Tuesday's Reflections on the NFL - Midway Predictions

As Week 9 came and went in the NFL, we have officially reached the halfway point in the season schedule.

Still nothing has been resolved in the NFL, except that the Titans are 8-0 and have a 4 game lead in the AFC South at the turn and remain the leagues only undefeated team. And the Lions, after a 27-23 loss to the Bears, are the last team without a win.

As the season has now turned to the home stretch, it is time to take a look around the NFL and see who is on their way up, and who will falter on their way out of the playoffs. Who is the mid-season MVP? Which rookie will continue their amazing season and take ROY honours? There is lots still to be determined, and surely nothing in the NFL will ever be fully resolved until Week 17.

However, there is always room for fearless predictions and gutsy choices in Week 9. If the boastful host predicts correctly, bragging rights for being so amazingly brilliant. And if it so happens that said predictions are wrong, well then, I'll find someone to blame...

Divisional Predictions

AFC East

This is one amazingly difficult division to predict at this point of the season. The standings after Week 9 are as follows:

New York Jets 5-3
Buffalo Bills 5-3

New England Patriots 5-3

Miami Dolphins 4-4

This is clearly anyone's division. Ask before the season began and anyone would have said "Pats will win this one, no doubt." Then, with one shot to the knee of Tom Brady, and to the hopes of all New England fans, that theory was in doubt. A team that finished 16-0 last season, is now relying on the quarterbacking abilities of a man who hadn't started a game since high school and threw just 31 passes in his entire NCAA career.

The Bills looked like the team to beat early in the season, getting off to a 4-0 start with 2nd year QB Trent Edwards and RB Marshawn Lynch leading the offense and a steady defense anchoring the squad. However, losers of 3 of their last 4 and the Bills look pretty ordinary again. Edwards has struggled and the defense is ailing. Chances are the Bills bottom out in the second half of the season. They play the Pats next week, which will be a huge matchup for both teams.

The Jets have been up and down all season, as have the Pats. However, one has to imagine that if anyone can win down the stretch, it's Brett Farve. Sure he leads the NFL in interceptions right now, but he's doing enough to win, and the defense on Broadway is just good enough to win.

The Pats are playing well behind a first-time NFL starter. The defense is as good as ever, and will win games regardless of what the offense is doing. Having said that however, you lose Tom Brady, the '07-'08 MVP, you lose a lot. The Pats aren't nearly the team they were last year, we all know that, but they will be just fine down the stretch.

Division winner in the AFC East:

Final Division Standings

Jets 11-5
Patriots 10-6
Dolphins 8-8

Bills 7-9

AFC North

A much less contested division, the class of this one is definitely the Pittsburgh Steelers. After Monday's victory over a good Redskins team showed that they really are the team to beat in the North. The Ravens will be tough to beat, as the leagues #2 defense is always a challenge. However, the Steelers are the leagues #1 defense at the midway point and have a sturdy QB in Ben Roethlisberger and a fine running attack with Willie Parker and Mweldae Moore. The other two teams in the division, the Browns and Bengals are struggling and have no hope of a playoff run. The Bengals have already guaranteed a .500 season at best and the Browns have opted to bench starting QB Derek Anderson in favour of second year man Brady Quinn.

This division is definitely the Steelers to lose, and I think they are certainly strong enough to win it fairly easily.

Division winner in the AFC North:

Final Division Standings:

Steelers 12-4

Ravens 9-7

Browns 5-11

Bengals 3-13

AFC South

It's hard to say at this point in the season, with Tennessee having such a lead, that any other team will even challenge them for the title. The Colts are starting to look better, but are by no means good enough to make up a 4 game deficit in half a season, mostly because I don't believe the Titans will even lose 4 games all year.

The race for second place in the South will be much more interesting as the Colts, Jags and Texans are within a game of each other. However, the Texans are without Matt Shaub for 2-4 weeks, which can only mean trouble (see Tuesday's Reflections on the NFL - Sage Rosenfels is a Jackass). The Jags look like they'll most likely miss the playoffs too, as without the running game working, David Gerrard is having problems through the air.

Division winner in the AFC South:

Final Division Standings:

Titans 14-2

Colts 10-6

Jags 8-8

Texans 6-10

AFC West

A two-horse race really in the West as the Chiefs and Raiders can really be discounted. Neither team has any offense or defense to speak of, and will definitely miss the playoffs yet again. The quarterback merry-go-round and the suspension of pro bowl running back Larry Johnson mean yet another season without any post-season. The Raiders will miss the playoffs in '08 due to an inexperienced squad and an inept offense.

This race comes down to two amazing offensive teams with terrible defenses. The Chargers should have come into the season a heavy favourite in the West. But having the leagues worst pass defense has made scoring on them way to easy. The Chargers lead the league in points per game, but are still 3-5 thanks to horrendous defensive play and the season-ending surgery of pro bowl linebacker Shawn Merriman.

The Denver Broncos currently lead the AFC West with a 4-4 record, but similarly to the Chargers, have played poorly on defense. The Broncos are home to the leagues #3 offense, but also the leagues #29 defense. The Broncos have also almost forgone the run game and are purely throwing with Jay Cutler. Teams will get used to this and will effectively stop the Broncos in the second half of the season.

Division winner in the AFC West:

Final Division Standings:

Chargers 9-7
Broncos 8-8
Raiders 5-11
Chiefs 3-13



AFC Wildcard Berths


Patriots 10-6; Colts 10-6



NFC East


The toughest division in the NFL has proven that it deserves this honour. All four of these teams could finish with records above .500 and probably will. It is also likely that 3 of the 6 NFC playoff teams will come from this division as was the case last year.


The Giants also look like they are the clear leader in this division, so the big question is who finishes 2, 3, 4 and who misses the playoffs.


At this point, it isn't really clear who is for real. The Eagles struggled in the early part of the season, and now it's the Cowboys who are faltering. The Redskins have been pretty consistent, but lack the skill at quarterback found throughout the rest of the division. At the midway point, it now looks like the Eagles, provided McNabb and Westbrook stay healthy, are probably the 2nd best team in the East.


