Super Bowl Week Kick-Off: If Eli wins this year's ring is his career better than Peyton's

Let’s face it Monday’s usually suck. The weekend is filled with movies, concerts, sporting events, drinking, just about all the things most people love to do. As much we all dread the beginning of the work week, we all have a silver lining to the evil weekend snatcher that is Monday. Super bowl week is upon us as folks as New England and New York get ready to do battle in 42nd edition of America’s most watched event. You can’t be help but to be excited at just the thought of the crowning of a new NFL champ on the grandest, most commercialized and hyped event in American sports culture. You have every right in my book to call it a holiday as it brings together that weird combination of crazy family members, close and distant friends and strangers who all are just taking it all in. It’s freaking Tom Brady vs. Eli Manning, chapped face Tom Couglin vs. the hooded evil genius Bill Belicheck, Pepsi vs. Coke in commercials, and Mike Strahan and his gap vs. anyone who picks against the Giants. So this week we here at the Sportaholic will be introducing all Super Bowl related content.

To get things started we ask the question that has begun to be heard in whispers across all astute NFL fans lips. There we say if Eli Manning wins his second Super Bowl, does that make his career more successful than his Hall of Fame bound brother Peyton Manning’s?  Honestly did you ever even think this would  be topic of debate? I mean we all knew Eli was good but Peyton has been considered the golden standard of the QB position over the last decade. The first overall pick of the 1998 NFL draft, Peyton is a 4-time MVP and Super Bowl 2007 champion and game MVP. Just look in Wikepeida for the facts: Manning holds NFL records for consecutive seasons with 4,000 or more yards passing (6) and the most total This doesn’t even include his storied career at the University of Tennessee. His marketability is another remarkable aspect of Peyton as he has been the host of Saturday Nigh Live, made a guest appearance on The Simpsons and endorsed multiple name brand products.

seasons with 4,000 or more yards passing in a career (11)

Manning holds the sixth highest career passer rating (94.9) in NFL history and is the all-

time Colts franchise leader in career wins, career passing yards, pass attempts, pass

completions, and passing touchdowns.[5] In 2009, he was listed by The Sporting News as the

No. 1 player in the NFL.[6] The same year, Fox Sports named him player of the decade. Since the Colts drafted Manning in 1998, the team has the highest conversion rate on 3rd down (44.6%) and 4th down (61.1%) plays in the NFL. the NFL.

Eli Manning’s career seems a lot better if it wasn’t constantly compared by Peyton’s standard. He too was a #1 pick in the 2004 draft ahead of the likes of Phillip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger. He rubbed a lot of fans and NFL guru’s the wrong way as his father Archie forced a trade from the San Diego Chargers to the New York Giants that many still have indifferent feelings about him after that decision to this day. But Eli has become the champion of his family with his epic performance one of the most memorable Super Bowls of all time. Although his Wikipedia bio still refers to him as “Peyton’s little brother”, younger brother has proved himself to be the better playoff QB than Peyton as his 7-3 record is clearly is better than Peyton’s 9-10 mark. It gets even better on the road for Eli on the road as he 5-1 and Peyton is 2-5 and as you look more at the numbers it not even close in the playoffs to compare the two. Of course you can go vice versa in throwing Peyton’s regular season numbers out against Eli’s.

It comes down which more do you prefer. Peyton is as good as we’ve ever seen in the regular season and he has the numbers to prove it. He revolutionized the QB position with his intricate knowledge of tweaks and nusiances at the line of scrimmage that left defenses helpless. It seemed at times that he didn’t even need a offensive coordinator with his mastery of the offense. And yet with a victory in this year’s Super Bowl Eli would definitely move from his brother’s shadow and be the most decorated of the entire Manning family Don’t forget Archie was the #2 pick of the 1971 draft himself and a legend at Ole Miss). For all of the accomplishments Peyton had in the regular season and all the records he has accumulated, nothing speaks more than rings and Eli could have 2 to Peyton’s 1 by the end of this week. Can you just imagine the dinner table one night at the Manning house as Eli embellishes his two rings while Peyton says a few words under his breath looking at his one and only? And to top it off it would have come on the field that Peyton made great, (Although he is being pushed out the door it seems now) in Indianapolis?

You really can’t make this stuff up and that’s why it’s such an ironic and captivating story. As crazy as it was to think back a few years ago, I really feel that if Eli wins this year’s game you really have to give him the nod not to mention that he will still have multiple chances to get even more rings after this season. The rivalry between the brothers that probably started over toys will now have ended with Lombardi trophies and Eli would be the last standing.

So who do you guys think gets the nod, Peyton or Eli?

Sportaholic AFC-NFC Championship Game Rountable

The NFL Divisional round is usually the most entertaining round of the entire playoffs. You have the 8 best teams in the league ready to tear each other apart on the field for four highly captivating games. Only two of the four games lived up to its billing as the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers played an instant classic that produced 3 lead changes in the final two minutes. The mighty and once seemingly invincible Green Bay Packers were taking down by a much crisper and effective New York Giants team that appears to be rekindling its 2007 Super Bowl run.

The Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans played a bore of a game with the Ravens coming out on top even though their offense sputtered at best (more on that later) and Tom Brady (5 TD passes in first half) just obliterated the Denver secondary as the New England Patriots ran the Broncos and Tim Tebow out of town and the playoffs



Now that the dust has settled, we now have our conference championship match ups set with New England vs. Baltimore for the AFC crown and San Francisco vs. New York for the NFC. As always here at the Sportaholic, we will attempt to tackle the five burning questions for both championship games. As usual we have staff regulars Taylor Cannon and the lovely Ashley Danielle. We also have enlisted special guest writer and sports fanatic Qwan Dowell along with the crew this time.



