kicked a 46 yard FG in overtime and lifted the Tennessee Titans to a huge victory over the Miami Dolphins and complicated the AFC playoff picture even more, as the Titans beat the Dolphins, but lost to the Jets, and the Dolphins beat the Jets twice. Vince Young came back from his strained hamstring, and threw for 236 yards on 14-27 passing and three touchdowns. Ricky Williams ran for 80 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown, and Chad Henne threw for 349 yards and led the Dolphins back from an 18 point deficit to tie the game, but Henne threw an interception to Michael Griffin in overtime, and then a personal foul on Greg Camarillo for a late hit set up the field goal for the win. The Titans hopes are still alive, and the Dolphins first loss in December may have costed them the AFC East, and a possible Wild Card spot. Dolphins (7-7), Titans (7-7)

Oakland 20, Denver 19- JaMarcus Russell threw a 10 yard pass to Chaz Schilens with 35 seconds left for the game-winning touchdown, and the Oakland Raiders picked up a huge upset over the Denver Broncos, damaging the Broncos playoff hopes, and putting them just a game ahead of six teams in the playoff picture for the final wild card spot. Michael Bush led the Raiders with 133 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown, and Charlie Frye was the starting quarterback before getting hurt in the fourth quarter. Denver could not capitalize inside their own five yard line leading 16-13, settling for a field goal by Matt Prater to make it 19-13, which led to the game winning TD pass by Russell. Kyle Orton went 19-34 for 278 yards and a touchdown to lead the Broncos in a losing effort. Raiders (5-9), Broncos (8-6)

Cincinnati 24, San Diego 27- With heavy hearts on their fallen teammate, Chris Henry, the Cincinnati Bengals played on. Playing inspired football, and playing hard pressing forward, as Henry has done before his death last Tuesday, the efforts just fell short and the San Diego Chargers won their 17th straight game in December with a dramatic field goal from Nate Kaeding with three seconds left to give the Bolts a 27-24 victory. The win, coupled with a Denver loss gave the Chargers the AFC West crown, and moved them closer to a first round bye in the AFC Playoffs. Phillip Rivers went 24-38 for 308 yards and three touchdowns, but he threw a couple of interceptions that allowed Cincinnati to get back in the game and tie it at 24. Carson Palmer went 27-40 for 314 yards and two touchdowns, including a 49 yard pass to Chad Ochocinco, who paid tribute to Henry in the endzone. The Bengals for the second straight week, failed to clinch the AFC North division, and will try again next week at home against Kansas City. The Chargers have won nine in a row, and nobody is really talking about them, which could mean a lot when January comes around. Bengals (9-5), Chargers (11-3)

Chicago 7, Baltimore 31- Joe Flacco had a career day, going 21-29 for 234 yards and a career-high four touchdowns, and the Ravens defense picked off Jay Cutler three times, increasing his league-high total to 25, and the Baltimore Ravens are back in the drivers seat with the top Wild Card spot with a huge 31-7 victory over the Chicago Bears. Flacco passed two touchdowns to Todd Heap, Demetrius Williams, and Derrick Mason caught one each. The Bears only touchdown came on special teams on a 49 yard punt return by Earl Bennett. Cutler went 10-27 for 94 yards, and is not having the season that he nor the Bears envisioned when he wanted the trade out of Denver to Chicago. Lovie Smith’s job is on the line even more now after this loss, and the Ravens are now a game behind the Bengals for first place in the AFC North. Bears (5-9), Ravens (8-6)

San Francisco 13, Philadelphia 27- Donovan McNabb went 21-36 for 306 yards, and had two touchdowns (1 pass, 1 rush), and DeSean Jackson had six catches for 140 yards, and the Philadelphia Eagles clinched a playoff spot with a 27-13 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Not only did the Eagles clinch a playoff spot, the 49ers loss put them out of contention for the NFC West championship, which went to the Arizona Cardinals for the second straight year. Alex Smith threw for 177 yards, and a touchdown pass to Josh Morgan, but he threw three interceptions that were costly for the 49ers. Frank Gore also had 107 yards rushing to lead the 49ers. The Eagles clinched a playoff spot for the eighth time this decade, and it was so routine that it wasn’t celebrated, as they have Super Bowl aspirations ahead of them. 49ers (6-8), Eagles (10-4)

