Tim Tebow’s debut

So what do we take away from the debut of Mr. Tebow?  Well, for one that it was about time the Broncos played him.  Not that he would help them, but from the standpoint of spending a first round pick on him.  Josh McDaniels is out and the interim coach Eric Studesville has nothing to lose or gain by playing him.  His stat line wasn’t bad at all.  It was pretty good.  Eight completions for 138 yards and a touchdown pass.  He also ran for 78 yards and scored a touchdown on the ground.  His last game in college showed me that he was worth a look at quarterback when he threw for over 400 yards against Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl.  The Broncos still need to work out the kinks in Tebow, but they might have something should they bring in the right coach to help further his career.  He’s a proven winner and that’s what Denver needs right now is someone who wants to win.  Does Kyle Orton or Brady Quinn do that for them?

So, who wants it?

The question is what’s “it”?  A division title?  A conference championship?  Or the Super Bowl title?  This past week has shown that there are a few teams ready for all of the above and some that have fallen flat.  The Giants epic collapse at home against the Eagles has put them on the outside looking in.  The Jaguars had the division title in their grasp, but couldn’t finish the job in Indianapolis.  The Jets came back to life on the road in Pittsburgh.  They prefer to play on the road with a 6-1 record this year.  Tampa Bay is still alive for a playoff spot, but allowed the Detroit Lions to end their win less streak on the road in overtime.  Chicago won their division on Monday night.  Atlanta, New England and Pittsburgh already have a playoff spot clinched, but time is running out for them to clinch a first round bye.

The stretch run

Week 16 has a slew of games that have playoff implications.  Don’t bother watching the Thursday or Christmas day games.  Lets face it, there’s no point in watching anything other than the final score of those two games.

San Francisco (5-9) vs. St. Louis (6-8)
Does anyone want to win the NFC West?  This game will probably decide it once and for all.  Or the Niners will win and insure a team with a losing record makes the playoffs.  Anything can happen.

Baltimore (10-4) vs. Cleveland (5-9)
The Browns hate the Ravens and this would make their season if they prevent the Ravens from winning the AFC North.  Baltimore needs to keep pace with Pittsburgh who will be hosting Carolina on Thursday night.

NY Jets (10-4) vs. Chicago (10-4)
The Bears had an easy win against the Minnesota Vikings.  The Jets regained some lost confidence with a win at Pittsburgh.  Chicago has nothing to play for, except seeding, but the Jets have a better road record (6-1) than Chicago’s home record (4-3).

Washington (5-9) vs. Jacksonville (8-6)
The Jaguars failed to win the AFC South once already and will need to avoid a letdown.  The Redskins nearly beat the Cowboys with Rex Grossman and might be primed for an upset victory against a playoff hopeful.

Tennessee (6-8) vs. Kansas City (9-5)
The Chiefs are sporting a perfect record at home this year.  With a big road victory over St. Louis last week they want to clinch the AFC West as soon as possible.  The Titans played up to par against division rival Houston.  They want to finish the season 8-8 to salvage a disappointing year.

Indianapolis (8-6) vs. Oakland (7-7)
What looked to be an easy win for the Colts at the beginning of the year, it now looks like a Oakland win if they can run the ball more effectively than Jacksonville did last week.  The Colts need to be perfect on defense and Oakland will need to keep the ball out of Peyton’s hands.

NY Giants (9-5) vs. Green Bay (8-6)
If Aaron Rodgers plays, the Packers should be in good shape.  If not, the Giants should be more at ease.  They need this game more than Green Bay, but both are fighting for a playoff spot.  This is the number two game to watch this week.

Seattle (6-8) vs. Tampa Bay (8-6)
They both still have a chance at a playoff spot.  The Seahawks need to win out and so do the Buccaneers.  It will come down to who wants it more.  I’d say Tampa Bay, but that was the case against Detroit.

New Orleans (10-4) vs. Atlanta (12-2)
The Saints were within one game of the Falcons until their defeat at Baltimore.  The Falcons win and the NFC South is theirs.  The defending champions against the possible NFC champions.  What a way to end Week 16.

