In a second straight AFC West match and the final game of division play for the Chargers, the Chargers played the way they were expected to before the season started.  The Chiefs showed some fight early, but simply could not help themselves en route to being routed 43-14.  Not even the mighty Chris Chambers could help the Chiefs.

Philip Rivers had another great game, missing on only 7 of 28 passes and finding the end zone twice with no interceptions.  Rivers’ accuracy has been deadly the past three games, going 58 for 75 for a 77% completion rate.  That he has not thrown for three touchdowns every game in the Chargers’ six game winning streak speaks not of a regression on Rivers part, but of a more balanced offensive attack.  The Chargers are not trying to run up the score in every game they win like the ‘07 Patriots, otherwise he could be throwing five touchdowns a game.

The deep pass wasn’t there as much this game but that’s to be expected.  As the season goes on teams have a larger body of work to look at and can game plan accordingly to take away the things that help their upcoming opposition win games.  Unfortunately for the teams the Chargers have faced, Rivers has more than long bomb passes to rely on.  Tomlinson continued contributing, scoring two touchdowns.  Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd were not always open, but that meant Gates was open more than enough to make some huge catches.  Gates had his biggest game statistically since the week 4 loss to Pittsburgh, and coming in a win made it much sweeter.

Meanwhile, outside of their two touchdowns the Chiefs seemed unable to do anything right.  They turned the ball over 4! times, each one becoming a Chargers score.  Their center Rudy Niswanger made two terrible shotgun snaps that were both recovered by Chargers.  Matt Cassel had the ball slip right out of his hand and into the hands of Paul Oliver who ran it into the endzone.  Note to Cassel: you are supposed to give the ball to the guys wearing red.  That is all.

P.S. Props to Ogemdi Nwagbuo, who’s helmet “deflected” a Cassel pass into Quentin Jammer’s hands for the interception.  Now that’s using your head!

Next week: @ Cleveland.  I cannot stress how important it is to focus on every team and play to beat them.  The Browns are still an NFL team, gosh darn it.  Hey, we’re playing them in Cleveland, so that means something right? ….Right?

If Eli Manning would’ve stayed with the San Diego Chargers after the NFL Draft, that means that Philip Rivers would’ve played for the New York Giants. Here’s his 2004 Topps card as a Giant.

1ST QUARTER :
- Titans (K)Rob Bironas kicks 52 Yd. FG
- Chargers (QB)Philip Rivers passes to (TE)Antonio Gates for TD

2ND QUARTER :
- Vikings (QB)Brett Favre passes to (WR)Percy Harvin for TD
- Chiefs (QB)Matt Cassel passes to (WR)Chris Chambers for TD
- 49ers (QB)Alex Smith passes to (TE)Vernon Davis for TD
- Bears (QB)Jay Cutler passes to (WR)Johnny Knox for TD
- Chargers (RB)LaDainian Tomlinson rushes for TD
- Vikings (QB)Brett Favre passes to (RB)Chester Taylor for TD
- Chargers (QB)Philip Rivers passes to (TE)Antonio Gates for TD
- Chargers(D/ST) Chargers (S)Paul Oliver 40 Yd. Fumble Recovery TD
- 49ers (QB)Alex Smith passes to (RB)Frank Gore for TD
- Vikings (K)Ryan Longwell kicks 52 Yd. FG
- Vikings (QB)Brett Favre passes to (TE)Visanthe Shiancoe for TD

3RD QUARTER :
- Chargers (RB)LaDainian Tomlinson rushes for TD
- Chiefs (RB)Jamaal Charles rushes for TD
- Titans (RB)Chris Johnson rushes for TD
- Cardinals(D/ST) Cardinals (RB/KR)LaRod Stephens-Howling 99 Yd. Kickoff Return for TD

4TH QUARTER :
- Cardinals (RB)Tim Hightower rushes for TD
- Vikings (RB)Adrian Peterson rushes for TD
- Titans (QB)Vince Young passes to (WR)Kenny Britt for TD

LaDainian Tomlinson is a step slower than he used to be and not as durable as earlier in his career. That said, the San Diego Chargers running back should notch another milestone or two (or three or four) during Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Tomlinson needs just 29 yards against the Chiefs to move into the Top 10 on the NFL’s career rushing-yardage list. He enters the contest with 12,218 yards and needs 26 yards to pass 11th-place Marcus Allen and 29 to pass 10th-place Edgerrin James.

But he could very well pass more than just those two prolific runners. Tomlinson needs 62 yards to pass former San Diego State standout Marshall Faulk, and 95 yards to pass legendary Jim Brown, one of the standard bearers when it comes to elite running backs.

Tomlinson had 71 yards in the Chargers’ first meeting with the Chiefs but 36 of them came on one play. But he’s been running the ball better in recent weeks and is coming off games of 96 yards (vs. the Philadelphia Eagles) and 73 yards (against the Denver Broncos).

The Chiefs are soft against the run so Tomlinson’s first 100-yard rushing game isn’t out of the question. The Chargers are a pass-first team behind Philip Rivers these days but another convincing victory over Kansas City — the Chargers beat the Chiefs 37-7 last month — might give Tomlinson ample attempts to run the ball.

The Chargers (7-3) are looking for their sixth consecutive victory while the Chiefs (3-7) are hoping for a respectable finish in coach Todd Haley’s first season.

One thing to watch closely is the play of Chiefs receiver Chris Chambers, whom the Chargers cut last month. Chambers will certainly be extra motivated and he’s done well since joining the Chiefs, averaging 24.9 yards per catch on 10 receptions.

Chambers knows the tendencies of Chargers cornerbacks Quentin Jammer, Antonio Cromartie, Steve Gregory and Antoine Cason very well after practicing against the quartet over the past two years. On the other hand, the San Diego secondary knows what Chambers likes to do too.

The saddest thing about the game is that the Chargers needed two extensions from the NFL to sell enough tickets to lift the blackout. You have to assume that the team now understands that the economy isn’t good and that Qualcomm Stadium tickets are overpriced (especially by NFL standards when you consider the facility).

Next season, the team is going to need to cut ticket prices or there will definitely be some local television blackouts.

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.

The showdown for first place in the AFC West didn’t materialize Sunday as the San Diego Chargers put a one-sided whipping on the Denver Broncos.

The dominating 32-3 victory makes it clear that the Chargers still own the division, a message that Broncos coach Josh McDaniels may now understand.

Denver’s young coach — dubbed “The Young Punk” by MrSportsBlog — reportedly yelled “we own you” at some of the Chargers’ linebackers prior to the contest (http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/article/2009-11-22/mcdaniels-stirs-chargers-pregame-shot)

That’s not a smart move. It’s dumb when Pro Bowl-caliber players like Joey Porter do it. It’s really idiotic for a head coach to engage in that type of rhetoric.

McDaniels will awake Monday to see that his Broncos — once sitting pretty with a 6-0 record and a 3 1/2-game lead over the Chargers — now look up in the standings to see San Diego residing at the top with a 7-3 record. Denver hasn’t won since defeating the Chargers in San Diego in mid-October.

The Chargers rushed for a season-high 203 yards while winning their fifth consecutive game. The defense didn’t allow a touchdown for the first time all season.

Denver sabotaged itself early when Chris Simms was sacked by Shaun Phillips and lost the ensuing fumble to San Diego’s Steve Gregory. Failing to score on the opening drive seemed to rattle Simms, who was pulled after three series for limping starter Kyle Orton.

Orton, dealing with a left ankle injury, entered with the Chargers leading 13-0 and gave Denver’s offense an immediate spark but the drive ended without points when Knowshon Moreno lost a fumble at the goal-line that was recovered by Gregory for a touchback. Replays showed that Broncos guard Russ Hochstein knocked the ball away from Moreno by inadvertently hitting the football with his left knee.

Once the Chargers went up 20-3 with less than seven minutes to go in the third quarter, it was clear that Denver wasn’t going to stage a rally. The Broncos struggled to pass the ball downfield — Brandon Marshall had three receptions for 26 yards and Eddie Royal caught four balls for 29 yards — and scored just three points on four trips to the red zone.

Philip Rivers passed for just 145 yards but completed 17-of-22 passes and threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Legedu Naanee. LaDainian Tomlinson had 73 yards on 20 carries and scored the 147th career touchdown of his career.

Nate Kaeding booted four field goals, linebacker Kevin Burnett had two sacks and cornerback Antonio Cromartie had an interception.

All in all, it was a complete effort by the Chargers, who host the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday and then visit the hapless Cleveland Browns the following week. Denver plays Thanksgiving night against the New York Giants.

Based on the results of Sunday’s one-sided affair, perhaps the Young Punk ought to worry more about preparing his sinking team better in the days leading up to the game, instead of flapping his gums an hour before it starts.

All Denver owns right now is second place.

