07-18-12 Sportaholic Radio Show

Ashley Allen

Make sure to join us for "The Sportaholic Radio Show" this Wednesday as the Sports Chick former Tennessee Titans makes long awaited return and co-hots with the Sportaholic himself.

David Whitley

We welcome AOL Fanhouse Sporting News columnist David Whitley on the show to discuss everything on the 2012 London Olympics. David writes an excellent column that ranges from NBA, NCAA Football, Golf, and the Olympics (http://aol.sportingnews.com/author/david-whitley). We ask him the tough questions like who is under more pressure in these games Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt? What events will the US surprise and disappoint in and much more.

We also talk about the weeks top stories including the Dez Bryant arrest, what Drew Brees $100 million dollar deal means for the New Orleans Saints, where does Penn State go from hear, and why in the world the New York Knicks let Jeremy Lin walk.

This and of course the usual as in the "Diss of the Week", "Guess that rant", the Sportaholic's classic bluster and tirades along with best in hip-hop and R&B.

So tune in from 5-7 PM CST on 107.1 WRFN Nashville or stream on www.radiofreenashville.com

Sportaholic NFL Wild-card Weekend Review

Wild-card weekend usually lives up to its name as it can be unpredictable on so many levels. It’s the weekend when hot teams meet consistent teams and they clash on the field to see which team comes out on top. Upstarts like Detroit, Houston, and Denver crashed the playoff party and looked to navigate their first playoff appearances in years (Houston’s first time at all) against heavily favored competition. This year’s collection of games was no different other than the fact that all top four seeds are in intact for both the AFC and NFC.

Houston Texans 31 Cincinnati Bengals 10 - Cincinnati was done in by a few rookie mistakes by rookie QB Andy Dalton, a healthy dose of Arian Foster and the Texans new found smothering defense. The Texans were able to generate enough offense with their own rookie QB T.J Yates as he connected with stud WR Andre Johnson for a 40-yard TD and they were able to rely on Foster and RB Ben Tate the rest of the way. Foster finished with 154 yards and 2 Tds. Dalton wasn’t great in his first playoff appearance throwing 3 interceptions including one that was a spectacular play for J.J Watt as he took it to the house for the score. Houston will take on Baltimore next week in a rematch from week 6.



What they said after the game: You can see that they were all so proud of their team,” Houston owner Bob McNair said of the team’s long-suffering fans. “We want to have a team everybody can be proud of and want to feel an attachment to. I think they have that.”



Andre Johnson on finally getting a playoff win: “This is something not just for me, but for the whole organization,” the Texans star receiver said. “It’s a very special feeling. That’s probably the most I’ve smiled in a long time.”

“We have to get beyond this,” Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. “We play in a very difficult division. We have to win games in the division, that is important and it sets up opportunities like this, all the time.”

New Orleans Saints 45 Detroit Lions 28 - The Detroit Lions couldn’t stop the white hot Drew Bree’s led Saints offense and it appears that any team facing them will have to go to tremendous lengths just to stop them from getting big plays. We all knew heading into this game that it would be a shootout as this was the first ever game that featured two 5,000 yard passers in Brees and Matthew Stafford. The Saints did what they have been doing all year on offense as they broke the postseason mark with 626 total yards of offense. The Lions did a good job just to stay in the game in the first half but New Orleans kicked it into overdrive in the second half and never looked back. Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles combined for 117 yards and 3 scores between them to seal the Saints victory. Things will be different for New Orleans next week as they travel to San Francisco to take on one of the better defenses in the league. They also will be on grass instead of the Superdome turf which makes them seem so unstoppable.

What they said after the game: “We were pulling out all the stops,” Brees said. “We play aggressive. We’re not going to apologize for that. That gives guys in the huddle a lot of confidence. We’re not going to pull the reins back. It’s pedal to the metal.”

All-pro receiver Calvin Johnson on the Lions season: We did make the playoffs this year and that’s a great accomplishment,” Johnson said. “We have some things to work on and we will. We know what we have to do to make the next step.”

New York Giants 24 Atlanta 2 - The New York football Giants put on a defensive showcase as they repeatedly stopped the Atlanta Falcons on 4th down and never let them get into the game. The Giants can go all the way to the Super Bowl if they continue to come with it on D like they did Saturday. The Giants stifled the Falcons offensive attack all day and looked like the Giants of yesteryear with Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs running the ball well. Hakeem Nicks 72-yard TD pass from Eli Manning broke the game open and the Falcons never really threatened from there. Atlanta again was done in by its inability to make any explosive passing plays and by three of ill-fated fourth down decisions. Matt Ryan failed to convert on a couple of 4th down QB sneaks and Michael Turner was also stopped on another down. Ryan’s numbers of 24/41 for 199 yards just isn’t going to cut it in the playoffs. This ends yet another disappointing season for them. As for the Giants they travel to Green Bay next week to take on the Super Bowl favorite Packers and their sterling 15-1 record. We will find out if this Giants performance was for real or just a one week thing. I’m excited about this match up.



