Bleacher Report - Preview/Prediction

Desperate Carolina Panthers, New York Jets Play to Stay NFL Playoff Relevant

Nick Antonicello — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:25:07 -0500

Both teams are on the hot seat with no room for error if the postseason is even a remote possibility for the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers come Sunday in the Meadowlands.

Both 4-6, and both 2-3 on the road as well as at home, the Carolina-New York match-up features two struggling quarterbacks that rely on the running game to get them started. Both hope to get closer to .500 come the final gun.

Jake Delhomme and rookie Mark Sanchez are probably the two worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL outside of Bruce Gradkowski of the hapless Oakland Raiders. Delhomme, who has just 8 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, is playing worse than the rookie Sanchez, who has 10 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Delhomme has passed for 1,885 yards while Sanchez has 1,791.

Both teams bring a strong running game to the table with the Jets' Thomas Jones and his 884 yards rushing and the Panthers' DeAngelo Williams, who currently has 982 yards on the ground. Both Williams and Jones should eclipse the 1,000-yard mark come Sunday afternoon.

While the Panthers have the slight edge at wideout with Steve Smith, he's not having a Steve Smith season with just 45 receptions and four touchdowns in 2009. The Jet passing game has been equally mediocre as Jericho Cotchery and Dustin Keller have been virtually invisible these last two weeks and the Jets could use some production from Braylon Edwards as well if this is going to be a competitive contest.

Despite a complete collapse at 1-6 after the 3-0 start, Jets coach Rex Ryan is sticking with Sanchez as the starter for better or for worse.

Sanchez is coming off his worst game as a pro last week in New England. He threw four picks in a game that has left the Jets all but dead for any tangible postseason possibilities.

Based on the numbers, both teams seem equally matched in terms of personnel and production. The difference seems to be in the coaching, where John Fox has played through some rough patches while the Ryan-led Jets seem to look worse and worse as the season continues to become another typical Jet debacle.

A win by the Panthers would leave them 5-6 with some faint playoff chances should they run the table and get to 10-6. The same would hold true for the Jets, but the schedule seems much tougher than anticipated and if New York could just get back to .500 football, fans will have some hope that Ryan is in fact the right guy to lead the team into a new facility come 2010.

But should the Jets continue to slide, one has to look real hard at keeping Rex Ryan around after all the promise he guaranteed the day he was anointed head coach by the Jet brain trust that seems more like a brain fart.

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Expecting Details From Tiger Woods? Don't Hold Your Breath

Michael Fitzpatrick — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:40:20 -0500

TMZ.com is now reporting that Tiger Woods’ wife Elin could have been the cause of the facial lacerations he sustained during the early morning hours of Friday, November 27th.

For nearly 24 hours now, reporters from both mainstream and tabloid news outlets have been camping outside of the exclusive Isleworth Community where Woods makes his home in Windermere, Florida.

Articles continue to appear on the front pages of every newspaper and website published in the free world, speculating on what might or might not have gone down at 2:30 a.m. on Friday morning.

Maybe Woods was involved in some kind of a domestic dispute stemming from an article that appeared in the National Enquirer, which accused Woods of having an affair with New York City party girl Rachel Uchitel.

Maybe his wife went all Tonya Harding on him with a golf club during the dispute.

Maybe he was driving under the influence.

Maybe he was having some kind of mental breakdown.

“Woods needs to meet with the press and come clean about everything,” is one popular phrase that has been appearing in many articles.

“Woods needs to make a statement ASAP about what happened on Friday morning,” is another popular one.

Instead of sentences that contain “Woods NEEDS to do this” and “Woods NEEDS to do that,” a more appropriate phrasing should probably be something along the lines of “we the public are desperately hoping that Woods will provide us with some kind of information about what really took place on Friday morning.”

A side effect of this worldwide explosion of the "Tiger Woods story" is that you now have many tabloids, and even sports reporters, attempting to cover this massive story despite their unfamiliarity with Tiger Woods and the game of golf. These are journalists who are not at all familiar with the way in which Tiger Woods operates.

Woods is one of the most private and reclusive athletes on the face of the planet.

He’s spent years building an impenetrable, air-tight cocoon of a few close friends, family, and business associates that know better than to leak any personal information about Woods.

This is the same guy that kept a torn ACL secret for more than nine months and a broken leg secret for the entire week of the 2008 US Open.

Woods would not publicly disclose who he voted for in the last Presidential Election and he rarely, if ever, takes a definitive stance on any controversial issue within the game of golf or sports in general.

No one even knew when Woods was going to return to the PGA Tour in 2009 until the tournament director at the Accenture Match Play Championship received a fax from Woods confirming his intention to play just five days prior to start of the event.

Heck, this guy wouldn’t even let anyone know who he was rooting for in the 2008 NBA Finals between his adopted hometown team, the Orlando Magic and his former hometown team, the Los Angles Lakers.

Do you really think Tiger Woods is going to come out and release a statement detailing everything that went down outside of his house at 2:30am on Friday morning?

It is highly doubtful to say the least.

He may not even release anything more than the very short statement that was posted on his website yesterday afternoon.

If he does release any further information, it will probably be something along the lines of “Tiger Woods was injured during a personal incident that took place at his home in Windermere Florida on Friday, November 27th. His injuries were minor and he is looking forward to hosting and competing in next week’s Chevron World Challenge.”

If Woods decides to attend the Chevron World Challenge next week, he will undoubtedly be bombarded with questions about what took place in the early morning hours of Friday November 27th.

His responses will be well-rehearsed, vague and detail-less, if he even decides to addresses the questions at all.

Woods is a man that holds his personal privacy more sacred than any other aspect of his life, and quite frankly, he could care less whether or not reporters and the public feel as if they have received sufficient information about the incident that took place on Friday morning.

For those of you expecting Woods to come clean on all the juicy details of what went down on Friday morning, or are expecting someone from within his inner circle to spring a leak…you may be waiting a very long time.

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EPL Week 14: Sunday Preview

shaun Lazarov — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:24:21 -0500

Sunday 29th November 2009

Arsenal vs. Chelsea

It would appear to be a pretty safe bet to say Arsenal are out of the title race this season, but they will still want to win in this local derby, which may put them back in with a chance. Arsenal have been plagued with injuries this season (Van Persie being the last one) like several of the usual top 10, whilst Chelsea look set to see the return of the man dubbed MR. Chelsea—Frank Lampard. The odds on Chelsea are good, but this matchup is always unpredictable.

Everton vs. Liverpool

Football has not looked great on Merseyside this season with both clubs struggling to find the form they’re accustomed to. Both really suffering with injuries yet Everton look set to see the return of Fellaini, Bilyaletdinov, Pienaar and hopefully Osman, whilst Liverpool benefit from the recent return of Gerrard both sides are slowly returning to some level of strength. With both teams struggling this game is set to be fiercely contested we can expect at least a few yellow cards, especially when this fixture is known for having more red cards than any other in the Premiership.

Wolverhampton vs. Birmingham

A Wolves win could pull them out of the bottom 3 if some other results go their way, whilst Birmingham seem to be going nowhere in their mid table limbo. Wolves had a nasty loss to Chelsea in their last match while Birmingham come off the back of a win, the Wolverhampton form has been shocking recently so there is a good chance we’ll see a Birmingham victory

Shaun - livescoredaily.com - live scores and sports

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Week 12 NFL Picks: Last Minute Edition

E A — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:06:08 -0500

With Turkey Day behind us, and three games already in the books, my friend Steven and I have decided to roll out some picks at the last minute to try our hand at predicting the week's remaining games. You guys know the drill, so without further ado, here we go:

ATL vs TB
S : Should be a nice confidence booster for Matt Ryan. Tampa's horrid secondary and Freeman's rookie mistakes will result in a Falcons' W.

E : Atlanta by a mile.

MIA vs BUF
S : Buffalo made last weeks' game competitive, but will be forced to the air too much in this contest, due to Miami's great front seven. Dolphins.

E : Run, Ricky, Run! 'Nuff said right there.

PHI vs WAS
S : No Portis = Big Problem. Philly in a blowout.

E : I'll take the Eagles.

STL vs SEA
S : Upset Pick: Seattle couldn't stop Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor last week, what makes you think they can stop Steven Jackson? St. Louis in a close one.

E : I'll take Saint Louis too, but in my opinion it would be more of an upset for Seattle to win it.

NYJ vs CAR
S : Steve Smith will not be a factor in this game (Darelle Revis), and the Jets have a good rush defense. New York.

E : I agree Darelle Revis is going to make Steve Smith a non-factor, but I think DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart can make this a long day for the Jets if Delhomme can stay efficient enough in the pass game just to keep the Jets off guard. I still expect the Jets to win, though.

CIN vs CLE
S : Cincinnati will bounce back this week to beat the Mangina and the pathetic group he calls a team, especially if Cedric Benson plays. Cincy.

E : Yawn. Cincy.

IND vs HOU
S : The Colts will be 11-0 after Sunday, as Kris Brown will inevitably miss another crucial field goal. Never bet against Peyton Manning. Colts.

E : As much as I hate to say it, I agree, Indy will make it 11-0. If the Texans pull off a miracle upset, you won't see me crying, though.

SD vs KC
S : San Diego is red-hot right now, and will keep it alive after steamrolling the Chiefs. Chargers.

E : The Chiefs may have had some magic last week, but there is no way I can justify picking against the Bolts this week.

SF vs JAC
S : San Fransisco has a great rush defense, which will force the Jaguars to throw more than they would like to. I don't trust Garrard. 49er's in a close one.

E : Jacksonville only has a shot if they can strike early and often with Maurice Jones-Drew. Against a pretty good front seven in San Fran, they only have a small window of opportunity here. I'll take the 49ers, but it will be close.

MIN vs CHI
S : Minnesota is probably the most complete team in the NFL, and the defense will contain Forte, forcing Cutler to make bad decisions. Vikings.

E : I'm not going to be entirely sold on the Minnesota Vikings until they show me a convincing win over a convincing team. Missed last second field goals or miraculous last-second touchdowns aren't going to cut it, as fun as they are to watch. That being said, though, they shouldn't have any problem demolishing the Bears, especially at home.

TEN vs ARI
S : I would not want to play Tennessee right now. The offense is firing on all cylinders, but their secondary will make this a close game for Arizona. Titans in a close one.

E : Being on the road with a banged up Kurt Warner against a suddenly relevant Tennessee Titans means A LOT of trouble for Arizona, but I think they have the firepower to escape with a big, big win. It all depends on how effective Kurt Warner is.

BAL vs PIT
S : This will be a great game of hard-nosed football. The Ravens will probably be without Suggs because of Brady Quinn's cheapshot, but will find other ways to get Big Ben dirty. Ravens end their slide in a close one.

E : Baltimore over the Steelers will probably be my biggest upset of the week. Big Ben has now been ruled out for Sunday's action, so Baltimore will be free to run all over the field against their division rival.

NO vs NE
S : Tom Brady will have a good game, as the Saints' secondary is banged up. However, this one is at the Superdome giving Brees and the Saints the edge. Expect a shootout. Saints.

E : This is my second batch of picks for the week, and for the second time, I will abstain so as not to jinx the Patriots. I'm not so convinced it will be a shootout, though, as the Patriots are second in the entire league in points allowed per game behind only Indy, and the Saints aren't too shabby on defense either.

In a showdown between two of the best quarterbacks in the league, the key will be which team best uses the running game. We all know about Thomas, Bell, and Bush, but if New Orleans overlooks Faulk, Maroney, and possibly even Green-Ellis, they will be burned for it.

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Chris J. Nelson's Week 12 NFL Game Predictions

Chris J. Nelson — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:53:01 -0500

Man, I knew I should have picked Denver at home on a short week. Oh well. At least I had a good week last week.

Last week's record: 12-4
Season record: 108-52 (67.5%)

Falcons over Buccaneers — Tampa Bay appears to be a long way off right now and Atlanta at home should have no problem handling their division rival, regardless of whether or not Michael Turner plays.

Dolphins over Bills — Buffalo's offensive line and secondary has been hit hard with injuries recently, swinging the advantage even farther toward the Dolphins. I like Miami on the road in this one.

Bengals over Browns — Brady Quinn had a fantastic day against the league's worst pass defense in Detroit last week, but he won't have that luxury again. Cincinnati is the much better team from top to bottom and I can't envision them losing.

Seahawks over Rams — In a battle between two dismal NFC West franchises, the difference could come down to the presence of Rams running back Steven Jackson. The Pro Bowler missed every practice this week with a back injury and is considered a game-time decision. Considering the Rams promoted rookie running back Chris Ogbonnaya from the practice squad today, I'm going to guess Jackson won't play and that the Seahawks will take advantage.

Jets over Panthers — Mark Sanchez has really come back down to earth lately and is just giving games away right now. Still, Carolina's pretty unimpressive and isn't as committed to the run as they should be, so I'm taking the Jets' strong defense at home.

Eagles over Redskins — Washington gave Dallas a game last week and could do the same against another division rival tomorrow. Still, Philadelphia is a much more talented squad and they have to be the pick.

Colts over Texans — Far less-talented Houston teams have beaten far more-talented Indianapolis teams in the past, but I can't justify picking against the Colts with the way Peyton Manning is playing right now.

Chargers over Chiefs — Kansas City pulled off the surprise upset against a much better Steelers team last week, but I don't see it happening two weeks in a row. San Diego is better and should win this one.

Jaguars over 49ers — It's never easy flying to the west coast, and Jacksonville arrives in San Francisco with some very unimpressive play lately despite some wins. Still, I just don't like much about the Niners except for a handful of players and I'm going to predict Maurice Jones-Drew leads the Jaguars to victory.

Cardinals over Titans — Tennessee has reeled off some wins recently with their quarterback change, but all the credit is due to running back Chris Johnson. However, I'm predicting they get taken down a peg and upset by Arizona this week.

Vikings over Bears — Chicago's offensive line is woeful, while Minnesota's gives Brett Favre all the time in the world to throw. I can't justify picking the Bears in this one.

Ravens over Steelers — Pittsburgh is certainly a talented squad and maybe even better than Baltimore at full strength, but I can't pick Dennis Dixon to win this one on his first start on the road against a very good Ravens team.

Patriots over Saints — New England is getting hot and they present one of the best challenges remaining for the Saints this season. I say Tom Brady wins a big one on the road.

Chris J. Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins web site, The Miami Dolphins Spotlight, and can be followed on Twitter here.

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Jet-Setting: An Offseason To-Do List for the New York Jets

Joe Smith — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:57:08 -0500

The Jets roster is currently oozing in talent and features several veteran players in their prime. The Jets' personnel has them poised to make a title run now, but it's clear this isn't their season.

New York got off to a flying start in 2009, but a major slide has the team in the cellar of the wild card picture, thanks to an erratic Mark Sanchez and a few defensive and special teams meltdowns.

The Jets have an offensive line that has paved the way for the top rushing attack in the league, led by Thomas Jones. There hasn't been much talk of his future in a Jet uniform considering the career year he's having, but the Jets will likely swallow his roster bonus in March to retain him for the last year of his contract.

Leon Washington has a knack for making big plays and has been sorely missed along with mammoth nose tackle Kris Jenkins, the best in the business. The Jets will get an enormous boost when Washington and Jenkins are on the field next season.

The receiving corps is solid. Braylon Edwards will most likely return, but he may not cash in on a long-term deal just yet. Jerricho Cotchery has been stellar, and tight end Dustin Keller could prove to be a major asset to the passing game once Sanchez learns which team to throw the ball to.

The offense could be winning games for the team, not the defense, once Sanchez comes to the party and the team is clicking on all cylinders. By then, Sanchez will be handing the ball off to bulldozer Shonn Greene. The Jets have a bright future on that side of the ball.

Defensively, there is an overflow of talent and Rex Ryan at the helm. Do the math. There is an elite group of linebackers, a shutdown corner, and solid bunch up front. The loss of Jenkins, however, highlights the need to groom a successor on the defensive line.

Mike DeVito and Sione Pouha have done respectable jobs replacing Jenkins and will remain parts of the rotation. DeVito was a favorite of Ryan from the start and the Jets extended his contract, while Pouha has been getting exposure and making the most of it.

But Rex Ryan has to employ his exotic blitz packages to pressure the passer and the Jets are having difficult putting together a pass rush. The loss of Jenkins didn't help the cause but even then the Jets weren't racking up sacks. Vernon Gholston is a bust and Jamaal Westerman has potential.

The Jets are set at most places on the roster but still have areas to polish. Mike Tannenbaum has a penchant for making big splashes in free agency and has done an excellent job assembling the core of this team, through the draft as well. Woody Johnson has given him the green light to break bank if it means winning games.

And that was when there was a salary cap.

Here's some advice for Tannenbaum:

1. Sign a premier pass-rusher

Elvis Dumervil, a sack sensation, will most likely remain in Denver, but there is a strong possibility that Shawne Merriman could hit the market. The Chargers have their work cut out for them locking up players and could let Merriman, crawling back into form after major knee surgery, walk.

The Jets can't wait for Westerman or Gholston to develop, Gholston if at all. Marques Douglas is a stopgap solution. The Jets should take a hard look at versatile Richard Seymour. Seymour, like Jenkins, will be 31 by midseason and can give the Jets a few years, maybe more. When the Jets go to four down lineman he can also play inside.

Gholston is more comfortable playing defensive end and the Jets aren't always working out of the 3-4, but when they are and Gholston isn't effective as a stand up linebacker Merriman is the solution.