1ST QUARTER
- Chargers (QB)Philip Rivers passes to (WR)Legedu Naanee for TD
- Bengals (QB)Carson Palmer rushes for TD
- Cardinals (QB)Kurt Warner passes to (WR)Anquan Boldin for TD
- Patriots(D/ST) Patriots (CB)Leigh Bodden 53 Yd. Interception Return for TD

2ND QUARTER
- Cardinals (QB)Kurt Warner passes to (WR)Larry Fitzgerald for TD
- Patriots (QB)Tom Brady passes to (WR)Randy Moss for TD
- Bengals (QB)Carson Palmer rushes for TD
- Patriots (RB)Laurence Maroney rushes for TD
- Cardinals (RB)Chris Wells rushes for TD
- Raiders (QB)Bruce Gradkowski passes to (TE)Zach Miller for TD
- Jets(D/ST) Jets (WR)Brad Smith scores TD on blocked punt by (S)Eric Smith

3RD QUARTER
- Chargers (RB)LaDainian Tomlinson rushes for TD
- Jets (QB)Mark Sanchez passes to (WR)Jerricho Cotchery for TD

4TH QUARTER
- Rams (RB)Steven Jackson rushes for TD
- Patriots (RB)Laurence Maroney rushes for TD
- Chargers (FB)Mike Tolbert rushes for TD
- Raiders (QB)Bruce Gradkowski passes to (WR)Louis Murphy for TD

It’s Week 11 and in both conferences, division and wild card races are finally starting to take shape.

Pictures are murky at best, but this week’s batch of games should help in clearing the waters. The game to really look out for is San Diego at Denver, where the suddenly resurgent (stop me if you’ve heard this story before) Chargers take on the suddenly tail sliding Broncos. Can echoes carry over from one season to the next?

I (obviously) didn’t finish this column in time for the Thursday night game due to some travel, but I’ll be honest and say I had picked the Panthers to win that game.

And prior to kickoff, all signs pointed to just that happening. The Panthers have been playing good football as of late, the Dolphins were to be without their best players on both sides of the football and it was in Carolina. And then, something happened.

More specifically, John Fox happened.

What his rationale was in letting Jake Delhommne throw over 40 passes while his star running back — who had averaged over 10 yards per carry through three quarters — sat idly by may never be known. What is, now, is that Carolina is out of the wild card race and John Fox has no one to blame but himself.

I went 10-5 last week to push me to 94-50 so far this year.

Let’s get on with the show, shall we?

Washington (3-6) @ Dallas (6-3):

Let’s get something straight right off the bat: Washington is not a good football team.

Yes, they beat what was a 6-2 Denver team last week, but it was a team without its quarterback and it was due in large part to a how-the-hell-did-that-just-happen 114-yard performance from Ladell Betts. A second consecutive win is out of the question; the Redskins will be traveling to Jerryworld to play a Cowboys team that needs a win to keep pace ahead of the Eagles and Giants in the NFC West.

Now that Romo has his monthly clunker out of the way, he will need to get back to business — and the rushing game will have to follow suit — against the top-ranked pass defense in the NFL.

Points will be at a premium, but the Cowboys take it at home.

JORDAN SAYS: Cowboys 20, Redskins 10

—————

Cleveland (1-8) @ Detroit (1-8):

No. Just no.

JORDAN SAYS: Lions 22, Browns 6

—————

San Francisco (4-5) @ Green Bay (5-4):

These are two teams that both still have realistic playoff hopes. Slim? Maybe. But hopes none the less.

The Packers’ hopes are contingent on the offensive line improving at least to a point where Aaron Rodgers is on his feet more than his back. And give credit where it’s due; Rodgers is the fifth-ranked passer in the league even without a running game or an offensive line to protect him. Miraculous doesn’t even cover it.

"WHY YES, THIS IS MY REAL HAIR."

Rodgers should have plenty of time to throw against the 49ers’ lackluster pass rush (just 17 sacks this year) but the same will be true of Alex Smith.

Smith faces a tougher overall defense, though.

The Packers have flawlessly implemented the 3-4, and San Francisco running back Frank Gore is going to have tough time getting past linebackers Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk. If the Packers can lock down Gore and force the visitors into third-and-long scenarios the game is theirs to win because Smith isn’t capable of routinely beating Al Harris and Atari Bigby on bump-and-run coverage.

JORDAN SAYS: Packers 24, 49ers 16

—————

Pittsburgh (6-3) @ Kansas City (2-7):

The Chiefs may have shed a burden with the recent release of the much-maligned Larry Johnson, but addition by subtraction it wasn’t.

Not only did Kansas City’s already embarrassing run game take a hit, the fact that Johnson was released instead of being moved at the deadline did nothing to shore up a defense allowing just shy of 24 points per game. That average will certainly go up with Ben Roethlisberger, Rashard Mendenhall and their high-powered squad rolling into town.

Kansas City ranks near the bottom of the league in sacks (12), interceptions (5) and forced fumbles (0). That inability to force turnovers means the defense will be out there even longer than usual.

JORDAN SAYS: Steelers 30, Chiefs 12

—————

Atlanta (5-4) @ New York Giants (5-4):

It’s very possible that neither of these teams, both of which came into the 2009 season with Super Bowl aspirations, don’t even make the playoffs.

And they’ve arrived at their respective underachieving status’ through vastly different paths.

The Falcons have played a brutal schedule, and three of their four losses have come at the hands of the Patriots, Cowboys and Saints. No shame there. On the other hand, the Giants are experiencing a precipitous fall after mopping through their early, creampuff schedule.

THERE IT IS

Most importantly, the Tom Coughlin face is back.

You know the one. The “wait… did I leave the oven on this morning? I wonder what the population of Norway was in 1923” face after Eli Manning throws an errant pass or Brandon Jacobs is stood up by a defensive back half his size.

It’s not a good sign for a New York team too talented on both sides of the ball to be where they are. The aforementioned Jacobs is having trouble penetrating the line of scrimmage, Manning’s connection with Steve Smith 2.0 that looked so good through five weeks has withered, and the vaunted defense is allowing over 22 points per game — good for just 20th.

New York is simply too talented to lose five straight, especially  against a Falcons team that will be without the services of Michael Turner.

JORDAN SAYS: Giants 27, Falcons 23

—————

New Orleans (9-0) @ Tampa Bay (1-8):

The Saints, despite being undefeated, have had a tough go of it the past three weeks. Narrow wins over Carolina and St. Louis have raised from warning flags, and the struggles are coming from the most unlikely of places.

Drew Brees, who started the season on pace to shatter every major single-season passing record, has shown a propensity to turn the ball over — through fumble and interception — and its hurt his team in recent weeks. Luckily for the Saints, they now have a defense to bail them out.

Not that they’ll need it against the Buccaneers.

And not to take anything away from them — rookie Josh Freeman has this team playing great football, but Tampa Bay still has the second-worst defense in football. The pass defense has markedly improved since the beginning of the season thanks to lockdown corner Aqib Talib and the emergence of Tanard Jackson, but only Buffalo has a worse rush defense.

So with Reggie Bush not playing due to a groin injury, Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas will each get plenty of touches. Look for New Orleans to lean on that run game at the outset, before turning the ball over to Brees, Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey.

JORDAN SAYS: Saints 31, Buccaneers 16

—————

Buffalo (3-6) @ Jacksonville (5-4):

Jacksonville has been a thorn, no, a spear in my side all year. I expect them to zig, they zag. I expect the Jets to beat them, they beat the Jets. I can’t win.

Until this week.

This game is as simple to pick as last weeks was. Now, Maurice Jones-Drew is no Chris Johnson, but he is a powerful, game-changing runner and he’ll take full advantage of the gaudy 173 yards per game the Bills are surrendering on the ground.

ONE OF FOUR TACKLES THE BUFFALO BILLS DEFENSE HAS MADE THIS SEASON

It’s the same every week for Buffalo. Their defense performs admirably through three quarters (holding New Orleans 10 points in as many quarters, Houston to nine) and then falls apart in the fourth due to sheer exhaustion. As if the Bills’ run defense wasn’t bad enough, they’ll be without the services of run-stopper Marcus Stroud and leading tackler Keith Ellison.

So, for those of you keeping score at home, Buffalo will be without both starting defensive tackles, both starting outside linebackers, both starting cornerbacks and the starting strong safety.

It’s going to be a long day.

JORDAN SAYS: Jaguars 28, Bills 10

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Indianapolis (9-0) @ Baltimore (5-4):

The Ravens are already at a point where every week will present a must-win game, because 11-5 or 10-6 may not be good enough to make the playoffs, let alone the 9-7 mark they’re on pace for.

I’m not questioning Peyton Manning’s competitive spirit or that of anyone on his team, but the simple fact is this is an irrelevant game to the Colts. They’re going to be a 13-win team and a loss on the road to a possibly playoff-bound Ravens team wouldn’t look badly on them.

Conversely, Ray Lewis and Co. will be fired up not only because it’s a must-win, but because it’s a chance to knock off the undefeated AFC juggernauts and re-assert the Ravens as a conference power.