The NFC West deserves a playoff team

Yes, it’s a sad division when the leaders have a record of 6-7 and one team is a game behind them with a record of 5-8.  There has been a lot of talk once again about not letting a team that finishes with a record under .500 into the playoffs.  Regardless of winning their division.  I don’t like it, but what’s the point of having divisions?  It creates rivalries and you know that I like rivalries.  Those die hard fans of those teams won’t have anything to cheer for if they know their team has no shot at the playoffs.  The best idea to help offset the problem is to re-seed the playoff teams.  Yes, you win the division you’re in, but you don’t get to host a playoff game.  That seems a bit harsh, but who’s to say you can’t make it to the Super Bowl or even win it by playing all your playoff games on the road?  It’s been done before.  Does the NFC West deserve to have a representative in the playoffs this year?  Absolutely.  I’m not saying that because I’m a 49ers fan.  I’m saying it for the Rams and Seahawks fans as well.  Do away with the divisions if you want to exclude them.  That’s the only I see that working going forward.

The flaw with the NY Jets

What it boils down to is one word for the Jets, leadership.  Who is the leader?  Rex Ryan?  The head coach is supposed to be the head coach, not the leader.  I hope it wasn’t supposed to be Mark Sanchez.  That’s not working.  I haven’t heard a peep out of anyone on the defense since the season started.  Darrelle Revis talking trash to Randy Moss doesn’t count.  LaDainian Tomlinson is staying low key like his days in San Diego.  Braylon Edwards is making things worse by talking to the media.  I don’t see a leader.  Burying a football after getting blown out on national television by the arch rival New England Patriots?  Being frank, what the hell was the point of that?  It didn’t work against the Miami Dolphins.  The answer became apparent after that Jets strength and conditioning coach stuck his knee out tripping a Miami Dolphins player.  Where ever their leadership was had disappeared during that game and the week before too.  Talking a lot works when you have the right players to push the right buttons when you go into a losing trend.  Where are those players for the Jets?  The coaches are supposed to coach the players, not trip…err…ugh…play for them.  Unfortunately it might be too late for them.  The AFC is a lot better then they thought it would be.

Brett Favre’s streak ends

So now that it’s over, I’m supposed to ramble on about how impressive the streak is and how it will go down as one of the most hallowed and difficult accomplishments in sports.  I’m not going to do that, but I will admit that it’s an impressive streak.  How can you not say that it is?  297 consecutive starts as a quarterback in the NFL.  Pretty damn impressive.  I can’t say that I have as much respect for the man behind the streak as I did when he retired the first time as a Green Bay Packer.  It was strange to see him playing one year for the New York Jets.  He got his wish playing for the Minnesota Vikings and stuck it to the Green Bay Packers last year in both games.  He nearly made it to the Super Bowl, but he reverted back to the “Ol’ Gunslinger” mentality and his last pass was to be an interception.  The streak has now freed him and really the NFL too.  Why even bother covering the Vikings anymore?  Their season is over.  Favre’s career is over (we hope).  What else does he have to play for?  No one will probably come close to that 297 number.  Peyton Manning still has a ways to go and I don’t see him playing til his hair color changes.  Favre should have gone out last year on a high note, but his pride was too big and the Vikings too desperate to let him walk.  It was a disaster in the making and his reputation took a hit with a “sexting” scandal.  The streak has ended and maybe, just maybe, so will the Brett Favre coverage.

