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Green Bay Packers: Packers Need to Exploit Eagles' Weak Offensive Line

Going into today's NFC Wild Card game, the Green Bay Packers face the daunting task of beating the Philadelphia Eagles on the road. 

In two playoff appearances in Philly, the Packers have lost each time.  In order for them to finally win one in Philadelphia, the Packers will need to depend on their pass rush. 

If the Eagles have a weakness, it's in their offensive line.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer: "The Eagles gave up 49 sacks, fourth most. Vick built his Pro Bowl credentials early in the year by beating blitzes and making defenses pay, but the hits have taken a toll. He's committed nine turnovers in his last six games and did not react well to the Vikings' cornerback blitzes. He'll see more of the same from the Packers."

There's also plenty of inexperience in the Eagles secondary, who have given up a whopping 31 passing touchdowns, among the worst in the league.

With a gun-slinging quarterback in Aaron Rodgers and Pro Bowlers on defense, the Packers appear to have the perfect ingredients to give the Eagles a very tough matchup.

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Jamaal Charles: Chiefs RB Is AFC Wild Card Game's Leading Rusher

Jamaal Charles ended the regular season with a 6.4 YPC average, just .02 shy of the NFL record set by Jim Brown in 1963.

Despite sharing the workload in the Kansas City Chiefs backfield with Thomas Jones, Charles still found a way to maximize his rushing yards, given his shared carries.

In today's game against the Baltimore Ravens, Charles continues to be effective in short bursts.  Late in the third quarter with three minutes left to play, Charles has racked up 81 rushing yards on nine carries. 

Charles' longest run of the game came in the first quarter, when he ran for 41 yards and a touchdown.

The Chiefs' young running back is responsible for Kansas City's first and only touchdown so far in this game.

If the Chiefs stand a chance of coming back against the Ravens, they'll need Charles to come up with more magic on the ground.  Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel has already thrown two interceptions in the third quarter.

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Todd Heap: What's the Reason Behind Heap's Strong Play in AFC Game?

The answer is mental toughness and his strong belief in his faith.

Halfway through the third quarter of today's AFC Wild Card game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs, tight end Todd Heap has already proven that he's come out to play.

After the Ravens' last score (a 29-yard field goal by Billy Cundiff), Heap leads the team in targets with 10 and catches with seven.  The big tight end has also collected 81 receiving yards so far and has been a big reason why the Ravens have continued to successfully move the ball forward against the Chiefs.

Heap is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and one of four Mormons on the Ravens football team, per the Baltimore Sun.

"Heap doesn't smoke, drink or swear," wrote the Baltimore Sun. "'Gosh darn' are his naughtiest words. The tight end won't talk trash, but he'll take out the garbage without being asked. He doesn't carouse, like many teammates. Tattoos? You won't find one on Heap's 6-foot-5 frame."

"Todd leads a great life," said Haloti Ngata, defensive tackle for the Ravens. "When I came here, I looked up to him. I knew that if I followed him, I could have a great life in the NFL, and also at home."

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Carmelo Anthony is still a member of the Denver Nuggets—for how much longer we still don't know.

What we do know is that the Nuggets and New Jersey Nets are actively trying to broker a deal to move the star forward closer to his home state of New York with a trade.

But there's been several complications to a potential deal.

Earlier this weekend, there were reports that Chauncey Billups could now be involved in a potential deal and that the Detroit Pistons would also be a part of a three-way trade.

"But a source close to the situation subsequently told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard that the three-way deal in its proposed form—which would require the Pistons to take Nets center Johan Petro and surrender a first-round pick in addition to absorbing the expiring contract of Troy Murphy to the Pistons—is not amenable to Detroit," wrote ESPN's Marc Stein.

As for Billups he's also another complication.

According to a report by ESPN's Chris Sheridan, Billups' agent Andy Miller has said that his client doesn't want to leave Denver.  But if is dealt, would insist on a buyout.