So without further ado, we present to you the burning questions of AFC-NFC games:

AFC Championship: New England Patriots vs. Baltimore Ravens

1. How concerned should the Ravens be with their offense after producing lack luster numbers against Houston?

Carlos Paige: I for one have always questioned the leadership skills of Joe Flacco. It’s especially ironic that he called himself out this off season by saying he belongs in the elite QB talk as well, yeah right. 14-27 for 176 won’t get it done against the Pats high octane offense. Even future Hall of Famer Ed Reed can’t hide his disgust for what he saw out of Flacco saying: “They had a lot of guys in the box on him and they were giving [the pass] to him," Reed said. "I think a couple of times he needed to get rid of the ball. It just didn't look like he had a hold on the offense. I don't know how much of [that was] the play calling … The Ravens offense should be concerned about their ace all purpose back Ray Rice as he was held to 60 yard on 20 carries. Rice will have to be at his best in order for Baltimore to have a chance. He will need to come out and assert himself and to give the Ravens a chance to control the time of possession. So to answer the question, yes I think they should be a bit concerned with their offense and the mindset that Flacco has right now going into the biggest game of his life.



Taylor Cannon: They should be concerned but not too much. The Patriots D is ranked last in the league in defense. The O-line has to step up their blocking though because I don’t think Flacco can take back to back beatings and still win. They have to get Ray Rice and Ricky Williams (wow there’s a name I haven’t said or thought would be a factor in a championship game).

Quawn Dowell: The Ravens offense has never been the focal point of their team or philosophy. The Texans boasted a very good defense under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips this year. Ray Rice and Anquan Boldin have mis matches that can be exploited againts New England's defense. Look for several big plays from screens to Rice and a touchdown from Boldin this Sunday.

2. Is there any way Tom Brady and the red hot Patriots offense be contained?



Carlos Paige: This is a multi faceted offense that seems to add just enough of a new wrinkle each game to throw teams off (See: Aaron Hernandez at running back). Tom Brady seems to be in his zone right now after ripping the Broncos secondary a new backside. I saw no weakness in their offense last game but of course the Ravens defense with Haloti Ngata, Ray Lewis, Terrell “T-sizzle” Suggs and Ed Reed will present a significant upgrade in talent they will face. As the Broncos defense proved, if you don’t get pressure on the golden boy, he will absolutely cold bloodily kill you. The Ravens will most definitely get more pressure on Brady (Ravens team had 48 sacks this year) and have sack extraordinaire Suggs. They also will have to find a way to contain the tempo when the Pats choose to go no huddle as that proved to much for the fighting Tim Tebow’s but if any team can do it then it’s the Ravens.



Taylor Cannon: They might be stalled if Aaron Hernandez can’t go and they have to get Wes Welker involved too keep the Ravens guessing.



Quawn Dowell: Containing Tom Brady is a very tall task for any team to accomplish, even one with the Ravens defense. With that being said Tom has shown this year at times he can get flustered and make a few mistakes. If the Ravens can control the ball running and with short passes that keep the clocking running they help their defense immensly. The Patriots TE's have a match up nightmare for any team and the Ravens won"t be the exception. Look for two TDs from the best TE tandem in football

3. Which is the better strength for both respective teams? The Ravens defense or the Patriots offense?



Carlos Paige: Right now based on the way their playing I have to go with the Pats offense for the reasons I stated above.



Taylor Cannon: Patriots offense, The Ravens D, As the old saying goes offense wins games but defense win championships



Quawn Dowell: The Ravens have a great defense this year but the Patriots have a historically good offense. In this new passing era where running backs are interchangeable the Patriots utilize their complete roster to keep the defense off balanced. In order for the Ravens to win this game they will have to outscore the patriots.



Ashley Danielle: I always say a defense wins games so that will be the test of the night. If the defense can produce a master plan to attack the receivers then they may have a chance. I don't even consider shutting down Brady an option. That just won't happen. The game changer would only come from mistakes on the rest of the offense.

4. Was New England’s new found defense last week just a product of facing Tim Tebow or was it a sign of things to come?



Carlos Paige: A little bit of both I think. Tebow only completed 9 passes but those are typical numbers from him anyway. The key for New England’s defense was limiting the big plays in the passing game that allowed the Broncos to beat the Steelers. The Pats defense is as healthy as it’s been all season with the return of safety Patrick Chung, LB Jerod Mayo, and DB Devin McCourty. Those guys all ar einstrumental to the what the Pats like to do on that side of the ball so I definitely believe that they are playing much better now that they have the right personnel in place for their scheme.



Taylor Cannon: A little of both they stopped Tim Tebow and the offense (sure he didn’t have help or his throwing accuracy was horrible), but that game may have given the Patriots D some confidence in stopping the Ravens offense which had trouble getting Ray Rice going into the game



Quawn Dowell: Lets face it Tim Tebow just isn’t a NFL QB. He doesn’t posses the awareness, the release, the accuracy or the ability to beat you day in day out through the air. Tebow also lacks the speed to go with his ability to run the option. Once the Patriots saw the mistakes Pittsburgh made by giving Tebow the one pass he feels comfortable with, the deep ball, there was nothing he could do. I think this speaks more about Bill Belicheck making adjustments than it does the Patriots defense. I expect Baltimore to be able to effectively do whatever they desire on offense in this one.