2. Sign a cornerback

Next to the shutdown corner Revis there isn't a bona fide starter. Donald Strickland makes plays when he finds the field but he is often banged up. Dwight Lowery isn't ready yet which is why the Jets made a trade for Lito Sheppard. Sheppard won't make it to his roster bonus in March, in fact he isn't make the roster because of injuries. Dunta Robinson could use a change of scenery.

3. Sign/draft a free safety

If Kerry Rhodes doesn't regain his starting spot the Jets would most likely trade him. They could stick with Eric Smith if he plays well as a starter, make a move to draft Eric Berry but the most appealing option is current Rams free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe. Atogwe is a true, playmaking free safety.

Atogwe, in his prime, is also a tackling machine. Like Seymour he's looking to play for a contender and the Jets would be a perfect fit.

4. Draft Terrence Cody

The mammoth lineman is tailor made for the 3-4 defense and the Jets must draft Cody as the eventual successor to Jenkins at nose tackle.

5. Sign/draft a slot receiver

A minor need but the Jets should think about developing a slot receiver, maybe a late round draft pick. David Clowney has blazing speed but that is about it, and Brad Smith has been a failure.

These are all suggestions, most of which the Jets may not look into. Finding a slot receiver isn't a glaring need, and the Jets may not end up looking for a free safety if Rhodes can win back his starting job or if Eric Smith impresses.

Improving the pass rush and drafting Terrence Cody are musts. The front seven of the Jets would be the best in the league if they could ink Merriman and Seymour, and you can bet they'll capitalize on an uncapped year. To what extent, we'll have to wait and find out.

Merriman should hit the open market as the Chargers have Larry English behind him to take over. The more the Raiders lose, the more discouraged Seymour will be to return to the AFC East, as if he wasn't upset enough already when he found out he was traded to the Raiders.

Mike Tannenbaum has done a great job, but it hasn't translated to wins. The Jets are hungry for a playoff berth, and, since it looks like they'll have to wait another year, they can't let the opportunity to significantly improve their defense pass—especially in an uncapped year.

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Super Sunday With Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool & Everton

Yoosof Farah — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:26:35 -0500

For any football fan, Sunday 29th November will be one of the highlights of the season, as six of the world's biggest clubs do battle.

El Clásico

Over in Spain, there is the Battle of La Liga, as FC Barcelona host Real Madrid at the Nou Camp in yet another highly anticipated El Clásico match.

On the team news front, it doesn't look great for Barcelona. They could be without key players Lionel Messi (favourite for the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year award) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the £42m striker who has seven league goals and three assists to his name so far this season.

They will probably have to call on their Spanish stars, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, to do the business. This point was not lost on Real Madrid's Xabi Alonso, who said of his Spanish teammates: "Their performance level is truly impressive. I believe they are the best midfielders in the world."

As for Real Madrid, a massive boost for them comes in the form of £80million worth of Portuguese talent with current World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo returning from injury.

The world's most expensive player returned as a substitute during Madrid's Champions League success over FC Zurich, and will be hoping (or perhaps expecting) for a place in the starting line-up tomorrow evening.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid manager Manuel Pellegrini faces a dilemma on who to partner Raul up front. Gonzalo Higuain has staked his claim after scoring his seventh goal of the season midweek, while Karim Benzema will be hoping to feature in his first taste of El Clásico.

Battle of London

Having gained increased significance amongst both sets of supporters in recent years, capital rivalries will resume on Sunday as Arsenal take on league leaders Chelsea.

Chelsea may lead the way in the Premier League at present, but Arsenal have proven enough this season to show that they could well be there at the top, or near the top, come May.

History dictates that positive results against potential title challengers are the making of a successful side, meaning both teams will no doubt be desperate to come out on top on Sunday.

In terms of team news, Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka's chances of finding the target against his former club will be greatly helped by the defensive crisis currently giving Arsene Wenger a serious headache.

Arsenal are already set to be without Gael Clichy (back) and Kieran Gibbs (ankle) this weekend, while Swiss centre-half Johan Djourou (knee) is also sidelined.

The biggest worry for the Gunners though, concerns William Gallas. The Frenchman suffering eye and ankle knocks during their European encounter with Standard Liege in midweek.

Jack Wilshere (ankle) and Abou Diaby (calf) will be missing in midfield, while Robin van Persie (ankle) and Nicklas Bendtner (hernia) are notable absentees in the attacking department.

Luckily for Chelsea, they have no such concerns ahead of the game, having welcomed back their key men in midweek.

Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack both came through the Champions League trip to Porto unscathed, while Deco is also back to full fitness following a recent groin complaint.

Frank Lampard failed to make the game in Portugal with a thigh problem, but Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is confident the midfield ace will be ready to face the Gunners.

That means Jose Bosingwa (knee) remains the only long-term absentee for the Blues, with the full-back not expected to be back in action until after the New Year.

The Merseyside Derby

Goodison Park is the venue for the first Merseyside derby of the season, as Everton take on Liverpool FC in the city of Liverpool.

This season's encounter will make for an interesting match, as both teams are struggling for form and only five points separate the two sides.

Everton will be hoping to improve their recent home record against Liverpool, having lost seven of the last nine league meetings at Goodison Park.

Under-pressure Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is also in desperate need of a win, having not won in the league since last month's Anfield triumph over Manchester United.His side now faces a genuine struggle to finish in the top four and claim that lucrative fourth Champions League spot this season.

As for the team news, Everton remain without injured captain Phil Neville, whose knee injury sustained against Fulham may require surgery and will continue to keep him sidelined until at least next month.

Long-term absentee Mikel Arteta (knee) furthers his spell on the sidelines and an ankle injury keeps Leon Osman out, leaving manager David Moyes light in midfield.

A trio of knee injuries also keeps out Phil Jagielka, James Vaughan and Victor Anichebe, which could force Moyes to stick with a similar side which went down 3-2 to Hull City on Wednesday night.

On the bright side for the Toffees, Marouane Fellaini and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov return from suspension and could immediately return to the first team.

As for Liverpool, manager Rafa Benitez awaits news on the availability of star striker Fernando Torres, with Frenchman David Ngog on hand to deputise once more should the Spaniard fail to recover in time.

Out-of-favour full-back Andrea Dossena is struggling to make the bench with a groin injury while Philipp Degen serves the last of his three-match suspension.

It's a Super Sunday that doesn't come round very often, with three massive derbies in the world of football all taking place on the same day.

All matches are vitally important in terms of their respective leagues, and there is only one question on the lips of all football fans: who will win?

Barca? Real Madrid? Arsenal? Chelsea? Liverpool? Everton? By the end of Sunday, we will know all three parts of the answer to that much asked question.

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Donnie Wingo Taking Over the Helm of the No. 6 Roush Fenway Team

Sal Sigala Jr. — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:16:50 -0500

Roush Fenway Racing announced that Donnie Wingo will replace Jimmy Fenning who will be moved to oversee the teams R&D testing efforts, as crew chief of the No. 6 UPS team with driver David Ragan.

Wingo worked with then Chip Ganassi Racing driver Jamie McMurray during the 2003, 2004, and 2005 season. After McMurray was released from his contract in 2006 with Chip Ganassi Racing, McMurray would end up at Roush Fenway Racing leaving Wingo behind to work the box for Casey Mears.

Wingo would eventually work with Juan Montoya and Reed Sorenson during the 2007 and 2008 season, before being reunited with McMurray and the No. 26 team at Roush Fenway for the 2009 season.

McMurray and Wingo couldn’t find much magic together with one top five, and five top 10‘s while finishing 22nd in points with the only bright spot coming in October and the only bright spot was a victory at Talladega in October.

The duo most recently captured a win earlier this month at Talladega and Wingo is looking to build on that momentum with Ragan heading into the 2010 season.

"It's an honor to have the opportunity to work with David Ragan next season as well as our sponsor UPS,” said Wingo. “UPS has been a great sponsor in NASCAR for years and I'm truly looking forward to the chance to get the No. 6 Ford the finishes it deserves. I'm glad to remain with Roush Fenway Racing because I believe in the success we'll be able to achieve in 2010."

“Roush Fenway is looking to build the strongest possible teams and sometimes we do that by restructuring personnel,” said owner Jack Roush. “Jimmy Fennig’s experience and judgment are impeccable so we made the decision to re-assign him to head up our testing operations to try and make that department stronger.”

Roush also added that, “I think Donnie brings a wealth of experience to our organization having won races for multiple teams including our organization and we are anxious to see if he can challenge David Ragan and help him to realize the potential he showed in 2008," said Roush.

Ragan enters his fourth Sprint Cup season in 2010 looking to improve on this season and better his 2008 performance which included six top-five and 14 top-10 finishes and a 13th-place finish in points, barely missing the “Chase.”

Next year will also mark the first time the duo of Wingo and Ragan have worked together.

“I’m proud of my time with Jimmy (Fennig), he’s taught me a lot over the years, but now I’m looking forward to next year and working with Donnie Wingo and his engineer Derek (Stamets),” said Ragan, driver of the No. 6 UPS Ford.

“Those two are a great combination and it will be fun to work with someone new with fresh ideas. I’m excited to test a few times this off season and get things moving forward for next season. We’ll be ready for Daytona with a fast UPS Ford.”

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FC Barcelona Vs. Real Madrid: El Clasico Quick Preview

Isaac Asante — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:20:01 -0500

This is another full version article. For much more on El Clasico, click here

A little bit more than 24 hours before the end of this month, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid will face each other at the Camp Nou in El Clasico.

Previous meetings showed that Madrid was the better side, winning eight more times than Barcelona in their history; nevertheless, this fact was not really visible last season, when Pep Guardiola’s Barca defeated Real 2—0 at the Camp Nou, and 6—2 at the Bernabeu Stadium to make an overall score line of 8—2.

Considering Real Madrid’s numerous and significant signings during the summer transfer window when they landed superstars Cristiano Ronaldo, Ricardo Kaka, Xabi Alonso, Alvaro Arbeloa, Karim Benzema and Raul Albiol; it is undoubtedly true that Real should arguably be above FC Barcelona on paper.

However, looking at both teams run this season in all competitions, it seems Barcelona is still Spain’s best side; despite having dropped down to the second place last weekend in La Liga.

Barcelona has managed to reserve their top players and make them available for the FC Barcelona and Real Madrid clash. Consequently, Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Thierry Henry and Dani Alves are all expected to feature against the Madrid giants.

Real Madrid is however also armed with great names on their side, but in the end, the most important things in the match will not only be based on the players’ performances, but also on the decisions of the referee, as well as the formations and substitution of the two coaches (Pep Guardiola and Manuel Pellegrini).

Who will emerge as winners? FC Barcelona, Real Madrid? Anyway, it is clear that a win for Real Madrid would take Los Blancos 4 points ahead of their bitter rivals Barcelona in the Spanish League table standings, and therefore, partly overshadow Barcelona’s dream of winning La Liga for another time this season.

Everybody expects to see a highly-entertaining game, but perhaps, no one is looking ahead to a specific score line.

Note: You can also click here to view another version of this Barcelona and Real Madrid Preview.

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Rangers Gear Up for Crucial Home and Home with Defending Champs

Mike Rappaport — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:15:58 -0500

After a disappointing 5-1 loss in Tampa Bay last night, a game which head coach John Tortorella called the worst of the season, the Rangers get back to work right away as they play the Penguins in Pittsburgh tonight. Tonight's game is the first of a home and home series with the defending champs as the two teams play Monday night at the Garden.

While we are only going into December, the standings in the Eastern Conference are already very important, as only five points separate fifth place from 13th place. For every game the Rangers lose, there is another team with a similar number of points that will get a win on that day. Therefore, with the Rangers currently sitting at 10th in the Conference, the wins need to start coming before they lose control of the season.

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Rivalry Week: A Scout's Week 13 College Football Viewing Guide

Michael Schottey — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:05:14 -0500

Watching football takes many different forms.

If you woke up this morning in Florida State slippers or a scarlet Oklahoma bathrobe, this article probably isn't for you.

There exists a very healthy segment of the population who love college football—the pageantry, the spectacle—but can't help but cast an eye forward. Each game watched begs the question, what becomes of these young men?

For the chosen few, Sundays wait.

A much smaller segment of the population pays closer attention to those future NFL footballers than is probably recommended by your average physician. They keep unhealthy habits like mock drafts, charts and graphs, big boards, scouting notes, etc.

This exercise in prognostication has enormous side effects—have you seen Mel Kiper Jr's hair?

For those poor souls, watching Saturday football is different. The clicker constantly clicking between offensive and defensive series. Who cares who wins? The interest is focused on balance, pad level, hip swivel and closing speed.

Here's a preview into the view habits of those dark souls:

12 PM Eastern

ESPN —18. Clemson V. South Carolina

Who to Watch: CJ Spiller (RB Clemson), Ricky Sapp (OLB/DE Clemson), Eric Norwood (OLB S. Carolina), Jacoby Ford (WR Clemson)

What to Watch: Make sure your TV is tuned to the Clemson offense at all times. CJ Spiller is a Heisman contender and a sure first rounder—he can go off at any moment. Jacoby Ford is another interesting prospect. Watch Ford before the ball is thrown, if he as good before the catch as he is after?

When the teams are on defense, watch the pass rush moves of Norwood and Sapp. Are the moves varied and polished? Sapp is a borderline first rounder and Norwood should go before the end of the third.

When to Flip: At every commercial and/or when CJ Spiller isn't on the field.

ESPN 2 —24. North Carolina V. North Carolina State

Who to Watch: Bruce Carter (OLB North Carolina), Marvin Austin (DT North Carolina), Willie Young (DE North Carolina State)

What to Watch: Watching the North Carolina defense is a scout's dream. In the next three years, at least five or six defensive standouts will be first day picks. Probably many more. When North Carolina State is on D, watch the motor of Willie Young. If he shows heart to match his skills he could easily be a late riser this spring.

When to Flip: Whenever TJ Yates is throwing the ball...blech!

Have the Laptop Ready For: Wake Forest V. Duke (ESPN 360), Mississippi V. Mississippi State (ESPN 360 @ 12:20)

12:30 EST

FOX Sports —Oklahoma V. 12.Oklahoma State

Who to Watch: Who not to watch? 10 or more 2010 Draft Prospects will be playing in this game including Gerald McCoy (DT Oklahoma), Russell Okung (OT Oklahoma State), and Perrish Cox (CB/KR Oklahoma State).

What to Watch: Is Gerald McCoy more polished than Suh from Nebraska? Some scouts think so. Does Trent Williams (OT Oklahoma) have the lateral movement to play tackle at the next level? Is Perrish Cox anything more than a return specialist?

When to Flip: When this game is on, only flip away at commercials—when you're not grabbing snacks.

3:30 EST

CBS —1. Florida V. Florida State

Who to Watch: Tim Tebow will be playing QB at the next level, for better or for worse. The hype is too huge on Tebow to let every NFL team think otherwise. His favorite target, Aaron Hernandez (TE Florida) has a chance to be special. Also watch Joe Haden (CB Florida), Carlos Dunlap and Jermaine Cunningham (DE Florida), Patrick Robinson (CB Florida State) and Brandon Spikes (LB Florida)

What to Watch: Patrick Robinson is an athlete playing cornerback, if he were forced to start as an NFL CB, he would be burned early and often—the question is how far away is he. Hernandez is a solid receiver but what about his blocking?

Dunlap is the best physical defensive line prospect in the draft but scouts have been dropping him because of his motor for two years now.

When to Flip: When you get sick of the CBS announce team. Otherwise, for a scout, this game is a goldmine.

7:00 EST

ESPN U —Kentucky V. Tennessee

Who to Watch: Eric Berry (S/CB Tennessee), Trevard Lindley (CB Kentucky), Dan Morgan (DT Tennessee), Micah Johnson (LB Kentucky), Montario Hardesty (RB Tennesse), Rico McCoy (LB Tennessee)

What to Watch: Lindley has the best cover skills in the draft but some think his is too small to be a NFL impact player. Does the skill make up for the lack of size? Hardesty is one of the top zone blocking rated backs in the draft, his one-cut running style is perfect for a team like the Texans. Does he have the ability to finish the runs he starts.

When to Flip: An hour of play should fill a notebook page, forget this contest when the next slate of games comes on.

8:00 EST

ABC —Notre Dame V. Stanford

Who to Watch: Jimmy Clausen (QB Notre Dame), Golden Tate (WR Notre Dame) Toby Gerhart (RB Stanford), Sam Young (OT Notre Dame), Chris Marinelli (OG Stanford)

What to Watch: Clausen has arm strength to waste but are his mechanics and ball placement crisp on the big stage? Is Toby Gerhart the next Jacob Hester or the next Mike Alstott?

When to Flip: The only other important game on this slot is Georgia/Georgia Tech and its also on ABC. If you have alternates, flip over when you want to see some awesome option football.

Rivalry week is huge for college football fans and draftniks alike. On a normal Saturday, a scout can go through 10 or more notebook pages while never remembering who won a game.

Rivalry week can also be a trap. Some of the games are so exciting and enticing it is hard to flip the channel. Add in local rivalry matchups, Division II or III playoffs and a killer halftime show for Grambling State/Southern and all of a sudden, an interested scout can forget what he's doing.

So watch today, but keep an eye on the young men you'll be watching on football fields for a long time to come.

Michael Schottey is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and the producer and host of The Average Joe Sports Show on 860AM KNUJ (New Ulm, MN). He is also an NFL Analyst and Senior Writer for DraftTek.com. Follow Him on Twitter.