The Cowboys recent slide can mostly be attributed to the fact that Tony Romo is out and backups Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger have struggled in replacing him. The bye week this week will help the plummeting Cowboys, and the return of Romo next week should have them back on track. Having said that however, there is no guarantee that Romo will do enough to turn this team around and make the playoffs. It's tough to say that a team as good as the Cowboys is the worst in division, but I'm afraid it's true.


Division winner in the NFC East:







Final Division Standings:


Giants 14-2
Eagles 11-5
Redskins 10-6
Cowboys 9-7



NFC North


The fact that the Bears have finally found an offense and have one helluva running back in Matt Forte can only mean great things for the boys in the Windy City. Chicago currently holds a one game lead over the Vikings and Packers, with Green Bay looking like the best of those two teams. However, second place in this division means absolutely nothing. As I mentioned above, the NFC East is most likely going to provide three playoff teams, therefore, any other NFC team will have to win their division to make the playoffs.


The Packers have the best chance of challenging the Bears for the division. Aaron Rodgers looks like he's the real deal and the defense puts points on the board almost more than they keep points off. The Vikings have one of the best running backs in the game in Adrian Peterson and a sturdy defense, but 37-year old Gus Frerotte, is not the answer at QB.


Having said all this, I don't think anyone will top Da Bears in the North. They look like they are ready to make another playoff appearance, and I believe that's just what the will do.


Division winner in the NFC North:







Final Division Standings:


Bears 11-5
Packers 9-7
Vikings 7-9
Lions 1-15
(Come on, they gotta win 1 game...don't they?)



NFC South


One of the most highly contested divisions in the NFL, we could see all 4 teams in the South finish with records of .500 or better. The teams are all amazingly close and have all had great success against teams outside of the division, proving just how tough it is.


The four teams in the division split their strengths defense vs. offense. The Saints are the #1 pass offense and the leagues overall leader in offense, but have very little defense. The Falcons are the NFLs #1 rushing offense, but have struggled with inconsistency in the pass defense. The Bucs are the NFLs 6th ranked defense, while division leader Carolina has the leagues #8 defense.


The division currently shapes up as follows:

Panthers 6-2
Bucs 6-3
Falcons 5-3
Saints 4-4


The Falcons and Saints play this Sunday, which could have playoff implications if either team is going to make a run for the post season. Carolina has looked strong behind QB Jake Delhome who's looked as good as he has in years. The Saints do have a strong MVP candidate in Drew Brees, but if the defense can't lock it down, they won't make the playoffs. The Falcons are playing well with Michael Turner 3rd in the NFL in rushing yards and strong play from rookie QB Matt Ryan, but will most likely run into some tough games down the stretch to miss the playoffs. The Bucs really look like the best team in the South to me and in all fairness lost all 3 of their games by 4 points or less.


Division winner in the NFC South:




Final Division Standings


Bucs 11-5
Panthers 10-6
Saints 8-8
Falcons 8-8


NFC West


There is really very little to say about this division. The Cardinals basically have this one wrapped up and can coast to their first divisional title since 1975 when they were the St. Louis Cardinals. The Seahawks, Rams and 49ers are all 2-6 and all look terrible. The main reason for the Cardinals fine season is the fact that Kurt Warner is back to his MVP ways. Also, playing in the NFLs worst division can't hurt one's chances in having a winning season.


Division winner in the NFC West:








Final Division Standings:

Cardinals 10-6
Rams 5-11
Seahawks 5-11
49ers 4-12



NFC Wildcard Berths


Eagles 11-5; Redskins 10-6



MVP Candidates

There are 4 players right now, who are all worthy of MVP chatter. I think two of the forerunners, especially if they can turn their teams fortunes around and make the playoffs are Saints QB Drew Brees and Chargers QB Philip Rivers. Brees leads the NFL in passing yards and the leagues #1 offense. Rivers leads the NFL in touchdown passes and leads a the highest scoring team in the league. However, in my mind, an MVP has to be someone on a winning who has driven their team into the playoffs. With both the Saints and Chargers .500 or lower, their chances at winning the MVP aren't great.




The two players right now who have their squads over .500 and are the driving forces behind these positions in the standings are Cardinals QB Kurt Warner and Redskins RB Clinton Portis.


Portis' play has gotten the Redskins off to a 6-3 start, and 2nd in the NFC East. He has rushed for a league leading 995 yards and has taken much of the pressure off of QB Jason Campbell who has been allowed to excel this season with Portis' strong play. Warner, the NFLs MVP in 1999, is back on track after several years of obscurity. Warner's numbers in midseason are amazing, having thrown for 2,431 yards while racking up 16 touchdowns. Both stats are good enough for second in the NFL amongst quarterbacks. The Cardinals have managed an average of 29.2 points per game, all while having virtually no run game, ranking 28th in the NFL in rush yards/game.


If it were my vote, the MVP would be Clinton Portis right now as he is the integral part in the 'Skins offense and the main reason for their success.










Clinton Portis Highlights






Defensive Player of the Year



This is always a tough award because defense is such a team game, and rarely does one player make a whole defense great. So far this season the top defenses are Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Washington, Tennesse, Giants. So is the MVP from any of these teams? No, not as far as I can figure. Pittsburgh has a great defense who swarm the ball and are great across the board. Baltimore has been dominant for years and still has a great core. Tennessee has a great secondary and a sturdy captain in Keith Bulluck, but not one player stands out. Justin Tuck from the Giants is about as good as it gets from the top 5 defensive teams.





However, the player I'm nominating for MVP is the Dolphins' Joey Porter. Porter has the Dolphins rush defense in the NFLs top 10 and are a vast improvement over last seasons defense which finished 23rd in the NFL. Porter leads the league with 11.5 sacks and has the defense working on a much improved Dolphins team who only won once all of last season.




Rookie of the Year


This one is down to two fine players who have both attributed to their teams success this season. The race is a tight one between Titans RB Chris Johnson and Falcons QB Matt Ryan. There have been other fine candidates, including Chicago's Matt Forte, but it has been the play of Matt Ryan that has been amazing.


Chris Johnson gets mentioned here as one of the favourites due to the fact that he is 4th in the NFL in overall rush yards and is on pace for a 1,430 yard season. He also has 5 touchdowns through 8 games and is a big reason for the Titans offensive success. The only minor set back to Johnson's hopes as the rookie of the year is that the defense is amazing in Tennessee and LenDale White is a great asset as a second back. But he is on an 8-0 team.