Green Bay 36, Pittsburgh 37- Ben Roethlisberger threw for 503 yards on 29-46 passing, and three touchdowns, including the game winning 19 yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace as time expired, and the Pittsburgh Steelers snapped a five game losing streak and kept their playoff hopes alive by beating the Green Bay Packers 37-36. The win also snapped Green Bay’s five game winning streak. Down 36-30 with three seconds left, Big Ben rolled left, and threw a desperate strike to Wallace, who did a great job keeping his feet in the endzone to give Pittsburgh the dramatic victory. Wallace also had a 60 yard reception at the beginning of the game for the Steelers, who also may have saved Mike Tomlin’s job as well. Aaron Rodgers went 26-48 for 383 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for one as well. The Packers are still in the top Wild Card spot in the NFC, and the loss clinched the NFC North for the Minnesota Vikings. Packers (9-5), Steelers (7-7)

Tampa Bay 24, Seattle 7- Josh Freeman went 16-26 for 205 yards and threw two touchdowns, and the Buccaneers defense forced the Seahawks into five turnovers by Matt Hasselbeck (four interceptions, one fumble), and the Buccaneers got a huge confidence boosting win and sent the Seahawks to probably their most demoralizing loss and really shown how far this team has fallen off after dominating the NFC West from 2002-2007, with a Super Bowl appearance in 2006. Freeman’s two touchdowns came in the third quarter after Tampa Bay was up 7-6, hooking up w/ Carnell Williams and Derrick Ward to put Tampa Bay up 21-7. Three field goals by Connor Barth kicked three field goals and the last one capped 24 unanswered points after Hasselbeck threw a 29 yd pass to John Carlson for a touchdown. The Buccaneers got a confidence boosting second win, and the Seahawks are just trying to figure out answers. Buccaneers (2-12), Seahawks (5-9)

Minnesota 7, Carolina 26- The Carolina Panthers made the most of their Sunday night appearance with their 5-8 record, and Matt Moore made the most of his opportunity as starter. Moore went 21-33 for 299 yards and three touchdowns (two in the fourth quarter) and the Carolina Panthers defense harassed Brett Favre so much, that head coach Brad Childress pondered taking him out of the game so Julius Peppers would not get to him so much. After Adrian Peterson put the Vikings up 7-6, the Panthers racked up 20 4th quarter points and took 26-7, Favre and Childress got into a “heated discussion”, and more importantly the Vikings may have given home-field advantage to the New Orleans Saints. The win also helped players in Carolina rally around John Fox, who has been on the hot seat all season long. Vikings (11-3), Panthers (6-8)

So I’m going to share a very personal experience with you from yesterday’s game.

All season long I’ve had Wes Welker and Tom Brady carrying my fantasy football team. After starting the season 2-2 my team proceeded to rip off nine consecutive wins. That’s right, nine. Needless to say my team jolted to the #2 seed in the playoffs and had a wonderful bye last week. Good thing because Brady had a pretty pathetic week.

Fast forward to yesterday and Brady didn’t even complete a pass in the first quarter. Thanks to an interception he had a sweet -2 points after one quarter. Brady not completing any passes left Welker with no points as well despite his run on a reverse.

Needless to say Brady ended the day with a whopping 115 yards a TD and a pick. Awesome. Now I know what all those assholes that rode Drew Brees all season felt like Saturday night when the Cowboys knocked off the Saints. Welker wasn’t much better getting a whopping four catches for 40 yards. So my two biggest studs that I rode all the way to the post season, left me in the dust yesterday. Game over. Season over. Playing in a consolation game next week, hoping for that pathetic third place prize. I guess it’s better than a 2-11 season (sorry Missy).

The Pats managed just 224 yards combined between rushing and passing. Well where did all the yards come from? Well, if I didn’t believe Knudson’s conspiracy theory on NFL officiating heading into the game yesterday, I’m buying into it now. How on Earth do the Pats, playing awful football, still win a game they have no business winning? How about eleven penalties for 124 yards. Brady kept trying the long ball to Moss and Aiken and somehow the Bills got called for penalties pretty much every time.

