NFL - Week Seventeen Preview

The final games of the 2010 season around the NFL take place Sunday and there are still some playoff spots and seedings to be determined in both conferences.
This season has indeed been a strange one.
Nobody expected the Chicago Bears or Kansas City Chiefs to be doing what they have done in 2010. Both teams won their divisions and the Bears will get a "bye" in the first round of the playoffs.
The St. Louis Rams, a 1-15 a year ago, are trying to become the second team in the last three seasons to accomplish the feat of winning their division after a disastrous year they had. The 2008 Miami Dolphins rebounded from 1-15 to go 11-5 and win the AFC East.
The Rams and Seattle Seahawks will battle it out in Seattle in the Sunday Night Football Game on NBC to wrap up the day.
Tampa Bay (9-6) has also been a pleasant surprise after going 3-13 a year ago. They still have a slim chance for a wild card playoff spot in the NFC.
While the Bears, Chiefs, Buccaneers and Rams are four of the biggest surprises this season, the San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings are definitely the biggest disappointments.
None of those five teams will be in the playoffs this year and a lot of so called "experts" had Dallas, San Diego and Minnesota picked to either be in or win the Super Bowl.
Yours truly included as the Chargers and Green Bay Packers were this site's pre-season pick to do battle in Super Bowl 45 in February.

On to the picks for Week 17 ... (Home teams are listed in BOLD)

Green Bay over Chicago
Pittsburgh over Cleveland
Kansas City over Oakland
Baltimore over Cincinnati
New Orleans over Tampa Bay
New England over Miami
Detroit over Minnesota
Atlanta over Carolina
Philadelphia over Dallas
NY Giants over Washington
NY Jets over Buffalo
Indianapolis over Tennessee
Houston over Jacksonville
Denver over San Diego
San Francisco over Arizona
St. Louis over Seattle


Last Week's Record: 10-6

SEASON RECORD: 160-80

Things to look forward to (or not) in 2011

Here are some things to look forward to (or not) in the new year approaching...

The Republicans taking over the U.S. House of Representatives, will screw things up entirely and set this country we call the "United States of America" back in a big way. This will further screw the middle class and working poor even more.

The corporate controlled media will continue to take their "marching orders" and look to condition the American people into accepting their very own demise. It's already starting with all the crap about how gasoline prices will be $5.00 or above by the year 2012 and we should just accept it as the "new normal".

The above is totally bogus and the people working in the media need to grow a set of balls and tell these corporations where they should go.

Also regarding the gas prices rising to Bush era levels in AN ELECTION YEAR, that would really be a double whammy because the apathetic American public will follow the baloney being told by the pundits and "corporate media" that it's Obama's fault and then America will be stuck with another *&4@king Republican in the White House.

There is also a possibility of a pro football lockout taking place in 2011. Great!
The sport that Americans love will be put on hold because the rich bastards don't want to share the wealth with the people we pay to see play the game.

The 2012 Presidential campaign will get started.

Sarah Palin and all of her idiocy.

More lies on Fox "News".

A United States Senate completely grid locked.

A moron as the Speaker of the House in the 112th Congress.

More Glenn Beck.

More Sean Hannity.

More Rush Limbaugh.

More Bill O' Reilly.

(Oh wait... those guys sans Limbaugh count as More Fox Lies... which we already mentioned)

Some people believe the world will end in May of 2011.

Oh well... Have a Happy New Year everybody!