Tom Brady and the Patriots exposed the vulnerability of the Colts’ secondary last week, so Flacco would be wise to attempt some deep strikes to Derek Mason to get an early lead. The bigger necessity, though, is establishing Ray Rice and Willis McGahee on the ground. Rice is averaging 5.2 yards per carry and is bruising between the tackles — another place that Indy is vulnerable — and McGahee has been a sure thing in red zone situations this year.

Ravens play just enough defense on Manning and Rice has a big day in the win.

JORDAN SAYS: Ravens 23, Colts 20

—————

Seattle (3-6) @ Minnesota (8-1):

I don’t know how in the world it’s possible, but the 8-1 Minnesota Vikings are flying beneath the radar. There’s plenty of talk about the Saints, Colts, Cowboys, Steelers, Patriots and Bengals, but the Vikings definitely have a case for best team in the league.

CHARACTER ISSUES ARE OVERRATED

The Seahawks will find that out first-hand on Sunday.

With only one victory over a winning team (a 41-0 romp over the mercurial Jaguars) there’s just no evidence that Seattle can hang with Minnesota. Their middle-of-the-road defense may keep Adrian Peterson under 100 yards, but putting eight in the box to do that means the play-action that the Vikings run to perfection will be even more dangerous.

Couple the play-action threat with the ever-dangerous Percy Harvin and you’ve got an incredibly tough offense to stop. The only advances from Minnesota that Seattle will be able to stop are Brad Childress’ if they’re able to get a hold of Chris Hansen before kickoff.

JORDAN SAYS: Vikings 29, Seahawks 14

—————

Arizona (6-3) @ St. Louis (1-9):

After getting blown out of the water in four out of its first five games, St. Louis has settled down. True, the Rams’ only win was over the Lions, but they played the Jaguars into overtime and the Saints deep into the fourth quarter, so this is a team capable of pulling the upset.

HOPING HE CAN RUN SO HARD HE ENDS UP ON A DIFFERENT ROSTER

And the reason why is quite simple — Stephen Jackson. Even on a bad team, with no offensive line and every defense knowing they have to stop him, Jackson has rushed for at least 130 yards in three consecutive games.

Now he gets to face a Cardinals defense allowing over 100 rushing yards per game.

So the question isn’t whether Jackson will get his touches and get his yards, but whether or not he’ll be out-dueled by Father Time for the Cardinals. Warner is coming off his best game of the season — a 340-yard, two-TD performance against the Seahawks — so there may be a bit of a letdown and Beanie Wells is not yet to the point where you can count on the type of performance he gave last week regularly.

JORDAN SAYS: Rams 20, Cardinals 19

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New York Jets (4-5) @ New England (6-3):

Rex Ryan is a crier.

That just feels good to say.

The brash, arrogant, sore loser of a Jets coach had a little tear duct issue when addressing his team this week, and there’s a good possibility that it flares up again after New England runs roughshod on the Jets this week.

One of the Patriots’ three losses came against the Jets earlier this season in a game Ryan predicted they’d win — believe that New England has been thinking about that non-stop since it happened. No Bill Belichick-coached Patriots team has lost twice to a division opponent in one season. New England isn’t going to be taken by surprise by Mark Sanchez this time, and now that Tom Brady has his confidence in the pocket back, he won’t be intimidated by a Jets squad ranking third in total defense.

Revenge will be sweet for the Patriots.

JORDAN SAYS: Patriots 26, Jets 14

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Cincinnati (7-2) @ Oakland (2-7):

The bad news for the Bengals is that Cedric Benson is doubtful for Sunday’s game.

The good news is that they’re playing the Raiders.

INTERCEPTION IN FIVE... FOUR... THREE

That’ll make any team feel fortunate, and even the combination of Bernard Scott and Over the Hill Johnson should be able to exploit a Raiders team giving up over 155 yards per game on the ground. The Silver-and-Black have allowed their last three opponents to have hundred-yard rushing days, and none of the teams that had those performances were even in the top half of the league in rushing.

Oakland will combat, er, try to combat the Bengals’ offense with Bruce Gradkowski.

I’m sure I’m not alone in laughing after reading that sentence.

JORDAN SAYS: Bengals 24, Raiders 3

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San Diego (6-3) @ Denver (6-3):

Tell me if you’ve heard this story before: the Denver Broncos start out hot and fade down the stretch, and the San Diego Chargers start off cold and heat up down the stretch.

For the second straight year, we’ve been bamboozled in the AFC West.

And the Broncos’ struggles are not indicative of a team on the verge of collapse — not yet. There’s no shame in consecutive losses to the Ravens and Steelers, and the loss to the Redskins last week stems from Kyle Orton getting knocked out of the game in the first half.

Still, as I’ve been saying all year, the Broncos cannot play from behind and the Chargers are a team that loves to put some quick points on the board in the first quarter. The emergence of Vincent Jackson as one of the game’s more dangerous deep threats has given Philip Rivers a needed field-stretching element, because the running game is still one of the league’s worst.

The Chargers get up early and keep the lead.

JORDAN SAYS: Chargers 21, Broncos 12

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Philadelphia (5-4) @ Chicago (4-5):

There is nobody in the NFL better at throwing interceptions than Jay Cutler. He is the gold standard to Jake Delhomme’s and Jamarcus Russell’s bronze.

SECONDS BEFORE DISASTER

No one is going to accuse Chicago of having the best wide receivers corps in football, but the amount of times that Cutler forsakes the right play for the one that shows off his arm strength is alarming. Couple that with the lack of Matt Forte sightings and a defense that frankly isn’t very good — over 22 points per game allowed — and the result is a team that’s headed for the offseason instead of the playoffs.

Philadelphia still has a chance for the playoffs, but it has got to start running the ball.

Andy Reid is a pass first, ask questions later coach, but with the Bears having just the 21st-ranked pass defense, he’d be wise to get Lesean McCoy into the game early.

JORDAN SAYS: Eagles 31, Bears 19

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Tennessee (3-6) @ Houston (5-4):

This is likely to be the most exciting game of the week.

With Vince Young revitalizing the Titans offense — and playing damn well in the process — and Chris Johnson leading the in rushing, they have the cogs to go toe-to-toe with Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and Steve Slaton.

With points sure to come from both teams, this comes down to which team can play better defense. The Texans will need linebacker Brian Cushing to be an omnipresent force shadowing Johnson’s every step and Mario Williams will have to find a way to beat the double-coverage pitted against him because nobody else on Houston’s d-line can so much as spell quarterback pressure.

Tennessee will need the same kind of performance from Keith Bullock and Cortland Finnegan will need to do his best in locking down Andre Johnson.

A key turnover could help swing what should be a close matchup.

JORDAN SAYS: Texans 27, Titans 26

- Jordan Rogowski

Who would have ever thought that an NFL team would enter an important contest wishing Kyle Orton were available to play quarterback?

That’s the case Sunday as the Denver Broncos play the San Diego Chargers with first place on the line in the AFC West. Unfortunately for the Broncos, it appears they will be trying to win the big game with Chris Simms as quarterback.

That doesn’t sound like a good scenario for the Broncos since Simms last started an NFL game in 2006 and would probably have already moved on to life without football if his daddy (Phil Simms) wasn’t a famous player and current color analyst.

Do you think he would still be in the NFL if his name had been Chris Smith or Chris Jones? Bloodlines do have their advantages in pro sports.

So Simms will be playing as Orton rests an injured ankle and you can almost sense the Chargers’ defense salivating. Linebackers Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips have recently stepped up their play and inside ‘backer Tim Dobbins returns from an injury. Antonio Cromartie could be in line for another interception or two.

Who knows — maybe even overpaid and underproductive Luis Castillo will make a key play.

Defensive coordinator Ron Rivera has done a fine job during the Chargers’ four-game winning streak, which began after Denver beat the Chargers in mid-October.

At that time, the Broncos were 6-0 and the Chargers fell to 2-3. They both have 6-3 records entering today’s contest.

Denver lost to the hapless Washington Redskins last Sunday while the Chargers are fresh off beating the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles in back-to-back weeks. It’s not hard to tell which team is playing better entering the all-important tilt.

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has always played well against the Broncos no matter which future Hall of Fame candidates are in Denver’s secondary — cornerback Champ Bailey or safeties John Lynch (now retired) and Brian Dawkins. And LaDainian Tomlinson showed signs of putting together a decent second half with last Sunday’s 96-yard effort against the Eagles. 

Denver is looking for a sweep of the series but I have a hard time seeing that happen with Simms at quarterback. Of course, you never know when Ed Hochuli might show up to officiate a game. A severe case of “Hochulitis” stole a victory from the Chargers last season when the official blew the call when Dobbins forced Jay Cutler to fumble.

The blown call allowed Denver to score the winning points — not that the Chargers’ defense was doing much stopping that afternoon — in a 39-38 victory.

But that was 14 months ago. On this Sunday, the Broncos will be wishing Orton was around for an impORTONt game. How unlikely is that?