I know the commissioner wants the Pats in the playoffs especially for that global market but refs calling a pretty one sided game doesn’t make anyone comfortable. Does that mean that the Pats will continue to get calls till they have the division clinched? Then what? Calls at home in the first round? What about if they have to travel to San Diego? Are the refs going to call the game for the Pats there too setting up a Colts/Pats AFC Championship?

What's next, refs throwing blocks for the Pats?

I’m not trying to write a conspiracy manifesto or anything but yesterday’s game certainly has to plant that seed of doubt in your head. We’ll see going forward.

Drew Brees, I’m sure you want someone to make sense of why the sky last night suddenly turned green and some large defensive player was panting on top of you. In football, we call that a sack and you without a ball in your hands is called a fumble. Watching the cowboys celebrate their victory in front of you, that feeling like something bad happened in the pit of your stomach, and the 1 on the losses side of your record; I know it seems like you haven’t really experienced this before, so I’ll tell you what its called. Loosing your perfect record.  This is why I love football. An undefeatable team is on top of the world one moment, and the next crushed by some team everyone lost faith in. It’s the classic David and Goliath story. Someone finally manages to understand if you want to stop the damn giant you have to knock it out with a stone. In order to stop Drew, you have to break through the line and shake him up: have a massive defensive player so close he can give Drew a kiss, a slap on the butt, and shove Drew Brees’ helmet in the stadium’s grass. Then once you have the ball run like hell and earn your TDs. Sure its tricky, sure that little black and gold qb can run, but if your persistent, if you’re the cowboys; then you can do it. Finally, a game when the Cowboys defense and Offense seemed to work towards the same goal.

What is a football post without me mentioning that sexy hunk of man flesh, who was spotted on the cover of a GQ magazine in Target and his team (my other favorite team) the New England Patriots? (I unfortunately couldn’t find the game on television) A little birdie ::cough::NFL.COM::cough:: told me the Pats defeated the Bills, and I’m betting T.O. is wishing he hadn’t screwed up his chance with America’s Favorite Team.

I’d talk a little smack about next week’s adversaries, but Dallas is playing the Redskins and my Pats are playing the jags. Why would I waste my valuable shit-talking on ,of all the teams in the NFL, the Redskins and the Jags (who managed to be blown out in week 5 (0-41) by the Seattle Seahawks! The Seahawks!)? So instead, I’ll leave you guys with some tasty photos of Tom in that GQ magazine I saw.

First off, I have to admit that I was driving home from a weekend up in New Hampshire when the Patriots game was on today. I listened to the entire thing on the radio, but I didn’t feel totally comfortable blogging about it. Apparently some people are upset that I didn’t provide any analysis, so I will do my best for all you haters right now. (But seriously, thanks for reading and please continue to do so.)

As ugly as today’s win sounded, the victory leaves New England just one win away from getting back to the playoffs. The Dolphins and Jets both lost, with Miami falling to Tennessee on an overtime field goal and New York dropping another heartbreaker while Mark Sanchez did his best JaMarcus Russell impersonation. He may be the “future” of the Jets, but he still sucks plenty of ass in my book.

Back to the Patriots. Ths biggest concern, as has been the case all season, is that the offense comes out of the gate like gangbusters, and then tapers off as the game goes on. That happened once again today – the Patriots scored just three points after halftime – but the Bills are just bad enough that it doesn’t matter. (Sorry Kim, Jeff and every other Bills fan I know. Maybe you’ll get a good draft pick out of it.) So now New England is just one victory away from heading back to the postseason after a one-year hiatus. I’m not overly confident that the Pats are going to win the Super Bowl or anything, but I imagine no one wants to visit Gillette Stadium on Wild Card Weekend.

Now for some random thoughts from today’s game:

*  I would never, ever, under any circumstances, mess with Bills linebacker Paul Posluszny. I’m pretty sure that guy could snap me in half with his neck muscles. And he’ s even more intimidating in person. Trust me.