What they said after the game: We are going to out there and give all our effort and we are going to walk away with a win,” All Pro defensive end Jason Pierre Paul said



We can’t lose like this in the playoffs,” defensive end John Abraham said. “We should have been able to do something different. We played well in the beginning, but it kind of got away from us in the end.”



’We know they are a good team,” said Manning, who completed 23 of 32 for 277 yards. “We played them tough here, did some good things here, we scored some points. We know offensively we are going to have to play strong, score some points.”

Denver Broncos 29 Pittsburgh Steelers 23 - And the best game of the weekend was the last game as Tim Tebow found yet another way to win a close game. He found a streaking Demairyus Thomas for the game winning 80-yard pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers. You couldn’t have scripted it better than that for Tebow as he actually showed that he can be a threat with arm and his legs. He only completed 10 passes but he threw for 316 yards in the process. A week after Bronco great and current President John Elway told Tebow to “Pull the trigger” the Steelers looked down right surprised that Tebow and the Broncos were so openly passing on them and made a few big plays. Maybe it was not having leading tackler Ryan Clark not there due to his Sickle Cell trait or maybe the Steelers just didn’t think Tebow would have the audacity to open it up on them like he did. Whatever the case may be they allowed Thomas to slide behind the defense on a play action fake that even fooled all-pro safety Troy Polamalu and the rest is history now. Ben Roethelisberger looked like a shell of himself in the first half before he got things rolling in the second. It did appear that the ankle injury did hamper the usual Big Ben scrambles that we are so accustomed to seeing. Pittsburgh came out flat before waking up only to have their heart taking out in overtime. This game will go down as one of the all time greats because of Tebow and because its was against the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers. What a game, what an ending and what a opening playoff game for Tebow. The Broncos now get a second crack at Tom Brady and the Patriots and have a lot of momentum rolling into this one.



What they said after the game: Tebow on game winning pass: “When I saw him scoring, first of all, I just thought, `Thank you, Lord,”’ Tebow said. “Then, I was running pretty fast, chasing him—like I can catch up to D.T! Then I just jumped into the stands, first time I’ve done that. That was fun.”

“We were moving it and we had a shot,” Roethlisberger said. “Someone got, it felt like a finger, on the ball and knocked it out. After that, you’re trying to throw a 70-yard Hail Mary and that’s hard.”

Broncos RB Willis McGahee on Tebow critics: “Case closed,” McGahee said. “They say he couldn’t throw. They said we wouldn’t be able to run the ball on them. We did that. I wonder what they’re going to say next week

Sportaholic Tennessee Titans vs. New Orleans Review

Coming into this game everyone knew New Orleans NFL best offense led by Drew Brees would challenge in the Titans in every conceivable way on defense. Tennessee fought hard and came up short losing 22-17 in a game that they could have won. The Titans defense for the most part held the red hot Brees under control allowing only 3 John Kasay field goals in 3 quarters this game was practically a bore through the first half and I’m sure that was just fine with the Titans defense. Brees did complete a lot of passes but they didn’t do much harm at Tennessee was bending but not breaking. The Saints also had too many penalties in the first half that attributed to their stagnant offense. Tennessee’s offense just couldn’t capitalize on the defenses success as they could only muster 3 points in the first half. Titans starting QB Matt Hasselbeck’s injury may have had something to do with the offense struggling as he went down with an injured calf in the 2nd quarter. Hasselbeck was 5/7 for 44 yards before leaving the game.

Rookie Jake Locker came in provided a spark in the second half with his arm and legs. The University of Washington grad showed why the Titans are high on so high on him as he made a number of big plays. First, Locker found an open Nate Washington for a 40-yard TD pass as the injured WR broke a tackle on his way to the end zone. Next, he scrambled around and bowled over Saints Safety Roman Harper for his second score that closed the gap for Tennessee to 22-17. Unfortunately that would be as close as they would get as they wouldn’t get another score as they stalled on their last two drives. Things looked promising on their next to last drive as Locker hooked with Washington for a couple of strikes of 18 and 9 but they couldn’t covert a 4th down on a Locker quarterback sneak.

The Titans got the ball back with 1:34 for their last breath and moved the ball well as Locker delivered yet again to Washington for another 40-yard strike that put the Titans at that Saints 5-yard line. The Titans tried to fit in a quick slant over the middle that Saints CB Tracy Porter knocked down. That left the Titans with one last play. This time Locker couldn’t deliver this time as the rookie couldn’t get rid of the ball on a scramble and was taken down by the Saints as the game expired. It appeared that Locker may have held the ball to long and could have found a way to at least get the ball out to give his receiver a chance to make a play. Locker seemed inclined to second guess himself saying “Once I got outside the pocket there were a lot of guys there,” Locker said. “It ended up that I didn’t throw it anyway but ... I should have.” Titans head coach Mike Munchak was having none of that in the post-game. “I am not going to second guess anything he did,” Titans coach Mike Munchak said. The loss snaps their two-game losing streak and puts the pressure on them to win their last three games just to make the playoffs. The division is out of the question now as Houston’s win over Cincinnati clinched the AFC south. If you read the article closely you will notice not mention of Chris Johnson. He was held to 23 yards on 11 carries as the could never find his way against the Saints D.