You might recall the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl season of a few years back. Orton quarterbacked that team to a strong start but the Bears didn’t waste time replacing him with Rex Grossman once Grossman was back from injury.

Now Orton — a guy whose appearance makes him a more likely candidate to go wolf hunting with Jake Plummer in Northern Idaho — is Denver’s best chance of winning.

That’s good for the Chargers and not so good for the Broncos.

Over the next several weeks, we’re going to look at several different positions (I can’t yet promise all) to identify the best players wearing each jersey number at each position. If this goes as planned, we’ll then compile a list of the best player wearing each jersey number in the league.

If you have quibbles, or want to add someone I forgot, leave a comment and we’ll update this post. And please have patience – this is a big job.

We started this project with wide receivers in this post and then with tight ends in this post. Now we move to quarterbacks, who wear numbers between 1 and 19.

1 – None – Sorry Warren Moon and Jeff George, but no significant quarterback in the NFL is currently wearing No. 1.

2 – Matt Ryan, Falcons – Two young quarterbacks wear No. 2, and Ryan, who is the future of the franchise in Atlanta, is an easy choice over JaMarcus Russell, who apparently cannot be the future of the franchise in Oakland. Other notable 2s: Brian St. Pierre, Cardinals; Chris Simms, Broncos, Sage Rosenfels, Vikings

3 – Derek Anderson, Browns – Anderson is no good and is having an even worse year, but he’s the only quarterback who has seen the field this season that wears No. 3, so he wins this by default. But you can go ahead and expect Anderson to lose to a kicker or punter in the final jersey number comparison. Other notable 3: Matt Moore, Panthers

4 – Brett Favre, Vikings – There’s no question that Favre is not only the most significant No. 4 currently playing now; he may be the best No. 4 in the history of the league. Part of that is that 4 was never a popular number before Favre, and part of it is of course Favre’s longevity and production. Other notable 4: Kevin Kolb, Eagles

5 – Donovan McNabb, Eagles – When McNabb first started wearing No. 5, it seemed like a bit of a novelty for a quarterback. But now this is a popular number. Still, McNabb remains the standard-bearer, both for his current play and his long and storied career. But it’ll be interesting to see how long McNabb can hold off up-and-coming Joe Flacco to keep the claim on 5. Other notable 5s: Kerry Collins, Titans; Trent Edwards, Bills, Josh Freeman, Buccaneers; Bruce Gradkowski, Raiders

6 – Jay Cutler, Bears – Cutler narrowly wins this number’s honors over rookie Mark Sanchez, simply because Cutler has a little longer pedigree. At the end of the year or next year, the decision could be different. Other notable 6: Pat White, Dolphins

7 – Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers – Big Ben wears 7 in honor of John Elway, one of the greatest 7s of all time. Now Roethlisberger is writing his legacy at the number with two Super Bowl titles very early in his career. The fact that Big Ben seems to be emerging as a passer is a sign that his career may actually be starting an upswing just now. Other notable 7s: Matt Cassel, Chiefs; Chad Henne, Dolphins; Byron Leftwich, Buccaneers; Matt Leinart, Cardinals; Tarvaris Jackson, Vikings; Michael Vick, Eagles

8 – Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks – This was a tough call. Matt Schaub of the Texans is having by far a better year than Hasselbeck, but Hasselbeck has a much better career at this point. So we’ll side with experience over the present, knowing full well that we might want to flip the tables on this number very soon. Other notable 8s: Kyle Orton, Broncos; David Carr, Giants; Brian Hoyer, Patriots

9 – Drew Brees, Saints – Brees may be for the early 2010s what Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were for most of this decade. He’s at the top of his game, piling up numbers with great accuracy and providing great leadership to boot. And if he can get a Super Bowl ring this year, his status will only grow. As good as Dallas’ Tony Romo, Cincinnati’s Carson Palmer, and Jacksonville’s David Garrard are, they aren’t in Brees’ league. Other notable 9: Matthew Stafford, Lions

10 – Eli Manning, Giants – Manning isn’t a perfect quarterback, but he’s good and he’s won his share of games and then some. That’s enough to earn him the 10 spot over declining players like Marc Bulger of St. Louis and Chad Pennington of Miami. Other notable 10s: Matt Flynn, Packers; Brady Quinn, Browns; Vince Young, Titans; Troy Smith, Ravens

11 – Daunte Culpepper, Lions – There are no current star quarterbacks wearing 11, so we’ll give this honor to a former star in Culpepper who has started a couple of games this year. Other notable 11s: Josh Johnson, Buccaneers; Alex Smith, 49ers; Mark Brunell, Saints; Kellen Clemens, Jets

12 – Tom Brady, Patriots – It’s an easy call to give the honors at 12 to Brady, who’s already got the resume of an all-time great. Plus, Brady continues to perform at the highest of levels. He remains the real deal. Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers is a good quarterback, but he’s outside Brady’s echelon. Other notable 12s: Brodie Croyle, Chiefs; Kyle Boller, Rams; Josh McCown, Panthers; Jim Sorgi, Colts

13 – Kurt Warner, Cardinals – This is another easy call, as Warner is playing at a high level 10 years after he burst on the scene in St. Louis. His career has been a little up and down, but at his best there are few better than Warner. Other notable 13: Shaun Hill, 49ers

14 – Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills – Fitzpatrick isn’t great, but he’s the only QB wearing 14 who has even played this year. Dan Fouts must be ashamed.

15 – Seneca Wallace, Seahawks – This is another slow number, as Wallace and Washington backup Todd Collins are the only quarterbacks wearing 15. We almost gave this to Tim Tebow in advance, but we’ll stick with NFL players for now.

16 – Charlie Batch, Steelers – At least we had a choice at 16 between Batch, the former Lions starter who’s now Big Ben’s backup, and Tyler Thigpen, who had some good games in K.C. last year before going to the Dolphins via trade this year.

17 - Philip Rivers, Chargers – Rivers isn’t on the Brees-Manning-Brady level, but he may be the best of the next batch of quarterbacks. He’s productive and continuing to grow as a leader and late-game threat. Other notable 17s: Jason Campbell, Redskins; Jake Delhomme, Panthers

18 - Peyton Manning, Colts – There’s no question here that Manning is by far the best 18 not only at quarterback but at any position in the league. No player is doing more to elevate his team this season than Manning, who is carrying his team to the top of the pack once again.

19 – NONE – No quarterbacks are wearing 19 this year either. Apparently young QBs need to see more Johnny Unitas highlights.

Analysis of Week 10 in the NFL

Game Notes

Bears 6 49ers 10

It was a sloppy game by both teams, and the only highlights on Friday were of Jay Cutler’s five interceptions. You just can’t win a game like that. San Francisco didn’t have to play exceptionally well, but Alex Smith limited his mistakes, Michael Crabtree had another decent game, and Frank Gore took time off of the clock so the Bears couldn’t come back. It wasn’t pretty, but it could be just what the Niners need.
Game Ball: Frank Gore had 25 carries for 104 yards and one touchdown.

Bills 17 Titans 41

For those of you who are keeping track, Vince Young is 3-0 since taking the reigns in Tennessee. The Titans look rejuvenated, but this game was close until a 24 point quarter. Young wasn’t perfect, he had one touchdown and one interception, but compared to Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick, he looked like an All-star. Nate Washington and Kenny Britt are getting their reps, but Chris Johnson is the X factor on this team. Terrell Owens had three catches for 85 yards, so we will have to go one more week without a breakdown.
Game Ball: Chris Johnson went for 122 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and had another 100 yards as a receiver.

Saints 28 Rams 23

Can they lose? The Saints did everything wrong Sunday and still came away with the win. That’s not taking anything away from St. Louis, they took advantage of New Orleans’ mistakes and Mark Bulger outplayed Drew Brees (yes, it happened). Steven Jackson ran over 130 yards and their receiving core averaged over ten yards per catch. Special teams and Reggie Bush sealed the deal for the Saints, but it’s clear they will need to tighten up before they think about finishing the season undefeated.
Game Ball: Reggie Bush had six carried for 83 yards and one touchdown.

Buccaneers 23 Dolphins 25

The Bucs learned the hard way Sunday that they can’t dig a huge hole, and then attempt to come back. The game was tight, especially after an injury to Ronnie Brown, but even a rally towards the end left Tampa Bay two points short. They did a good job against Miami’s deadly run, but we don’t think anyone can  completely control them. Buc fans can’t be too mad about this one – there is a lot of potential on this team and Josh Freeman shows promise.
Game Ball: Kellen Winslow had seven carries for 102 yards

Lions 10 Vikings 27

We knew the Vikings would win this, but their efficiency is incredible, especially coming off of a bye week. Brett Favre shows no signs of slowing down, and he managed this game without making a single mistake. Adrian Peterson controlled the running game, and looked dominant again after running for 133 yards. Most teams come off of the bye week rusty, but Minnesota looks rested and rejuvenated. Detroit isn’t trying to win a Super Bowl, but they need to have a game plan and gain some composure. Although Matthew Stafford didn’t throw an interception, he threw 51 passes to nine different receivers with little results.
Game Ball: Sidney Rice had only nine catches, but went 201 yards with them

Jaguars 24 Jets 22

The Jets continue to look confused and disorganized. Can they fix it? They may still have the second place trophy in the NFC East if they pull it together, but at this point their second meeting with New England is a daunting task. Mark Sanchez is regressing with each game – that young fire-thrower is becoming a problem and turning the ball over quite a lot these days. Jacksonville, on the other hand, seems to be just waking up. Quarterback David Gerrard had another promising start, and they are creeping into contention.
Game Ball: Maurice Jones-Drew went 123 yards on 24 carries with one touchdown.