*  Randy Moss’ press conference after the game was hysterical. He basically told the media to shut the hell up in the politest way possible. And that beard? Guy looked like Kimbo Slice up there. Classic. He better not shave that thing until after the Pats get annihilated in San Diego or Cincinnati in the divisional round of the playoffs.

*  During the pregame show, the analysts on the radio talked about Tom Brady’s finger, rib, shoulder, head, ankle, knee and vagina injuries. Enough already. The guy is banged up a little bit. So is everyone else in the NFL right now. If he’s really that bad, keep him on the sidelines.

*  Laurence Maroney had another solid effort today. Nothing spectacular, but enough to keep the Bills defense off-balance and keep the chains moving. I think I’m going to leave him alone for a few weeks.

*  Either my radio coverage dipped out in certain places or Terrell Owens’ name wasn’t called once all game. Don’t worry Bills fans, he’ll be off to destroy another NFL city soon enough.

The Buffalo Bills lost yet another game to the New England Patriots this Sunday afternoon (the Bills have not beaten the Patriots in six years.) The Bills came out looking sharp on their first offensive series, but ultimately were not able to score in the red zone due to a false start penalty(their 28th of the season). The Bills once again settled for a field goal and sent the ball over to the Patriots offense. The Patriots scored a questionable touchdown on their second offensive series(after Brady threw an interception to Paul Posluszny in the first series). Tom Brady aired a pass out to Randy Moss, who only had one foot in when he gained possession of the ball, in an obvious attempt to get Moss more involved after last week’s game versus the Panthers, and it obviously paid off. The Bills did not challenge the ruling on the field, although if they had, I imagine the call certainly would have been reversed. The Bills offense went from bad to worse, not scoring any points until the 4th quarter. The Patriots offense, after a shaky start, regained their balance with a second touchdown scored by Laurence Maroney. As the 4th quarter came to its midpoint, Trent Edwards replaced Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB. Edwards, unfortunately, would only get to play 4 plays. On the first, he was sacked but New England got called for a personal foul (face mask) which moved the Bills up 15 yards. On Edwards’ second play, he threw an incomplete pass to Fred Jackson and on his third he threw a pass for negative yardage, and on his fourth he was sacked again. Edwards was injured on the last play, and walked off the field hobbling and pointing to his ankle; he was soon taken off the field to the locker room. Fitzpatrick came back into the game and was able to rally the offense to score another touchdown(to Lee Evans) making the score 10-17. Fitzpatrick, however, also was a little banged up (ankle) in the process. As the Patriots regained possession of the ball, the Bills defense just wasn’t able to hold the Patriots offense. The Patriots again were victorious against the struggling and decimated Buffalo team. The loss versus the Patriots took the Bills out of the hunt for the play-offs. The Bills take on the Atlanta Falcons next week, and hopefully will be able to finish the last two games of the season strong.

Randy Moss celebrates his touchdown. (David Duprey/AP)

Bills QB and Harvard grad Ryan Fitzpatrick is pressured by Maine grad Brandon McGowan. (David Duprey/AP)

The Patriots used a strong game from Randy Moss on offense and Tully Banta-Cain on defense to defeat the Buffalo Bills, 20-10, on Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park. The win improved the Patriots’ record to 9-5 and will head into their final home game of the season against Jacksonville next Sunday in first place in the AFC East.

Moss caught five passes for 70 yards and a touchdown, while Laurence Maroney had 23 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown on the ground for the Pats. Tom Brady completed 11 of his 23 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. He also threw one interception in the first quarter. Banta-Cain led the Patriots defense, as he joined in on three of the Patriots’ six sacks for 22 yards lost.

Harvard graduate Ryan Fitzpatrick had a strong game under center for Buffalo, going 17-of-25 passing for 178 yards and a touchdown. He also threw one pick. Shawn Nelson scored a touchdown on eight carries for 80 yards, while Josh Reed caught four passes for 63 yards.