It was such interesting game for multiple reasons for Tennessee with so many bizarre things developing during the game itself. To have top cornerback Jason McCourty out for the game, WR Nate Washington hurt but gritting out a good performance, and have Hasselbeck go down and rookie QB Jake Locker fill was just a lot for any football team to go through in one game. Luckily for the Titans they have three winnable contest left on the schedule with Indianapolis, Jacksonville, and a not much to play for Houston squad. They have to hope that the New York Jets stumble as they are 8-5 and control their own destiny after destroying the Kansas City Chiefs 37-10. The Titans are still in it but they can’t afford to lose another game.

The season is on the brink for Tennessee and we will see how they respond in the last stretch of the season.

Sportaholic NFL Power Rankings Week 12

As we enter the home stretch of the NFL season it appears that change is on the horizon for a few underreporting teams. The first move was made by Jacksonville as they fired long time coach Jack Del Rio. He was 69-73 over nine years and goes down as the first NFL coach to coach that many seasons with one team and not to win a division title. Del Rio had his moments with the Jags as they upset the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2007 playoffs but it was mostly a mediocre run for him as the Jacksonville coach. The Jaguars don’t sell tickets and are always on blackout watch in their own local market as it is anyway. Another firing took place in the league as with the Colts relieving defensive coordinator Larry Coyer of his duties for the 0-11 Colts. They also replaced QBs with Curtis Painter out and Dan Orlovsky in. It has just been a disaster in Indy this year every since Peyton went down. Speaking of Manning, there is a whisper floating around that he isn’t healing as fast as he should for this type of procedure. Hopefully it’s just a rumor but you never know.

This is just the beginning in a league that is built on change. The bottom dwelling teams have to at least make a push to look competitive. There is no way that Jacksonville or Indy could be content with getting blown out week in and week out. The hot seat remains hot for a few coaches as we now can officially add Tom Coughin to the list. The Giants have fallen off the radar in November as they were thoroughly dominated by the New Orleans Saints this past Monday. The seat is also simmering under Eagles coach Andy Reid, which is really remarkable when you think about it in Philadelphia. Reid has been the steady hands in charge for the last 12 years in Philly and, this was suppose to be his best team but we all witnessing how this season has turned out for him.

Coaching changes are inevitable in every sport. It’s just part of the business. Even if a guy was less than successful (See: Jack Del Rio) or a long tenured and outstanding coach (See: Andy Reid and Tom Couglin), one day soon or later that your day is coming.

Time for the Power Rankings:

1. Green Bay Packers (11-0) – The Pack just keep rolling with the hot hand as Aaron Rodgers continues to make it look easy. He is on pace for the single best season for a QB ever as he would finish with 5100 total yards passing and an unheard of 130.7 QB rating. He is doing all of this while leading the Packers to a possible undefeated season. Green Bay’s defense showed some teeth as well in their victory over the Detroit Lions causing Matt Stafford to throw three interceptions. We have every reason to believe that this team can and will be undefeated going into the playoffs.

2. Baltimore Ravens (8-3) – The Ravens roughed up the 49ers to move to 8-3 and remain in first place in the rough and tough AFC North division. This is a team that is remarkably up and down as they have beaten some of the best teams in the league in Pittsburgh (Twice), San Francisco, and Houston and loss a couple of the worse in Jacksonville and Seattle. Ray Lewis should be back for their next game after missing the Harbaugh bowl much to his chagrin. Pittsburgh and Baltimore will battle to the end for the division title but looking at the schedule and it appears the Ravens had the easier path especially after beating the Steelers twice to own all the tie-breakers.

3. New Orleans Saints (8-3) – Looking at the Saints offense against the Giants a few things stood out to me. First, the play of Jimmy Graham at tight end has given Brees yet another explosive weapon. The 6’7 former Miami (FL) power forward is really coming on and seems to catch everything thrown his way. Second, Drew Brees doesn’t get enough credit as crazy as it sounds. He is also on pace to surpass Dan Marino’s all time passing yards record but its not the yards that impress me. It just his command of the offense and his leadership skills. Brees, Brady, and Rodgers are in the top echelon of QBs and their teams will always be great as long as these great QBs are leading them. The Saints are dangerous and appear to be even better than their 2009 Super Bowl winning team.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) – Even though a win is a win in this league, the Steelers couldn’t have played an uglier game this past week. Their narrow 13-9 win over a reeling under manned Kansas City squad was a disturbing look for Pittsburgh. Troy Polamalu took a knee from the Chiefs tight end Steve Maneri and never returned which led to some holes in their vaunted defense. The offense wasn’t able to muster much of anything as well with Big Ben content on throwing dink and dunk passes that amounted to 21 completions for only 193 yards. This wasn’t a pretty game but the Steelers won and they should get Polamalu back for next game. So maybe this was just one of those weeks to forget for Steelers nation. But again, a win is a win.