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The WWE Royal Rumble 2010: Who Will Win? Guess Who Style

Jev — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:41:28 -0500

The road to WrestleMania is slowly working it's way round again, with the start barely over the horizon in the form of the Royal Rumble. Soon enough, the big question will be at the forefront of everyone's mind again; who is going to win? The Rumble may seem a little too distant to start contemplating such matters, but as current efforts seem solely focussed on deciphering the turbulent world title scene and other goings-on across the world of the WWE, I thought I would give some direction to the chaos by offering up some candidates to take the Royal Rumble crown. I thought that for a bit of fun I would attempt to find these wrestlers using the method applied in the game “Guess Who.” I am going to attempt to systematically cut the field of potential winners down by making observations about past Rumble winners; establish trends from past winners, and then eliminate anyone who doesn’t fall into that category. Then by the end, I should have a decent pool of names which should hopefully contain the winner of the next Rumble. Every year we see many predictions as to who the winner will be. I may offer my personal choice at the end, but the main purpose of this is for me to rationalise the chances of certain Superstars winning, and allow that information to stew in your brain and to let you make your own decision. Ultimately, we may all reach a consensus as to who should win, but however obvious a candidate may seem, the outcome could be utterly different. Personally, I like it that way, so long as it is done correctly.

Begin Slideshow

Virginia Tech-Virginia: What to Expect In Charlottesville

Justin Cocchiola — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:26 -0500

When Virginia Tech and Virginia face off on Saturday the two teams will be playing for very little, other than pride of course.

Virginia Tech is trying to solidify a second-tier bowl, such as the Chick-fil-a or Gator Bowl, and Virginia is likely to move in a entirely new direction starting with a new head coach after this game.

Virginia started the season with an embarrassing loss to say the least. William & Mary came into their house and dominated. This isn't excusable, but every team in college football is different at this point in the season compared to the beginning.

That being said, Virginia has lost five straight games with their last win coming against the worst team in the ACC, Maryland.

None of these facts should bode well for the Cavaliers when they have to take on the second-best team in the ACC. Yes, Virginia Tech is the second-best team in the ACC.

The Hokies have once again had an interesting season. It has looked a lot different on paper as far as team statistics go.

Virginia Tech's offense has been their strongest asset at times and the defense has struggled. At the same time, the offense is the reason the Hokies lost to North Carolina and both the offense and defense can be blamed for Tech's other two losses (Alabama, Georgia Tech).

Alabama was a better team than the Hokies and that's why the Crimson Tide were able to come out on top in the fourth quarter. The other two losses Virginia Tech had came in back-to-back weeks and the Hokies seemed to be in a bit of a slump.

Why? I don't know. It always seems to happen with the Hokies. The slump lasted three weeks and they were able to sneak by with a win against East Carolina despite an abysmal offensive performance.

Since the Hokies last loss, they've won three in a row. Two of those wins came against two of the worst teams in the ACC. On Saturday they will finish their streak of weak conference opponents as they take on Virginia.

But this game means a little more than the other two. These are big time rivals and the rivalry has taken a hit over the past few years because of Tech's dominance. Al Groh is 1-7 all-time against Virginia Tech and Frank Beamer is 13-9 against Virginia.

It's fair to say that the two schools, at least fans, alumni and students, don't like each other, but the respect factor is their.

The two have completely different styles. Virginia Tech is typically a hard-nosed, tough football team, whereas Virginia is a bit more soft, but they typically have pretty strong defenses.

Although the Hokies have struggled on defense this year, they still have the 13th best defense in the nation in both total defense and points allowed. Virginia's defense ranks 47th in total defense and 62nd in points allowed.

However, the Cavaliers rank 118th in total offense and 105th in points scored. One word can describe these numbers: pathetic.

However, Hokie fans know the feeling all too well. Virginia Tech's offense was ranked 100th or worse for three straight years, but they've finally been able to break away from that this season.

So, what does all this mean for Saturday's game? On paper, Virginia Tech should blow out their rival, but it's a rivalry game. No matter how bad teams have played all season they will sometimes play their best game against their bitter rival.

I think the game will be close for a couple of quarters, but Ryan Williams will be way too much for the Virginia defense to handle. Tyrod Taylor has also been extremely efficient of late and hasn't thrown a pick in 98 pass attempts.

As long as the Hokies rush defense can limit the damage, everything should go smoothly for the Hokies. I would be surprised if Virginia Tech were to lose this game, because the talent on these two teams isn't even close.

Virginia Tech 38, Virginia 13

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NFL Week 12 Forceast: Playoff Spots At Stake

Lorraine Perla — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:05:44 -0500

Every one is awaiting to see which teams will make the NFL Playoffs. Below are the few games being played this Sunday. Be sure to give your views and opinions on this.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons

Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons meet at the Georgia Dome. Both teams have lost two straight games.

Josh Freeman threw for 126 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions for Tampa Bay and Antonio Bryant had three receptions for 40 yards.

Matt Ryan threw for 268 yards with two touchdowns for Atlanta and Jason Snelling rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.

Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills

Miami has won two straight games and Buffalo has lost three straight games. The Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills will both be shooting for a victory on Sunday when they meet at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Ricky Williams scored a pair of rushing touchdowns and caught another as the Dolphins defeated the Panthers 24-17 in Week 11.

Chad Henne threw for 172 yards with a TD in that win. Ryan Fitzpatrick passed for 297 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for Buffalo, while Terrell Owens caught nine passes for 197 yards with a TD.

Next matchup for these teams would be, Miami home to New England 6 and Buffalo home to New York Jets.

Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans meet at Reliant Stadium. Indianapolis has won 10 straight games and Houston has lost two straight.

The Colts defeated Baltimore 17-15 as a 1.5-point favorite in Week 11. Matt Schaub was 25-of-39 for 305 yards with two TD passes for Houston in its 20-17 loss to Tennessee in Week 11.

Peyton Manning passed for 299 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Colts and Joseph Addai rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

Next matchup for these teams would be, Indianapolis home to Tennessee and Houston at Jacksonville.

Carolina Panthers vs. New York Jets

The Carolina Panthers and the New York Jets will both be shooting for a victory on Sunday when they meet at Giants Stadium.

New York has lost three straight games. Steve Smith caught seven passes for 87 yards and a touchdown.

The Panthers were upset 24-17 by the Dolphins in Week 11 as a 3.5-point favorite. The 41 points went UNDER the night's posted total of 42.

Next matchup for these teams would be, Carolina home to Tampa Bay and NY Jets at Buffalo.

Washington Redskins vs. Philadelphia Eagles

On Sunday, the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles will meet at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Eagles defeated Chicago 24-20 as a 3.5-point favorite in Week 11. The combined score fell UNDER the posted over/under total (47).

Jason Campbell threw for 256 yards with an interception for Washington and Rock Cartwell caught seven passes for 73 yards.

Donovan McNabb passed for 244 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Philadelphia and DeSean Jackson caught eight passes for 107 yards with a touchdown in the win.

Next matchup for these teams would be, Washington home to New Orleans and Philadelphia at Atlanta.

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Everton-Liverpool Match Preview: Things May Get a Bit Rafa

David Jacobs — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:46:27 -0500

It's going to be a very edgy Sunday for Liverpool. They might have preferred to partake of a lie-in on Sunday morning; but being footballers, their work appears to start on the weekend.

Liverpool have a mountain to climb if they're going to re-emphasise any credentials or regain any dignity lost during their season so far.

In order to do this, they must salvage an away win at Goodison Park, the home of their bitter rivals, Everton, who are looking to shorten their league position space between them and Liverpool.

Meanwhile, across the 'pool, Everton have been shopping around for a site on which to place a shiny-new stadium and the only feasible way that can happen whilst allowing Everton to play their matches as normal is...*drum rolls*...*cymbal crash*...'ground-share' with Liverpool! *GASP*.

This is an idea which has been deeply thought about, but one which will divide
Kops and Toffees into quarters. Apart from the select few who may be friends with or related to fans of the rival side, it will not seem practical to mix red and blue together. Remember, bruises are purple.

However, ground-sharing has been quite common in football; and actually, rival teams have done the same thing. Correct me if this is the other way round, but towards the end of the war (not sure which one; can someone please fill me in on that?), Arsenal played their matches at White Hart Lane, home [and shrine] of Spurs.

Highbury was caught up in the midst of German air-strikes and was hit extremely hard so Arsenal's ground was deemed pretty much unusable until it was rebuilt. In the meantime, Arsenal and Spurs had to 'play nice' and share a pitch for a while.

It didn't change the fact that Spurs were relegated due to Arsenal's dubious promotion to the First Division in 1919 despite the fact that Arsenal only finished fifth in the Second Division!!!

Anyway, back to the Merseyside Derby. This wouldn’t be the first time that Everton has had to share with Liverpool – Sort of. Everton used land at Anfield for eight years thanks to a quick decision by then-Everton President John Houlding. The land was borrowed from John Orrell.

However, as long as Everton were playing at Anfield, the Football Council would not recognise Houlding’s new club’s name as “Everton.” A dispute was then formed over this purchase of land between the Football Council and Houlding.

Eventually, Houlding formed Liverpool FC. ‘Liverpool’ stayed at Anfield while the rest of ‘Everton’ moved away from Anfield, thereby forming Liverpool and Everton...the rivalry which we know today.

Everton moved into Goodison Park following a generous £1,000 donation from Dr. James Baxter who went on to become Everton’s chairman.

Everton fans: Think of today’s ground-sharing proposal as a homecoming for your team and think of Liverpool as the twin brother you haven’t seen in 117 years.

Liverpool fans: You are actually Everton fans who have been kept from the truth for
over a century. Sorry ;)

Moving on, who do I think will win Sunday’s Merseyside Derby? It’s a difficult choice.

Liverpool have lost their spearhead in attack, which is Fernando Torres, and also their 6’1 Tower of Babel. That’s their primary goalscorers out for the weekend which will most definitely obstruct Liverpool’s cause.

That will only leave Kuyt, Ngog, Gerrard and Benayoun. If Benayoun played somewhere in the centre midfield next to Kuyt, who is more of an incisive winger, they can possibly play Ngog through and with Gerrard in the hole to put some force behind it.

Everton have a squad’s worth of great players overcrowding the physio room. I’m surprised and impressed that they’re still managing to win matches. Terrific spirit by the way.

Mikel Arteta will not return until January. Anichebe, Rodwell and Vaughan don’t even have a determined return date yet.

The absence of Stephen Pienaar in my opinion has been a bitter pill to swallow. He adds some pace to Everton’s game.

Defender Jagielka has a knee injury to his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (getting technical here) which will keep him out until the end of December. Happy holidays Everton.

On the upside, Marouane Fellaini and his hair will participate in Sunday’s match (in the style of Tom Jones’ – *He’s Fellaini, wooooah wooooah wooooah, he’s Fellaini*). Fellaini will surely make a big impact in the Everton side.

His vision and shooting qualities will carry them through, as will Louis Saha. If Tim Howard remains on form and the backline listen to him, Everton will not face too many problems.

Basically, it’s anybody’s game. It should be a great match. I still tip Everton to edge it by one goal. They’re at home and despite being plagued by injuries, they have some key players in their Starting XI.

Liverpool have relied unsuccessfully on talismans all the time (Gerrard and Benayoun) and will not get anywhere unless Benitez nurtures the rest of the squad
as well.

Prediction: Everton 2 – 1 Liverpool.

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Seahawks-Rams Preview: Rams Exactly What Seattle Needs for Week 12

Todd Williams — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:25:41 -0500

Week 12 is upon us, and the struggling Seahawks have yet to win a game on the road. Forget home and away games though; Seattle has only managed three wins all year!

Is there any good news? Actually, yes, Seattle is going on the road this week to play the Rams, one of the three teams they have managed to beat.

Seattle didn’t just beat St. Louis in the first game either; they shut them out, winning the game 28-0 at Qwest Field. Of course that would be a lot more impressive if the Rams had managed more than one win this season.

With the season going like it is, however, Seattle fans will take a victory in any way, shape, or form. Coming off a brutal loss to the Vikings, the Seahawks are in desperate need of a shot in the arm to finish out the season.

Coach Mora and the team still feel optimistic, but whether that optimism turns into wins is another story. They have been ‘optimistic’ all year long.

Granted, key injures have hurt quite a bit, but even then, the collapse over the last two years has been epic, and not just a sign of bad luck and injuries.

It is time to rebuild the offense, starting with the line. The line, which by NFL.com stats ranks 24th overall, is not getting it done this year.

Seattle is going into this game hoping to duplicate their last game against St. Louis, and finally get a win outside of the state of Washington.

Matt Hasselbeck had a solid game with 279 yards through the air. Julius Jones powered the run game with 117 yards on 19 carries.

The defense held Marc Bulger and the Rams' air attack to 191 yards, and dangerous running back Steven Jackson to only 67 yards.

Going into this game the Seahawks are the statistically better team. Ranking 22nd in offense and putting up 19 points a game. That would not be so bad if the defense wasn’t giving up 24 points a game and ranking 20th in the NFL.

That has been the problem; however, the defense has been unable to step up to make up for the offense's mishaps.

While the offense has been the trademark of the Seahawks during this decade, it was the defense that was supposed to step up this year and keep the Seahawks into games.

There have been a lot of draft picks and free agent invested into it, and with minimal results.

The offense was expected to be up and down this year, with the O-Line in its current shape, and a change in offense philosophy, that hasn’t always fit the personnel, has not helped matters either.

The Rams obviously share in the woes on both side of the ball with the Seahawks, but to an even more extreme extent.

With an offense only putting up 11 points a game, ranking 26th, and the defense giving up 27 points a game, it is no surprise the Rams are 1-9 going into this game.

With an overcast outlook to match the city they play in, Seattle has had a rough year. There have been some encouraging signs, but it has been hard to keep up the positives from week to week.

After an impressive rushing performance in a loss to Arizona, Seattle had their run game shut down by Minnesota. In the Hawks' defense, the Vikings do have the third-ranked rush defense in the league.

Look for Seattle to get the run game rolling again this weekend, and to be able to pass all over the Rams.

Despite having started Julius Jones out, Justin Forsett has shown signs of being able to carry a heavy load. He is also looking to bounce back after that rough game against the Vikings.

They should be able to establish balance on offense, and will try to duplicate the success on defense from the first game. I expect Seattle to come away with its first road win of the year, and build off of that.

The season is lost in terms of playoffs, but it is far from lost in terms of judging the current talent and assessing the needs of the team for the upcoming draft.

Seahawks 28, Rams 3

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Arsenal-Chelsea Preview: Shades of Red and Blue!

Asser Ghozlan — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:11:01 -0500

With just over seven miles between Arsenal and Chelsea , just what is the real distance between London's biggest two?

An apt poser as we preview a clash of such massive proportions, made all the more so following last weekend's embarrassingly timid defeat at the Stadium of Light.

Over the past few years, we could argue that the distance between the two clubs was far more than just a bit of mileage across town, or a simple shade of red vs. blue. It's simply been far more than distance and local bragging rights.

For me it was all a question of "p's". That's right. Chelsea had the power, perspicacity (that's the best "p" word I could think of for experience, sorry), practicality and pragmatism.

The pots to show for it in the trophy cabinet at the end of the season on a consistent basis. Most importantly, and probably the predisposition to all of this, Chelsea had the pennies, and still do, although the recession has left Mr. Abramovich licking his wounds somewhat considerably.

As for Arsenal, it was all about just the one "p" I'm afraid: potential.

For many weeks now, the debate has been raging over when this now-dreaded term would turn into real material, finally vindicating Wenger's long-sighted vision.

Indeed, the manager and players themselves have acknowledged several times over that this is a season of reckoning.

And one big step towards proving that we are more than just potential obligates us to come out on top come Sunday evening.

Not because we're at home, nor because we lost last week, nor even because we got two consecutive bullyings from the table-toppers last time out.

But simply because this was meant to be our time, remember? And until last weekend, things were going exactly (well almost exactly) to plan.

Indeed, Arsenal v. Chelsea has been as damaging for my pride and personal machismo as it has been for our title prospects in recent years.

With a Chelsea fanatic of a best mate either side of me (metaphorically at the moment by the way), both "Tommy Boi" and Ian "Delgado" agree that it'll all be about the midfield cometh the hour.

Add my voice to theirs, and probably the voice of every other Gooner and Blues supporter.

Despite Chelsea 's adoption of a near-Arsenalistic approach under Ancelotti this season; and it seems to actually be working, unlike under "Big Phil" Scolari, Chelsea are still capable of doing what they did best on their way to the glut of trophies alluded to earlier.

Midfield stifling, efficient engine rooms, and a physicality that had always paid dividends. Especially in the big games. Especially in the big games against Arsenal.

For us to come out on top, we will need to cope with the likes of Essien and Ballack, as well as stop the equally-powerful Lampard from playing (who will blatantly start). Which brings me on to Alex Song .

With all the justified plaudits, and his recent transformation into a tough-tackling, tactically astute combative enforcer, we can finally claim to have a match for Chelsea 's "bison" in Essien, although experience is obviously on the latter's side.

With Song's tendency to "sit" in the midfield, allowing Cesc and Co. to turn it on, we might just have a match to Chelsea 's defensive midfield-Lampard free role combo.

With us representing Didier Drogba's favourite team, preventing the link-up play from Chelsea 's narrow, yet effective playmaking force; a force most likely to be provided by the improved Deco, with Joe Cole a more than effective impact player, will be of paramount importance. This will also involve the pinpoint concentration of our defence.

Now, don't get me wrong, Vermaelen has proved a shrewd acquisition, and in him we will have someone to stand up to the battering ram qualities of our tormentor-in-chief, alongside Gallas (who should play provided he sorts his contact lenses out).

