Sportaholic NFL Power Rankings Week 2

Although the Monday night game was a bit of dud (Seem like the Rams forgot they were on national T.V. at moments), the 2nd week of the season was still unpredictable and no less exciting. Atlanta and Matt Ryan finally exorcised the demons of the dirty birds as they defeated the concussed Mike Vick (What a way to suffer your first concussion) and the Philadelphia Eagles in a thriller of a Sunday night game. Tom Brady was at it again winging it all over field against the Chargers, who can never seem to beat the Pats. Speaking of winging it, how about that Cam Newton? 854 yards passing in two games, who said this guy wouldn’t be an accurate thrower in the league? I’m so happy about this turn of events because I picked him up in one of fantasy leagues at the last minute to replace Peyton Manning and has he ever paid off on that investment. Tony Romo went from spineless and no chances of ever winning anything of importance to tough as nails and on his way to the top all in a span of one week after his cracked rib-punctured lung performance against San Francisco. No matter if you like him or not, you have to give him a lot of credit for coming back out and continuing to take a pounding with that injury. Yet another great weekend of games and now its time to unveil the power rankings, as a lot has changed from last week.

1. New England (2-0) – The Patriots offense is just a machine. Tom Brady and Bill Belicheck continue to invent new schemes and systems on that side of the ball and no one in league has caught up with the two. The two tight end sets are nothing new really but the Pats have two of the most versatile in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez (Who will be out for a couple of weeks with an injury) that allows them to do so many things in the passing game. 940 yards in two games is what Brady has done so far and of course he will only get better as the season goes on. Was there anything funnier than seeing big Vince Woolfork rumbling and stumbling after picking off Phillip Rivers screen pass? Not in my opinion and it goes to show how agile he is to weigh over 350 pounds. The Pats defense is improved from last year as they seem to be getting more pressure on the QB, which was one of their biggest weaknesses over the past two seasons. Where in the world of twitter is Chad Ochocinco? He hasn’t done anything of note so far with his new team and just seems to be in awe (Much to the chagrin of Tedy Bruschi). The only real question for New England is what they will do in the playoffs because they always run through the regular season.

2. Green Bay Packers (2-0) - No one on the Packers knew what to expect going against the freakishly athletic Cam Newton. I watched him all last season at Auburn and it seemed that he got better and better each game. So coming off his 422 passing yard game against the Cardinals, even I didn’t know what to expect. He was at it again yet this time on the vaunted Packers D. Charles Woodson made a couple of spectacular plays on the ball s he picked off Newton twice. Aaron Rodgers did his usual throwing for a “quite” 308 yards and 2 TDs in the victory. The Pack continued to show why they have the best aerial attack in all of football. Every one of their receivers seems to be great at getting more yards after the catch. Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are just the two latest additions in the realm. The Packers seem to be giving up a lot of points these days but no one cares as long as their winning. They get key stops when they need to, but you don’t always want to put your defense in such a tough.

3. New York Jets (2-0) – Even though those NY Titans jerseys are butt ugly, the Jets are still one of the top two teams in the AFC right now. New York just demolished the down and out Jaguars (They looked so good against the Titans last week and then just laid a dud this week). The Jets defense forced 4 interceptions from Luke “Soon to be demoted” McCown as he finished 6/19 for 58 yards and a QB rating of 1.8. This was one was over before you even got comfortable to watch as the Jets pounded the Jags. Mark Sanchez had a decent game but he threw two Ints. He is always the largest question facing the Jets and has been since he was drafted by them. He holds the key to their season the Jets as always. That defense is just as good as has been every year under Sexy Rexy.

4. Baltimore Ravens (1-1) – Yes, they laid a stinker of a game in Nashville this weekend, I know but this is still a very good team. For some reason it doesn’t seem like they had the intensity that the Ravens usually play with. For starters the offense couldn’t get anything going and looked sluggish at best all game. I wrote that if Tennessee was going to win that game then they would have to be just as physical if not more than the Ravens at the point of attack and they were as Baltimore seemed disinterested in this one. Allowing Matt Hasselbeck to throw for 358 yards is another thing as he, Kenny Britt, and Nate Washington seemed to be playing pitch and catch the whole game. It’s understandable that the Ravens wouldn’t be as motivated as they were to play against their arch rival Pittsburgh but they at least have to show up and play a little inspired. I won’t get to over zealous on the victory over the Steelers and vice versa for their loss to the Titans.

