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

Top Ten Greatest

So this whole Rick Carlisle comment about Dirk Nowitzki being one of the top ten best player ever to play the game has alot of people asking why? I mean I know Dirk is a great player, will be a hall of famer, one of a kind, but really? top 10? He doesn't make my top ten, maybe top 50 greatest but no where near my top ten. I decided to put together my list of the top ten players to ever play the game. Let me know what you think? if you agree, who you would add or delete. (The list will be in descending order from 10 to 1.)

10. Hakeem Olajuwon:

Hakeem "the dream" Olajuwon is arguably one of the most skilled big mans the game has ever seem. The dream was able to post you up, shoot the jumper, take you on the dribble and drive to the whole. His signature move "the dream shake" which was a combination of a dribble/spin move that he executed like a science torching defenders in his path. Olajuwon was a 12 time all-star, a two-time champion, two-time finals MVP, an NBA league MVP, and an Olympic gold medalist. He retired in the top-ten in blocks, scoring, rebounding, and steals.

9. Jerry West:

Also known as "Mr. Clutch", West, the face of the NBA emblem, was known for his big shot abilities coming up with big shot after big shot in the big games. West was also a superb defender and one of the best this league has ever seen, an all around good player. West was a four-time all-defensive first team selection and also finished in the top 10 in scoring in five consecutive seasons.

8. Tim Duncan

"The Big Fundamental" will go down as one, if not, the best power forward to ever play the game. In my opinion he will be which makes it hard to only have him at 8. A future Hall of Famer, Duncan has been one of the most consistent players on both the defensive and offensive sides of the ball in the past decade. He was a back to back MVP, a four time champion, and a finals MVP, as well as, on the NBA first team all defense seven times.

7. Oscar Robertson

One of the best all around offensive players we've seen in the league. Not only could he score but he had a knack for finding the open man and squeezing the ball in to tight spots. Robertson led the league in assists seven different times, and is the only player in history to average a triple double in a single season. I'm pretty sure that alone gets him a spot on this list.

6. Julius Erving

"Dr. J", one of the first players to introduce the high flying, play above the rim style we see today, is known for his unique style of play and one of the pioneers of the game, helping lead the ABA to turn into the NBA. Erving was a three time MVP,slam dunk champion, and led the league in scoring on three separate occasions.

5. Wilt Chamberlain

One of the most dominating centers to play the game is Wilt Chamberlain. His 100 point game will probably never be beat and his unstoppable offensive game may never be matched by another center. In his rookie season alone he averaged 37.6 PPG and 27 RPG!! He is also tied for first all-time in career PPG with 30.1 PPG. Wilt was a two-time champion, four time MVP, a seven time all-NBA, and the rookie of the year in 1960.

4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar(Lew Alcindor)

One of the greatest Lakers of all time, comes in second on my list, the first you will see here shortly. His signature move the "sky hook" is probably one of the most popular moves ever to grace the game of basketball. Kareem is the NBA's all-time points leader, was a six time champion, and a six time MVP.

3. Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson is in my opinion the greatest Laker of all-time. I mean come on the guy is 6'9" and is arguably the greatest point guard to play the game. He could virtually play any position on the court but thrived at the point guard position making miraculous passes and really revolutionized the run and gun style of offense. A pass first player who cared more about the team and winning than being the leading scorer, one of the first to regularly use the behind the back and no look passes. Magic averaged double-digit assists nine straight seasons, was a five time champion, won three MVPs, and was a three time finals MVP.

2. Bill Russell

Bill Russell is my number two just because he is probably the best shot blocker of all time and one of the best low post defenders we've ever seen. Not only his incredible defense was amazing but also was the ability to win, the Celtics won 11 championships in 13 seasons with Russell. His amazing 22 rebounds per game career average is something we may never see again, an 11 time champ and a five time MVP is an easy number 2 on my list.

1. Michael Jordan

We may never seen a person ever love the game of basketball as much as MJ. His stats are incredible which we all know, but the way MJ played the game will never be matched. He loved the pressure, he loved the atmosphere, and his "confidence" (many will term cockiness) is something no other player has ever possessed. MJ made you appreciate the game for what it was and because of that it's hard to ever say that there will ever be another Jordan, there may be some who come close but his passion and competitiveness will never be matched. Now for the list of never ending accomplishments... a six time champion, five time league MVP, 10 time all-NBA first team, nine-time All-Defensive team, Defensive player of the year, Rookie of the year, and numerous scoring titles.