NFL - Week Sixteen Review

There will be some new (different) teams in the NFL Playoffs this season and that became official last weekend when the Kansas City Chiefs knocked off the visiting Tennessee Titans, 34-14 to clinch the AFC West for the first time in seven years.
The Chiefs win, coupled with San Diego's surprising 34-20 loss at Cincinnati gave the division crown to the Chiefs, who are 10-5 while San Diego at 8-7, will miss the playoffs for the first time in five years.
Kansas City QB Matt Cassel passed for three scores and 314 yards in the win.
The Bengals shocked the Chargers as Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week, Bengals' QB Carson Palmer threw four touchdown passes on 16-for-21 passing for 269 yards against the NFL's top overall and top pass defense.
In the NFC, the Chicago Bears (11-4) further solidified their own legitimacy for a first round bye by beating the New York Jets, 38-34 at Soldier Field.
Bears' quarterback Jay Cutler passed for 215 yards and had three touchdown passes to go along with a touchdown run as well.
The St. Louis Rams, a 1-15 team a year ago, came a step closer to winning the NFC West by knocking out the San Francisco 49ers, 25-17 behind a touchdown run by Steven Jackson and a TD pass from Sam Bradford (28 of 37 passing for 292 yards).
The 49ers, who are a disappointing 5-10 this season, fired Head Coach Mike Singletary (pictured above right), following the game. Meanwhile, the Rams are 7-8 and can win the division with a victory at Seattle in the season finale.
The Green Bay Packers (9-6) kept their playoff hopes alive with a 45-17 trouncing of the fading New York Giants. Packers' QB Aaron Rodgers threw four TD passes and had 404 yards in the win. The Giants (9-6) lost for the second straight week as quarterback Eli Manning was intercepted four times in the loss.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers also kept slim playoff hopes intact with a 38-15 beatdown of the visiting Seattle Seahawks.
The Bucs (9-6) were led by quarterback Josh Freeman, who had 237 yards passing and five touchdown passes in the rout.
The Baltimore Ravens clinched a playoff spot with a 20-10 win at Cleveland.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers also sealed a spot for the post-season with a 27-3 win against the visiting Carolina Panthers last Thursday night.
Both the Steelers and Ravens are 11-4 and battling for the AFC North title, which the Steelers currently lead via tie breakers.
New England continued to roll with a 34-3 beating against the host Buffalo Bills. The Patriots are 13-2 and have home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
Quarterback Tom Brady had just 140 yards passing, but threw for three touchdowns in the win.
The Indianapolis Colts won at Oakland, 31-26 behind Peyton Manning's three touchdown passes to move one full game ahead of Jacksonville in the AFC South.
The Jacksonville Jaguars (8-7) saw their playoff hopes seriously damaged with a home loss in overtime against Washington, 20-17. Redskins kicker Graham Gano kicked a 31-yard field goal for the win.
Detroit won a second straight road game by beating Miami, 34-27. Lions' QB Shaun Hill had two TD passes and 222 yards in the third consecutive win for the Lions (5-10).
Denver beat Houston, 24-23 as Tim Tebow earned his first win as a starting quarterback. Tebow threw a TD pass and passed for 308 yards in addition to scoring the winning touchdown on a six-yard run with three minutes left in the game.
The Monday Night Football game saw the New Orleans Saints travel to Atlanta and snap the Falcons' eight game win streak, with a 17-14 victory.
Saints' QB Drew Brees threw a TD pass to offset a pair of interceptions, including one that was taken back for a score and Pierre Thomas scored on a two-yard run.
Both the Saints (11-4) and Falcons (12-3) have clinched playoff spots in the NFC.
The game that was postponed due to the huge blizzard on the East coast until Tuesday night between Minnesota and Philadelphia proved to be a huge turn of events as far as the NFC playoff picture is concerned.
The Vikings stunned the host Eagles, 24-14 as rookie QB Joe Webb ran for a score and passed for another to lead the way for the Vikings (6-9).
The Eagles (10-5) blew a chance to qualify as the number-two seed and a first round bye in the NFC playoffs with the setback. Philadelphia is locked in as the number-three seed and will play either Green Bay, Tampa Bay or the New York Giants in the "Wild Card" round of the playoffs.

It's Christmas!

Merry Christmas (With The Stooges)

NFL - Week Sixteen Preview

The Christmas Holiday is here and there will be two games on tap prior to the regularly scheduled games on Sunday this weekend.
The Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) host the Carolina Panthers (2-12) on the Thursday Night Game and then a special Christmas Night Game will have the Dallas Cowboys (5-9) playing at Arizona (4-10) against the Cardinals.
There are once again many games with playoff implications on the line this weekend and none more important than the Monday Night Game between the first place Atlanta Falcons (12-2) hosting the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints (10-4) in a game that may well decide the NFC South division.

Merry Christmas everyone . . . here are the previews for this week's games with predictions to follow.

Carolina (2-12) at Pittsburgh (10-4) - The Steelers should win this one in a rout.

Dallas (5-9) at Arizona (4-10) - The Christmas Night "prime time" game? Oh well, these two teams have lumps of coal in their stockings this Christmas season.