Ashley Danielle: That's a good question! I was surprised by the level of confidence everyone had in that game. The defense was in rare form. I won't call it luck but you can tell that the team knows how to play good, clean football when it counts....and that's using good and clean in the filthiest way!







5. Who wins the game and why?



Carlos Paige: The Patriots will win this game and if I had to place it on a scale from 1-10 I would say I’m at about an 8 in the confidence meter. The Ravens offense just doesn’t have enough fire power to hang with Brady and co. Now their defense will keep them in the game for as long as they can but it will come a point in the game when they won’t be able to get the necessary stop they need. The only possible way I can see the Ravens winning is for Flacco to have a major game and as history has told us this year that likely won’t happen. Patriots 35-24



Taylor Cannon: Ravens D will hold for a minute but the D can’t score. The Patriots will do enough to hold and give the Patriots offense field position for them to score. Patriots win 28-21



Quawn Dowell: My heart is telling me the Ravens win and maybe thats because I'd love to see the brother re- match in the Super Bowl, but my gut says New England. Too much fire power and they are too hot at the right time Patriots win 28-21

Ashley Danielle: Umm....I think I've bragged enough for you to know where my money's going....

NFC Championship: New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers

1. How do the 49ers stop Eli Manning?

Carlos Paige: The same way they stopped Drew Brees which they really didn’t with him throwing for 462 yards, they just knocked the hell out of anybody that caught his passes. The 49ers have to be the best tackling team in the league as evident by their performance against arguably the best receiving tandem for gaining yards after the catch. Eli can rack up the yards just as Brees did but as long as the Niners lay the wood like they did against New Orleans they should be just fine.



Taylor Cannon: REPEAT WHAT THEY DID AGAINST THE SAINTS- make him throw picks and pressure him. Also they must shut down the tall athletic Giants receivers. The crowd must get into the game to put some pressure to distract Eli also.



Quawn Dowell: Frank Gore and Patrick Willis. The 49ers got into a shoot out with the Saints; they do not want to take that approach with this one. Pound Frank Gore and blitz the LBs at the right tims to keep Eli under duress. Eli has been playing very well but does have a history of making mistakes under pressure.

2. Can the 49er offense put up points again like they did against the Saints?






Carlos Paige: Alex Smith made me a believer last game with his play. Throwing for 300 yards with 4 TDs (3 passing 1 rushing) and especially doing it when the game was on the line solidified it for me. So yes I think they can put up enough points to beat NY especially with that nasty run game that they feature with Frank Gore. Vernon Davis showed that he finally can be the reliable tight end that we’ve always expected out of him and he is Smith’s go to guy now. It gives me great pleasure that his lasting image now won’t be him walking off the field and being sent to the locker room by Mike Singletary. Who can forget that famous rant that Singletary had: "[As for] Vernon, it was something I told everyone at the beginning of the week. I will not tolerate players who think it's about them when it's about the team. And we cannot make decisions that cost the team and then come off the sideline nonchalant. No. You know what? This is what I believe, I'm from the old school. I would rather play with ten people and just get penalized all the way until we gotta do something else rather than play with 11 when right now that person is not sold out to be a part of this team. I told him he would do a better job for us to take a shower and watch the game on the sidelines rather than take the field."

Taylor Cannon: No, The Giants Front D is a little better than the Saints D so they will not let them get their run game started and they will rattle Mr. Smith a whole lot more than the Saints D, but the Gians secondary has been known to be suspect from time to time.



Quawn Dowell: No the 49ers offense isn't best equipped to play the way they did against the Saints. They get back to their game this week and pass when needed. Also the Giants pass rush is the best in football. Osi, Tuck and Pierre-Paul are nightmares for a team wanting to pass the ball. I see this game staying in the low 20s high teens at best.

Ashley Danielle: San Francisco has some key players including Frank Gore, Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree. If Alex can link up with Davis and Crabtree like he did last week then they won't have a problem. I'm not banking on a high scoring game....may even come down to a field goal for the win.....

3. Which WR is likely to have the bigger game for the Giants?



Carlos Paige: Hakeem Nicks or Victor Cruz? Hmm now that is a good question. If I had to pick I guess I would say Nicks who is having a breakout playoff performance so far. Nicks has 13 catches for 270 yards and 4 TDs. The most impressive stat however is the 21.5 yards per catch he is averaging right now. Cruz has received a lot of double coverage to open up that side of the field for Nicks so it almost like pick your poison at this point. I do believe Cruz will make it to the end-zone at least once in this game so get ready for a little salsa dancing.



Taylor Cannon: Wow, I think both need to come up big to help the Giants win cause THIS IS THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP , everyone needs to bring their A game  (especially the receivers) to get to the BIG GAME..



Quawn Dowell: By the way things have been going it appears to be Victor Cruz's time to take the stage. Both of these guys have shown the ability to step up when they other is not having their best game. I see Cruz with his speed being able to get downfield and cause problems for Niners secondary.



Ashley Danielle: Hmmmm.....Hakeem Nicks will be my pick. Last week he had 7 receptions, 2 TD's and longest catch, an impressive 70 yarder to Cruz's 5, 0 and 18, respectively. Since he had such a big game last week, I don't doubt that Eli will ultilize him this Sunday. Hell, either way they both play on the same team....whoever has the best playoff bonuses will probably do the best....haha...money talks....that's all I'm sayin'

4. Which defense is playing better and which would rather have?








Carlos Paige: Both defenses have just been mauling opponents this post season. The Giants defensive linemen are just big powerful men who overwhelm you with power and speed. Justin Tuck, Osi Umineyora, and Jason Pierre-Paul can wreak havoc on any team and they have all come to play in the playoffs. But if I had to choose I think I would have to say San Francisco because they seem to be the more complete unit. The defensive line with Justin Smith and Aldon Smith provide adequate pressure on the QB, the LBs with Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman will hit like a freight train, and the secondary has been all over the field with Carlos Rogers, Donte Whitner and Tarell Brown in coverage. This defense reminds me of the old dynasty defenses that the 49ers had in the late 80s and 90s.