Ok. Something weird today. The other Buffalo team, the lackluster Bills, are playing today against the Hatetriots… I mean Patriots. The real story of today’s game though is the fact that CBS decided to put known Bills hater Dan Dierdorf

A Bills logo on a Sabres blog? Weird...

as color commentator for the game. Why is this so intriguing, you ask? Because my mother, who I get to see now that I am on winter break, hates Dan Dierdorf. With a passion. A fiery passion of intense hate. INTENSE HATE. I’ve decided to document the best quotes of my mother from the game for the first time in history.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is going to be epic.

And away we go:

–

Dierdorf: “The worst part of this drive is that the Bills are kicking a field goal. It’s very disappointing.”

Mom:  ”Why is that a bad decision Dierdorf? Because we’re winning? Because the Bills scored? Is that why it’s bad? Because we’re winning the game?”

–

Now, just to let you know, my mom usually can’t stand to listen to Dierdorf and puts on everyone’s favorite duo of Kelso and Murph. Today, however, is different. We’re sticking with Dierdorf for the sake of  of The Ruff Writers. Woo hoo.

–

Mom: “Well, so far we won the quarter…”

–

A common quote seems to be:

Mom: “Get him! Get him! Get him! Oy vey…”

–

Dierdorf: “Buffalo is statistically the worst run defense in the league.”

Mom: “Gee thanks Dierdorf! Thanks for pointing that out!”

–

Upon seeing Donte Whitner swipe and hit Randy Moss’s man candy in slow mo on the long pass interference:

Mom: “He grabbed for the biggest thing on the field!”

–

After Pats touchdown:

Dierdorf: “Well how good was that!”

Mom (impersonating Dierdorf): “Oh! Oh! How great! The team I’m rooting for scored! How wonderful!”

–

Just as a side, what the hell is up with that friggin clown on that Garmin commercial?

And what’s with the dude who can’t get it up and is talking to himself in the reflection of window? Stuffs just weird man..

–

Temporary loss of feed of the game… Time to put on the radio…

–

Murph (on the radio): “Alright the touchdown, how did Randy Moss get so open?”

Step-dad: “Uh… He ran down the field?”

Mom: “And he’s playing the Bills?”

–

TV feed is back just in time for a commercial break…

–

Ok, My Step-Dad just put what looks to be half of a pine tree in the fire place… Lovely.

–

Step-Dad (pointing at player’s hand warmer): “Look at his fanny pack!”

Mom: “It’s a hand warmer”

Jamie (my  20 year old sister): “Why the hell would they need a fanny pack for on the field?”

Mom: “To keep their lip gloss in!”

–

End of the half and ther is little going on. The bills are losing yadda yadda yadda.

–

Andy (edit: that’s me) at halftime: “Time for a pick-me-up. Who’s got some vodka?!” (My sister got a hold of my laptop at half-time…)

–

Mom (on ensuing kick off, at player with dreads): “Get him! Pull his hair! Yank his dreads!!”

–

Dierdorf: “I”ll give ya two stats about Welker: 5′9, 185.”

Mom: “Why don’t ya give us your stats, Dierdorf? His mouth is the biggest thing on him…”

–

Mom: “Get it to T.O., what do we even have that guy for?”

David: “Blogging and that lovely T.O.’s cereal which is only $1.50 a box.”

–

My mom is calling for Brohm… 2 quarterbacks down, 1 to go I guess. We’re done with Fitz and Edwards, time to try out the last option?

–

Speak of the devil, Perry Fewell has pulled Ryan Fitzpatrick and put in Trent “Tree Stump” Edwards. Here we go again.

–

Mom (after seeing a Peyton Manning commercial): “Watching Trent Edwards only makes my love for Peyton Manning greater…”

–

Mom (seeing Trent carted off): “Oh, bye bye Trent. Go watch the Colts game and she how a real quarterback plays…”

–

Mom (on fourth down): “Fake the pass and go for the field goal!” She would like me to clarify that she was clearly joking, in case you couldn’t pick that up (which you probably could because, come on, you read The Ruff Writers and thus you are super awesome and better than everyone else).

–

Mom (directed at Dierdorf): “IT’S LEE EVANS NOT JOSH EVANS, YOU MORON. GET IT RIGHT.”