Matt Ryan has the Falcons with a 5-3 record, which gives them more wins than they had all of last season. Rarely does a rookie QB get a starting role and even less do they play well in that particular season. Ryan is 17th in the NFL in passing yards with 1,661 yards and 9 touchdowns and has to be the frontrunner for ROY honours.


My pick, well, it has to be Matt Ryan. Sure he has help from the NFLs 3rd leading rusher in Michael Turner, but he's doing an absolutely superb job leading the team to victory.



Matt Ryan's Bid for ROY



Recap


Jets win AFC East
Steelers win AFC North
Titans win AFC South
Chargers win AFC West

Patriots and Colts take AFC Wildcard

Giants win NFC East
Bears win NFC North
Bucs win NFC South
Cardinals win NFC West

Eagles and Redskins take NFC Wildcard


So remember, if at the end of the year and you find that these predictions are correct, remember where you heard it, and how amazing that guy might be for making such bets at the NFLs midway point.

Tuesdays Reflections on the NFL - Where oh where did the 49ers go??

Remember the years when the 49ers where the most revered team in the NFL? Maybe not, because it is such a distant memory now after years of disappointment.

Decades of being the cream of the crop, the belle of the ball, the best of the best. No longer. The 49ers have now gone through years and years of "redevelopment". But after all this time, and all these early draft picks, and still no results, it is time to question the direction of the team, and exactly what it is going to take to get them back to their glory days.

Given the days of having talent like Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott and Steve Young are gone, it is still outrageous for San Fran to have not made the playoffs in 6 years and haven't won a Superbowl title since 1994. What makes this even worse is that in 6 years of missing the playoffs their best season record is 7-9. This was a team that was a contender year in and out, and won 7 NFC West titles, 4 NFC Championships and 4 Superbowls in the '80s. A proven winner with stars galore.

And now, the Bay Bombers sit last in the NFC West with a 2-6 record, they have squandered chances with high draft picks and have lost ground on all their division rivals. Their current QB, J.T. O'Sullivan leads the league in interceptions, fumbles and overall turnovers. They currently only have 2 of their previous 8 1st round draft picks on their starting roster. This includes number 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft, Alex Smith. A quarterback who they paid $49.5 million over 6 seasons, and has lost his starting job at the beginning of the season to O'Sullivan. Given the fact that Smith is on the Injured Reserve for the rest of the season with a broken bone in his shoulder, he will go in to the '09 season, a team option season, with a record well below .500 and an abysmal 63.5 QB Rating.

Not all blame can be placed on one overpaid quarterback. There are many others on the roster who were drafted with the intentions of being superstars, but have never lived up to the hype. Vernon Davis has been a bust at the Tight End position, with a high of 509 receiving yards in 3 NFL seasons. Rashaun Woods, the 2004 pick by the Niners was later traded to the San Diego Chargers, then released and subsequently ended up in the CFL...where he was again released.

The team has not been able to come together and gel, which may be their biggest downfall. This, is most likely attributed to the fact that they have had 4 head coaches in the last 8 seasons, never allowing for any real growth under one set of ideals. With the firing of Mike Nolan in week 7 of this NFL season, the Niners have again proved that if anything goes wrong, fire the coach.

There seems to be no real solution on how to fix this monumental problem in San Fran, but firing another coach, isn't the way to do it. The Niners are going to miss the playoffs regardless and have no chance of rebuilding this season. Next year will have to be another exploratory season, trying to find the right players for the job in the Bay Area.

There is some hope, however, with a pro-bowl running back in Frank Gore and two fine draft picks over the last two seasons, taking Kentwan Balmer, a solid D.End and Patrick Willis, who set an unofficial record last season for tackles, it seems the 49ers may be on track. But for now, it'll be another losing season in San Fran, and at least another few more until the team can get back to winning seasons.

In the meantime the team is in disarray and will likely make some drastic changes before the season comes to an end. Shaun Hill came in on Sunday in relief of O'Sullivan, after a 2 turnover output, and played quite well. Hill should get the start perhaps sooner rather than later, he is an unproven QB, but nothing "proven" has worked for the 49ers.

Sunday's 34-13 loss to the Seahawks wasn't only terrible for the win-loss percentage, but also for the morale of Vernon Davis. Davis was taken off the field and sent to the showers by interim head coach Mike Singletary, after Davis took an unsportsmanlike penalty for slapping the 'Hawks Brian Russell in the facemask. Sending a superstar to the showers like some punk 14 year-old is a slap in the face, but maybe it's just what this team needs.

A team that has now become the beast of the ball, and well, the least creamy part of the crop.

Singletary's frustration with Davis continued after the game in one of the best NFL coaching rants ever. There have been some amazing breakdowns over the years, so I have chronicled the best.

October 26, 2008. Singletary's had enough of attitudes and he wants winners.

November 25, 2001. Jim Mora loses it after the Colts lose and fall to 4-6, and is incredulous about playoff questions.

October 16, 2006. The Cardinals lose a 20-point lead to the Chicago Bears prompting the Dennis Green "they were who we thought they were" tirade.

October 30, 2002. Herm Edwards gets into it with a reporter after a loss in week 8 to the Cleveland Browns.

October 20, 1996. Jim Mora, master of the mic, is too good. While coaching the Saints, the team falls to 2-5 and according to Mora, does "diddly-poo".

Money Can't Buy You Happiness...Or a Championship

Perhaps the Beatles song lyric should have been "I don't care too much for money, money can't buy A WIN"

As another baseball season comes and goes, the New York Yankees will be shut-out again.

This isn't new information, it was known several weeks back that the Yanks would be missing the playoffs, but with the MLBs largest payroll, it seems that no matter how much they spend, they're not winning anything.

And it's not just baseball, it's almost every major sporting league across the board and even into Europe. I'm not sure who came up with the philosophy of buying a team, but it has proved time and again, that it is not the best way to win a championship. The MLB just happens to be one of the best places to look, because unlike other North American sports industries, baseball has yet to institute any kind of salary cap.

If we take a closer look at leagues and the teams spending the most money, we will find a striking trend that almost all teams that spend the most, are falling into mediocrity, or worse.

