2. Jacksonville Jaguars – Dion Jordan, DE/Oregon – Dion is an anomaly. Most prospects unable to compete at either the combine or their pro day typically fall on draft boards. Instead, all this kid has done is run a 40 and he’s being considered as one of the best defensive players available this year. Jordan was unable to help his draft stock at the Oregon Pro day because he is recovering from a recent surgery to repair a torn labrum. He ran a 4.53 unofficial time at the combine, which is amazing. GM David Caldwell recently said, “We’re pretty close – It’s down to two people.” Most people believe the two he referenced are Oregon DE Dion Jordan and West Virginia QB Gen Smith.

3. Oakland Raiders – Geno Smith, QB/West Virginia – I jokingly put “the ghost of All Davis lives” when I first put Geno to the Raiders in late January. The truth is Davis would have been drooling at the opportunity to grab a mobile QB, especially if he had been alive to see RGIII the year before. Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie will be left with making a franchise changing decision, as QB’s taken in the top 5 can cost a GM their job if they don’t pan out. Just ask Mike Tannenbaum. The Raiders released Carson Palmer due to salary cap issues, and have only have Matt Flynn & Terrelle Pryor on staff at QB. This pick is easy.

4. Philadelphia Eagles – Ezekiel Ansah DE/ BYU – Ansah reportedly didn’t hire a trainer for the combine instead focusing on finishing his classes at BYU. His draft stock was already high but this news makes him seem kind of freakish. Measuring in at 6-foot-5 and 271 pounds with 35 1/8-inch arms, Ansah posted the sixth fastest forty times (4.63) of 37 defensive linemen who ran, and his 34 1/2-inch vertical tied for seventh. There is also a rumor that his 40 at the combine was the first one he ever ran in his lifetime. Ansah is a lightning in a bottle type of player and would be a welcome addition to any defense that drafts him. Billy Davis should be thrilled.

5. Detroit Lions – Dee Milliner CB/ Alabama – The Lions were active in free agency acquiring RB Reggie Bush, DE Jason Jones, and CB Chris Houston. Former Colts GM Bill Polian mentioned Detroit as the “greatest show on turf.” That ought to be billboard material for division rival Bears, Vikings and Packers. The ability to stop those teams, as well as the rest of their opponents next year will be a priority on draft day. In a past mock I mentioned that according to Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, teams wanting Alabama CB Dee Milliner will “probably have to trade ahead of Detroit at No. 5 to get him. Enough said.

6. Cleveland Browns – Sharrif Floyd, DT/ Florida – NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah was quoted as saying, “everybody” has Floyd pegged as a top-five pick.” The reason for his fall to six has more to do with the rise of Dion Jordan and Ziggy Ansah up opposing teams’ draft boards. At 6’3 297 pounds, with a solid 40 time, Floyd racked up 13 tackles for loss, three sacks, and two kick blocks as a junior before declaring. Cleveland recently spent some big money on DE Paul Kruger and will be developing an intimidating pass rush after drafting Floyd to compliment him. Utah DE Star Lotulelei could also fit nicely here.

7. Arizona Cardinals – Eric Fisher OT/ Central Michigan – Carson Palmer was recently acquired and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Total Access that the Cardinals are unlikely to draft a quarterback at No. 7 overall. This may not be the popular thing to do from a fan perspective, but it makes a heck of a lot of sense. The QB class outside of Smith is not worthy of a selection this high and a good LT is a necessity in a rebuilding process. Bruce Arians and his imaginative play calling would love to feel confident their QB, whoever it is, will stay upright no matter what the play, and Fisher can do just that. Watch for Arizona to draft a QB in the 2nd round.

