Sportaholic NFL Power Rankings Week 13

The AFC playoff picture is about as cloudy as Lindsay Lohan’s caree path. It’s a train wreck but no one can stop watching. This much is clear in the AFC, someone has to win the conference. It’s just hard to tell who it will be at this point. If the season ended today the Houston Texans would be the AFC’s top seed sitting at 10-3 with two missing QBs and their best defensive player. Baltimore would be # 2 but they seem to save their worst games for their worst opponents with two of their three losses coming to cellar dweller Jacksonville and a Seattle team that scares no one. At # 3 would be the Patriots and its been well chronicled how woeful that defense can be at its worst moments. I always knew Tom Brady played with a chip on his shoulder but geez does he have to go in on his offensive coordinator with such fire? If you can read lips, well really when I think about it you don’t even have to know how to see the venom that Brady was spitting at offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.


As a result of the shortcomings of the front-runners of the conference, in my opinion it makes for a wide open race. Any team that gets hot (Read: Denver Broncos) at that perfect moment can really steal the conference. That goes for all the bottom teams as well as all they have to do is ride their momentum and they could topple a Houston, Pittsburgh or whoever ends with the top seed in the conference.

In the NFC it’s a different story as the Packers continue their quest to go undefeated and clearly the best team in all of football. San Francisco and New Orleans each have a commanding lead in their respective divisions as well. The only division race that is up for grabs at this point is the NFC East or should I say the least with the way Dallas and New York are fumbling and bumbling all the way to the finish line. This is a role reversal as over the past decade its usually been the NFC that was scrambling to find the dominant team of the conference.

1. Green Bay Packers (12-0) – Their demolition of the Raiders couldn’t have gone better if it wasn’t for the loss of WR Greg Jennings. He was the team’s leader in recpetions with 67 and only second to Jordy Nelson in receving yards and touchdowns. This will slow down that vaunted passing attack and the you tell the Packers didn’t take any other risks after the Jennings as Rodgers and most of the other starters were taking out on the next series. That is the biggest unknown in Green Bay’s pursuit of perfection as injuries always play a role in a team’s season. The Pack has to make sure that their priorities are in order as they have to stay healthy more than they need to go undefeated. If another star player goes down look for the Packers to shut it down.

2. Baltimore Ravens (10-3) – I thought Indy might stand a chance against the Ravens as we all have seen how Baltimore seems to play down to their competition. But there was no let down this time for John Harbaugh’s team as they did what they were suppose. It was a nothing to see here victory that keeps them on top of the AFC North. Looking at their schedule they should at least win two out of three and take the division and se themselves up with a # 2 seed and a first round bye.

3. New Orleans Saints (10-3) – The Saints league leading offense looked downright pedestrian for 3 quarters against the Titans before finally waking up. It was a dog fight to the end as Jake Locker made some big plays but he couldn’t make the biggest one at the end of the game and spared them. You have to win games like that in this league. Winning ugly is better than losing pretty that much is for sure. Once the playoffs start games will slow down defenses will be ready so games like this are inevitable. I do still have my doubts about New Orleans secondary as they gave three big pass plays in this game. As long as Brees is standing upright though, this team has a chance at the Lombardi trophy.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) – Was James Harrison’s hit on Colt McCoy worth a suspension? Considering it was Harrison, the NFL”s poster boy of big hits who has been fined over 100k since he began playing then I guess. But this is getting quite ridiculous that guys on defense can’t do what you pay them to do. It was a vicious hit I will agree to that but what was Harrison suppose to do? McCoy was ripe for a big hit and there is no way Harrison can just turn it off once he is in motion. The bigger problem I had in that game was the Browns training staff allowing McCoy to back into game when he clearly was concussed. The NFL may have a ticking time bomb on its hand as 5-10 years from now we will see a lot of guys who are not going to be in the best mind frame from all those concussions. Big Ben also suffered a bad ankle sprain in the game but he’s a gamer and I fully expect him to be in uniform for their big game against the 49ers.

