Bleacher Report - Aaron Rodgers

Fantasy Football Week 13 Rankings: Top 25 Quarterbacks

Eric Stashin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:05:57 -0500

Will Brett Favre fade in 2009? He certainly hasn’t shown any indications as he may be playing the best football of his career (which says a lot). Let’s take a look at where he falls in the rankings, as well as all the other QBs, for Week 13:

Peyton Manning - Indianapolis Colts - vs. Tennessee
Matt Schaub - Houston Texans - at Jacksonville
Tom Brady - New England Patriots - at Miami
Brett Favre - Minnesota Vikings - at Arizona
Philip Rivers - San Diego Chargers - at Cleveland
Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay Packers - vs. Baltimore
Donovan McNabb - Philadelphia Eagles - at Atlanta
Tony Romo - Dallas Cowboys - at New York Giants
Carson Palmer - Cincinnati Bengals - vs. Detroit
Kurt Warner - Arizona Cardinals - vs. Minnesota
Jay Cutler - Chicago Bears - vs. St. Louis
Drew Brees - New Orleans Saints - at Washington
Ben Roethlisberger - Pittsburgh Steelers - vs. Oakland
Kyle Orton - Denver Broncos - at Kansas City
David Garrard - Jacksonville Jaguars - vs. Houston
Matt Hasselbeck - Seattle Seahawks - vs. San Francisco
Matt Ryan - Atlanta Falcons - vs. Philadelphia
Joe Flacco - Baltimore Ravens - at Green Bay
Vince Young - Tennessee Titans - at Indianapolis
Eli Manning - New York Giants - vs. Dallas
Matthew Stafford - Detroit Lions - at Cincinnati
Alex Smith - San Francisco 49ers - at Seattle
Ryan Fitzpatrick - Buffalo Bills - vs. New York Jets
Brady Quinn - Cleveland Browns - vs. San Diego
Matt Cassel - Kansas City Chiefs - vs. Denver

Thoughts:

Peyton Manning versus a team who has allowed over 25 passing TDs on the season? Could there possibly be a better scenario?

Tough matchup or not, how can you not like Aaron Rodgers this week? He’s already surpassed 3,000 yards passing, while throwing for 22 TDs. His three rushing TDs don’t hurt either.

With as bad as the Giants passing defense has been recently, how big of a game could Tony Romo have this week?

Facing the Redskins passing defense certainly knocks Drew Brees down, a lot, as no quarterback had thrown for over 200 yards since Matthew Stafford in Week Three before Donovan McNabb this past Sunday. That includes facing Donovan McNabb (in their first matchup), Tony Romo, Matt Ryan, and Kyle Orton. He’s still usable, but you have to downgrade him a bit.

Will Ben Roethlisberger or Kurt Warner be healthy enough to play? That’s the biggest question surrounding them after missing Week 12. Monitor the news.

Matthew Stafford has been your typical up-and-down rookie quarterback. In Week 11 he throws for five touchdown passes, only to follow it up with four interceptions in Week 12. While you don’t necessarily know what you are going to get, he has a positive matchup against the Bengals, so he’s worth taking your chances against in two-quarterback formats.

What are your thoughts? Who was left off the list? Who should be higher? Who should be lower?

This article is also featured on www.rotoprofessor.com/football

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Green Bay Packers Have Reason to Be Thankful

MJ Kasprzak — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:14:45 -0500

On Thanksgiving morning, the Packers were away from their families in Detroit. By evening, they had many reasons to be thankful.

Not only had they soundly beaten the hapless Lions again, but with the New York Giants loss to the Broncos, the team was guaranteed to enter the last month of this season as one of the six teams in the playoff picture.

Here are the top five things I am thankful for as a Packers fan:

That Aaron Rodgers has 30 TDs and only one pick in the red zone for his career. I am sure there has never been a quarterback who had that ratio through his first 27 games started.
Thanks to that and the defense's ability to go after the ball, the Packers lead the league with a turnover ratio of +17.
Above their ball-hawking, this defense ranks SECOND in the league in yards allowed...sorry, Mark, but no mediocre defense ranks in the 97th percentile in yards and 100th in turnovers.
Donald Driver and Charles Woodson, great guys and great players who are proof that old guys can get it done on the field as well as provide leadership to the youngest roster in football (the reason our future is brighter than any other team's).
That with four more days to prepare than the Ravens have for a game in Green Bay, the Packers have a great chance to win their fourth straight.

Now we can take a look at the Packers report card for the Michigan Massacre...

Quarterback: B+

Even Rodgers' lone fumble came on a fourth-down play and thus did not hurt the team (the only Detroit sack, for a loss of six). He was 28-of-39 (.718) for 348 yards (8.9 per ATTEMPT) and three touchdowns without a pick, earning a passer rating of 124.7. He ran just once for five yards.

So with those stats, why did he get just a B+? For one thing, he was facing the league's worst defense and worst passing defense: Rodgers needed a perfect game (157 passer rating) to get an A. Also, his accuracy was off in the first half, lending to the close score going into the break.