Even in leagues with salary caps, there are teams who manage to work the cap to it's maximum potential, and still manage to finish the season before it's really over.

Major League Baseball

As I mentioned, this is the league that best shows the failure of the bloated salary. No salary cap means that the teams are free to spend whatever they have. Sure, a lot of this depends on revenues created by the team through ticket sales, jersey and merchandise sales, etc. However, when you have a difference in total dollars spent of 190 million dollars between the 1st and 30th teams in respect to payroll, it creates for an uneven market. But it does show us that purely buying a bunch of talented veterans doesn't make a consistent winner.

This year's World Series has proved that with a solid core of players and a good minor league recruiting system, money is almost meaningless. The Philadelphia Phillies spend the 12th most on player salaries in the MLB, putting them in the middle of the pack. Remarkably, their opponent this year, the Tampa Bay Rays, are 29th in payroll spending. Putting them 2nd last in that market and an astonishing $160 million behind the Yankees in spending.

Here are some numbers on the Yankees spending:

Total Payroll $209,081,577

Last World Series Championship 2000

Last Playoff Appearance 2004 (Lost in ALCS)

With another year down without victory for the Yanks, fans are growing tired of watching a bunch of overpaid players under preform.

National Hockey League

The NHL has recently instituted a salary cap to prevent teams with larger markets from being able to outbid many of the small market teams. However, it is still discretionary as to how much each team wishes to spend. The cap has worked as it was supposed to, as in recent post-lockout seasons we have seen the Oilers, Ducks and Penguins make it to the championship, all small-market teams pre-lockout.

If we look at the biggest spending team from last season we will learn this; they finished dead last in the Eastern Conference. The Tampa Bay Lightning spent the most on superstars like Vincent LeCavalier, Martin St. Louis and still managed to finish with 71 points and a .378 win percentage.

In pre-lockout seasons we saw the New York Rangers attempt to buy a championship and even last season the Rangers ranked 2nd in the NHL is payroll spending. Remember the failed Eric Lindros years?

Given the Rangers did have a much better season last year than the Tampa Bay Lightning, but they still have not won a Stanley Cup since 1994, and have consistently been near the top of the list in NHL spending.

Here's the numbers that get you a last place finish in the NHL:

Total Payroll $58,248,000

Last Championship 2004

Last Playoff Appearance 2006 (Lost in Eastern Quarterfinals)

National Basketball Association

The NBA has long been a place for overpaid players to lead teams to mediocrity. Although, there

has been some success lately in buying players to build a franchise. Last year's champion, the Boston Celtics spent big money on bringing Ray Allen (aka Jesus Shuttlesworth) and Kevin Garnett to Boston to bolster the squad. However, even in making such big moves the Celtics still did not top the NBA in payroll spending last year. No, that dubious title went to the 23-59 New York Knicks who missed the playoffs again.

The Knicks have been the laughing stock of the NBA and most of the sporting world for

the past few years. It has been years since the Knicks have had any success and they would have had even less post season appearances had the NBA East not been so amazingly weak. And if they continue to sink big salary dollars into useless players like Stephon Marbury, expect the trend to continue.

The Knickerbockers are in store for another poor season full of giant salaries as little has been done to improve on last season....other than yet another top 10 draft pick used for Italian Danilo Gallinari.

The Knicks figures are as follows;

Total Payroll $97,763,245

Last Championship 1972-73

Last Playoff Appearance 2004 (Lost in 1st Round)

National Football League

The NFL has a strict hard cap on team salaries, so it has been hard for teams to buy players and create championship teams. Also, the NFL seems to be a place for the underdog as many of the top overall picks have busted (see Ryan Leaf) and some of the less sought after players and late round draft picks have come up as real gems (see Tom Brady).

Last years big spenders in the NFL, and will someone please tell me how, the 8-8 Minnesota Vikings. Bernard Berrian and a host of O-Lineman seem to be leading the Vikes spending spree, but I'm just not sure how they managed such a feat. If your QB is *gag* Tarvais Jackson and your star Running Back is a rookie, then you really should not be spending large sums of money. Just think about what Minnesota in a couple of years when Adrian Peterson's rookie contract runs out and he finds out how ridiculously good he is and how much his team sucks. Then how are you going to pay him??

The Vikes don't have a hope in hell in making the Superbowl this season, so they did cut a few costs, and as of the 2008 season it was the Washington Redskins who were the new big spenders in town.

The Vikings details:

Total Payroll $121,216,248

Last Championship (Never Won) Lost in 1977 Superbowl

Last Playoff Appearance 2004 (Lost in NFC Divisional Playoffs)

English Premier League

This one was the real propeller in this research piece. The EPL is one of my favourite competitions and is ripe with big dollars for almost no reason sometimes. The "Big 4" as they are known consist of Manchester Utd., Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. These clubs have the money to buy big name players in the July and January transfer periods. During this time much is spent to shore up new talent, or seasoned veterans, expected to help push the team to victory. In the EPL, this does work...sometimes. Chelsea have been the big spenders as of late and have won the EPL, but not in 3 years now. That title, as well as the Champions League title belongs to Man Utd. who are 3rd in EPL spending (behind Chelsea & Arsenal).

Big dollars have been spent with little result from many of the teams, including Tottenham Hotspur. The Spurs are the leagues worst team, the proverbial ugly duckling of the EPL. Roughly $190 million USD was spent by the Spurs in an attempt to improve on an 11th place finish in the tables last season. That is good enough for 6th position on the payroll list behind the Big 4 and Manchester City who have gone on a spending spree, including the $56million USD purchase of Robinho, since being purchased by the Abu Dhabi United Group this summer.

There has been little to

celebrate for Ramos & the Spurs


However, with all of Hotspurs hasty spending, they remain the only team in the EPL this season without a win (0-2-6) through 8 games. The sit in last position and are in serious jeopardy of relegation.

I'm not sure what it is that convinces an owner that if he buys a group of individuals they will mysteriously form a team. It is also curious that in the N.A. market, in three of the leagues the highest spending teams were from New York. I know in NY they say they like everything bigger, and I guess that includes salaries, but not potential.

Now I could say something amazingly stereotypical like, "There's No I in Team", but I won't, instead I will just say that money doesn't seem to be the way to go. There are teams out there proving this everyday. So the next time Mr. Steinbrenner sits down for a calzone, he may want to rethink his strategy, and work on creating a team, not a new set of multi-millionaires.