5. New England Patriots (10-3) – The Pats have finally cracked the top 5 again on the strength of their 5 game winning streak. I wasn’t impressed with their victory over the Redskins as that defense again allowed to many points to Washington’s terrible offense. When Rex Grossman is looking good against your team then your team defense is a problem. And then we had the whole Tom Brady-Bill O’Brien shouting match on the sidelines. When it was all said and done the Pats took home the victory (Thanks to Grossman’s mistakes of course) and it puts them in the driver seat for the AFC East. They will have their hands full with the Denver Tebows especially with that league worst passing defense but more on that later.

News and Notes from the league:

Tebow and the Broncos do it yet again: Its so redundant at this point but I just have to ask the question once again? How in the hell are the Broncos able to do this week in and week out? Now granted they had a little help this time from Marion Barber as his two bonehead plays (Not staying inbounds on one play and fumbling on the next). Its just crazy how every week they seem to just hang around in the game and then just take the other team to the woodshed in the fourth quarter. Matt Prater deserves a lot of praise with his two +50 yard field goals as well. Now is this divine intervention as Tebow’s preacher is claiming in Denver? I don’t know and I don’t even want to speculate into something like that but you have to admit it does seem like Tebow is playing for a higher cause. We will really see what they are made of when they face New England this weekend’s premier game. Can’t wait to watch that one.

Cowobys lose again on last second FG miss: To be Cowboys fan these days has to be torture. You have your team up by 12 points with less than six minutes to play and somehow, someway they find a way to lose the game. While a friend and I were watching the game, we could just sense that Dallas letting the game slip away. After Miles Austin short-armed Tony Romo’s deep pass it was all but over for the Cowboys psyche. When a team is use to losing close games as Dallas is, all it takes is for one thing to go wrong in crunch time and all those doubts and fear begin to reappear. The game shouldn’t even have been in question by the time Giants stud linemen Jason Pierre-Paul blocked the game tying field goal. The Cowboys have to find a way to finish games and it may be too late this season to figure it out. The Giants on the other hand ended a four game losing streak and took control of the NFC East.

Sportaholic best games of the weekend:

New England Patriots (10-3) vs. Denver Broncos (8-5) – Tebow’s magic versus Brady’s golden arm in what should be an epic showdown. Brady and Belichek will surely say all the right things this week but come Sunday they will be ready to shatter the white Broncos Tebow aura. Tebow should actually have a lot of success against the Pats awful pass defense but more than likely he will struggle until the fourth and then go bonkers like he always does.

Detroit Lions (8-5) vs. Oakland Raiders (7-6) – Something has to give with the Raiders and Carson Palmer. He looked flat out horrible against the Packers last week and if he is to prove Hue Jackson and the organization right about the trade they pulled he has to at least put competitive performances. For the Lions they basically have to win out to secure a playoff spot with Dallas now breathing down their neck

San Francisco 49ers (10-3) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) – This one just has playoffs oozing out of it. Two post season bound teams meeting in San Fran for a Monday night tile so of course you can count me in for this one. The niners are coming off an embarssing lost to the Cardinals so they should be ready to come out and raise hell. Will Big Ben play? Of course he will because like he earlier he is a gamer.

Sportaholic Tennessee Titans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Preview

Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh Steelers

Sunday, Oct 09, 2011 at 12:00PM CDT

TV: CBS

The Titans made it look easy last week against Cleveland as they put a 34-13 beat down on the Browns. Matt Hasselbeck was the man once again, as he passed for 220 yards on only 10 completions and had three of those go for TDs. Even Chris Johnson got on track somewhat as he had his first game of over 100 yards finishing with 101 on 23 carries. The offense has looked downright dominant at times so far this season. On the other hand Cleveland’s offense sputtered and couldn’t get anything going besides dinks and dunks for from Colt McCoy who finished with a good statistical game going 40/61 for 350 yards and a TD pass. If you pass 61 times you should throw for a bunch of yards so I see no fault in that from the Titans defense. They limited the Browns big plays and took advantage of the lack of playmakers that Cleveland had. Jonathon Babineaux’s 97-yard TD return all but sealed the game for Tennessee.

