NFL Midseason Report: The crowded push towards the playoffs

LOST is one of my favorite TV shows of all time. I obsessed over it for years, plowing through hundreds of thousands of articles and theories. I spent hours discussing it with my friends, and even bought a few T-Shirts.

Sound familiar?

It sounds a whole lot like the life of a die hard sports fan to me. Besides for the actual games, we spend hours watching ESPN, we read every article on our favorite website by our favorite writer, and we waste an inordinate amount of time discussing/arguing with our friends about it. By buying jerseys and season tickets, we have turned sports from "entertainment" into a business (How many times have you heard a player get traded or not get the contract he wants and say, "Hey, it's just a business.").

Anyway, the point of this whole parallel isn't only the similarity of fans of LOST and fans of sports. This NFL season is a lot like LOST in another way: unpredictability. You think you know what is going to happen next? Well, sorry, the Island just disappeared. You think you know who the best team is? Yea? It's the Patriots, they are 6-1, good for best in the NFL! Nope! They just got smoked by the Cleveland Browns! Peyton Hillis, a former 3rd string fullback (is that even a position!?), gashed a defense that had just finished limiting two of the best running backs in the game in Ray Rice and Adrien Peterson.

I was watching some ESPN Thursday night, and in a four minute span, I saw three so called "experts" pick THREE different teams as the number one team in the league right now. One picked the Giants, one the Ravens, and another the Steelers. At this point, making a pick is just silly, because chances are, that team is going to get knocked off in its next game. With that said, I am going to try and take some of the top teams and compare them to some of my favorite characters of my favorite show:

Jack Shepard (Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers):

They are the veteran leaders. They have been there, done that, and despite some bumps in the road, are probably the best bet to be the last man (team) standing. Like Jack, Roethlisberger has had some troubles dealing with success off the field/Island. (From Wikipedia: Off the field, Roethlisberger has been involved in high-profile incidents, including a nearly fatal motorcycle accident in 2006 and sexual assault allegations in Lake Tahoe in 2008 and in Milledgville, Georgia in 2010. Neither allegation resulted in charges being filed. However, the latter act resulted in Roethlisberger being suspended for six games (reduced to four) under the NFL's personal conduct policy for the start of the 2010 season------from Lostpedia: Off-island, Jack laid his father to rest and proposed to Kate, but visits from John Locke and his father's ghost sent him toward depression and substance abuse. Jack began drinking regularly. Jack succumbed to depression and substance abuse, and his hospital suspended him. He began flying across the Pacific every weekend hoping it would crash, returning him to the island or killing him. When he heard Locke had killed himself, Jack tried calling Kate then almost leaped off an L.A. bridge, distracting a driver he then had to save from the ensuing crash. A doctor refused to let him operate on the passenger he'd saved, and when a pharmacist denied him painkillers, even when he forged a prescription from his father, the same doctor caught him trying to steal drugs.) Truly an uncanny comparison.

John Locke (Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots):

Started off as a likeable character, sort of an underdog, and slowly but surely morphed into a killer black smoke monster. Belichick is surely a Man of Science. He believes that the individual doesn't matter- just play your role. If you work as a cohesive unit, you will be successful. This season, Belichick has eliminated the locker room cancers (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=adande_ja&page=cancers-101103) alright, fine Adande, you win. Belichick has eliminated all the egos in the locker room (that works) like Randy Moss, Laurence Maroney and Adalius Thomas. With Moss especially, Belichick moved with the swiftness of the black smoke's attack on Eko in season 3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXHfHZZMxYw). That will teach all future Patriots: do not mess with Belichick's team chemistry- he will get you.

James "Sawyer" Ford (Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens):

Like Ford, the Ravens are considered a main character, but they are not quite on the same level as Jack or Locke. Also like Ford, Ray Lewis is a bad, bad man (who has no problem killing someone- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRmK-1wDUig- OK, that was a low blow. Still, he killed a man- http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/sports_issues/40799 - by the way, "Ray Lewis murder" had 1.84 million results on Google. Not a good sign.)

Jacob (Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders):

The only similarities here are that both Jacob and Al have been alive for centuries and at this point no one really knows if they are dead or not.

Walt Lloyd (Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPH7y0AtT6I
Nuff' said. (Too soon?)

Richard Alpert (Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings):
For those who don't know, Richard's character never aged. His appearance barely changed throughout the course of the show- which spanned about 200 years.



OK. Enough LOST. Plus, half of that probably didn't make sense.

On to the picks!

Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears

Vikings should win. The Bears are somehow 5-3. You do the math.

Vikings 27 Bears 23

NY Jets @ Cleveland Browns

I would do ANYTHING for the Browns to win this game. We saw what they could do last week, and I really hate the Jets. If the Browns can shut down Tom Brady, they can sure as hell shut down Mark Sanchez. Let's see if they can score enough to win- this is my upset of the week.

Cleveland 17 Jets 16

Cincinnati Bengals @ Indianapolis Colts

Easy. Colts ALL DAY.

Indy 30 Cinci 20

Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Tough game to call, because both teams run so hot and cold. But if there is anything we have learned in the past few years, it is that Houston always sucks you back into their trap after a couple of horrible losses. They are due for a win that makes everyone go "let me tell you something, those Houston Texans are going to be very good when they put everything together" (Let me save you the trouble. They won't.)