NY Jets (10-4) at Chicago (10-4) - One of many games with implications on the playoff picture. Take the Bears at home.

Tennessee (6-8) at Kansas City (9-5) - The Chiefs are undefeated at home this season.

San Francisco (5-9) at St. Louis (6-8) - Believe it or not... this game actually will impact the playoff picture in the NFC.

Baltimore (10-4) at Cleveland (5-9) - The Browns will keep this game closer than people might think.

New England (12-2) at Buffalo (4-10) - Upset Alert? Nah!

Detroit (4-10) at Miami (7-7) - The Lions are on a roll and the Dolphins are awful at home this season.

Washington (5-9) at Jacksonville (8-6) - The Jags need this one after blowing a chance to wrap up the AFC South at Indy last week.

Indianapolis (8-6) at Oakland (7-7) - The Colts have new life AND control their own playoff destiny. The Raiders are still mathematically alive.

Houston (5-9) at Denver (3-11) - Who cares?

San Diego (8-6) at Cincinnati (3-11) - The Chargers are in danger of missing the NFL playoffs for the first time in five years.

NY Giants (9-5) at Green Bay (8-6) - The winner of this game makes the playoffs; the loser is most likely out!

Seattle (6-8) at Tampa Bay (8-6) - These two were expansion teams back in 1976. They should wear the "throw back" uniforms.

Minnesota (5-9) at Philadelphia (10-4) - the Eagles are soaring coming into this game while the Vikings cannot wait for the disaster that has been the 2010 NFL season to end.

New Orleans (10-4) at Atlanta (12-2) - The Falcons would love to sweep the Saints. Not likely to happen.

Here are the picks for this week (Home teams are listed in BOLD)

Pittsburgh over Carolina
Dallas over Arizona
Chicago over NY Jets
Kansas City over Tennessee
San Francisco over St. Louis
Baltimore over Cleveland
New England over Buffalo
Detroit over Miami
Jacksonville over Washington
Indianapolis over Oakland
Houston over Denver
San Diego over Cincinnati
Green Bay over NY Giants
Tampa Bay over Seattle
Philadelphia over Minnesota
New Orleans over Atlanta

Last Week's Record: 12-4

SEASON RECORD: 150-74

Happy Holidays!

NFL - Week Fifteen Review

The highlight of the day on Sunday was the second "Miracle in the Meadowlands".
Thirty-two years after the original (pictured right), the second "miracle" in the (new) Meadowlands between the Philadelphia Eaglesco-Player of the Week and New York Giants was certainly a classic.
The Eagles' DeSean Jackson (pictured upper left) returned a punt 65 yards as time ran out to cap the big comeback win for Philadelphia (10-4) over the Giants, 38-31.
The Giants had a 31-10 lead with 8:17 remaining in the game after Eli Manning (289 yards passing) threw his fourth touchdown pass of the day. However, that's when Heftyinfo NFL co-Player of the Week Michael Vick took over.
The Eagles' quarterback ran for 130 yards, including a touchdown run and passed for 242 yards and three more touchdowns.
The win puts Philly one game ahead of the Giants with just two games remaining.

The New England Patriots had their collective hands full in The Sunday Night game as Green Bay's backup quarterback Matt Flynn threw for 251 yards and three TDs in a 31-27 loss to the Pats in Foxboro.
New England QB Tom Brady had two TD passes and 163 yards and Kyle Arrington returned an interception 36 yards for a go ahead touchdown in the third quarter.
Green Bay (8-6) outgained New England 369 yards to 249 in the loss, which puts them in a must-win situation next week against the New York Giants (9-5) in Lambeau Field.

The Kansas City Chiefs beat St. Louis 27-13 to maintain their slim lead over San Diego in the AFC West division.
Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel played despite an appendectomy just eleven days ago and was somewhat effective, throwing for a touchdown while the KC ground game ran for 210 yards and two touchdowns.
The Rams (6-8) blew a chance to get a one game lead on Seattle in the NFC West with the home loss to Kansas City, as quarterback Sam Bradford was intercepted twice and had just 181 yards passing.

Baltimore (10-4) beat the New Orleans Saints, 30-24 behind the big performance of Ray Rice, who rushed for 153 yards and also caught five passes for 80 yards and scored two touchdowns in the win. Rice is the Heftyinfo co-Player of the Week.