Tuesday's Reflections on the NFL - Jekyll & Hyde

As Week 7 in the NFL came and went, there was a cry of unison heard all around the league of "YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDIN' ME!!!"

The NFL has again proven in the 2008-09 season that its competitiveness is next to none. In Week 7, it was again proved that this is really anybody's league and not one team has really grabbed much, if any advantage over the pack.

We saw underdogs come out on top, certain questions were answered and the Brad Johnson experiment began in the Big D. Blowouts, shocking results, and 1 remains undefeated; just another week in the NFL.

Defensive Battle

In Chicago, two of the leagues top 10 defenses went head-to-head and the anticipated offensive struggles were proven correct as the bears came out on top 10-3...wait...what do you mean 48-41...there's no way....

OK, so upon quick consultation with nfl.com, I stand corrected, as the match up between the two Defensive stalwarts became a shootout, in an 89 point game. If it weren't for Gus Frerotte's 4ints, there would have been no resemblance of defense in this game at all.

So the defenses didn't show up, but it was still one helluva game. And, if this game proved anything, it's that Kyle Orton is the real deal as Chicago's starting QB. In the past 3 weeks, Orton has thrown for 903 yards and 5 tds, without and interception. After years of struggles in Chicago, the Bears appear to have found their man at the helm.

Highlights from Vikings vs Bears

The Mighty Mighty Titans

And then there was one. The Tennessee Titans remain the only team in the NFL without a loss. Off to a 6-0 start, the best in team history, even as the Houston Oilers, the Titans may be the only team one could consider to have a clear cut lead in any part of the NFL. Tennessee is lead by Keith Bulluck and the NFL's #3 defense and one of the leagues most solid rush attacks with Chris Johnson and LenDale White propelling the offense. Sure, they beat up on the lowly Kansas City Chiefs, who were without Larry Johnson, but still, they won decisively. The running game went for 332 yards and the Chiefs only touchdown came with 2 minutes left in the game, when it was already over.

The Titans biggest challenge will come in week 8, when they face the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are huge underachievers this year and play in the same division as the Titans, so they will be tough to beat on Sunday.

While the Titans have been playing well, their big question remains at QB. Is 35 year-old Kerry Collins the man for the job? It seems that he is doing enough to win, and don't forget, this is a man who has taken a team to the Superbowl before, by basically just being mediocre. In 2001, Collins took the Giants to the championship before losing heavily to the Baltimore Ravens. But in that year, Collins only had and fumble-ridden Tiki Barber in the backfield and the leagues 14th ranked defense. A far cry from what he has now in the team around him. in any case, the Titans will most likely be in the playoffs this year, and lets hope for another Music City Miracle.

The Music City Miracle

The Brad Johnson Era

Almost exactly as I so fearlessly predicted last week, Brad Johnson still sucks. He wasn't able to complete much of anything and threw 3 picks en route to losing his first start in 2 years. Not only was Johnson inaccurate, he failed to complete a pass to new acquisition, and pro bowl WR Roy Williams. It will be interesting to see if the Cowboys stick with Johnson, or if they get Romo back in prematurely with a broken finger. In either case, I don't like the Cowboys' chances next week against the Bucs and the Tampa 2 Defense.

All Jekyll & Hyde-y

Does anyone know how to reach Nostradamus? Can he help us with next weeks predictions? Never has there been so much confusion as to who could beat who, and what version of each team was going to show up on any given week. In this week alone the story unraveled as follows:

Buffalo, who lost 41-17 to Arizona in their last outing, beat San Diego, who had defeated New England 30-10 in week 6.

St. Louis, the winner of two straight, to improve to 2-4, beat 4-2 Dallas.

Green Bay beat Indianapolis 34-14, after the Colts beat Baltimore last week 31-3.

Oakland beat the Jets in overtime, 16-13. A Jets team that managed 56 points just a couple of weeks ago.

New England beat-up on Denver 41-7, after losing 30-10 at San Diego in week 6.

All this proves to be confusing as to which team is actually able to beat the other, but if gets more fun in the NFC East division:

The Giants beat Washington in week 1, 16-7. The Redskins beat the Cowboys 26-24 in week 4. The Cowboys defeated the Eagles 41-37 in week 2. The Browns shocked the Giants 35-14 in week 6, while the Giants beat the Rams 41-13 in week 2, who in turn beat the Cowboys 34-14 this week. My head hurts....

With the Titans still undefeated, they are the leaders in the AFC, followed closely by the Bills & Steelers at 5-1, the Patriots at 4-2 and the Jets, Jags, Colts, Broncos and Ravens all a game back from them. The race is on.

As if that weren't close enough, the NFC is even more chaotic. The Giants lead at 5-1, in hot pursuit are Washington, Tampa Bay and Carolina, all at 5-2. The Falcons, Cardinals, Bears, Packers and Cowboys are following very closely behind them with 4 wins a piece. This one should be tight to the finish.

Jekyll & Hyde Performances of the Week

Hyde

Almost as quickly as I stopped calling Peyton, Eli, I have to begin again. The Manning of old looked to be back against the Ravens last week when he threw for 271 yards and 3 tds. This week proved those allegations incorrect as Manning failed to throw a touchdown, but did throw 2 interceptions in a big loss to Green Bay. The Colts, now 3-3, fall 3 games behind the division leading Titans, a difficult lead for even Peyton to overcome.

Jekyll

In a performance completely opposite to the rest of the his season, Stephen Jackson amped up the play and scored 3 touchdowns, while rushing for 160 yards in the upset victory over the Cowboys. Jackson's had only one other 100-yard game in the season and had rushed for just 1 touchdown, prior to Sunday's win. He sparked an offense and team that looks back on track after an 0-4 start to the '08-'09 season.

See you in London

For the second straight season the NFL will be playing a regular season game in jolly ol' England at Wembley Stadium. Last season the 81,176 seat Wembley sold-out to watch the Giants beat the Dolphins 13-10 in typical thick pea-soup weather. This year promises to be another sell out and a high-octane offensive shoot-out as the San Diego Chargers meet the New Orleans Saints.