5. San Francisco 49ers (9-2) – Maybe the Harbaugh bowl was a little much for this team as the hype and historical part seemed to do more harm then good to this young team. Alex Smith looked like his previous 2011 self as he and the 49er offense couldn’t get anything going against the ferocious Ravens defense. Terrell Suggs was able to get to Smith three times. San Francisco still has a more than comfortable lead in the NFC West so that is really nothing to worry about their. They did however lose a game in the home field advantage race as they are now two behind Green Bay. Catching the Packers was probably a lost cause anyway.

Other League News and Notes:

Ndamakong Suh suspended for 2 games: The Lions brutal DT was handed down a two game suspension for his pushing of the helmet and stepping on the arm of the Packers Evan Dietrich-Smith. Everyone is aware of the big mans merciless history as he has racked up over $42,000 dollars in fines in his short career. He didn’t seem apologetic initially at the press conference after the game but he later changed his tone after the media jumped all over him. Hopefully Suh learns his lesson here and is able to play in his usual relentless manner but is able to stop the uncontrollable acts that have marked his career to this point.

Tim Tebow just keeps leading his teams to wins: Tebow haters (I’m talking to you Merril Hodge) really don’t have any ground to stand on at this point on Tebow. The Broncos latest victory over the San Diego Chargers pushed his starting record to 5-1 and has Denver in the thick of the playoff race. Tebow isn’t doing it all by himself as the defense has really come on for them led by sensational rookie LB Von Miller but its Tebow that has inspirited this team to become all that it can be. He just has the “IT” factor and wills his team each week to a victory. It’s becoming to a point that other teams are drinking the Tebow Kool-Aid and believing that if the game is close in the 4th quarter then it is all but a lost. San Diego folded in the 4th against the Broncos and it seemed to have something to do with the Tebow effect as I like to call it. Tebow will never be the prototypical QB but he will always give his team a chance to win. He just finds a way and will continue to do no matter what his critics say. And this is coming from a University of Tennessee fan who was tormented by him at Florida.

Texans sign Jake Delhomme: Sometimes you just have to make the best out of what is available and that’s what this signing appears to be. The Texans plucked the former Panther and Browns QB out of retirement to help bolster their depleted QB front. We all know the story with both of the Matt’s Schaub and Leinart going down with season ending injuries. The Texans were down to rookie T.J. Yates in their last game and signed veteran journey man Kellen Clemens as well. This is mostly just an insurance policy as the Texans have found out you can never have to many QBs in the NFL. Rather Delhomme competes for playing time is yet to be seen.

Best Games of Week 13:



Atlanta (7-4) vs. Houston (8-3) – Déjà vu for the Texans as they start a new QB for the 3rd time this season. Can they find a way to keep winning or will the Falcons and Matt Ryan be too much for them to overcome



Green Bay Packers (11-0) vs. NY Giants (6-5) - So lets see here, Drew Brees carved up the Giants D for 363 yards and 4 touchdowns and now they welcome Aaron Rodgers and the Pack attack to town. Sounds like a problem for the reeling New York.



Detroit Lions (7-4) vs. New Orleans Saints (8-3) – The time has come for this Lions team to make a stand as they are fighting for their playoff lives. The feel good story of the year won’t feel so good if they are sitting at home watching. Drew Brees and the Saints are rolling right now and with Detroit missing Suh in the middle, it could be a long game for them.

Sportaholic NFL Power Rankings Week 5

The motor city was rocking last night with Detroit’s demolishing of Chicago, and just like that week 5 officially in the books and what a week it was in the NFL. Al Davis’s death sparked the Raiders back to their glory days as they took down the Texans. It was such an emotional victory for them and to be honest I didn’t know that his players felt that way about him. I always thought they despised Davis but you could tell that this game really meant something to them. Davis was one of the greatest pioneers to ever grace the NFL. His style and swagger could never be duplicated. Who else held so many titles (player, scout, GM, owner, commissioner) as he did? Who else had the balls to move his team back and forth to L.A., thumbing his nose at anyone who tried to stop him? RIP Al Davis, the things he has done good and bad for the NFL should never go unnoticed. Tebow mania is here for the masses as he nearly brought back the lowly Broncos against the Chargers. San Diego with the win is now 4-1 so you can throw out all of the slow start talk this year. San Francisco just pummeled Tampa Bay as Jim Harbaugh’s boys have the people of San Fran feeling likes it’s the late 80’s again. I don’t know what Harbaugh has done with Alex Smith but the renowned QB coach has got him playing the best ball of his career. What can you say about the Eagles? They are now 1-4 and fighting just to stay relevant. I just don’t understand why they are so bad on defense. You know besides the point of them running a lot of zone coverage schemes although they have three of the best corners in the league. Andy Reid has to figure things out because time is almost up for them to turn it around. Pittsburgh looked like they would score 70 points on the Titans # 1 ranked defense in the first quarter. I told all my people here in Tennessee don’t let Big Ben’s injury fool you, he will be ready and boy was he ever. The Steelers were a desperate team and played like it, Tennessee on the other hand played like a team that was just happy to be 3-1 and didn’t mind being 3-2 because they were not suppose to even be 3-1 at this point. Chris Johnson where are you my friend? A week after Arian Foster rushed for 155 yards on the Steelers D, Johnson was held to 59 yards. Johnson just can’t seem to get it into gear this year.