"If he is traded, he'd want to be bought out so he could survey the landscape and re-evaluate what he wants to do going forward," Miller told ESPN.com. "We've had numerous conversations with the Nuggets—today was the latest, but we've had conversations throughout the entire season—where we've made it clear that Chauncey wants to remain a Nugget for the duration of his career."

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Ed Reed: Veteran Safety Reed Plays With Injured Ribs, Missing Brother

The Baltimore Ravens will need to rely on their veterans on defense in today's Wild Card AFC game against the Kansas City Chiefs and a big key in their secondary is veteran Ed Reed.

Reed, however, has had a very troubling weekend. 

His brother, Brian, was reportedly seen diving into the Mississippi River on Friday after trying elude police officers. 

Although there were some suspicions that Reed would choose not to play in today's football game while he awaits on any news about his brother, Reed elected to play.

"My brother loved football," Reed told ESPN's Rachel Nichols on Saturday. "He would want me to play."

According to the Baltimore Sun: "Police say that Brian Reed, of St. Rose, La., was trying to elude officers who stopped what they thought was a stolen car. His mother told reporters Friday that Brian has a history of drug and alcohol problems."

At halftime, Reed has racked up three solo tackles and leads the team in that category.

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John Fox: Headlines List of Coaches Denver Broncos Expects to Interview

John Fox, the man who has been the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, is expected to interview with the Denver Broncos on Monday, according to the Denver Post.

But he is just one of six head coaching candidates that are expected to interview with the Broncos about the vacant position left by the firing of Josh McDaniels.

Rick Dennison, offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans, Eric Studesville, interim head coach and Dirk Koetter, offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars are three offensive minds that rely heavily in their running game.

Meanwhile, Fox, New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams are all defensive minds that demand physicality and aggressiveness out of their defenses.

"We're definitely entertaining getting that defensive side fixed," said John Elway, the Broncos' football operations boss.

Denver this season was one of the worst team's at defending the run.  If they are to improve next season, their defense clearly needs to be attended to.

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Jamaal Charles: Chiefs RB Breaks Free From Ravens Defenders for 41-Yard TD Run

Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles scored the game's first touchdown with a 41-yard run near the end of the first quarter.

On the Chiefs' second possession of the game, Charles took the ball in a 2nd-and-5 situation.  Charles ran the ball up the middle through the defensive line, gave a little shoulder shake and ran right by Ray Lewis and the rest of the Ravens linebackers. 

He also then outran a pair of Ravens safeties, one of which was Ed Reed, and was home free to the end zone.

Reed, is battling sore ribs in today's matchup and he's also had to deal with the distraction that his 29-year-old brother is missing after reportedly diving into the Mississippi River.

The Chiefs have a strong offense and a great pair of running backs in Charles and Thomas Jones.  With injuries to the Baltimore defenders, today would be a great time to exploit them with a solid balance of pass and run.

It was the first touchdown of the game and after one quarter, the Chiefs lead 7-3.

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Les Miles: LSU Coach Expected to Meet Soon With Michigan Athletic Director

Les Miles, head coach of the LSU Tigers for the last six seasons, is reportedly interested in listening to what the Michigan Wolverines have to say and will meet soon with athletic director Dave Brandon about the head coaching position left open by Rich Rodriguez's departure, per ESPN.

According to ESPN: "One source close to Miles said a time and place has not been finalized. Another source said the coach would give LSU 24 hours notification before the interview and that had not occurred.

"Miles, a Michigan alum, would be interested in listening to athletic director Dave Brandon, one source close to him said."

On Saturday, LSU athletic director Joe Alleva released a statement to the media saying there have been no inquiries from Michigan.

"I have not been contacted by anyone from the University of Michigan about Les Miles," Alleva said. "Les Miles is LSU's head coach and we are going to do everything we can to keep it that way. He has had great success here and we plan to keep enjoying that success under his leadership."