Running Backs: D

Ryan Grant ran 20 times for just 61 yards (3.1 average) and was tackled for a safety. True, by that time the Lions were focused on stopping the run, and he had a few good runs in the first three quarters, but you need your top runner to do better than that. Brandon Jackson was less effective, with six carries for 14 yards (2.3).

The unit was effective in the passing game: Grant and fullback Korey Hall combined for five catches for 52 yards. However, this totals just 127 yards on 31 touches for 4.1 yards per touch with no touchdowns.

Receivers: B+

Again, they were up against the Lions, so I am hard-pressed to give out an A. However, the Lions have a pretty good linebacking corps and the Packers still got production out of both tight ends.

Donald Lee lept (how come everyone insists on using leaped and dived instead of lept and dove, anyway?) over the defense for his one score, and combined with Jermichael Finley for seven catches and 47 yards.

Of course, the other Donald was the unit's Driver, with seven catches, 142 yards (20.3), and a score. Greg Jennings had four catches for 53 yards and James Jones had four for 35 with a touchdown. Jordy Nelson had just one catch, but it was for 19 yards, giving the corps 23 catches for 296 yards (12.9 average).

Offensive Line: B

Sure, this unit was up against the same bad defense, but this same team got five sacks in the last matchup and just the one today.

On Rodgers' 68-yard completion to Driver, he had time to prepare the Thanksgiving turkey complete with stuffing. He was rarely even hit on the day, making this a nearly flawless performance in the passing game.

However, they struggled in the running game against a decent run defense. The one area the line actually ranks near the top of the league is not giving up negative plays, but twice the Lions were there to get the safety, and only Grant's effort kept it from happening the first time.

Much of the problem in the running game can be attributed to them not providing any holes in the second half.

Defensive Line: B

The line's stats are poorer than usual for a 3-4 defense, with just three tackles and five assists between them.

However, they deserve most of the credit for holding Kevin Smith to just 43 yards on 18 carries (2.4 average); even with Stafford's scrambles, the Lions only managed 73 yards on 23 carries (3.2). Detroit may be 26th in the NFL in rushing yards, but that is a solid performance.

Moreover, while they generated no sacks and the team had only two, Stafford was under pretty consistent pressure. That led to a couple bad decisions that enabled the defense to generate five turnovers.

Linebackers: D+

The linebacking corps combined for 16 tackles, 10 assists, and a sack (again by Clay Matthews), and deserve a lot of credit for applying pressure on Stafford, as well.

However, nearly all the passing yards yielded went to the running backs (six catches, 62 yards is entirely on the linebackers) and tight ends (nine for 73 is primarily on them).

Defensive Backs: A

Charles Woodson once again shined, and if he is not the defensive player of the year, it will be the biggest injustice since a Minnesota judge got to overrule the entire league about the suspensions issued to its own players.

Sure, he gave up the lone touchdown to Calvin Johnson, but he also scored one of his own from Stafford. In fact, he had as many picks as Johnson had catches, plus a fumble forced that he then recovered on a sack.

The rest of the backfield may not have been playing elite talent like Johnson, but outside of one 47-yard catch by Dennis Northcutt (a pretty good receiver), they gave up just two catches for 21 yards.

Nick Collins and Tramon Williams added interceptions, and the backfield accounted for 16 tackles, an assist, a sack, four picks, and the fumble forced and recovered.

The one blemish was Jarrett Bush, who once again proved he was athletic enough to be there to make a play but lacking in the ability to do it.

He missed on two interceptions, including the big play to Northcutt; were it not for those failings, the unit grade would have been an A+.

Special Teams: D-

Same tune, different note. This time, the Packers did not give up any exceptionally long returns, but did have two pretty long ones of 34 yards. And of course, Jordy Nelson's fumble on the opening kick led to the only Lions touchdown and lead.

Finally, Mason Crosby missed a 43-yard field goal, making two others from just 22 and 25 yards and getting only one kick into the end zone in a dome.

In all, the Packers averaged a mediocre 20 yards per kick return besides fumbling, and just two yards per punt return.

The Lions averaged under 20 yards per kick return because they muffed one kick and had to cover it, but they did get 14 yards on their one punt return.

Jeremy Kapinos had just over a 32-yard net despite having only one of three punts returned and not having one land inside the 20.

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Driver, Woodson Two Players to Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving

Mark Strotman — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:27:41 -0500

No one knows what head coach Mike McCarthy will say at his Thanksgiving Day dinner table, but you can bet that Charles Woodson and Donald Driver will be on his short list. The two veterans feasted on the young Detroit Lions Thursday as the Packers won their third straight game, 34-12 at Ford Field.

It was the same story for the Packers once again, who used Driver and Woodson on both ends of the field to lead their team to victory.

For Woodson, the task of shutting down Calvin Johnson was not going to be an easy one and looked to be a problem after Johnson scored from one yard out on a back shoulder route from quarterback Matthew Stafford. However, Johnson caught just one other pass for nine yards, finishing the game as a non-factor on offense.

Shutting down Johnson did not show in the box score for Woodson, but what did show up were Woodson’s seven tackles, two interceptions, forced fumble, fumble recovery, sack, and touchdown. It was a great performance for the 12-year veteran who now finds his name in serious contention for Defensive Player of the Year.