The Colts just can’t get on the board as they loss yet again to Kansas City.
Here is a suggestion for the Colts from my buddy Bart, why don’t they just put Peyton in the ears of whoever the QB is and let him breakdown what he sees from the opposing defense? Indianapolis offense is predicated on pre-snap reads thanks to Manning who has basically been his own offensive coordinator for the last decade. Who is the Colts offensive coordinator? I’m waiting….. Yeah that’s what I thought. He could give Painter or Collins everything they need to know as he would have a direct line to their helmet. Just a thought I suppose. Peyton’s little brother doesn’t quite have his decision making skills as he racked up another 3 picks in a loss against Seattle. If it wasn’t for Eli winning the Super Bowl, Giant’s fan would have ran him out of town by now. The Patriots finally decided to show up on defense as they beat their hated rival the New York Jets. BenJarvas Green-Ellis showed off some moves I didn’t know he had in that game. And of course the defending Super Bowl champs moved to 5-0 with their victory over struggling Atlanta.

1. Green Bay Packers (5-0) – The Pack just keep rolling and have figured out how to beat teams even when they don’t have their A game. Atlanta effectively played ball control and put 14 points on the Packers on their first two possessions. On top of that Green Bay lost their top OL Chad Clifton to protect Aaron Rodgers blindside. Mike McCarthy realized what was happening and made a few adjustments because Rodgers was feeling the heat and didn’t resemble his usual smooth as silk self. Once the offensive line was shored up, Rodgers and that vaunted Packer passing attack got into gear and the rest is history. Until this team is beat they will remain at the top spot.

2. Baltimore Ravens (3-1) – Bye week. I had an interesting conversation with someone on Ray Lewis last night at my Monday night football party. It was a woman who thought that Ray was the most pompous and arrogant player in the league. It really threw me off because I’ve always thought that he was just a passionate player that wore his emotions on his sleeve. After a few beers and some banter back and forth I finally got her to realize this was a man who has done a lot of good things off the field and you can’t let his demeanor and pre game dancing fool you. I think most great athletes or in anyone for that matter that are good at what they do have a certain level of cockiness to them. It was great talking with an intelligent lady on a sports topic I had never gave much thought.

3. New England Patriots (4-1) – Last week I said I just couldn’t peg New England as a real Super Bowl contender until their defense showed some teeth. The guys in Boston must have heard me as they only allowed 255 yards to the Jets that are after averaging 477.5 yards a game on defense. I like the fact that they also did this without their defensive leader Jared Mayo as he was out because of a knee sprain. Tom Brady is and will always be Tom Brady as he threw for 351 yards and 1 TD. I was excited and intrigued to see how the Revis-Welker match up would develop as well. I know Revis wouldn’t be covering him the entire game but the Jets would put him on Welker when they needed to at critical stretches in the game. Welker still had 5 catches for 124 yards but it wasn’t those crazy numbers he was posting in the previous weeks. The Jets just don’t have that same resiliency they have had in recent years and this could be a down year for sexy Rexy’s bunch.

4. Detroit Lions (5-0) – Who knew right? The Lions are roaring right now and their victory over Chicago cemented my thoughts on them. I love the fact that the defense plays with such a nasty streak, led by that ferocious defensive line. The addition of Nick Fairley only strengthens what they already do with all of the rotating linemen Jim Schwartz likes to keep fresh. Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson will be one of the top QB-WR duos for year to come and the emergence of Jahvid Best (12 carries 163 yards 1 TD) is just another thing to worry about in that offense. They will be tested against San Francisco this Sunday as all of sudden that will be one of the top games of the week. The Lions also will give everyone a reason to watch the Thanksgiving game against the Packers as that is shaping up to be a monster game and could determine who wins the NFC north. Wow what a turnaround for this once morbid franchise.

5. New Orleans Saints (4-1) – Could have gone in so many different directions here with Buffalo, San Diego, and San Francisco all being 4-1 but I will give it to the Saints. New Orleans is kind of flying under the radar at this point but they clearly are the best team in the tough NFC South. Tampa just got blown out by San Fran, Atlanta is too inconsistent and Carolina is too young and inexperienced to pose a threat. So the Saints are all but a shoo in to make the playoffs by winning that division. They haven’t lost a game since the opening weekend against Green Bay and they could have won that one as well. Drew Brees remains on the pantheon of great QBs right now as he continues to get it done no matter what comes his way. The Saints will keep on marching as they should beat their next four opponents (Tampa Bay twice, Indianapolis, and St. Louis) before taking on ATL for what could be for the division on Nov 13.