Speaking of big plays, the Titans have been getting them all of the field from multiple sources. With Jared Cook, Nate Washington and now with Chris Johnson getting back in the mix, the Titans have explosive play capability. As long as Matt Hasselbeck is able to stay upright, then he will deliver the ball accurately. The Titans now take their show on the road with all this momentum in what is a great time to travel to Pittsburgh to take on the reeling Super Bowl runner-ups. The Steelers suffered more than just a loss to Houston last week as a number of their key players suffered injuries. Intimidating LB James Harrison broke his orbital bone and won’t play, Rashard Mendenhall is questionable and the biggest banged up star of them all Ben Rothlisberger has been in a walking boot all week but will likely give it a go. This current version of Pittsburgh is not what most football fans are use to seeing. The marauding defense has looked flat out old at certain points this season. The Pittsburgh offensive line has been in shambles as they have suffered a rash of injuries to their linemen that led them to sign former starter Max Starks. I guess you have to pull out all the stops when your QB by 14 sacks, third most in the league. Big Ben in response to all the pressure has probably played some of the worst football of his 8-year career in return posting an 80.2 QB rating with 5 Ints and 4 fumbles so far.

The Titans should be out for a taste of revenge after last season’s 19-11 defeat at the hand of these same Steelers. They physically imposed their will on Tennessee last year and had Vince Young so flustered he had to be taken out of the game for Kerry Collins. This year is almost a 180 degree difference at QB with Matt Hasselbeck in the saddle. He is familiar with facing defenses and this shouldn’t be but another game for the 13 year vet. The Steelers also allowed Houston RB Arian Foster to rush for over 150 yards. That’s unheard of against a Mike Tomlin coached team. It has a lot to do with the injuries they have on that side of the ball but it also means that Chris Johnson should have a favorable match up this week. The addition of Ahmard Hall should boost Johnson even more as he comes back from a 4-game performance enhancement suspension. He will have his chances with no Harrison coming his way but Harrison’s fill in Lawerence Timmons isn’t a slouch either.

Let’s take a look at the keys for the Titans to win the game:

1. The Titans need to get after Big Ben: As I stated earlier in this column, Roethlisberger has been sacked 14 times so far this year and as a result his stats are among the worst ever in his career. To top things off, he suffered a sprained foot rather if the Steelers want to admit it or not. He’s been in a walking boot all week after being taken down multiple times by the Texans last week. The Titans will need to continue the harassment of Ben to be able to disrupt the Steelers offense. Rashard Mendenhall is questionable so that puts even more pressure on Roethlisberger and the passing game if he is not able to go. The Titans defense already has 10 sacks so far this season and if they want to take down Pittsburgh they will need more of the same.

2. Who steps up for Hasselbeck this week? The loss of Kenny Britt has forced the entire receiving corps to step up their game. Last week it was Jared Cook who stepped up and made big plays in the passing game including a game breaking 80-yard TD haul that displayed his speed and athleticism. You could tell the defender underestimated Cook’s speed and he paid dearly for it. Nate Washington just needs to keep doing what he is doing. This four game stretch is the most consistent I’ve seen him play in a Titans uniform. All of the receivers seem to be benefiting from the stability Hasselbeck has brought to the QB situation as it was a revolving door open the past few years with Vince Young and Kerry Collins. He also has brought the big play with him as the Titans are making plays in the passing game and not just relying on big runs from Chris Johnson. They have to keep it up to maintain a level of unpredictability on the offensive side of the ball. Chris Johnson will get involved more but for now the passing game is clicking and if its not broke don’t fix it. Look for Hasselbeck to continue to spread the wealth.

3. Will the Titans come out and make this there statement game? Lets be honest here, most people, pundits and predictions didn’t have the Titans being 3-1 at this point of the season and many still don’t believe this team is legit. This is a chance for the Titans to lay claim to being one of the best teams in league in dramatic fashion. They can dismantle the team that has generally dominated the AFC with New England in recent memory and bury them even deeper in the loss column. This game will go a long way in determining if the Titans have what it takes to contend with the top teams. They have every reason to win this game with the injuries that Pittsburgh is facing and all of the momentum they have going into this one. You have to win the ones your suppose to in this league. If Tennessee wants respect then they have to earn it and there is no better place to go take it then in Pittsburgh. We will see what the Titans are made of after this game.