Indianapolis had to sweat it out, but eventually defeated Jacksonville 34-24 behind an efficient Peyton Manning (229 yards passing), who had two TD passes. Colts' running back Donald Brown ran for a 43-yard score and had 129 yards rushing.
The Colts defense limited Maurice Jones-Drew to just 46 rushing yards for the Jaguars, who slipped into a first-place tie with the Colts (8-6) following the loss.

The New York Jets snapped their losing skid by winning on the road against Pittsburgh, 22-17 as the defense got a safety to help provide the difference.
Brad Smith returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a Jets' score and quarterback Mark Sanchez didn't turn the ball over in the win.
The Steelers (10-4) had a chance to pull it out late but Steelers' QB Ben Roethlisberger came up
short in the red zone as time ran out.

The NFC's top team, the Atlanta Falcons (12-2) became the first NFC team to clinch a playoff spot with a 34-18 win at Seattle.
Quarterback Matt Ryan had three TD passes and 174 yards and the Atlanta defense scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery to help provide the outcome.
The Seahawks (6-8) remained in a first place tie with St. Louis in the NFC West.

Tampa Bay saw their chances for a wild card playoff berth take a serious hit as they blew a late lead at home and eventually lost to the Detroit Lions, 23-20 in overtime. Lions kicker Dave Rayner made a field goal as time expired to force OT and then drilled the game-winner from 34 yards to give Detroit (4-10) a winning streak for the first time in three seasons.
The Buccaneers (8-6) gained 403 yards, but allowed 433 yards as the Lions ran for 181 yards and quarterback Drew Stanton passed for 252 yards.

Buffalo eliminated the Miami Dolphins (7-7) from playoff contention with a 17-14 win in Miami. The Dolphins are 1-6 at home this season.
Bills' QB Ryan Fitzpatrick hit Shawn Nelson with a 18-yard scoring pass and Steve Johnson with a 15-yard strike to go with a Rian Lindell 29-yard field goal to provide the scoring.
Miami got a 6-yard TD run from Ronnie brown and a touchdown pass from Chad Henne to Brandon Marshall.

Dallas almost pulled the same trick as the Giants by blowing a huge lead at home, but they managed to hang on for a 33-30 win over the Washington Redskins, who saw quarterback Rex Grossman (322 yards passing) throw four TD passes in the loss.
The Cowboys led 27-7 after Tashard Choice scored on a three-yard run. The lead was 30-14 in the fourth quarter before Grossman went off.
Dallas QB Jon Kitna passed for 305 yards and two scores and the Cowboys totaled 434 yards for the game.

The Tennessee Titans kept very slim playoff hopes alive with a 31-17 home win against Houston.
Titans' running back Chris Johnson had 130 yards rushing and scored a TD and the Tennessee defense limited Houston to just 30 yards rushing for the game as they built a 21-0 first quarter lead.

The Oakland Raiders spoiled the starting quarterback debut of Tim Tebow as they blasted the visiting Broncos, 39-23.
The Raiders rushed for 264 yards and totaled 502 for the game as Darren McFadden (119 yards rushing) led the way. Michael Bush scored twice and Jacoby Ford ran 71 yards for another Raiders' touchdown. Oakland QB Jason Campbell passed for 238 yards and a score.
The Raiders (7-7) are still alive in the AFC West and play division leader Kansas City in the season finale in two weeks.

Carolina beat Arizona (4-10) and eliminated the Cardinals in the NFC West race with a 19-12 win at home to improve to 2-12 for the season.
Panthers' QB Jimmy Clausen threw a TD pass and had 141 yards passing in the win.

The battle of Ohio went to Cincinnati on Sunday as the Bengals held on for a 19-17 win over the Browns.
Cedric Benson had his best day of the season for the Bengals (3-11) with a touchdown run and 150 yards on the ground as the team snapped a ten-game losing streak.
Browns' rookie QB Colt McCoy threw two TD passes in the loss.

The San Diego Chargers (8-6) kept the pressure on the first-place Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West with a 34-7 pasting of the San Francisco 49ers last Thursday night in San Diego.
Chargers' quarterback Philip Rivers hit wide receiver Vincent Jackson (112 yards receiving on five catches) for three touchdown passes in the win. Rivers also surpassed 4,000 yards passing in a season for the third consecutive year.