What made the performance even more impressive was the fact that Woodson was playing without his cornerback counterpart Al Harris, who was lost to a torn ACL the week before against San Francisco. The thought was that the Lions would stay away from Woodson and pick on Tramon Williams on the other side, but Johnson was targeted 12 times on offense and Woodson limited him to just the two catches.

On the season, Woodson has recorded 54 tackles, ranked third on the team, forced a team-high four fumbles and six interceptions, and also has two touchdowns to his name. A trip to Canton might be in the future for the former Heisman Trophy winner, but a DPOY trophy would sure help the resume.

Someone who might not make it to Canton but is a shoo-in for the Packers Hall of Fame is Donald Driver, who made the most of his Thanksgiving with a seven-catch, 142 yard performance that included a touchdown catch as well. Awarded the Golden Gobbler by Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, the 11-year veteran continued his outstanding season that has him leading the seventh-ranked passing offense in all major receiving categories.

It was Greg Jennings who received a major payday in the offseason and while some of Driver’s success can be attributed to the double teams and attention other teams pay to Jennings, Driver has made things happen on his own and has created his own success.

Known as one of the toughest players in the league, Driver ranks sixth in the NFC in receiving yards at 34 years old. The five players in front of Driver average 24.6 years in age, and as Driver put it, “I may be old, but I play young”.

The win put the Packers at 7-4 and on top of the NFC Wildcard, but the road does not get any easier from here on out. The last five games for the Packers include matchups against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Arizona with an NFC North rivalry game against Chicago in the Windy City.

General Manager Ted Thompson might live and die with building through the draft and having young players grow during the year to contribute, but this year has been the story of Woodson and Driver, two veterans doing everything they can to ensure the Packers play in January.

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Thanksgiving Special: Fantasy Football Week 12 Player Breakdowns

kevin roberts — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:13:04 -0500

If you haven't had the chance, be sure to check out this week's Start/Sit column, as well as our player rankings. For quick match-up analysis, read on for Week 12's player breakdowns:

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions

QB Aaron Rodgers: Just look what Brady Quinn did last week. Enough said. *****

RB Ryan Gant: Has been running hard and has a great match-up. *****

WR Greg Jennings: Broke-out last week and should kill on Thursday. *****

WR Donald Driver: Tasty match-up, so great play. ****

WR James Jones: Could get some looks underneath. **

WR Jordy Nelson: Scored last week, so should be involved. **

TE Jermichael Finley: Has a decent role and nice match-up helps. ***

QB Matthew Stafford: Is a game-time decision and not a great match-up. **

QB Daunte Culpepper: Likely the starter, but not a good play at all. *

RB Kevin Smith: Won't go very far against solid run defense. **

WR Calvin Johnson: An iffy play, but could do some damage if he's a go. ***

WR Bryant Johnson: Should see solid targets if CJ can't go. **

TE Brandon Pettigrew: Doesn't do much, and Green Bay stuff tight ends. *

Oakland Raiders at Dallas Cowboys

QB Bruce Gradkowski: Looked decent, but was horrible last time he played on Thanksgiving. **

RB Michael Bush: In a big RBBC, but running is Oakland's only chance. **

RB Darren McFadden: Best potential out of group, and his role is growing. ***

RB Justin Fargas: Had most carries last week, but role is uncertain. **

WR Darrius Heyward-Bey: He nor no other Oakland receivers are worthy owning. *

TE Zach Miller: Value rises with Gradkowski, but ceiling still limited. ***

QB Tony Romo: Not a great threat against very stingy secondary. **

RB Marion Barber: Should pound the rock against horrible run defense. ****

RB Felix Jones: Could be active, but Barbers is getting the ball more. **

RB Tashard Choice: Ditto. **

WR Miles Austin: Has been quiet, but there's hope for a big play or two. ***

WR Roy Williams: Could see some looks, but doesn't offer a ton of optimism. **

TE Jason Witten: Might not even play, and match-up stinks. **

New York Giants at Denver Broncos

QB Eli Manning: Has looked very good the past two weeks, and Broncos are reeling. ****

RB Brandon Jacobs: Should be all by himself and Denver hasn't been stopping the run. ****

RB Ahmad Bradshaw: Out.

RB Danny Ware: Should see increased role, but how much? *

WR Steve Smith: Is a solid WR2 and could see solid production this week. ****

WR Hakeem Nicks: Very inconsistent lately, but WR3 potential is always there. **

WR Mario Manningham: Has been very involved lately, so a decent play. ***

TE Kevin Boss: Has scored four times in last three games, so worth a shot. ***

QB Kyle Orton: Giants leaky secondary could be his cure for awful stretch. ***

RB Knowshon Moreno: Giants can be run on, and he's looked solid. ***

RB Correll Buckhalter: Inconsistent role, but is facing beatable defense. **

WR Brandon Marshall: Was terrible last week, but should get back on track. ****

WR Eddie Royal: Too inconsistent to rely on. **

WR Jabar Gaffney: Ditto. *

Stay tuned for the rest of Week 12's Player Breakdowns later this week, and head over to NFLSoup.com for all of your other breaking news and fantasy needs.