8. Buffalo Bills – Cordarrelle Patterson, WR/Tennessee – I am less confident in this pick every day. Last time I had mentioned “Patterson needs a coach that isn’t going to take any crap and can bring him in with more a drill instructor mind set than a player coach mentality”. Now there are reports from a WR coach that Patterson would be an offensive coach’s dream. This is pure crap. You don’t change from a head case to a saint in the time since the combine. GM Buddy Nix mentioned to the press that he wanted to draft a big time WR as well as a franchise QB. Good luck with that. Patterson is considered to be as immature as he is talented. There was a report from a scout that he questioned Patterson’s intelligence and thinks the team that drafts him will have to simplify their offense to make him successful. Still, he scored a touchdown via kickoff return, punt return, receiving, and rushing, joining Carl Pickens (receiving, KR, PR, INT) as the only players in Tennessee history to score a touchdown four different ways in a career. Some drafts have Buffalo grabbing Ryan Nassib here, but I can’t see it. His combine was average and he’s not coming from a football powerhouse in Syracuse. His talent is fantastic, but even with his former coach now in charge of the Bills; Nassib would be a major risk here. I do however think West Virginia WR Tavon Austin has a legitimate chance to be drafted here.

9. New York Jets – Star Lotulelei, DT/Utah – The Jets are a tough team to gauge simply because they have so many needs and on both sides of the field. Lotulelei has been all over draft boards due to his supposed heart issues which have since been declared a non-issue. Star won the Morris trophy which is the award given to the best defensive player, voted by the Pac-12 offensive lineman he played against. His prototypical size at 6’3 311lbs. will help Rex Ryan in his pursuit of a pass rush. He should be a great addition to a line that just lost Sione Pouha and is in desperate need of improvement.

10. Tennessee Titans – Chance Warmack, OG/Alabama – I stand by this pick since the first mock in Late January. The Titans need to give Jake Locker a chance. Ha! Chance… In order to do that he needs to stay on his feet and taking the best guard at 10 would be a big time pick for the Titans. Warmack is a wild card to me, as the Jets, Cardinals, and Eagles could all use some help at the offensive line, so if he’s still available Tennessee will pounce. CBS Sports has Warmack as the second best prospect in this year’s draft behind only Luke Joeckel.

11. San Diego Chargers – Lane Johnson, OT/ Oklahoma – The new regime of GM Tom Telesco, HC Mike McCoy, and OC Ken Whisenhunt have a lot of work to do to keep the Chargers relevant. Johnson did 28 reps of 225lbs at the combine and with his strength will help Philip Rivers try to redeem himself after getting sacked on 50 of his 587 drop backs. The Bolts’ most glaring need is at left tackle, where Jared Gaither up and quit last season, and Johnson will also help fill the void on the right side where Louis Vasquez played before he departed to Denver.

12. Miami Dolphins – Jonathan Cooper, OG/North Carolina – Miami lost Jake Long to St. Louis and now are left with Jonathan Martin at left tackle and they brought in Nate Garner to be a swing tackle/guard. That being said, neither of those guys is going to a pro bowl any time soon. Cooper will help Miami recover from their loss of a former 1st round lineman. Greg Cossel from NFL films praised Cooper saying “the most purely athletic guard I can remember seeing” coming out of college. Cooper plays with “light feet, great balance,” and also showed a “nasty streak,” consistently “looking for contact.” Cooper is considered by some to be the best guard prospect in the class.

13. New York Jets (Via Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – Tavon Austin, WR/West Virginia – For this to happen, Derrelle Revis must first become a Buccaneer. Consider it done! This trade is going to happen and it will happen before the draft, simply because no team would be willing to give up a first round pick for a player that they haven’t medically deemed healthy. Austin is a heck of a talent and will do wonders in the west coast offense the Jets are planning on using. Jets fans should also be looking towards receiving a 3rd round and maybe a late round pick or a pick in 2014 in the Revis trade.

14. Carolina Panthers – Sheldon Richardson, DT/Missouri – The Panthers statistically had a top 15 defense in 2012 finishing 10th in the league for yards per game allowed. Richardson, who stands 6’2”, 294lbs., became Mizzou’s first-ever All-SEC designee, as he was named to the 2nd-team for his outstanding play. His presence should help solidify Carolina’s front seven.

