Wildcard Weekend

The Playoffs start this weekend and there are definitely some interesting match-ups taking place. Some new faces are showing up this year and there are definitely some fan favorites in this years field, like Tim Tebow and the Detroit Lions. Here are my picks for this weekend's games.

Bengals at Texans:

The match-up between the two rookie quarterbacks should be a slow yet exciting finish at the end. The Texans have been very boring, for lack of a better word and just haven't been the same explosive team we saw at the beginning of the season with Matt Schaub. The Bengals have been riding the same type of journey the last couple of weeks, winning a couple close games and losing some they should have came out on top with. Andy Dalton and A.J Green have been good this season but in the playoffs the role of the running game is huge that's why I like the consistency of Arian Foster and Ben Tate over Cedric Benson and the Bengals running game. I think this could be the first game to test the new playoff rules. I like the Texans to come out on top and win their first playoff game in the history of the team.

Pick: Texans over the Bengals 17-14 in OT.

Lions at Saints:

This might be the most exciting game we'll see this weekend. The high powered, high scoring Saints up against the hard-nosed yet sometimes non-existent defense of the Lions. Expect this one to be a high scoring affair, a real shoot-out between Drew Brees and Matthew Stafford, but not until the second half right? As hard as it is to go against Brees and the Saints in the Super Dome i'm going to say the Lions come from behind and score late to take the victory and keep their wheels turning.

Pick: Lions over the Saints 42-35

Falcons at Giants:

Talks have gone on comparing this years Giants team to the 07' Super Bowl team and I think the comparisons are there and i'll go on to say that this team is actually better. Eli is playing the best football of his career, the front four of the Giants is just as good, if not better, than the Super Bowl team, and as long as Bradshaw is healthy the running game is much improved. As much as I like Matt Ryan and the talent the Falcons have on both sides of the ball I think that Eli outplays Ryan and that Tom Coughlin out-coaches Mike Smith. Edge to the Giants.

Pick: Giants over Falcons 24-17

Steelers at Broncos:

This is probably the game everyone will be waiting to watch just because of the Tim Tebow factor. As much as I love Tebow and want the Broncos to win, from a football standpoint a lot needs to happen for the Broncos to have a chance in this game. Tebow is going to have to throw and the game plan has to follow that, the Broncos can't sit around waiting for the fourth quarter and think they will have a shot, the Steelers will have it wrapped up by then. Big Ben is just too good and the Steelers are way to talented and experienced to let a team stick around in the playoffs, especially with a guy like Tebow against them. Even though it's in Denver I see the Steelers taking care of business.

Pick: Steelers over Broncos 21-10

Let me know what your picks are, comment here, facebook, or find me on twitter at @c_walton89.

There's another L.A. Team?

Is this the beginning of another formidable team in the West? With the addition of Chris Paul, the Clippers now have a complimenting player to Blake Griffin, not to mention a leader, experience, and arguably the best true point guard in the league. I don't see how it can't be said that the Clippers have a chance to be "the best" team in town... at least for the forseeable future. I will say I had my doubts about Blake Griffin when he came into the league but the guy has developed into a force down low, yes he still has some work to do with his offensive game but with the ability of Chris Paul to run the pick and roll so precisely, Griffin should make large strides in improving his overall game.

Along with the big addition of Paul, the Clippers also signed DeAndre Jordan, Caron Butler, and Chauncey Billups. Jordan is a rising young talent and just as Griffin, Jordan should grow as a player playing alongside Paul. Jordan is still a "raw" type of player but has potential to grow into a respectable center, hes the type of player who will flourish with Paul's ability to work in the open court. Jordan isn't big on producing on his own, so Paul's pick and roll skills and passing abilities will open up Jordan's opportunities. Although Butler is coming off a season that dealt with a nagging knee injury, he also brings a veteran presence to the locker room. As long as Butler is able to stay healthy he adds an athletic guy out on the wing for the Clippers. Another veteran guy who is going to be a detrimental component in the locker room is Chauncey Billups, moving into a lesser role on a team is something Billups will have to adjust to but it's a role that Billups should embrace and should fall into place nicely.

Add some young talent and veterans, such as, Eric Bledsoe and Mo Williams and this Clippers team looks like one on the rise. Yes, there is going to be some adjusting time but when the pieces start to come together don't be surprised if the "other" LA team begins to move up in the Western Conference. With the Lakers aging and trade talks beginning to take their tole on the team, along with the number of questions surrounding Andrew Bynum, the Clippers make their move at the right time. It should be an interesting short season and don't be surprised to see Griffin and Paul gel faster than expected, if they generate some chemistry early there might be a new dynamic duo in the NBA and for years to come.

Who's Your Heisman?

Tonight's Heisman trophy presentation is one of the most anticipated presentations as we've ever seen. Much hype has been built leading up to tonight's crowning with many questions circling as to who might actual hoist the trophy by the end of the night. The preseason favorite, Andrew Luck, still has a good a shot as the rest of the candidates to win it but with a pool of talented players it's still hard to pick one clear winner.