NOTES:

TITANS: Seek 4th consecutive win…In past 2, QB MATT HASSELBECK has 5 TDs vs. 1 INT & 119 passer rating. Hasselbeck aims for 5th consecutive game with 100+ passer rating. Has 8 TD passes this season – his most in 1st 4 games of any of his 11 seasons as starting NFL QB…RB CHRIS JOHNSON (101 yards) record 25th career game with 100+ rush yards last week. Johnson (5,907) needs 93 scrimmage yards to reach 6,000 career…WR NATE WASHINGTON spent 4 seasons (2005-08) with Steelers…TE JARED COOK had career-long 80-yard TD rec. last week – longest TD catch by Titans/Oilers TE sinceWILLIE FRAZIER on 11/6/64 (80). TE CRAIG STEVENS posted 1st TD catch in ’11 last week…Defense allows NFL-low 14 points per game in ’11…LB BARRETT RUUD leads team with 27 tackles…DE DERRICK MORGAN has sack in 2 of past 3…Rookie LB AKEEM AYERS (2nd round, No. 39) recorded 1st career sack last week...S JORDAN BABINEAUX had 97-yard INT-TD return last week, 3rd-longest in franchise history…STEELERS: Club has won 4 of past 5 at home…In 3 career games vs. Titans, QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER is 2-1 & has completed 67 of 93 passes (72 pct.) for 910 yards with 5 TDs & 102.9 passer rating. Roethlisberger has 18-7 (.720) record as starter in Oct…RB RASHARD MENDENHALL has 6 rush TDs in past 7 games…WR HINES WARD (11,838) needs 67 rec. yards to surpass HOFerMICHAEL IRVIN (11,834) for 19th-most in NFL history. Has 100+ rec. yards (109, 103) in 2 of past 3 vs. Titans. WR MIKE WALLACE averages 113.5 rec. yards per game this season (454 total). Aims for 4th consecutive game with 100+ yards at home (102, 104, 126). 11 of WR ANTONIO BROWN’s 15 rec. have been for 1st downs (73.3 pct.) this season…TE HEATH MILLER (298) needs 2 catches to become 1st Pit. TE with 300 career…Defense allows 277 yards per game, 2nd-lowest in NFL this season (BENGALS, 275.5)…In last game vs. Ten., LB JAMES HARRISON had 2 sacks, 2 FFs & FR…S TROY POLAMALUhas 3 INTs in 5 career games vs. Titans

James Harrison: Diary of an angry NFL player.

http://www.mensjournal.com/jamesharrison

I don’t know about you but I know James Harrison is ready to play some football. This man is angry and since he can’t hit any one any time soon he took his shots at various targets through the media. The 2008 defensive player of the year didn’t bite his tongue as he ripped the commish Roger Goddell and even his own teammates Ben Roethelisberger and Rashard Medenhall. Harrison was featured in the Men’s Journal magazine and who ever booked him should get a raise for conducting the best interview of the year so far. Here are a few excerpts from Harrison’s article:

On Roger Goddell: If that man was on fire and I had to piss to put him out, I wouldn't do it," Harrison told the magazine. "I hate him and will never respect him."

If the Steelers had won Super Bowl Harrison stated he would say the following to Goddell: "Why don't you quit and do something else, like start your own league in flag football?"

On Ben Rothislisberger: “Stop trying to act like Peyton Manning. You ain’t that. You just get paid like him.”



On Rashard Mendenhall: “He is a fumble machine.”

In a word, wow is all I can say.  Not only did Harrison let it all out on the most powerful man in the NFL but he also threw his own teammates under the bus. He also called Goddell a number of other things including an anti-gay slur, stupid, puppet and dictator. If you can’t tell by now, Harrison has a serious dislike for the commish. He didn’t limit himself to just those few either, as he took on ESPN and NBC commentators Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison calling them clowns. He then called out Houston Texan linebacker Brian Cushing saying he was “Juiced out of his mind.”  Twitter has blown up over the comments of Harrison. I had to join in on the coversation (@Los2112) as the question was asked who was tougher Ray Lewis or James Harrison (I picked Harrison by the way)? Harrison seems to be upset with all of the fines that have been directed his way in light of the leagues new stance of hard hits. He even played the race card by saying he thinks black players are punished more severely than white players for those hard hits. Wait, what?

