AFC

1. Denver Broncos (10-3): This team has figure out how to play like the old Indianapolis Colts.  Get a lead, pound the ball, and rush the passer.

2. New England (10-3): Anyone doubt they can make a run again?  This team just doesn’t lose in December.

3. Houston (11-2): Just like the Falcons, too much success early is not always a good thing.  The pressure is back on to show the league they are ready to take the next step.

4. Indianapolis (9-4): This team shows it’s fight and determination every week, and they have the QB that keeps them in every game.  They now are starting to believe they can win every game.

5. Baltimore (9-4): I have no problem making a coaching change at this point, but I think the replacement is untested and over rated.

6. Pittsburgh (7-6): Bad loss to the Chargers at home, now must face a hungry, although beat up, Dallas team.  They need to right the ship quickly.

7. Cincinnati (7-6):  Terrible loss to Cowboys, especially with Philly on a short week followed by their two main rivals Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

NFC

The NFC is now officially wide open….

1. San Francisco (9-3-1): The Niners seem to be getting back on stride, but still don’t like the QB drama.  Big trip to Seattle on the horizon.

2. Green Bay (9-4): Showing what having a winning team is all about.  Still think they will struggle in the playoffs without a good O-Line.

3. Seattle (8-5): Good defense, good running game, and a pretty good QB.  Let’s see if they make everyone believers vs SF.

4. Atlanta (11-2): Coaching and playing in a dome can de-rail this team.  Still need to show some toughness.

5. New York Giants (8-5): This is the team that showed everyone else how to finish a season.  Two tough road games ahead, but they aren’t known as the road warriors for nothing.

This is where it really gets interesting….

Chicago, Dallas, Washington, Minnesota, St. Louis, and Tampa

Chicago has one last chance to make a stand this week vs Green Bay, but Cutler is not 100%.

Dallas pulled off a big win, and now faces Pittsburgh, but Dez Bryant might be gone for the season.

Washington continues to show fight and win big games, but can Robert Griffin finish the season healthy?

St. Louis won a close one in Buffalo to stay alive and they now face Minnesota and Tampa who they must beat to have any chance.

Minnesota and Tampa continue to lose games at the most critical time, neither one can afford another defeat.

This weeks games feature:

Giants vs. Falcons

Redskins vs. Browns

Cowboys vs. Steelers

Colts vs Texans

Broncos vs Ravens

Vikings vs Rams

Buccaneers vs Saints

Packers vs Bears

49ers vs Patriots

And you wonder why the NFL is so popular. Somewhere the schedule maker is smiling one huge smile!

At the start of the game, Phillip Rivers looked sharp. In the first half, he threw for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns to tight end Antonio Gates.

Peyton Manning, on the other hand, had a rough start to the game. He didn’t throw any touchdowns in the first half and was picked for six by cornerback Quentin Jammer.

The Broncos were down 24-0 at the end of the second half. What looked like an easy win for the Chargers turned into the greatest comeback in Monday Night Football history.

In the second half, Manning completely went off.  He went 13-14 with 167 yard and 3 touchdowns. He had much help from his defense who held the Chargers to 0 points and 5 turnovers in the second half.

Rivers was the complete opposite of Manning in the second half. He went 14-24 with 111 yards and no touchdowns. He fumbled the ball twice and one was even returned for a touchdown. On top of that, he threw 3 interceptions including one that was picked for six with two minutes to go that helped the Broncos seal the deal and complete the comeback.

Peyton and the Broncos completed the 2^nd largest halftime comeback in the Super Bowl era. They are the 4^th team to overcome a 24+ point deficit at half. The Broncos are the first team in NFL history to win by double digits after trailing by at least 24 points.

Eli Manning must be proud of his big brother’s performance last night. Meanwhile, Phillip Rivers is proving to the world that he is the AFC’s version of Tony Romo.

Carter stated, “I’m guilty of [placing bounties] – I mean, first time I’ve ever admitted it – but I put a bounty on guys before.” “I put bounties on guys. If a guy tries to take me out, a guy takes a cheap shot on me? I put a bounty on him right now!”