–

Alright, that will pretty much do it. No real excitement in this game but it was a good time with the family, as it always is. It’s games like these that make me glad to be a Sabres fan. Oh well, what can ya do.

Quote of the day:

Mom: “I’m your mother and I’m still in charge.”

Jamie: “…no matter how much you want to blog about me.”

Anywho, enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Go Sabres! See you tomorrow for a game preview!

Detroit Lions :
*Re-Signed (CB)Jahi Word-Daniels to Practice Squad

Buffalo Bills :
*Placed (OL)Kendall Simmons on Injured Reserve
*Re-Signed (TE)Joe Klopfenstein

Baltimore Ravens :
*Placed (DT)Brandon McKinney on Injured Reserve
*Activated (S)Marcus Paschal from Practice Squad

Cincinnati Bengals :
*Re-Signed (WR)Maurice Purify to Practice Squad

Jacksonville Jaguars :
*Waived (CB)Kennard Cox
*Waived (DE)James Wyche

Denver Broncos :
*Waived (OL)Herb Taylor
*Activated (CB)Tony Carter from Practice Squad

Kansas City Chiefs :
*Activated (WR)Dwayne Bowe from Reserve/Suspended List
*Activated (OL)Darryl Harris from Practice Squad
*Placed (RB)Dantrell Savage on Injured Reserve
*Waived (WR)Quinten Lawrence

Oakland Raiders :
*Signed (OL)Tim Mattran/Rams to Practice Squad

While all of my television colleagues are fighting the elements, this is what I am doing: GO BILLS!

Please stay safe RVA. We have constant updates on the storm on NBC12-TV and NBC12.com. We aren’t finished yet.

This may just be one of the best days to bet on sports all year long! This afternoon is full of great college basketball. This afternoon officially kicks off the bowl season and the tonight the Saints try to stay undefeated when they take on the Dallas Cowboys in Prime Time!

To celebrate the Bowl season I have a $2500 Bowl Contest and today is the last day to sign up!

ONLY a few spots are left! Deadline is Today

2009 Regaw World: $2,500 Prize Contest – Bowl Games Contest

The top ten places will get paid out $2500 and first place will get $1000! Right now there are only 25 people in the contest so now is the time to join. You have to signup before the first game and make sure to read all the details

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College Football Free Sports Betting Picks

Wyoming vs. Fresno St.

Fresno St Takes on Wyoming in the first bowl game of the Year!

The first game of the bowl schedule will put Fresno St up against the Cowboys from Wyoming. Fresno St will be making its second trip to the New Mexico bowl in as many years and the first game should be a good one.

Fresno St finished the season with a last minute thrilling win against Illinois and now has to try and get excited for a bowl game that they played in last year against a team that just finished .500 on the regular season.
Wyoming just finished 6-6 on the season but don’t them that they don’t belong in a bowl game. This is the first bowl game they have had since 2004 and they feel they deserve this game. This team did not only expect to be in this game they expect to win it! “It’s a complete 180,” senior linebacker Weston Johnson said on how far this team has come. “The mentality this team has now is coming out and expecting to win games like this. Not just hoping to win.” Wyoming has been a great bet all year long as they have taken in the cash at an 8-3 clip on the season. Fresno has been a great ATS team too but if defense wins ballgames than Fresno backers are in big trouble. They have given up an average of 44 points per game in the last three games and almost 500 passing yards per game. The Wyoming offense is not that great but they will look like they are against the Bulldog defense. The Bulldogs are 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 games after allowing more than 40 points in their previous game and 9-26 ATS in their last 35 games on grass. The Cowboys are 14-6 ATS in their last 20 non-conference games and 27-13 ATS in their last 40 games following an ATS win. This is just too many points to give to Wyoming with a Fresno team that does not play defense and does not care to play in this game again.

Wyoming +10

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Saturday Night NFL: Cowboys @ Saints

As if the Bowl games were not good enough the NFL is also rewarding us with a great gam as the Dallas Cowboys try to avoid the December collapse and the New orleans Saints try to remain unbeaten on the season.

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