Read more Aaron Rodgers news on BleacherReport.com

NFL Predictions: Week Twelve

Doug Rush — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:59:41 -0500

It's Week Twelve of the NFL season, and it's also Thanksgiving week.

In the past years, there has always been two games on this holiday, which usually were just the Lions at home against their opponent and the Cowboys and their opponent, which is fine because it is tradition, but lately, those games haven't been as great, so the league added a third game at night on the NFL Network, which generally has been a better game of the day.

So if you are at your family's house and you don't like your relatives, or if you do and are looking for something to do aside from eating turkey and turkey sandwiches, there is football all Thanksgiving day long.

Last week in Week Eleven, I had a great week going 14-2 with the only losses coming from the Steelers and Bengals. Overall in the 2009 season, I am 114-45 and looking to continue the good record.

Thursday Thanksgiving Football: Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions

These two teams have met in the past on Thanksgiving, two years ago in fact. Brett Favre and Jon Kitna were the respective quarterbacks for those teams.

Now it's Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford starting for their teams and looking to continue the tradition.

However, Stafford got hurt last week and his status for the game is unknown, so Daunte Culpepper or Drew Stanton might be playing on this night.

But it doesn't matter, because the Packers are on a roll and possibly could be a playoff team. Rodgers has the Packers headed in the right direction with multiple 300-plus yard games.

With a banged up team, the Lions might not be able to stand up to the Packers and this one could be over quickly.

Final Score: Packers 37, Lions 20

Thursday Thanksgiving Football: Oakland Raiders @ Dallas Cowboys

Be careful with this game, because it might not be as lopsided as it looks.

The Raiders finally benched JaMarcus Russell for Bruce Gradkowski and they won their last game and will look to make it two in a row with a quarterback that seems to care about playing and winning, something Russell never showed.

The Cowboys are coming in this game extremely banged up. Tony Romo's got a bad back and Jason Witten has a bad foot and both are listed as questionable, although most expect Romo to play, but not so much with Witten.

Over their last two games, Dallas has only scored a total of 14 points and nearly lost their last game. If they only score seven points again, they might not get away with another win.

Dallas usually plays well on Turkey Day and they should be able to pull a win off.

Final Score: Cowboys 24, Raiders 14

Thursday Thanksgiving Football: New York Giants @ Denver Broncos

This one will be on the NFL Network, but for most in the New York/New Jersey area like I am, if you don't have that channel, it will be played on WPIX-11, so it will be on TV locally.

The Broncos have lost four in a row and are sliding bad. They are also fighting among each other and Brandon Marshall seems to be going back to his selfish and destructive ways, fighting with teammates and blaming others for losing when he isn't getting the ball.

The Giants ended their losing streak with a huge win last week and are looking to get back into the playoff race. Denver is having trouble stopping everyone, so this may be a game where Brandon Jacobs can run over players and with Ahmad Bradshaw likely out, Danny Ware will get some playing time.

This will also be Eli Manning's first game on Thanksgiving. Manning should have no problems getting the Giants to win on the road despite the short week.

Final Score: Giants 30, Broncos 13

Carolina Panthers @ New York Jets

It seems so long ago when the Jets were 3-0 and Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez were living large.

Now at 4-6, it's not the case anymore. Ryan's been humbled some in his rookie season as head coach, but Sanchez has not, he still thinks he's the USC god back in California. If he keeps throwing all those interceptions, he might find himself on the bench real soon.

The Panthers have been up and down all 2009 season.

They get so close to getting to .500 and then they will lose a game and stay under .500, which must be frustrating for John Fox.

You would think the Jets would have the advantage being at home against a losing team, but they lost games to the Jaguars, Bills and Dolphins at home, so the Jets aren't guaranteed to win.

This one I think will come down to a late field goal, and I don't trust the Jets anymore.

Final Score: Panthers 24, Jets 21

Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans

If you're a betting person, never, ever bet against Peyton Manning, because he finds ways to win.

Just like last week when the Colts somehow managed to win and get to 10-0 in another close game.

But the tough games on the road don't stop for the Colts, as they take on an opponent from the AFC South division.

The Texans lost their last home game on Monday night with a missed field goal and was devastating to take. Houston will be looking to get over that loss and come out strong against their division foes.

Houston always plays the Colts well, as they did earlier in the season. But like I said before, never pick against the Colts, and neither will I again this week.

Final Score: Colts 28, Texans 20

Washington Redskins @ Philadelphia Eagles

The Redskins are trying everything they can to win games, and came close against the Cowboys, but fell short.

Washington has a good defense, which has kept them in a lot of games, but their offense is dreadful. With Clinton Portis out again and with Chris Cooley done for the season, it gets worse for Washington in 2009.

The Eagles snapped their two game losing streak and got back on track. DeSean Jackson is becoming a dangerous weapon downfield for the Eagles and it almost seems like he is un-coverable because of his speed.

Most shouldn't count on Brian Westbrook playing in this game due to his severe concussions. Some don't even expect Westbrook back in 2009, which would be a shame.

Washington has yet to win a game on the road, and nobody expects them to win this week either.