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Aaron Rodgers: Can Packers Quarterback Be Effective Against Eagles Blitz?

The Green Bay Packers will be deploying a much different starting lineup today compared to the lineup they put up a year ago in the playoffs: There are 10 new starters on this team.

The reason for that is the surplus of injuries that the Packers have dealt with this season.

However, the one guy that's still around is their quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.

In today's big NFC Wild Card game, Rodgers is expecting to see a lot more pressure from Eagles defenders, and that's what the Packers are preparing for.

“I think they’re No. 2 in the league (in opponent’s) quarterback rating vs. pressure,” Packers head coach Mike McCarthy told the Green Bay Post Gazette. “I would definitely classify them as a pressure defense.”

If the Eagles do decide to blitz Rodgers, the quarterback is ready.  Rodgers is an excellent scrambler and can earn first downs with his feet by scrambling or make game-changing plays with his arm if he sees a blitz coming.

“Aaron Rodgers needs to be himself,” McCarthy said. “He’s established a brand of football at the quarterback position that’s pretty damn good, and I’m glad he’s our quarterback. His numbers have been phenomenal for his first three years (as a starter), and he needs to go out and play to the standard he has set.”

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Ravens vs. Chiefs: Can The Kansas City Chiefs Upend The Ravens?

The Chiefs will host the incoming Ravens today but they're expected to be the underdogs in today's matchup. 

With the Ravens' team loaded with veterans full of playoff experience, the Chiefs have an uphill battle ahead of them.

It's true, Matt Cassel could be the first Kansas City quarterback since Joe Montana but he and his teammates need to implement a good strategy to exploit the Ravens' weaknesses.

According to the Kansas City Star: "As good as Baltimore’s run defense is, teams can throw on the Ravens, particularly cornerback Josh Wilson."

“If they can get (receiver Dwayne) Bowe matched up on Wilson, and Bowe is as good as his recent numbers suggest he is, that should be a matchup Bowe should be able to exploit with great success,” statistics guru K.C. Joyner told the Star.

The other key for the Chiefs is their pass rush and their ability to force Joe Flacco into making bad decisions. 

“Kansas City’s defense is actually better at forcing bad decisions, which is not surprising because (defensive coordinator) Romeo Crennel is from that Belichick system of knowing how to force quarterbacks into making bad decisions,” Joyner said.

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Nnamdi Asomugha: Oakland Pro Bowl Cornerback's Contract Voided

Bad news Raiders fans, you just lost your head coach in Tom Cable and it now appears that you'll be losing your Pro Bowl cornerback as well.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter: "Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha's contract voided and he will be allowed to become a free agent without the Oakland Raiders being able to use their franchise tag on him, according to an NFL Players Association document."

Asomugha was heading into the final year of a three-year $45.3 million contract, he became the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history when he agreed to the deal.

Schefter writes that the "deal included a little-known clause that said his contract would void if he didn’t achieve his not-likely-to-be-earned incentives in 2010—and he didn't."

More importantly, it also "contained a stipulation that if he didn’t achieve his incentives, the Raiders would agree not to designate him their franchise or transition player."

Asomugha only played in 14 games this season and his contract required that he play in more defensive plays than last year's, where he played in all 16 games.

"He also could have achieved his incentives by improving upon on his interceptions, fumble recoveries or sacks this season—but he didn't have any interceptions, fumble recoveries or sacks this season," added Schefter.

Now the Pro Bowler is headed to free agency and instantly becomes the best corner available.  Think your team is interested?

If they are, they're going to have to wait until the new CBA is reached.

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Philadelphia Eagles: Are Eagles Likely to Fall Against Green Bay Packers?

Going into today's NFC showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers, the Eagles are the favorites in Las Vegas because of their explosive offense and home-field advantage. 

But there's still some concern for Eagles fans because of their last two losses, both coming against teams with losing record: the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys.

