Sportaholic AFC-NFC Championship Game Rountable

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

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



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



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

AFC Championship: New England Patriots vs. Baltimore Ravens

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

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



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

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

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



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



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



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

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



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



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



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



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

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



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



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



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



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







5. Who wins the game and why?



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



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



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

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

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

1. How do the 49ers stop Eli Manning?

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



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



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

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






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

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



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

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

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



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



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



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



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

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








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



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



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



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



5. Who wins and why?


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



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



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



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

Sportaholic Power Rankings Week 6

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sportaholic 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.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Tennessee Titans Preview:

                   

The Tennessee Titans are coming off of one more disappointing season opener in recent memory. This was supposed to be the beginning of a new era as a plethora of new faces has littered the Titans team this year. All the way up from new head coach Mike Munchak down to new QBs Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker, there was a new outlook in the air for this team. They even got Pro Bowl running back Chris Johnson back into the fray just in time for the first game of the season. The expectations were even higher against a Jacksonville team that just cut their starting QB David Garrard. You would think that with all the circumstances and excitement surrounding Tennessee that the Titans would come out on top of their game to prove their merit, however the exact opposite happened.

The Titans came out flat and put on a less then desirable performance. Jacksonville just destroyed Tennessee at the line of scrimmage and dictated their run game on the defense. Maurice Drew-Jones had 24 carries for 97 yards and a touchdown and really wore down the defense. The Titans finally woke up in the 3rd quarter to make it a game and eventually had a chance to win but an errant throw by the recently acquired Matt Hasselbeck intended for Kenny Britt was intercepted and the Titans saw their chances of winning the season opener come to an end.

Now the Titans welcome the bullies of Baltimore to town as they are fresh off their annihilation of the Super Bowl runner up Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens just dominated their arch rival Steelers in every conceivable way. The 35-7 victory was maybe the most unexpected outcome of the first week as most who know football know that a Ravens-Steelers game is usually a grind it out low scoring affair. The Ravens forced a team record seven turnovers including 3 interceptions from usually clutch QB Ben Roethlisberger. Baltimore more than controlled the line play in the game as they ran for 170 yards (Ray Rice 19 carries 107 yards 1 TD) and held the reliable Pittsburgh run game to just 66 yards on the ground. The Ravens just wreaked havoc all over the field with their play-makers as Terrell Suggs had three sacks, Ed Reed had two interceptions, Ray Lewis had one pick and a forced fumble and Haloti Ngata’s bruising hit on Rashard Mendenhall forced another fumble.



The Titans will definitely have their hands full with this Ravens team there is not doubt about that. Chris Johnson only ran for 24 yards on 9 carries as he looks to get back into the game flow after his extended contract dispute. There is also that little rivalry thing that Tennessee and Baltimore games carry. The all-time series record is tied 8-8. These two teams last faced each other in the 2009 playoffs as the Ravens defeated the Titans 13-10 in the divisional round. “It really doesn't have any carryover. That was two years ago. I'm just trying to win a game.” Said Titans running back Chris Johnson who knows that the Ravens came at him from every direction that game. Some even say that the Ravens tried to hurt him in the playoff game that year. If they were trying to harm him, then they were successful as Johnson was forced to leave the game after sustaining an ankle injury.

Even with all that has been said, the Titans have a chance to win this game. Let’s take a look at three key factors in the game.

1. Can the Titans match the Ravens physicality? That usually is the question any team faces when they take on the Ravens. Pittsburgh, in many people’s opinion are crowned the most physical team in the league and we saw what the Baltimore did to them. The Ravens defense is just nasty and they will torment you if you allow them to. Ray Lewis is the unquestioned leader of the group but when you have Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, and Haloti Ngata, you have a cast of brutes willing and ready to take out the Titans. Tennessee has to match their intensity in order to compete in this one. Rather it be a bruising run or a beastly block, the Titans have to show they are not intimidated by Baltimore. They always say to beat the bully you have to become the bully and we will find out what the Titans are in this game.

2. Will the real Chris Johnson stand up: He is what they call their home-run hitter,” Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said. “He is their offense, he’s their heartbeat. And if you look at what they did last weekend … you’ve got to know that he’s definitely going to touch the football a lot this week. And we’re prepared for it. CJ2k didn’t get off to best start last week which is what I expected after the long endearing contract dispute. You can run all the drills you want to in the gym or even out of the field, but there is no way you are simulating game speed and hits without actually being at practice. Johnson also is the highest paid running back in the league now so he is placed on a pedestal to be the ultimate game changer for an otherwise vanilla offensive group. The Titans need Johnson to be everything in the offense, especially against such a talented defense. The Ravens game plan will center on stopping him anyway they can. Johnson has to be up to the task and accept that the Ravens will more than likely take some cheap shots at him when they can. He will be the key player for the Titans but that is no surprise. Is Johnson up to the task? Only time will tell.