15. New Orleans Saints – Menelik Watson, OT/ Florida State – This kid is very intriguing. He has only played 2 years of football after coming over from Manchester England, but is considered by NFL.com’s Gil Brandt as a “very good offensive lineman.” Pursued by the likes of Oklahoma, Oregon, Auburn, Cal and Rutgers, Watson elected to sign with Florida State where he emerged as a starter in just his second season of playing the sport. Drew Brees and Mark Ingram will enjoy Watson’s services as he is helpful in both the run and the pass.

16. St. Louis Rams – D.J. Fluker, OT/Alabama – Some scouts doubt if Fluker can play tackle in the pro level. St. Louis is in dire need of offensive line help, so the concerns will be listened to, but ignored. D.J. Fluker who measures in at 6’6” 339 would be the 7th offensive linemen taken in this mock and the second of the first round coming from a SEC powerhouse in Alabama that produces NFL players every single year.

Every team already knows it’s opponents for the season and if they will play them at home or on the road.  For the Giants we know that trips to Dallas, Philly, Washington, Chicago, Detroit, Carolina, Kansas City and San Diego are on the docket. With the home opponents being the Cowboys, Redskins, Eagles, Packers, Vikings, Seahawks, Broncos, and Raiders.

The preseason Opponents are Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Jets, and New England in that order with most dates and times still to be announced.

Who will be the opener?  Will they open at home or on the road? Will the Manning Bowl III be a primetime affair? (You can bet it will be).

Eight days to go until the suspense is over.

However with the way the pre season runs these days in the NFL the only QB they will probably actually play any protracted amount of time against will be Luck and whomever The Jets trot out.  With Pittsburgh being the first game, and New England being the last we can guarantee Tom Brady might not even be in the building, let alone throw any passes.  The exciting match-up comes on a primetime affair televised on FOX between Eli Manning and Andrew Luck.  Luck is an emerging star with all the tools and in week two of the pre season he will probably play the entire first half.

Three AFC teams that the Giants don’t face again in the regular season in 2013, should make for a good opportunity to test a few things out and to get after a few QB’s with some talent….and The Jets

As long as his health checks out this summer, Patterson will join a deep defensive tackle rotation featuring Jenkins, Linval Joseph, Marvin Austin and Markus Kuhn.  Another solid value pickup here for the Giants who have had a very quiet and very successful offseason so far.

The Pre-Season Schedule gets released today for the NFL.  Stay tuned to GMenHQ for the announcement.

Asomugha was an unqualified bust with the Eagles after signing as the top free agent on the market in 2011. His press-man coverage skill set was never ideally suited to the “Wide Nine” scheme prevalent in Philadelphia over the past two seasons. The 31-year-old bottomed out by allowing an eye-popping 120.6 passer rating on throws in his territory last season, according to Pro Football Focus.

The 9ers have been carved up by opposing QB’s in the last two post seasons.  Eli Manning and Victor Cruz made them look amateurish two years ago, and Joe Flacco made 55 million dollars off his performance against an over confident talkative secondary.  Will Asomugh actually be an upgrade, or was he just the best player on a very bad team in Oakland a few years back?  We will see.

However, while a lot of good players at the top have gotten very good money, the results of the 2011 labor agreement, with its hard caps, salary floors, and reduced rookie salaries are impacting the market in new and interesting ways. Teams like Miami, Tampa Bay and Tennessee are spending like they’ve never spent before. Over the last two years, Tampa Bay has spent a potential $197 million on 5 players (CB Eric Wright, G Carl Nicks, WR Vincent Jackson, S Dashon Goldsen, and G Jeremy Zuttah). Miami, this year, went on a spending spree to the tune of a potential $137.53 million on 6 players.

What is also interesting is that teams that are used to spending money, such as the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, have largely been sitting on the sidelines this off-season, with neither team making a single major acquisition via free agency.