The Chicago Bears (10-4) clinched their first NFC North division title in four years with a 40-14 thumping of the host Minnesota Vikings in the outdoors on Monday Night Football.
Bears' quarterback Jay Cutler passed for 194 yards and three touchdowns and Devin Hester set an NFL record with his 14th career kick return for a touchdown when he ran back a punt for a score in the third quarter to put the game away.
Brett Favre made a surprise start for the Vikings after being declared out over the weekend due to a shoulder injury.
Favre led the Vikings to a touchdown on a 60-yard drive to open the game, but was knocked out of the game with a concussion when he was sacked early in the second quarter.

VETERANS FOR PEACE PROTEST WAR OUTSIDE WHITE HOUSE

A Great Christmas Gift

NFL - Week Fifteen Preview

This weekend's games will be do-or-die for some teams around the NFL.
It gets started with the Thursday Night Football game between the San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers, a game which both teams desperately need to stay in playoff contention.
There are some intriguing matchups between division rivals as well as some inter-conference games that will go a long way in determining the playoff picture around the league during the final three weeks of the 2010 season.
Here is a capsule of the games this weekend, with predictions for Week 15 to follow.

San Francisco (5-8) at San Diego (7-6) - Philip Rivers & company won't let this opportunity slip away... Chargers roll.

Buffalo (3-10) at Miami (7-6) - This game could go either way because Miami stinks at home.

Philadelphia (9-4) at NY Giants (9-4) - This one is for ALL the marbles in the NFC East.

Washington (5-8) at Dallas (4-9) - The Cowboys and the Redskins battle to avoid the NFC East cellar.

Kansas City (8-5) at St. Louis (6-7) - Will Chiefs' QB Matt Cassel play? It might not matter because the Rams are a hungry team in 2010.

Houston (5-8) at Tennessee (5-8) - These two teams looked like locks in early October... what happened?

Arizona (4-9) at Carolina (1-12) - Hard to believe these two teams battled each other in the NFC playoffs just two years ago.

Detroit (3-10) at Tampa Bay (8-5) - The Bucs still have a shot at a wild card spot.

Cleveland (5-8) at Cincinnati (2-11) - The battle of Ohio... Yawn!

Jacksonville (8-5) at Indianapolis (7-6) - This one is for ALL the marbles in the AFC South... at "Peyton's Place."

New Orleans (10-3) at Baltimore (9-4) - A possible Super Bowl preview?

Atlanta (11-2) at Seattle (6-7) - Seattle actually needs this one more than the Falcons.

Denver (3-10) at Oakland (6-7) - The Raiders hung 59 points on the Broncos in Denver last month... not this time.

NY Jets (9-4) at Pittsburgh (10-3) - Two solid defenses go at it in this one... take the Steelers.

Green Bay (8-5) at New England (11-2) - The Packers are in trouble and the Patriots are on a roll.

Chicago (9-4) at Minnesota (5-8) - NFL Football fans have got to love this one! A game between the Bears and Vikings in Minnesota OUTSIDE in December? Cue the voice of John Facenda and NFL films circa the 1970's.

Here are the picks for Week 15 . . . (Home teams listed in BOLD)

San Diego over San Francisco
St. Louis over Kansas City
Buffalo over Miami
Dallas over Washington
Tennessee over Houston
Arizona over Carolina
Philadelphia over NY Giants
Tampa Bay over Detroit
Cincinnati over Cleveland
Indianapolis over Jacksonville
Baltimore over New Orleans
Atlanta over Seattle
Oakland over Denver
Pittsburgh over NY Jets
New England over Green Bay
Chicago over Minnesota