3. Are the Titans able to stop the Ravens ground game? Tennessee was gashed repeatedly by Jacksonville on the ground last week. They are in for the same type of game against Baltimore. The Titans simply can’t allow they Ravens run game to get going because if they do it will lead to play-action play calling for Joe Flacco who will carve up the secondary in that case. The defensive front seven has to show up and make key stops when needed. That means guys like Dave Ball, William Hayes, Shaun Smith, Akeem Ayers, Barrett Rudd, and Will Witherspoon are on notice. The Titans received some good news as well that defensive linemen Derrick Morgan and William Hayes should be able to play. If they are lacking motivation all they have to do is look at last week’s game film. This in my opinion is the most important factor in the entire game. Make Joe Flacco beat you with his arm because if you allow the Ravens to bulldoze the defense then Baltimore will chew you up and spit you out. The Titans defense has heard all off-season and even more after the Jacksonville game that they are the weak link to this team. It’s time for them to rise up and show what they are made of because they will surely tested by this Ravens team.

NOTES

RAVENS: Since ’10, club has 9-2 record when scoring 20+ points…Ravens have won 6 of past 7 vs. AFC…QB JOE FLACCO passed for 3 TDs for 6th time of career last week & Ravens are 5-1 in such games. Ravens are 18-2 (.900) when Flacco has 100+ passer rating…RB RAY RICE posted 8th career 100-yard rush game last week (107). For career, Rice averages 102.0 scrimmage yards per game (4,693 in 46 games)…RB RICKY WILLIAMS averaged 5.3 yards per carry in Bal. debut last week (12 att., 63 yards)…WR ANQUAN BOLDIN (911) needs 89 receiving yards to reach 1,000 career with Bal. WR LEE EVANS (5,934) needs 66 rec. yards for 6,000 career…TE ED DICKSON had career-best in catches (5) & rec. yards (59) last week…Ravens registered 7 turnovers vs. Steelers (4 FF, 3 INTs)…Ravens are 8-0 under JOHN HARBAUGH when posting 3+ INTs in game…S ED REED (1,463) needs 20 INT return yards to surpass HOFer ROD WOODSON (1,483) for most all-time. Now has 12 games with at least 2 INTs, most by any player who began career in Super Bowl era…LB TERRELL SUGGS (71.5) tied career-high with 3 sacks last week & surpassed PETER BOULWARE (70) for most sacks in Ravens history…TITANS: QB MATT HASSELBECK (29,842) needs 158 passing yards to reach 30,000 career. In 2 career games vs. Ravens, Hasselbeck has completed 41 of 68 passes (60.3 pct.) for 532 yards w/ 7 TDs vs. 2 INTs & 107.0 passer rating…RB CHRIS JOHNSON averages 92.1 rush yards per game in Sept., which is 5th-highest rushing-yards-per-game average in month in NFL history (min. 10 games). Johnson averages 103 rush yards per game at LP Field (2,472 total in 24 games)…WR KENNY BRITT posted 5th 100-yard receiving game last week with 136 yards. Tied career long with 80-yard TD rec. last week. WR NATE WASHINGTON (199) needs 1 catch to reach 200 career…LB BARRETT RUUD led team with 12 tackles in Titans debut…CB JASON MC COURTY posted 1st career sack last week...S MICHAEL GRIFFIN had INT in last meeting vs. Ravens

NFL: The Pre-season is over now it gets serious

Hello to everyone. You may not remember since I haven’t dropped a post in about two weeks. Just wanted to reintroduce myself, this is the Sportaholic himself. I have been caught up with my regular 9-5 as well as my yearly vacation and haven’t been able to write anything until now. And it was killing me on the inside to finally get to a computer and crank out another article. So I apologize to my regular viewers, I have and never will leave you guys. I also want to thank Taylor, Michael, Jim, Trenise and Ashley for picking up the slack for me in the mean time. The good news is that I am back and will be writing some thought provoking columns this week so make sure you check out the blog. Now back to original column:









And now it gets serious:

Players, coaches and fans have toiled through yet another pre-season and of course not without the disdain that we all have for it. Players barely play, coaches evaluate as much as they can and fans, well we just watch until its gets too boring for us to be honest. But now the real games are finally upon us and the pre-season is mercifully over. No more watching the game until the starters are replaced or until your favorite player is out of the game. No sir, not anymore as of this Thursday when New Orleans takes on Green Bay in the NFL’s newly anointed ritual of beginning the season with the previous Super Bowl champion. The table is now set after a miraculous new labor deal and a shortened free agent bonanza. All 32 teams finally have their roster’s set and will be ready to go come this Sunday. In a sport where the unexpected is always expected, this off-season was as unusual as there have ever been in the league. Teams have re-adjusted payroll, rosters, and expected revenues. This will be one of the most unforgettable season on record due to the circumstances and the fans all seem to understand that we almost lost our dear friend Mr. Football

We the fans can deal with all the comes with the chaos of the season, rather it be Chris Johnson’s holdout to Peyton’s Manning’s neck injury just as long as it has something to do with actual football on the field. As the season turns and the cold air blows in, it’s hard to imagine no football to follow. We can now look forward to a full game with every marquee player giving his all for the entire contest. Ray Lewis doesn’t have to give sideline interviews in the fourth quarter. Matt Cassel can finally play the whole game instead of the three series he has been limited to in the Chiefs pre-season games and maybe even Jim Irsay can chill out on all of the unnecessary tweeting he has been doing all summer long. Yes I watch college football and I love it but nothing on earth is like the sheer brillance of the NFL. I don't care about all of the stuff that has happend off the field just give me my football and give it to me now.

This season has been bubbling from the surface every since the labor deal was struck. This includes all of the personnel questions followed by all the team to team questions. Can the Pack Attack repeat? What will New England do to get their playoff magic back?  Is this Philly team for real? Will Peyton be ready for the beginning of the season and so on and so forth. .My personal favorite has been the upsurge in fantasy football heads who seem to worry more about their teams then the actual player who is producing the numbers for them. This all comes with the nature of the season. Its time to sit back relax and watch the most popular sport in America right now. No more labor talk, no more half played pre-season games and no more Rex Ryan Super Bowl promises. This is a good time to bring up Ray Lewis’s rant about how the crime rate would go up in the inner city without any football being played and now we don’t have to worry about that anymore. Its time for the real thing and after everything that has come between football and us watching and enjoying it, this should the lowest ever crime rate year ever recorded. Football is back baby so buckle up your seat belts and get ready for the ride, Football is back America.

Sportaholic NFL Power Rankings Week 10

After all the games on Sunday, I think the best performance came on Monday night. In the speed drill demolishing of the Washington Redskins 59-28, Micheal Vick was almost flawless. His stat line is mind-boggling, he completed his first 10 passes and finished 20 for 28 for 333 yards with four touchdowns. Vick also ran eight times for 80 yards and two scores and now and he also moved into second all-time for rushing yards by a QB. The numbers don't even do this game justice. This was a Monday night massacre. Most casual fans probably turned the channel by halftime. Vick and the Eagles were just dominant in every phase of the game.

Vick's pocket presence now is unbelievable. He throws with pinpoint accuracy in the pocket and on the move. Vick is the most dangerous weapon in the NFL right now. How do you stop a guy who runs in the 4.2, 4.3 range, can drop a pass into tight coverage, can throw on the run, and has playmakers like Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin? (Both have at least 4.3 speed, Jackson maybe 4.2) The answer to that question is you don't. And with the NFC wide open this year, the Eagles have as good a chance as any team to come out of the conference. Vick gives them a transcendent star, one that no one has ever seen on the football field. He has finally has combined his freak athleticism with the ability to read and dissect coverage. This is what everyone envisioned when he was drafted out of Virginia Tech. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned but after his jail sentence, it seems Vick has finally taken his game to the next level. NFL be on lookout because the ultimate weapon will be coming to a town near you.