While Giants fans are likely griping about the cuts of stalwarts DT Chris Canty, LB Michael Boley, and RB Ahmad Bradshaw, not to mention the departures Martellus Bennett and Kenny Phillips via free agency, there are reasons for Giants fans to be optimistic. First of all, of the 5 players I just mentioned, only Martellus Bennett and Ahmad Bradshaw contributed significantly to a 2012 giants team that went 9-7. Michael Boley, Chris Canty, and Kenny Phillips were either injured or ineffective much of the year. The Giants have also made several under-the-radar free agency signings, bringing in pass-rushing interior lineman Cullen Jenkins, sure-handed pass catcher Brandon Myers, and underrated MLB Dan Connor – all three should be upgrades at their positions, in at least some respects. In a lot of cases, the Giants have added by subtracting; Michael Boley was clearly on his last legs last year and Jacquian Williams, when he played, was much more effective in covering the tight end and closing on speed backs than Boley was or could hope to be in the future. Martellus Bennett brought a great deal of talent to the position, but his blocking, while adequate, was not nearly as dominant as many had been led to believe prior to his signings, and his occasional drops killed more than a half-dozen drives last season. David Wilson, replacing Bradshaw, should bring a great deal of explosiveness to the offense, something we saw glimpses of last year, his ascent to the starting position could give the giants a dynamic therat they’ve lacked at the running back position since Tiki Barber retired in 2006.

There are several other reasons Giants fans should be optimistic about returning to the top of the NFC East in 2013. First, they should be getting back a healthy Hakeem Nicks and a motivated Jason-Pierre Paul, 2 of the four most important players in their 2011 Super Bowl run (The other two being Victor Cruz and Eli Manning). Several young Giants are also entering the primes of their careers and should start producing at a higher level than we’ve seen in recent years. Those players include the recently re-signed LT Will Beatty (28 years old), starting Cornerback Prince Amukamara (24 years old), the aforementioned WLB Jacquian Williams (25 years old), and starting Defensive Tackle Linval Joseph (24 years old). While we lack the across-the-board star power that the Niners and Seahawks have, we are solid across most positions, and will benefit from a higher-than-usual draft spot which we can use to supplement our roster moving forward.

Besides  are roster, the Giants will also benefit from a much easier schedule than we’ve seen in some time. While the last two years has seen us play the likes of the 49ers, Seahawks, Ravens, Patriots, Packers, Falcons, and Saints in abundance, we are luckier this year with softball non-division games against the Raiders, Chiefs, Chargers, Lions and Panthers. Not to mention that the NFC East is probably weaker than it has been in some time with the Eagles rebuilding, the Redskins and Cowboys cap-strapped and unable to make significant additions to their roster, and with Robert Griffin III unlikely to cause the same headaches in year 2 as he did in year 1.

While the Giants do have holes, there is reason to be hopeful that the G-Men can reclaim their rightful place at the top of the NFC East once again.

Romo has never been comfortable with trusting his running game and it has led to some great fantasy performances, but only because the flawed fantasy scoring that doesn’t subtract more points for turnovers and points against the offense.  Tony has been durable playing 16 games in 6 of his years as a starter.  He has 121 turnovers vs 177 TD’s.

The question always is asked if you had one choice of a Qb to win one game who would it be? Rodgers, Eli, Brady, Peyton……the answer is debatable except for one common thread….it is never Tony Romo.

The Giants will tender Victor Cruz at a first round level today.  This will cost the Giants a little under 3 million, and pretty much guarantee Victor is on the Giants for this season.  The Giants will continue to negotiate a long term deal with Victor.

The Cowboys have released LB Dan Connor and the Redskins have released DeAngelo Hall.

Connor at age 27 had played for the Carolina Panthers for 4 years before moving to the Cowboys.  He recorder 56 tackles last season in 14 games.

DeAngelo Hall is the story of what happen to an aging player in the NFL.  Your salary increases over time, until you just get too expensive to keep around anymore.  At age 29 and a salary of 6 million, the Redskins decided to get younger and cheaper, and use the money somewhere else.