I don't think there isn't a case you can make for any of these players as to why they should win tonight, and there are even a couple players who didn't get invited to New York who were just as qualified as these guys, i.e Kellen Moore and Case Keenum. Andrew Luck in my opinion is the most readied NFL quarterback we've seen since Peyton Manning, not only does he have a huge arm but his football IQ is through the roof, Luck is able to pick apart defenses at the line,make key audibles, and deliver a strike downfield. One major factor to consider with Luck is that he doesn't have a huge array of weapons to work with either. Luck spreads the ball around and makes those around him better, his stats say enough for him but his presence on the field and his ability to win football games with a less than stellar supporting cast is evidence enough that he deserves this honor.

Game-Changer, the only word to describe Tyrann Mathieu, LSU's "Honey Badger". It seems like there is nothing that this guy can't do, even after scouts and coaches say he isn't the fastest or biggest guy out on the field. When your 5-9' 175 playing in the SEC and making the plays he does you know your something special. Time and time again LSU has been sitting in a null just waiting to spring and out of the shadows here comes Mathieu with a big hit, interception, or return to break the game open which later leads to a huge LSU win. Not too often do you see defensive backs get the chance at the Heisman but when you do you know they're a force to be reckoned with.

The two backs in this years pool are extremely talented. Trent Richardson and Montee Bell have been huge components of their teams success. Bell has averaged three touchdowns a game this season and just has a knack for finding the endzone. He currently has 38 touchdowns and is a TD away from Barry Sanders' record of 39, he also leads the nation with 1,759 yards. It's hard to say a guy doesn't deserve his shot when he is being mentioned in the same category as Barry Sanders. Trent Richardson is the dark horse here in my opinion, he hasn't had much hype as the rest of the players but his performances speak for themselves. He's the perfect combination of strength and speed and much like his fellow former teammate and Heisman winner, Mark Ingram, Richardson prefers to go right through the defenders. Richardson has been a major reason why Alabama is competing for their second title in three years and has carried the load for the Tide's offense this season. Both of these back are deserving but I think i'd have to give the edge to Ball just based on his numbers and high ability to score.

That leaves us with the guy who everyone is talking about, Robert Griffin III. Hands down the most important player on his perspective football team and I think when you look at it from that standpoint the battle comes down to Griffin and Luck. Why do I give the edge to RGIII? well just look at the comeback wins he had. Although Luck is a huge part of the Cardinal's success, Stanford's defense is much more talented than the Bears. It seemed like there wasn't a mountain to high for Griffin this year, time and time again he proved he could win games and compete with anyone in the country. His greatest performance came in a last second win against Oklahoma where he drove his offense down the field and then in classic RGIII fashion, extended a play with his feet and found his receiver deep down the field for the eventual game winning touchdown. Follow that up with a huge performance the final week against Texas and it's hard to say the guy doesn't deserve to bring the first ever Heisman trophy back to Waco and the Baylor Bears.

It's going to be a close ballot this year there's no doubting that but in the end i'd have to say I like Robert Griffin III above all the rest.

One of the Best that Never Was

It's sad to see such a promising talent's career end after such a short run. The news of Brandon Roy's forced retirement Friday is saddening and unbelievable. It hard to fathom the thought of such a promising career come to such a sudden halt. Brandon Roy was an up and coming superstar in the making two years ago and the combination between Roy and Lamarcus Aldridge made the Portland Trail Blazers look like a formidable team emerging in the Western Conference.

Brandon Roy came into the year in 2006 and was named the 2007 Rookie of the Year, followed up by all-star games appearances from 2008-2010. Roy's career came to a screeching halt when knee issues began to set him back. He tore his meniscus in 2009 and missed large spurts of games from the 09-11 seasons. All signs pointed to a Roy return in last year's playoffs. In the first round series against the Dallas Mavericks, Roy emerged from his injury to spark the Trail Blazers. His greatest feat came in game 4 of the series when Roy scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to deliver a 84-82 victory for the Blazers but eventually fell to the Mavericks in the series. Through his time trying to play through the injury you could tell Roy was hurting but he managed to overcome this and continued to deliver for his team.

Although Roy shined in his playing spurts his injury continued to prove to be too much to play through. He was diagnosed with a career ending degenerative knee injury this summer and it was finally time for the young star to call it quits. Hard to not feel sorry for a guy with such a bright future in the league, Roy always seemed bright in front of the camera and really seemed like one of the "good guys".

There's no doubt Roy will be missed in the NBA but i'm sure he will have no problem finding a new career path out there. Until we hear from him again I can only wish him the best of luck and hope that his young life has a bright future. I think the majority of people would agree with me when I say that Brandon Roy will probably be one of the best players that never got the chance to be.

Drama,Drama,Drama

So the NBA season has started off with some fireworks...well not exactly. Guess it would have really been a good start if David Stern and the league would have approved the Chris Paul trade to The LAL but as we've seen it all play out that undoubtedly was not going to happen. Apparently several NBA owners complained that this was not good for the league and several small market teams but where is the problem?