Bengals 18 Steelers 12

Cincinnati is the real deal, and they’ve proved that by matching up pound for pound with the defending champs. It was scrappy, and a clinic on how to play defense, but does it matter? Neither quarterback was spectacular, and there was little to no running game on Sunday, but 60 minutes and eight field goals later, the Bengals came out on top. The stats are horrible, but that just shows you the fight.
Game Ball; Jon Fanene and the Bengals defensive line were ravenous. Fanene had two sacks on the day, two tackles for loss, and got to Ben Roethisberger twice more in the backfield.

Broncos 17 Redskins 27

Uh… excuse me? Denver is sinking lower each week, but they came out uninspired. You can blame part of the loss on losing Kyle Orton, who was playing very well, and on Chris Sims complete lack of preparation. Let’s not take anything away from Washington. They did everything they could possibly do to win on Sunday, including gadget plays, to win. They were missing their star and on the ropes, but they got it done against a team that should have played a lot better than them.
Game Ball: Ladell Betts didn’t have over 10 yards for the first eight weeks, but replaced Clinton Portis in style with 144 yards and one touchdown.

Falcons 19 Panthers 28

Someone must have pulled Jake Delhomme aside and told him that his career was on the line, because in the last two weeks, he’s been playing inspired football. In his second interception-less game, Carolina looked powerful, but let’s be honest – Michael Turner had 111 yards on only nine carries in the second quarter, and his injury left the Falcons without an attack. Matt Ryan’s dismal day combined with losing Turner was a nightmare for Atlanta. The Panthers’ defense wasn’t nearly as menacing as it usually is, but they are creeping towards .500 and may become dangerous in the weeks to come.
Game Ball: Muhsin Muhammad had only six catches for 91 yards, but Steve Smith was deadly in the end zone (two of his four catches were for touchdowns).

Chiefs 16 Raiders 10

This will go down in history as the game that no one watched. All three quarterbacks were simply horrible, there was no defense… what is there to say? This is about what you would expect from a bunch of 2-7 teams. We do wonder, however, how much longer the Raiders are going to pretend JaMarcus Russell is their man, especially now that he is only playing a half of a game.
Game Ball: Michael Bush had 14 carries for 119 yards.

Cowboys 7 Packers 17

As long as the Cowboys aren’t on the big stage, they seem to be fine. But as soon as people pay attention, as soon as playoff whispers come, they drop like flies. Tony Romo was shaky for the first time in weeks,  and his receivers suffered for it. The big story this week is the completely inconsistent Packers, who’s defense completely shut down any chance Dallas had at winning this game. Their running game was held to 61 yards, Miles Austin was shut down, and Romo was sacked five times. Aaron Rodgers just needed to control the game, and he did a fantastic job alongside Ryan Grant who had 79 yards on the day.
Game Ball: Aaron Rodgers didn’t throw an interception, but the important part is his rushing touchdown, as well as going 25 for 36 with a passing touchdown.

Seahawks 20 Cardinals 31

This was billed as the battle for the NFC West, but did Seattle really have a chance? Arizona may be inconsistent, but Seattle can beat them at their own game. Matt Hasselbeck attempted 52 passes on the day, so it’s no wonder he was picked off twice. Kurt Warner, on the other hand, had another one of his great weeks, but there really is no telling what Kurt Warner will take the field each day. The Cardinals had great games from Anquan Boldin and Beanie Wells, so their balanced attack could beat out the Seahawks any day.
Game Ball: Kurt Warner went 29 for 38 with 340 yards and two touchdowns.

Eagles 23 Chargers 31

In Philadelphia and on most major networks, there was one key for the Eagles to win this game. Run the ball. Did they do it? No. Did they win? No. The Chargers are quietly becoming a force to be reckoned with – you would never know they were 6-3 at this point. They ran up and down the field on Philly, and it was nice to see LaDainian Tomlinson show everyone that he still has some jets on him. The Eagles and their “incredible” defense couldn’t stop Philip Rivers or Antonio Gates, or even Darren Sproles for that matter. There are so many problems we would need a year to list them, but after Donovan McNabb threw for 450 yards and still couldn’t win the game, we think Philadelphia is already aware
Game Ball: Tomlinson couldn’t break 100 yards, but his 96 yards and two touchdowns were more than enough to help San Diego out.

Patriots 34 Colts 35

It’s safe to say, this one lived up to the hype. This will go down as one of the greatest games between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, and of course, one of the biggest mistakes Bill Belichick has made. You know what happened, but we definitely think Belichick was right (oh God that hurts to say). If they get that first down, the game was over. Either way, he knew Peyton Manning would win the game and that was his only chance to take control. It back fired, so there is a media outcry, but we get his point. It’s safe to say that Peyton Manning and the Colts are on top of the world now. This was one of the biggest tests of their season, and they passed with flying colors.
Game Ball: It was dueling receivers in Indianapolis Sunday night. Randy Moss had nine catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns, while Reggie Wayne had ten catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns.

Baltimore 16 Cleveland 0

Can you say BORING? Baltimore didn’t beat the Browns up enough, so the game was completely pointless. Monday Night Football’s track record of great games this season ended tonight. We don’t think it matters who is playing for the Browns, their attitude and training is too far beyond anything. There are teams who are just as bad in the NFL, but you can tell they are trying, and that’s the point. The Ravens couldnt get much going either. At least they got the win when they needed to, because their schedule does not get any easier.
Game Ball: Derek Mason had three catches for 78 yards.

Week 10 Wrap Up

- Injuries: Cincinnati’s Cedric Benson went out of their game against Pittsburgh with a hip flexor strain. Depending on how he feels in practice, Benson could miss next week… Troy Polamalu tweeked his knee again against Cincinnati. He will undergo tests and isn’t expected to be out long…Towards the end of the Eagles loss to the Chargers, Brian Westbrook sustained yet another concussion. This will be his second concussion in a month. The Eagles will evaluate him, but expect Westbrook to miss at the very least two weeks. Many commentators speculate this could be the end of Westbrook’s career…Seahawks running back Julius Jones sustained a bruised lung midway through the first quarter Sunday. He is expected to be out two to three weeks…Wildcat man Ronnie Brown is on crutches after hurting his right foot. The Dolphins will not releasae the extent of his injury, but experts expect he will miss at least next weekend… Denver is staying quiet on the severity of quarterback Kyle Orton’s ankle. He will undergo tests throughout the week, but may miss up to two games.
- Tennessee owner Bud Adams was so happy his team had won three in a row that he decided to give the finger to everyone in the stadium. On both hands. And he did a dance. His fine? $250,000 and his dignity.
- ESPN reported that troubled running back Larry Johnson may be headed to Cincinnati. The Bengals are in need of a quality backup for Cedric Benson, and have a goos track record with healing troublemakers.
- The NFLPA’s investigation into Eric Mangini and the Browns has become more serious, with the NFLPA asking for a meeting with the Head Coach. Mangini is under fire for his team’s many injuries, as well as his reported outlandish fines.

And the UDU Game Ball Goes to…

We are going to give this one to ever participant in this week’s Sunday Night Football game. While the ending was controversial, this was probably the most exciting game of the season. Both teams put up over 30 points, but the defense was also on their game. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were battling all night, and they really ended up on par with each other. There isn’t anything better than watching two of the best teams in the NFL battle, especially when the mistakes are limited and the energy is high.

Thanks to a stout red zone defensive showing and Ladainian Tomlinson’s apparent rejuvenation on Sunday, the Chargers are rolling right into another winner-takes-the-division-lead game against the Broncos, in Denver.  The bolts played the type of game that top teams play by blowing out Philadelphia early, then taking everything Donovan McNabb and the Eagles had to offer but coming out victorious 31-23.

On a day where the Rivers to Jackson combo didn’t light the field on fire, it didn’t need to.  Antonio Gates made up for the dropsies he had in New York by snagging the ball consistently early and often.  Ladainian Tomlinson rumbled to the tune of 96 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the best production I can remember from him in quite some time.  Suddenly the 2-3 Chargers have become the 6-3 Chargers, with the Broncos tripping over every obstacle in their path while the Chargers leap over theirs.