Houston 33 Jacksonville 24

Tennessee Titans @ Miami Dolphins

Overrated Titans (because of Moss), underrated Dolphins (people are overlooking Chad Pennington. I think.) I smell upset.

Dolphins 23 Titans 20

Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Panthers are SO bad. Also, Bucs need a bounce back after their heart breaker last week. They are gonna win big.

Bucs 34 Panthers 13

Detroit Lions @ Buffalo Bills

A surprisingly watcheable game. Ryan Fitzpatrick to Steve Johnson has been a great hookup the last few weeks, and the Lions really came to play last week against a big time opponent. This might be one of the more exciting games this weekend. Too bad about Stafford, he looked fantastic the last couple of weeks. (Did I write "last" enough times that paragraph?)

Bills 26 Lions 23

Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos

The Broncos were underrated until they let up 60 points to the Raiders. The Chiefs remain underrated. Dwayne Bowe has got to stop dropping TD passes.

Chiefs 27 Broncos 21

Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals

This is the type of game god makes so that people who try to predict games look like idiots. No idea what's going to happen. Possible Armageddon.

Cards 34 Hawks 24

NY Giants @ Dallas Cowboys

I've been saying it for weeks: this Giants team is VERY similar to their 2007 championship squad. Except now, Eli Manning is a good quarterback, and he has some unbelievable weapons in Ahmad Bradshaw, Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith. They are going to be extremely tough to beat come playoff time.

Giants 41 Cowboys 17

St. Louis Rams @ San Francisco 49ers

Singletary is done after this year. It will be fun to see Troy Smith at the helm, he was a fun player to watch back at THE Ohio State University.

Rams 27 49ers 17

New England Patriots @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Brady is 5-1 against Pittsburgh, and the Steelers lost their LT and may be without James Harrison. And I'm a Patriots fan.

Pats 27 Steelers 24

Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins

When your quarterback doesn't know the 2 minute offense AND has problems staying in shape, you are probably going to lose. The Eagles are definitely for real, that was a huge win against Indy last week. Mike Vick for MVP!!!

Eagles 30 Redskins 20

The "Trap Game" that was bound to happen, and thank god for the Celtics

This isn't the end of the world.

The Patriots lost the trap game of all trap games to the Cleveland Browns. I do not intend to take away anything from the Browns. They outplayed, out-coached and out-tricked us on Sunday. They deserved to win.

But eventually, all the Patriots "luck" was going to run out. Despite their 6-1 record (at the time) I don't think anyone, die-hard Pats fans included, thought that the Patriots were the best team (talent-wise) in the NFL. They were the best team though. They had no superduperstars aside from Tom Brady and Vince Wilfork, who, despite immense talents, were also the emotional leaders of the offense and defense. They took on their roles as team leaders, and they made no excuses (Much like the rest of the team, who followed their lead). Our running backs were completely unknown (the LawFirm, and Woody Woodchuck), we had a bunch of scrappy, hard working receivers, and a very, very young defense. Our offense scored by taking what the defense gave it (and a little help from Tom Brady's golden arm), and the defense took what the offense gave them, namely, the ball (especially against the Chargers and Vikings). We scraped out victories, and won games that we probably should have lost (Baltimore, anyone?).

Finally, all of that came to an end. It was bound to happen. The Patriots botched a kick return (Gronkowski called for a fair catch, and then proceeded to move out of the way. What the F&*@?), fumbled on the goal line (Gronkowski, What the F&*@?) and got completely outsmarted on a bunch of beautifully executed trick plays (SICK fumble ruschi-type play by Josh Cribbs and Chansi Stuckey. That was one slick maneuver.)

Coming off of an emotional victory against Randy Moss and the Vikings, and looking ahead to the showdown next weekend at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, this game had trap game written all over it. Mike Reiss reported that Belichick showed the New Orleans-Cleveland game a few times to the players (the Browns stunned the Saints 30-17 two weeks ago), cautioning them from taking the Browns too lightly. Maybe he should have pulled a Bill Parcells move and placed mice traps all over the locker room. Either way, the Patriots lost to an inferior team. It happens.

I hate Eric Mangini.

Some observations from the Browns beat down:
-----1) This is obvious to anyone who watched yesterday's game. Peyton Hillis is damn good. He looked like a mixture of Mike Alstott and Ray Rice. He is fast, he has good hands, and he is powerful beyond all belief. He also has great field vision (go watch his 3rd and 12 run towards the end of the fourth quarter which effectively ended the game. Great cutback) and athleticism (how about that leap over a Patriot defender on their first drive!?).