Final Score: Eagles 27, Redskins 9

Seattle Seahawks @ St. Louis Rams

I'm not going to lie to you guys, this game is not exactly a great one. Both teams stink.

The only problem is, Seattle isn't supposed to be this bad. They have Matt Hasselbeck healthy, but even he can only do so much.

The running game isn't great. The passing game is mediocre. The defense has been bad.

But, they are playing a 1-9 team who is even worse.

St. Louis will be without Marc Bulger, who has several injuries. But even with him Bulger has been awful in 2009.

If you're not a diehard fan of either team, I wouldn't suggest watching. But Seattle is a little better and should be able to win this game.

Final Score: Seahawks 20, Rams 7

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons

This is a battle between NFC South rivals, but it won't have the same intensity like it has in the past.

Tampa is 1-9 and they keep on trying to get better. They think they found their quarterback in rookie Josh Freeman, but he's taking his rookie pains in a tough season.

The Falcons suffered a tough loss last week and dropped to 5-5 in the NFC playoff race, despite sending the game into overtime.

Atlanta is a better team at home and needs to get back on track with a win. With or without Michael Turner, the Falcons still have weapons to use.

This one might be on Matt Ryan, and he should be able to win against Tampa this week.

Final Score: Falcons 31, Buccaneers 13

Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals

This is the second meeting of the Ohio battle.

Cleveland came so close to their second win, but because they are the Browns, found a way to lose another game despite scoring over 30 points.

Brady Quinn played much better last week, so maybe he's not a total bust.

The Bengals lost to the Raiders last week. Not good. They need this division matchup to win all six games of the AFC North division match games.

Cedric Benson was out last week and is listed as questionable, but Bernard Scott has done a great job in Benson's place.

Cleveland sucks and Cincinnati is possibly playoff bound. Guess who wins here?

Final Score: Bengals 30, Browns 10

Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills

Whoever said the Dolphins were dead in 2009 might be wrong, because at 5-5, they have a shot to make something of their season.

They lost Ronnie Brown for the season, but Ricky Williams is showing he's got plenty left for Miami.

Chad Henne is improving each week and showing everyone he deserves to be the starter. However, with Miami's Wildcat formation, expect Pat White to play because of Brown's injury.

Buffalo finally got the ball to Terrell Owens last week, as he almost had 200 yards receiving, and yet, the Bills lost.

Buffalo is not the team they once were that dominated the AFC 10-15 years ago. Even Bill Cowher turned down an offer to interview for their coaching vacancy.

Final Score: Dolphins 24, Bills 16

Jacksonville Jaguars @ San Francisco 49ers

This game means a lot more for the Jaguars than it does for the 49ers, because a win for Jacksonville and they find themselves right in the mix for the AFC playoff race.

After an up and down season, the Jaguars are winning, and they've put their faith solely in Maurice Jones-Drew, who has carried this team in 2009.

Jones-Drew has been nothing short of MVP-like in 2009 and has been the reason why the Jaguars are winning and at 6-4 right now.

The 49ers are still trying to find an identity, but they are at least making their games competitive, especially with Michael Crabtree active and playing very well.

With Crabtree, it has given Alex Smith a second chance to be the leader of this team, along with another target to throw to aside from Vernon Davis.

But, Jacksonville needs this game more and are riding a three game winning streak to continue their chase for postseason football.

Final Score: Jaguars 28, 49ers 21

Kansas City Chiefs @ San Diego Chargers

The Chiefs somehow managed to knock off the defending champion Steelers at home in overtime, which is a huge accomplishment for a team that hasn't been great in 2009.

But that was at home, and they're back on the road, where they aren't a great football team.

Even worse, they are playing the Chargers, who are on a five game winning streak and are getting back to playing solid football.

LaDanian Tomlinson has become a big part of the offense again and showing the league that he isn't washed up, and since the Chiefs can't stop the run, LT might have another decent game.

The Chargers have control of the AFC West and are at home. San Diego should have no problems winning this game.

Final Score: Chargers 34, Chiefs 17

Arizona Cardinals @ Tennessee Titans

Because of the Titans playing better football, it makes this game a decent contest to watch.

Arizona is starting to become a more complete team after being only known as a passing team in 2008.

They are running the football more with Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower and the defense is stepping up and playing much better.

So with those two factors added in with the powerful offense of Arizona, that makes them scary to stop. The only question is, does Kurt Warner play with the concussion or does Matt Leinart get a start?

Tennessee has won four in a row and they can thank that on the magnificent play of Chris Johnson, who is leading the league in rushing yards.

Vince Young is playing well too and deserving of a second chance as a starter.

As much as Tennessee has played well, Arizona's offense might be too much for the Titans defense to stop.

Final Score: Cardinals 38, Titans 24

Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings

So, Jay Cutler was supposed to be the savior for the Bears in 2009, right?

Only problem is Cutler is throwing way too many interceptions in games and costing them chances to win.

On the other side, the Vikings have been one of the best teams in 2009 and one of the most complete teams.

Their offense lead by Brett Favre has been solid, but their defense lead by Jared Allen is the best in the NFL.