Jenkins was released by the Eagles less than two weeks ago in a cost cutting move, and has signed a 3-year 8 million dollar deal according to Kimberly Jones of NFL Network.  Jenkins was part of the Eagles spending spree in 2011, the first time they guaranteed they would win a Super Bowl, and started all 32 games with 9.5 sacks on a poorly coached defense.

Harrison who has made a name for himself by criticizing the league and the Commissioner for softening the league by insisting players stop targeting their fellow players.  Harrison will not be missed by many when he finally tries to live life in the real world.

The contract extension lowers his average base salary and saves the Patriots $15 million in cap space. His old deal was scheduled to pay him $9.75 million in base salary for each of the next two seasons. This reduction allows the Patriots to go after other free agents this off-season.

Although his base salary has decreased, Brady is now under contract for five seasons with $57 million guaranteed, instead of $30 million guaranteed over two seasons.

Brady’s salary cap charges are now:

2013: $13.8 million

2014: $14.8 million

2015: $13 million

2016: $14 million

2017: $15 million

At age 35, Brady has not skipped a beat. He threw for 4,827 yards, 34 touchdowns and just eight interceptions last season, while taking his team to the AFC Championship game.

Brady is now under contract with New England through the 2017 season, which is after his 40th birthday.  It is safe to say that Tom Brady will be a New England Patriot for life. 

The Eagles with an entirely new coaching staff headed by former Oregon Head Coach Chip Kelly, have decided to keep Michael Vick for at least one more season.  Kelly’s high powered offense at Oregon might not translate completely in the NFL, but parts of it certainly will, and Vick seems to fit the mold of what the Eagles might need at QB, if he can hang onto the ball. Vick has fumbled 32 times in the past three seasons, to go along with his 30 interceptions in the same time frame.  Vick has also been sacked 85 times behind a often injured and poor Offensive Line.

HOME: Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia, Green Bay, Minnesota, Oakland, Seattle, and the Denver Broncos with Peyton Manning.

AWAY: Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, San Diego, and Carolina

Now, again if you follow us on a regular basis, you know we believe it’s not who you play, but when you play them.  There are a lot of teams on this schedule who are in transition.  Four of these teams will have new coaching staffs, and three will have new starting QB’s in Oakland, K.C. and Philly.

All in all it should be a fun year, and don’t forget the ultimate HOME Game will be played in New York next year…Super Bowl 48

The Giants are in the position of win and your in.  So, if they take care of business and beat the Ravens and the Eagles. they will at least be the number 6 seed and become road warriors again in the NFL post-season. In this case you have a few options.  Atlanta is the number one seed and with games against Detroit and Tampa they will most likely stay there, and so the discussion turns towards the second seed.  I would suggest Giants fans root for San Fran to continue winning.  That would put Green Bay in the three spot, meaning the Giants would travel to Lambeau for the first weekend of games.  There is no better match-up it seems for these Giants than the Packers.  Of course the Giants did travel to San Francisco earlier this year and dismantle the 9ers, so there is your choice.

The other option is for the Giants to win the division, and that takes a little more help from some familiar foes.  This is easy, you root against both the Cowboys and the Redskins this week, making it impossible for one of them to win their next two games since they face each other in week 17.  That does force you to root for the Eagles, as they play the Redskins this week, but that is certainly the lesser of two evils.  If either the Redskins or Cowboys are victorious this weekend, then you root against that team in week 17.

As far as the rest of the NFC, here are your times and rooting instructions:

Minnesota at Houston 1 pm Eastern….Take Houston

Chicago at Arizona 4:25 Eastern…Take Arizona

Although the above games are important, they mean nothing if the Giants win out.  Despite the NFL and ESPN listing the Giants as the #9 seed currently and therefore out of the playoffs, this is inaccurate at best.  This assumes the playoffs start today, and I’m pretty sure the commissioner is not canceling the past two weeks of the season, unless the world does end this Friday.  The Giants should be listed as #6 because they can’t be knocked out by any of the teams listed ahead of them if they win both their remaining games, whereas the Bears, Vikings, and Cowboys can.