This is just one of many exciting match-ups for week 8, the midway point in the NFL season, with games in store such as Pittsburgh vs New York Giants, Atlanta vs Philadelphia, and don' forget Indianapolis vs Tennessee on Monday night.

With another week down, nothing has been resolved, and I have a feeling it won't be next week either. Chances are this one's going down to Week 17, and that is making for some thrilling football.

Until next week, same rant time, same rant blogspot!!

The World Cup of Hideousness

"The world is an easier place if you're beautiful. When a beautiful person smiles at you, you think "huh, aren't they nice". If an ugly person smiles at you, you think "Uh! What do they want? Freak..." From Comedy Central Presents: Jim Gaffigan.

There is always much discussion about the beautiful people in the world, and the better looking athletes. These lucky people get treated in the tabloids like movie stars, and are fortunate enough to date and marry the likes of Jessica Simpson and Posh Spice.

It is now time for the less aesthetically pleasing to shine. Even though some of these specimens still get the benefit of dating some of the world's elite. Look at "Cro-Magnon Man" Dion Phaneuf, dating the gorgeous Elisha Cuthbert. For every rule there is an exception, I guess.

But this is dedicated to the men who don't see so much glamour. These aren't the David Beckhams, Dan Carters or Lasith Malingas of the world. These are men who get the job done, and look terrible doing it.

The rankings are set up as if it were a world cup, the winners through to the rest of the top 10 of the worst looking sporting nations on earth. Keep in mind, I have not included the better looking players, these are simply the members of certain countries, who do their best to make the homeland look worse.


1) SPAIN: Hands down winner. Gold Medal. World Champion Trophy. Whatever you want to throw at the European country. Not that it's an overall hideous nation, but one man holds enough tenure to win it all. Carlos "Caveman" Puyol has got this one in the bag for Spain. The national football (that's Futbol) captain led his team to a Euro Cup victory in 2008, and leads his fellow countrymen to another victory here. As if this man's grotesque features weren't quite enough to capture victory, his fellow countryman and Spanish Basketball player Carlos Jimenez adds to the case, giving the Spanish a clear-cut victory.

2) Argentina: The South American Nation rides their way into Silver Medal position on the back of one man...or maybe on his forehead. Carlos Tevez and his fivehead make their way into the second spot on the list. A talented soccer player, Tevez also plays on Manchester Utd. which could be in the running for most hideous club team, although that would be a tight race with FC Barcelona. Argentina have won the Olympic gold in soccer in back-to-back olympiads, and came very close to taking this one as well.

3) USA: They probably have the largest amount of selection, so it may be easier to find the worst looking guys around. Far too many to mention really, but I think narrowing it down to the finest 2 specimens would be the best. The "Big Unit" is one really Ugly Unit. Stands 6'11'' and reminds one of an ostrich, who just so happens to be capable of throwing a ball 100mph. Joakim Noah may be a newcomer to the NBA, but he is definitely helps his countrymen out with veteran-like appearances. The Americans continue their big summer in Beijing with another finish in the medals here. Speaking of which, Michael Phelps, don't think I forgot about you, your just on the outside looking in on this one!

4) England: It has been forever since the English have won, or placed well in the Euro or World Cup, and they fare no better here. Close to placing in the top 3, but just not quite enough to be champions. A valiant effort by the team, but I guess the offset of Beckham is enough to make any team look good. Wayne Rooney teams up with Carlos Tevez (#2 -Argentina) to form one of the worst looking forward tandems in all of football. The main proponent in this 4th place finish has to be Peter Crouch. Not only is the gangly English striker a giant, standing at 6'7'' he also has the buck-tooth English goodness we all love so much.

5) Canada: The downfall of the Canadian man is hockey. Any hockey player can look good, until they reach a certain age and the face guard comes off. Then with flying pucks, sticks and angry McSorely's out there, the facial region becomes mangled and at times, disgusting. However, some of these gentlemen just couldn't look good if they tried. Mike Ricci has long been a workhorse in the NHL, all the while looking terrible. For that we honour him, and his fellow countrymen with the number 5 spot. One of the other favourites in this competition has to be Ryan Smyth, hockey's answer to Sarah Jessica Parker. Edmonton's 100.3 Bear Radio even ran public service announcements from "Smitty's Mullet" have a listen: http://www.paulbrownshow.com/LinkClick.aspx?link=audio%2fpaul_brown_mulletjerseys.mp3&tabid=55.

6) France: Not normally a nation we associate with the ugly men, but in this case, you will have to agree. Sure France has it's stallions (see Tony Parker) but it also has one major glaring problem...Frank Ribery. The French midfielder is a fine soccer player, but looks more like he should be playing for the English. Textbook British looks must infuriate frog-leg eating fans who are then enlightened by the play of the young international.

7) Portugal: The Mexico of Europe comes in at the 7th position with the help of a couple of Footballers. A country that is home to a man that women love and that futbol fans hate. Christiano Ronaldo is supposed to be the worlds most beautiful man, but is probably closer to the world's most hated man. Teammate Pepe offsets any good looks that Ronaldo may have and Fernando Meira just adds to the arsenal that Portugal is packin'.

8) Brazil: A country filled with beautiful supermodel women who tantalize the world with their beauty and legs that seem to go on for weeks. The sporting population is highlighted by Ronaldinho. Twice FIFA player of the year, he appears as though his mother was perhaps a champion at the Preakness. Brazil could rank higher on this list, but the general beauty of their people had to outweigh the efforts of one man.

9) New Zealand: Amazingly not a lot of ugly's come out of a country who's main sport is rugby. You would figure that with a national sport of no pads and metal cleats, there would be a few more problems in the looks department. Sure, there are the usual "Cauliflower Ears" from the front row guys, but the overall appearance is, well, Dan Carter and Richie McCaw aka Ladies Swooning. However, there is one fine piece of work in Hurricanes' Piri Weepu. He is reminiscent of an angry troll doll, or perhaps Grumpy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

10) Italy: A country mostly known for it's male machismo, can also provide some pretty good talent. Although they are mostly portrayed in the media as glamorous and desirable, Francesco Totti has done his Fabio-looking best to prove that wrong. With Euro-mullet and all, he has shown us exactly what his country is capable of when they put their mind to it.