This man needs to get on the field and vent some of frustrations because they are clearly getting the best of him at this point. The most obscene part is that Harrison’s Super Bowl performance was horrible as he recorded only 1 tackle as the Steelers D allowed Aaron Rodgers to carve them up. Rodgers was 24/39 304 yards and 2 touchdowns and that doesn’t even include the 7 or 8 balls his receivers dropped. I don’t know maybe Harrison is trying to run himself out of town by going in on his own teammates and the Rooney’s right hand man Goddell. Harrison will be the guest on Sportcenter at 5 pm CST today so make sure to tune in for his follow up and for the full article click here: http://www.mensjournal.com/jamesharrison. If we know one thing about Harrison it’s that he doesn’t mince his words for anybody. 

Photo credits: Men's Journal Magazine

Super Bowl Finale Prediciton

After countless reading and observing about the spectacle that is Super Bowl XLV, I believe the time has come for my Super Bowl prediction. But before I can do that, we have to take a look at the breakdown of both teams and who has the edge in certain categories including offense, defense, coaching, special teams and intangibles. Pittsburgh and Green Bay match-up well on paper as both are 1st and 2nd respectively in per allowed per game and also 2nd and 5th in total defense. Troy Polamalu of the Steelers won defensive player of the year with the Packers Clay Matthews coming in second and not to mention their dueling hair personality’s battle as well.

Now for the breakdowns:



Offense:

The Pack’s offense has been on attack entering this game. Aaron Rodgers has just been everything you ask for from a QB. He is able to make throws from anywhere in the pocket and also on the move. He is one of more mobile QB’s in the league and with the Packers explosive receiving corps featuring Greg Jennings, Donald Driver and Jerome James, he is able to make plays at will. Couple that with the fact that these guys now have running game thanks to rookie James Starks and you have a dynamic offense capable of putting up points on anybody. Even though the Steelers have probably the best D in the league, I fully expect Rodgers and company to move the ball on them.

The Steelers on the other hand also have one of the better offenses in the league as well. Ben Roethlisberger extends plays better than anyone in the league at his position. How many times can you remember watching a Steelers game and saying that the opposing defense just can’t get Big Ben down? He may not be your prototypical QB a la Peyton Manning or Tom Brady but Roethlisberger is a proven winner and you should want a guy on your team like that. Reshard Mendenhall had maybe his best game as a pro in the AFC championship game against the Jets. He 121 yards rushing on 27 carries and gave great balance to the offense. The Steelers also have an underrated and speedy receiving quartet led by one of the fastest men in the league in Mike Wallace. Wallace along with Emmaunel Sanders and Antonio Brown form probably the fastest ever receiving tandem in Steelers history and don’t forget about Heath Miller coming over the middle as he is the security blanket for Big Ben.

Edge: Packers

Defense: The Packers defense under Dom Capers is one of the best at mixing up their blitz packages and bringing heat off the corners. Charles Woodson was last year’s defensive player of the year and has the versatility to cover as well as blitz from his position. Tramon Williams is becoming a shut down corner as of late and gives Capers flexibility to be able call all of those blitz packages. Clay Matthews is just a beast coming off the edge as an outside linebacker and will command a double team most of the game. Even when you double team Matthews, he still will make plays. This guys motor never stops running. Anybody that pours water on their head in subfreezing temperatures as Matthews does is crazy. Sam Shields has been a pleasant surprise in the secondary Green Bay as his two interception game in the NFC conference championship proved. He adds to the confusion on the defense on the Packers as you don’t want to test him to many times either.

The Steelers have the most formidable defense in the league. They are the bullies in a league full of bullies. You can’t start a conversation about the Steelers D without first speaking about all-world safety Troy Polamalu. I’ve been noted as saying that he is the Steelers most valuable player, more valuable then even Roethlisberger. He can cover and stuff the run. His instincts are bar none as he makes at least one or two big plays a game. The offense always has to know where number 43 is. James Harrison is a ferocious linebacker known for big hits and big fines. Do not I repeat do not come over the middle while this man is roaming around because you will pay for it dearly, just ask Mohammed Massaquoi. Lamar Woodley holds down the other side of the linebacking core and is more of a pass rushing player. He is able to get to QB as good as anybody. Polamalu’s partner in crime at safety is Ryan Clark and he is a ball-hawk known for big plays as well. As you can see, the Steelers defense has playmakers all over the field.

