Bleacher Report - Articles by Andrew Elterman

Terrell Owens Has Chance to Break Jerry Rice's Records

Andrew Elterman — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:46:05 -0400

This article might get me some negative feedback, but I'm going to stand by this.

I believe Terrell Owens will break Jerry Rice's record for receiving yards and touchdowns.

He is 8,793 Yards away from tying Rice's record and 58 touchdowns away from the receiving touchdowns record.

True, T.O. is up there in age (he’ll be 36 in December), but he takes incredible care of his body. I watched him in the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, this past weekend, and I couldn't believe how well the man has aged, he looks the same as he did 14 years ago when he played for the 49ers.

Some of you must remember that interview he gave back when he played with Philly, where he was doing crunches on the hot pavement of his home.

Now, for him to get to these records, he needs at least five more years to get the touchdown record, and six to get the yardage record. He has been the best receiver the past three years with 38 touchdown catches.

He has a love for the game that some people seem to overlook because of his off-the-field antics, but his love for the game will keep him going until he can no longer play.

He has shown a lot of emotion in his time in the NFL along as some playfulness. Whether you’re getting your popcorn ready or he's pulling a Sharpie out of his shoe and crucifying himself on the Dallas star, he does what he needs to win ball games with his teams.

He has made the quarterbacks around him better, and as long as he's wanted in this league, he will keep playing.

Now, as I said earlier, I may be crazy to think someone will actually break the records of the best WR in NFL history, but Randy Moss was able to break one of them. T.O. is a competitor and gives his all in every play, just like Rice did in his career.

If T.O. ends up staying in the league another six years, which I think he might, he will also have a shot at that catches record that he's only 598 away from.

Is it too early for me to start talking about this? Maybe. He has yet to prove himself with Buffalo, but he might just be the new Andre Reed in Buffalo. Dick Jauron is a coach who will find so many new ways to utilize T.O. in the Bills’ offense.

Now, I don't feel as though Buffalo is the perfect place for him, though I believe he will bring success to the team. If he were to join the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick's explosive offense, Jerry Rice and Randy Moss can say goodbye to their records. Without a second thought in my mind, Owens will break them if he joins New England.

I know this will cause a bit of a controversy, so I'm ready to hear it.

The NFL Playoff Picture as I See It! Part One: The NFC North

Andrew Elterman — Mon, 11 May 2009 01:29:57 -0400

Season hasn't even started yet but I'm going to make my predictions now. Starting with the NFC North, I'll give the other winners of the Divisions but the explanations week by week.

NFC North: Chicago Bears(If Vikings don't get Favre) (Bears as Wild Card if Favre goes to Vikings)

The Chicago Bears have improved their offensive line with future Hall of Famer Orlando Pace and made their defense with the addition of Rod Maranali. The Bears defense could not get at their opponents' quarterbacks last season and that led to big gains through the air late in the game as their Linebackers and Corners got tired.

Jay Cutler should also open up the Bears passing game and give them the upper hand in the NFC North. The Bears where for the most part one dimensional as a run strong team as Lovie Smith almost ran Forte to death last season, but the passing game did have its moments like in Atlanta. 12-4!

The Vikings will win the division only if Brett Favre joins their team. The Vikings have an amazing run-stop defense but are missing a quarterback to run their high speed offense.

Adrian Peterson a two-time Pro-Bowl selection gives them an upper hand against most teams but as history has shown, like the Indianapolis Colts, becoming to one dimensional will lead you no where. Brett Favre would h 9-7(w/o Favre) 13-3(With Favre)

The Green Bay Packers are a good team with Aaron Rodgers under center, and will be able to lead their high flying offense but will struggle early this year because of them switching up their defensive scheme and I believe won't be able to get back up after falling near the bottom of the division. 8-8

The Detroit Lions after a 0-16 season will struggle this year and probably next year as they go through a re-building stage. They will make one huge mistake this year and start Matthew Stafford. They will be destroyed by their past mistakes, like Andre Ware and Joey Harrington.

He will struggle at the beginning of the year facing the Saints first, who had the No. 1 offense last year. Then off to Minnesota where he will be crushed by their defense.

Off to Washington where with his broken moral he'll have a decent game only to be brought back down by the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers, then a trip to the not-so-friendly confines of Lambue. 2-14

NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles. (New York Giants are the Wild Card)

NFC West: San Fransisco (Cardinals as the Wild Card if Favre isn't in Minnesota)

NFC South: New Orleans

AFC North: Cincinnati (Baltimore as the Wild Card)

AFC East: New England

AFC West: San Diego

AFC South: Tennessee (Houston as the Wild Card)

The Cubs Starting Rotation and How They Will Finish!

Andrew Elterman — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 03:21:12 -0400

Set Rotation:

Carlos Zambrano:

Last year: 14-6 3.91 ERA

This year: 16-9 3.27 ERA

Carlos Zambrano last year was one of the best pitchers in the league starting behind Ben Sheets in the All-Star game. He had a No-Hitter against the Houston Astros and wasn't the same after that. He got beaten up by the Cardinals, which could have been because of his grandmothers death, but he didn't seem the same after that giving up seven runs to the Cardinals and six runs to the Dodgers in game two of the NLDS.

He started this season a bit slow struggling in the first couple of innings of the game against the Astros but ended up giving a quality 6 inning start and one run allowed. He had another quality-like start against the Crew pitching 6 innings and giving up three runs, but then in 7 innings of work against the Cards he gave up seven runs.

His outlook on the season seems complicated but given his history he will bounce back for another All-Star season. He is a power pitcher and will again dominate the league. I say he will have nine losses just because he also has a history to be erratic when angry, and we all know it will happen.

Ryan Dempster:

Last Year: 17-6 2.96 ERA

This Year: 15-7 3.59 ERA

What a huge season for Ryan Dempster just a year ago. He went from a struggling starter to a closer back to the starting rotation. He surprised everyone in the league going undefeated on the home-stand until the end of the year in a rained-out loss to the Astros. He was dominating pitcher baffling everyone he faced. He had a career high in innings pitched, wins, strikeouts, and ERA.

The problem I think he will have this year is that now batters are expecting him to be good and will make him work a bit harder. He hasn't looked terrible this year but he hasn't looked great either.

In his first start he went six innings and gave up two runs, followed by another six inning performance giving up four runs, and a 4.2 inning performance giving up another four innings. He has been an ERA dropper in most rotations and bull-pens and will hopefully be able to do it again.

Ted Lilly:

Last Year: 17-9 4.09 ERA

This Year: 17-10 4.13 ERA

Ted Lilly started last April off on a terrible note with a 6.00 ERA. He approved as the season went on and ended off with a career high 17 wins and a modest 4.09 ERA.

He has good stuff and will usually get you the win, He started this year off on a TERRIBLE note giving up four Home-Runs in five innings, but made up for it by delivering a near No-Hitter against the Colorado Rockies giving up one hit and no runs over six and two-third innings.

He is showing that he wont start of to slow this year, but is averaging almost one Home-Run per game in his career. He has been a high win pitcher in his career but also a high loss pitcher.