This is a hard list to come up with there are so many great players out there, 10 players does not do justice to the amount of "Great" players that have played in the NBA. Here is a list of honorable mentions I can add.

Elgin Baylor
Shaquille O'Neal
Moses Malone
Larry Bird
Elvin Hayes

NFL Draft!

Tonight's NFL Draft should be a pretty decent draft. It will be interesting to see what teams will do that need a quarterback, since there are veteran options out there like Kevin Kobb, Donovan Mcnabb, and other that teams could make moves for beginning tomorrow morning. With that being said i'm looking forward to it and hope that there will be some surprising picks. We already have news that it looks like Carolina will take Cam Newton with the first pick which I think is a terrible idea but hey I guess you never know, good quarterback just don't think he will have the impact they expect. I thought I might throw my thoughts into it, so here are my lists of what is likely to happen and what I think should happen:


Likely to Happen:

1. Carolina-Cam Newton-QB:Auburn
2. Denver- Marcel Dareus-DT:Alabama
3. Buffalo- Von Miller-DE/OLB:Texas A&M
4. Cinn.- AJ Green-WR:Georgia
5. Arizona- Nick Fairley-DE/DT:Auburn
6. Cleveland- Julio Jones-WR:Alabama
7. San Fransisco- Blaine Gabbert-QB:Missouri
8. Tennessee- Patrick Peterson-CB:LSU
9. Dallas- Tyron Smith-OT:USC
10.Washington- Robert Quinn-DE:North Carolina
11.Houston- Aldon Smith-DE/OLB:Missouri
12.Minn.- Jake Locker-QB:Washington
13.Detroit- Prince Amukamara-CB:Nebraska
14.St. Louis- Mike Pouncey-C/G:Florida
15.Miami- Corey Liuget-DT:Illinois
16.Jacksonville- JJ Watt-DE:Wisc.
17.New England- Cameron Jordan-DE:California
18.San Diego- DaQuan Bowers-DE:Clemson
19.New York Giants- Anthony Castonzo-OT:Boston College
20.Tampa Bay- Ryan Kerrigan-DE:Purdue
21.Kansas City- Gabe Carimi-OT:Wisc.
22.Indianapolis- Nate Solder-OT:Colorado
23.Philadelphia- Aaron Williams-CB:Texas
24.New Orleans- Mark Ingram-RB:Alabama
25.Seattle- Andy Dalton-QB:TCU
26.Baltimore- Adrian Clayborn-DE/DT:Iowa
27.Atlanta- Cameron Heyward-DE/DT:Ohio State
28.New England- Muhammad Wilkerson-DE:Temple
29.Chicago- Derek Sherrod-OT:Mississippi
30.New York Jets- Akeem Ayers-OLB:UCLA
31.Pittsburgh- Jimmy Smith-CB:Colorado
32.Green Bay- Danny Watkins-OT:Baylor

What could happen or maybe should happen:

1. Carolina- Marcel Dareus-DT:Alabama
They take the smart route and go for the sure thing in Dareus, pass on cam and bring in a veteran guy like McNabb for Clausen to sit behind and develop.

2. Denver- Von Miller-DE/OLB:Texas A&M
Denver still gets a great defensive player in Miller.

3. Buffalo- Cam Newton-QB:Auburn
Buffalo knows they can't pass on the chance at Newton and quickly snatch him up.

4. Cinn.- AJ Green-WR:Georgia
Cincy still goes Green knowing there is no TO and probably no OchoCinco. They take the chance with making a trade for a guy like Kobb.

5. Dallas from Arizona- Patrick Peterson-CB:LSU
Jerry Jones made the right choice last year by trading up for Dez Bryant, realizes he has the sure thing with Peterson and trades a future pick next year and a later round pick this year to get him.

6. Cleveland- Julio Jones-WR:Alabama
Cleveland goes out and gets a big time receiver for Colt McCoy.

7. San Fransisco- Blaine Gabbert-QB:Missouri
Realizing Gabbert might be a steal at number 7 they have to take the Missouri QB here.