Edge: Steelers

Coaching:

Mike McCarthy is making his first Super Bowl appearance and you know that means a few jitters but that doesn’t mean much besides that. Sean Payton appeared in his Super Bowl last year and won and even Mike Tomlin got it done in his first appearance two years ago. McCarthy has seen over the development of Aaron Rodgers and also the departure of Brett Favre. He has endured the whole saga with a humility and even-keeled nature not seen by much. McCarthy grew up in Pittsburgh while the legendary Chuck Noll was roaming sidelines and it shows in McCarthy. Both men are very stoic in nature and don’t show any emotions while coaching. That is probably the best quality about McCarthy.

Mike Tomlin can be described as opposite of McCarthy. You will see him getting into his players on the sidelines and also very demonstrative when he engaged with the refs. The players seem to feed off his energy. I guess when your one of the youngest coaches in league not to mention the youngest to win a Super Bowl, its makes it that much easier to move around on the sidelines. Tomlin is one of the most comical men in a press conference. His answers are always straightforward, honest and to the point. His teams stay true to their Pittsburgh tradition as they are big, strong and physical teams. He has proved he is able to handle the big stage as he already has one Super Bowl ring. That is the only reason I will give him the edge in this category over McCarthy because there is no way of simulating what the biggest game of your life is like until you have participated in one. Tomlin looks just like this actor to me as well which makes it funny every time I see him http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=mike+tomlin&view=detail&id=A4815F5924047CBBCFBA177F104C8611D81AF30B&first=1&FORM=IDFRIR&qpvt=mike+tomlin

Edge: Steelers




Special Teams:

In a game that is evenly matched as this one, they usually come down to one big play or special team play. The Packers have one of the best kickers in football with Mason Crosby. The guy doesn’t miss much and has +50 yards range. He is a definite plus to have in a game of this magnitude. Rookie James Starks and veteran Charles Woodson handle the kick off returning duties for the Packers and are decent in that aspect.



The Steelers cut their long time kicking ace Jeff Reed mid-season after he missed seven of 22 attempts overall, including all four between the 40- and 49-yard lines. He was 4 of 9 at Heinz Field, where swirling winds and mushy grass make kicking difficult. He was replaced by Shaun Suisham the former Washington Redskin kicker. Suisham has been solid in the postseason as he has made all of his field goal attempts but he was always shaky in Washington. The kick-off return tandem of Antwaan Randle El and Antonio Brown is respectable but nothing spectacular.



Edge: Green Bay



Intangibles:

The Packers were among the worst hit team for injuries this year as they had to overcome. The list includes some of their key contributors in starting TE Jermichael Finley, Starting RB Ryan Grant and Starting LB Nick Barnett. All of these players are vital to the Packers but some kind of way GM Ted Thompson and HC Mike McCarthy continue to plug the holes so they don’t sink the ship. That shows resiliency not only by the front office but for the players as well as the backups have come in and held the team steady throughout the season. Aaron Rodgers, Charles Woodson, and Clay Matthews provide leadership and their even-keeled coach keeps them at an even pace not to get too high or too low in any series of events

The Steelers had to endure the Big Ben saga that seemed to take over the summer and also losing him for the first quarter of the season. Charlie Batch came in and played admirably and led them to a 4-1 record over that span. This team probably is the toughest mentally you will ever come across. Remember in the AFC divisional round when they were down 21-7 to the Ravens and all hope seemed lost? Remember when the Pats blasted them at home and everybody jumped off the bandwagon? I do, and every time this team faced some type of adversity they have resoundingly taken care of business. This is a team that is used to winning so this won’t to big of a stage for them to handle. Mike Tomlin is a tough minded coach who doesn’t concern himself with nothing other than winning football games.

Edge: Steelers

This should be an epic game featuring two of the storied franchises in the NFL. Both teams have an already decorated trophy case and would like to add to their accomplishments. It’s sad that this is the last game of the season and maybe even beyond that with the cloud of uncertainty surrounding the upcoming labor dispute between the owners and players. So everyone should enjoy this game. Call over you family and friends and forget about all of life’s everyday problems and enjoy America’s game for one evening. Enjoy the lavish accommodations that Jerry Jones has bestowed upon us for this grand finale to the season rather if your swinging your terrible towel or wearing your cheesehead. So with all that being said here is my prediction

Steelers 28 Packers 24