Now for the power rankings:

1.New York Jets (7-2) - This is simply by default. The two teams I had ahead of them both loss. The Jets are just beating the teams they are suppose to, albeit if its closer than it should be. The Jets seem to lack focus at the beginning of game and turn it on in the end to win. You can do that with the likes of Detroit and Cleveland but you can't do that against good teams. Mark Sanchez has to be commended on his performance. He gutted out the win with a bad calf. Santanio Holmes's grab in OT was all about sheer will as he took it to the house. And Rex Ryan don't you ever do this again: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1011/did-you-see-that-1112/content.6.html

2.New England Patriots (7-2) - So they go and get clobbered by the Browns and turn around clobber the Steelers? That's just the kind of unpredictable year it has been in league. Tom Brady was just masterful against the Steelers D, going 30/43 for 350 yards and no INTS. You just don't see those type of numbers against Pittsburgh. It's the first time in a long time I actually felt sorry for them. Brady had it all working and was throwing lasers all over the field. The 19-yard TD pass to Rob Gronkowski pretty much summed up the night for the Steelers. Pittsburgh scored a few garbage time touchdowns but the game was never really in doubt. Brady and the hoodie just has the Steelers number.

3. Philadelphia Eagles (6-3) - That was just a scary good performance from the Eagles last night. They are the fastest team in the league and seem like they could field a track team if they wanted to. With Vick they are the best team in the NFC. Yeah, I said it. If their defense can at least give them decent play, I see no reason why that can't make a Super Bowl run.

4. Atlanta Falcons (7-2) Yet another team that I have been resisting to put in the rankings, but they showed in defeating my previously top ranked Baltimore Ravens, that have what it takes. Matt "Matty Ice" Ryan is the real deal. The guy is 17-2 at home and if they could find a way to get home-field advantage in the playoffs, they will definitely be a factor. Roddy White has finally stepped up on a consistent basis and is making his claim as one of the best receivers in the game. What is up with the NFC south division? Can't anyone win the division two straight years for once please? I'm looking at you New Orleans Saints.

5.Baltimore Ravens (6-3) - The top team from last week, the Ravens are a bit of an enigma to me. They have a offense that should be better than they have shown thus far. The defense still has that reputation of the last few years but that no longer needs to apply to them. As I watched the Thursday night game, I remember saying to myself "This isn't that great intimidating Ravens D anymore" Matt Ryan and Roddy White just undressed their secondary. Ed Reed can say they gave that one away all he wants, the fact of the matter is that the Ravens offense is now better than its defense. Just don't tell Ray Lewis I said that.

Other News and Notes from the around the league:

Its getting real Chilly in Minnesota - You could just tell this was going to be an epic fail of a game for the Vikings, and that's exactly how it turned out. After arguing and bickering the whole week, with anonymous sources saying the likes of " I hate playing for him" and the always popular " I know he doesn't have my back so why should I have his", the Vikings imploded on Sunday. The Vikes now stand at 3-6, as Brett looks older with each passing game and his body is breaking down in sections (Ankle, Jaw and now shoulder), Percy Harvin continues to have concussion and migraine issues, and the team has mutiny written all over it. What a sad waste of Brett last season. I just don't see how this team can make the playoffs with so much negativity surrounding them.

Garrett's great debut - So how bout them Cowboys? I've been wanting to say that all season and finally have a reason. Jason Garrett was handed the keys to the team and looks to have way more control than Wade "Aw Shucks" Phillips had. They actually played with a sense of urgency, something that has been on a milk carton in Dallas. I won't jump to far with this but to me it just goes to show you what good coaching and player accountability will do for your team. Garrett is demanding his players be great and expects nothing less from himself. He has to win at least 5 games in my opinion to have the interim title removed. All in all good win and Garrett now has as many wins as Phillips did this whole year.

The Jags get the last laugh - The funniest part about that Hail Mary pass is the way it was set-up for Jacksonville. It was just a bad series of events for the Texans. Houston took over the ball with 1:33 left in the game. Matt Schaub was able to get them down to the Jags 40 with 22 seconds left and he spiked the ball. This is the point where tight end Joel Dreessen made two critical mistakes that help set up the Jaguars' winning play. He was called for a false start that pushed the Texans back to their 45 and then Dreessen caught an eight-yard pass, and promptly fumbled.

If he doesn't fumble than the clock more than likely would have run out. The Texas would have been able to run a few more plays and at worst take it to overtime but as it stood the Jags got the ball on 34 yard line. Houston decided to play soft coverage and allowed an 11-yard pass to Marcedes Lewis. A (for lack of better word) stupid offsides penalty by the Texans Antonio Smith placed the ball at the midfield. From there David Garrard was able to launch a pass in the end zone and instead of catching the ball or batting it AWAY from the offensive player, Glover Quin knocks it right into the hands of Mike Thomas for the TD catch. End of game. The game was an important one too as it put the Jags ahead of the Texans in the division. What a way to lose.