At the other end of the pitch, Chelsea are goddamn lucky not to be facing Robin van Persie . A crying shame as it is, we have more than adequate replacements for that central frontman's role, the most obvious of which is Eduardo .

Now, whilst I was last seen waxing lyrical over the credentials of the Brazilian-born, I somehow feel that he is not quite on top form at the moment, with an appearance from the bench as my shout.

My personal tip would be Theo Walcott , who although is a big shout to start anyway, should be given a chance to impress in the central role.

Whilst he might not exactly fulfil the physical requirements I harked on about earlier, his pace and trickery can be put to good use against a central defence pairing and goalkeeper perhaps not quite as invincible as they were once perceived to be.

So, a big game needed for the big occasion, where each and every move will count, and where there is no room for error.

A true six-pointer, where a victory will put us right in the mix on the way to eradicating the curse of the "potential," and where a defeat will go a long way into consigning us to yet another season of Premier League underachievement and capital inferiority.

And, as the boys in blue ready themselves to hitting N5 under the stewardship of Italy's very own rendition of comedian Michael McIntyre (brilliantly spotted Tommy Boi), it is time to stand up and be counted, safe in the knowledge that for all their brilliant form, Chelsea can and will be beaten through the course of the season, with Sunday presenting a perfect opportunity.

A day that will go a long way in determining just who will have the last laugh...

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Atlanta Falcons Week 12 Preview

luise mary — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 06:04:22 -0500

The Atlanta Falcons are struggling to stay in the playoff hunt, but three straight games at home could be what they need to get back on track.

Facing the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday would also seem to help, but while the Falcons have a stellar record at Georgia Dome over the past two seasons, the Buccaneers gave them all they could handle in the previous matchup there.

After making its first playoff appearance in four years in 2008, Atlanta seemed prime for a return to the postseason after a 4-1 start. The Falcons, however, have dropped four of five since then, including last week’s 34-31 overtime road loss to the New York Giants .

Their second straight defeat pushed them one game behind the Giants, Green Bay and Philadelphia, who they face Dec. 6, in the NFC wild-card race.

“We’ve got to win, man,” wide receiver Roddy White said. “That’s the biggest thing for us right now.”

Victories have been frequent at the Georgia Dome since the team hired Mike Smith and drafted quarterback Matt Ryan with the third overall pick in 2008. Atlanta (5-5) is 11-1 at home over the past two seasons with a 4-0 mark this year.

The Falcons could get another boost if leading rusher Michael Turner is ready to return from a high right ankle sprain. Turner, who had three straight 100-yard games before suffering the injury Nov. 15 against Carolina, returned to practice Wednesday but was limited.

“Hopefully we’ll get a good read on him after practice and then tomorrow,” Smith told the team’s official Web site.

Even if Turner returns, the Falcons’ homestand won’t be easy. After facing the Buccaneers and Eagles (6-4), they finish up against possibly unbeaten New Orleans on Dec. 13.

That makes Sunday’s matchup critical as the Buccaneers (1-9) are one of three losing teams Atlanta will face over its final six games.

The Falcons will play Tampa Bay again to wrap up the regular season Jan. 3 and visit the New York Jets on Dec. 20. Their only other home game against a losing squad comes Dec. 27 versus Buffalo.

“We can’t have no setbacks. We’ve got to go out there and win six games,” White said. “If we win six games, we’ll control our own destiny.”

After seeming to show signs of improvement over the previous two weeks, the Buccaneers (1-9) absorbed a 38-7 defeat to the visiting Saints last week as rookie quarterback Josh Freeman had a season-high three interceptions and a fumble in the third quarter.

New Orleans converted those miscues into 17 of its 38 unanswered points.

“It’s just one of those days,” Freeman said. “An off day. … I don’t see it as a problem going forward.”

Ryan had a couple of off days against the Buccaneers last season with four interceptions and no touchdowns in two meetings . He completed 50 percent of his passes for an average of 182 yards.

Tampa Bay also held Turner to 42 yards on 14 carries in a 24-9 home win last season, but allowed him to rush for 142 in their meeting at the Georgia Dome.

That was enough to help the Falcons escape with a 13-10 overtime victory on Jason Elam’s 34-yard field goal.

Elam, however, has struggled this season in converting just 6 of 12 attempts from 30-plus yards. His miss from 35 yards cost the Falcons a chance to win in regulation last week.

Ryan rallied the team from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter with a pair of touchdowns in the final 6:01, including an 11-yard pass to Tony Gonzalez with 28 seconds left that sent the game into overtime.

The Falcons, however, lost the coin toss and the Giants converted a 36-yard kick for the victory.

Atlanta brought in four kickers for a tryout Tuesday but decided to stick with the three-time Pro Bowler as it tries to avoid its first three-game skid since losing six in a row Oct. 18-Dec. 23, 2007.

“I’ve had slumps before,” Elam said. “Over 17 years, you have some hiccups at various times. I’ve always been able to kick my way out of it. Hopefully, that’s what will happen this time.”

Tampa Bay has won 12 of 17 over Atlanta dating back to 1997, but the Falcons are 3-2 at home against the Buccaneers since 2004 .

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Cleveland Browns-Cincinnati Bengals Week 12 Preview

luise mary — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 06:01:40 -0500

A last-minute collapse against one of the worst teams in the NFL kept the Cincinnati Bengals from increasing their lead in the AFC North. Possibly getting Cedric Benson back Sunday for a meeting with the lowly Cleveland Browns might be just what they need to bounce back.

Cincinnati (7-3) opened the season with a 16-12 loss to Denver after giving up a fluky 87-yard touchdown catch with 11 seconds left. The Bengals then surprisingly won seven of eight, posting an 18-12 victory at Pittsburgh on Nov. 15 to move into sole possession of first in the division.

They were in prime position to expand that lead last Sunday as the other three teams in the North lost, but the Bengals gave up 10 points in the final 33 seconds to fall 20-17 at Oakland. Cincinnati committed eight penalties, fumbled three times and missed a field goal to see its three-game winning streak come to an end.

The Bengals are 5-0 in the North and looking to become the first team in franchise history to win all six division games in a season.

“I think it’s more disappointing because everybody lost and we also lost,” safety Chris Crocker said. “We’re not happy that we didn’t get another game up on our division opponents. That’s probably the most disappointing thing. This was a team we should have beat.”

Cincinnati has another chance to increase its hold on the North, as Pittsburgh visits Baltimore on Sunday night while it hosts the last-place Browns (1-9).

The Bengals have won two straight and eight of the last 10 meetings with the Browns. A 31-yard field goal by Shayne Graham with four seconds left gave them a 23-20 overtime victory in Cleveland on Oct. 4.

Possibly having Benson back could help Cincinnati continue that dominance.

Benson didn’t play last week due to a hip injury suffered against the Steelers, but coach Marvin Lewis said the running back “seems to be very close” to returning.

Benson has rushed for 859 yards and six touchdowns, but rookie Bernard Scott—a sixth-round draft pick from Abilene Christian—has emerged in the last two games.

He returned a kickoff 96 yards for the only touchdown against Pittsburgh while gaining 33 yards on 13 carries after Benson left the game. Scott ran for 119 yards on 21 carries last week.

“Bernard has earned an opportunity to continue to play ,” Lewis said. “He’ll have a chance, and he’ll get some opportunities one way or the other. If Ced is back and playing, Bernard will still play a considerable amount this week.”

Larry Johnson also could see more time on the field in his second game since signing with Cincinnati. He ran twice for five yards against the Raiders.

The Bengals will be facing a defense that is ranked last in the NFL, giving up 402.0 yards per game—154.9 on the ground.

Cleveland was on the verge of its second win last week but allowed a one-yard TD pass as time expired to fall 38-37 at Detroit.

The Browns, who have lost five in a row and 14 of 15, showed some improvement offensively, gaining a season-high 439 yards.

“The real positives are, we have been struggling offensively, and to have a game where we don’t turn the ball over, to be able to get the production that we got and move the ball as effectively as we had, that’s real progress and it’s positive,” coach Eric Mangini told the Browns’ official Web site.

Brady Quinn is looking to build on the best game of his career when he faces the Bengals for the first time. He completed 21 of 33 passes and set personal bests with 304 yards, four TDs and a 133.1 passer rating last week.

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Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills Week 12 NFL Preview

luise mary — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:56:57 -0500

The Buffalo Bills’ porous rush defense won’t see Ronnie Brown lining up in the Miami Dolphins’ backfield in their second meeting this season, but their assignment Sunday isn’t likelier to be any easier.

Ricky Williams’ back-to-back 100-yard games have given Miami a lift after Brown’s season-ending injury, and he’ll look to keep the Dolphins’ highly-ranked ground attack moving and boost their playoff hopes at Ralph Wilson Stadium against the sputtering Bills.

Miami (5-5) looked to be in deep trouble in its attempt to defend its AFC East title after losing three straight games to begin the season, but it’s won five of seven since to become a factor in the wild-card picture while giving itself a chance to remain in the division race.

The Dolphins’ turnaround began against Buffalo (3-7) in Week Four, as their run-heavy offense gashed the Bills for a season-high 250 yards in a 38-10 victory.

Brown had 115 yards and two touchdowns while Williams totaled 85 yards and a score, but only Williams will be in the backfield Sunday as Miami seeks its fourth straight win over Buffalo.

Brown suffered a season-ending foot injury in the Dolphins’ 25-23 win over Tampa Bay on Nov. 15, leaving Miami without its wildcat triggerman and putting the onus on Williams to keep the team’s fourth-ranked rushing attack (156.0 yards per game) going.

Williams ran for 102 yards in the win over the Buccaneers , and kept the offense moving Nov. 19 at Carolina. He gained 119 yards on the ground and scored three touchdowns—two rushing—in the Dolphins’ 24-17 win, making the 32-year-old the oldest Miami running back to run for 100 yards in consecutive games.

“He’s not 32, I don’t care what he says,” rookie receiver Brian Hartline said. “He definitely doesn’t look 32 out there, and he definitely has a lot of gas left in his wheels.”

Williams—the AFC’s offensive player of the week—hasn’t rushed for 100 yards in three straight games since 2003.

After the win over the Panthers put Miami at .500 for the first time this season, the Dolphins’ biggest task may be avoiding a letdown in Buffalo with a visit from division-leading New England looming next week.

“It puts us on the right track,” Williams said. “We have been trying to get here all year, and we finally got here. It’s just the next step to where we want to go.”

The Dolphins’ big rushing effort against the Bills in Week Four was part of a four-game stretch in which Buffalo allowed 240.5 yards per game—including an NFL season-high 318 in a 16-13 win over the New York Jets on Oct. 10.

The Bills’ struggles on both side of the ball were enough to get coach Dick Jauron fired after a 41-17 loss at Tennessee on Nov. 15, and while they played better last Sunday in Jacksonville, the result was the same. Mike Sims-Walker caught a touchdown from David Garrard with 56 second left to lift the Jaguars to an 18-15 win in Perry Fewell’s debut as interim coach.

“Emotional week for all of us and this was an emotional loss for us,” Fewell said. “I thought our guys fought their hind ends off. They battled down to the wire. We just didn’t get it done.”

Fewell’s home debut will come days after the team met with former Denver coach Mike Shanahan about its vacancy, but while the team’s temporary leader may only be on the sidelines for six games, there were some positive developments in Fewell’s debut.

Buffalo held Maurice Jones-Drew to 66 rushing yards and Jacksonville as a team to 102, the best it’s done against the run since holding Tampa Bay to 57 yards in a Week Two win. Additionally, Terrell Owens caught nine passes for 197 yards and hauled in his first touchdown since scoring against the Bucs.

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two interceptions in Jacksonville , but his connection with Owens—which included a 98-yard pass in the third quarter—has the quarterback optimistic about the Bills’ offense.

“It’s been a long and frustrating season, and it hasn’t gone the way we want offensively,” Fitzpatrick said. “But we’ve got six games now to kind of turn that around and make a positive out of it.”

Some key injuries, however, may make connecting with Owens tougher this week. While running back Marshawn Lynch is expected to play after leaving Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury, Buffalo lost guards Eric Wood (broken leg) and Seth McKinney (knee) for the season, leaving it with five healthy offensive linemen on the roster.

The Bills have allowed 109 fourth-quarter points this season, second-most in the NFL behind Miami’s 110.

Be the first to comment —What do you think?

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Washington Huskies 2010 Offensive Line Outlook: Bring on the Beef!

Todd Williams — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:27:53 -0500

When Don James roamed the sidelines, the Huskies were known for two things; a rugged defense and a powerful running game behind a strong offensive line.

Coach Lambright carried on the tradition after James stepped away, but wasn’t as successful doing it in terms of wins.

Starting with Rick Neuheisel, the Husky team transitioned to more of a passing team, and has not regained the reputation as a power running team since then.

New coach Steve Sarkisian has shown a preference for the pass in his first year, but he also seems to understand the importance of getting the beef back on the lines, particularly the offensive line. Currently, Sarkisian has verbal commits from five offensive linemen for the 2010 class.

The problem has not necessarily been the number of offensive line recruits brought in, but the amount who have stayed with the program as offensive linemen. Since the 2004 class, Washington has lost seven offensive linemen due to position changes or problems transferring from a junior college.

Even with those losses, the Huskies have 14 linemen currently on the roster, with only three seniors, and out of that those three, only one is listed as a starter.

This is where the loss of what would be experienced lineman from the older classes hurts, but it is a young line with nine players who were either freshmen or sophomores going into this year.

Also, the problem has not automatically been talent either, but rather the development of those players. Although recruiting rankings are educated guesses, they can show the level of perceived talent for a position, and out of those on the roster, eight of them were three-star recruits.

Looking ahead to 2010, the Huskies will return four of their five listed starters. At left tackle, Drew Shaefer is set to return as the starter, while his backup, Nick Scott, is a senior and will need to be replaced.

At left guard, the Dawgs lose their only senior on the line in Ben Ossai, but do return the listed backup, sophomore Nick Wood.

The center position returns both from the two-deeps; Ryan Tolar and Mykenna Ikehara. Tolar will be a senior next year, and Ikehara will be entering his sophomore season, but with a redshirt, it will be his third year in the program.

At right guard, the Huskies return starter sophomore Senio Kelemete, but lose the back up Morgan Rosborough, who is a senior this season.

Finally, the right tackle position will return starter Cody Habben, a junior, as well as the back up, redshirt freshman Drew Shaefer.

As you can see most of the two deeps is made up of a young group, and with the new coaching staff have shown some improvement going into this year.

With another full offseason in the strength and conditioning program, we should see a more productive offensive line for Washington.

Still, even with a young group, there has been a huge emphasis placed on bringing in more depth and talent to the offensive line.

Here is a quick look at the five commits.

First up is Colin Tanigawa from Lyola High School in Los Angeles. A two-star recruit known for his work ethic and footwork, Tanigawa has the potential to be a solid guard. Before signing with the Huskies, he had offers from ASU, Nebraska, and UCLA, among others.

The second recruit we will look at is Erik Kohler of Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, Calif. The high school may sound familiar to those who follow recruiting closely, as that is the same high school as fellow UW commit quarterback Nick Montana.

Kohler is the star of this offensive line class, listed as a four-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com.

With good size and decent speed, Kohler looks to be a future anchor for the line at the tackle position. He had a solid list of scholarship offers with teams such as Arizona, California, and Notre Dame on his list.

A third recruit to look at is Colin Porter from Bothell High School in Bothell, Wash. Porter is a three-star recruit with good size at the guard position.

Not as well-known as the other two, he did have offers from two other PAC-10 programs in Stanford and Washington State.

The fourth recruit in this year’s class is Ben Riva of O’Dea High School in Seattle, Washington.

Riva is a three-star tackle with good height and speed. Considered to be very athletic and versatile, he looks to make an impact for this Husky team in the future. Like Porter, was not as well-known or recruited with only one other PAC-10 offer from Washington State.

Finally, the latest commit which has just recently been confirmed is Michael Criste. Criste is a three-star tackle on Rivals, and is listed as a two-star for Scout.com.

Criste has flown under the radar so far as Washington has been the only school to offer him up to this point, but has been getting increased interest. At 6’5, 295 he has good size and potential to contribute to the Washington O-Line.

Going with the assumption that all the commits stay committed, dangerous I know, and that the only attrition will be the seniors there will be 16 offensive line men on the roster for 2010.

Although a position move or two would not be shocking, it appears that the Huskies are building solid depth on the all-important line.

This year has been full of growing pains, but with most of the starters returning, increased depth, and another off-season in the weight training system, we should see a much improved line next season paving the way for running back Chris Polk, who looks to rush for 1,000 yards this season.

Look for that number to be even higher next year as this line gels as a unit.

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2009 NFL Playoff Picture

Hazen Vennard — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:27:04 -0500

The 2009 NFL season is more than half way over and we are finally getting a feel for our teams. There have been severaly suprises so far 3 games deep into week twelve. Who would have thought that the Minnesota Vikings would be 9-1 or that the Cincinnati Bengals would be leading the AFC North with a 7-3 record. Vince Young coming off the bench and taking the Tennessee Titanson a 4 game winning streak. After monday there are 5 games left and teams are giving it their all. Players that are helping their teams the most by postions are: QB's - Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, who all have over 3,000 yards passing. RB's -Chris Johnson, Steven Jackson, and Adrian Peterson, who all have over 1,000 yards rushing, except Peterson who is 1 yard shy. WR's - Reggie Wayne, Randy Moss, and Andre Johnson, who all have over 875 yards. Defensively, Curtis Lofton, Patrick Willis, London Fletcher, who all have over 90 tackles. The grocery workers, Elvis Dumervil, Jared Allen, and James Harrison, who all have over 10.0 sacks. The thieves of the league are, Jairus Byrd, Darren Sharper, and Charles Woodson, who all have 7 interceptions or more. As the season winds down quickly, every team is empting their tanks trying to get pencil in their names into the playoff pictures. Only 12 teams get their shot at the Super Bowl, while the rest of the field is sent home packing. While 12 teams gete their shot at the title, only 1 team can go meet the President of the United States. I will give you all my predictions on the rest of the season and tell you who will punch their ticket to the playoffs. While the other teams get a little extra time on vacation.