Rich Harden:

Last Year: 5-1(With Cubs) 1.77 ERA in 12 starts

This Year: 21-5 2.42 ERA

Rich Harden is a pitcher who has a very dominating package of pitches and has used it well in his career. He had a career year last year in ERA. He has been showing some signs of struggle in Spring Training but that didn't effect his first start as he fanned 10 and allowed one earned run in a no decision against the Crew, but showed its ugly head in his second start where he gave up four runs in three innings.

His one loss as a Cub last year came in a 1-0 loss against Arizona. If he can go without being injured this year I feel as though he can be and will be the CY Young award winner this year. He averages over a strikeout an inning in his career and has been a nightmare for hitters. Given his power 21 wins seems reasonable, maybe a bit high, but reasonable.

Sean Marshall:

Last Year: 3-5 3.86 ERA

This Year: 5-3 4.22 ERA (15 Starts)

Sean Marshall has been a very interesting prospect in his career and has showed very good stuff. He went 3-5 in 34 games, seven of which where starts. He looked amazing in Spring Training up until he faced the Angels and looked a bit shaky in his first start giving up three runs in five innings.

He will do well this year based on skill but will also struggle do to his inexperience. He'll be shaky in plenty of his starts this year but he'll also show signs of being a masterful pitcher. I think he may be replaced mid way through the season when he seems to be struggling badly.

Possible Additions:

Ben Sheets:

Last Year: 13-9 3.09 ERA

This Year: 3-2 3.77 ERA (9 Starts)

This will most likely be a HUGE stretch but there is a very good chance that the starter in last years All-Star game will need a home this season after he recovers from surgery, and where better than the two time division winning Chicago Cubs. He has gotten offers from the Texas Rangers but knowing Hendry and his record for hunting great players I think he may land in Chicago.

Last year he started in 31 games before going on the DL with shoulder problems with the Wild Card Brewers. I think he'll come down to Chicago after some probable issues with Sean Marshall, even though I hope he has an amazing year because A. he's on the Cubs and B. He's on my Fantasy team.

He has been a dominating pitcher having double digit wins in seven of his first eight seasons. He'll be a bit shaky when he starts, probably be put in the pen to bring some order into a very inconsistent bunch.

Jeff Samardzija:

Last Season: 1-0 (26 games) 2.28 ERA

This Year: 3-0 (5 starts) 1.89 ERA

He came into the Cubs rotation last year and was an instant success as he was being considered for Rookie of the Month in his first and only month in the big leagues. He was dominating hitters as he was striking out hitters left and right.

He was fighting for the fifth spot in the Cubs rotation but ended up losing it to Sean Marshall as Jeff struggled in Spring Training. He was sent down to the Minors but has been looking great in his starts in Triple-A and will undoubtedly be called up some time in the season. The Cubs are going to have some problems in the Bull-Pen and are going to need his power.

Ted Lilly a No No for a No No!

Andrew Elterman — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:20:09 -0400

A no-hitter one of the rarest of games to have for a pitcher. Many come close in their careers and few get to have the true experience, and even fewer have done it more than once.

Ted Lilly in his past five starts has taken a no-hitter into the seventh inning and in three of his past seven starts has blown it in the seventh inning. He has been an up and down pitcher in his career and from the looks of his first start this year looked like he would have another bad April.

Last year he had an ERA of over 6.00 during the month of April and by the end of the year he had a career high of 17 wins and had a 4.09 ERA. Ted Lilly has tempted Fate almost as many times as Nolan Ryan met with Fate.

I don't believe Ted Lilly will ever get a no-hitter because of the fact that he is very easily hit. In his career he averages 0.95 hits per inning, and 0.86 strikeouts per inning in his career. I know the old saying that every dog has his day but unfortunately Ted Lilly is not that dog.

If there is any pitcher in the Cubs rotation that will have a No-Hitter is Rich Harden. He averages 0.79 hits per inning, and one strikeout per inning and his career ERA is 3.26. He has come close in a couple of starts in his career like last year against the Diamondbacks where he took one into the sixth inning.

He has a lot of talent and has a very hard fastball. He has some injury problems that may delay his opportunity to get one especially since Lou tends to keep him on a pitch count.

Ted Lilly is a reliable starter winning about 40 percent of his starts while Rich Harden also has a 40 percent in the wins per game started, even though he has pitched less than half the games Ted has. They are both great starters but if one of them is going to get a no no it will be Rich Harden.

Plaxico Burress: Ready To Trade in Giants Red for Bears Blue?

Andrew Elterman — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 01:50:07 -0400

Jay Cutler has been officially introduced as a Chicago Bear. Now the Bears need to find him someone to throw to, and New York has given the Bears the perfect opportunity to do so. Plaxico Burress has been released by the New York Giants and as a free agent is now in place for the Chicago Bears to come full circle.

Burress has been a monster of a wide receiver in New York for the past four years, with over 3,000 yards and over 30 touchdown catches. However, he has been a problem off the field, shooting himself this past year and ending his season very early.

The Chicago Bears have Devin Hester as their No. 1 guy. He had 665 yards receiving this past year and three touchdowns. Then there is Rashid Davis who in many different ways is a bust out of the Arena League as he has not put up the numbers they had hoped. The rookie form last year, Earl Bennet, has plenty of potential, especially being Cutler's favorite target back in college.

Jay Cutler has the protection that he needs with future Hall of Fame linemen Orlando Pace and Olin Kreutz, as well as Cutler's former college teammate Chris Williams. The only thing he needs now is a standout to catch the football, and Plaxico is that guy. He has been consistent on the field and is one of the main reasons the New York Giants not only made it to Super Bowl XLII but also why they won.

Go Bears!

Pace Yourself Cutler, Chicago Will Be Fun!

Andrew Elterman — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:42:34 -0400

Here is one of the many articles that will be written in the next couple of days about the big trade between Denver and Chicago.

The Chicago Bears traded away their first round picks in 2009 and 2010 as well as their third round pick, for Jay Cutler and a fifth round pick.

The Bears have been searching for a long time solution to the quarterback position ever since they lost Jim Mcmahon, and now has come the day.

The Bears have gotten two great players in one day: Cutler and future Hall of Famer Orlando Pace.

This trade seems like a dream come true for all of us Bears fans, but I have a couple of issues with Cutler.

First of all, we have a problem at the wide receiver position and it doesn't matter who the man under center is if they don't have someone to catch the football.

The Bears have Devin Hester, who is developing—but not well. The Bears also have young perspective Earl Bennet who was one of Cutler's favorite targets back at Vanderbilt, as well as Chris Williams at tackle—who used to protect Cutler back in the day.

Cutler is coming into a run-happy team, but the main reason Denver was such a pass-happy team is because they went through six different running backs in one year.

The Bears have young Tulane standout Matt Forte in the backfield, and a defense that—in most cases—is one of the best in the league.

Cutler also has seven-time Pro Bowler Pace protecting him, even though he is getting older and his production has been going down because of all of his injuries.

Kyle Orton was a great player here in Chicago and had an amazing 21-12 record as the Bears starter. He was a team leader and was thought highly upon by all his teammates, except maybe Rex Grossman, and he was on his way to becoming this franchises face.