8. Tennessee- Nick Fairley-DE/DT:Auburn
Would have liked to have Peterson but will work to build up the defensive side of the ball.

9. Arizona- Prince Amukamara-CB:Nebraska
The Cardinals settle for the second best corner in Amukamara.

10.New England from Washington- Robert Quinn-DE:North Carolina
New England moves up to make sure they get the guy they like in Quinn.

11.Houston- Jimmy Smith-CB:Colorado
Last year's weak secondary leads Houston to go with a lock down corner over a defensive tackle or linebacker.

12.Minn.- Jake Locker-QB:Washington
Minnesota takes maybe the most talented QB in the draft to add to an already solid offense and defense.

13.Detroit- Aldon Smith-DE:Missouri
Would have loved to have a corner here but will settle for a solid pass rusher.

14.St. Louis- Mike Pouncey-C/G:Florida
Another building block for the Rams offense and a little insurance for Bradford.

15.Miami- Corey Liuget-DT:Illinois
Plenty of question marks here but Miami decides to go with someone with great talent.

16.Jacksonville- JJ Watt-DE:Wisc.
Del Rio gets a hard working guy with tremendous upside to help rebuild a lacking defense.

17.Washington-Andy Dalton-QB: TCU
With McNabb basically moving on, Washington addresses their QB issue with the best available quarterback.

18.San Diego- DaQuan Bowers-DE:Clemson
San Diego is pretty solid on offense, so they take a very athletic and talented DE in Bowers to sure up the defense.

19.New York Giants- Tyron Smith-OT:USC
Protection is a big concern for the Giants and they take a player who slide alot, big time steal.

20.Tampa Bay-Cameron Jordan-DE:California
Solid end who most thought would go earlier to New England but slides into the Bucs' lap.

21.Kansas City- Gabe Carimi-OT:Wisc.
Another hold is filled for an up and coming team.

22.Indianapolis- Anthony Castono-OT:Boston College
Another Solid pick to add to an aging offensive line.

23.Philadelphia- Aaron Williams-CB:Texas
With the other top corners gone the Eagles pick up Williams to play opposite of Samuels.

24.New Orleans- Mark Ingram-RB:Alabama
The Saints finally get their feature back to play alongside Thomas and Bush.

25.Seattle- Christian Ponder-QB:Florida State
Seattle must pick a QB and very well might get one of the biggest surprises from the draft.

Picks 26-32 could really go in any order but judging on needs and best available look for the teams to add some combination of these DE, OLB, and offensive linemen.

26.Baltimore- Ryan Kerrigan-DE:Purdue
27.Atlanta- Cameron Heyward-DE/DT:Ohio State
28.New England- Muhammad Wilkerson-DE:Temple
29.Chicago- Nate Solder-OT:Colorado
30.New York Jets- Akeem Ayers-OLB:UCLA
31.Pittsburgh- Derek Sherrod-OT:Mississippi
32.Green Bay- Danny Watkins-OT:Baylor

Well I don't know how it's going to play out but i'm anticipating a few surprises that's for sure. Let me know what you think and who might surprise us with their pick. Enjoy the Draft!

Senior Bowl

Senior Bowl: Day 1
Getting a glimpse on the first practice of the Senior Bowl (on NFL Network). All players were in Shoulder Pads, a helmet, and shorts. I did not get the chance to see the 1st half of practice but got to see the 2nd half.

Hot Players:

Titus Young WR 5-11/175
Boise State

Titus did a very good job in the first practice. In 11-on-11 drills he took a screen to the house breaking two tackles. I think he is very fast in and out of his cuts and could be a very good Slot Receiver in the NFL.

Ryan Kerrigan DL 6-4/263
Purdue

If you have not seen this man out of Purdue play he is phenomenal. Pass rush wise he has the size to contribute on either side of the line. Although he is a bit stiff in the hips, which doesn't make him a threat to turn the corner. On run defense, he works very hard to work down the line if runner get away from him. He looked very good today in 1-on-1 drills with offensive lineman Nate Solder, getting off the line quick and causing a fumble.

Not So Hot Players:

Jeremy Beal DL 6-3/267
Oklahoma

Jeremy struggled in the first practice today. He was being corrected many times in practice by the defensive line coach. We will see if he has a better day tomorrow for the North Squad.