Taylor Cannon: - The Giants -They kind of remind me of the run they did a few years ago when they were the wild card. This team somehow plays its best when they have its backs against the wall. Also if the front line gets going and puts some pressure they cannot be stopped.



Quawn Dowell: The 49ers have the beter defense but the Giants defense is playing the best. Right now there is no better pass rush than the Giants posses and this allows their corners to play more aggressive. The 49ers will be hard to run the football on but the Giants have numerous weapons and will be tough to



Ashley Danielle: If I was still playing fantasy football I'd prefer to have the 49ers defense. They have some impressive men on the line including Patrick Willis, Aldon Smith and defensive end Justin Smith. They were first in the league in run defense (77.3 yards per game) and fourth overall (308.1 yards per game) which means they are a force to be reckoned with. All I have to say is "Watch out Eli!! Them boys are coming for ya, AGAIN!"



5. Who wins and why?


Carlos Paige: The 49ers 27-20 victory in week 8 was one of the better games of the year and gives us somewhat of a blueprint towards how this one will be played. Both teams are physical upfront with New York having the edge on offense, and San Fran the edge on defense. I’m taking the 49ers in this one by the slimmest of margins based on the fact that they have home field advantage and that defense that suffocated one of the most potent offenses of all time in the Saints. Look for it to be tough physical game that will see a few players go down. I do believe that if Eli Manning gets hot then he may just will the Giants to the win but like I said I just think San Francisco with that defense and at home will be too tough. San Francisco 30-23.



Taylor Cannon: Giants defense will set up great field position for its offense and Giants will not turn the ball over and will get the run game going to set up the pass early. Giants 28-17



Quawn Dowell: The Giants win a close game mainly due to Eli Manning out playing Alex Smith. Lets face it Alex Smith impressed everyone last week with his gutsy performance. But I’m not sure it didn’t take everything they had emotionally to win that hard fought battle. The Giants had an easier time with GB and I see them more poised to win the game. Looks like we are headed to a rematch with NY vs. NE, Giants win 24-14



Ashley Danielle: These two teams met up in the regular season with a Giants loss, 27-20. Eli has something to prove since Justin Smith single handedly batted down his 4th down pass to potentially win that game. I'm going to to leave this one up to the God's of Football. I just want to see a great game.

Sportaholic NFL Power Rankings Week 9

How underrated are the Chicago Bears? They are an old school physical team that doesn’t get much appreciation because of their style. Their almost polar opposite of the team they beat last night in the Philadelphia Eagles who of course are more style than substance. I remember watching last night and saying that this is just like that Bears team from last year that went all the way to the NFC Championship game and might even be better. Jay “Cut Dog” Cutler has cut down on the mistakes which has plagued his career, Matt Forte is running like he never has before which has a lot to do with this being his contract year and the defense lead by Urlacher and Briggs is always there. I like this team but they just happen to be in a tough division this year with Green Bay and Detroit. After seeing Philly hand it to Dallas, we all thought that it was time for them to get rolling. But after last nights game it still hard to put your finger on what kind of team identity they have. Lesean McCoy was held to just 71 yards and Mike Vick had 34 but I just can’t imagine Andy Reid coaching a run first team. Philly has to find a way to win games no matter how they do it from here on out. Just when you think you know what the Eagles are about, they go out and don’t live up to your expectations.

Evermore, just when you think you have it all figured out in the NFL, everything changes on you within the blink of an eye. New England was lighting up the league through the first quarter of the season, as Tom Brady and Wes Welker looked on their way to historic seasons putting up bountiful numbers each game. Now the Patriots have been exposed as a team that can only rely on Brady and nothing from their run game. The Buffalo Bills were the feel good story of the league as they were in the midst of a football revival and undefeated in upper New York as they upset the Pats and received more than enough accolades. Now the Bills are 5-3 and in a dog fight in a crowded and competitive AFC East division The Kansas City Chiefs were left for dead after pulling an 0-fer in the first month of the season. They lost their best offensive player in Jamal Charles and their best defensive players in Eric Berry. But now the Chiefs are getting the last laugh as they have forced their way back into the playoff picture (Even though they took an ugly loss to previous winless Miami).

Only a few teams have showed the mark of consistency. Green Bay of course, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers surprisingly the New York Giants, equally stunning San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions and the New Orleans Saints. Those teams in my opinion have shown that they are the best teams in the NFL. Although those teams named are not prone to lapses every once in awhile as well. The Saints bombed against the Rams just a couple of weeks ago, The Ravens did the same against Jacksonville, and Detroit loss two in a row before righting the ship against the Denver Tebow’s, I mean Broncos.

Now for the rankings:

1. Green Bay Packers (8-0) – This is almost becoming redundant as the Packers continue to beat teams with their latest victim being the Chargers. I really thought San Diego would give them a good game which they did, but Aaron Rodgers just performed surgery on that defense going 21/26 for 247 yards and 4 Td passes. The only bad thing you can really say about the Packers is that their defense seems to rely too much on the fact that Rodgers will always bail them out. This was a top 10 ranked defense over the last past two season and now they seem to become a bend but the don’t break bunch as they know their offense will put up prolific numbers. Everything is good when your undefeated but a loss or two will shine the light on that defense. Mark my words.