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Missouri Tigers Need to Avoid Stirring Echoes of Last Season vs. Kansas

Ryan Faller — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:32:41 -0500

The agonizing vividness of that photo is still freshly branded in my brain.

Down by two scores to unranked Kansas early in the third quarter of last season's Border Showdown, No. 13 Missouri scored 27 of the game's next 34 points to take a seemingly unconquerable 37-33 lead with less than two minutes remaining.

For a star-laden MU squad, it appeared to be a fitting and satisfying end to a regular season that had sadly gone terribly awry after beginning with darkhorse-ish national championship aspirations.

With a commanding lead in the shaky Big 12 North, the Tigers were assured a spot in the conference championship regardless of its performance against the Jayhawks.

But for MU quarterback Chase Daniel and his fellow seniors, the opportunity to beat their hated neighbors to the West for the third time in four years was the more pressing matter. And here they were, a mere 90 seconds away from their goal.

Yet, for all the heroics of the MU offense to dramatically and courageously overcome a sizable deficit on national television, one image from the 2008 Border Showdown stands above all else: KU receiver Kerry Meier , after breezing by paralyzed MU safety Justin Garrett, hauling in a fourth-down, 26-yard desperation heave from quarterback Todd Reesing to ultimately seal the Jayhawks' 40-37 win .

It was a moment that took your breath away, but only because it felt like someone was mean-spirited enough to punch you in your stomach.

And it was clear, one week later against the Oklahoma, that the Tigers were still shaking out the cobwebs during their 41-point throttling at the hands of the Sooners.

And now, here we are, 364 days later and things don't look all that much different.

After another midseason malaise, Missouri (7-4, 3-4) has righted the ship with a late surge and would like nothing more than to put a stamp on the season with a win over the Jayhawks.

And like 2008, the Tigers, once possessing the look of a team that was down-and-out, now look rejuvenated while arguably playing their best football to date.

And though it has struck in a much larger and more publicized manner this time around, adversity appears to be crippling the KU program late in the season.

In 2008, the Jayhawks, after beginning the season 5-1, lost four of five to limp into the Missouri game at 6-5 and barely bowl-eligible.

However, the last-second theatrics of Reesing and Meier saved a season in peril, as the win over MU generated enough momentum to carry Kansas to an eight-win campaign that ended in a victory over Minnesota in the Insight Bowl.

And if the Jayhawks appeared frail at this time last season, their psyche now is absolutely off the charts .

The only thing that would make this Mark Mangino scandal spicier would be if he would agree to opt out of his $6 million worth of contract money to wrestle athletic director Lew Perkins in a steel-cage, table-ladders-and-chairs match in downtown Lawrence.

For weeks now we have heard every angle of the allegations against Mangino. Players' moms and dads have been called out for their unsavory parental prowess.

Former Jayhawks have spoken out, with some saying their old coach resembles a mean dictator who doesn't shy away from getting in a player's face or doing a little chest-poking.

Even at the deepest level, Kansas (5-6, 1-6) appears to be in shambles. But that's precisely what makes the Jayhawks such a dangerous team at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday. And that's precisely what makes the Tigers so vulnerable at the same time.

This is a game Missouri should win. The Tigers have momentum. They have unity and cohesiveness. You could argue that Missouri is far better than Kansas, with or without the whole Mangino upheaval.

Hit hard by graduation and the NFL in the offseason, the 2009 Tigers are young—but they're not stupid. Upperclassmen have put in the time to lecture younger players on how important the Kansas game is.

What few seniors there are on the MU roster still marvel at how that game got away last season, which is the first step in preventing history from repeating itself.

If it does, the Tigers are in a world of trouble.

Despite the politics and turmoil that are eating away at the program, Kansas will undoubtedly give Missouri its best game.

Much has been said about Mangino's rotund physique, but his heart of gold and devotion to his job have not gone unnoticed by his players, so it's easily dismissive to say the Jayhawks will lie down for the Tigers.

Plus, what of KU's seniors? Do they not want to earn bowl eligibility to prolong their careers, and do so against their biggest rival?

For players like Reesing and Meier, who aren't exactly locks to get selected in next year's draft, this may be their last shot. And what better way to go out than by perhaps replicating last season's memorable pitch-and-catch to win the game?

Not only would a loss drop the Tigers to a murky 7-5, but it would do nothing to ward off those skeptics who insisted prior to the season that the MU program was entering a reconstruction phase and needed some time to ascend back to the top of the Big 12.

A loss to Kansas would be utterly disastrous. In a weird sort of way, it would almost render meaningless everything the Tigers have achieved this season.

Missouri is known for losing games like this. It's happened too many times for it not to be a concern just because Kansas has lost six in a row and is on the potential verge of a nasty lawsuit with its embattled head coach.

This rivalry is the second-oldest in college football and arguably its most competitive, with each team claiming 54 victories.

But if MU head coach Gary Pinkel wants to forge ahead in his task to change the culture in Columbia, the Tigers have to break that deadlock on Saturday.

Furthermore, the Tigers are currently facing a spectrum of possibilities in regards to which bowl invitation they'll receive, with the most prominent being a call to represent the Big 12 in the Cotton Bowl for the second time in three years.

However, with a loss on Saturday, Missouri may be destined for a repeat trip to San Antonio for the Alamo Bowl, whereas a win could mean a boarding pass to San Diego to face a high-profile Pac-10 opponent in the more appealing Holiday Bowl.

Missouri's loss to Kansas last season hurt. It hurt a lot. But all things considered, a defeat in Saturday's rival war would be downright excruciating.

Especially if Reesing and Meier decide to play a recurring role.

Photo credit: Associated Press

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Tom Brady vs. Drew Brees: Silva's Week 12 NFL Picks and Predictions

Evan Silva — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:09:50 -0500

I will be breaking down every single football game this week. Like on NFL Playbook they break down every single game, that's what I did, and my article is long, so be ready for a show.

Last Week's Record (14-2)

My Overall Record (70-28)

Check Out My Thanksgiving Matchups and My Week 12: Turkey Day Rankings

Write a Comment and tell me what you think of my picks and my article.

Thanks!

Let's get cracking.

1:00 P.M. ET Games

Miami @ Buffalo

As if his Week 11 shoulder injury wasn't enough, Marshawn Lynch's value takes a sizable hit due to the season-ending losses of starting OGs Seth McKinney (knee) and Eric Wood (leg).

An inside runner, Lynch will have fewer lanes to cut through when he returns. He's probable for Week 12, but he isn't a fantasy option against Miami's No. 12 run defense if he plays.

Fred Jackson is a good bet to lead Buffalo's backfield in touches. On the season, Jackson is averaging 4.8 yards per play compared to Lynch's 3.8. Clearly, Jackson is the more effective back in all areas.

Terrell Owens' 197-yard Week 11 probably isn't a sign of things to come. While it did confirm that the 36-year-old has something left in the tank, Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has never had sustained success in the NFL.

Fitzpatrick is always a better bet to be ineffective after a productive game than to keep it going.

Owens and Lee Evans are mere WR3s, even against Miami's rookie corners and No. 22 pass defense.

Bills rookie TE Shawn Nelson isn't capitalizing on his starting job yet. He caught just one ball for 25 yards in last Sunday's loss to Jacksonville.

The Bills' No. 31 run defense continues to deal with injuries at every level. DT Marcus Stroud (knee) is still banged up after missing Week 11 and Buffalo plays musical chairs at linebacker every week.

Coming off an extended rest period after last Thursday's 24-touch, 138-yard, three-touchdown gashing of Carolina, Ricky Williams is an RB1. At 32, however, Ricky isn't a great bet to hold up with such workloads over the next six games.

Backup Lex Hilliard, who showed terrific power against the Panthers, would be a savvy "handcuff" pickup for Williams owners.

The Fins' coaching staff is showing more confidence in Chad Henne. While Henne is barely on the fantasy radar, he has averaged 32 attempts per game since Week 8. He isn't taking vertical shots, but has found a go-to target underneath in Davone Bess.

The duo has hooked up 16 times for 191 yards in the last three games. Bess is a zone buster and Buffalo plays lots of Cover 2, so he's a good PPR play this week.

Bess is playing the most snaps among Miami wideouts, while Brian Hartline, Ted Ginn Jr., and Greg Camarillo rotate. The latter three are waiver wire material.

My Pick- Dolphins

Indianapolis @ Houston

Texans-Colts in Week 9 didn't produce especially high-scoring results (20-17), but was decidedly pass heavy (94 combined throws; 44 rushes). There's no good reason to think those numbers will change much this time, as both clubs have top-three passing attacks and bottom-three rushing offenses.

While Matt Schaub has a difficult matchup against a Colts club that allows the NFL's fourth lowest YPA and has given up a league-low seven TDs, you can be sure he'll throw early and often. Indianapolis is also likely to be without top CB Kelvin Hayden (knee) for another week.

Andre Johnson had 10 catches in his last meeting with the Colts. He has top-three WR1 upside against Indy's rookie corners.

Kevin Walter has one TD all year. He's proven to be more of a WR4 matchup play than every-week WR3 despite Owen Daniels' season-ending injury. This isn't a favorable matchup.

Ryan Moats is now No. 3 in Houston's backfield, but Steve Slaton and Chris Brown are forming an even rotation. Slaton is a flex play and barely worth consideration in non-PPR formats. Indianapolis is tough on tight ends, so Texans rookie James Casey is a weak bet.

Peyton Manning has 299+ yards in each of the last four weeks. He'll benefit from the absence of Texans FS Eugene Wilson, who went on injured reserve Wednesday after undergoing surgery to repair two broken toes.

Houston's alternatives are Dominique Barber and John Busing. Both lack cover skills.

Reggie Wayne will see RCB Dunta Robinson in primary coverage. Robinson is having a good year, but Wayne is the No. 1 receiver in fantasy.

The Texans struggle against tight ends, and Dallas Clark had a career-high 14 catches against them in Week 9. He also gets a matchup upgrade with Wilson out.

Donald Brown is officially a non-factor in Indy's backfield, with just nine touches since returning from a shoulder strain in Week 9. Joseph Addai has 32 over that span.

An every-down back again, Addai has eight touchdowns in his last seven games. He's an every-week RB2 and faces a Texans run defense that showed plenty of leaks last Monday night.

Pierre Garcon has overtaken Austin Collie to be the Colts' No. 2 wideout. In the last three games, Collie has 83 yards and no TDs on 15 targets. Garcon has 218 yards and one score on 28 Manning attempts.

My Pick- Colts

Cleveland @ Cincinnati

Cincy will be rearing for points in bushels coming off a letdown loss to Oakland. The Paul Brown Stadium forecast (54-degree temps, 20% chance of rain, 11MPH winds) won't hinder passing, so Carson Palmer is a must-start against Cleveland's No. 26 pass defense. No one gives up more yards per throw than the Browns.

Chad Ochocinco routinely obliterates Browns RCB Brandon McDonald and scored two TDs in their last meeting. Ocho is an easy WR1. Avoid rotating possession receivers Laveranues Coles and Andre Caldwell, who crush each other's upsides.

Cedric Benson (hip) will be a game-time decision, but is an RB1 if he starts against the Browns' No. 29 rush defense. Bernard Scott is only a fantasy option if Benson is inactive.

Should Benson play, Scott's upside would be around 12 touchrd performance, so we should know that CedBen is at least close to 100 percent if he's dressed on Sunday.

Browns playcaller Brian Daboll finally let Brady Quinn take downfield shots in last week's surprise 75-total point game against the Lions.

Quinn threw perfectly placed scoring bombs to Chansi Stuckey and Mohamed Massaquoi, and finished with four TDs overall.

Bengals Pro Bowl-caliber press corners Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall won't let Cleveland's wideouts get as wide open as Detroit's No. 32 pass defense did, however.

While Quinn's improved confidence and aggressiveness are promising for his future, he's no more than a QB2 going forward.

The Bengals are one of the toughest teams in the league against No. 1 receivers, so it's too early to get excited about Massaquoi. He'll be a good player in the long run, but this is an unfavorable matchup.

Jamal Lewis had 3.1 yards per carry against the Lions. Detroit surrenders 4.5 YPC on the year. Lewis has no explosion and isn't remotely an option against Cincinnati's No. 2 rush defense.

Despite a sit-down with Eric Mangini this week, Jerome Harrison remains Cleveland's No. 3 tailback behind Lewis and Chris Jennings. Harrison has zero touches since Week 8.

My Pick- Bengals

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta

Matt Ryan broke out of his sophomore funk in Week 11, stringing together 10 straight completions at one point, avoiding picks, and throwing for 268 yards and two TDs against a Giants secondary that got a shot in the arm with DB Aaron Ross (hamstring) back.

Ryan now returns home, where he's been sensational. His TD to INT ratio is 8:4 with a 65.8 completion rate in the Georgia Dome compared to 8:8 and 55.8 marks on the road.

Only the Lions and Titans have given up more passing touchdowns than the Bucs, so Ryan should be started with supreme confidence again.

Coach Mike Smith said this week that Michael Turner (high ankle sprain) has "no timetable" for return, but he practiced Wednesday and Thursday and is expected to face Tampa. The Bucs have fallen to No. 32 against the run, so Turner is a borderline RB1 even at less than 100%.

Barring a last-minute deactivation of Turner, Jason Snelling is no longer an option. Tampa can't cover tight ends. Tony Gonzalez is hot and a top-five TE1 this week. Aqib Talib will shadow Roddy White, making White a fairly risky play.

The Bucs' shutdown corner helped hold Marques Colston under 75 yards last Sunday. Falcons blocking receiver Michael Jenkins hasn't scored all season.

After back-to-back impressive starts, Josh Freeman took a step back against a Saints team that was without its top two corners in Week 11 before losing starter Randall Gay and nickel CB Leigh Torrence to in-game injuries.

While Freeman flashed his Ben Roethlisberger-esque pocket feel and touch on a pretty 18-yard TD pass after evading numerous blitzers, he had four turnovers and made awful second-half decisions.

Still very raw, Freeman will remain inconsistent in the final six games and is only a low-end option in two-QB leagues against Atlanta's No. 29 pass defense.

Kellen Winslow will be affected by Freeman's ups and downs, but remains the rookie's go-to guy. Despite Antonio Bryant's (knee) return, Winslow easily led Tampa with 13 targets last week.

With Bryant back, the Bucs are now using a four-wideout rotation also involving Sammie Stroughter, Michael Clayton, and Maurice Stovall. None are reliable.

The Bucs have resumed a three-man RBBC with Earnest Graham reinstalled at tailback. Carnell Williams is a flex option against the Falcons' porous rush defense, but Graham and Derrick Ward are safely bench material.

My Pick- Falcons

Seattle @ St. Louis

Marc Bulger's fractured tibia deals a death blow to St. Louis' receiver corps. Bulger led the Rams to a Week 9 win at Detroit, and helped keep them close in losses to New Orleans and Arizona in the last two weeks.

While he didn't play particularly well along the way, Bulger was at least finding Brandon Gibson and Donnie Avery more consistently than he had all season.

Backup Kyle Boller, who's long been afraid in the pocket, is a horrible fit for offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur's system because of his inaccuracy. Avery and Gibson are bench fodder for the rest of 2009.

Steven Jackson's numbers (26 touches, 116 yards, TD) don't show it, but Arizona did a good job of containing him in Week 11. Cardinals linebackers Karlos Dansby and Clark Haggans refused to let S-Jax turn the corner, and he would've averaged just 2.62 yards per touch if not for a 48-yard run late in the third quarter.

It remains to be seen if Seahawks LBs Aaron Curry and David Hawthorne can do the same, but don't bet on it. Since Week 1, Jackson is averaging 26 touches for 133 total yards per game. He also has a rushing touchdown in three straight efforts.

The Seahawks would've continued their pass-a-lot approach in Week 11 had they sustained drives. Possessing the ball for just 17:49, Seattle managed 29 passes compared to nine rushes.

Matt Hasselbeck is an excellent bet to rebound against a Rams defense that's bringing no pressure. They have only three sacks in their last two games, and Seahawks LT Sean Locklear performed well in his first 2009 start last week, holding Jared Allen to one assisted tackle and no sacks. Hasselbeck lit up St. Louis for 279 yards and three scores in their Week 1 meeting.

Noteworthy Seahawks lines from that same matchup: Nate Burleson (7-74-1), John Carlson (6-95-1), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (6-48). Burleson and Carlson are strong fantasy starts again, and not just because of what they did to the Rams earlier this year.

St. Louis lacks speed at corner to slow Burleson, and Carlson won't have to block as often as usual because of the Rams' weak pass rush.

Julius Jones (ribs, lung) is a game-day decision. Check back Sunday morning for his official status. Should Jones not be able to go, Justin Forsett will be worth using in all leagues as an RB2.