Offensive player of the week: Drew Brees – When your stat line reads 32/45 for 359 yards and 2 TD passes, then you did everything and more that is expected from you as a QB. Brees is becoming another version Peyton Manning because I really believe that if you take him out of that offense than it would sputter to a halt. He does so much and has such chemistry with coach Sean Payton that its like those guys are one. Brees also stayed on pace to break Dan Marino’s all-time passing yards record but who isn’t on pace to break that record at this point. Just another day at the office for Mr.Brees.

Defensive player of the week: Jared Allen – Allen was his usual mad man self as he took down Arizona QB Kevin Kolb twice and was pretty much in his face all day. Minny needed someone to step up rather it be on defense or offense to get them off the skid and Allen was the man who set the tone for them. Good to see them finally finish a game and not give it up in the second half.

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.

Sportaholic NFL Power Rankings Week 12

The playoff push begins now for the teams with those Super Bowl aspirations. No team is up more than one game on the second place team in every division. This year is shaping to be playoff race like we have never seen. It’s crunch time for teams on the brink like the New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts, and the Washington Redskins. The window is closing so these teams need to get hot and stay consistent if they want in on the playoffs this year. There are a few more teams in contention with San Diego, Tampa Bay, and Oakland all in the mix in their respective divisions. Each week from here on out will be like a survivor episode as every lost will cast a team out the playoff picture. As the tension mounts and the drama unfolds, no team in contention can afford to lose and it going to make for an interesting next two months for football fans.




Now to unveil the rankings:

1. New England Patriots (9-2) – You didn’t really think they would lose to the Lions, did you? The Pats outscored lowly Detroit 35-7 in the second half as Tom Brady and co. got it rolling and continued to burn Detroit’s secondary, primarily Alphonso Smith. Brady looks in-sync with his receiver and put on a clinic in the second half of the game and he would finish a surgeon like 21/27 for 341 yards and 4 touchdowns. The man had a perfect QB rating of 158.3 for crying out loud. The subtraction of Randy Moss is proving to be an addition to the offense. You can longer key on one guy in their offense. The days of Wes Welker underneath and Randy Moss over the top are over and that entire side of the ball is reaping the benefits. The only thing that scares me with this team is the defense. They are a bend but don’t break unit but their will come a time when Tom terrific can’t bail them out. They should tested early and often next game against their arch rivals.

2. New York Jets (9-2) – No cardiac comeback this week as the Jets handled the Bengals easily. Brad Smith did all the dirty work as he accounted 200 total yards. Smith, done it in a variety of ways as he had three carries for 55 yards, one catch for 23 yards and an 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. He brings a do-it-all mentality to the offense for New York. I’m interested in the growth of Mark Sanchez most importantly though. For the Jets to go all the way, the second year pro from Southern Cal has to keep his mistakes at a minimum. The Int he threw to Rey Maualuga was especially troubling. And speaking of trouble, I know I wasn’t the only looking for some good trash talk from T.O and Darrelle Revis after both took jabs at each other last week but no dice in that department. As it stands, my top two teams face off next week on Monday night, so that will surely affect the rankings.

3. Atlanta Falcons (9-2) – This is the team no one pays attention to and all they do is continue to win. Matt Ryan is now 19-1 as a starter at home and has the Falcons holding the inside track to home-field advantage in the playoffs. This guy is just a winner and his numbers don’t do justice to what he means to that team. It doesn’t hurt that he has “Rowdy” Roddy White on the outside and Michael “Burner” Turner to hand the ball off to as well. Ryan just picked apart Green Bay’s vaunted defense as he hit his first 14 passes and finished 24 of 28. Atl will keep winning and no one outside of the 404 will care until the playoffs. See you in January Matty Ice.

4. Chicago Bear (8-3) – I have been reluctant all year to trust these Bears, but they proved it to me on last Sunday, that they can be a force. Any team with Jay Cutler as your QB is always going to be up and down because his play. He can be the hero and the goat on consecutive plays, that just how he rolls. Mike Martz and Lovie Smith finally have realized that and now feature the run more and for Bears fans that should make you happy. The defense is stacked with Peppers, Urlacher, and Briggs bringing it every game. They proved there worth as they were able to stop Michael Vick. They have a game up on Green Bay and with a game left against them we will find out what the Bears are really about. I just don’t trust Cutler though

5. New Orleans Saints (8-3) Welcome to the rankings Saints. As my New Orleans friend says, it looks like the Mojo is working again in Louisiana. The Saints have been struggling to find their consistency on offense but they have finally broken through. Drew Brees just assaulted the Cowboys defense (Who isn’t these days?) to the tune of 352 yards and a touchdown. The defense has been waiting for the offense to catch up and it appears it finally has.