He will be missed here, but Denver now has a good player to replace Cutler—maybe not as good, but good.

The Bears need to go for just one more player in Free-Agency, Marvin Harrison or Torry Holt.

They need to get a proven wide receiver in Chicago, and either of those guys would make this team go full circle, or even both players.

I hope that his arrival in Chicago will bring in a Super Bowl.

GO BEARS!

Bears and Lions, Oh My! Rex Grossman Traveling with the Pride

Andrew Elterman — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 00:41:24 -0500

I'll be one of the many people here in Chicago that will bash Rex Grossman. The walking turnover here in Chicago has been a nightmare for the most part to the fans of the Chicago Bears.

Being called by his own coach (allegedly) that he is a "mental midget." Grossman had a lot of potential coming into Chicago from the University of Florida but for the most part has not been able to live up to it.

Then come's Detroit, the lovable losers of the NFL. Grossman said on a local radio station that he would love to become a Detroit Lion because of the young talent and the great receivers. Could this be because he'd have a better shot there, or because he wants to have two shots a year at the Chicago Bears?

With what will most likely be a high passing team and a core that includes Calvin Johnson, I think Grossman will have a wonderful career there.

The Detroit Lions currently have All-Pro QB Dauntee Caulpepper as their temporary solution. Rex Grossman has an arm that I think could be stronger than Dauntee but I think Dauntee has much better accuracy.

Grossman will be more willing to open up the passing game in Detroit which should set up the run for the Lions. He didn't look to hot in his three appearances for Chicago this past year except, which included to games against the Lions, in which his only highlight was beating the Lions in week eight.

The history of the NFL shows that sometimes a change of scenery is the best solution. Like Rich Gannon who went from mediocrity to NFL legend when he went to Oakland in the later years of his career. There was also Doug Williams who went from Tampa to Washington.

Change is a good thing and even though I'm not big on Sexy Rexy, but I think he'd be a great fit in Detroit.

Why Jim Caldwell Has the Opportunity to Be the New George Seifert!

Andrew Elterman — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:30:16 -0500

Bill Walsh and the San Francisco 49ers were the most dominant team in the 1980s, as they dominated their way to three Super Bowl Titles in eight years. With the arm of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, and on occasion Steve Young, the 49ers were the team to beat back in the day.

Then after the 1988 season and his third title, Bill Walsh suddenly announced his retirement from the NFL. His successor was named almost immediately as George Seifert took over one of the best teams in NFL history.

Tony Dungy, who was voted by the players in the NFL as the coach they would most like to play for, had 13 amazing seasons as an NFL head coach. He spent his first five years in Tampa Bay, where he made them a defensive juggernaut, then was unexpectedly fired and went to the Indianapolis Colts.

There he got lucky to have future Hall of Fame, three-time League MVP quarterback Peyton Manning under his wing. For the next seven years he continued his league-record playoff streak, which hit 10 this past season, and took the Colts to a Super Bowl victory over his good friend Lovie Smith and the Chicago Bears.

After being eliminated from the playoffs for the second straight year by the Chargers, he announced his retirement, and immediately Jim Caldwell was named his successor.

So why do I think Jim Caldwell is going to be the next George Seifert? Well, both of them are highly respected by the players on the team that they took over, and both of them had to fight to get themselves out of the shadow of their predecessor.

George Seifert, in his career with the San Francisco 49ers, went 108-35 with two Super Bowl victories to add to his predecessors. He took over a team with amazing players, and he took advantage of that.

Jim Caldwell's predecessor may not have gotten three Super Bowls, but he did start a very long tradition of winning. On his team he has six Hall of Famers that I can think of off the top of my head, and a team that hasn't missed the playoffs since 2002. He has the arm of the new iron man Peyton Manning, as he has consistently been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

I have a strong believe in the fact that Caldwell's future will end up just like George Seifert's, but hopefully he doesn't mess his career up with a horrific 1-15 season.

This is coming from a Bears fan who is still bitter from two years ago, but I think that the 2010s will belong to the Indianapolis Colts and the Steelers, not the beloved New England Patriots.

For Edgerrin James, History Looks Good!

Andrew Elterman — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:30:29 -0500

The Indianapolis Colts are thought of for their consistency in winning in the regular season, the future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, and head coach Tony Dungy.

They are not thought of as a good luck charm for other teams.

What is it that I'm talking about, you may ask? Let's go back to 1999.

The Colts traded future Hall of Fame runner Marshall Faulk to the St. Louis Rams for a second and a fourth round draft pick. There he continued his legendary career with the Greatest Show on Turf, going to two Super Bowls and securing victory at one.

Faulk was always a consistent runner, being one of the more influential members of the Super Bowl-winning team.

Now let's fast forward to 2006. Running back Edgerrin James went from the Indianapolis Colts to the free agent market and was picked up by the Arizona Cardinals.

He struggled in his first three years with the team but has, in my opinion, been one of the main reasons they are in the Super Bowl. His hard running style added that missing component to the Cardinals offense as it struggled to run the football all year.

Just as I showed that history favored Kurt Warner, I'm now showing that history will prevail in favor of future Hall of Fame running back Edgerrin James.

An Oddly Familiar Situation for Kurt Warner!

Andrew Elterman — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 02:09:37 -0500

2008/2009 will be known as the year of the Cardinal as the Arizona Cardinals have gotten themselves their first Super Bowl appearance in team history and their first shot at the NFL crown since 1948.

For decades, the Cardinals have been laughing stocks of the NFL, as for the most part they have been a terrible team. Then, in 2007, the Arizona Cardinals got rid of coach Green and hired Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt.

The Cardinals had all the pieces in place for a Super Bowl run, a Running-back, great Wide- Receivers, and a young Heisman winning Quarterback but the problem was that their young gunslinger had not yet come into his own and he got injured. So who came to the Cardinals' rescue?

Two-time League MVP Kurt Warner, and he led them to an 8-8 record which was their best record since 1999., the same year that Kurt Warner first became a starter in the NFL.

So why is this situation familiar for Kurt Warner? well lets go back to the 1990's. the Rams where considered the worst team of that decade next to the Bengals and where never thought to be able to get anywhere near a Super Bowl.

Well, in 1997, coach Dick Vermil was hired by the Rams organization and went 9-23 in his first two seasons as their head coach. So here come 1999, the Rams get running-back Marshall Faulk, draft Wide receiver Torry Holt, and Quarterback Trent Green, and the optimism grew in St. Louis as they had a team that could actually go to a Championship.

One problem stood in their way as Quarterback Trent Green got injured in the third preseason game of the 1999 season and the Rams had to turn to the nobody Kurt Warner to take over their team. That year they went 13-3 and went to Super Bowl XXXIV.

So he goes to St. Louis and the prized Quarterback gets injured, so he takes over and leads them to a Super Bowl victory. He goes to Arizona and is benched in favor of rookie QB Matt Leinart, but gets the starting job back after Matt gets injured, and now leads the Cardinals to a Super Bowl.

Am I the only one who see's the similarities?