My Pick- Seahawks

Carolina @ NY Jets

Run-heavy game plans are the norm for Carolina, and this one will be no different. DeAngelo Williams, bothered by a knee injury for the last two weeks, is off the injury report after ripping the Dolphins for 122 yards on 13 carries (9.4 YPC) in Week 11.

He's sure to get the football more against a mediocre Jets run defense, which ranks No. 17 overall. While D-Will is an RB1 Sunday, Jonathan Stewart is a terrific flex.

The Jets lost their girth when Kris Jenkins went out for the year and are suspectible to power rushers. J-Stew is the more physical of Carolina's backs.

Red flag Steve Smith this week for the Darrelle Revis factor. Revis, the Jets' LCB, normally lines up on the opposite side of Smith (Carolina's LWR), but will definitely shadow him with Dwight Lowery (ankle) and Donald Strickland (concussion) out.

Already breaking in new free safety Eric Smith, there's no way the Jets will let Steve burn up usual RCB Lito Sheppard all gameAfter a 91-yard Week 10, Muhsin Muhammad had 27 in Week 11.

He isn't good enough for fantasy use despite a favorable matchup with Sheppard. Carolina TEs are hands off, but Gary Barnidge is showing the most promise. He is already the team's second most explosive receiving option.

After showing signs that he might break free from the rookie wall, Mark Sanchez went back in the tank last week with four picks. Three went to the same guy (Patriots RCB Leigh Bodden), and one was returned 53 yards for a TD. Sanchez isn't even a QB2 against Carolina's No. 4 pass defense.

The Panthers' joke of a run defense got lit up by Ricky Williams for 138 yards and three touchdowns two Thursdays ago. It's the next 30+ year-old running back's turn.

Thomas Jones, who has stiff-armed Shonn Greene to the ground in their competition for carries, is an easy top-ten RB play.

Jerricho Cotchery has seemingly shown more "rapport" with Sanchez than in-season acquisition Braylon Edwards, who has just four catches for 89 yards in his last two games. Cotchery has nine grabs for 152 yards and two TDs over that span, but his matchup is more difficult than Edwards' this week.

Cotchery will mostly square off against Panthers top CB Chris Gamble, while RCB Richard Marshall will be on Edwards. Neither is a particularly attractive play because Carolina's secondary is so stout and Mark Sanchez is so bad, but Edwards offers a shade more upside.

My Pick- Jets

Washington @ Philadelphia

The Skins boast the No. 1 pass defense, but have problems this week. Coach Jim Zorn ruled out RCB DeAngelo Hall (knee), and pocket-pushing DT Albert Haynesworth (ankle) is in danger of missing another game.

The Eagles will stay pass-heavy with Brian Westbrook (concussions) out. Both Jeremy Maclin (who would've seen the majority of Hall) and DeSean Jackson have favorable matchups.

Washington is tough on tight ends, but Brent Celek should find more lanes down the seams with FS LaRon Landry forced to help CBs Fred Smoot and Carlos Rogers outside.

The Eagles will reevaluate Westbrook's status in Week 14, but he won't be a fantasy asset for the rest of 2009. Philadelphia would be lucky to get any impact from its 30-year-old back in the real-life playoffs. Don't think he's a savvy pickup.

LeSean McCoy faces a Redskins run defense that continues to sag. Now ranked 25th overall, the Skins allow 4.4 YPC and would be severely weakened by Haynesworth's absence. McCoy is a high-end RB2 going forward.

Jason Avant is a serviceable WR3 gamble if you're desperate. He has 12 catches for 182 yards and a touchdown in his last two outings, and Washington will struggle to defend the slot without Hall.

Rock Cartwright was this week's No. 1 fantasy pickup. He has shown some quickness in the hole as Ladell Betts' "change of pace" back over the past few games, but there's a reason he's been a special teamer his entire eight-year career.

The 29-year-old hasn't scored a rushing touchdown since 2005 and now faces a Philadelphia defense that ranks top ten against the run, permitting under four yards a carry.

Cartwright isn't even a safe bet to operate as a true featured back with Quinton Ganther and Marcus Mason behind him. Neither is a clearly inferior ball-carrying option.

The Redskins' shortened-up passing attack would seemingly give them a chance against the NFL's most blitz-happy team, but Washington simply doesn't have any fantasy players worth using.

Devin Thomas hasn't proven capable of mustering any hint of consistency, Fred Davis' week-to-week production is highly inconsistent, and Santana Moss doesn't catch deep balls anymore.

Eagles RE Trent Cole should have his way with Skins LT Levi Jones when Jason Campbell does take 5-7 step drops. On paper at least, this one is a mismatch favoring Philly.

My Pick- Eagles

4:05 P.M. ET Game

Jacksonville @ San Francisco

Instead of moving FS Reggie Nelson to corner, the Jags are sticking with speed-challenged former undrafted free agent Tyron Brackenridge to "compensate" for top CB Rashean Mathis' (groin) indefinite loss.

Brackenridge was lit up by Terrell Owens (9-197-1) last week, and will see a lot of Michael Crabtree in coverage this Sunday. Crabtree scored his first NFL touchdown against a tough Green Bay secondary in Week 11.

He's a borderline WR2 against Jacksonville's No. 25 pass defense. Josh Morgan and Isaac Bruce are rotating opposite Crabtree. Neither is an option.

For many of the reasons above, Alex Smith is worth a long look if you're desperate for a QB1. Frank Gore, averaging a scintillating 5.4 YPC and TD per appearance, squares off with a Jags run defense that began the year hot but has plummeted to No. 17 overall.

Coach Mike Singletary reaffirmed this week that Gore is the 49ers' offensive centerpiece, and that they won't suddenly become a spread team. Expect a healthy 25 touches from Gore.

Among TEs, only Dallas Clark has more fantasy points than Vernon Davis in 2009. Davis is a slot receiver in the Niners' spread sets, which will bolster his numbers even in "down" weeks. This won't be one.

The 49ers' run defense entered Week 11 allowing the fewest yards per carry in the league and as the NFL's No. 3 overall unit. Minus ILB Takeo Spikes (hamstring), however, San Francisco was exposed by Ryan Grant for 145 total yards and a touchdown.

Maurice Jones-Drew is a far better talent than Grant and Jags offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter likely noticed the 49ers' leaks in film study this week.

If Jones-Drew's 1,862-total yard and 21-touchdown paces weren't enough to make you feel confident about him, this development should help.

A knee injury kept Mike Sims-Walker out of Wednesday's practice, but there's no indication that it will threaten his playing status against San Francisco's No. 30 pass defense. Check his Friday update, but he's an obvious must-start if he plays.

The 49ers are playing musical chairs at corner and may bench LCB Tarell Brown for burnable veteran Dre' Bly this week. David Garrard's matchup is also favorable and the Bay Area weather will be fair, but he always has limited upside.

Garrard typically struggles on the road, and has just two multiple-touchdown games this year. Torry Holt hasn't topped 37 yards since Week 6. Keep him reserved.

My Pick- 49ers

4:15 P.M. ET Games

Chicago @ Minnesota

Chicago's constant protection breakdowns have gotten to Jay Cutler's head. Cutler is consistently throwing off his back foot, hurrying passes in the short-to-intermediate area, and he missed three wide-open receivers for potential TDs in last week's loss. Johnny Knox, Greg Olsen, and Devin Hester all got behind the Eagles' secondary at different points, only to be overshot.

Cutler would have hit those plays in Denver with Ryan Clady on his blind side. 34-year-old Bears LT Orlando Pace is at the end of the line, however, and now has NFC sacks leader Jared Allen to deal with.

Coming off a measly 54-yard effort against Philly, Matt Forte is greeted by the Vikings' No. 3 run defense. Only Pittsburgh has yielded fewer rushing TDs.

If there is a Bear definitely worth every-week use, it's Greg Olsen. Cutler has an aggravating tendency to stare him down, but at least they connect regularly. Olsen has 18 catches in his last three games, and few teams are worse than Minnesota at stopping tight ends.

Earl Bennett has separated some from Johnny Knox in the Bears' No. 2 wideout "competition," but he remains a low-upside play. Vikings LCB Antoine Winfield (foot) still isn't 100%. Devin Hester continues to run poor routes, but has a good fantasy matchup.

The mediocre version of Chicago's Jekyll-and-Hyde pass defense showed up in Week 11, letting Donovan McNabb throw for two scores and complete 72 percent of his passes with a robust 7.6 YPA.

Brett Favre is due for a second-half slowdown, but he's an every-week starter right now. Currently the No. 5 fantasy QB overall, Favre has a 12:1 TD to INT ratio and a 283-yard average in his last five games.

Adrian Peterson went scoreless for just the third time all season in Week 11. He'll rebound against a Bears team he's gashed for 270 yards and three TDs in their last two meetings.

Bernard Berrian found paydirt against Seattle last week, but managed just two grabs for 11 yards. Clearly passed by Sidney Rice as Minnesota's No. 1 receiver, Berrian is a fantasy backup.

Rice, the No. 6 overall fantasy WR, is officially a WR1 and every-week play, even against Bears LCB Charles Tillman. He's on pace to finish at 80-1,400-7. Percy Harvin quietly had his second best receiving game of the year in Week 11, going for 5-79-1 against Seattle. He's still too inconsistent offensively to be a solid WR3.

Visanthe Shiancoe's 78 yards last Sunday were easily a season high. His week-to-week fantasy numbers remain highly dependent on finding the end zone.

My Pick- Vikings

Kansas City @ San Diego

San Diego opened up Kansas City in Week 7, thrashing rookie coach Todd Haley's club 37-7. The Chiefs have upset Pittsburgh and improved significantly since, but the Bolts would still have to beat themselves to drop this one.

K.C. doesn't have any answer for Chargers stud wideout Vincent Jackson's speed and physicality, ranking 28th against the pass and giving up big plays on at will.

V-Jax and Philip Rivers are every-week starters, and will be aided by favorable conditions at Qualcomm Stadium (high 60s, 10 percent chance of rain, only 10 mph winds).

The Chiefs lost yet another safety for the season this week, placing Maurice Leggett on I.R. They can't hope to contain Antonio Gates.

After a miserable start, LaDainian Tomlinson is suddenly the No. 7 overall fantasy back. While his 3.4 YPC average is awful, San Diego's fast-moving offense gives him scoring chances. He has five TDs in his last four games and is a high-end RB2 against Kansas City's No. 27 rush defense.

Malcom Floyd is the only starting Chargers skill player to bench. He's flopped since Chris Chambers' release, averaging just three catches for 38 yards per game with no scores in the last three weeks.

The Bolts' much-improved secondary doesn't get enough credit for their 7-3 record and stance atop the AFC West. Only the Seahawks were worse against the pass in 2008, but San Diego is now No. 11 in pass defense, allows the fifth fewest completions of 20+ yards, and has given up just 13 passing TDs all year.

The latter statistic is most impressive because teams are often trailing when facing them. Matt Cassel leads a Chiefs offense that will finish the season strong, but doesn't have a favorable matchup.

San Diego's lone weakness in the secondary is against tight ends. The Chiefs don't have a TE capable of exploiting that vulnerability.

Jamaal Charles continued to prove that he is Kansas City's most explosive player by bringing back last week's opening kickoff 97 yards for a TD to complement 64 hard-earned yards and a receiving score in last week's win.

What took Haley so long to realize this is debate for another time, but Charles is clearly the Chiefs' every-down back.

Chambers enters Sunday's game with a chip on his shoulder, and can be a WR2/3 despite San Diego's tough secondary.

The Chargers won't respect him with double coverage, so Chambers should be open. Chiefs slot man Lance Long's eight-catch, 74-yard Week 9 has proven a tease. He has four catches for 55 yards since.

My Pick- Chargers

Arizona @ Tennessee - My Upset

Kurt Warner (head) is on track to make his 43rd straight start against a Titans secondary that ranks 31st, gives up the second most passing TDs in the league, and has allowed opposing QBs to throw for at least 286 yards in 8-of-11 games.

With 60+ degree temps, 11 mph winds, and just a 20 percent chance of showers in the LP Field forecast, you won't find a QB with a better matchup Sunday.

While Larry Fitzgerald faces Cortland Finnegan, Anquan Boldin will square off with 35-year-old Titans LCB Nick Harper. Expect "Q" to lead Arizona in receiving for a third straight week.

Steve Breaston went target-less in last week's win at St. Louis, but surely would've had second-half production had Warner not been concussed for the final two quarters. Matt Leinart entered and threw for just 74 yards. Don't let Breaston's goose egg fool you; he is a quality WR3 in this matchup.

Chris Wells and Tim Hightower continue to split Arizona's backfield. The more elusive, explosive, and powerful Wells is RB2 material against a Tennessee defense that is undersized in the front seven and gives up 4.4 YPC. Hightower is more of a flex option in PPR leagues only.

Chris Johnson leads the NFL in total yards, rushing, YPC among players with 62+ carries, and runs of 20+ and 40+ yards. He remains the Titans' offensive centerpiece even against run-tough teams like Arizona.

Kenny Britt is already Tennessee's best receiver. Though raw coming out of Rutgers and still developing physically at age 21 (turned in September), Britt's physicality and deceptive speed have given Tennessee a new dimension outside.

He's an every-down wideout with Justin Gage (back) still out and worth WR3 use against Arizona's No. 27 pass defense.

While low pass attempts (averaging just 21 throws a game) cap his fantasy ceiling, a confident Vince Young is an effective Vince Young. And V.Y. has appeared as sure of himself as ever over the past month, winning all four games and racking up 146 rushing yards in the meantime.

The scrambling makes V.Y. an ideal two-QB league play when he's facing weak pass defenses. Nate Washington has just three catches for 47 yards in his last two games. He's falling behind Britt in the competition for targets. Continue to avoid the Titans' three-man rotation at tight end.

My Pick- Titans

Sunday Night Football

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore

Ben Roethlisberger (concussion, questionable) is still deciding whether to suit up at the Ravens, but he'll most likely play. Coming off a gut-check loss to Kansas City, the Steelers need this win over an intradivision opponent. Still, Big Ben is a risky plug-and-start in a late game. Consider other options unless a definitive answer comes Saturday. Should Roethlisberger start, Pittsburgh will likely employ a pass-first offense. Baltimore is much weaker in pass than run defense, and will be without both top pass rusher Terrell Suggs (MCL sprain) and CB Fabian Washington (torn ACL). Get Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, and Heath Miller going if Big Ben looks like a go.

Rashard Mendenhall is coming off a 116-total yard effort, but isn't remotely as good a fantasy play as he was last week. The Ravens have the NFL's No. 5 rush defense and Mendenhall's confidence still wavers at times despite a terrific season (5.1 YPC, ownership of clear-cut starting job). This is the same Ray Lewis-led defense that broke Mendenhall's shoulder in Week 4 last year, ending his rookie season. Hesitant running could earn him a spot on the bench. Still, there have been no signs that Willie Parker or Mewelde Moore will significantly cut into his workload if Mendenhall plays well. He saw 25 touches last week compared to Parker's seven and Moore's two.

Joe Flacco's struggles continued in Week 11 against Indianapolis. Flacco has one TD pass since Week 6 and is barely a QB2 at this point. He's topped 195 yards just once in the last month. Pittsburgh is a top-12 team against the pass, allowing just 6.4 yards per throw (fifth fewest in the league). The failure of Kelley Washington and Mark Clayton to step up in contract years has made Derrick Mason easier to double team and take out of games with bracket coverage. It remains to be seen if the Steelers will employ such stategies, however. Coordinator Dick LeBeau runs a blitz-heavy agenda, so Mason should theoretically see plenty of man coverage.

Ray Rice faces the NFL's No. 1 run defense Sunday, but should stay in fantasy lineups as the focal point of Baltimore's offense. The Steelers would prefer Rice catching check downs to Flacco connecting on bombs. Rice has also totaled 278 yards and two scores in two meetings this year with the Bengals, who are second in rush defense. It isn't like he can't dominate difficult matchups. Todd Heap will play through a rib injury, but there's no sense in using him as a fantasy starter when he isn't 100 percent or productive. He's borderline waiver material.

My Pick- Steelers

Monday Night Football

Tom Brady Vs Drew Brees

New England @ New Orleans - Game Of The Week

Lots of scoring is expected when the NFL's Nos. 1 and 2 offenses square off in a dome, so we'll focus on who not to start in this space. On New England's side, Laurence Maroney is a high-risk, if potentially high-scoring bet. The Saints get back DT Sedrick Ellis, who had New Orleans ranked among the top-six rush defenses before spraining his MCL in Week 7. The Pats will likely also use a spread offense to exploit the Saints' injuries at corner, and Kevin Faulk is the team's spread back. It doesn't help Maroney that power runner Sammy Morris (knee) appears poised to return. Maroney's ceiling is somewhere around 15 carries if Morris plays.

For the Saints, Jeremy Shockey should be planted on fantasy benches. The Patriots continue to shut down opposing tight ends with FS Brandon McGowan's sticky coverage, and Shockey had only 17 yards on two catches last week while playing second fiddle to No. 2 tight end David Thomas (4-66-1). Reggie Bush, coming off a knee injury, is another recommended "sit." He will likely focus on punt returns Monday night, perhaps only getting 6-9 touches on offense.

Expect Pierre Thomas to be the featured back in a prove-it game for the Saints. Coach Sean Payton has been able to "keep Thomas fresh" by employing a committee with Mike Bell, but will want the ball in the hands of his best players in this one. On the season, Thomas is averaging 5.7 yards per touch compared to Bell's 4.1. While Bell's usage in short-yardage situations naturally will bring down his per-play averages, he is simply not as explosive as Thomas, nor remotely as versatile. The Saints can run spread and base formation plays with Thomas in the game. Bell is not a passing-game asset, limiting Payton's playcalling when on the field.