First off the Lakers did have to give up quite a bit. They sent Pau Gasol to the Rockets and Lamar Odom to the Hornets who last year were their number two and three scorers on the team. to me the Hornets,the small market team, came out on top. They received Odom,Luis Scola,Kevin Martin and goran Dragic along with future draft picks in the deal... Come on that makes the Hornets a playoff team right there. The Rockets also benefited by filling the void left by the retirement of Yao Ming with Gasol.

Yes the Lakers got one, if not the best,point guards in the game but they are also having to lean heavily on the injury prone Andrew Bynum to pick up the slack that Gasol and Odom use to carry. We know they also planned to make a play for Dwight Howard but it's looking like his first choice is New Jersey.

I can understand the argument for not wanting the larger market teams to form these "super teams" but I don't think this would seal the deal for the Lakers and put them over the top. Kobe would have to coexist with Paul which might take awhile and Bynum would have to avoid the injuries these teams are inevitable and are going to form in free agency anyway. The best thing for these other teams is to gather good mid level players in these trades and hope great young talent comes along in the draft. For now get over it and get on with the season. Great trade all around for all teams and I'm sure this isn't the last we will see concerning Paul and the Lakers.

Romo Christmas??

We all know how historically great Tony Romo is in November, posting a 19-2 record as we wrap up this year's month of November. The landscape starts to change as we enter December though... Romo is a mere 9-12 in the months of December and January(not much action in January so might as well use it in the stats). Year after year the question arises, is this the year? and year after year the team as well as Romo tends to disappoint.

For some reason this season the culture seems to have shifted, Romo is a much more vocal leader, has been poised through his struggles at the beginning of the season and has continued to make everyone around him better, i.e Laurent Robinson and DeMarco Murray. Although we have seen this trend throughout his career in November we can only hope these changes will carry on into December and into the playoffs.

The team hasn't changed much since their best team in years in their 2009 squad but maybe the experience will factor in this year. They now have a formidable and demanding head coach in Jason Garrett, a hard nose defensive coordinator in Rob Ryan who only expects the best from his defenses and a much younger offensive line, not to mention a consistent running game. I would go further and say that Tony Romo is playing the best football of his career this year and I don't expect him to slow down.

Romo has always been an improvising king much like his idol Brett Favre, being able to move outside of the pocket and make plays is a huge plus for your team, especially for a team that has so many threats on the outside. Numerous times this season we've seen Romo escape pressure and make key first downs and touchdowns with the game on the line. We all know of the horrendous start to the season with the late game interceptions but ever since the bye week it has seemed like Romo has only used those faults as motivation and has been merely perfect the rest of the season, with a big pat on the back to Demarco Murray for finally taking some pressure off of him.

With Arizona this Sunday, NY Giants twice and struggling teams in Tampa Bay and Philly, the Cowboys are in line to win give straight if they take care of business this Sunday and finish 11-5 saying the giants are able to get one from them. With their potent passing attack and now power running game starting to take form the Cowboys can compete this year barring any setbacks by injuries, secondary troubles, or a complete meltdown. Time will tell whether or not this is Romo's year to silence all the critics but Cowboy's fans can only hope for a Romo Christmas.

Cory Walton

Tiger Off to Another Strong Start.

Tiger Woods holds on to a three stoke lead at the Chevron World Challenge after posting a 67 Friday in round two. After a solid 69 posted in round one Tiger lays out two eagles in the round to solidify the top spot with 8 under and a three shot lead over Matt Kuchar. Could Tiger be riding some momentum off of his President’s Cup performance a couple weeks ago in Australia? Many sure would hope so. Woods has looked strong in the opening two rounds of his last three tournaments but begins to fade going into his third and fourth day of the tournaments. His most recent tournament, The Australian Open, Woods had a one-shot lead after day two of the tournament. In rounds three and four Woods began to struggle around the green, particularly with his putting, and quickly dropped in the standings.

In this year’s President’s Cup Woods showed signs of his old-self but still struggled with putts that used to be automatic for Tiger. Woods has continued to make strides in each of his tournaments he’s competed in and this very well could be the week we finally see the elusive “win”. Woods has stressed the importance of staying comfortable out on the course and not to try to do too much during competition. Woods said after today’s round that he felt like he was making the shots he needed to make to put himself in position to win his first tournament since his falling out.

There was that feeling today while watching Tiger that he was finally starting to play like Tiger. When he would get in trouble he managed to work his way out. Woods set himself up nicely around the green where he was able to leave himself with manageable putts rather than the jaw dropping putts we were accustomed to seeing with the “old” Tiger. Another characteristic that is finding it’s way back onto the course is Tiger’s emotion and mental game. You get the feeling that Tiger is getting into his groove. There is more emotion being shown that has always been a staple in Tiger’s game.

We can’t officially say “he’s back” until he gets that win but that might be coming sooner than we might have expected. If the momentum from his strong start can carry on into day 3 and 4 don’t be surprised to see Tiger in a position to win this tournament on Sunday and maybe the start of the upward climb we’ve all been waiting for.

Cory Walton