In 1999 he completed 325 of 499 passes for 4,353 yards, 41TD's and 13int's, this year he completed 401 of 598 passes for 4,583 yards, 30TD's and 14int's. In both situations, Kurt Warner took over for a team that didn't stand a chance and took advantage of high flying offenses to lead them to the big dance.

I see the outcome of this game going the same way it did for Warner the first time as he will lead the Cardinals to an upset over the Steelers as it will most likely come down to the wire.

The Playoffs As I See It, Part Two: The Wild-Card Aftermath

Andrew Elterman — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:17:07 -0500

A week ago, I made my picks for the Wild Card and the entire Playoff race. I went 3-1 in my choices this week my only loss coming with the Colts defeat in OT, which I said it would go into, to the Chargers.

The weekend was one that electrified and stunned many as the Arizona Cardinals who were supposed to be a one-and-done team stunned the Atlanta Falcons and sent them packing with a 30-24 win in which Edge was able to run the ball as well as he has in his entire career.

Then we had the OT thriller between the Chargers and Colts as Peyton Manning played an almost flawless game but ended up with the loss as Tony Dungy may have coached his final game.

Sunday's matchups included the blow-out victory by the Ravens over the Dolphins, just as I had predicted, and Donovan McNabb making some noise in what I hope is his final year in Philly.

As I stated in my first article I believe that the Cardinals will get the win over the Panthers and I think Eli will just barley get the win over the Eagles. I stick with my initial prediction that Baltimore will beat Tennessee, but now I have to change my other matchup that I had slated as Colts-Steelers.

Now it's Chargers-Steelers and I see the Chargers making some noise but with the absence of L.T. and the pounding that Sproles will take I see the Steelers beating them 32-24.

So who do I see going to the Super Bowl now? I say it will be Cardinals and Ravens going up against one another and that game will look like a blow-out in the beginning but in the late third quarter Kurt Warner will get his team back into the game and will be helped out by a huge turnover by the Ravens. Cardinals win it at the last second, 24-21.

Predictions for the NFL Playoffs

Andrew Elterman — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:01:43 -0500

So the playoffs are finally upon us and the Super Bowl winner is only 6 weeks away from being crowned. This year has plenty of surprising candidates whom have come across great controversies.

This includes the Atlanta Falcons who just one year ago were 4-12 and had lost their spineless head coach with only three games left in the season and lost their starting Quarterback to the law.

The Baltimore Ravens who just one year ago were 4-12 lost their long time head coach whom had taken them to a Super Bowl victory and has an aging defence.

The Philadelphia Eagles whom in week 12 had benched their starting Quarterback in Donovan McNabb and sent turmoil throughout the Philly fans.

Then there's the Miami Dolphins who went from a 1-15 season with nothing to a 11-5 record with a new coach, VP, and Quarterback.

Wild Card

Arizona vs. Atlanta

Many experts put the Cardinals as a one and done team in the playoffs but unlike the Falcons whom have a rising rookie Quarterback in Matt Ryan, the Cardinals have a Quarterback who has been to two Super Bowls and has won one.

With Kurt Warner's experience in the post-season and his two pro-bowl receivers, whom are two of the three 1,000 yard receivers on the Cardinal football team.

People also knocked the Arizona Cardinals for a lack of a running game and for most of the year that was true but last week against the Seattle Seahawks Edgerrin James showed why it is that he was a former first round runningback.

Then we have the Atlanta Falcons who with the dangerous running skills of Michael "The Burner" Turner and the passing skills of the Offensive rookie of the Year Matt Ryan have become a playoff team once again since the departure of Michael Vick.

The Cardinals will have to not only rely on the arm of two-time League MVP Kurt Warner, but also the hard hitting running style of Edgerrin James as I think they will defeat the rebuilding Atlanta Falcons in a close game, 26-21.

Minnesota vs. Philadelphia

Everyone has heard of the hard running style of possible league MVP Adrian Peterson, who leads the league in rushing yards, and the Quarterback carousal that began in Week Three and re-sprung in week 15 after Gus Frerotte went down and Tarvaris Jackson started to show potential and was named the starter for the remainder of the season.

Then we have the rejuvenated Donovan Mcnabb who set an Eagles record in passing Yards this season as he led them to a 9-6-1 record and is looking like that Quarterback that led them to a Super Bowl just four years ago.

With the versatility of Brian Westbrook and the passing Skills of Donovan Mcnabb the Eagles will trump the Vikings, 32-17.

Miami vs. Baltimore

This is probably the best storyline for a playoff game this year as the bottom feeders of the NFL last year square off here in the playoffs. The Miami Dolphins led by the accuracy of Chad Pennington, a powerful defense, the Wildcat formation, and the record setting 13 giveaways team will play Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens who are anchored by Ray Lewis and his hard hitting defense.

The Dolphins took the NFL by storm this year as they where able to multiply their win total from a year ago by 11 and electrified defenses with their Wildcat offense. The Baltimore defense looking like the team that took them to a Super Bowl victory in 2000 and is being led by a surprising rookie Quarterback in Joe Flacco.

I see the Baltimore Ravens doing to the Dolphins what they did earlier in the year and beating them, 24-10.

San Diego vs. Indianapolis

The controversies surrounding this Chargers season as they lost plenty of games this year at the last minute and the infamous "fumble call" of Week Two. Then we have the Indianapolis Colts who started off 3-4 then with the leadership abilities of the future Hall of Fame, two-time MVP, MVP candidate Quarterback in Peyton Manning have been on an nine-game winning streak.

The Chargers have been having problems with their Hall of Fame runningback as LT has been playing injured all year, but have found a new weapon as Phillip Rivers has showed off why he was drafted fourth overall in 2004.

The Colts tote the worst running game in the NFL, but also one of the best passing attacks in the NFL as Peyton Maning has led them to 12-4 record and had his 9th 4,000-yard passing season in his 11 year career.

This will be the another installment in the Colts and Chargers rivalry that has been rising in the past few years as the Colts sneak by in OT, 37-34.

Division

Giants vs. Eagles

This is assuming this is the way the playoff picture would look after the Wild Card. Eli Manning has started to look like that first overall pick Quarterback from 2004 as he has led the Giants to his fourth consecutive playoff appearance and hopes to repeat the success he had last year against the New England Patriots.

The Giants have been led by the very hard running skills of their tank-like runningback Brandon Jacobs and the great passing skills of Eli Manning as they have won Home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The last time these two teams met the Eagles beat the Giants 20-14, but this match-up feels like there will be a different tune as these two rival teams will duke it out till the very end as it will end in an OT win by the New York Giants, 39-33.

Panthers vs.Cardinals

The Panthers are rallying off a huge win over the Saints but a huge loss to the Giants in OT. The Two-headed monster in Carolina of Deangalo Williams and Jon Stewart will prove to be a difficult match up for the Cardinals but the MVP playing style of Kurt Warner will lead the Cardinals to the Championship game as they will soar over the Panthers 47-44.

Titans vs. Ravens

The Titans started off their season at a remarkable 10-0 but went 3-3 after a loss to Brett Favre and the Jets. The Titans are led by veteran Quarterback Kerry Collins who has a bit of Super Bowl experience in his career as he led the Giants to a Super Bowl berth in 2000 only to lose to the Baltimore Ravens.