Denver has admitted to making a mistake

Now I agree that a season and a half is not nearly a long enough time for a NFL head coach to make his mark.  Josh McDaniels is still at an age (34) where he can be given another chance down the road to be a head coach.  I mean, Denver did start the ’09 season with a 6-0 record.  The overwhelming problem with him was not being the coach, but being the general manager.  How many times do we have to say that it’s too much to ask of a head coach to watch himself when it comes to personnel decisions?  He royally screwed up the Jay Cutler situation.  Cutler didn’t handle himself too well either, but McDaniels had a good quarterback in place and wanted to get his guy, Matt Cassell instead.  It happened again last year with wide receiver Brandon Marshall.  In training camp, Marshall was unhappy about his contract and was dogging it at practice.  There was video evidence of it and he was disciplined for it.  Everything seemed to be all right when the Broncos were winning.  As soon as the losing started, it boiled up and Marshall was suspended for the final game of 2009.  Marshall was then dealt to Miami and Denver left to put the pieces together.  Now this year the glaring need is a running back.  McDaniels traded away Peyton Hillis to Cleveland for quarterback Brady Quinn in the offseason.  I don’t believe Hillis would be doing exactly what he’s doing now with Denver, but one has to wonder why they needed to acquire Brady Quinn?  How’s that working out?  Since that 6-0 start last year the Broncos have lost 17 of their last 22 games under McDaniels.  That’s unacceptable, but how about owner Pat Bowlen just take away McDaniels’ GM title and have him focus on coaching instead.  This puts Denver back into the spotlight of mediocrity.  Something we haven’t said about them for over two decades.  Firing Mike Shanahan is now seen as a mistake and firing McDaniels is too.  The Broncos have panicked at a time when they needed to make an adjustment and look to the future they have instead of taking two steps back.

A season defining play

Troy Polamalu you could say is the biggest playmaker on defense in the NFL.  Bob Sanders, Ray Lewis, Patrick Willis and Brian Urlacher are a few others that come to mind.  However, Polamalu is a unique player.  When the Steelers have needed a big play at an important moment of the game, he’s always in the middle of it.  Take the Sunday night game against rival Baltimore.  Pittsburgh’s offense has been stagnant all night, yet the Steelers are only down by four.  There’s less than four minutes left in the game and the Ravens are in position to either run out the clock or force the Steelers to march down the field to try and win it.  Baltimore, on their own side of the field mind you, decide to pass the ball on 2nd and 5.  Low and behold, Troy Polamalu is free to hit quarterback Joe Flacco from his blind side and cause a fumble.  Pittsburgh now has a short field and plenty of time to score the go ahead touchdown.  They do and the question now is was that a season defining play and for whom?  Well, it was and for both teams.  Baltimore should have continued to run the ball and with that loss they are in a position to lose the division and maybe a playoff spot in the competitive AFC.  Pittsburgh has an edge on Baltimore for the division crown and keeps pace atop the AFC for a first round bye.  Both teams at the end of the year will look back at this game and one will ask what if and the other will say thank you Troy Polamalu.

What’s wrong with Peyton?

It’s easy to say that injuries to Dallas Clark, Austin Collie and Joseph Addai have hurt the Colts passing game.  It’s also easy to say that the offensive line is in shambles.  Yet, no one seems to understand why Peyton Manning is struggling so much in the last six games.  Since their bye week, the Colts are 2-4.  Peyton has thrown 11 TD and 13 INT in that span.  Eleven of those thirteen interceptions have been in the last three games alone.  Now it seems to be too much of a coincidence that in the last six games, Dallas Clark has been out.  Austin Collie suffered a concussion.  Joseph Addai has a nagging shoulder injury and yes, the offensive line has been in shambles.  Gee, I just can’t seem to figure out why Peyton has been struggling.  He’s Peyton Manning.  A sure first ballot hall of famer.  He can make any receiver look good.  The defense hasn’t played up to par and the Colts aren’t running the ball as much as they should to take pressure off Manning and the passing game.  Yes, that has to be the reason for Manning’s struggles.  If the Colts can change their gameplan and run the ball more and the defense steps their game up, then maybe the Colts will take control of their division.
In all seriousness, when you put pressure on a pro bowl quarterback, he will look like an average quarterback every single game.  Not having Clark, Collie and Addai have affected him tremendously.  Clark isn’t there to block and save Peyton when he’s under pressure as his check down receiver.  Collie is the possession receiver who plays underneath Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon.  Wayne is being constantly double teamed and Garcon is a non-factor.  Addai not only helps the running game, but the passing game as well by blocking and being a check down option.  Stop beating around the bush and trying to create a mystery when there isn’t any.  Peyton is still great, but he can’t be great all the time.