Others to avoid: Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson. Both of the Saints' secondary receiver options are reliant on the big play, which the Patriots don't give up very often. Saints slot man Lance Moore (ankle) sat out practice Friday and still isn't 100 percent. Let's make sure he can still play before using him. He's been out for a month. Patriots TE Ben Watson would figure to benefit from a pass-first game plan from New England, but is only a marginal TE1. He hasn't topped 51 yards in a game since Week 1 or scored since Week 7.

My Pick- Saints

Read more Preview/Prediction news on BleacherReport.com

Bad Advice, Bold Prediction and Something Else: Hate Week

Zachary Osterman — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:45:32 -0500

(Will this be Jonathan Dwyer's last game in Bobby Dodd Stadium?)

Well, friends, the great day is upon us. Tonight, the Jackets and Bulldogs do battle again, as they always will on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

General wisdom says this is Georgia Tech's game to lose, and general wisdom would be correct. The Jackets are stronger offensively, they take care of the ball, and they have the confidence of a winner.

Still, Georgia has a lot to gain and not a lot to lose by letting it all hang out, so to speak, on Saturday night. Could make for an interesting game.

So let's not waste time.

Bad advice

Hold onto the ball early.

Nothing cues an upset like some well-placed turnovers, and the more control Tech has over the game, the better. All turnovers are to be avoided, but early ones would be especially dangerous.

Bold prediction

This will probably be the last home game for Derrick Morgan and Jonathan Dwyer (and maybe Morgan Burnett and Demaryius Thomas). Expect most, if not all, to play like it.

Morgan has been unstoppable all season, and for the second year, Dwyer has gotten stronger as the season has gone on. Look for those two especially step up their games as a goodbye present to the faithful.

Something else

What couldn't I put here?

The family ties? (Ex: Burnett's brother, Cap, started for Georgia a few years back)

All the great games between the two? (Like last season, 1999, or etc. etc. etc.)

Seriously, there's just too much history, too much emotion, too much culture between these programs to single out any one "something" to put in this space. In lieu, I invite each of you to please contribute your own "something else," be it a memory, or a story, or just a prediction, below. Go to it.

Finally, a score

The veteran readers of my BABP piece will have, by now, taken note that this is probably the shortest column I've written to date. That's because I wanted to save my space for right here, given the annual magnitude of the game in question.

Possible outcomes for Saturday's action have touched either end of the scoring spectrum, but as I said above, the consensus (and Vegas) seems to place Georgia Tech in the favorite's chair. Last odds check had them at seven points.

Make no mistake, please. Georgia is talented enough to win this game. Offensively, defensively, (es)special(ly) teams, the Bulldogs are more than capable of pulling the upset. Just as they were more than capable of beating Kentucky.

Add that to the fact that it's obviously not been a good year for football in Athens, and you can expect one hungry team to come running out of the tunnel tonight.

But that doesn't mean they're going to win.

By now, surely we are all familiar with the requisite chestnuts for beating the triple option: focus, discipline, strong technique, and of course, talent.

Georgia has about 1 1/2 to 2 of those, shall we guess which ones?

Seriously, Georgia's lack of discipline on and off the field has been its albatross for some time now, but it's really shone out this year.

Out of 120 teams in in the FBS, Georgia is No. 119 in turnover margin, No. 116 in penalties committed, and No. 116 in yards penalized per game. In essence, no discipline.

The Bulldogs have shown an alarming ability to lose focus when it matters most, and against Tech, it matters most at least three times a drive.

A much more talented Georgia team let the Jackets go for 400-plus on the ground and 38 points (one touchdown came on an interception return) last season in Athens. So I guess the question is, why would this one suddenly perform better?

The grander issue for Georgia is that the Bulldogs sometimes can't save themselves from themselves.

Last week against Kentucky, Georgia outgained the Wildcats by more than 200 yards at home. Joe Cox had more passing yards than Kentucky had total yards, and yet his team still lost, because four turnovers negated all those yards, plus a two-touchdown halftime lead and a six-minute edge in time of possession.

What's the old joke about shooting yourself in the foot? Do it enough, and you'll start screwing even that up?

Seriously, if Georgia had an off week to prepare for this game, (like Georgia Tech has) I might be inclined to pick the Bulldogs in an upset, if only because practically no one else will.

But problems like these can't be fixed overnight, A.J. Green might not play, and while thousands of Georgia fans out there will disagree, Tech honestly is the better team this year—both on the field and on the sideline.

Jackets pull away early, Georgia pulls close again, then Tech closes out.

Jackets take it, and tie the school record for wins in a season, 42-24.

Read more Preview/Prediction news on BleacherReport.com

Against Texas for the Big 12 Title, The Huskers Are in Trouble

Scott Hansen — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:42:28 -0500

Nebraska fans need to be realistic. Those heading down to Arlington, Texas next weekend for the Big 12 Championship to encounter unbeaten Texas are in for a rude awakening.

Of course, a Husker shocker would be fantastic. A Husker win would make the Big 12 look more pathetic than it already is in the national frame of mind, but Nebraska beating the Longhorns on the Big 12’s grandest stage is nothing more than a long shot at best.

Nebraska’s defense, at times, has been great. Holding Oklahoma to three points in over 100 offensive snaps is admirable. But this is Texas.

Texas has the most experienced quarterback in the country in potential Heisman Trophy winner Colt McCoy.

Nebraska has faced a plethora of non-experienced signal callers the entire season. Texas has second- and third-teamers the Huskers would love to get their hands on.

Nebraska has two key true freshmen from Texas in backup quarterback Cody Green and surging running back Rex Burkhead, players that Texas didn’t want. That’s the difference in 2009 between Lincoln and Austin.

Instead of recruiting against Texas and Oklahoma for the best The Lone Star State has to offer, Nebraska gets the players Texas and Oklahoma doesn't want.

Texas is miles ahead of Nebraska. Even Oklahoma is miles ahead of the Huskers despite its 6-5 record this season, and anybody else in the Big 12 North for that matter. The Big 12 North, quite frankly, is a joke.

Nebraska’s offense is paltry. Zac Lee—another player local press such as the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star overhyped before the season even started—is not even the best quarterback in the Big 12 North.

In fact, Nebraska would have a better chance to beat Texas if Green were to get the start next Saturday due to his running ability.

True, Texas A&M scored 39 points and found some holes in the Texas defense. But the Aggies have a far better offense than Nebraska’s one-dimensional three-times-up-the-gut-and-punt attack.

If Nebraska struggles to run the football against lowly Colorado, what do you think will happen against the athletes Texas has on defense?

When kicker/punter Alex Henery is one of your best offensive weapons, Nebraska doesn’t belong on the same field as Texas.

Everybody with eyes knows Nebraska’s defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is the best defensive player in college football. Suh may even be the best Nebraska defensive player since Rich Glover, but Suh is just one man.

For as good as he is, Suh can be stopped. And if there is an offensive line in college football that would be able to handle Suh one-on-one, it’s the one that belongs to Texas. Texas is a different element Nebraska has not seen this season.

McCoy is great, giving the Longhorns a probable Heisman winner despite his numbers being drastically down from 2008 when McCoy finished second in the race behind Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford.

Nebraska doesn’t have a defensive back in its arsenal that can stop either Jordan Shipley or James Kirkendoll.

Shipley should be a Heisman candidate in his own right, catching 99 passes in 12 games this season for 1,292 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Kirkendoll has reeled in four of his six touchdown grabs in the past two games for Texas. It’s a bad matchup for the Nebraska defense.

Nebraska should be able to make Texas’ running game non-existent. Tre Newton leads the Longhorns with 477 rushing yards this season, but averages 5.7 yards per carry.

McCoy is second on the team with 368 yards thanks to his near 200-yard effort against A&M.

But that’s the problem. Texas can survive solely through the air and force as many mismatches at Texas Tech did against Nebraska in a 31-10 victory in Lincoln earlier this season. McCoy and all of his weapons in the passing game will likely pummel Nebraska’s secondary.

There is more to Texas’ receiving corps than just Shipley and Kirkendoll. Malcolm Williams, Dan Buckner, John Chiles, and Marquise Goodwin have combined for 135 catches and 10 touchdowns.

Nebraska’s secondary is not that deep and it is where Texas’ advantage over the Huskers goes off the charts. Nebraska's defense has feasted off playing poor offensive units, with the exception of Texas Tech.

Texas has the ability to hit the home run with no less than six different options in the passing game. Nebraska’s best defensive back is a heavy hitter in Larry Asante.

Nebraska is susceptible deep, which the Blackshirts have proven time and time again against Virginia Tech, Missouri, and even in the last play of Friday’s 28-20 victory over Colorado.

Nebraska earned the Big 12 North title and should be happy with that and a possible trip to either the Cotton Bowl or the Holiday Bowl. If Nebraska goes to the Holiday Bowl and faces a program like Stanford, it is a game Nebraska should have no problem winning.

There are three good teams in 2009 in BCS conferences, those are Alabama, Florida, and Texas. After those three, everything else is up for debate and is nothing more than a jumbled mess.

When programs such as TCU, Boise State, and Cincinnati all have valid arguments to get into a BCS game, it shows you how screwed up college football has been this season.

Give Nebraska coach Bo Pelini and his staff a lot of credit for turning the fortunes around following losses at home to Texas Tech and Iowa State.

The season could have spiraled out of control in Lincoln, but Pelini righted the ship quickly to win a watered-down Big 12 North.

Nebraska could be good enough in 2010 to win the entire Big 12. But not in 2009 against this Texas team with one of the better quarterbacks ever to come out of the Big 12 in McCoy.

It’s just a bad matchup for the Huskers. Texas should win this game by at least two touchdowns and storm into the BCS National Championship Game with a good chance to win it.

Read more Preview/Prediction news on BleacherReport.com

Dolphins-Bills: Head-to-Head Comparison

Jason Clary — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:03:46 -0500

As the Dolphins (5-5) and the Bills (3-7) await their Sunday match-up, the importance of this game continues to become more more and more relevant. The Dolphins are sitting in the middle of the wild card race and they control their own destiny, so every single game remaining on their schedule shows pivotal importance. A lot has changed for both teams from the first meeting, and here is how these teams stack up against each other.

Begin Slideshow

This NFL Week Separates the Contenders from the Pretenders

JW Nix — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:20:28 -0500

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons

The Bucs are an ugly football team right now, and are led by a coach who appears clueless and out of his league. Atlanta is desperately trying to get into the playoffs since their division appears to have been won by New Orleans. The return of star running back Michael Turner for Atlanta gives the team the balance it seeks on the offensive attack.

Falcons 31 Buccaneers 17

Carolina Panthers @ New York Jets

Both teams have just four wins and are seemingly finishing this season for pride and job security right now. Neither team has played as well as they had hoped, so it will be interesting to see if they have given up hope or are angry.

Panthers 27 Jets 24

Seattle Seahawks @ Saint Louis Rams

These are two teams that should play their youngsters and see what positions need help for 2010, because this season is over as far as playoff hopes are concerned. If you watch this game, you may be watching a few players finishing up their careers for the next six weeks. Some of them will be watching with you, because they are on injured reserve.

Seahawks 24 Rams 10

Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills

The Dolphins are clinging to their slight playoff hopes right now, and will be facing a Bills team that is hurting all over. Buffalo will possibly be missing a starters on defense, and appear to not like any of the quarterbacks on their roster to lead the offense. Expect Miami to try to grind them into submission.

Dolphins 26 Bills 16

Washington Redskins @ Philadelphia Eagles

The Redskins wish their season was over about a month ago. The team has been victimized by bad coaching, a bad front office, and a plethora of injuries. The ones that are healthy enough to suit up are playing for their careers now.

Philadelphia has been immensely inconsistent all season, and have also been hit hard by the injury bug. Still, the Eagles are very much in the playoff hunt and really need this win a lot more than Washington does.

Eagles 23 Redskins 17

Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals

Fans of the Browns got very excited last week to see their team score one point less in one game than they had in seven other games total this year. There are three reality checks to damper that happiness.

One is that the Browns lost the game anyways. Another is that they won the only game of their season in one of those seven weeks. The final reality check is that they scored those 37 points against the Detroit Lions. Cincinnati is not Detroit in geography nor on the gridiron.

The Bengals are also mad they lost a winnable game to the unpredictable Raiders last week. Expect them to vent their anger on their in-state rivals.

Bengals 37 Browns 6

Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans

Houston is on the verge of oblivion right now for the 2009 season. They have dropped to third place in their division and see the resurgent Tennessee Titans charging hard behind them.

Pile on the loss to the former Houston Oilers, now the Titans, at home on national television last Monday, and you see a season the Texans were not hoping for. This game is their season most likely, and facing the undefeated Colts is a daunting task with everything on the line.

Texans 34 Colts 30

Kansas City Chiefs @ San Diego Chargers

The Chiefs are playing spoiler right now, ask the Steelers, because there is nothing left for them to play for other than pride and job security. They do present a problem for the suddenly hot Chargers. San Diego is aware what their divisional rivals did last week and should be prepared.

Chargers 31 Chiefs 20

Jacksonville Jaguars @ San Francisco 49ers

Do not look now, but the Jaguars are in second place in their division and very much in the playoff hunt. Jack Del Rio has done a great job keeping his team competitive as he rebuilds the roster. Watching the youngsters step up has inspired Jacksonville two games above .500.

The 49ers still have a glimmer of hope to win the very weak NFC West, but it is faint. This game will be run heavy, so the battle in the trenches is key.

Jaguars 28 49ers 27

Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings

Chicago traded away a lot to get Jay Cutler to quarterback the team. It has not worked out well for them this season, and now all they have left to play for is pride. It may not be enough to defeat a Vikings team that is rolling in every aspect of the game every week thus far.

Vikings 38 Bears 27

Arizona Cardinals @ Tennessee Titans

The Cardinals are riding a three game winning streak and have taken a commanding three-game lead in their division. However, their leader, Kurt Warner, is battling symptoms of a mild concussion and is questionable this week.

It may be smart to sit him this week against a rejuvenated and hungry Tennessee Titans, and go with flop Matt Leinart at quarterback instead. I doubt Warner will sit, so this has the makings of an exciting game. Chris Johnson cannot be stopped, and is a leading candidate on many peoples MVP ballots.

The insertion of Vince Young at quarterback was a brilliant demand by owner Bud Adams that has made him look like Nostradamus almost.

Titans 34 Cardinals 30

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens

A few weeks ago, this game had a look like it could have a great impact on who sat on top of the AFC North. How can time change things drastically? Well, the Ravens are at .500 and might be a loss away from losing any chance of making the playoffs.

Pittsburgh, the defending champions, are just one game better than Baltimore. Instead of fighting for the division, these teams are fighting to stay alive for the 2009 season. Bruises will be plentiful for each team, because they do not like each other. Baltimore is looking to settle a score with Steelers team that ended their season last year.

Ravens 30 Steelers 28

New England Patriots @ New Orleans Saints

Game Of The Week

This will be an interesting battle, and finally Monday Night Football can claim to have a game worth watching for all football fans this season. New Orleans put their undefeated season up against a Patriots team that still struggles in short yardage situations.

New England should take advantage of a depleted Saints defense that recently rehired the washed up Mike McKenzie to bolster their beat up secondary. Randy Moss should have a few big play opportunities available.

Patriots 37 Saints 27

Last week, including Thanksgiving, I went 14 - 4 . I am now 101 - 45 overall.

NFL Lucubrations

This might be one of the most mediocre seasons the NFL has had in recent memory. After 10 games, there are 14 teams over the .500 mark. Of those teams, four of them have a winning percentage of .600 or less. Most teams have been struggling to stay healthy on the eve of the league thinking of shortening training camps and extending the seasons.

What has been the most obvious flaw in the game the NFL pushes out today is poor fundamentals. Even after the league has revamped their rule books to cater to a group of mostly average quarterbacks and players who rely on kill shots over proper tackling technique, you are left still seeing sloppy football games each week.

Offensive linemen, who hold every play, are now less important to protecting the quarterback than the NFL. The hit zone on the quarterback has now shrunk to the coffee can strike zone of baseball, so that points can be put up on the board with much more ease. Even special teams has been effected by changes from a group of men largely consisting of guys who haven't put on pads since school yard days.

Though it is understandable the NFL is trying to progress with society, the failure to hold onto old school principles has helped the game suffer to the point it now resembles basketball with a helmet. To show further example, many players go out on Sunday without hip or thigh padding, because they rather protect up high where most end up head hunting.

The NFL probably doesn't see this, much like they did not see their game stagnating in the 1960s. This allowed the fourth version of the American Football League to gain a following and then later force a complete alignment between the two leagues. Other previous leagues that competed against the NFL had forced the NFL to emerge some of those defunct leagues into theirs, but not all like the AFL did.

Now, the United Football League has just completed their first season with an overtime championship game. The difference between the UFL and other leagues that competed against the NFL in the past is that the UFL is being almost marketed as a minor leagues for the NFL by some.

The UFL refers to itself as a complementary addition, though they have several rules different. Their overtime rule is like the college rule, where both teams get a chance to play offense.

The UFL might now have a chance to survive with the NFL shortening training camps. There will be even more excellent football players available after the NFL makes cuts faster, many will happen because of the lack of opportunity many will get with less time in camp or exhibition games.

Then there is the chance the NFL players could strike after 2011, much like they did in 1982 and 1987. The NFLPA is advising cut players from going to the UFL, which echoes the same message the league gave to players when they jumped to the AFL in 1960.