The Titans also have Slash and Dash, or LenDale White and Chris Johnson who have proven to be one of the most dangerous running duo's in NFL history, and are anchored by a very powerful defence. This game though will be nowhere near close, as I see the Baltimore Ravens pouncing upon the Titans in a 34-17.

Steelers vs. Colts

Ben Rothlisberger has been amazing in his young career as he has led the Steelers to his four postseason appearance in five years. The Steel Curtain is ranked No. 1 in the NFL as they where led to their 2nd straight divisional title in 2 years.

The Steeler nation was in shock last week as Ben was taken down in the final game of the season, but it was reported that he should be ready for the postseason.

This will be a rematch of the 2005 playoff game between the two, but unlike last time the Steelers will not take this win home with them as the Colts give the Steelers their second straight one-and-done postseason, winning, 16-14.

Conference

Giants vs.Cardinals

These two teams met earlier in the season and it ended off with a Giants 37-29 victory at the location of their Super Bowl run. Kurt Warners spectacular passing skills will not be enough as Brandon Jacobs will run all over the Arizona Cardinals as the Giants will win, 31-21.

Colts vs. Ravens

Peyton Manning and the Colts will ride their 11 game win streak to 12 as they will up their former homes new residents yet again as they did in 2006 in order to cristen in their new stadium with its first playoff win, 22-12.

Super Bowl

Giants vs. Colts

The Manning brothers will meet for only the second time in their careers in the biggest games of their careers as both of them go for their second Super Bowl ring.

Eli will continue to ride upon his post-season carpet ride from last year as he will play one of the best games of his career as his Hall of Fame brother Peyton will put on just as great of a show as this game just screams shootout as the Manning brothers refuse to lose to one another.

This game will come down to whoever has the last possession as Eli Manning leads the Giants to a victory over his big brother Peyton, 47-44.

Yes, I understand that it is highly doubtful that the Giants defense would give up 44 points, but I see it happening.

Top 10 Quarterback's in NFL History!

Andrew Elterman — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:35:49 -0500

Probably the most important position in all of Football, the position that is most highly regarded as the Game Manager or Changer, the Quarterback. They are the ones who now get either all the blame or all the fame when the team does well or bad. The Quarterback position has evolved from just a "Game Manager" as it was in the earlier years of Football, to the "Rocket" armed beasts that we see now in the League.

Begin Slideshow

Top 10 Players in the NFL that are Lucky and Unlucky to Have Switched Teams!

Andrew Elterman — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 17:30:08 -0500

The NFL has always been a place to see some twist and turns and the one thing to look at is the players and how their careers develop. Wondering who those great player where? Want to know who made the worst and best decisions of their careers by leaving their first teams? Look at this and you will see. This slide show countdown will include some 49er's and a couple of jets, a shining star and some primetime moments.

Begin Slideshow

New York Giants Suffer a Giant Loss, But Not a Giant Surprise

Andrew Elterman — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 17:44:21 -0500

BUST! Pretend Peyton! Inconsistent!

These are just few things that have been said about Eli Manning in his young career, even though he is 45-29 as a starter. Now, the Giants started off the season Red Hot, with a four-game winning streak followed by a seven-game win streak, but now they are on a two-game slump.

Everyone is probably now thinking how is this great team going down so quickly?

First things first, they have lost a lot of their great players this year. Plaxico Burress has been in and out this year, and was finally taken out for the season since he almost literally shot himself in the foot.

Brandon Jacobs has been fighting injuries for most of the season and has been for the most part unavailable for the past two games.

Next reason that I'm seeing is the fact that they don't have much to play for since they clinched their division. The only other thing they really need to play for now is home-field advantage, but to get that, all they need to do is beat Carolina this week.

The third and final reason I see for this downturn is aided by a look at the last three Super Bowl winners. In 2005, the Pittsburgh Steelers played their worst football in the month of December as they had to fight to the very last game just to get the wild card.

The 2006 Indianapolis Colts had to fight through a very rough schedule, losing two of their last four games, including their only franchise loss to the Houston Texans. Then came the New York Giants in 2007, losing two of their last four games in the month of December.

They all rode a magic carpet to the Super Bowl and proved their critics wrong.

So, if history continues to repeat itself, the Giants may just repeat their success from last year and be one of six teams in the Super Bowl Era to pull off a back to back Super Bowl win.

Madden's Curse Can't Touch Brett Favre!

Andrew Elterman — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 18:06:15 -0500

For about 10 years, all you heard about players who were on the cover of Madden NFL Football games was that they would be cursed.

For the most part, that has been true, true enough that the second that people hear about their favorite players being considered as the cover-boy, they made their voices heard.

Fans of LaDainian Tomlinson have made multiple websites protesting putting LT on the cover, and when he declined the offer, he stated it was a "contract issue."

Madden 2001 featured former Tennessee Titan runningback, Eddie George, who is one of the few exceptions of the curse, as he had a decent, but not a great season.

Madden 2002 is where the curse started.

Cover-boy Daunte Culpepper was injured in week 12 of the 2001 season, and ended up having one of the worst years of his career, not including the one he is having right now with the Detroit Lions.

Madden 2003 featured the member of the "Greatest Show on Turf," Marshall Faulk. Faulk was eliminated in week 12, and got very limited carries for the remainder of the season. Their quarterback, Kurt Warner, went down in Week 7, which also accompanied the dreaded Super Bowl Curse.

Madden 2004 featured the speedy Michael Vick, who had blasted upon the scene in the NFL in 2001 and '02, after being drafted first overall by the Atlanta Falcons. Vick broke his leg in week 5 of the NFL season, and did not play for the rest of it.

Madden 2005 featured linebacker Ray Lewis, the only defensive player to be featured to this point, had one of his worst seasons, and suffered a season-ending injury the following year.

Madden 2006 had Donovan McNabb on it. He had the fewest starts of his NFL career in the regular season since his rookie year. Although, that also could be blamed upon the Super Bowl Curse.

Madden 2007 had the NFL's Most Valuable Player, Shaun Alexander on it. Alexander ended up not being able to stay healthy, and he had the worst season of his career.

Many speculated it was the Super Bowl Curse because Matt Hasselbeck was down for a large portion of the season.

Madden 2008 featured Vince Young, the speedy hurler out of the University of Texas. He was out for just one game, but he ended up throwing 17 interceptions and just nine touchdowns, and was unable to lead his team past the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Wild Card Game.

Now for Madden 2009, which has whom Jamie Dukes likes to call, Lord Favre.

Anyone who knows football knows that Brett Favre has almost every record that a QB could ever have, including consecutive starts, and they also know that his biggest cheerleader has been John Madden.

So can this be the reason that Brett Favre has had such success in his new team?

There have been only two other QB's in NFL history over the age of 38 to throw for over 1,000 yards and now there is Brett Favre.

He has turned his team from 4-12 to a playoff team this year, and no curse can bring him down apparently.

Donovan McNabb + Philadelphia Eagles = No Good

Andrew Elterman — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:59:35 -0500

Let me say one thing here before I start: Eagles fans are a bunch of ungrateful ingrates who wouldn't know a good QB if it were to smack them in the face and then run them over with their car!