-----2)What the hell happened to the Patriots run defense? Against the Ravens, we completely shut down Ray Rice, limiting him to 3 yards a carry, and an 8 yard game long. Last week, Peterson started off hot, gashing the defense in the first half, but was slowed in the second half, and stood up on a couple of very important 3rd/4th and 1 yard tries. Maybe, besides Hillis being very good, the Browns offensive line is underrated. They sure seemed to be knocking guys in the mouth. On Colt McCoy's TD run, I saw about three guys who got absolutely walloped in pursuit of the Cleveland quarterback. Jerod, Brandon and Vince are going to have to step it up if the Pats want a chance against the Steelers next week.
-----3) Tom Brady looked terrible. His numbers weren't terrible, but that's why they say "numbers don't tell the whole story." He made a bunch of very low throws, and didn't seem to be on the same page as his receivers a bunch of times (may not be Brady's fault, but still). Again, he is going to need to be sharp if the Pats want to compete with Pitt next week.
-----4) Colt McCoy is the real deal. The Browns have been struggling for years to find a franchise quarterback. Derek Anderson had one good year with Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow, but he completely fell off the wagon. McCoy looks to be exactly what they were looking for. He has a strong arm, looks very poised under center, and has an uncanny ability to turn a broken play into a big play. He also doesn't shy from the spotlight, beating the Pats and Saints in two of his first three games as a pro (he also played pretty well against Pitt). After the Pittsburgh game, I said to keep an eye on him- now, he's got our full attention.
-----5) As much as I hate to say it, Mangini (and to a lesser extent- Josh McDaniels) own Belichick. They both have beaten Belichick's Patriots without nearly as much talent, solely by outsmarting their former mentor.
-----6) Aaron Hernandez broke the barrier. After leading the team in catches and yards, Hernandez was still taken lightly in the red zone, despite his size, because he had yet to catch a TD pass. Yesterday, he got his first two. Yea, the first one was a fluke. Who cares. It was still a great catch, which displayed both his great hands, instincts and length. The second one was more of a nicely executed play, with an easy throw and catch. Still, maybe this will open the flood gates. He is 6'4 and has baller ups, time to get him the ball in the endzone.
-----7) I really, really, really hope that Stephen Gostkowski is OK. We NEED him next week. If we have Wes Welker kicking field goals in the Heinz Field whirlwind, we will be in trouble (Mike Reiss did report that the Pats are looking at Shayne Graham- who used to be a pretty decent kicker).
-----8) Where is Patrick Chung!? After huge games against Miami (blocked punt, blocked field goal, interception return for TD) and Baltimore (13 tackles), Chung disappeared. We are being told it is a knee injury, and that he is day to day. I can't imagine he wouldn't have been helpful against Hillis this week, and we definitely will need him against Pitt next week.

For all the talk about how horrible the Pats looked, and how far they've fallen, if they can win next week in Pittsburgh (I believe Brady is 5-1 lifetime against Pitt) all will be forgiven. I think they'll do it.

Let's move on to one of the most frustrating games I have ever watched, Lions-Jets. Before I tell you how ridiculous it is that the Jets won this game, let me say this: they took advantage of the opportunities that were given (operative word being "given") to them by a weaker opponent, and won the game. They WON the game. It wasn't fluky or lucky. Good teams win games like this all the time. But let's look at the facts:
The Jets were aided by the loss of two extremely key players to in-game injuries. The first, kicker Jason Hanson, may have been worse than the loss of quarterback Mathew Stafford. If Hanson doesn't get injured, the Jets have to get to 21, not 20, and who knows if they get that 2 point conversion. [Quick Rant: Why in the hell is Ndamukong Suh kicking the extra point! (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Video-Lions-300-pound-rookie-Suh-attempts-ex;_ylt=AoMMgqchiPCFhiKjFt47LLk5nYcB?urn=nfl-283140)
I mean seriously!!! He is 300 pounds! I understand, you lose your kicker, you are going to have a random replacement. The Patriots, for example, lost their kicker. The replacement? Versatile receiver Wes Welker who played about 25 different positions on Texas Tech. For the Lions? It was their 23 year old DEFENSIVE TACKLE! HOW IS HE THE BEST REPLACEMENT! Your telling me that your 300 pound defensive tackle has a better chance at hitting an extra point than your punter! Really? How about someone a little more athletically suited (re: looks like a soccer player) like Calvin Johnson or Jahvid Best! Don't get me wrong, Suh is an athletic freak. But sending him out there for the extra point was one of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen in a football game. I literally checked twelve different websites to make sure that I was reading it right: "Suh missed XP"]
Secondly, if Stafford doesn't go down, maybe the Lions put together a couple of positive yardage plays at the end of the fourth and get the first down they need to seal the game. What was especially dumb was that third and six with Drew Stanton behind center. [Quick Rant #2: Why the HELL is Drew Stanton throwing there?! I don't think the Jets had any timeouts, and it was coming out of the two minute warning. And if you DO throw, don't you design a play during the timeout that is a guaranteed catch so the clock keeps moving- like a quick screen? Why would you do a play where a former third baseman runs around like a headless chicken and then whips it at his running back's feet? Why not just take the loss of 7 yards and the sack? At least it would keep the time moving!? Instead, the idiot makes a terrible throw, the time stops, and the Jets hit a field goal as time expires to bring it to overtime. I hate the NFL.]

I guess that's why the Lions are the Lions, and the Jets are sitting atop the AFC East standings (Hold on while I give myself a paper cut). The Lions couldn't have tried any harder to give away that lead.