Jake Locker QB 6-3/230
Washington

One of the big names in this year's draft, struggled a little bit today though. He threw a pic in 7-on-7 drills today ,he didn't look too bad, in my opinion he is in the top 3 of the quarterbacks in this years' draft.

Stay Tuned for my 1st Mock Draft I will be making coming soon. And every day on NFL Network is the North and South team practices, along with the daily recap show of the senior bowl practices every evening.

Posted by Brandt Boren, associate writer for From the Cheap Seats.

A Rising Star

Ok so how many people saw Aaron Rodgers completely torch the Falcons last night? So not a big surprise as this guy is turning more and more into an elite quarterback, and in my opinion he is already there! I've been a Rodgers fan ever since he took over the reigns from Brett Favre and been rooting for him ever since. You can't help but love the way he plays, reminds you alot of his "Mentor" Favre. The guy can make plays both with his feet and with his arms and on any given play their offense can go from one end of the field to the next with James Jones and Greg Jennings as their deep threats. He's one of my favorites to watch on tv just because he makes great throws, big plays in big situations, and has a ton of fun doing it. Last night was one of those nights where everything was clicking right. Rodgers was 31-36 for 366 yards, 3 TDS, ran for one and had a passer rating of 136.8. his 86.1 passing percentage is second all time for a 300 yard passer in a playoff game, behind Kurt Warner. What a performance! this one is going down as one of the greatest playoff performances by a quarterback in NFL history. The Falcons came in as the clear favorite after wrapping up the number one seed in the NFC during the regular season, but Mr. Rodgers proved it takes more than just a number one seed to beat his team. Rodgers said in his post game interview that "It was one of those nights", "I felt like I was in the zone". If this is any indication of things to come for the Packers they must be really excited for the rest of the postseason. They have been in the zone the past four games, executing with precision and leaving those who have stood up to them in the dust. As it sits now it looks like they will play the Bears in the NFC Championship game next week who I believe they will handle with ease and punch their ticket to Dallas. Where I see them playing the New England Patriots barring any upsets. The last time the Packers played the Patriots they were without Rodgers, who was sitting out after a concussion the week before, and lost 31-27. Matt Flynn's inexperience showed at the end of the game when the Packers were driving and he couldn't run the two minute offense as effectively as Rodgers would have. If thats how this season ends up I like the Packers chances up against Brady and co.
Whatever the outcome is I can't say enough about this season and postseason that Aaron Rodgers has had, he's really developing into a stud quarterback and this is only the beginning. This guy is going to win multiple Super Bowls and the first one could be this season.

Divisional Matchups

We're on the eve of another NFL playoff weekend with the divisional playoff games taking place this weekend. It's going to be another exciting weekend in my opinion. In the AFC how much better does it get than the Steelers and the Ravens and the Patriots and the Jets? The Steelers-Ravens matchup is going to be another physical matchup as it always is. I like Big Ben in this one though, the guy is just too good, he's a winner and always finds a way to win, not to mention the solids defense the Steelers have to go along with a solid offense. On the other side you have a solid quarterback in Flacco and a great Ravens defense, but I just can go against the Steelers, everytime there in these type of situations the find a way to win and when you look at this matchup the Steelers have won the last 6 matchups. I like the Steelers in this one 17-14 over the Baltimore Ravens.


Now lets move to the matchup between the trash talking team aka New York Jets and the New England Patriots. This is a highly anticipated game, mainly because all of the trash talking that the Jets think they have to do before every big game they play, especially against the Patriots, since they all hate Tom Brady. They can do all the talking they want thats not going to change the outcome of this game. Dont get me wrong the Jets might give them a good first half but once again it Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the New England Patriots, one of the hottest teams in the NFL since their lost to the Browns back in October. This team will refuse to lose and they have one of the winningest and the best quarterback in Tom Brady leading them through another battle against the overly confident Jets. I'd love to see the Jets go into Foxborough and take care of the Patriots before they make their run to yet another Super Bowl, but I just don't see that happening. The one team I believe that can beat them is the Pittsburgh Steelers who they are more than likely going to see next week in the AFC Championship game. Sorry New York I think it's going to take one more building year before we can get you into the Super Bowl, I like the Patriots (hard to say) in this one 35-17.