Dallas plays New Orleans at 1 Eastern and Washington plays the Eagles also at 1…..The Giants will know if they have a chance to win the East when they take the field Sunday….but either way they WIN two and they ar IN.

The New York Giants playoff scenario got a bit murky with their debacle against the Falcons. The good news is that if they win their final two games they are guaranteed a wild card spot: so they control their own destiny in that regard. What they no longer control is the division where they once had a three game lead.

The good news is we all know the Giants play best when their back’s against the wall. Well here they are if they don’t win out there’s a good chance they don’t even make the playoffs. The Redskins play the Cowboys in the final week of the season. If both teams win their week 16 game or the Giants lose to Baltimore then they will be playing each other for the NFC East title.

The Giants only hope of winning the division is if the team that wins the week 17 match-up (between the Redskins and Cowboys) losses in week 16.

There are some scenarios that the Giants can go 1-1 over their final two games and still make the playoffs, but those scenarios will give all of us a headache (and maybe a heart attack).

If you are looking for tickets to the final two games of the season (and hopefully the playoffs) you should check out our friends at TickPick, they are the only ticket site with no fees. In addition, they even wrote this helpful guide on the new Metlife Stadium seating chart.

The notable changes from last year for the Giants begins on kickoff returns.  Last year these duties were manned by Jerrell Jernigan, and this year by David Wilson.  We all saw how Wilson could be a game wrecker if given the chance.  This obviously didn’t come into play last year as the Giants only received one kickoff, and that to start the game.  Difference two is Martellus Bennett instead of Jake Ballard.  This two fold as Ballard might have been a bit better at blocking, but I think Bennett has more potential as regular weapon.  Ahmad Bradshaw is out for Sundays game and Brandon Jacobs is sitting at home suspended earlier this week by the 49ers.  In step David Wilson, Kregg Lumpkin, and Ryan Torrain.  The Giants rushed for over 200 yards last year in the Wild Card game, this might be the biggest difference.  However the Giants tried to run a lot of screens and wheel routes to Bradshaw and DJ Ware last year, these might be more successful with Wilson and Lumpkin.  One other note of significance is the loss of “The Prince”. Say what you will about Prince Amukamara, but he is certainly willing to play the run and make a big hit.  Jayron Hosley is not as physical as Prince and the Falcons might try to run at him this week.

One of the most significant factors in last years win was the controlling of TE Tony Gonzalez.  Gonzalez was held to two catches in the entire first half and was consistently unable to block JPP on running plays.  The Giants employed many different looks against Tony including stopping him at the line using Tuck and JPP, then covering him with Boley, Williams, and Rolle at different times.  Taking away the easy quick pass to Matt Ryans favorite target certainly added to Ryans uncomfortable feeling that day.  That will be the goal again this week, to make Ryan uncomfortable. You can’t help but notice his “Happy Feet” as the game progresses as the Giants got consistent pressure up the middle and made him move.

The Falcons should have two advantages this week.  One will be home field where they are undefeated this year, and can control the crowd noise that Matt Ryan seemed to struggle with last year.  They also will not be saddled with their coaches proclamation that he would go for it on any 4th and short, just to prove he had not made a mistake earlier in the year.  Some of you will recall the Falcons tried to make a 4th and one against the Saints, in overtime, in their own end of the field, and it cost them a game.  The Falcons had three 4th and shorts against the Giants, and made none.

The Falcons were able to bring heavy pressure last year against Eli for most of the first half.  That of course must change.  The O-line needs to give Eli time, just as the defense has to force Matt Ryan to panic a bit.

Stop the run, run the ball, create turnovers, and score some points….Sounds easy….We will see just how easy come Sunday afternoon.