Lately, Cutler's confidence has been lacking each week. With a defense like Minnesota that swarms the quarterback, Cutler will be in for a long day in the Metrodome.

Minnesota is so much better than Chicago and should have no problems going to 10-1.

Final Score: Vikings 34, Bears 16

Sunday Night Football: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens

This is a re-match of the AFC Championship game and another meeting of the AFC North rivals.

In 2008, the Steelers won both regular season games and the AFC Title game on their road to winning the Super Bowl.

The Steelers have been very banged up. Troy Polamalu is questionable with an injured knee. Pittsburgh's defense needs Polamalu back if they want to end their two game slide. Ben Roethlisberger also suffered a concussion last week, but is expected to play.

The Ravens once started out 3-0, but are 2-5 over their last several games and don't look like the same AFC powerhouse on defense that used to scare teams because they have lost too many games in 2009.

With Roethlisberger, the Steelers should be able to pull off a victory in Baltimore, but it won't be easy and could come down to a late score.

Final Score: Steelers 27, Ravens 24

Monday Night Football: New England Patriots @ New Orleans Saints

This very well may be the best game on the schedule. If you like offensive games with a lot of points, this game is for you. If you like defense, don't expect it here, because this one will light up the boards.

The Patriots have been playing much better football and have gotten the passing game going with Tom Brady. With Wes Welker healthy and combine him with Randy Moss, Brady is back to being his old self.

The Saints are 10-0 and steam-rolling through the NFC. They have blown out teams and they have also shown they can come back from being down in games, a good quality of a playoff team.

Drew Brees has done a great job in making his wide receivers have tremendous seasons in 2009, especially Marques Colston, maybe the most underrated top receiver in the NFL.

In the past, the Patriots defense could stop New Orleans. Not anymore. They give up too many points, which in the end favors Brees and company. But this one will be worth watching and enjoying.

Final Score: Saints 42, Patriots 35

That does it for the schedule and picks for Week Twelve of the NFL season.

Everyone, from my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your holiday and time with your family and loved ones. Also, for those who do Black Friday shopping, be safe over the weekend and during that crazy time.

See you back this weekend for more exciting NFL football games that start on the holiday.

Read more Aaron Rodgers news on BleacherReport.com

NFC Curtain Call: Which Teams Will Be Home Come January?

Samuel Bell Jr — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:30:55 -0500

If you are a true sports fan who eats, drinks and dreams about great sports games and cold beer, then their is no better time of year than now.

College football is heading into the bowl season, college basketball is heating up, the NBA is in full swing and the NFL playoff push has teams literally fighting for their post-season lives.

Grab the 12-pack of Labatt Blue Light. Matter of fact, make that an 18 with a compliment of succulent Buffalo wings.

Dick Jauron had his last wing as the coach of the Buffalo Bills after being fired last week to the tune of Bills fans chanting, "Shanahan, Shanahan!"

That chant may be short-lived, but the Bills seem in good hands for now with interim coach Perry Fewell finally stretching the field the way Bills fans hoped they would when T.O arrived.

We know who the best team in the AFC is at this point (hint: their QB wears the #18, I wonder who that is?).

But do we know who the best team in the NFC is?

I'll pay anyone a milli if they can make a no-holes, convincing argument for any of the top two teams in the NFC, the Vikings and the Saints.

I've heard the analysts say time-and-time again that the Vikings are clearly the best team in the NFC, but they have a loss.

The New Orleans Saints don't, but the Saints QB Drew Brees' achilles heel has always been a lackluster defense. However, they've bent but not broken this season and have been turnover magnets.

Minnesota has a budding defense with Jared Allen sacking anything moving, Kevin and Pat Williams stuffing the run like a Thanksgiving turkey and guys like Chad Greenway exceeding expectations.

And speaking of exceeding expectations, anyone notice slick #4, Mr. Retirement Brett Favre?

I have to take my toes out of my mouth for what I said about him coming into this season about being old and unable to lead a winning ballclub. Let's forget about all of that, shall we?

Favre has been remarkable, and all of that mess about handing the ball off to human robot Adrian Peterson being his only key to success seems long gone like Byron Leftwich' career.

What does all of this mean?

It means that NFC supremacy may have to be determined come playoff time.

If the Saints can obtain homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, they may be the highest scoring Super Bowl team of all time.

Something tells me that homefield is of the utmost importance for New Orleans, and their passionate fans make them play at an unbelievably high-level.

We know the Vikings and Saints are the cash-crops of the NFC, but what happens after that?

Who will join them in the playoffs this year? Here's a look at their contenders and the chance they have of making the post-season by percentage.

This should be fun.

Dallas Cowboys (7-3, 1st in NFC East)

Remaining Games: OAK, at NYG, SD, at NO, at WAS, PHI

Dallas has proven to be one of the most inconsistent teams in the league. That isn't a big surprise, and it must change if the Cowboys want to play in the playoffs in January.

Tony Romo has been the engine running the show, and Marion Barber has been the transmission. Romo's improvisational skills have been good enough to land him on a reunion episode of Who's Line Is It Anyway?

Unfortunately for the Cowboys, injuries and shifty offense may do them in come Week 18.