A few other thoughts from around the NFL:
-----1) The Bucs were soooo close. They had a 4th and 1 at the 2 yard line, down by 6, and LaGarette Blount was stuffed. Great play by the Atlanta defense, especially Thomas Decoud: http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2010110706/2010/REG9/buccaneers@falcons#tab:watch
The Bucs are still contenders in a weak NFC, but after this tough loss, they are probably still a year away from being legitimate Super Bowl contenders. The future is bright.
-----2) Jacoby Ford fever!!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgz2QqOd2vs) This kid was absolutely unbelievable yesterday. The rookie erupted for 306 all purpose yards, with a few beautiful, clutch receptions and a gorgeous, explosive 94 yard kick return for a TD. The Raiders have really found their rhythm, and are gearing up for a potential playoff run (Wow. I can't believe I actually just wrote that. I am slightly shocked.)
-----3) I refuse to write about Brett Favre, but the Minnesota Vikings may have finally got the break they needed. After a few heart breakers at the hands of the Jets, Packers and Patriots, the Vikings were finally able to complete a comeback. They have great skill players on offense and defense, and if they can get hot, they are a team to watch in the NFC. Also, they get Favre's favorite target, Sidney Rice, back in the next couple of games (Hip Injury).
-----4) That Indy-Eagles game was just wild. Mike Vick, your current NFL leader in QB rating (again, hell has frozen over and the fat lady has sung), looked very good against a fast Indy defensive front. We saw the New Vick- on his absolute cannon to the concussed DeSean Jackson- and the Old Vick- on his vintage 32 yard run in the end of the third quarter which set up his one yard TD lunge. The Eagles and the Giants (after their 41-7 romp against poor Charlie Whitehurst) are the class of the NFC, and will probably see each other in the NFC championship game (side note: I don't think the Falcons are in the same class as these teams, they are too poor on the road to be a real Super Bowl contender. The Eagles and Giants are both proven winners, and I think that will show through come playoff time.)
-----5) Dallas. UGH. That was U-G-L-Y. Finally, Jerry Jones fired Wade Phillips, so there is a bright spot on this dark, dark season. I can't even imagine what is going to happen to the Cowboys' roster this offseason. I feel like it is going to spontaneously combust.
-----6) Here comes San Diego! I've been warning you about this for weeks, and the time has arrived. San Diego has turned the corner, and finally have their bye to get healthy. With V-Jax coming back for the stretch run, San Diego is going to be dangerous in the playoffs. Also, Phillip Rivers has been absolutely unstoppable this season. His most recent accomplishment: making Seyi Ajirotutu relevant for a week.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


First things first. Mea Culpa on the Semih Erden comments. I don't take back everything I said though- he still seems to be lost on offense, and definitely has trouble communicating (language barrier alert) with his teammates. But, because of his ability to pick and roll, and hit free throws, he seems to be a decent option off the bench. He definitely needs to cut down on the fouls, but he has had a few big baskets the last couple of games (especially that "and-1" against the Thunder).

I, thanks to modern technology, have been able to watch the Celtics last four games (Bucks, Bulls, Thunder, Mavs). Here's a quick review of some trends and observations I've made:

-----1) The Celtics defense is the best it has ever been. Even better than 2008. Rondo and KG get their hands on a ball almost every single possession. They are everywhere. When Delonte gets back, and we get Nate-Dogg (who has played like garbage) out of the rotation, we are going to be almost impenetrable (Not to mention the eventual return of the second best defensive center in the league, Kendrick Perkins).
-----2) Marquis Daniels is back. After an awful, injury riddled first season, Quis' is back to doing what he does best- slashing to the hoop, and playing tough defense. He has looked especially good in the second quarter, helping give PP and/or Ray extended minutes on the bench to rest for the second half.
-----3) KG has got a hop in his step. Despite some early shooting woes, KG has looked every bit as good as he did in 2008. His rebounding numbers are way up (he had a terrific 18 and 15 tonight) and he and Rondo seem to connect on an alley oop almost every single half. Once the big men start getting healthy, KG will probably start resting up for the playoffs though, so don't expect his averages (min-35, rpg-10) to be this high all season.
-----4) Big Baby is a BEAST. Glenneth has done everything he can this season to turn the Celtics bench into a formidable unit. He has improved his jump shot tremendously- he now hits 18 footers with ease, and his shooting overall has been fantastic (60 percent from the field, 90 from the free throw line). The most astounding part of his "new" game though has definitely been his ability to take charges. He is averaging two a game. In the last 5 years of recorded charge-taking, the highest season total is 57! Baby is on pace for 160! It is ridiculous already. It seems like he is one inch out of the restricted area every time. He is absolute hell for opposing guards because he does such a great job of sliding his feet around the paint, he can come from the weakside and meet you head on as you go up. He has NO problems taking a hit (although tonight he went to the locker room at halftime early after taking a shot to his nether regions). Keep it up Big Boy.
-----5) Rajon Rondo outplayed Derrick Rose on Friday night. Again, another story of "numbers don't tell the whole story." Well actually, here they do.
[Taken from Boston Celtics Blog on ESPNBoston.com:
"But a glance at the plus/minus is your first hint of Rondo's dominance. Boston's point guard finished a team-best plus-14, while Rose was a minus-8. The folks at ESPN Stats and Information crunched the numbers even further and found that, when the two guards shared the floor, Boston held a whopping 21-point edge."]
-----6) The Celtics are having trouble finishing games. I do think this is fixable though, especially with the additions of JO, Shaq, Delonte and Perk. They seem to play hot potato when it is a close game with under 2 minutes to play, and that has got to stop. It cost them a game tonight, and it almost cost them the Bucks and Bulls games. We saw how the Celtics can be successful at the end of games with the way they (especially Big Baby) put away the Thunder on Sunday night. But after blowing a 5 point lead with a minute to play tonight, Celtics fans have got to be worried about the C's inability to put away opponents.