5. Detroit and Buffalo (2-0) – Why not show a little love to two of the most cursed franchises in all of football? This may be the only time we get to rank and talk about the Lions and Bills so I will take full advantage of it. The Lions look for real as their offense is moving the ball effortlessly on teams. Calvin Johnson or Megatron as he likes to be called is a candidate for breakout player of the year as he and Matt Stafford have rekindled their connection from the last time Stafford was injured. That defense line is ferocious with the likes of Ndaumakong Suh and Kyle Vanden Bosch. And they still get Nick Fairley back later this season. They have a chance to make a decent run at the playoffs this year. The Buffalo Bills have one of the most explosive offenses in the league right now. Harvard grad Ryan Fitzpatrick leads the rag tag bunch of players on that side of the ball. Most of those guys were no names coming into league from RB Fred Jackson to WR Stevie Johnson and yet they find a way to put up points each week. When they hired old face Chan Gailey, I just shook my head and said typical Bills hire, but he has sparked and revolutionized their offense. I was thoroughly impressed with all the shifts and movement they showed against the Raiders. They will get tested early and often against the Pats next week so their stay in the top 5 may be short lived, but honestly did anyone think that the Bills would be 2-0 and more relevant than the Colts who are 0-2 at this point? Peyton Manning should win the MVP this by not playing as you can see the difference he makes on that team.

Offensive player of the week: Tom Brady – I resisted the temptation last week of giving this honor to the “Golden Boy” but I caved in this week (Jim you was right, he will get a lot this year from the looks of it.). The man is just unstoppable right now as he went 31/40 for 423 yards and 4 TDs on San Diego. He just doesn’t make mistakes and preys off of the defenses when they do. He just manipulates the pre-snap so much that teams have no choice but to wait to the last minute to show their hand. If you do show your hand as Miami repeatedly did in the first MNF game, he will throw for 517 yards on you. He is the ultimate weapon. He doesn’t care if your hurt on the opposing team as a matter of fact that gives him even more reason to go after you. Brady is cut throat and as much as I hate the Pats, I can respect that from Brady.

Defensive Player of the Week: Charles Woodson – No one should be making the type of plays that Woodson is making at age 35. He still has IT and seems to be still in his prime. As I stated above, Woodson’s first pick of Cam Newton was picture perfect as he waited until the last minute to jump the route. His playmaking ability is amazing in the secondary. He still has all the instincts of a man half his age and you have game plan around him because he will absolutely destroy your offense if you don’t. He is the leader on defense for the Packers as much as everyone has ordained Clay Matthews. Woodson in my opinion is a bona fide first ballot Hall of Famer.

Sportaholic NFL Power Rankings Week 17: Holidays Edition

Tis the season for playoffs positioning in NFL. The Saints victory over Atlanta on MNF wasn’t of much importance except maybe in the mental department for New Orleans. The Saints finally looked poised and ready to make a run in the NFC, which will be wide open this year. I really think any of the teams that make the playoffs in that conference could run the table. The AFC playoffs spots are all but wrapped up with the only real drama being in the AFC South as Indianapolis and some QB you might have heard of try to make it in the for the ninth consecutive time.




However, this will go down as one of the most interesting year in recent memory as far as surprise teams and the highly unlikely. Who pegged Chicago with Jay “The Rifleman” Cutler as the NFC North champs outside of the windy city? Who would have thought that Michael Vick would be doing his best Steve Young impersonation and take the spot of Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb? Didn’t everyone think Washington would be a little more competitive? We’re not going to even talk about Tennessee’s yo-yo season and acquiring Randy Moss just to have him play decoy in an already boring offense. Brett Favre whole career and life’s work culminated this season (I think better yet I know he wishes he stayed down Mississippi), the NFC West is a complete joke as it stands with Sam Bradford being the best QB already. Peyton Manning looked like Joey Harrington for a stretch but returned to his sheriff duties here lately. The most consistent team this year has been New England of course with the hoodie roaming the sidelines and Brady handling the QB spot with such precision. These guys know how to win games no matter the situation, circumstances, or forces of nature that come against them. All of this in one season as the lockout looms over the league like a storm cloud ready to let loose its fury onto the fans like you and me.



Uncertainty should the name of the game in the NFL this year but enough already with the small talk, time to get down to business and rank the top 5.

1. New England Patriots – Can’t really earn anything from beating the Bills. That’s like beating up your kid brother. If you lose everyone calls you out for losing to your little brother and if you win no one cares because you should be able to beat your little brother up. The Pats close out the season with reeling Miami (losing to the Lions? Come on Dolphins) so don’t look for leading Pro Bowl vote recipient and contending MVP candidate Tom Brady to play long. The Pats already have the top seed in the AFC locked up.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) – The Steel city men did exactly what they needed to do against an inferior opponent in Carolina; they won the game and escaped with no major injuries. Troy Polamalu is expected to be at practice this week which is a good sign. All Pittsburgh has to do to lock up the number 2 seed and a first round bye is beat the Browns. All signs point to a win in that game.

3. Chicago Bears (11-4) – I have been waiting all year for the implosion of Jay Cutler. It looked as if it was finally was taking place at Solider field this Sunday when Cutler threw a pick six in the second quarter. Cutler quickly rebounded though in the third with 3 touchdown passes and when they get Matt Forte involved the way they did (113 yards on 19 carries and 4 receptions for 56 yards) they are a tough out for anyone. Big showdown with Green Bay this Sunday. I love the way Lovie Smith is approaching the game with his arch rival as he said he intends to play his starters. Green Bay needs the win to get into the playoffs so this should make for a very entertaining game. Tune in folks.