Also, there's concern that the Wild Card matchup for the Eagles and Packers falls in favor of Green Bay.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer: "An even more significant factor is the matchup. The Eagles struggle to protect the passer and defend the pass. The Packers have a fierce blitz and one of the best aerial attacks in the NFL."

But that's just one side of the story. 

Michael Vick's mobility at quarterback makes him the X-factor in this game.  The other statistic that deserves notice is the fact that the Packers give up a lot of yards per carry with a 4.7 YPC average.

This could translate into an opening for Vick and running back LeSean McCoy.

Whatever the result, this should definitely be a very entertaining football game.

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Top 50 Women on the Web: Are There Any Sports WAGs on the List?

The top 50 most popular women on the web are a big Internet trend today as COED magazine has put them all together on a list using statistics from Google.

There's also a pretender among them that's Justin Bieber.  That's right, the 16-year-old pop singer has been mistaken for a girl (probably because of his long hair).  Biebs ranks No. 7 on the list provided by COED.

Now that we're talking about popular women, the next important question here is: Are there any sports-related hotties on the list?

Of course there are!

There's on old school star on the list ranked No. 38, Marilyn Monroe, who was romantically linked to Yankees great Joe DiMaggio.

There's also Hilary Duff, a hockey wife, ranked No. 37.

Of course, reality television star and serial WAG Kim Kardashian is also on the list at No. 23.

Then we move on the Big Three (No.'s 5, 4 and 3).  They're three big pop stars: Rihanna, Beyonce and Madonna.

Rihanna has reportedly just broken up with Dodgers outfield Matt Kemp, Beyonce is married to Nets co-owner and music mogul Jay-Z and Madonna is believed to be an ex of Alex Rodriguez.

There you have, when there's beautiful and popular women, sports is also somehow involved.

Christina-Taylor Green: Granddaughter of Dallas Green Killed in Arizona Shooting

The nine-year-old that was shot in yesterday's shooting in Arizona is the granddaughter of Dallas Green, according to a report by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Dallas Green was the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies when they won the World Series in 1980.  The youngster, born on September 11, 2001, was described to have a passion for politics and sought to meet with congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords on Saturday.

According to the Arizona Star: "Christina-Taylor had just been elected to the student council at Mesa Verde Elementary School and had been interested in politics from a young age, her father, John Green, said Saturday night."

"She was a good speaker. I could have easily seen her as a politician," her father told the Star.

John Green has also been identified as a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"We lost a member of the Dodgers family today," owner Frank McCourt said in a statement. "The entire Dodgers organization is mourning the death of John's daughter Christina, and will do everything we can to support John, his wife Roxana and their son Dallas in the aftermath of this senseless tragedy. I spoke with John earlier today and expressed condolences on behalf of the entire Dodgers organization."

Dallas Green: 9-Year-Old Granddaughter Killed In Arizona Shooting

Yesterday's shooting at an Arizona grocery store took the the lives of six people; one of the victim's was nine-year-old Christina-Taylor Green, an aspiring politician.

The youngster was born on September 11, 2001, and wanted to meet Giffords on Saturday.  But her attempt to meet with a role model turned into a tragedy after a gunman opened fire and took her life. The congresswoman remains in critical condition after being shot in the head.

According to the Arizona Star: "Christina-Taylor had just been elected to the student council at Mesa Verde Elementary School and had been interested in politics from a young age, her father, John Green, said Saturday night."

"She was a good speaker. I could have easily seen her as a politician," her father told the Star.

John Green is a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers and is also the son of Dallas Green, former manager for the Philadelphia Phillies.  The older Green led the Phillies to a World Series title in 1980.

"We lost a member of the Dodgers family today," owner Frank McCourt said in a statement. "The entire Dodgers organization is mourning the death of John's daughter Christina, and will do everything we can to support John, his wife Roxana and their son Dallas in the aftermath of this senseless tragedy. I spoke with John earlier today and expressed condolences on behalf of the entire Dodgers organization."