Philip Rivers didn’t need to get any closer than 20 yards away from the end zone to throw two touchdown passes, both to unexpected players in Mike Tolbert and Legadu Naanee.  It was Tolbert’s second touchdown of his two year career, and Legadu’s first regular season TD in his two years of play, making it obvious that Rivers trusts his lesser known players to get the job done.  McNabb had the more prolific day passing racking up 450 yards and two touchdowns to go with one interception, but it was strictly due to the nature of the Eagles’ style of play and the fact that they were constantly playing from behind.  The Eagles never held the lead, and after settling for three red zone field goals did not score a touchdown until the fourth quarter.  The contrast in play was clear as day – while the Eagles made big plays but could barely get into the end zone, the Chargers scored all but one of their touchdowns on big 20 yard plays.  The lesson?  You can make big plays all day, but if you can’t score touchdowns when you get close you better have a killer defense.  The Eagles’ play reflects the early season Chargers, who were able to make huge downfield plays but could not score touchdowns in the red zone.

In other NFL happenings, Bill Belichick blew the call of the season by going for it on fourth and two to go with a 6 point lead at their own 28 yard line.  I have seldom seen defenders play with the intensity and passion that the Colts did on that Patriots possession.  These guys truly believed with every fiber of their bodies and souls that if they stopped the Belichick-Brady-Moss-Welker machine right there, Peyton Manning would win that football game.  They forced The Pats to turn the ball over on downs, and what did Manning do?  He took the short field and found his man Reggie Wayne in the endzone to set up the game winning point after try.  It was amazing to see the effect Belichick’s call had on his team.  By not punting he told his defense that he trusted his offense to win the game more, and his defense deflated after their coach dissed them.  On the other side, the Colts defense showed the world and Peyton that they whole-heartedly believed in him, and he manifested their belief with the game winning passes.  When a quarterback has that much trust from his defense, it is obvious that he is an MVP type of player.  I cannot buy into any “logic” or perceived “wisdom” to which a certain sports writer wants to attribute Belichick’s decision.  Only foolishness would risk giving Manning a short field, even when a simple two yards would win the game.  Great games should not be won by gaining two yards and letting the clock run out while a great quarterback watches from the sideline.  Maybe Belichick didn’t realize he was coaching in a great game.

Next week: Denver.  The Chargers fly into Invesco Field at Mile High on a four game winning streak to face the Broncos, owners of a three game losing slide.  It is unknown whether Kyle Orton will be able to play, and to tell you the truth I personally don’t care.  The Chargers are hitting their stride and will be looking for revenge after losing to the Broncos at home earlier this year.  Like I said before, the Broncos are bleeding in the water and the Chargers are a pack of sharks.  An early 6-0 doesn’t win anything, Denver.

Terminal velocity refers to a falling object that is in equilibrium. In its plummet, at a particular speed, the drag force will equal the object’s weight. At this point, the object ceases its downward acceleration and continues falling at a constant speed. The downward force of gravity equals the upward force of drag.

After losing to Baltimore and Pittsburgh, the Denver Broncos were most certainly in freefall. Now, after gagging in DC to Daniel Snyder’s dysfunctional and discombobulated Redskins, and doing so mostly at the defensive line of scrimmage, gravity now equals the drag of a freefalling franchise. In skydiving, terminal velocity can be slowed by extending ones limbs. And of course, deploying a parachute creates a larger projected area, with a dramatically reduced terminal velocity, and lands its passenger to safety. Looking ahead, the question now becomes: Is Denver capable of pulling the ripcord and piloting itself to some kind of landing zone, or did it jump out of a perfectly good airplane without a canopy strapped to its back in the first place?

Coach Pincers and Chris Simms try to stay positive as they prepare for San Diego

Defensively, the about-to-explode look is back. A shame, really. Such heart, such effort the first third of the season. Against Baltimore and Pittsburgh, the offense failed its defense. Things just broke loose in the fourth quarter with a complete lack of what Pincers would call “complimentary football.” This time around, with DC’s pieced-together offensive line opening up holes and really bad tackling on Denver’s behalf, Ladell Betts and Rock Cartwright just gutted them. All day. Couldn’t even get Jason Campbell, an atrocious quarterback, to make many mistakes. Looked oh so familiar. As we’ve said before, Denverites can keenly identify an about-to-explode defense. It’s what we’ve dealt with since about this time 2006. That look, that bending, absorbing, would-be more explosions were it not for opponent mistakes, was back in effect. Now, why is this?

This is where “slapdick” or “slappy” comes from. It’s what Brian Billick calls beta players. Profootballtalk.com uses this, too. But we read this book back in 2006 and our buddies adopted it into vernacular shortly thereafter. Way before Florio poached it.

Some people call it the Law of Diminishing Returns, others might say the cream always rises to the top, we call it Slapdick vs. Reality. Coming into the season it was presumed the Denver secondary, even with a well-aged veteran in Brian Dawkins, was elite. The front seven questions were of course loud and clear. It’s probably safe to characterize DJ Williams and Elvis Dumervil as upper tier players, however still not that “upper.” Outside of that the front seven is a collection of hand picked slappies and a rookie. We mean that in a conventional wisdom sense: they are slappies, journeymen, none are elite. Until November came along, these slappies, these castoffs, nobodies from everywhere, had been playing above their presumed abilities in a brilliant and innovative Mike Nolan scheme. Andra Davis, Mario Haggan, Ronald Fields, Darrell Reid, Kenny Petersen, Ryan McBean, La Kevin Smith, Marcus Thomas, not exactly top 10%. The Law of Diminishing Returns says that in contrast to increased expectations when outstanding results occur at Square One, returns actually start to progressively decrease. The cream always rises to the top might suggest statistically better teams, or presumed to be better teams, will eventually get theirs. Slapdick vs. Reality says that no matter how much heart, no matter how many Dawkins “take it” frenzies, no mater how committed and accountable and willing and heartfelt, in the end, you’re still a slapdick.

Again, as we’ve said all year, at least they care, at least they try, at least they are not a bed of flowers like the last 2.5 years of Denver Defense. It remains to be seen what the duration will reveal. In terms of what kind of rhetoric is maintained in this column, we are not condemning them to failure and actually believe slapdicks can come together like some kind of slapdick Voltron and find success. We’re simply pointing out that, at their core, they are mostly slapdicks. There’s really no question about that.

(Furthermore, we shudder, but Champ Bailey looks horrible right now. As Phylis Rivers comes to town this week, a guy who enjoys and has been successful throwing on 24, this creates some uneasiness. In addition, after Heinz Ward literally stepped over him then skipped into the end zone last week, then on a third and three late in the Washington game Champ whiffed huge on what is normally an open field lock, one wonders … one certainly begins to wonder.)

Offensively, we return to last week’s comments about the running game: What exactly is Pincers getting at here? So you’re telling us, Pincers, that with Albert Haynesworth out of the game; with Russ Hochstein limiting him pretty much all day; with a slow, dim, hesitant Chris “Milky” Simms under center; having just completed runs of 3 and 11 yards and with Knowshon Moreno at 97 yards total on the day; and with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter of a 17-17 ball game, you have Milky* hoist up a deep ball prayer? It wasn’t even close. There were four red jerseys by the time the ball arrived. This of course led to Washington’s 10-play drive that took over six minutes off the clock and resulted in a go-ahead touchdown.

Ironic too, in a week where “long ball” media brays could be heard above the wind. That’s not only what Kyle Orton attempted but nailed. Too bad Pincers thought Milky could do the same. Two things are clear now, right Denverites? Orton has plenty of arm and he unquestionably belongs under center. (Does Milky bend over as he brings back his delivery? Is his hand on the top of the ball as he releases? Is that the slowest release in the NFL? At least Pincers booted him, rolled him out, that was good to see again. Didn’t really matter, though.) Looking ahead to this weekend, c’mohhn Greek. We need ya to get 8 healthy otherwise we might not even turn on the game. Also, Eddie Royal quit running on Orton’s third deep ball. That’s on 19 not 8. Also, Hochstein is sick.

(Oh and, 8, Rocky McIntosh wanted to thank you for teeing up Brandon Marshall over the middle. Guy’s name is “Rocky McIntosh.” He plays linebacker. He’s that gigantic fella who drops back into coverage when he reads pass.)

(A special DER goes out to Woody Paige this week. Woody, so baseless, so dependant upon conjecture, so otherworldly in his analysis. Actually advocated, then defended, a Simms start in DC.)