2. Baltimore Ravens (6-2) – What a game they played against Pittsburgh as they always do. Joe Flacco finally stood up and made some plays at the end of a game. His 26-yard hookup with Torrey Smith with 8 seconds remaining was a thing of beauty. You can’t ask for more from the Ravens offense as they marched 92 yards on 13 plays, something that looked impossible to do at the time for Smith with all the problems he had in the game. This was the type of game that could get the Ravens on a roll and now they have won both games against their hated rival meaning they have no reason to worry about them for the rest of the year. Cincinnati on the other hand still surprisingly in the mix for the AFC North but come on now who do you really think is going to win that division?

3. New York Giants (6-2) – Facebook message I received after the game: Eli Manning owns Tom Brady! It was hilarious to think one of my buddies thought that Eli is better than Brady. Now I know Manning has beat Brady twice on game-winning 4th quarter drives, with one coming in the Super Bowl but really there is comparison in terms of overall numbers. Eli is having one of his best years in the league and that bodes well for the Giants as they usually play as good as Eli does. The thing that most impressed me was the Giants offense ability to overcome Ahmad Bradshaw’s injury as big Brandon Jacobs. With both Dallas and Philadelphia’s inconsistent play this year, the Giants could sneak up and take the division. They are in the midst of a grueling schedule as they face San Francisco, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Green Bay and Dallas all in consecutive weeks.

4. New Orleans Saints (6-3) – The Saints are another team who goes as their QB goes and luckily for them they have one of the best in Drew Brees. Its to the point that I’m surprised when he throws a pick nowadays. The Saints defense has really picked up its game as well. I was impressed with the way they are flying to the ball. They held LaGarrette Blount in check with just 72 yards and Josh Freeman as well. The Bucs always give New Orleans a good game but it wasn’t to be this time for them and probably for the division this year either.

5. Houston Texans (6-3)- Flying under the radar are the Texans, as they are just beating up teams with their running back duo of Arian Foster and Ben Tate. The combo combined for 239 yards on 31 carries. Matt Schaub job has been easy and it will continue to be as long as Gary Kubiak’s zone blocking scheme is so effective. The Texans are clearly the best team in the AFC South at this point.

Yeah I know i didn't include Detroti or San Francisco but in my opinion, I have to see more work from those two teams.

Make sure to check out the Sportaholic Radio Show this Saturday from 10 A.M. to 12 P.M. as we run down the best football teams and much more on beatknockin.com.

Sportaholic Week 9 NFL Power Rankings

At the start of the NFL season it appeared as if the storyline of the year would become the anecdote of the underdog. The seemingly cursed franchises of Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo have finally risen from their cold frosty graves to give us reason to believe. Despite the fact that the combined records of these forgotten franchises in 2010 was a dismal 16-33, the trio put together a nice 14-8 record through week 9. The Browns have tailed off after starting the season 2-1 but their three wins are just one away from matching last year’s total. Detroit and Buffalo are now legit playoff contenders with each near the top of their division. The Lions have taken on role of the villain as they have made their marks on opponents with their nasty defensive style and trash talk (Just ask Matt Ryan and Tim Tebow). Head Coach Jim Schwartz has gotten in on the act as he and 49ers coach got testy after the game. Buffalo has did it with their multi faceted offensive attack. Ryan Fitzpatrick was awarded for his play and received a new 6 year $59 million dollar contract. He has led the Bills back into relevancy with a head coach everyone thought was over the hill and over his head in Chan Gailey. These two teams have every reason to believe they can make a run this year.

This may be the season of the upstarts but it appears that the perennial powers have finally raised their level of play. The Pittsburgh Steelers have settled in well after 2-2 and after whispers of the team being old. The Packers are undefeated at 7-0 and haven’t even played as complete a game as they can. Baltimore has fell victim to two let down games against divisional rivals Tennessee and Jacksonville and almost another one this past weekend against Arizona before waking up and stealing that one. You know they will focused and ready when they take on the Steelers this weekend. The Ravens-Steelers rivalry is always fun to watch as they two teams are known as the most physical teams in football.

So as we enter week 9, we have the upstarts in Buffalo, Detroit, and a few teams I didn’t mention but are also near top in San Francisco Cincinnati, and Oakland, the perennial powers of Green Bay, Pittsburgh, New England, and Baltimore. In addition to those teams you have the middle of the pack jam logged with teams that are Dr.Jeykll-Mr.Hyde in Dallas, Washington, and the New York Jets. Teams that have failed to live up to expectations but appear to but getting there in Philadelphia, Chicago, Kansas City, Tampa Bay and Atlanta. And last but not least the teams in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes for various reason with the likes of Indianapolis, Miami, and Arizona. As the season continues all those teams will muddle together and provide us unlimited entertainment as they battle for eight playoff spots in each conference.

1. Green Bay Packers (7-0) Bye Week. The Packers in my opinion are not even close to being a finished product. Granted they are undefeated, they have even tapped into the level of potential they can become. Their top 5 ranked defense from a year ago is currently ranked 25th and has lost key piece from last years run in Nick Collins at safety. Of course this is a team that lost numerous pieces last year on both sides of the ball and all they did was win a Super Bowl. The Packers will get even better as scary as that sounds as they become more consistent of defense. Clay Matthews are bit down from last years monsters stats but he will get his eventually. Charles Woodson remains one of the elite corners and Tramon Williams on the other side isn’t too shabby either. The Pack have to be considered the favorite to win the Super Bowl until further notice.