Because I'd prefer to end on a good note, here is something to cheer all you Celtics fans up after tonight's demoralizing loss- to Big Baby, "I just felt like a BEAST"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9ITvdAXiCU
and for video confirmation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96T_YroB2UQ&feature=related

Week 9 Picks from the NFL plus some Celtics talk

This coming week, despite a bunch of horrible teams having bye weeks (Denver, San Fran, Jax, Wash) there are only a couple of good games in the NFL's week 9. Let's take a look and make some predictions:

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta
Josh Freeman has really evolved this season, he's turned the Bucs into legitimate contenders in a wide open NFC. LaGarette Blount knows how to punch the defense in the mouth. Literally. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEu3GzNDs74 and for further explanation: http://www.katu.com/sports/local/57183877.html). He has helped open up the offense for Freeman to hit his favorite targets: Spurlock, Williams and Benn. Despite this, Atlanta has been too good at home to pick against them, and Michael Turner has been putting up some big numbers the last couple of weeks.
Atlanta 34 Tampa Bay 27

Chicago @ Buffalo
Buffalo has played two of the leagues best teams very tough the last couple of weeks, and I think they are about to finally get rewarded for their efforts. Chicago's offensive line has been shakier than a Shake Weight (for your viewing pleasure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXHUdvvHTkw), and Jay Cutler has been beaten like a rag doll as a result. The time is now for Ryan Fitzpatrick and co. Now or never.
Buffalo 23 Chicago 22

New England @ Cleveland
No surprise here. I'm a homer. I'm also a realist, and rookie quarterbacks just don't succeed against Bill Belichick coached defenses. Expect a lot of movement from the front 7, and expect turnovers. McCoy has looked good, just don't expect too much of him against a team playing with as much confidence as New England. Look for the Brady Bunch to finally get in a groove offensively against a defense that doesn't boast many playmakers.
New England 31 Cleveland 20

NY Jets @ Detroit
As much as I want to write this up as "upset of the week," I just don't see the Jets playing badly two weeks in a row. Either way, this game will be much more competitive than people expect. Stafford and Calvin clearly have a connection, and Suh has been an absolute terror on defense (remember what Ngata did against the Jets in week one?). If the Lions can stop the run, this game will be very, very close.
Jets 27 Lions 24

New Orleans @ Carolina
After their highly emotional Sunday nighter against Pitt, this might be a trap game, but I don't see NO losing to such an inferior team. Carolina has been atrocious this season (we have their second round pick. Woohoo!), and there is no help on the way. Possible blowout alert.
NO 37 Car 20

Miami @ Baltimore
If Baltimore wasn't coming off a bye, I would pick Miami, but they are. Miami must start turning those red zone chances into touchdowns- their kicker, Dan Carpenter, is on pace for 167 field goals. They are undefeated on the road this season, so you should expect one of the better games of the day.
Baltimore 22 Miami 20

San Diego @ Houston
This is a tough one to predict because both teams are so inconsistent. I am going with San Diego, because I really think this is the week everyone is going to start considering them as legitimate contenders. Houston, on the other hand, is fading. Their secondary is awful, and Phillip Rivers is feelin' it- look for a huge game from him. If San Diego can keep their mental mistakes to a minimum, with V-Jax waiting in the wings, this team is going to be extremely tough come playoff time- if they can get there.
San Diego 41 Houston 34

Arizona @ Minnesota
Arizona is so bad away from home, and Minnesota is due for a win after 3 heart breakers in a row. The loss of Moss isn't going to hurt them too much, not that it is going to matter playing against the invincible duo of Max Hall and Derek Anderson. This game is going to get out of hand quickly.
Minnesota 38 Arizona 13

NY Giants @ Seattle
The Hawks' are tough to beat at Qwest Field, but the Giants defense has been outstanding the past few weeks. This G-Men team is starting to very closely resemble their 2007 squad...gimme a second while I go jump out the window...
(falling)
(still falling)
Well, that wasn't too bad. I only broke both ankles and may possibly have some internal bleeding. Thank god I only live on the fifth floor.
NYG 23 Seattle 10