4. New Orleans Saints (11-4) – The Saints made notice that they are still the defending Super Bowl champs as they took down the Falcons. Drew Brees didn’t have his best game as he threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter including a pick six, but was bailed out by his defense this time. The opportunistic defense that was so valuable to their run to the Super Bowl last year caused Atl to fumble twice and that was the Falcons first turnovers in their last seven games. What this win does is more in the psychological than anything else as this was a potential playoff match-up in the making. The Falcons showed they are vulnerable and can be beat and the Saints showed their championship resiliency. So much for smack talking tweets huh Roddy White? He finished with 3 catches for 46 yards and a touchdown. The mojo must have been put on him.

5. Philadelphia Eagles (10-5) This was a hard decision to place them this high as I could have went with Atl, Baltimore, Green Bay or even the Jets. I know I will get a lot of slack for putting them this high after that dismal performance last night, but I wouldn’t put much into that game. For one, the scheduling fiasco probably took off any edge they had going into this game playing in a half empty Lincoln Financial stadium on a Tuesday. For two, they haven’t seen much game film of Joe Webb (although that isn’t saying much) and for three, Leslie Frazier is a former Def backs coach for them so he knew their offensive scheme. Even with that being said though, the Eagles should have displayed a better offensive game plan. They couldn’t stop a simple cornerback blitz either as Antoine Winfield was basically in the backfield all game and that came back to doom Philly as he stripped sacked Vick and returned it for a score. They also need to show at least a threat of a run game to take some of the pressure off of Vick. However, even with such a bad loss, the Eagles are still the most exciting team in the league. In the NFC I would take them over all of the contenders including the Saints, Falcons, Bears and Packers and that’s why I have them in this slot. As long as they can protect Vick (which they didn’t do last night) they can beat anybody with that offense.

Other News and Notables:

Another week, another coach gets the ax: This time it was Mike Singletary of San Francisco and this was probably long overdue (Why do I find myself saying this about every coach that gets fired?). Singletary is the embodiment of a great player and bad coach. He has the passion for the game but not the management nor patience for it in the coaching sense. He played yo-yo with his QBs all season long as he flipped from one Smith to another in Troy and Alex Smith. He showed terrible clock management in games as he burned all three of timeouts in one quarter of a game earlier this year. He even got into a heated exchange with a local sports personality on the radio. When you add up all those incidents and the 5-10 record then it was finally time to take him out his own misery. The last straw had to be the ugly argument he had in plain view with Troy Smith. Coaches and QBs shouldn’t be arguing and almost coming to blows on the sidelines. He makes the fourth coach this year that has been shown the door and most definitely won’t be the last. The reported hot seat of coaches include: Gary Kubiak, Jeff Fisher, Tom Couglin, John Fox, Marvin Lewis, Eric Mangini, and Tony Sparano. Look for a lot of movement this off-season in the coaching ranks.

MVP Countdown:

1. Tom Brady – Brady all but wrapped up the honors last night after his only real competitor Michael Vick faltered against the Vikings. Brady has been nothing short of Spectacular this year as he has now thrown 319 straight passes without an interception (Breaking Bernie Kosar’s NFL record) as everyone knows by now. Brady was near perfect in New England’s biggest games this year. Against the likes of Pittsburgh, New York Jets (twice), Baltimore, Indianapolis, Chicago and Green Bay Brady was an astonishing 140/215 in completions, threw for 1748 yards with 14 touchdowns to 2 interceptions and stupefying QB rating of 113.8. If you take away the first Jets game the QB rating jumps to 122.4. Talk about rising to the level of your opponents.

2. Michael Vick – Vick’s performance last night was mediocre at best. The Vikings blitzed, blitzed, and blitzed some more. The Giants used this same tactic against Vick and it worked for three quarters until Vick remembered how fast he was and began burning the Giants with his scrambles. That is what makes him so dangerous. He can read and scope your defense in the passing game and when that break down he can burn you with his 4.3 speed. I do look for more teams to follow the blitzing model that the Vikes did last night. It seemed to slow him down and he was noticeably limping after the game. His offensive line HAS to do a better job of protecting him. Tom Brady has been more consistent but no one turns away from the T.V. when Vick is playing. What a remarkable turnaround. I always said if this guy could combine his athleticism with a good pocket passing game he would revolutionize the position and he is now doing it.

3. Matt Ryan – Ryan had a real chance at making some noise Monday night against the Saints but didn’t show much on the national stage. He still is having a sensational year for a guy who only in his 3rd year but if you want to win an MVP, you have to show up when the lights are brightest. He has solid numbers throwing for 3,469 yards 26 touchdowns to only 9 interceptions. Good enough to be in the discussion but not good enough to win the race.

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.