2. San Francisco 49ers (6-1) – The 49ers are the most interesting team in the league to me. Here you have a first year head coach in Jim Harbargh comes in and totally changes the face of the franchise in less than 8 months. He has brought a swagger back the bay an has this team doing what they had been predicted to do in the last few seasons, winning the division. They will have a good metric test in a couple weeks against the physical but sometimes underachieving New York Football Giants. I think that’s when we will see what we really have in San Fran.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) – In the surprise entry slot this week, we have none other then those pesky Steelers. It seems every season at one point or another everyone will count these guys out and they promptly go out and prove us wrong. Just when it seemed the league had caught up and passed Pittsburgh, Big Ben and Mike Tomlin decided that had enough of that talk. They went and dominated New England by giving them nothing on the ground and making Tom Brady even more than what he is capable of doing. The defense is always solid and with James Harrison and Hines coming back this week you know that they will be throwing everything they have at the hated Ravens. Can’t wait to watch that heavyweight tussle.

4. New England Patriots (5-2) – If they don’t come up with: A. Defensive secondary stops and B. a consistent run game, then how can we just throw all our faith in Tom Brady to carry them to a Super Bowl? Brady is great of course but anyone with football knowledge could tell against the Steelers he did everything he could and its wasn’t even close enough to get the Pats the victory in that one. The running back by committee thing needs to be revitalized in Boston as BenJarvas Green-Ellis has been the only consistent one of the bunch. Speaking of RBs in New England, where in the hell is Danny Woodhead? Last I checked he wasn’t injured but he still isn’t hurt and the Pats could definitely use in speed in space as so brilliantly did last season. Just a thought.

5. Baltimore Ravens (6-2) – The Ravens have been “King of the Letdown” this year as they lost a couple of lackluster effort games to divisional opponents. And yet there they were again dead in the water against a 1-5 Arizona Cardinals team. Joe Flacco finally woke up and Ray Rice cleaned up nicely as they came from 24-6 down to beat Arizona. Flacco has been rather flaccid this season after making his bold statements of being an elite QB. His off and on play has to be mind boggling for his team as rather they like it or not their season rides on Flacco’s right arm. Ray Lewis and the defense will always be there and always seems that they could get Ray Rice more involved. As I mentioned above, the heavyweight show down between the Ravens and the Steelers is one you will not want to miss this weekend.

So there you have it this weeks Top 5. Make sure to tune in to “The Sportaholic Radio Show” this Saturday as I interview Gerald McGrath of the Tennessee Titans. He will answer the questions most Titan fans are wondering: What wrong with Chris Johnson? Check us out on Beatknockin.com from 10 A.M to 12 P.M. and if you want to chat with us, call in at 615-260-7177.

Sportaholic Power Rankings Week 6

You can tell the season is getting intense just from all of the off field drama. Of course you have to be a caveman not to know what happened in the San Fran-Detroit game between coaches Jim Schwartz and Jim Harbaugh. I like both by the way, as both are two feisty guys with chips on their shoulder. You can play the blame game all you want but that was just emotions in its rawest forms. Harbaugh did get a little sensitive and could have received Schwartz well and Schwartz could have just shrugged it off and kept it moving but there was no way he was going to let Harbaugh show him up. That was machismo at its best, Schwartz and Harbaugh didn’t make it through the ranks to become NFL coaches by making friends. Those guys have the same mentality as their players so I really don’t blame either for their mini skirmish. I like to see the coaches go at it, makes for good T.V. I will say that it did take away from an otherwise great game. San Francisco is a contender if they play like this for the entire season. Alex Smith has confidence which is dangerous and he has always had Frank Gore in the backfield doing damage on the ground. I was most impressed however with their defense. How about the rook Aldon Smith? Two sacks, four tackles and a forced fumble. That’s getting it done. And with Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman manning the LBs position these guys have all the makings of a great defense. The Lions are back to reality for the moment. They have to develop a run game to take some pressure off of Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson but more on that later.

How about Jay Cutler dropping the F-bomb during the Bears game? Apparently the play calls are not getting in fast enough to Jay’s liking and he let someone know about it. The Bears did spend multiple unnecessary timeouts just to have extra time for a few calls. I was waiting on Brandon Marshall to do something outlandish or for his head to pop off the entire night yesterday but to no avail. After all those bold statements, Marshall had a rather decent game with 6 catches for 109 yards but he allowed Darrelle Revis to have a 100-yards interception return for a TD that turned the momentum of the game in favor of the Jets.

Speaking of coaches, Sean Payton got banged up pretty bad against the Bucs. Who knew it would the coach who would get the most serious injury of the game. Payton must have been channeling his inner Joe Pa as he couldn’t dodge the players stumbling into him on the sidelines. There are rumors that Carson Palmer could land in Raider land this week after the broken collarbone sustained to Oakland starting QB Jason Campbell. Good luck with that Raiders as Mike Brown is as stubborn as they come on trading players who holdout. Brandon Lloyd is out of Denver and should instantly help the Rams hap hazard passing game. He will become Sam Bradford’s favorite target in a short amount of time. All in the week of the soap opera known as the NFL, now let’s get to the Sportaholic power rankings.

1. Green Bay Packers (6-0) – The Pack just toyed with the lousy Rams eventually beating them by three scores. Aaron Rodgers did what he always does throwing for over 300 yards 3 TDs and (Gasp!) 1 interception. The only thing that concerns me is the defenses penchant for allowing yards. They gave up 424 yards of offense to St. Louis and of course it only led to 3 points for them but against the better teams in the league that is going to get you in trouble. They just have too many talented guys to continue to allow teams to roll up the yards on offense. That is the only bone I can pick with this team other than that they are the most complete team in the league. They are the last of the unbeaten teams so life isn’t bad in land of cheese.