Indianapolis @ Philadelphia
At this point in the season, it is almost stupid to bet against Peyton Manning. Let's look at three reasons why the Eagles might stand a chance against the best player in the game:
1) Michael Vick's return. The Colts have been one of the worst in the league at stopping the run this season, I can only imagine what Vick is going to do with his legs this game. Not to mention RB Lesean McCoy who has been pretty effective this season.
2) Indy is a completely different team on the road. At home, they are almost unbeatable. Also, Philly fans are insane (trust me on this one). You know what? Screw it, I'm gonna tell you a story:
Me and my brother Noam were sitting about 120 rows up from the goal line at Super Bowl 39. The game was in the 4th quarter, and fans were getting very rowdy. The guy across the aisle from us was an Eagles fan who was probably about 30. Let's say he was on beer number 12, and that is being generous. There is a break in play, and a very upper class looking woman with a fur coat and ridiculously thin heels starts walking down the aisle. She slips and falls. Everyone in the section sort of fell quiet (which, in the 4th quarter of a Super Bowl, is a big deal) as we weren't really sure what happened. The woman face-planted right next to us. She was literally face down in cement after falling a few steps. This 30 year old Eagle fan, after a few brief moments, decides this would be the appropriate time to start a chant. He leans right over her face, and keep in mind- this woman has been laying there motionless, and may or may not even be conscious- and he literally points his finger at the back of her head and screams at the top of his lungs "E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!!!!!!!!" Everyone in the crowd starts going nuts. I was literally shocked. I looked at Noam. His jaw was as dropped as mine was. After a second, we made eye contact and started laughing our asses off. We both realized we would have a great story to share for years to come. I also now realize how insane that guy actually was. For all he knew, she could have been dead. He was literally mocking a potential corpse.
3) Philly might be the best team in the NFC. They were very, very good with Vick running the show, and this might be the game that pushes them into Super Bowl contender status. They may very well jump out to a big lead and not look back in this game- I just don't think the way Manning is playing, that he is going to get beat by any team in the NFC (unless the Eagles are better than we thought which is definitely a possibility).
Indy 30 Philly 27

Kansas City @ Oakland
I think everyone is a little too high on Oakland right now, and just a little bit too low on KC. This game will change that. KC's defense has been very good, and I just don't see Oakland stopping KC's fantastic running game. Also, Oakland can't possibly have a winning record this deep into the season, can it?
KC 26 Oak 20

Dallas @ GB
If I pick Dallas again, shoot me. They are god awful. They might be the most talented, worst team in the history of the NFL. They will not lure me into their trap again. It helps that they are playing a smoking hot Packers team in Green Bay. (Knowing my luck, Dallas will probably win this one)
GB 38 Dallas 17

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati
If not for that awful fumble call in Miami, Pitt would be 1-2 with Big Ben under center. Just sayin'.
Pitt 31 Cin 19

Quick thoughts on Randy Moss:
He's a good fit in Tennessee, but Coach Fisher better hope that Randy doesn't expect Tom Brady type throws coming his way. Building chemistry with the highest rated quarterback in the NFL (that's right, Vince Young has the highest QB rating in the league. In other news, hell has frozen over and the fat lady has sung) is not going to come over night. But as we saw a couple of weeks ago with Kenny Britt, VY has a nice downfield arm and is not afraid to unleash it. People confuse the Titans for a running team because of Chris Johnson. This year, they have beaten opponents through the air. Moss gives VY a reliable, veteran receiver who he can rely on in crunch time, as well as (obviously) a great deep threat. If they get on the same page, the Titans might be able to steal the division from Indy and Houston.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before I start talking about the C's in depth, I just want to say, what a freakin game last night. If you were fortunate enough to watch the Bucks battle the C's on ESPN, you got quite the treat. You saw big time dunks (KG. WOW), big time shots (great fadeaway three by Delfino in OT) and just overall high quality basketball. The game almost seemed lost as the Bucks were draining three's with about 4 minutes left, but then the C's stormed back with a few monstrous "and-ones" from PP and KG (twice). The game certainly seemed over when we led by 6 with a minute left, but Ray Ray's missed FT left the door open for Milwaukee and they took advantage by hitting a lay up that was just a little too easy (seriously, where the hell was the defense?). In overtime, we took the lead with a few beautiful passes from Rondo and KG, and some very suffocating defense. PP iced the game with what seemed like a hundred free throws (quick tangent- I'm sure you all read about how Paul reached 20,000 points. (http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/columns/story?columnist=may_peter&id=5762765) What a career he has had, and he has been a Celtic all those years. As Paul said himself "Celtics for life, fa fa fa for life!!!!" Also, crazy stat, Pierce is the fourth player on the current Celtics roster to hit the 20,000 point mark! Shaq, Ray and KG have all been there, done that). Anyway, big win for the Celtics, who seem to be a little bit too beatable on the second night of a back to back. Luckily for them, they have Rajon Rondo, the Houdini of the Hardwood (ok, not quite yet, but he's getting there!) With that, let's get to the Celtics awards so far:

Team MVP: Rajon Rondo
Words cannot describe how important he is to this team. He makes the whole operation work. He is the ring leader. The way he operates leave fans, opponents and even teammates in awe. I thought his assist numbers would go up this year, but to average 16 a game, even for the first week and a half, is ridiculous. He gets anywhere on the court whenever he wants, and he sets up the outside shooters (PP and Ray), as well as the jump shooters (KG and Baby). He really is so fun to watch, and I appreciate every minute I get to watch such a unique player run the fast break or make steals that look impossible to make.