Thursday Night: Cincinnati Bengals (7-6) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (4-9)

The Eagles have suddenly decided they might want to finish the Andy Reid era with a little heart, and youth.  They fought till the final play of the game last week and defeated the Tampa Bay Bucs who desperately needed the win to stay in the playoff hunt.  This week they host the Bengals who also need to win here before facing division foes Baltimore and Pittsburgh the following two weeks.

Green Bay Packers (9-4) at Chicago Bears (8-5)

The Packers, since losing to the Giants, have not quite returned to form.  They beat Detroit last week without Aaron Rodgers throwing a TD pass.  This is the last stand for the Bears and their division title hopes.  A win here puts them in first as they beat the Packers earlier this season.

Indianapolis Colts (9-4) at Houston Texans (11-2)

The Texans come off their embarrassing loss to the Patriots on Monday night and return home to find a familiar foe, without the usual players.  The Texans have been trying to for years to overcome the Peyton Manning led Colts, only to have Andrew Luck walk in and pick-up where he left off.  These two teams will meet twice in the next three weeks.

Denver Broncos (10-3) at Baltimore Ravens (9-4)

The Broncos have won the West and now look for a chance at the number two seed and all that comes with that spot.  Baltimore, after stumbling against the Redskins last week are now trying to secure their own division title.  They will face the Giants next week before finishing with division rival Cincinnati.

Washington Redskins (7-6) at Cleveland Browns (5-8)

The Redskins might be without the services of rookie QB sensation Robert Griffin.  This, and the next two games, is a must win for any chance to make the playoffs.  Cleveland, despite their record is a tough home team, and has played better recently.

Minnesota Vikings (7-6) at St. Louis Rams (6-6-1)

This probably is the last meaningful game for one of these teams, or maybe both depending on the outcomes of other games played on Sunday.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7) at New Orleans Saints (5-8)

We all know the Saints are a different team at home than they are on the road, and that speaks to their poor leadership.  Tampa has basically fallen apart the past few weeks.  Can they muster up a run starting here?  I doubt it.

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) at Dallas Cowboys (7-6)

These teams are in similar situations, except Pittsburgh has a few more avenues into the playoffs than the Cowboys.  This is another must win for Dallas who faces New Orleans next week before finishing with the Redskins.  The Jets fans will be rooting hard for the Cowboys this weekend, where, as always, Giants fans will be pulling for a Cowboys loss.

San Francisco (9-3-1) at New England Patriots (10-3)

The 49ers travel to Foxboro in December and need to win this game to secure a clear shot at a division title.  The Seahawks (8-5) are right on their tail. The Seahawks play Buffalo this week and then the two face each other next week.  The Patriots want home field advantage and they hate to lose at home no matter what month it is.

New York Giants (8-5) at Atlanta Falcons (11-2)

The Giants showed who they could be on Sunday vs the Saints, and now go on the road to face a team they embarrassed in the playoffs last season.  The Falcons can gain home field advantage with a little help from others if they win this weekend.  The Giants want to maintain their one game lead in the NFC East, and show their late season winning ways.  This should be a great match-up.

Ten Games to watch, and a few more that have a minor role in who will make this year Post Season Tournament.  The NFL and T.V. Execs everywhere are all smiles as it just happens to coincide with the week that college football takes a few weeks off.

The 49ers said Monday, about two hours after coach Jim Harbaugh’s news conference, that Jacobs had been disciplined.

Brandon Jacobs has seen limited playing time with the 49ers and has taken to various social media websites to show just how frustrated he has become with the 49ers—he has gone as far to post pictures of his days with the Giants.

“I am on this team rotting away so why would I wanna put any pics up of anything that say niners,” Jacobs said on Instagram after posting pictures of himself from his days with the New York Giants. “This is by far the worst year I ever had, I’ll tell you like I told plenty others.”

This is a developing story and make sure you follow GMenhq and twitter @tom_brant for all of the latest update.