2. Baltimore Ravens (4-1) – The Ravens are crowned the most physical team in the league in my opinion, after their dominating performance over the Texans. They just manhandled Houston over the last 15 minutes of the game and outscored them 13-0 in that span. As I always say with the Ravens just get Ray Rice the ball and let him do work and they actually did this game as he rushed for 101 yards and another 90 in receiving yards. When the Ravens feature more of Rice instead of Flacco on offense I think it makes them a better team. Rice is more than capable of handing the load and Flacco at best should be used when he has to and definitely not more than Rice. The meat and potatoes of Baltimore schedule is coming up so we will see if this team can hold up as the early AFC favorites.

3. San Francisco 49ers (5-1) – It was only so long I could avoid the 49ners in the power rankings. As I stated above these guys are playing some good football as evident by their victory over the previously undefeated Lions. It’s amazing what a coach can do for a team as Harbaugh has come in and changed the culture in just a matter of weeks. They have an above average offense with the likes of Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis and Braylon Edwards when he comes back from his injury. Their defense gets it done as well with the LB core and some talented defensive linemen up front. They should run away with this division because lets face it there is no one to really challenge them in the lowly NFC West. The 49ners have a chance at a special year if they could just keep that crazy coach of theirs under control.

4. New England Patriots (5-1) – As everyone knows, I am a staunch Dallas Cowboys fan. Always have been and always will be. So just imagine my face when my Boys punted to Tom Brady with three minutes remaining on the clock. It was like watching a horror film where you knew what was about to unfold. Imagine Jason chasing a young hot teen girl and she falls down while running away or Freddy Kruger entering a room full of children while they were all sleeping. That is exactly what I was feeling watching Brady calmly jog onto the field. A lot of people are ripping Jason Garrett for his conservative play calling at the end for the Cowboys but how could you blame him? Obviously he doesn’t trust Romo in the situation after his roller coaster year. But back to Brady and the Pats, as soon as they got the ball they promptly moved it down the field. It was if the defense wasn’t even there. Quick pass to Aaron Hernandez for 16 yards, quick screen pass to Rob Gronkowski another 11 yards it was just a clinic all the way to the last play when Brady had it seemed like he had a quarter century to find Hernandez again over the middle for the 8 yard game winning TD strike. It was just another bloody gory horror scene for us Cowboy fans.

5. Detorit Lions (5-1) – The Lions have got to get a run game to accommodate what they do in their passing game, there is just no way around it. There is no way they can get away with Stafford throwing the ball 50 times a game and the rushing attack only producing 66 yards on the ground. The Lions came out with all the fire and passion you can ask for as they took an early 10 point lead over San Fran but the lack of the run game doomed them. Yeah, Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman had a lot to do with stuffing the Lions but they have got to do better in that department. The Lions still have to be happy with everything else this season. No one had this team at 5-1 and as the primary challenger to Green Bay for the NFC North crown.

Offensive Player Of The Week: Frank Gore 15 carries 141 yards 1 TD 9.4 YPC – Gore was the difference in my opinion in their game against the Lions. He ran with power and showed the speed as well. He gave the 49ners what Jahvid Best couldn’t give the Lions as in a running game that was able to control time of possession. You have to give a lot of credit to that offensive line as well with Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati up front creating the holes for Gore to bore through. As long as he can stay healthy, which isn’t always a given with Gore, he can be one of the best RBs in the NFL.

Defensive Player Of The Week: Ray Lewis 12 tackles 1 sack – Now I was really leaning towards Aldon Smith of San Fran but I don’t want to show them all the love so we will go with the ageless Ray Lewis. His handprint was all over the game against Houston as he made stop after stop on defense. He doesn’t have that sideline to sideline speed anymore but he more than makes up with that with his knowledge of the game. His instincts are still bar none as you won’t fool him but once or twice at the most during a game. This guy just seems like he will play forever.

Sportaholic Power Rankings Week 3: Rise of the Underdogs Edition.

It has to feel good to be a Detroit or Buffalo fan. It almost like a bad movie where the nerd keeps getting picked on until he finally stands up to bully.  These two teams have been bad since I can remember it seems but they have finally turned it around and are a combined 6-0. I don’t know which team was more surprising this weekend with Buffalo taking down the mighty Patriots for the first time in 15 tries or the Detroit Lions coming back from a 20 point first half deficit. These teams are for real too or at least that much can be said as I doubt any other team in the league is begging for these guys on their schedule. Buffalo has done it with an explosive offense led by Harvard grad Ryan Fitzpatrick and Fred Jackson. Detroit has done it with a nasty defensive line that sets the tone for Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson on offense. Green Bay is still the defending champs and they moved to 3-0 as they continue their dominance over the Bears this year. What more can you say about Aaron Rodgers that hasn’t been already said.




Michael Vick just can’t stay healthy which is what I always said would be the determining factor for the so called “Dream Team” in Philly. Vick maybe should have sat this one out as he didn’t quite seem like himself. His rant on the refs won’t get him anymore calls and might even get him less. Refs don’t like to be shown up. Houston didn’t get a win against New Orleans but they showed mettle as they battled back instead of folding as they would have did in most years. Tennessee is winning with an unfamiliar formula of throwing the ball as Matt Hasselbeck is proving to still have some in the tank and then some. The loss of Kenny Britt will hurt though as Tennessee isn’t a team chalk full of playmakers. Chris Johnson where are you? He has looked sluggish as best but the team continues to win. It’s not his fault as the offensive line hasn’t had the same type of push it seemed to have the last couple of years blocking for him. It mystifies me that the Titans can have Mike Munchak, a hall of fame offensive linemen and Bruce Matthews, another hall of fame offensive lineman, yet they can’t seem to find anyway to get CJ a better scheme to run in.