Moving on to the NFC, we have some interesting matchups taking place in this conference as well, also on the verge of a Chicago-Green Bay NFC Championship(which I believe will happen). First off we have Aaron Rodgers and the Packers up against Matty ice and the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have been the top team all season long in the NFC and they have a well rounded squad. There have been several games though, about 5 or 6 where they have escaped with a win. Don't get me wrong Matt Ryan is turning into a very good quarterback and it's hard to bet against him, they have a solid defense, lead by a solid defensive line, and a good coach in Mike Smith. As much as I want to see them win it's hard to go against my boy Aaron Rodgers. The Packers have been on a roll as of late and have alot of momentum coming off the wildcard win at Philadelphia. Momentum plays a large part in the playoffs and can propel a team passed a tough opponent. Both quarterbacks are turning into some of the best in the league but if i'm looking at who is going to make more big plays i'm going to have to go with Rodgers, he can do it with both his arm and his legs and it's hard to to go against that. Look for their defense to play yet another good game after shutting down Michael Vick for most of last week's game, Clay Matthews and gang will be on their toes against Ryan, Roddy White, and Michael Turner but I believe they will put the ball back in Rodgers' hands and let the offense make the big plays. I like the Packers to win a close one 20-17.

The other matchup in the NFC is the surprising Seattle Seahawks up against the Chicago Bears. No one expected the Seattle Seahawks to be here but after upsetting the Saints behind Matt Hasselbeck and Marshawn Lynch here they are. This is a very scary matchup for the Chicago Bears. The Seahawks are coming off a huge upset win over the New Orleans Saints and have nothing to lose in this one after not even expecting to be here.
I think a big portion of this game lies in Jay Cutler's hands, its up to him to be smart and not turn over the ball, manage the game and they will win. If he forces throws and tries to do too much giving the ball back to Matt Hasselbeck, who is playing in his 11th playoff game, the Bears could be in trouble. There is no doubt the Bears have a huge advantage over the Seahawks, were just going to see if Cutler can manage the game. With Matt Forte emerging late in the season they should look to control the clock behind the run game and let their solid defense control the Seahawks streaky offense. When you have Jay Cutler as your quarterback you can never tell which person is going to show up for the game. I think he's going to realize whats at stake and get his mind right to take care of the hawks. I'm not going to say this is going to be an easy one, Seattle knows they have a chance and beat them once already this season. With that being said i'm taking the Bears to beat the Seahawks 20-13 in a close one to move onto the NFC Championship game to face the Green Bay Packers.

2011 NFL Playoffs: Day 2

On day two of the wildcard weekend in the NFL playoffs we have two pretty good matchups. The early game features the exciting Kansas City Chiefs against the solid Baltimore Ravens. This is an interesting matchup in my mind, when you first look at this matchup on paper it should be an easy game for the Ravens but I really think the Chiefs have a decent chance on pulling this one off. Although the Ravens are playing away at the "loudest" stadium in the NFL, Arrowhead stadium, you have to believe this veteran defense will be ready for anything. The main concern for the Ravens is their up and down offense this season. Joe Flacco is the key to a Baltimore win, as of late he has been putting up sub par numbers and has failed to pass for more than 200 yards the past three games. The running game has been hot and cold all season with Ray Rice not having the type of season he had last season, after ranking in the top 5 in rushing last season the Ravens are 14th in the league. In order for the Ravens to win this game they will have to be able to score, because we know the Chiefs will find a way when they have the ball. The Chiefs lead the league in rushing and average nearly 350 yards a game of offense. They are lead by Jamaal Charles, who is second in the league in rushing, who at any given time can break open a long one. Dwayne Bowe has an NFL best 15 touchdowns and has been Cassel's deep threat all season long. Although the Chiefs defense is young they find a way to make plays, the team is really counting on them to cut down the big plays and get the ball in the offenses hands. It's going to be interesting for sure the Ravens try to control the game when the ball is in their hands and the Chiefs are a score heavy offense. The big battle in this one is between the Chiefs offense and the Ravens defense, you know Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are going to be ready for anything! This is going to be a good one for sure but i'm going with the underdog Chiefs to pull this one out 24-17.