Other league news and notes:

Josh McDaniels and Spygate II – It seems that McDaniels is losing his grip as the coach of the Broncos. Denver is 5-16 in their last 21 games under the embattled coach and this latest incident doesn’t make anything better. It was reported that Steve Scarnecchia, the video man for the Broncos, video tapped the 49ners walk thru and did so unknowingly from McDaniels. McDaniels went on to compare this to the original spygate in New England and also proceeded to trash the Pats in the process. As it is, he and the Broncos were fined $50,000 a piece. The only cure for this type of thing is to win and McDaniels team couldn’t even do that as they lost to St. Louis. If the team doesn’t make drastic improvements by the end of the season, McDaniels could be gone.

Andre Johnson vs. Cortland Finnegan – Doesn’t it seem like Finnegan is the crazy guy who is getting beat-up but keeps asking for more? He was clearly the instigator in the fight but now makes it seem as if Johnson should have never took swings at him. Johnson very well didn’t have to take it to that extreme that he did but everyone at one point of their life has lost their cool because of someone else. And the $25,000 that both were fined is just a slap on the wrist. Its crazy because neither player showed restraint and everyone in the league knows what Finnegan is about. He will do any and everything to get under your skin to gain the advantage. You just have to be prepared for that or you can just punch him like Johnson did. Get ready for round two in Nashville on Dec 19, that should be a fun rematch.

Leslie to the rescue: Didn’t the Vikings look lose and carefree Sunday? When you’re not worrying about your coach getting fired it makes everything a little easier as the Vikes proved. Brett Favre was running like he had his wranglers on and Minnesota beat the Skins. Frazier brings a calm that Brad Childress lost during his tenure. The players are familiar with him since he has been on the staff since Childress was there. They played harder as a result and if Zygi Wilf had made this move earlier they might have been going to the playoffs.

Best game next weekend: It has to be the Monday night game with the Pats and Jets going at it. These teams hate each other and would rather sit in gasoline with a match than to see the other win. They are both 9-2 and fighting for the division lead. Rex Ryan will do and say what ever it takes to motivate his team. The hoodie won’t do it in public like Ryan but believe you me, when he behind closed doors with his team, he is wearing out the Jets. This one will be hyped relentlessly by the media so get ready for it but at least it should result in a good game.

Sportaholic NFL Power Rankings Week 11

In what was yet another tumultuous week of games in the NFL, week 11 turned out to be one of the more normal weeks in the season. All of my top five teams won and most of them won handedly My top team, the New York Jets, however narrowly escaped defeat again, almost blowing a 16-point lead to Houston (The Texans have to be the worst finishing team in the league). New England and Indianapolis renewed their rivalry featuring the greatest QBs of our generation. Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay put an emphatic nail in Brett Favre and Minnesota, and effectively ended the Brad Childress era. San Diego is on its annual second half tear, now winning their last three games after blowing out the Broncos on Monday night (Do the Chargers get some type of super powers in the second half on the season?). Michael Vick wasn’t what he was against Washington but Philly was still able to defeat the other Manning and Giants, making it officially a bad day in the Manning family.




Now last week I said that I wouldn’t let one team leap frog another team ahead of it unless it was a loss and a very valid reason. And with that being said, I have a new # 1 on the list. Even though the Jets didn’t lose, I have my reasons that will be explained. So with that let’s jump into the rankings:

1. New England Patriots (8-2) – There is no denying this team. You can talk about the golden boy Tom Brady all you want but for me it’s all of their other parts. At the top of that list is little Danny Woodhead. This guy looks like a kid running around with men but is still able to be an effective weapon in their offense. He was the key component in the Pats victory over Indy. In one sequence Woodhead scored on a 36-yard burst showing his speed and agility. On the ensuing kickoff after the score, Woodhead came and swooped in making an exceptional tackle. That’s the kind of effort and commitment every football coach wants to see from their players. The Pats offense without Randy Moss, are now also utilzing their tight ends to their advantage with rookies Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski catching touchdown passes in nine of the Pats 10 games. It sounds like a broken record as I say every week but as long as they have Tom Brady, who by the way was 19/25 for 186 yards and 2 TDs, and the hoodie, then they will have a chance to win Super Bowls.

2. New York Jets (8-2) – The Cardiac Jets survived their latest scare, this week from Houston. They almost blew a 16-point lead as I stated above but like they always do they pulled out the win with some late game heroics. It’s hard to really know what this team is at this point. In the great words of Bill Parcells “You are what your records says you are” and if that’s the case with the Jets they are a good football team. The thing is that you can’t keep playing with fate this way. I usually don’t like to put a team higher than the team I had ahead of them but because of the Jets inability to play up their potential on a week in and week out basis, I have to drop them a slot. I can say that Mark Sanchez is showing a lot of grit in pulling off these late game comebacks and Santonio Holmes is proving why the Jets took the risk on him. Firemen Ed will have a heart attack if they continue to play these close games.