With games against the Giants, Chargers, Saints and Eagles in the coming weeks, if their offense doesn't get it together they will be home along with their former compatriot, Mr. Terrell Owens.

Playoff Chance: 50%

Philadelphia Eagles (6-4, 2nd in NFC East)

Remaining Games: WAS, at ATL, at NYG, SF, DEN, at DAL

Coming into this season, the acquisition of Michael Vick was supposed to propel the Eagles atop the NFC. That experiment hasn't worked so far, and the Eagles are 6-4.

Vick hasn't been on the field much, and Kevin Kolb filled in well for Donovan McNabb when he was injured in Week 1.

Andy Reid has historically been a pass first coach, and that hasn't changed a lot this season. Brian Westbrook has been gone most of the year with concussion issues, but rookie LeSean McCoy has done well in his place.

Defensively the Eagles have been respectable, allowing over 20 points just twice this season.

The problem is the Eagles don't have an offensive identity. McCoy has ran for 452 yards for 3 scores and also catches well out of the backfield, but McNabb has thrown the ball 250 times despite missing two games.

If Philly wants to earn a division title or Wild Card, they need to run the football more and concentrate on offensive balance.

Playoff Chance: 49.5%

New York Giants (6-4, 3rd in NFC East)

Remaining Games: at DEN, DAL, PHI, at WAS, CAR, at MIN

And, we have the New York Giants.

A team that started the season 5-0, then lost four of their next five games to rest at 6-4.

Who knows which Eli Manning and Giants team we will get. This makes them extremely difficult to gauge, more than any other NFC team.

"Bad Eli" has shown its' face more than Giants fans want to see, but "Good Eli" has been as good as anyone.

This team needs to play more consistent and cohesive as units.

Defensively, the Giants are 24th in total points per game but 2nd in yards per game.

Offensively, the Giants are in the top-10 in most categories, but turn the ball over too much and have 4 losses. If the Giants want to be a playoff team Manning B must limit his turnovers.

Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw must get healthy to help Eli by establishing the run, and the secondary must stop the pass.

Playoff Chance: 55.2%

Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons (GB 6-4, 2nd in NFC North, ATL 5-5, 2nd in NFC South)

GB Remaining Games: at DET, BAL, at CHI, at PIT, SEA, at ARI

ATL Remaining Games: TB, PHI, NO, at NYJ, BUF, at TB

Green Bay was a perennial wild-card choice for many fans entering this season, but nobody could account for the lack of protection the offensive line has given QB Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers has been as good as any QB in the league when given time, and RB Ryan Grant is on pace for a 1200 yard season.

Wins against the Cowboys and Bears made the Packers look great, but a horrible loss against the Bucs makes them a head-scratcher.

Similarly, the Falcons entered the season with lots of promise after last season's playoff run, and some were thinking Super Bowl (including me).

QB Matt Ryan has been good, but has turned the ball over far too much and injuries to the secondary and RB Michael Turner have hurt the teams' fluidity on both sides of the ball.

Green Bay's potential to make the post-season lies on one simple concept: protect Aaron Rodgers. If they can do that, all should come together barring any huge injury.

Atlanta, well they have a little more work to do. They cannot rush Turner back because he has to be healthy for them to have a chance.

That play-action style of offense will get much better when he returns, and Ryan needs to make better decisions in the pocket. As for the Falcon defense, there's no help for them other than intervention.

They'd better pray.

Falcons Playoff Chance: 35%

Packers Playoff Chance: 40%

Read more Aaron Rodgers news on BleacherReport.com

Start & Sit Thanksgiving Day Parade

Michael McNeil — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:52:23 -0500

Bone up on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade before tomorrow morning if you are married/involved/born-to-a-heavily-feminine-family. Impress your family with random, trivial knowledge about the parade early in the morning, but good luck prying the remote from Grandma in time to catch some NFL pregame action.

There is nothing more Thanksgiving than a little parade-watching in the morning and A LOT of football watching in the afternoon. So when ole’ Granny dozes off around 11 a.m., make sure to confiscate her controller privileges for the day.

Plenty of fantasy football related storylines to watch tomorrow, including a ton of injuries. Strangely enough, most of these popped up during the day on Monday after this week’s Monday Morning Rehab. A few of the highlights, followed by a special Turkey Day edition of start and sit advice:

Tony Romo and Jason Witten, Cowboys: Romo did not miss any action against the Redskins after taking a knee to the back and his coach sounds optimistic about his chances to play. Witten, meanwhile, is a dreaded game-day decision. Test the Internet access at Maw Maw’s tomorrow morning well before game time in case a last-second roster change needs to be made.

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, Giants: The word is overwhelmingly pessimistic regarding Bradshaw’s chances to play in Denver tomorrow night. He suffered a sprained foot that is worse than originally thought and has been on crutches this week. Danny Ware would serve as Bradshaw’s replacement and Brandon Jacobs’ vulture backup.

Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson, Lions: Neither player would have practiced on Monday after Sunday’s thrilling come-from-behind win against Cleveland. Stafford looks the most likely to miss, but Johnson is less than a 50-50 bet himself. Without two of their top three offensive players, the Lions would be in for some woeful Thanksgiving Day football.