Last Week's Record: 11-5

SEASON RECORD: 138-70

NFL - Week Fourteen Review

The Minnesota Vikings saw Brett Favre sit out the game against the New York Giants as his consecutive games streak ended at 297 in the 21-3 win for the Giants on Monday night in Detroit.
Yes, that is correct... Detroit.
The Vikings and Giants were forced to play at Ford Field in Detroit because the Metro Dome roof collapsed during a blizzard in the Minneapolis area last weekend.
Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw led a dominant running game against the Vikings as the Giants improved to 9-4 and remained in a first place tie with Philadelphia heading into their showdown on Sunday.
The regular scheduled Monday Night Football game turned into a barn burner as the Houston Texans rallied from a 21-point deficit to force overtime before the Baltimore Ravens eventually prevailed, 34-28.
The Ravens (9-4) still trail the Pittsburgh Steelers by a game and the Texans are all but eliminated from post-season contention with a 5-8 mark.
The Sunday action had the New England Patriots crushing the host Chicago Bears, 36-7 as quarterback Tom Brady threw for 369 yards and two touchdowns. The win improved the Patriots to 11-2 and they became the first team in the NFL to clinch a playoff spot.
The San Diego Chargers blasted the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-0 to remain in contention in the AFC West behind a pair of TD passes from Philip Rivers to Malcolm Floyd while Mike Tolbert and Ryan Mathews each ran for a score.
San Diego's top ranked defense limited Kansas City to 67 yards of total offense for the game, including just 48 yards on the ground from the NFL's top rushing offense. The Chiefs were without starting QB Matt Cassel for the game due to an appendectomy.
Jacksonville beat Oakland 38-31 as Maurice Jones-Drew scored the game winning TD with just over a minute to play. The win kept the Jaguars (8-5) one game ahead of the Colts in the AFC South.
Indianapolis held on and topped Tennessee on Thursday night, 30-28 as Peyton Manning threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns. The win keeps alive the Colts chances to win the AFC South. Indy is 7-6 and hosts Jacksonville (8-5) this Sunday.
Buffalo beat Cleveland in a yawner, 13-6 while the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) rolled past the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-7 as Troy Polamalu raced 45 yards with an interception for a touchdown to help send the Bengals (2-11) to their tenth straight loss.
The Detroit Lions stunned the Green Bay packers, 7-3 at Ford Field as Drew Stanton threw a TD pass to lead the way. The Lions defense limited the Packers to 258 total yards in offense as quarterback Aaron Rodgers was knocked out of the game with a concussion.
Tampa Bay squeaked past Washington, 17-16 as the Redskins muffed the snap on the potential tying PAT kick with no time left on the game clock.
Atlanta continued to roll with a 31-10 pounding of the Carolina Panthers (1-12) that saw Michael Turner rush for 112 yards and three touchdowns. Atlanta (11-2) has won seven consecutive games and leads New Orleans by one game.
The Saints (10-3) blasted visiting St. Louis Rams, 31-13 behind three TD passes from quarterback Drew Brees.
The San Francisco 49ers knocked off Seattle, 40-21 as Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week
Alex Smith passed for 255 yards and three touchdowns to keep the 'Niners (5-8) in contention in the anemic NFC West. Seattle and St. Louis are 6-7 and tied for first place.
Arizona actually scored 40+ points in the post-Kurt Warner era as they pasted the Denver Broncos, 43-13. Cardinals running back Tim Hightower rushed for 148 yards and scored two touchdowns in the win.
Miami beat the slumping New York Jets, 10-6 in the Meadowlands as the Jets failed to score a touchdown for the second consecutive game. Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne found Brandon Marshall for a six-yard scoring pass to provide the difference.
The Jets defense limited Miami to just 131 yards offense, but still lost the game.
The Sunday Night Football game was an exciting one as the Philadelphia Eagles beat Dallas, 30-27 behind 429 yards of offense.
Eagles quarterback Michael Vick threw for 270 yards and a pair of scores, including a 91-yard scoring pass to DeSean Jackson (four catches for 210 yards). Running back LeSean McCoy rushed for 149 yards to help seal the game after Cowboys' QB Jon Kitna (242 yards passing with two TD and two INT) threw a TD strike to tight end Jason Witten with 3:55 remaining in regulation.

Brett Favre Ruled Out - Consecutive Games Streak Ends

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre will not play in tonight's game against the New York Giants, that was moved to Detroit as a result of the Metro Dome roof collapsing due to heavy snows in Minneapolis over the weekend.
Favre has started and played in 297 consecutive games, dating back to 1992, when he played with the Green Bay Packers.
The end of an era!