Chris Simms dresses the part now that he lives in Colorado

Special teams, or “the kicking game” as Pincers would say, looks like Ryan Seacrest just wandered onto the set of a Charlie Rose taping and attempted an intellectual conversation. So out of place, so related by medium only. Aside from Eddie Royal’s returns in San Diego and the occasional big hit delivered by coverage teams, this third of the overall Denver attack is a fail. Mitch Berger for Brett Kern was haste in its purest form. We actually enjoyed seeing free loader Lamont Jordan get wasted by Lorenzo Alexander on the kick following the sloppiest touchdown in the NFL this year. Did you know we had enough time to flip over to a WB broadcast of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, laugh at a couple crude jokes, then flip back to the game in the time it took punter Hunter Smith to heave a “500” ball from one sideline to the other … for a touchdown. There are bona fide disgusting things in this world—Dick Cheney, Europeans, a higher yield on US Treasury Notes—and we don’t want to sports-hyperbolize too much. But that was truly a disgusting play. Our buddy C-Po told us he kicked over his three-year-old son’s “block tower” when that classic piece of horse manure actually played out before his eyes. Yep, that … just … happened.

Another fun note in the Washington game was watching Brian Orakpo in action. (Not as much fun as watching Rey Maualuga enforce the middle in Week One, but close.) Let’s summarize Orakpo’s tackles, shall we: Moreno for no gain on a swing pass, Moreno for a 1-yard loss on the edge, Moreno for a 3-yard loss up the middle, credited for wrecking Ortons’s ankle at the end of the first half, half of a 7-yard Milky sack, sacked Milky on his own for 10 yards. Wow, so stoked to revisit Pincers’ draft here.

It looks like Pincers has a very clear idea of how he balances his defensive roster spots. He will play a 3-4, or 5-2 base but it can morph into anything it wants. There is a lot of 4-3 in there and his edge players pull double duty. Also, linebackers are huge in the kicking game. He’s loaded up his defensive roster with big linebackers and has stayed lean with the classic lineman body types (300 pounds plus). Check the roster here. He keeps nine linebackers, all roughly the same size and, weather it be inside or outside, versatility. He keeps seven linemen-only types. Orakpo was touted as a classic outside pass rusher but Washington plays him as an outside linebacker in its 4-3. Considering the versatility Pincers wants in his edge defenders, considering what he wants them to look like, Orakpo (6’-3 260 pounds) seems like he would’ve been an outstanding fit. Plus, he’s pissed, his coaches (according to Dan Dierdorf) rave about him, and he’s currently wrecking shop. Such a treat knowing Denver could’ve had both him and Robert Ayers (6’-3 274 pounds) in the first round.

Instead, Pincers is so scattershot and so scatterbrained when it comes to the run game and the players he chooses to execute it that, when the 12th spot came around in April, he just couldn’t resist 27. If he was still on the board, would he have chosen Orakpo at the 18th instead of Ayers? Who’s to say. And were not saying Ayers is a stinker, either. A conclusion is years off. It may have been marginal and temporary, but Orakpo quietly pantsed Pincers’ draft on Sunday.

(We should also point out that, after a horrifying game last week, Moreno looked pretty good this week. The shimmy was back and he only tripped a couple times. No fumbles, either, and he was back to initiating contact at the end of his runs.)

San Diego slapped Philly around on Sunday so, guess what Broncos Fans?! We get to relive the end of 2008 in the middle of 2009! Love these three-game swings. Let’s hope the third turns out differently this time. We’ve previously said Denver whips San Diego in this game. However we also said barring significant injury. Orton qualifies as significant.

As we all know, the NFL is weird, trending teams mean nothing. Philly goes down, Dallas gets worked, DC wins, Carolina wins, Tennessee is on fire and so is Arizona. At least we can always count on Jay Cutler throwing multiple interceptions. The Bolts come to town on a roll and with the same record as Denver. Denver is in freefall. Something has to increase the drag on this descent and slow Denver’s downward velocity. Maybe Denver’s defense uses Phylis’s carcass to do so. Gets upset, gets healthy, proves to themselves and the world they are not slappies. Milky Simms, well, let’s hope that was rust. He actually maintained a semi decent pocket presence considering he’s barely gone live in three years and Washington went after him. San Diego is still the same group of softies Denver saw in Week Six. But Phylis is still the same gangly, head-snapping, accurate, resilient bastard he’s always been. Beyond San Diego, broadly speaking, at some point Denver is going to have to deploy a chute before it splatters on the ground. Dead as disco.

The most annoying … person … ever

* Gotta give credit to our fantasy football commissioner, Dave, for “Milky.” We didn’t even hear him say it we just read it on our FFB smack board. Laughed pretty hard. Dave is the kind of commissioner that tweaks the scoring rules because he knows the other owners wont check it. This gives him a draft advantage. He’s a gangster about league fees, too. Dave also throws an epic Super Bowl party each year. On a related note, stay tuned for our forthcoming memoir column: “$100 and 0-13: Confessions of a Fantasy Football Failure.” Fantasy sucks. It’s for tools.

Things change quickly in the NFL. Always have, always will.

In mid-October, the San Diego Chargers appeared to be in big trouble after losing to the Denver Broncos. The dismal home loss left the Chargers sitting at 2-3 and 3 1/2 games behind the undefeated Broncos in the AFC West.

The teams meet again next Sunday in Denver and first place will be on the line. The Chargers are now the red-hot team after beating the Philadelphia Eagles 31-23 on Sunday for their fourth straight win and the Broncos are now reeling after losing to the dysfunctional Washington Redskins for their third consecutive defeat.

The Chargers got two touchdown runs from LaDainian Tomlinson and two touchdown throws by Philip Rivers en route to building a 28-9 lead through three quarters. Donovan McNabb threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes as the Eagles drew close in hopes of pulling a Wyoming over San Diego State (http://mrsportsblog.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/aztecs-collapse-brings-back-memories-of-tuffys-tale/) from the previous night on the Qualcomm Stadium field.

But the Chargers finished strong with a 12-play clock-eating field-goal drive (Nate Kaeding hit from 29 yards with 30 seconds left) to defeat an NFC East team for the second straight week. The Chargers rallied to beat the New York Giants the previous Sunday.

In addition to the quality win, Tomlinson re-emerged and had his best game of the season. Tomlinson carried 24 times for 96 yards and passed Thurman Thomas and Franco Harris to move into 12th place on the NFL’s all-time career rushing-yardage list (12,145). Tomlinson also moved into third place on the all-time touchdowns list with 146, passing San Diego prep legend Marcus Allen (145).

In coming weeks — barring a major injury – Tomlinson will vault up to eighth place on the rushing list by passing Allen, Edgerrin James, Marshall Faulk and Jim Brown. Pretty lofty company.

Rivers threw 20-yard touchdown passes to Mike Tolbert and Legedu Naanee. The touchdown to Naanee was followed by an excessive celebration penalty as Naanee dropped to a knee to hand off the football to a Chargers cheerleader. The act was likely fueled by his former Boise State teammate Ian Johnson, who dropped to a knee and proposed to his cheerleader girlfriend after scoring the winning points against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl three years ago.

 Defensively, the Chargers frustrated the Eagles in the red zone during the first three quarters – was former San Diego State coach Tom Craft serving as Philadelphia’s red zone play-caller? —  before finally converting twice in the fourth quarter on short TD throws from McNabb to Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek.

McNabb finished the game with 450 passing yards, primarily because the Eagles had no running attack after losing star Brian Westbrook to his second concussion of the season. The Eagles (5-4) are in big trouble if Westbrook has to miss most of the rest of the season.

As for the Chargers, they can seize control of the AFC West by taking down the Broncos next Sunday in Denver. Win that game and the current winning streak could eventually reach seven as Kansas City and Cleveland follow Denver on the schedule.

Calm, cool Philip Rivers faces a depleted Eagles secondary today.

Quarterback — Edge: Chargers. Philip Rivers has emerged as one of the best in the league and displayed his cool demeanor when leading the Chargers to a win on the final drive against the Giants last week. McNabb is coming off a poor performance against Dallas. While he usually rebounds after bad games, Rivers is more consistent and a better player these days.

Running back — Edge: Push. LaDanian Tomlinson and Brian Westbrook are past their prime. Darren Sproles is a legit factor back, while Shady McCoy and Leonard Weaver have shown the ability to move the ball for the Eagles. The running games should be equally productive — as long as fat Andy decides to use his backs.

Wide receivers — Edge: Push. DeSean vs. Vincent. Take your pick.

Tight end — Edge: Chargers. While we are huge fans of Brent Celek and see him in the Pro Bowl this year, Antonio Gates will have a field day against an Eagles defense that still hasn’t figured out how to stop the tight end this year.

Offensive line — Edge: Chargers. The Eagles have allowed 21 sacks so far this year. That’s just one less than all of last year. Who knows what you’re going to get from Jason Peters?

Defensive line — Edge: Push. The Eagles defensive line has played well with a solid pash rush from Trent Cole and Jason Babin. Run stuffing defensive tackles in Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley have wrapped up opposing running backs without many issues this year. The Chargers are solid as always.

Linebacker — Edge: Chargers. With all of the Eagles injuries this year, the linebacker position is Lights Out.

Defensive backs — Edge: Chargers. The Eagles strength is suddenly a weakness with the injury to Ellis Hobbs and the Joselio Hanson suspension.

Special teams — Edge: Chargers. This would be a push, but the loss of Hobbs as a kick returner hurts this team more than many will think. He was great at giving McNabb a short field to work with. Who’s going to do that now?