Start ‘em

Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Grant, Donald Driver, and Greg Jennings, Packers
Green Bay offense on turf against the Lions, a defense that just gave up 37 points to the Browns. This should be a fantasy feast.

Brandon Jacobs, RB, Giants
Good chance Ahmad Bradshaw does not play, or is very limited tomorrow night. Start Jacobs with a little bit more confidence.

Brandon Marshall, WR, Broncos
The Giants still are susceptible through the air and the Broncos will have to keep up with the New York offense all night.

Kevin Smith, RB, Lions
You have to like Smith in this game with Stafford and Megatron out, right?!? It is a risky-ish play but might be worth it due to shear volume of touches.

Sit ‘em

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, Giants
Briefly mentioned about that Bradshaw may not play tomorrow night. He has been on crutches this week and the team seems concerned with the injury.

Jason Witten, TE, Cowboys
If—and that is a big if—Witten does not play, make sure to put him on your bench. Martellus Bennett would be the appropriate plug-and-play.

Darren McFadden, RB, Raiders
Good luck trying to figure out Oakland’s three-heading running-back-by-committee.

For more great fantasy roster advice this week, including a plethora of Start & Sit links and consensus rankings, head over to the Fantasy Football Librarian. Don’t forget to grab your library card.

Read more Aaron Rodgers news on BleacherReport.com

Vince Young and the Circumstantial Nature of Winning in the NFL

Ryan Michael — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:48:08 -0500

He's a winner, plain and simple.

Have you ever heard someone say that "you can put up all the flashy numbers you want but at the end of the say, it is the W that is most important"?

Well if that is true, feast your eyes upon one of the league's most valuable players.

And if the small sample size we've had to work with is any indication of the future that is to come, feast your eyes upon a future Hall of Famer.

22-11, that's Vince Young's record as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

That's an astounding 0.666 winning percentage.

Higher than a number of active quarterbacks whom you might have heard of, Kurt Warner (0.577), Drew Brees (0.560), and Aaron Rodgers (0.462) just to name a few.

As a matter of fact, it isn't even close.

Do you think that Drew Brees is a good quarterback, one of the very best in the league perhaps?

Well it is Vince Young who wins more often.

Heck, so does Rex Grossman (0.613).

As a matter of fact, Vince Young has a greater winning percentage than most Hall of Fame quarterbacks.

For argument's sake, I'll name a few...

Steve Young (0.657), Johnny Unitas (0.645), John Elway (0.643), and Dan Marino (0.613).

Yes, the sample size we have to work with is MUCH smaller.

Understand that in no way am I trying to argue that Vince Young is better than these Hall of Famers, nor do I seek to imply that people would be foolish enough to agree.

My point rather is regarding the circumstantial nature of winning in the NFL.

As stated before, you've heard the people who have preached "results" over "big numbers" which really means "quarterback who wins more games" over the quarterback who is more productive on the field.

Productive and Vince Young don't fit in the same sentence.

Despite being one of the best scramblers in the game (the versatility that is said to be Young's "X-Factor") he has also been one of the least productive starting quarterbacks in the league.

Not compared to let's say, a Tarvaris Jackson.

But to put Vince Young in the same breath as the Mannings, Brees, and Bradys is an insult.

Not to say that people have jumped on his bandwagon that fast this season but there was a time when this man managed to secure a trip to Hawaii (as an alternate, mind you, but still).

Interceptions are much more a specialty of Vince Young's than touchdowns.

25 touchdowns to 34 interceptions.

Interceptions, low completion percentage and lack of production are all in a days work for Vince Young, but if you're someone the likes of Aaron Rodgers with all of your yards, touchdowns, and less-frequent interceptions, expect to walk off the field a loser far more often than Vince Young.

So if far more productive players are winning less often, why is it that Vince Young is running around with a HOF-caliber winning percentage while others struggle to make their teams relevant?

Could it be that their running game, defense, special teams, and coaching staffs also contribute to their chances of winning?

Could it be that different players of different calibers will achieve different results playing under different circumstances?

If the "W's" are the most telling aspect of a quarterbacks value, The Packers better offer to trade Aaron Rodgers for Vince Young right away.

I'm sure the Titans wouldn't mind.

Read more Aaron Rodgers news on BleacherReport.com

Five NFL Players Who Should Be In Their First Pro Bowl This Season: NFC Offense

Steven Merriam — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:43:00 -0500

Every NFL season at the Pro Bowl the NFL's best come to play. You get to see things like Peyton throwing to Moss or Brees to Fitzgerald. The Pro Bowl is a game of the elite even though the game does not count it symbolizes that the players in it are one the best in their conference at their position. This season I believe the NFC offense will have many first time Pro Bowlers may it be a QB, RB or WR. These players have stood out this season and people have taken notice and deserve to be in the Pro Bowl. All readers of this article vote these players on your ballot on NFL.com they are deserving of your vote ,they have played as one of the best in the NFL at their respective position. Even if these five players do not make it to the Pro Bowl this season I expect to see them in there in the near future. There will be a NFC defense, AFC offense, and AFC defense dition in the near future.

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