Now that my mini rant is over, I can continue.

Donovan McNabb is a five-time Pro Bowler, a runner up for League MVP, and an offensive player of the Year player, and he is being spat upon by most of the fans in Philly.

He got drafted second overall by the Eagles in 1999 and was booed the second it was announced. McNabb is, in my opinion, the new Doug Williams, in the fact that he is a black QB and has been shown little to no respect by his fanbase.

In his 10 year career he has led his team to seven playoff appearances, three Championship games, and a Super Bowl, but how is he treated in Philly, he is treated like the dirt underneath the gum that's under your shoe.

He is a proven starter in the NFL and is highly respected by all his teammates and his Coach but yet has failed to get the respect of the fans.

I say the Eagles cut him at the end of the season and let him go somewhere where he will get the respect that he deserves. I can see him heading to Chicago; yes they are happy with Kyle Orton and the consistency he brings to the offence, but he dosn't have the kind of arm or speed that McNabb does.

I don't think I would be able to take the treatment that McNabb was getting, and I have a high level of respect for him to be able to handle it all. I wish him well after this season and hopes he finds a place where he can find what he's looking for and that is a place that he can call home and be happy in.

Air Arizona Vs. Ground Giants!

Andrew Elterman — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:54:39 -0500

In 2004, the New York Giants signed former League MVP Kurt Warner to their team and also traded their fourth overall pick Phillip Rivers to the Chargers for their first overall pick Eli Manning.

Warner led the Giants to a 5-4 record while Eli took them to a 1-6 record in 2004, and at the end, Eli was kept, as Kurt was shipped off to Arizona. Point of this story? Give you some insight on the relationship between these two.

2005 was a roller coaster ride for Kurt Warner, as he took over the Cardinals and had a losing season and then lost his starting job to Matt Leinart in 2006. In 2005, Eli led the Giants to an 11-5 record before losing in the wild-card game to Carolina, and in 2006 led them to an 8-8 record and lost to the Eagles in the wild card.

Then came 2007 a turn around season for both players. Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart shared reps in 2007 until Matt was injured for the rest of the season in Week Five, and Kurt Warner led them to an 8-8 record giving the Cardinals their first non-losing season since the '90s.

Eli Manning, on the other hand, was getting picked off more often than he had in any other year of his career and was almost being run out of town by the New York media. He led them to a 10-6 record and a third consecutive playoff appearance but this time he took them all the way to beat the undefeated New England Patriots.

Both of these players have turned their teams around and are now atop of their divisions. The Giants are now 9-1 under the Eli Manning that everyone wanted out of the 2004 draft, and Kurt Warner is looking like the MVP he once was and is bringing his team to the opportunity to claim their division for the first time since 1975 with a 7-3 record.

This week's game will be the game to watch because I can see this being the NFC Championship game in January.

The best passing game in the NFL with Kurt Warner and the Super receivers in Arizona and the best running game in the NFL with Eli Manning and the triple-threat running game. Three-tenths of a point separate these two teams average score per game as the New York Giants lead the League with 29.2 points per game average.

This game just screams amazement, and the only other team that I think can make it difficult for these two teams meet is the Carolina Panthers and their resurgent QB Jake Delhomme.

Miracle on NFL Avenue: Part One

Andrew Elterman — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:33:55 -0500

In every movie, you know you're going to find a hero to look up to in the movie, and I think that's the same in the NFL. Every team in the NFL has had a one of those people that has just made people's jaws drop and say, "Wow! this guy is what my team needed"

Here are the first three.

1. Baltimore Ravens

The team may be very young, but they have had one man who has anchored this team for most of their existence: His name is Ray Lewis. Ray Lewis has been one of the most feared linebackers in the NFL for a little over a decade and has been with the Ravens through success, in a 34-7 Super Bowl win, to a disappointing 4-12 season just a year ago.

He has brought a spirit to that team that is very rare to see, and even with the accused homicide that he may or may not have committed, his team welcomed him back with open arms.

If it weren't for him I don't believe the Ravens would have been anywhere near that Super Bowl, or even a great team that they are. Ray Lewis is a first ballot HOF all the way and will go down in history as one of the top 25 linebackers of all time.

2. Dallas Cowboys

This historic franchise has been known to be America's team, and when was this named picked up? It was picked up during the Tom Landry era. He was the first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and he coached them for 28 years, took them to five Super Bowls and an overall 250-162-6 in all his years.

He established the Cowboys into one of the best teams in NFL history. He coached that team since its emergence in the NFL and after his departure, the Cowboys, in a 20-year stretch, have had five different head coaches. If it weren't for the spirit left by Tom Landry, the Cowboys would be nothing.

3. Atlanta Falcons

This pick will be very controversial, but I never said it had to be a person of good character: Bobby Petrino. He was 3-10 as the head coach of the Falcons in the 2007 season and then upped and left the team to go to coach college football.

Now, many of you who are reading this most be saying, "Why in the world would you choose that low life as the person who made a team better?"

I'll tell you.

What is the Falcons' record right now? 6-3! That is already three more wins then they had last year under Petrino. After Petrino dumped them off, the Falcons players who remained on that team were feeling down and wanted to prove to the NFL that...

For another installment, wait for next week.

A Cassel Meant for a Niner?

Andrew Elterman — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:28:57 -0500

What now for the New England Patriots? Even if Matt Cassel ends up taking the Patriots to a playoff appearance, come next season, Tom Brady is going to have his job back.

Matt has shown so far in the season that he has the ability to be an All Pro player in the NFL, and that showed in the 34-31 loss to the New York Jets. He passed for 400 yards, three TDs, and ran for 62 yards against a highly respected defence.

He has led the Patriots to a 5-4 record when he has started and had that amazing game filling in for an injured Tom Brady in Week One against the Kansass City Chiefs, as he led them to the win.

Now, come season's end, where is little old Matt to go? Everyone knows that after this season he is going to want to have a competition with Brady for the starting job, and we all know that will never happen.

Which team in the NFL needs a QB right now?

The San Fransisco 49er's! The only big-named QB that could come out of the draft this upcoming year would be Tim Tebow, but reports have said that he plans to stay for a senior year. The 'Niners have three QBs on their current rosters, Alex Smith (career over in SF), J.T O'Sulivan (almost as much of a walking turnover than Rex Grossman), and Shaun Hill (has some potential).

Come February, I can see the 49ers offering a nice third round pick for Matt Cassel. The only problem I would have with this happening is, what if he is a one-season wonder? Could he be another Robo-sack?

Or could he be the next Brett Favre trade from the Falcons to the Packers in 1992. I welcome criticism and apologize for such a short article.

Super Warner Brother

Andrew Elterman — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:01:44 -0500

In 1998, the St. Louis Rams brought in a very promising prospect from the Arena Football League named Kurt Warner. His chances of starting were very low, especially whenqQuarterback Trent Green came in from Washington.

But then, on that faithful day, he went down, and Kurt Warner took control of the "Greatest Show on Turf." He was considered the best quarterback in the NFL for the next four years, until he got injured in the 2002 season, right after the Rams' Super Bowl loss in 2001, and it seems now that after a four-year skip, he seems to be back in Pro Bowl status.