Honourable Mentions: There are other countries that did their best to make their way onto the list, but just weren't quite enough to capture a spot in the top ten. In no particular order, the other countries of interest in this battle are Germany, Netherlands and Australia.

Germany: Not a lot of terribleness here, but Bastian Schweinsteiger has done his best to get on the list and look as much like the typical Aryan as possible.

Netherlands: Goofy-faced striker Ruud van Nistelrooy not only has a great name, but a great effort to represent his countrymen. Also, Robin van Persie appears here, I don't think he really looks all that bad, but he does remind me of Jason Biggs, which is good enough for me.

Australia: Rugby star Matt Dunning has a certain Louie Armstrong-esque appearance that helps his cause. However, the amount of bronzed surf stars makes the country look that much better.

Tuesday's Reflections on the NFL - My Kind of Religion

I have long believed that the NFL itself, is a religion.

For starters, it kicks-off Sunday mornings at 10am out here on the West Coast; prime Church startin' time. There are GODS (LaDanian Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson), SAVIOURS (Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady), HEROES (Peyton Manning, Brian Urlacher), VILLAINS (Chris Henry, Pacman Jones, Michael Vick), SINS (Excessive Touchdown Celebrations), and PRODIGAL SONS (Brett Favre).

Week 6 in the NFL was the kind of week that makes the patrons giddy with excitement.

Four teams went into the week win-less and only two remain with a goose egg. There were upsets everywhere, injuries, spectacular performances by rookies & veterans alike, and FIVE games that were decided in the last minute, or overtime. It was the kind of week that makes an avid NFL patron, such as myself, delirious.

Losers No Longer:

Detroit, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Houston (see Tuesdays Reflections on the NFL - Sage Rosenfels is a Jackass) all entered Week 6 as basement dwellers without a victory. The Lions & Bengals are the final two who will enter week 7 without a win. Houston and St. Louis each needed the full 60 minutes to pull off big victories. St. Louis handed out one of the biggest upsets of the week by defeating the heavily favoured Redskins in Maryland. With the score 17-16 Redskins, the Rams relied on a 49-yard field goal from Josh Brown as time expired to capture the road victory. In Houston, the Texans, who looked destined to win in Week 5 against the Colts, only to choke in the 4th quarter, won on a Matt Schaub rushing TD with :03 seconds on the clock. In Detroit, the Lions lost a heartbreaker with :09 seconds left, as Ryan Longwell kicked a 29-yard field goal to lead Minnesota to the 12-10 victory and send the Lions to 0-5. Perhaps the worst team in the NFL, the Bengals never even came close in a 26-14 loss to the New York Jets. The Bengals own the leagues worst record at 0-6.

Who Dat? Josh Brown Celebrates

Last Minute Heroics:

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the Rams, Vikings and Texans all won games in the final :10 seconds of their respective games. But there were more! The Falcons won on the last play of the game and the Cardinals needed overtime to capture victory. Longwell, Brown and the Falcons' Jason Elam all kicked last second field goals to get the W. Schaub's 3-yard run ended the Texans' 4-game losing streak to open the season, and I'm sure the fans in Houston were breathing a sigh of relief that Schaub was back after a week off due to illness. The Cadinals' Special Teams were the key in a 30-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys. J.J. Arrington returned the opening kickoff for a Touchdown, and Sean Morey and Monty Beisel teamed up to block a punt and return it for the game-winning TD in overtime. These aforementioned games are those likely to give the more senior fans a hasty meeting with a defibrillator.

Down & Out:

The Cowboys didn't just lose a game on Sunday, they lost 3 players to injury, and most likely, lost some ground in the leagues toughest Division, the NFC East. Staring QB, Tony Romo (Broken Pinkie Finger on Throwing Hand) is out for 3-4 weeks, Running Back and Return Man Felix Jones is gone for 3-4 weeks with a Torn Hamstring, and Punter Matt McBriar is gone for the season after he broke his foot on the blocked punt that led to the Cardinals' game winner. This could be disastrous for the 'Boys heading into a tough stretch in their schedule. Next weeks matchup against the St. Louis Rams doesn't seem that tough, but the Rams are coming off their first win of the season over a Redskins team, who beat the Cowboys earlier this year. Also, the Rams will be looking to build off of this weeks momentum and climb back into the race for the NFC West, perhaps the leagues weakest division. The Cowboys then play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8, then the Division leading Giants in Week 9. Week 10 is Bye week for Dallas, at which time they should have Romo & Jones back on the field.

Injury Season - Jones, Romo & McBriar all go down

In the meantime, the Cowboys will have to rely on Veteran QB Brad Johnson to take the reigns. Johnson has not started an NFL game since December 12, 2006, while he was playing for the Vikings. In that season, Johnson threw 9tds and 15ints while garnering a record of 6-8 before being benched for the final 2 regular season games in favour of Tarvais Jackson. Johnson has never been a go-to kind of Quarterback, and has usual relied heavily on his defense to win games (and Superbowls - see 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers). The problem with this, is that the Cowboys D isn't the '02 Bucs, and are susceptible to giving up huge point totals. If Johnson isn't able to move the ball as Romo is, the 'Boys could see themselves fall farther behind in the chase for the NFC East.

Also, on a lesser note, but still a problem for Dallas, is the loss of Felix Jones. This means that Marion Barber will have to carry even more of the load, and as with his crashing running style, could mean trouble for the oft-injured running back.

As well, in recent weeks, TO has been visibly angry, most likely due to his lack of production (4 catches for 36 yards last week). If Johnson is unable to find Owens, the animosity may grow in the big D. Watch this storyline to evolve.

Game of the Week:

The game of the week, was without a doubt, Atlanta's 22-20 victory over the Chicago Bears. The largest lead of the game was in the 3rd quarter when the Falcons took a 12-3 lead. The Bears scored later that quarter to close the gap to 12-10 entering the wild & crazy 4th quarter. After Roddy White caught a TD pass from Matt Ryan for Atlanta & Robbie Gould kicked a field goal for Chicago, the Falcons looked to have a comfortable 19-13 lead late in the game. A goal-line stand by Atlanta's D with time winding down looked to be the deciding factor. However, things are not always that easy. After the Gould field goal, Jeroius Norwood took a kick return 85 yards, deep into Bears territory. After a 3 & out, Jason Elam came on to the field to kick a relatively easy 33-yard field goal to put the game out of reach. Elam, remarkably, missed the kick, his first in 31 attempts. Chicago took the ball back down the field and scored a touchdown with just :11 seconds on the clock. The Falcons took over and Ryan threw a 26-yard strike to Michael Jenkins to put Atlanta in field goal range. Elam came back out and, as they say, went from goat to hero, after hitting a 48-yarder as time expired.