NFL - Week Fourteen Preview

It's coming down to the final four games of the season around the NFL and unless certain teams get in gear real quick, there will definitely be some new (different) faces in the post-season in 2010.
It gets started on Thursday Night Football as the Indianapolis Colts take on the Tennessee Titans. Both of these teams have had disappointing seasons to this point.
The Jacksonville Jaguars (7-5 in AFC South), Chicago Bears (9-3 in NFC North) and Kansas City Chiefs (8-4 in AFC West) are the three biggest surprises in the league.
St. Louis and Seattle are both 6-6 and tied for first place in the NFC West. Definitely both of those teams are surprises. Tampa Bay (7-5 in NFC South) is also a pleasant surprise after finishing 3-13 a year ago.
New England is 10-2 and that certainly wasn't expected when the season got rolling three months ago. Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady is having a huge season and has vaulted to the top of the heap as far as NFL MVP talk is concerned.
Along with the Colts and Titans, other disappointments include Cincinnati (2-10 in AFC North), San Diego (6-6 in AFC West), Dallas (4-8 in NFC East), Minnesota (5-7 in NFC North) and San Francisco (4-8 in NFC West).
By the way, Heftyinfo has gone 12-4 for three consecutive weeks and that is also a pleasant surprise.

Here goes another week of predictions for the games . . . (Home teams listed in BOLD)

Indianapolis over Tennessee
New England over Chicago
Minnesota over NY Giants
Washington over Tampa Bay
Buffalo over Cleveland
Green Bay over Detroit
Jacksonville over Oakland
Pittsburgh over Cincinnati
Atlanta over Carolina
San Francisco over Seattle
San Diego over Kansas City
New Orleans over St. Louis
Denver over Arizona
NY Jets over Miami
Philadelphia over Dallas
Baltimore over Houston

Last Week's Record: 12-4
SEASON RECORD: 127-65

It Was 30 Years Ago Today

NFL - Week Thirteen Review

The two biggest games of the weekend saw one live up to the billing, but the other game was over-hyped and turned into a blowout rather quickly.
The Pittsburgh Steelers knocked off the Baltimore Ravens, 13-10 as Troy Polamalu sacked Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco, forcing a fumble and setting up the Steelers for the game-winning touchdown pass by Ben Roethlisberger in the final three minutes.
With the win, Pittsburgh (9-3) took over first over first place in the AFC North.
The New England Patriots dismantled the New York Jets on Monday Night Football as Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week Tom Brady threw four TD passes and the Patriots defense, which was dead last in the league in yards allowed entering the game, limited the Jets to just a field goal in the 45-3 rout.
The Patriots have the best record in football, along with Atlanta, at 10-2 following the win.
The Chicago Bears (9-3) struggled but did manage to defeat host Detroit, 24-20 while the Atlanta Falcons maintained their (10-2) best record by rallying to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 28-24.
Eric Weems returned a kickoff 102 yards for a score and Falcons' QB Matt Ryan threw two touchdown passes in the win.
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints (9-3) continued to roll with a 34-30 win at Cincinnati to keep pace with Atlanta in the NFC South. Saints' QB Drew Brees passed for 313 yards and two touchdowns and Chris Ivory rushed for 117 yards and two scores.
The Bengals rallied from 14 points down and took a 30-27 lead before Brees hit Marques Colston with the game-winning scoring pass with 31 seconds left.
The Green Bay Packers blasted the San Francisco 49ers, 34-16 at Lambeau Field behind three TD passes from Aaron Rodgers.
Minnesota crushed Buffalo, 38-14 as Tarvaris Jackson took over at quarterback for the Vikings when Brett Favre suffered a sprained shoulder in the first quarter. Vikings' running back Adrian Peterson ran for 107 yards and three touchdowns and Jackson threw two TD passes to pace the easy victory.
Cleveland got a late field goal from Phil Dawson to edge the Miami Dolphins, 13-10.
Kansas City held on to defeat the Denver Broncos, 10-6 in a yawner that proved to be the last game for Broncos' Head Coach Josh McDaniels, who was fired on Monday. Denver is 3-9 and have a 5-17 record since starting 6-0 in 2009 under McDaniels.
The Chiefs' victory was significant because the Oakland Raiders (6-6) shocked the San Diego Chargers, 28-13 in San Diego, ending the Chargers' four-game winning streak and increasing the Chiefs lead to two full games over both San Diego and Oakland.
The Chargers saw their 18-game win streak in December (dating back to 2006) snapped as well as the raiders stormed in front 14-0 following two turnovers in the opening quarter. The Raiders rushed for 251 yards against the NFL's top defense as Darren McFadden and Michael Bush each scored a touchdown.
The New York Giants (8-4) regained a first-place tie with Philadelphia with a 31-7 pasting of the Washington Redskins. The Giants gained 197 yards on the ground as Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw each scored two touchdowns.
The Eagles (8-4) rode the arm and legs of quarterback Michael Vick to shoot down the Houston Texans last Thursday night, 34-24.
Jacksonville beat Tennessee, 17-6 to improve to 7-5 and take over first place in the AFC South.
The Indianapolis Colts lost at home to Dallas, 38-35 in OT as Peyton Manning threw four more interceptions in the defeat that dropped to Colts to 6-6 and second place in the AFC South.
Both Seattle and St. Louis remained in a deadlock in the NFC West at 6-6 with wins. The Seahawks beat Carolina, 31-14 behind three touchdown runs from Marshawn Lynch while the Rams topped Arizona, 19-6 as kicker Josh Brown kicked four field goals and Steven Jackson rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown.