After a very tough quarterback competition between him and first-round pick from the 2006 season, Matt Leinart, he has led the Cardinals to a 6-3 record and have the NFC West pretty much clinched, being the first team in many years to win it other then the currently struggling Seattle Seahawks.

Nine games into the season he has 2,760 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and a mere six interceptions, giving him a 106.4 rating, which is very close to the 109.2 rating that led him and the Rams to Super Bowl glory.

The NFC is currently being dominated by the New York Giants, but the Arizona Cardinals currently have the No. 1 ranked offence in the NFL. Besides the fact that the Rams in 1999 started off 6-0 before finishing off 13-3, the 6-3 Cardinals seem to be high favorites to play the Giants in the NFC Championship game.

At the rate he is going, Kurt is on his way to tying Brett Favre with being named League MVP three times in his career.

Toss Up Between Big Ben and Eli Manning

Andrew Elterman — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 10:48:20 -0400

We have all heard of the big Peyton Manning and Tom Brady rivalry, and how it has tended to be the deciding factors in the Super Bowls in the past decade, but I feel a new rivalry arising. Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger were both drafted in the 2004 NFL Draft and have both won a Super Bowl. The two have only gone against each other twice, but both games were exciting and close.

In their 2004 encounters, these two teams combined for a total of 63 points and it ended up being a 33-30 win for Big Ben. Ben and the Steelers went to the Super Bowl in 2005 as an 11-5 wild card team against a very powerful Seahawks team and thrashed them.

Eli and the Giants were a 10-6 team when they went in 2007 and went on to stun the previously undefeated Patriots. The Steelers came into the 2008 season with high hopes and are currently looking like Super Bowl contenders yet again, while the Giants came into the season off of what many called a fluke season to also become Super Bowl contenders. The two quarterbacks have much more in common than just a draft date. Their passing stats are almost identical this year, but this wasn't true in the beginning of their careers.

Big Ben took over for a very good Steelers team and was handed the reigns from Tom Maddux, who threw for 2621 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 13 starts in 2004. Eli, in seven starts, threw for 1043 yards, six touchdowns (two of which came against the Steelers), and nine interceptions. The Steelers, in 2004, were 15-1 and one game away from the Super Bowl, while Eli and the Giants were 6-10, which showed who really should have been that top pick in the draft.

In the years to follow, Eli has led his team to three playoff berths in his first three years as a full time starter, while Ben has taken the Steelers to three playoff berths in his four years as their full time starter, and they both have that special ring. Ben has been voted to a Pro Bowl in his career, while Eli has not been voted to any.

Once Eli got the starting position, he hasn't given it up and has started in 66 consecutive games, even with a shoulder injury last year that was supposed to keep him out for at least a month. Ben has been injured and out of the line up six times in his career.

Now, why say that this might be the new Peyton vs. Brady rivalry? Well these two teams both have very high chances of making it to the Super Bowl and facing one another, which would be the true deciding tally in the two players careers. It would be the battle of the 2004 class. Originally, it was thought that it would be Phillip Rivers vs. Eli in the Super Bowl, but the consistency of Eli and Ben says that these two have the chance to bring a very suspenseful match-up to Tampa in 2008.

Got Wood? Cubs' Kerry a Phenom to Never Count Out

Andrew Elterman — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:24:57 -0400

What can you say about this All-Star right-hander except "Holy Cow?"

When Kerry Wood is healthy, he is one of the best pitchers, if not the best pitcher, in the majors. Everyone remembers that fateful game 10 years ago (hard to believe), in which he struck out 20 batters and allowed one fluke hit the entire game.

What the Cubs need to do at the end of the season is work with Wood until they can get him into starting shape again. Wood has the capabilities to break that single-season record of 383 strikeouts if he were to be put back in the role where he had once been so dominant. Jeff Samardjza has definitely proven he has the ability to be the next Trevor Hoffman if he were take over the closer's role.

The only thing keeping Wood off the mound as a starter are some injury problems that he has faced through his career, but if the Cubs were to do with him what they do with right-handed superstar Rich Harden, and just keep him on a pitch count, they would be just fine.

Wood has the capabilities, and will be a 20-game winner when he is placed back in that starting rotation in place of Jason Marquis or Ted Lilly. Marquis has been a decent starter for the Cubs, but has been more of a nuisance than a help, while Lilly keeps giving up the home-run ball, which, in the end, seems to kick the Cubs in the rear.

Wood has been an amazing closer for the Cubs here in this 2008 season, but he doesn't seem to be as dominant as he once was. This man was the fastest to reach 1,000 strikeouts, not only in game appearances but also innings pitched. With an ERA of 3.62 in his career, he is almost as low as future Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux.

I say Kerry Wood goes 15-4 in 2009 if he gets back in the rotation and replaces the struggling Lilly or Marquis, if we were really luck 24-2.

Cy Young Is Not the Greatest Pitcher of All Time!

Andrew Elterman — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:11:11 -0400

Whenever someone mentions the all-time best pitchers in major-league history, Cy Young is always mentioned. It's true that he holds the record for all-time wins by a pitcher (511), but he also holds the record for most losses all time by a pitcher with 316.

Cy Young holds the record for games started with 815 games, 749 complete games, and 7,354-1/3 innings. He averaged about 3.5 strikeouts a game in his career, a strikeout every three innings.

What people may not realize is that the game of baseball has changed dramatically since 1890. I would be willing to stake that I could name five pitchers that I believe are 100 times better than Cy Young.

I'm not saying he was a terrible pitcher; I think he is definitely one of the best of all time, but I don't think he is THE Best of all time. Let's use Greg Maddux as an example.

Maddux is a 350-game winner and has 3,000+ strikeouts in his career. Roger Clemens, who has 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts in his career, is a seven-time Cy Young Award winner.

This one is just a prediction, but I believe that Rich Harden will one day be in the top-10 all time in both wins and strikeouts.

Back in the day, pitchers played in a lot more games than pitchers do nowadays, so there where more opportunities for wins and completions, as compared to now when pitchers get about 30 games a year.

If anyone wants to challenge my point, or present other great pitchers, please do.

Who's The Best? Brett Favre: The Cy Young Of The NFL.

Andrew Elterman — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 17:56:06 -0400

I am a die-hard Bears fan and even I have to admit that the cheese-heads may have had a good player. I bought myself a Brett Favre jersey and when ever someone calls me a cheese-head I simply say to them "I am not a cheese-head, I am a Brett Favre fan.” This is not a Packers jersey this is a Brett Favre jersey, there is a huge difference."

Brett Favre for sixteen years has been a household name all across America. Many people predict that quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady should break all of his records but that does not make them the best quarterbacks of all time.

Peyton Manning and Tom Brady through most of their careers have had an all-star offensive line to protect them while Brett Favre has had what can be called a decent O-line for most of his career. Peyton Manning has receivers like Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison and Tom Brady has had players like Brown, Branch, and the newest of them "The Freak" A.K.A. Randy Moss.