Now let’s jump into the rankings:

1. Green Bay Packers (3-0) – The crazy thing about the Pack is that they are not even close to reaching their ceiling. Jermichael Finley is doing what I expected him to do this season as his three touchdowns broke the Bears spirit in their last game. He is such a match-up nightmare on the inside as he is big enough to catch over DBs and too fast for LBs to contain. Aaron Rodgers is consistently one of best each week as his 111.4 QB rating was more than enough to beat the hated Bears. Defensively this team just continues to churn out playmakers as well. Morgan Burnett basically is filling the role left by inured Pro Bowler Nick Collins and all he did was pick off two of Jay Cutler’s errant passes. The Packers have the mark of a great team as nothing seems to faze them. Having gone through the gauntlet last year, this team confidence is through the roof. They will rise to any challenge it seems.

2. Baltimore Ravens (2-1) – After laying a dud against the Titans, the Ravens went out and shellacked the no luck Rams. Baltimore may have found a new star at receiver as Torrey Smith racked up the fantasy points with 5 catches for 154 yards and 3 TDs. Joe Flacco has a couple of burners on the outside with Smith and Lee Evans. Flacco seems to be settling in this year as one of the better QBs in the league. Now is elite as he said in the off-season? No, not yet. Be he doesn’t have to be with Ray Rice in the backfield. (9 rushes 81 yards) and that tenacious defense behind him. Baltimore put up 21 points on the Rams before your beer could get warm. This is why last week I won’t get to high on the Ravens the way they beat the Steelers and I didn’t get too low on them when they lost to the Titans.

3. New Orleans (2-1) – Drew Brees just puts up numbers anyway you want to break it down. He and that offense can score at will as they did on Houston who incidentally entered the game as a top 5 ranked passing defense. Safe to say Brees exposed a few holes in that defense. Speaking of defense. New Orleans’s scares me. Even though they won the game, Andre Johnson was able to get over 100 yards receiving in the first half alone. Jabari Greer did intercept Matt Schaub when it counted the most but I still wouldn’t say that I trust that secondary of the Saints. And I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn’t mention those jerseys dating back to the Tom Dempsey days. They aren’t that nice on the eyes but I appreciate the heritage.

4. New England (2-1) – Admit it, when you saw the Pats go up 21-0 on the Bills you figured they would just run all over Buffalo. I expected Tom Brady to have some crazy stat line of 38/52 for 520 yards and 5 TDs or something but as the Pats found out Buffalo has some intestinal fortitude. The Pats offense stood up as Wes Welker went all Jerry Rice on us with his 16 catches for 217 yards and two TDs. But the most disturbing trend of that game was Brady’s penchant for interceptions. He threw as many as he did all last season in one game against the Bills. I can’t remember a game seeing Brady looked so flustered. The defense also couldn’t contain Fred Jackson on the ground nor Ryan Fitzpatrick in the air. Is it cause for concern on the Patriots march to the playoffs? Not in the bigger scheme of things but the Bills maybe made the blueprint for beating them. And they create yet another team of opposition in the all of a sudden tough AFC East division.

5. Detroit (3-0) – The Lions proved that they can take a shot and keep fighting as they overcame Minnesota’s 20 point lead in the first half. Minnesota would be 3-0 if it wasn’t for the 2nd half.. The Lions roared back (Pun intended) on the strength of Matt Stafford’sarm, Calvin Johnson’s hands, and Jason Hanson’s foot. Detroit doesn’t run the ball well as they only had 20 yards on 19 carries but Stafford has carried them so far. That defensive line isn’t too shabby either as they continue to control the line of scrimmage against all their opponents. The stop of Toby Gerhart did nothing more but add more motivation as it fueled the offensive players to get a score. Jim Schwartz deserves a lot of credit as he has this team 3-0 for the first time since the Billy Sims era. The Lions keep marching on and should be the chief opponent for the defending champs Green Bay. Who would have thought that going into the season?

Offensive Player of the Week: Wes Welker – This one was easy this week as Wes just obliterated the secondary of the Bills. He set franchise records with his 16 catches and 217 yards receving. It seemed that Buffalo let Welker get whatever he wanted to as they focused on the outside receivers and the tight ends. End result was a career day for Welker even though it came in a loss. Welker plays the slot like a maestro. He has every savvy move a veteran wide receiver should have. I know he made a lot of fantasy owners day with those monster numbers he put up. Tom Brady has thrown for more yards in a 3 game span than any QB in history (1,326) and a lot of that has to do with the exploits of Welker.

Defensive Player of the Week: Dwight Freeney – This guy doesn’t ever slow down during the game. He and Robert Mathis just harassed Big Ben all night in their lost to the Steelers but it was Freeney who seemed to set the tone as always for the Colts defense. Freeney had two sacks and three QB hits and a forced fumble. Isn’t he supposed to be getting old? He has that constant motor that defensive coaches drool over. Freeney is one of the most underrated DEs ever in my opinion. If Peyton Manning had played in that game the way the Colts defense played then they probably would have pulled that one out. Freeney and Mathis will continue their reign of terror on opposing QBs this year even if it doesn’t amount into a playoff berth.