Most Improved: Kevin Garnett (and Big Baby, but we will get to him later)
You may be asking how an NBA MVP, a thirteen time All-Star, and Defensive Player of the year, could possibly improve. Well, did you watch him last year? He looked like he had a peg leg. At points during the season you just wanted to run out on the court and give the dude a cane (or a walker, your choice). He looked like he was done. But in the back of every Celtics fans' minds, we were thinking (more like praying) "it takes two years to come back from a knee injury. Right? RIGHT? GODDAMNITT WHY IS HE LIMPING UP AND DOWN THE COURT!" But here we are. 22 months later, and he looks almost the same as 2007 KG. We saw glimpses in the playoffs last year. He dominated Antwan Jamison, manhandled Rashard Lewis, and despite being over matched at times by the great Pau Gasol (I call him "the lama," but that's just me), he certainly held his own against the huge Lakers frontcourt. This year he has gotten his timing back, which has especially helped his rebounding totals, and looks better around the glass offensively. The ridiculous dunk in traffic through two guys last night would NEVER have happened last year. With the new and improved KG, the Celtics are well on their way to another Title Run.

Guy Who We All Thought Was Going To Be Amazing Until We Saw Him Play: Semih Erden
He had great numbers in the preseason, and was a relative unknown. This made us all very excited for the "Turkish Twist" (or as Baby calls him, "Semih Automatic"). And then he started playing in games. Can he be good in the future? Sure, at least that is what the coaching staff and his teammates are telling us. But you cannot tell me that this guy is going to get meaningful minutes on a Title contender. He looks completely lost both offensively and defensively. Yes, it was his first couple of games, but besides for practice, he isn't going to get much playing time to correct his problems. On offense he seems to bump into someone every 5 seconds, and doesn't really know the sets. On defense, he is adequate, but once Perk comes back he immediately falls into the "emergency only Sheldon Williams" role for the C's. It's too bad. I was excited to root for #86.

Most Surprising Contributor: Glen "Big Baby" Davis
Maybe not most surprising considering his great play in the Finals, but I don't think anyone expected him to be this consistent (so far, knock on wood). He is the de facto center (because Shaq can only play 20 minutes and JO is always injured + no Perk). He finishes every game with the starters- he can thank Hack-A-Shaq for that. He is hitting jump shots consistently, and is finally figuring out how to finish around the rim without getting blocked a million times. And last, but certainly not least, how about those charges he takes? Man, he is hell for opposing guards. He seems to take a charge every other possession. I believe he already has 9 (and he should have 10, the one that got him his 6th foul last night was malarkey), and he doesn't seem fazed by the big hits. Although, that is not surprising considering he always looks like he's in a daze.



Best Fighters: Delonte West and Von Wafer
Who knew? If you put two psychopaths in a room, they might get into a fight! Even less surprising- they laughed about it the next day! Let's just hope these two don't murder each other (or anyone for that matter), at least until the season ends.

The Celtics look very similar to the 2008 World Champion Celtics. This year, the road is tougher, and the opponents are better. The Heat and Lakers both look poised to give the Celtics a great fight for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

I say the Celtics come out on top and bring Banner 18 to Boston.

Sun sets on Vikes as Pats take over number 1 spot in NFL

I rose from my seats at the 50 yard line as Gillette Stadium slowly grew louder. We all knew what was coming- Adrian Peterson, All Day, AP, whatever you want to call him, was going to try to bust into the end zone. It was 4th and Goal from the 1, and the whole stadium was finally on their feet. Here it came. BAM! Stood up at the line of scrimmage and pushed back to the 2! What a stop! We all started jumping up and down, screaming out praises to the defense. It was the turning point in the game, and possibly the season, for both teams. After our group "hug dance" (don't ask), I looked up and saw the sun setting across the stadium. There was a little opening on the other side of the stadium, and for about a minute you could see the sun setting in the background. And then, after a few moments, it was gone. How poetic. The sun had set on the Vikings season. They were done. Obviously, the second half had to be played, and there were many more plays that won the game for the Patriots (namely, the broken play to Brandon Tate, and the interception by Devin McCourty). But this was the one that changed the whole complexion of the game. This was a stop reminiscent of the legendary Willie McGinest tackle for loss against Edgerrin James and the Colts. Here it was, the best (CJ hasn't been nearly as good this year) running back in the league, going one on one with one of the youngest defensive teams in the league. We came out on top. There was Ron Brace and Rob Ninkovitch (both no-names to all non-Pats fans) holding the line, and there was Brandon Spikes and Vince "Vending Machine" Wilfork bringing him down. Celebrations ensued. Fun way to go into halftime.