Atlanta is one step closer

As a football fan, how can you not like Atlanta?  Their story, not the team per say.  In 2007 they were essentially left for dead.  Michael Vick was going to jail.  Their head coach at the time Bobby Petrino abandoned the team before the season ended.  The consensus was that it would take at least three years for the Atlanta Falcons to become contenders in the NFC.  It turned out to be only one.  Their head coach now Mike Smith has turned it around and it started with the drafting of Matt Ryan.  He is the real deal.  Since he was drafted the Falcons have only lost one home game.  They have made the playoffs once with him and will clinch another playoff berth this year too.  With this win against the Green Bay Packers the Falcons have almost solidified their place atop the NFC.  Obviously winning the rest of their games would, that would put their record at 14-2.  It’s actually doable.  They’re playing at Tampa Bay, Carolina and Seattle.  They finish at home against New Orleans and Carolina.  A favorable schedule to say the least.  I like seeing a franchise make a quick turnaround under some awful circumstances.  Owner Arthur Blank went about it the right way by bringing in a football guy in Rich McKay who hired a great General Manager in Thomas Dimitroff.  Those three are the main reason the Falcons have made the quick turnaround.  I ask again, as a football fan, how can you not like Atlanta?

The Bears might have something in the Windy City

Jay Cutler might actually be a good quarterback.  I know that pains most of you to hear that, but it’s true.  Lets be honest, he wasn’t going to be the next John Elway in Denver.  He sure isn’t going to be the next Sid Luckman in Chicago or Jim McMahon to be more recent.  He’s Jay Cutler.  Anyway when you look back now at the 2006 draft, Jay Cutler is the most accomplished quarterback by far.  Vince Young and Matt Leinart are no longer starting quarterbacks.  Next in line is Bruce Gradkowski.  Tarvaris Jackson would be more accomplished if Brett Favre hadn’t been handed the reigns in Minnesota.  The point is that Chicago mortgaging a lot of their future for Cutler might be worth it.  He and the rest of the offense seemed to have bought into the Mike Martz system put in place.  Pretty amazing considering they don’t run the ball and can’t protect Cutler on a consistent basis.  I’m not putting the Chicago Bears on top of the pedestal, but they are in first place.  Three of their final five games are against playoff contenders (New England, NY Jets and Green Bay).  Their final game is at Green Bay which will probably decide the division title.  Everything is riding on the psyche of Jay Cutler.  If he plays like he did against Philadelphia this past week (14-21, 247 yards & 4 TD).  Oh, and no interceptions.  If that trend continues, you might see the Bears surprise everyone again.

Kansas City vs. San Diego

I expected this to happen next year, not this year.  The Kansas City Chiefs have the best running game in the NFL.  Now they have a pretty efficient Matt Cassell at the helm as well (22 TD to 4 INT).  The defense is still at least a year away, but they can easily compete with the San Diego Chargers.  Now that the calendar has gone into the December, the Chargers are on a four game winning streak, surprise.  For far too long the AFC West has been ruled by the Chargers.  They deserve those four consecutive division titles, but it’s about time that either Kansas City, Oakland or Denver step up and challenge them.  San Diego has the NFL’s best defense and Philip Rivers is looking like a MVP candidate every week.  Mark your calendars for December 12th, 2010.  That will decide the AFC West between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Diego Chargers.  I can’t wait.

It’s splits-ville for Vince Young

It seemed to me and to everyone else that Vince Young had finally understood what you had to do to become an elite quarterback last year.  After his issues on and off the field the previous year, he was the backup to Kerry Collins going into the 2009 season.  Collins faltered and Titans head coach Jeff Fisher went to Young.  Immediately his skill set brought out the best in the entire offense and the Titans were off.  After a 0-6 start they finished the season 6-2 with Young.  Things began to look good going into 2010 that he was going to finally live up to his billing as the number two overall pick of 2006. 
All that changed after a disappointing defeat at home to the Washington Redskins.  Young was turnover prone and left the game with a season ending thumb injury to his throwing hand.  After the game, Jeff Fisher said something that most head coaches never say, even when there is turmoil in the locker room.  “Regardless of whether Vince is hurt or not, he’s no longer the starting quarterback.”  Young by all reports went on a tirade in the locker room after the game and it’s become apparent that Fisher has had enough.  Unfortunately owner Bud Adams loves Young and he will have to choose after this season between his quarterback and head coach.  One will be leaving after the 2010 season.