If the UFL plays this smart, much like the AFL did in the 1960s, they could offer much needed competition to the perceived fat and lazy NFL. Perhaps the UFL can go a step further and enable the defenses to play less inhibited, unlike the castrated version of defense in the NFL.

If the 2009 season keeps wafting along in a uninspiring waddle for the NFL, fans will begin to look more into the other option. Much like they did for the AFL only 40 years ago. The timing of the AFL anniversary and the UFL inception is no coincidence.

Perhaps some of you readers will find this installment of Lucubration tinged with unrealistic hope for more well played football, and perhaps even a few will nod in agreement on some avenues that were attempted to be taken. The ones that are skeptical need only look at the 12 teams in the NFL that were born in other leagues.

The AFC itself houses only six teams that have just played in their league alone, though the Bengals franchise is still considered an AFL franchise on paper.

Some say more is better, and this can apply to professional football too. The UFL should continuing applying wrinkles to their game to attract fans. One suggested wrinkle is to apply some old school playing that thr NFL once lived and breathed on. It can work, much like how the AFL once showed the NFL that lots of scoring can bring in fans. It did.

NFL Power Rankings

1. New Orleans Saints

2. Indianapolis Colts

3. Minnesota Vikings

4. New England Patriots

5. Cincinnati Bengals

6. Pittsburgh Steelers

7. San Diego Chargers

8. Dallas Cowboys

9. Atlanta Falcons

10. Denver Broncos

11. Philadelphia Eagles

12. Baltimore Ravens

13. Green Bay Packers

14. Arizona Cardinals

15. Jacksonville Jaguars

16. New York Giants

17. Miami Dolphins

18. Houston Texans

19. Tennessee Titans

20. San Francisco 49ers

21. New York Jets

22. Seattle Seahawks

23. Carolina Panthers

24. Chicago Bears

25. Oakland Raiders

26. Kansas City Chiefs

27. Buffalo Bills

28. Detroit Lions

29. Washington Redskins

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

31. Saint Louis Rams

32. Cleveland Browns

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Can Washington Redskins Cover Against Philadelphia Eagles?

steve tisch — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:03:06 -0500

The Washington Redskins are at the bottom of the NFC East standings and the Philadelphia Eagles are near the top and the two meet Sunday.

The Eagles are nine-point home faves but in the last 10 games overall between the two, it is the Redskins with the edge against the spread, covering seven out of 10 times.

The Total is set at 40.5 and in Washington’s last eight games when an underdog of above eight points, it has taken the over six times.

Read more Preview/Prediction news on BleacherReport.com

Fantasy Football: Week 12 Start Em' And Sit Em'

The Sportmeisters — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:02:33 -0500

By Derek of The Sportmeisters

Welcome to the best time of the year sports fans. I will tell you who I think you should start or who I think you should sit for your fantasy team. This year, I will give you your obvious must starts (guys you start every week no matter who they play), a few players from each position who you should start, a sleeper start em’, and a must sit em’. I will also be giving projections for those players. If you have more questions, don’t forget to join me for my Sunday Morning Start Em’/Sit Em’ Chat from 10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Go to www.Sportmeisters.com for more info. Enough talk, let’s get down to business!

QB Obvious Must Starts

Drew Brees —NO vs. NE – Projection: 275 Yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Peyton Manning —IND vs. HOU – Projection: 300 Yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Tom Brady —NE vs. NO – Projection: 300 Yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Philip Rivers —SD vs. KC – Projection: 295 Yards, 2 TD, 0 INT

Kurt Warner —ARI vs. TEN – Projection: 280 Yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

QB Start Em’

Carson Palmer —CIN vs. CLE —After three disappointing games in which Palmer has thrown just one touchdown and one interception, without throwing for more than 225 yards, a game against the 26^th ranked pass defense of the Cleveland Browns couldn’t come at a better time. In his last five games against them, he has 14 touchdowns. Start Em’. Projection: 270 Yards, 3 TD, 0 INT

Matt Ryan —ATL vs. TB —Ryan finally broke out of his slump last week with 268 yards and two touchdowns against the Giants. This week, he faces the 13th ranked pass defense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have allowed 22 passing touchdowns on the year. Start Em’. Projection: 275 Yards, 2 TD, 0 INT

Alex Smith —SF vs. JAX —While Smith hasn’t lit the world on fire, he hasn’t been too bad either. He played well last week against a good Green Bay defense, throwing for 227 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. If you own him, this would be the week he could surprise you against the 25th ranked pass defense of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have allowed 17 passing touchdowns this year. Sleeper Start Em’. Projection: 250 Yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

QB Sit Em’

Joe Flacco —BAL vs. PIT – Flacco hasn’t been great in his last four games, throwing just one touchdown and three interceptions. This week, he faces the 12th ranked Pittsburgh Steelers pass defense that will be extremely fired up after being upset by the lowly Chiefs last week. Sit Em’. Projection: 240 Yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Matt Schaub —HOU vs. IND —As good as Schaub has been this year, he has just three touchdowns to four interceptions in his last three games, although two of those games he did throw for over 300 yards. However, he faces the Indianapolis Colts and their 18th ranked pass defense this week and they have allowed just seven touchdowns through the air all year. Plus, Schaub has just two touchdowns and four interceptions in his last two games against them. Sit Em’. Projection: 285 Yards, 2 TD, 2 INT

Matt Cassel —KC vs. SD —After a surprisingly good game last week against Pittsburgh, Cassel will fall back to Earth against the 11th ranked San Diego pass defense, where he completed just 10 passes for 97 yards and three interceptions in week seven. Must Sit Em’. Projection: 150 Yards, 1 TD, 3 INT

RB Obvious Must Starts

Adrian Peterson —MIN vs. CHI —Projection: 115 Yards Rushing, 1 TD, 2 Receptions, 20 Yards

Maurice Jones-Drew —JAX vs. SF — Projection: 80 Yards Rushing, 1 TD, 4 Receptions, 35 Yards

Steven Jackson —STL vs. SEA —Projection: 120 Yards Rushing, 1 TD, 3 Receptions, 25 Yards

Chris Johnson —TEN vs. ARI —Projection: 100 Yards Rushing, 1 TD, 3 Receptions, 30 Yards

Ray Rice —BAL vs. PIT —Projection: 80 Yards Rushing, 1 TD, 6 Receptions, 50 Yards

RB Start Em’

LaDainian Tomlinson —SD vs. KC — LT looks to be back and fully healthy with 44 carries for 169 yards and three total touchdowns in the past two games. This week, he should do better than his 71 yards performance against the Chiefs and their 27^th ranked run defense. Start Em’. Projection: 95 Yards Rushing, 1 TD, 2 Receptions, 15 Yards

Joseph Addai —IND vs. HOU —Addai has quietly put together a strong fantasy year thus far with 10 total touchdowns and 788 all-purpose yards. This week, he faces the 22nd ranked run defense of the Houston Texans, a team which he had 112 total yards and two touchdowns against in week nine. Start Em’. Projection: 65 Yards Rushing, 1 TD, 3 Receptions, 35 Yards, 1 TD

Ricky Williams —MIA vs. BUF —Williams has proved these past two weeks that he can still be a featured back in the NFL with back to back 100+ yard games and three touchdowns against Tampa Bay and Carolina. This week, he has another great matchup against the Buffalo Bills and their 31st ranked run defense, whom he torched for 85 yards and a touchdown in week four while he was still splitting carries with the now injured Ronnie Brown. Start Em’. Projection: 100 Yards Rushing, 1 TD, 2 Receptions, 15 Yards

Thomas Jones —NYJ vs. CAR —Did we all forget about Thomas Jones this year? All he has done is put up 884 yards and eight touchdowns. This week, he faces the Carolina Panthers and their 26th ranked run defense that allowed Ricky Williams to find the end zone three times last week. Start Em’. Projection: 100 Yards Rushing, 1 TD

Bernard Scott —CIN vs. CLE —Even if Cedric Benson plays this week, I like Scott. He ran for over 100 yards last week with Benson out and faces the 29th ranked run defense of the Cleveland Browns this week. Do you really think that Cincinnati will leave Benson in when they are up 28—0? Me neither! Can you say garbage time points? Sleeper Start Em’. Projection: 75 Yards Rushing, 1 TD, 2 Receptions, 20 Yards

RB Sit Em’

Rashard Mendenhall —PIT vs. BAL —As good as Mendenhall has been over the past few weeks, I still have to bench him against the Baltimore Ravens and their fifth ranked run defense that has allowed just six rushing touchdowns all year. Sit Em’. Projection: 60 Yards Rushing

Matt Forte —CHI vs. MIN — Forte has pretty much been a bust this year. However, his ability to catch passes out of the backfield has been what keeps him from being a complete bust. While he has had just 39 carries for 108 yards in the past three games, he has had 18 receptions for 214 yards in those same three games. This week, he faces the Minnesota Vikings, who are ranked third in the NFL against the run, allowing just three rushing touchdowns all year. If he is going to have any impact, it will be as a receiver, but I still say to Sit Em’. Projection: 40 Yards Rushing, 6 Receptions, 55 Yards

Marshawn Lynch —BUF vs. MIA — Lynch appears to be ready to play this week after being carted off the field last week against Jacksonville with an injured shoulder. However, I suspect that the injury will limit his carries and he is facing a tough Miami Dolphins run defense that ranks 11^th in the NFL. Sit Em’. Projection: 30 Yards Rushing, 3 Receptions, 25 Yards

Jamal Lewis —CLE vs. CIN —Lewis has not been effective this year and has just 460 yards with no touchdowns. That may be because they haven’t had a passing game, but either way, now isn’t the time to start using him (or any Cleveland Browns player), especially against the second ranked run defense of the Cincinnati Bengals, who have allowed just four rushing touchdowns all year. Must Sit Em’. Projection: 40 Yards Rushing

WR Obvious Must Starts

Randy Moss —NE vs. NO — Projection: 7 Receptions, 100 Yards, 1 TD

Wes Welker —NE vs. NO — Projection: 12 Receptions, 110 Yards, 1 TD

Larry Fitzgerald —ARI vs. TEN —Projection: 8 Receptions, 105 Yards, 1 TD

Anquan Boldin —ARI vs. TEN — Projection: 7 Receptions, 100 Yards, 1 TD

Reggie Wayne —IND vs. HOU —Projection: 9 Receptions, 100 Yards, 1 TD

Andre Johnson —HOU vs. IND — Projection: 8 Receptions, 80 Yards, 1 TD

Roddy White —ATL vs. TB —Projection: 5 Receptions, 85 Yards, 1 TD

Marques Colston —NO vs. NE —Projection: 6 Receptions, 80 Yards, 1 TD

WR Start Em’

Chad Ochocinco —CIN vs. CLE —Ocho Cinco has returned to the All-Pro Wide Receiver that we all remember this year, catching 50 passes for 735 yards and five touchdowns. However, he has hit a bit of a slump recently, with just 11 receptions for 162 yards in his last three games. This week should be just what the fantasy doctor ordered, as he plays the 26th ranked pass defense of the Cleveland Browns, who gave up two touchdowns Ochocinco in week four and has torched for over 1000 yards and 11 touchdowns in his career. Start Em’. Projection: 8 Receptions, 115 Yards, 1 TD

Vincent Jackson —SD vs. KC — Although Jackson has just five receptions for 66 yards in his last two games, you still have to start him this week against the 28th ranked pass defense of the Kansas City Chiefs, whom he torched for five receptions, 142 yards, and a touchdown in week seven. Start Em’. Projection: 6 Receptions, 120 Yards, 1 TD

T.J. Houshmandzadeh —SEA vs. STL — We all thought that T.J. was finally coming out of a season long slump in week 10, when he caught nine passes for 165 yards against Arizona. However, he caught just four balls for 36 yards last week against Minnesota. Housh has been incredibly inconsistent this year, but I think he has one of those days against the 24th ranked pass defense of the St. Louis Rams, who have allowed 15 passing touchdowns this year. Start Em’. Projection: 8 Receptions, 80 Yards, 1 TD

Kenny Britt —TEN vs. ARI — Britt appears to be clicking with Vince Young, catching six balls for 97 yards and a touchdown in his last two games. This week, he faces the 27th ranked pass defense of the Arizona Cardinals and he could surprise some people. Sleeper Start Em’. Projection: 4 Receptions, 50 Yards, 1 TD

WR Sit Em’

Braylon Edwards —NYJ vs. CAR —Edwards has just four receptions for 89 yards in the past two weeks and the Jets will probably be running the ball this week against the 26^th ranked run defense of the Carolina Panthers, who rank fourth against the Pass. Sit Em’. Projection: 3 Receptions, 35 Yards

Santana Moss —WAS vs. PHI — The Redskins offense has been a mess this year and Moss has suffered as well. He has just 12 receptions for 93 yards over the last three games and faces the ninth ranked Philadelphia Eagles pass defense this week, the same Defense that held him to six receptions for 74 yards in week seven. Sit Em’. Projection: 4 Receptions, 40 Yards

Chris Chambers —KC vs. SD —When the Chargers released Chambers, everyone thought it was because he was washed up. However, the Chiefs signed him and he has rewarded them with 10 receptions for 249 yards and two touchdowns in three games. However, this week he faces his former team and who would know how to shut him down better than his former coaches? Especially since the Chargers rank 11th in pass defense. Sit Em’. Projections: 4 Receptions, 40 Yards

Bernard Berrian —MIN vs. CHI —Berrian was supposed to be the Vikings number one receiver when the season started. However, he was injured and has now been reduced to the third or fourth option behind Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, and Visanthe Shiancoe. He has just eight receptions for 80 yards and two touchdowns in the last three games, and I don’t see any success against his former team, the Chicago Bears and their eighth ranked pass defense. Must Sit Em’. Projection: 3 Receptions, 30 Yards

TE Obvious Must Starts

Antonio Gates —SD vs. DEN —Projection: 6 Receptions, 60 Yards, 1 TD

Tony Gonzalez —ATL vs. NYG —Projection: 7 Receptions, 75 Yards, 1 TD

Vernon Davis —SF vs. JAX — Projection: 7 Receptions, 80 Yards, 1 TD

Dallas Clark —IND vs. BAL —Projection: 7 Receptions, 75 Yards, 1 TD

TE Start Em’

Kellen Winslow —TB vs. ATL — The Falcons rank 29th vs. the pass and rookie QB Josh Freeman has relied heavily on his veteran Tight End, who has 16 receptions for 188 yards and a touchdown in the last three games. Expect that to continue this week. Start Em’. Projection: 6 Receptions, 55 Yards, 1 TD

Greg Olsen —CHI vs. MIN —After Olsen’s slow start, many people wrote him off as a bust. However, he has responded with 18 receptions for 188 yards and three touchdowns in his last three games. This week, he faces the 21st ranked pass defense of the Minnesota Vikings and QB Jay Cutler should continue to look his way. Start Em’. Projection: 6 Receptions, 50 Yards, 1 TD

Fred Davis – WAS vs. PHI – As much of a mess as the Redskins Offense has been this year, Davis has been a pleasant surprise. He has 23 receptions for 223 yards and a touchdown and eight of those catches and 78 yards and the touchdown came against Philadelphia in week seven. Sleeper Start Em’. Projection: 6 receptions, 60 Yards, 1 TD

TE Sit Em’

Dustin Keller —NYJ vs. CAR — With the Jets running the ball against a weak Carolina run defense, the pass game will be put on the shelf and that means Keller won’t see much thrown his way. Sit Em’. Projection: 3 Receptions, 35 Yards

Heath Miller —PIT vs. BAL —Miller was very good last week, but that was against a weak Kansas City pass defense. This week, he plays the 17th ranked pass defense of the Baltimore Ravens and he usually doesn’t fair well against them, averaging less than three receptions and 20 yards in his last six games against them. Sit Em’. Projection: 2 Receptions, 20 Yards

Ben Watson —NE vs. NO —Even though this game will be a shootout, I don’t see Watson becoming too involved in the game plan. He has just five receptions for 85 yards in his last three games and New Orleans usually keeps the opposing Tight End in check. Plus, he has a back injury that may keep him out of the game all together. Must Sit Em’. Projection: 2 Receptions, 20 Yards

D/ST Start Em’

Cincinnati Bengals vs. CLE —Aside from last week, Cleveland’s Offense has been horrendous this year and the Bengals much improved Defense should feast on them this week. Start Em’.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. WAS —The Eagles forced four fumbles and had an interception for a touchdown in their week seven matchup against the Redskins. This week should be much of the same, especially with Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, and Chris Cooley hurt. Start Em’.

San Diego Chargers vs. KC —The Chargers held the Chiefs to seven points in their week seven game, sacking Matt Cassel five times and picking him off three times. I expect much of the same this week. Start Em’.

D/ST Sit Em’

New England Patriots vs. NO —This game will be a complete shootout with two of the best Quarterbacks in the game and two of the best Offenses in the game facing off. Sit Em’.

New Orleans Saints vs. NE —The same reason as why you don’t start the Patriots D this week. Sit Em’.

Tennessee Titans vs. ARI —Kurt Warner has thrown nine touchdowns without throwing an interception over the last three games and the Cardinals Offense has put up an average of 31 points per game in those three games. Not good news for the Titans fantasy owners. Sit Em’.

There you have it Sports Fans. Any questions or concerns, please email me at Derek@Sportmeisters.com and don’t forget to join me for my weekly Sunday Morning Start Em’/Sit Em’ Chat from 10:45am to 12:45pm. Go to www.Sportmeisters.com for more info.

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