Highlights from the Game of the Week

Performances of Young & Old:

The two top performers of the week had to be Atlanta Falcons Rookie QB Matt Ryan and seasoned veteran Colts QB Peyton Manning. Ryan has led his team to a 4-2 record, a team that only won 4 games all of last season, splitting the signal caller position between veterans Byron Leftwhich and Joey Harrington. Ryan, however, had pulled off big wins over the likes of Detroit and Kansas City (combined records of 1-9). Last week he beat the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, probably the toughest place to get a road win in all of football. And this week he answered back again by throwing for 301 yards and a touchdown against one of the NFLs premier defenses. Ryan has definitely silenced critics who said he wasn't ready to start in his rookie season.

Manning has been uncharacteristically terrible in the early going this season, and had prompted me to call him the new Eli. After Sunday's 31-3 trouncing of the Ravens, the #1 ranked defense in the NFL, he is back to his old self. A lot of Mannings sluggish play has been attributed to his off-season knee surgery. The man they call Archie's Son threw for 271 yards and 3 touchdowns in the blow-out and has his Colts back on track after back-to-back victories.

Good Ol' Eli:

In what had to be the weeks worst performance, Eli Manning was Eli Manning again. After a stellar start to the season that had the younger Manning getting serious considerations for the early season MVP. On Monday night, playing against a 1-3 Cleveland Browns team, and with his own teams' undefeated streak on the line Manning threw for 3 interceptions as the Giants lost big, 35-14.

It's a week like this that keeps me coming back to the Church of the NFL week after week. In this religion, everyone is welcome, beers flow freely, pizza and Chinese food are passed around ceremoniously. And at the end of each week, whether the Disciples you cheer for win, or lose, everyone can go home, with a sense of belonging and faith. Now, that is what Sundays are all about.

Tuesday's Reflections on the NFL - Sage Rosenfels is a Jackass

I am a fan of futility.

So, with that in mind, you would could only imagine my joy at Sage Rosenfels' 4th quarter debacle in last Sunday's game. A performance so amazingly poor, it HAS to be viewed as one of the worst in the NFL's history.

Going into Week 5 in the NFL with an 0-3 record is bad enough. In the Huston Texans case, it only got worse. The Saturday night before the game, starting QB Matt Schaub went into hospital with an intestinal infection and was deemed unable to play Sunday's game. Back-up Rosenfels was called upon to make his first start of the 2008 season.

With 4:45 left on the clock in the 4th quarter, the Texans had a 27-10 lead, seemingly insurmountable. Although, as a good friend of mine will most likely tell me, again, is that if anyone can make a 4th quarter comeback, it's Peyton Manning and the Colts, as they did in 2003 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On that fateful day, the Buccaneers had a 35-14 lead, with just over 5 minutes remaining in the game. Manning, managed to take his team down the field, on 3 consecutive drives, after 2 successful onside kicks, and tie the game with a little over 30 seconds to play. The game went to overtime, in which the Colts managed to win the game on a sudden-death field goal. To make this particular comeback all the more improbable, was that the Bucs were the raining Super Bowl champions, and had the leagues number 1 ranked Defense.

In the case of the Bucs-Colts game, it was an amazing effort by Manning to amount the comeback. On Sunday, in the Texans-Colts game, it wasn't any Manning Magic that won the game, it was more like Rosenfels' Jack-Assery that lost it.

The Colts drove the field and scored a touchdown with 4:04 to play, making the score 27-17 Huston. An onside kick by Indianapolis was recovered by Huston, which meant all they had to do was run down the clock and finish the game, to earn their first victory of the season. Instead, on a 3rd & 8 play, with 3:50 left in the game, Rosenfels runs a naked bootleg and launches himself into the air to attempt to reach a first down. The logical play would be to slide, take some more time off the clock, punt the ball deep to pin the Colts in their own end, and force them to drive the length of the field to score. Clearly, though, logic is not something Rosenfels has ever learned. The ensuing play lead to a fumble recovery for a touchdown by the Colts, to trim the lead to 27-24.

Sage Rosenfels Goes For a Helicopter Ride

After the fumble recovery for TD, the Colts kicked the ball deep and the Texans again had the chance to run out the clock and finish the game, now with a slim 3 point lead. With just 2:45 left, Rosenfels rolls out of the pocket again, this time to pass. While looking downfield, he neglects his backside completely, and loses another fumble, this time, it's recovered on the 20 yard line by the Colts D. Manning takes over again and throws for a touchdown, which proves to be the game winner in a 31-27 Colts victory.

Of all the jackass plays in NFL history, Rosenfels' Helicopter fumble, has to rank among the top 10. But it got me to researching some of the other plays that were questionable to the mental state of several NFLers.

Here are some of the best:





September 15, 2008. Eagles vs. Cowboys. DeSean Jackson thinks he's in the endzone but drops the ball on the 1-yard line, fumbling the ball. Luckily, no one recovers the ball, and the Eagles score 1 play later.






January 6, 2007. Cowboys vs. Seahawks NFC Playoffs. Tony Romo accepts a snap to hold for the a potential game-winning field goal with 1:19 left to play, but fumbles the ball. Seahawks hold on to win 21-20.







December 21, 2003. Saints vs. Jaguars. With a chance to capture a playoff spot, the Saints needed a last second touchdown to tie the game and send it to overtime. A win would have clinched a place in the NFC playoffs. With :07 seconds on the clock, the Saints manage the unthinkable with a 75-yard hook & ladder TD. All Carney has to do is hit the extra point to go to overtime. He misses, losing the game, and eliminating the Saints from the post-season.



January 4, 2004. Seahawks vs. Packers NFC Playoffs. In overtime, QB Matt Hasselback takes the field for the coin toss. He wins the toss and famously says "We want the ball, and we're gonna score". He then throws an interception to Al Harris, which is returned for a touchdown, ending the game.