Zygi has had enough

We all knew it was going to happen.  Brad Childress was going to be fired.  What we didn’t expect was that he was going to be fired after one of the worst losses the Vikings had suffered in a long time to the division rival Green Bay Packers.  Now all eyes will be on the interim coach Leslie Frazier.  He has interviewed for numerous jobs the last half-dozen years.  This is an audition for a guy who has been touted as a players coach who demands they play hard on every play.  His only problem is that he is now the newest coach to deal with the Brett Favre question.  Will Frazier bench Favre at the first sign of trouble and hand the reigns to Tarvaris Jackson?  I say yes because you don’t want to show weakness during your one chance to show the league that you mean business.  For his sake he should make it absolutely clear in that locker room that he expects them to forget about the last two and a half months and focus on now.  The same goes for Favre.  He should be on a short leash and not be given any breaks from here on out.  If Frazier does anything less, he will be looking for a job elsewhere, but not as a head coach.

Why does there need to be a team in Los Angeles?

It’s a question that has been bothering me for most of my life.  I was aware that Los Angeles had two teams for the first eight years of my life.  Soon thereafter 1994 both the Raiders and Rams bolted and the second biggest media market was without a NFL team.  Since then the NFL has added teams in North Carolina, Jacksonville, Baltimore, Cleveland, Tennessee and Houston.  Why not LA?  Well, like with all of the state of California’s problems, it starts with the politicians.  Los Angeles politics screwed this up royally.  The nuts and bolts of it was that the city wanted a new franchise, expansion or existing, to make their home at the Los Angeles Coliseum.  Now if you haven’t been around Los Angeles, the Coliseum is a dump.  It would need to be renovated big time and the neighborhood isn’t exactly ideal.  Only recently the city decided to abandon that idea and that left the door open for others to make their plans public.
The company AEG, which owns Staples Center and LA Live in downtown Los Angeles, is ready to go forward with the building of a stadium next to the Staples Center.  AEG president and CEO Tim Leiweke is leading that charge.  There is another person that wants to build a stadium in the hills outside of downtown in the City of Industry.  Ed Roski, a billionaire real estate mogul and part owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings is behind that idea.  The problem isn’t the stadium now, but rather does the NFL need Los Angeles and does Los Angeles need the NFL?
The crux of it of course has to do with revenue.  The NFL has grown into a billion dollar sport without Los Angeles.  Los Angeles seems to have been all right in the sport department without the NFL.  The Lakers are on top.  The Kings have made a resurgence the last couple years in the NHL.  Just about everyone is a Dodgers fan.  If you want to watch football, there are many ways to watch your favorite team.  Either on television, computer and cell phone.  Raider fans can drive or fly up north.  The same for 49ers fans.  Charger fans can do the same going south.
Los Angeles wants some extra cash and the NFL wants to get back into the Los Angeles market.  I get that from both sides.  I’m not gonna say that it will never happen.  That would be naive of me.  It will happen.  The problem with it is there is a looming labor fight and the NFL will not be thinking about expanding anytime soon.  The easiest solution would be if an existing team moves to Los Angeles, but that would still force the league’s hand to give that city an expansion team.  Nobody wins regardless.
The argument that fans are clamoring for a team is totally non-existent.  I polled some friends here in Southern California.  The question was ‘Do you want Los Angeles to have a NFL team?’  The results were 37% percent said yes and 63% said no.  To put it simply we don’t think about having a team of our own.  When the Rams and Raiders left, those Los Angeles fans are still fans of those teams.  If those fans aren’t loyal anymore they found new teams to root for.  I honestly believe Los Angeles football fans don’t care and assume it will happen.  Whether they will embrace in the short-term or the long-term is another question that won’t be answered until it happens.