Brett Favre in his career had about three really good receivers and they were all spread out through his career. He had Sterling Sharp in the beginning, Donald Driver towards the later half of his career, and had Greg Jennings for all of two years before he moved on along to the Jets.

I can see the argument that maybe Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman, or Joe Montana should be considered the NFL's all-time best quarterbacks all having three or more Super Bowl wins in their respective careers, but my argument still sticks that they all had a set of the best all time receivers. Joe Montana had the all time best Receiver in Jerry Rice, Bradshaw had Stallworth and Swann, and Aikman had Irvin.

Brett Favre has played through the thickness of hell's fire, whether it is the car accident in college that left him very weak and left his NFL career in the air, the broken thumb he had in '03, or the death of his father. Any other quarterback in the NFL would have folded under the pressure that Brett Favre has in his career.

Favre took the starting job for the Packers in 1992 after a sticky situation with the Falcons; he only gave up his starting job in Green Bay to Aaron Rodgers after he was forced into retirement in 2008, but will continue his record setting consecutive starts under center in 2008 with the NYJ.

Even at the age of 38 he still has the playfulness of a child when playing a game, no matter how big it is, like when he threw a snowball at one of his teammates in the NFC Divisional game this past year against Seattle. Unlike Tom Brady whom lost his once playfulness attitude during this past search for perfection season.

Brett Favre in my opinion is like Cy Young in the MLB, they both have the most wins in their sport, and both are not without their faults.

Brett Favre has the NFL record in interceptions while Cy Young holds the MLB record for losses. They both are known as masters at their position and can ever not be mentioned in a conversation about the all-time greats in their respective sports.

If you have an argument for my position I would love to hear it.

Murder She Wrote: The Aaron Rodgers Story

Andrew Elterman — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:55:44 -0400

For the past three years or so, all you heard during the offseason was talk when Brett Favre would retire. He announced prematurely on March 6 that he would indeed retire from the NFL, and that shot Aaron Rodgers into the starting role of Packers quarterback.

When Brett Favre announced he was coming out of retirement, most Green Bay fans said "Hallelujah," but the Packers organization, for some idiotic reason, said they would not give Favre the starting job. So instead they trade him to the New York Jets....Could there be a Jets/Packers Super Bowl this year? The answer is simple: No!

History has shown that when a Hall-of-Fame quarterback leaves, his backup will struggle terribly. The only exception would be Steve Young, but the only reason the 49ers got rid of Joe Montana was because Young had proven himself before. All during training camp, all the Packers could hear was "Bring back Brett." The very first time Aaron Rodgers has a bad game, he will be butchered by the Green Bay media and Packers fans. He has never started a single game in his career and has a history of injury problems, which could mean that if he's struggling and rookie Brian Brohm shows off good stuff, he will be ran out of Green Bay without hesitation.

Rodgers will sink even further if the Packers don't make it to the playoffs and/or the Jets go to the Super Bowl, which I highly doubt will happen. What most people don't realize is that there is a lot more pressure on Rodgers than any other quarterback in the NFL because of the Brett Favre ordeal. With Aaron Rodgers under center this season, I predict the Packers go 6-10, if they're lucky.

RIP Billy Goat: 1908-2008!

Andrew Elterman — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:42:49 -0400

The Cubs are currently the best team in the National League, and they are doing it in fashion. The Cubs are 77-48, which means they are only eight wins away from tying their record from last season.

All across Wrigleyville, the faithful are singing one of the most beautiful songs in sports history, "Go Cubs Go," and even Sox fans have got to say the Cubs may have a chance this year.

For the Cubs, this season has been a whirlwind of dominance and disaster. The Cubs made the move to make Ryan Dempster a starter and make the once-powerful starter Kerry Wood into a closer. The Cubs' pitching has been pretty dominant, except for Jason Marquis, who continues to struggle with his control.

Probably the most disappointing pitcher of this season was Rich Hill, who had struggled in his starts at the beginning of the season.

But the Cubs made a huge trade for the powerful righty, Rich Harden—whom I predict will pitch a no-hitter within his next 20 starts—to add some power to their rotation.

One of the most criticized acquisitions for the Cubs this season was that of former Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds, who was hitting a dreadful .178 in 26 games with the Padres, hitting one home run, two doubles, and driving in six.

With the Cubs, he's been hitting .263, with 15 home runs and 42 RBI in his 63 starts.

The Cubs' bats have been hot for most of the season, especially that of Ryan Theriot. He's been hitting extremely well, yet only has one home run all season long. Mark DeRosa, in the month of August, has been nothing short of an RBI machine, tallying 16 of them.

The Cubs' star acquisition during the offseason, Kouske Fukudome, started off hot, but after the All-Star break, he has been dreadful, hitting a little under .200. The biggest scare of the season was Alfonso Soriano get hit by a pitch that kept him out for a little over a month, during which the Cubs struggled badly.

I predict that the Cubs will sweep the Phillies in the NLDS and win in a five-game series against the Brewers. They will play the Angels, who will sweep Cleveland in the ALDS and get the series win against Tampa Bay in a seven-game set in the ALCS.

Jason Marquis will pitch a quality game in Game One of the World Series, but it won't matter, as Carlos Marmol will give up a three-run home run in the eighth inning, which will bring the Cubs to a 0-1 record.

Ted Lily will struggle in Game Two, walking five. He will leave around the sixth inning, but a late rally by the offense will win the game in the seventh inning.

The fifth game of the series will belong to Rich Harden, who will pitch seven perfect innings before giving up a home run, but the Cubs will win thanks to an RBI double from Ryan Theriot.

So, my prediction is the Cubs win the World Series with a 4-1 record. Reg: 96-55. Post: 12-2.

Kyle Orton and Rex Grossman: The Windy City's Sheriff and His Deputy!

Andrew Elterman — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:04:22 -0400

Lovie Smith officially announced that former fourth-round pick out of Purdue Kyle Orton is his choice as the Bears' new starting quarterback. Orton has a 12-6 record as a starter, compared to former starter Rex Grossman's 19-11 record.

In 2005, Kyle Orton was brought in for an injured Grossman and led the Bears to the playoffs, with a 10-5 record in games he started, but was replaced by Grossman against Carolina in the playoffs.

His stats weren't all that impressive that season, passing for a mere 1,869 yards, nine touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Orton, of course, is still a big step up from the walking turnover that is Grossman, who's made 31 turnovers in 30 starts.

"Sexy Rexy" had his chance in Chicago and was very popular during the 2006 season, when he led the Bears to a Super Bowl, but has been haunted by mistakes in that 29-17 loss to the Colts.

Orton should have plenty of protection, as has been shown in these first two preseason games, but he is not the main issue for this Bears team.

Chicago's main issue at hand is its running back. Will it be rookie Matt Forte or former Detroit Lion Kevin Jones? Jones has proven to be a dangerous running back when he is healthy, while Forte has seemed to struggle during this preseason.

What the Bears need to have is a good one-two punch like the Cowboys had with Marion Barber and Julius Jones last season. With Kevin Jones' power running style and Forte's elusiveness, the Bears should regain their dominating running attack.

As long as everyone in the offense and defense stays healthy, I predict the Bears will finish with a 10-6 record this season.