The NFL recently placed heavy penalties on numerous New Orleans management, coaches, and players when NFL Roger Goodell Commissioner found the team guilty of using a bounty program to injure opposing players.

Wednesday morning Carter appeared on ESPN SportsCenter to clarify his statement. He emphasized there was no intent to injure opponents and protection was the only intent. He stated, “The difference is people going out of their way to hurt a player. Hitting a spot that we as players know is off limits, like his knees. You’re not telling them to go out and get someone, you’re telling them to protect you, run down the field to protect their skill guys.”

Carter added, “Bill Romanowski – he told me he was going to take me out before the game, warm-ups. No problem. [He said,] ‘I’m gonna end your career, Carter.’ No problem. “I put a little change on his head before the game. Protect myself. Protect my family. That’s the league that I grew up in.”

Bill Romanowski is a Pro Bowl linebacker who was with the Denver Broncos at the time.

When asked if Carter was the only player to create bounties, he replied, “Hell, no. Listen, on the football field, you only got certain protection, and your teammates are part of that protection. It’s built in, and if I’m playing a certain position where I can’t protect myself – how can the quarterback protect himself? But for his teammates to stand up and do something, there are certain positions you can’t protect yourself.”

“But you have to realize the league we grew up in, the bounty was based on protection, or a big hit, excitement, or for helping your team win. It wasn’t to maim or hurt the dude,” said Carter, who retired from the NFL following the 2002 season.”

The big question here is this: The subject of bounties in the NFL is very toxic right now, so why would a player want to associate himself with the practice of offering bounties? It seems the best course of action would be to keep your trap shut. Carter is on television every Sunday and on various ESPN broadcasts several times a week throughout the NFL pre-season, regular season, and playoffs. Is he really wanting for attention in the off season so badly that he’ll talk about anything to get in the news? This was a really poor decision by Cris Carter, especially when there are Hall of Fame votes at risk.

Cris Carter has been a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist for the past five years. It will be interesting to see if these statements affect the Hall of Fame voting. For many years has been a great ambassador of the sport of American Football by displaying outstanding character and expert analysis. It would be a shame to see his reputation tarnished.

How do you believe this will affect Carter’s ability to enter the Hall of Fame? Should have kept quiet about offering bounties?

Nov 8, 2009; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (left) and San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers talk prior to game at Giants Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

Take a look at this brief off-season quarterback carousel just so that you can understand where I’m coming from:

• The Indianapolis Colts cut Peyton Manning so they can draft Andrew Luck.
• Peyton Manning signs with the Denver Broncos after putting the NFL on a three year waiting list. Wait, what? It wasn’t three years? Sure seemed like it.
• The St. Louis Rams got a fortune in return from the Washington Redskins so they can take RG3 right after the Colts select Luck.
• Matt Flynn signs with the Seattle Seahawks after being Aaron Rodgers’ backup.
• Jason Campbell leaves Oakland after having his starting job taken away and signs with the Chicago Bears to become Jay Cutler’s backup.
• Kyle Orton does the same thing and goes to backup Tony Romo in Dallas after starting for two teams last year: the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos.
• Denver Broncos’ third string QB Brady Quinn moves to Kansas City to become that team’s newest backup QB.
• Chad Henne left the Dolphins to challenge for the starting QB job with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
• The New York Jets brought in Drew Stanton to be Mark Sanchez’s new body double.
• David Garrard comes back to the league after a one year absence to join the Miami Dolphins.

We have backups becoming starters, starters becoming backups, rookies being drafted presumably to start from day, guys out of the league for a year and one of the greatest QBs to ever play in the NFL cut for a player to have never played a down of professional football before. Confused yet? That’s because it is confusing to keep track of which quarterback is on which team now in the new quarterback driven NFL.

With the signing of Manning to the Broncos there is now another starting quarterback that could be had for the right price: Tim Tebow for a 5th round pick, presumably. The two teams with a most glaring need at a QB, if the 49ers don’t bring back Alex Smith, that is, are the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins. You have to include Miami because a Matt Moore/David Garrard combo doesn’t scare anyone.