Former Player And Monday Night Football Announcer 'Dandy' Don Meredith Dies At Age 72

The Truth Hurts (the poor, not the rich)

The Heartless Republicans Make Scrooge Look Like A Saint

NFL - Week Thirteen Preview

The month of December is upon us and that means it is the home stretch for the National Football League's 2010 season.
There are numerous games in the upcoming weeks that will have huge impact on the division races as well as the conference races.
This weekend sees the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, co-leaders in the AFC North at 8-3, going at it on the Sunday night game.
Meanwhile, the New York Jets and Head Coach Rex Ryan (pictured upper right) travel to Foxboro, Mass. to take on the New England Patriots in a first place battle in the AFC East on Monday Night Football. Both teams are 9-2 and the Jets knocked off the Pats back in September.
Those are the feature games this weekend. The rest of the weekend has some big games as the league standings are so close heading into the final weeks.

Houston (5-6) at Philadelphia (7-4) - The Eagles should soar in this one.

Chicago (8-3) at Detroit (2-9) - The Lions would like to get even for the game in Week One that was taken from them via replay. The Bears are still opening eyes around the league.

San Francisco (4-7) at Green Bay (7-4) - If the Packers struggle in this game, they are pretenders, not contenders.

Denver (3-8) at Kansas City (7-4) - Two teams headed in opposite directions. Chiefs roll.

Buffalo (2-9) at Minnesota (4-7) - The Vikings should win their second game in a row, but the Bills will battle them.

Jacksonville (6-5) at Tennessee (5-6) - The Jags and Titans are battling for a shot at the AFC South title as the season rolls on.

Cleveland (4-7) at Miami (6-5) - The Dolphins need this one, but the Browns will not roll over.

Washington (5-6) at NY Giants (7-4) - This one could go down to the wire.

New Orleans (8-3) at Cincinnati (2-9) - Who would have thought the Bengals would be THIS BAD?

Oakland (5-6) at San Diego (6-5) - The Chargers are the hottest team in the NFL right now and it's December, where they have won 18 straight games dating back to 2006. Chargers roll.

Carolina (1-10) at Seattle (5-6) - Can Carolina get a road win in Seattle? Maybe.

St. Louis (5-6) at Arizona (3-8) - The Rams are for real and may win the NFC West.

Atlanta (9-2) at Tampa Bay (7-4) - The Buccaneers need this game to stay in playoff contention.

Dallas (3-8) at Indianapolis (6-5) - This game looked to be a marquee match in September... not any more.

Pittsburgh (8-3) at Baltimore (8-3) - Steelers and Ravens in a battle for first place in December and on prime time. It doesn't get any better for football fans.

NY Jets (9-2) at New England (9-2) - See the above comments, with the Jets and Patriots in their places. Should be a great game.

Here goes nothing in picking this week's games ... (Home teams are listed in BOLD)

Philadelphia over Houston
Chicago over Detroit
Green Bay over San Francisco
Kansas City over Denver
Minnesota over Buffalo
Tennessee over Jacksonville
Miami over Cleveland
NY Giants over Washington
New Orleans over Cincinnati
San Diego over Oakland
Seattle over Carolina
St. Louis over Arizona
Atlanta over Tampa Bay
Indianapolis over Dallas
Pittsburgh over Baltimore
New England over NY Jets


Last Week's Record: 12-4

SEASON RECORD: 115-61