A few observations from the Pats game as a whole:
1) The Patriots offense is struggling mightily to put together sustained drives. It may seem to casual observers that the Patriots offense is just fine. But watching them game to game, and scrutinizing every play, there is something terribly wrong. Against the Dolphins (with Moss) we looked out of sync. Against the Ravens, we were dead for three quarters. We couldn't stop the rush against the Chargers and nearly blew a game that was gift wrapped for us. This week, we had great pass protection, but had 9 rushes for 9 yards in the first half, and had tons of trouble opening up the passing game. The second half was much better, but besides for a long play to Aaron Hernandez, the long passing plays seemed to all be fluky. Tate's first long catch went right threw the defender's hands, and his second one wasn't lucky, but it wasn't the way the play was drawn up. Yes, BJGE looked awesome in the second half, but the Patriots passing game seems to be stuck in the mud. A win is a win, and scoring 28 points is scoring 28 points, but the Patriots are going to have to figure out ways to consistently move the ball down field.
2) The Pats defense is gelling. Slowly but surely, the Patriots defense is figuring out ways to make plays. Like my dad said last night, they are very "opportunistic." They have players who are creating turnovers in different, strange ways. Rob Ninkovitch, who has been improving every week, has 3 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions. We all know about Pat Chung's special teams contributions. When the ball is on the ground, we are picking it up, That sounds simple, but the past few years, it wasn't happening. We didn't get the right bounce, or we didn't have the right players. This year, we do.
3) Zoltan Mesko is the man. The Pats drafted him and Gostkowski in the last 5 years, and both have been special teams gems. Watching the Chargers, you gain a greater appreciation for special teams effectiveness.
4) The Pats need Deion Branch to get healthy. He played a meager 23 snaps this game (courtesy of Mike Reiss), and when he was on the field, he didn't look himself. He had a nice screen turned into a long gain, but he also missed a chance at a HUGE play. He was running down the left sideline when Brady lofted a nice ball over his shoulder towards the outside shoulder. He got a hand on it, but couldn't bring it in. I have to assume a healthy Branch gets an extra half step on that play and is gone for a 93 yard touchdown reception. It was thisclose.
5) I retract my anger over not drafting Dez Bryant. Devin McCourty is a BEAST! He is already a legitimate number one cornerback, and he has only played 7 games! He's big, strong, athletic and has a great nose for the ball. His interception last week (@ SD) was just a glimpse of what this kid is capable of. This week he had a beautiful play on a deep ball to Percy Harvin. He not only kept up with Harvin (who is even more incredibly athletic in person) and turned his body around (which, by itself, only about a quarter of the CB's in the league can do), he almost came away with an interception! He also made a nice play in the endzone in the 4th quarter. He is a very impressive young player who by years end will probably be in the running for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
6) Randy Moss. Awkward. "I miss them guys. I love all them. I miss Tommy Boy." Maybe he did like the Justin Beiber hairdoo.

Thoughts on Jets- Pack:
1) The Jets need a quarterback. Mark Sanchez has regressed considerably from the Vikings game until now. Maybe he finally hit the sophomore wall. When the running game isn't working, the Jets offense is dead in the water.
2) The Packers might just be turning into the team we all thought they were going to be. Rodgers has been very good, and the defense was stellar this week. Clay Mathews continues to impress as his chances for Defensive Player of the Year keep rising.
3) Strange (gutsy, but probably more dumb than anything) call to go for a fake punt on 4th and 18. Great challenge by Mike McCarthy. The Jets special teams has been very good, but this was one of the wackier plays this season. With a defense like the Jets have, why not punt away and let the D get you the ball back?

Other thoughts from around the NFL:
1) The Cowboys are awful. Wow. It couldn't possibly get any worse than this can it? Their coach, Wade Phillips, may or may not be dead. Jon Kitna is, well, Jon Kitna. And what in the hell happened to that fast, aggressive defense?
2) I hate Oakland. Why are they good all of the sudden? Of course the one time the Pats trade for a number one pick, they become playoff contenders. Except Sebastion Janikowski- keep booting those field goals!
3) Mathew Stafford and Calvin Johnson are going to be very good for a very long time. That they are this good together at their age is just plain scary.
4) Keep your eye on the Chargers. This is usually when they make their move. They looked good in the second half against the Pats, and looked very good against the Titans this week. They also get Vincent Jackson back in a couple of weeks.
5) Rex Grossman! REX GROSSMAN! Are you kidding me Mike Shanahan! Did you really think he wasn't going to give up a fumble returned for a TD??? THIS IS REX GROSSMAN! The same Rex Grossman who had multiple 0.0 QB Ratings in the year his team went to the Super Bowl. He hasn't gotten any better since he left the Bears! That was just an absolutely outrageous move by the head coach.
6) Huge win for the Saints. That was the ferocious defense we have all been waiting to see since week 1. Brees still didn't look like himself though, I don't know what it is, but he just doesn't seem to be playing with as much confidence as last season. He isn't throwing good balls downfield, and has WAY too many turnovers.
7) Someone should probably wake up Al Davis and tell him that the Raiders are actually decent this season. He's been in a coma for years.
8) Has the wind ever affected as many games as it did yesterday? Just from what I saw, the Jets-Pack game, the KC-BUF game and the Pats-Vikes games all were extremely affected by the weather conditions. I bet the Jets wish they would've put that dome on...


I would post some links, but the internet is very spotty, so I'll post them next time.

And another thing:
Wow was I wrong about the San Fransisco Giants. I mean, I knew they had great pitching, but I didn't expect this. Also, where did Cody Ross (or as they call him in San Fran "The Boss") come from? He's a platoon player! When did he morph into Albert Pujols?