The Browns were never in the hunt for Manning but aren’t enamored with incumbent QB Colt McCoy and lost out on the RG3 sweepstakes. The Dolphins went all in on Manning but came back empty handed; then their second choice Flynn spurned them for the Seahawks. That leaves the potential of either one of those two teams signing Alex Smith, he of the 49ers, who has no idea of his job status thanks to the Peyton Derby, and the aforementioned Tebow.

Plus there are other potential first round quarterbacks besides Luck and RG3 that could be taken by the Browns or Dolphins like Ryan Tannehill or Brandon Weeden, both of whom, if you ask me aren’t worthy of being selected in the top ten of the draft but might be taken that early because the Dolphins (picking 8^th overall) and the Browns (picking 4^th overall) won’t have any choice other than dangling a future first round draft pick in order to trade back into the latter part of the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft.

By my calculations we might have a total of 11 teams with a new starting QB/quarterback question marks entering next season:

-Redskins – RG3, Vikings – Ponder/Webb?, Jaguars – Gabbert/Henne? Or maybe even Tebow?, San Fran – Smith/Kaepernick/Josh Johnson?, Arizona – Kolb/Skelton? Cleveland – McCoy?, Seattle – Flynn/T-Jax? Titans – Locker/Hasselbeck?, Indy – Luck, Miami – Moore/Garrard? and Denver – Peyton Manning.

11! That is a ridiculous amount of turnover at the most important position in football.

Now you can see why I’m pretty happy that the Giants have Eli Manning and we didn’t have to put up with the Peyton circus and the revolving game of quarterback musical chairs that teams like the Redskins and Dolphins plus players like Tebow and Smith have had to put up with this offseason. Heck, the Giants are even keeping their back-up QB David Carr.

No one is sure where he may land; however, below I have listed the five NFL teams that his name has been associated with the most. Of course, these are all rumors but it is a starting point for us. The teams are not listed in any certain order My assumption is that Manning will be signing with a new team BEFORE the NFL draft:

• Miami Dolphins
• Washington Redskins
• San Francisco 49ers
• Seattle Seahawks
• Denver Broncos

Game Time: 8:00 pm EST/ 6:00pm MST

Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA

TV: CBS National Telecasts (ALL  CBS Affiliates)

Announcers:  Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, and Leslie Visser

Radio: WEEI 93.7fm/850am (Patriots Radio) and 850KOA (Broncos Radio)

Game Time Weather: Finally! A cold weather game!

Kick Off: 23* Winds at 17 mph from WNW

Half-Time: 21* Winds at 15  mph from WNW

4th Quarter: 18* Winds at 13  mph from WNW

Current Line: Patriots by 14 with Over/Under at 50.5

Hopefully the players mentioned below will be available in your league to help you out for this week, and possibly beyond…

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If you’re like me and kicking yourself for not picking up Kevin Smith last week, who went on to score 3 touchdowns, then take a look at the following players who should be available in your league to help you out for the playoffs

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We have landed at the halfway point of the 2011 season. Every team in the NFL have played out their first 8 games. Only two teams have played into the second half of a 16 game schedule, the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts. The second half is upon us and the playoff brackets are beginning to take shape.

The NFC East has always been a competitive division, in and of itself and outside of the conference/division. The first impressions that many had of the NFC East have been blown out of the water. Regardless of record, any team in this conference is capable, at any time, of making the opposition sorry for mistaking a losing record for terminal weakness. We’ve got the grades and projections for the remainder of the season right here. Welcome to the NFC EAST Midseason Report Card! Check it out!
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Last week the Twitterverse was humming with nonsensical needling. This is, of course, a result of too much idle time on the Philadelphia Eagles’ hands. Perhaps that is not entirely accurate. There always seems to be a slow and steady leak emanating from the gaping hole in the Philadelphia face. Of course, this hole is only wide enough to talk trash when the Eagles have had a moderately successful season. All other times, it is wrapped up tight.

Most of the talk has been coming from the Seans during the offseason. LeSean McCoy is the current culprit. All of the other Philly Seans keep their mouths well greased though – DeSean, BeSean, Fe-Fi-FoSean…all of them. While most professional football players are focusing on working out a deal to end the lockout or getting their bodies into game shape, the Eagles are focusing their sights on the New York Giants, Osi Umenyiora in particular.
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