THE PICK: The Chargers should be able to attack the middle of the field with Antonio Gates and Darren Sproles on check down passes. Vincent Jackson is a beast and will fair well due to the Eagles depleted corner situation. McNabb and company will score some points, but it won’t be near enough. Chargers 34, Eagles 17.

Air Rivers heads back to the field Sunday, ready to pilot the San Diego Chargers against the Philadelphia Eagles in a key game for both teams.

The Chargers and Eagles are both 5-3 and both one game out of first place in their respective divisions. The Chargers have won three straight games, while Philadelphia is coming off a nationally televised loss to Dallas, the team that leads the NFC East.

The Eagles are beat up defensively in the secondary and at linebacker so it would be no surprise to see the Chargers potent passing attack riding high. With the 30-year-old version of LaDainian Tomlinson no longer being a premier running back — Tomlinson’s 289 rushing yards rank 38th in the NFL — San Diego’s best chance to roll up points is by relying on Philip Rivers’ right arm.

Vincent Jackson has emerged as one of the top wide receivers in the game — he’s third in the NFL with 722 receiving yards and tied for the touchdown lead with seven. Tight end Antonio Gates should find some mismatches Sunday with Philadelphia’s long list of injured linebackers.

Kind of funny to think the Chargers might be more healthy at linebacker even though Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips are questionable and Tim Dobbins will likely miss the contest. The Chargers do get Kevin Burnett back.

Philadelphia’s Brian Westbrook returns but he’s not the same multipurpose threat this season after missing time with a concussion and knee and ankle injuries. Donovan McNabb and the Eagles’ offense were miserable in their last visit to the West Coast when they lost to the Oakland Raiders last month.

There are some things about this matchup that causes real debate: Who is the bigger gamebreaker – Philadelphia’s DeSean Jackson or San Diego’s Darren Sproles? And which team’s head coach is worse at clock management — the Chargers’ Norv Turner or the Eagles’ Andy Reid?

Oh yeah, which team has the better stadium? Ha ha, just kidding. No contest there — this game will be played in the decaying venue in San Diego.

Back to the serious stuff. The Chargers visit the Denver Broncos the following Sunday and the Broncos play the pathetic Washington Redskins this week so it is imperative that the Chargers beat the Eagles to keep pace with Denver.

The best way to do that is rely on Air Rivers.

Three weeks from now, Team IoT will meet face-to-face in New York City. One of us will be buying a grossly overpriced steak for the other.

This weekly picks column will determine whose wallet gets lighter in The Big Apple. Right now, I’m holding a two-game lead on Jeremy. As has become our custom, we differ on two games this week: Miami at North Carolina and Boston College at Virginia.

Four of six ACC games Saturday will occur in central North Carolina. The corpse of Florida State, beheaded last week by the needless loss of quarterback Christian Ponder, is traveling to Winston-Salem to play Wake Forest. Duke hosts Georgia Tech, the ACC’s last hope for national relevance. Miami visits Chapel Hill to play North Carolina. And N.C. State hosts C.J. Spiller and Clemson. A warning to the Wolfpack: I’ll be in the stands this week. State hasn’t won a game I’ve attended in five years.

A tangent: at Carter-Finley, I’ll be wearing my T.A. McLe … er, my Levar Fisher jersey. A funny story: at the last home game of the 2002 season, McLendon and Phil Rivers jerseys were both on sale for $20. “Why get a #17 that will only be useful for another year,” I thought. “You’ll be able to wear that 44 when Touchdown Anytime wins the Heisman in 2004! And hey, how about Kelly Rowland? Beyonce will rue the day she split with THAT hitmaker.” Way to be, Jimmy. Way to be.

Elsewhere, Virginia hosts Boston College, while Virginia Tech travels to College Park to play Maryland.

With the Chargers down by six points and just over two minutes left to play, Philip Rivers put the offense on his back and delivered an eight play touchdown drive to silence the New Jersey crowd.  Interestingly enough, the offense played just as well or better than they had all game in the last two minutes.  Maybe if they played all game is if coming from behind to win it they would dominate every opponent.  Just a thought…

Malcolm Floyd made his debut as the unquestioned #2 wideout and delivered a spotty performance missing some catches, then catching one when it counted on the game winning drive.  I have faith in Floyd and believe that given time he and Vincent Jackson will be one of the best receiving tandems in the NFL.  Vincent Jackson himself caught two touchdowns, including the game winning grab with :21 to play.  Vincent is on pace to catch fourteen touchdown passes this season, which would be the highest number for a Charger since Tony Martin had that many in 1996.  The last one before him to catch 14 touchdowns was Lance Alworth in 1965!

I have to give some serious recognition to Vincent Jackson – he is one of the most clutch receivers in the NFL.  He may not have caught over one hundred yards today, but any wise football fan can tell you that scoring two of the team’s three touchdowns far outweighs that stat.  Jackson is proving again and again to be a big time receiver, who can take over on drives and make game winning catches when the pressure is on.  Whatever his price is when his contract expires at the end of this season, the Chargers would be foolish not to pay it.

The Chargers defense showed they need a little work, but still did a good job considering Eli Manning had a much better game than I anticipated.  His passes were on target, with most of his incompletions coming on throwaways when the Chargers got close to him.  Our pass rush took more than a baby step in their quest to become relevant again, as Merriman was able to sack Eli twice.  The Giants are credited with having a very good offensive line and the Chargers front seven was bullied on rushing plays, but managed to sack Eli five times.  Our defensive backs did not have their best game in coverage, but how much can I complain when my team won?

The game came to a thrilling conclusion, and Chargers fans can rest easy for another week.

Next Sunday: Philadelphia.  The Eagles are an enigma, a team that can lose to Oakland then beat Washington and blow out the Giants in the following weeks.  What does this mean to the Chargers?  Be prepared for anything.

There were a lot of things that occurred during Sunday’s contest between the San Diego Chargers and New York Giants that would lead one to anticipate that the Giants would eventually leave the Meadowlands turf with a victory.

Usually, controlling the ball for 15 1/2 more minutes than the opponent, stuffing the running game to the tune of 34 yards and intercepting two passes is the formula that produces a victory. But the Giants sabotaged themselves with numerous mistakes and dumb things and the Chargers took advantage in rallying for a 21-20 victory.

In fact, the Chargers had just 151 yards of total offense when they took over on their own 20-yard line with 2:05 to play and trailing by six points. If there ever was a time for Philip Rivers to show up Eli Manning, this was the time — the game on the line in Manning’s home stadium against the team that drafted him and dealt him to the Chargers to obtain Manning’s services.

Rivers was up to the task, completing 6-of-8 passes on the final drive and hitting Vincent Jackson on the 18-yard game-winning score with 21 seconds left on the clock. So instead of a long plane flight home fretting over a .500 mark at the midway point, the giddy Chargers had an enjoyable excursion as owners of a 5-3 record.

The Chargers have now won three consecutive games with key games against the Philadelphia Eagles (at home) and Denver Broncos (on the road) next on the slate.  

The much-anticipated meeting between Rivers and Manning was a wash statistically. Rivers was 24-of-36 for 209 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, while Manning was 25-of-33 for 215 yards and two touchdowns.

If the Chargers had lost, Manning would have been the clear winner due to Rivers’ two interceptions. But because of his ability to navigate the Chargers 80 yards to win the game, Rivers (along with Jackson, who caught two TDs) was the hero.

The Chargers were able to sack Manning five times with linebacker Shawne Merriman recording two. Safety Eric Weddle (nine tackles) seemed to be in on a lot of key plays as he becomes more comfortable with being the team’s top safety.

Of course, the Chargers received a lot of help from the Giants, beginning with an opening drive that saw the Giants possess the ball for nearly half the quarter without scoring a point. Despite his team pushing the Chargers all over the field, Giants coach Tom Coughlin decided to kick a field goal on fourth-and-1 from the Chargers’ 21 and kicker Lawrence Tynes inexplicably failed to kick the ball.

In my view, that set the tone for what type of game ensued. It was a monumental momentum boost for the Chargers to see the Giants come up empty. The Giants would fail to take advantage of other opportunities, another key one being the sequence when they settled for a fourth-quarter field goal after Terrell Thomas intercepted Rivers and returned the ball to the San Diego 4.

Giants guard Chris Snee – the son-in-law of Coughlin and a person sure to be greeted rudely at the next dinner-table encounter — was called for holding and New York settled for a 22-yard field goal by Tynes with 2:07 remaining that left the door open for a Chargers comeback.

So the Chargers won on an afternoon in which they could muster just 34 rushing yards — 15 of them on a scramble by Rivers — and the Giants (5-4) suffered their fourth straight loss despite outplaying San Diego much of the day. LaDainian Tomlinson had just 22 yards on 12 carries and those whispers of his rapid decline will soon increase.

But the important thing on this Sunday was that the Chargers won the game — with a Giant final possession.