3. Philadelphia Eagles (7-3) – Mike Vick came back down to earth, after his record breaking and awe-inspiring performance against the Skins, but Philly was still able to handle the Giants. The Giants did get to Vick, with Justin Tuck sacking him three times and Vick being hit another five times behind the line. That can’t possibly be healthy for an already banged up Vick. If Philly wants to make it the Super Bowl, than number 7 has to stay clean.

4. Green Bay Packers (7-3) – I bet when Aaron Rodgers finally had some time to himself and digest the beat down he and the Packers put on the Vikings, he had to think that felt good. He beat the man who he replaced in Lambeau lore, the man who never was that fond of him, the man who many said shoes he would never be able to fill and the man who spanked the Packers twice last year in Brett Favre. The Packers are for real with a mean defense that features two of the best at their position in Charles Woodson and Clay Matthews (They have allowed 10 points in the last three games) and a high-flying offense with Rodgers leading. The former Cal QB has a 75 percent completion rate with seven TDs and no interceptions in his last two games. Green Bay was picked by a lot of experts at the beginning of the season to be a Super Bowl contender and they appear now ready to ascend to that level.

5. Atlanta Falcons (8-2) – Just another nothing to see here performance by the Falcons. They aren’t the most exciting team to watch but they know how to win games. Matt “Matty Ice” Ryan is finally back in his rookie form that saw him win rookie of the year honors. Michael “Burner” Turner also is playing like his former self as he ran all over the Rams to the tune of 131 yards and a touchdown. The Falcons will continue to march on to the playoffs and have a favorable schedule along the way. New Orleans will still have something to say about the division title though.

Other news and notables:

Vince the Villain: The way things played out for Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans begs the question: Will Young be back next year in a Titans uniform? From all indications if it was Coach Jeff Fisher’s decision he would not, but it’s not Fisher’s call. Bud “Bottom Line” Adams stated that two will just have to work out their differences but how can they at this point?



If you haven’t heard by now, Fisher did not put Young back into the game after he sustained an injury to his thumb on his throwing hand. Young looked intended on going back into the game as he was throwing passes to Randy Moss on the sidelines. Fisher stated that Young’s passes were loose and off-target, so he stayed with rookie Rusty Smith. Young was visibly upset and in the locker room after the game Young muttered words as Fisher addressed the team after their lost. Young apparently was leaving as Fisher spoke as well, and Fisher told him not to quit on his team, this being reported by Titans insider Jim Wyatt, Young said he wasn’t quitting on them but he was quitting on Fisher.



Now when you add that with the report that Young was egging on the crowd to boo and also tossing his shoulder pads and helmet into the crowd, how can this type of damage be repaired? Young definitely acted immature and childish. He takes things way to personally to be a professional athlete. You have to say that some things come with territory when you’re a highly paid and publicized figure in this world. The Boos will come sometime but you have to be a professional. I can understand being angry for not getting back into the game, but to induce the crowd and to toss your equipment in the stands is just uncalled for.



Fisher deserves some blame in this fiasco as well. His body language and actions have always showed that he doesn’t really like Young. Remember it was Bud Adams who told Fisher to put Young back in the lineup when the Titans started 0-6 last year. It was Fisher who took Young out when the Titans were getting manhandled by the Steelers earlier this year. You just get the feeling that at the end of this year, especially with the way Fisher was talking in his press conference yesterday, that one of these two men will be gone. Bud Adams seems to have this illusion that Young still will blossom into the game-changing QB that he was in Texas, but how many people believe Young will ever become more than he is? Adams will have to make a decision to either axe the longest tenured coach in the league or get rid of his hand-picked hometown QB who he has invested a lot of money and effort in. Fisher may make it easy by just walking if Adams doesn’t want to let go of Young. It almost seems as a good thing that Young was hurt and won’t be able to play the rest of this season. We will see how this play out in the off season.

The champs are back: Don’t look now but the New Orleans Saints are back marching again. After starting the season in Super Bowl hangover fashion, the Saints looked to have found their groove again. Drew Brees was 29 of 42 for 382 yards and broke Archie Manning’s (Told you it was a bad day to be a Manning) team record with his 1,850 completion. As bad as New Orleans started out of the gates, they are now just one game behind NFC South leader Atlanta. Watch out Falcons.

The epic showdown between the Sheriff and the Golden Boy: These two guys just deserve each other This is just good stuff for us fans The last six times these two have faced each other, the combined margin of victory is just 22 points. They will be known as the best quarterbacks of their generation with Manning’s 4 MVP and 1 Super Bowl and Brady’s 3 Super Bowl titles. Each year the NFL makes sure to schedule these two teams because of the sheer brilliance that is on display when they face off. Brady had the better numbers in this one but Manning was still Manning and despite making some unmanning like mistakes, still had his team close to a victory. The pick at the end soured an otherwise good game for Manning but he shouldn’t be throwing the ball 52 times like he did anyway. These two will meet again next for year for sure and maybe in the playoffs. When ever you get a chance to see these two match-up make sure you’re tuned in because you are watching greatness vs. greatness.