The later game today features one of my favorites Aaron Rodgers and the Packers up against Michael Vick and the Eagles. Besides the Jets and the Colts this is another highly anticipated games of the weekend. Look for this to be a high scoring game with alot of excitment. On one end you have michael vick and desean jackson leading the way for the eagles up against clay matthews, charles woodson and the rest of the leathal packers defense. On the other side you have Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' aerial attack matched up against a somewhat questionable eagles defense. Should be an exciting one and one i'm looking forward to watching from start to finish! Last year the packers put up 45 points in their playoff loss to the cardinals, look for this one to be the same. I like the Packers in this one to prevail with a 41-35 victory over the eagles.

Yesterday we had great games! and look for today to be the same! I'm short on time so I couldn't go into much detail with the second game, so sit back and enjoy the playoffs!

2011 NFL Playoffs: Day 1

Alright so the weekend we've all been waiting for is finally here!! Wildcard Weekend, the start of the NFL playoffs. It's been awhile since i've even been on here but I'm going to start writing much more frequently, so I encourage you to subscribe and help me out with interesting topics we can talk about and debate on! So to we get to see two decent looking games Seattle vs. New Orleans and New York(Jets) vs. Indianapolis. In the first matchup of the day the big question is the Saints run game. With Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory both on IR it's up to Reggie Bush to carry the load for the Saints. This makes this matchup much more interesting than just the 7-9 Seahawks up against the defending champ Saints. New Orleans is traveling to Qwest Field which is known to be one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL, although the Saints are used to these kinds of situations it still could play a factor in the game. If the seahawks D is able to keep from giving the saints the deep plays downfield that have a potential shot at this game, atleast keep it close. Matt Hasselbeck is listed as the starter and he has plenty of experience being the underdog in the playoffs and making plays for his team, although his age could get the best of him and we could potentially see Charlie Whitehurst in this one. Drew Brees is one of the top quarterbacks in the league and thrives in the big games, I just don't see him letting the 7-9 Seahawks get in the way of a deep run in the playoffs. Look for the saints offense to throw the ball deep and early in this game to take advantage of the poor Seahawks' secondary and Brees and Payton manage the game even with Bush and Jones carrying the load at running back. At times the game might look close but the Saints pull away with a 24-13 victory over Seattle.




The second matchup of the day is probably one of the more anticipated games of this weekend, the New York Jets vs. the Indianapolis Colts. We both know that last year the Colts ended the Jets run to the super bowl by beating them out in the AFC championship game. This year the the Jets are looking for revenge and it's shaping up to be one of the best games of this playoff season. We know what the Colts are going to bring to the table, PEYTON MANNING and a great passing attack, and Dwight Freeney and a solid pass rush on defesne. The Colts have been hit by a number of injuries on both sides of the ball this season but have still managed to crawl their way into the playoffs. Look for the Colts to use their vertical game with Wayne, Tamme, and possibly Blair White who has emerged due to the injuries to be a reliable target for Manning against the Jets. Their backfield has been depleted due to injuries but will have both Joseph Addai and Donald Brown for this one, both have the ability to come out of the backfield and catch outside passes and screens which could turn into a big asset for the Colts based on the Jets strong secondary. For the Jets it's the same old story, which Mark Sanchez will show up? All season long when Sanchez plays well the Jets win, when he gives a poor performance they lose. He's proven he can win but his inconsistance this season raises questions, he has been playing decent as of late we just wonder how much of this will carry into the playoffs. Him and Santonio Holmes,Braylon Edwards, and Dustin Keller should be watering at the mouth right now, the Colts secondary is depleted and lacks talent. This has been a big problem for their Defense all season long, with the deep threats the Jets have they should have no trouble finding their way into the endzone through the air. Shonne Greene and Ladanian Tomlinson are going to play large rolls in the running game, as well as, the passing game given their ability to makes plays out of the backfield. The X-factor is the Jets special teams, their return game can make plays at any given moment and look for Brad Smith to come up with a big play in this one. We know the Jets will have their hands full with the great Peyton Manning and this game is looking to be a shootout, if the Jets offense can keep up with Peyton Manning and the defense and specail teams can come up with some big plays they win this game. I like the Jets over the Colts in a close one 31-28.

So who do yall got winning today? post and comment! lets debate!! look for another preview and predictions for tomorrows games.