Happy New Year - Rockin' with AC/DC

Images of 2011

What a year 2011 proved to be... here are some of the memorable images of the past year, along with a montage of photos of the departed during the past year.

Gaddafi

Blago goes to jail

Citizens United protesters

Casey Anthony walked free of child murder charges

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker

RECALL SCOTT WALKER

Recall Scott Walker gains steam

Wisconsin protesters

Police State USA

THE 99 PERCENT

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner led a do nothing Congress

Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot by an extremist

Joe Paterno was fired amid the Penn State scandal

Rebecca Black's 'Friday' video went viral on YouTube

Some of those who departed in 2011 ....

Joe Frazier

Steve Jobs

Jane Russell

Elizabeth Taylor

Amy Winehouse

Bubba Smith

Harry Morgan

Andy Rooney

Friday Night Music Video - A Golden Oldie

2011 - The Sports Year in Review

 The year in sports that was 2011 provided a lot of memories and the following photos show some of the top memories from the past year in sports...

Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl

Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers win the BCS Championship

Aaron Rodgers

NBA MVP Derrick Rose

Tebow Time!

Drew Brees sets new NFL season pass yardage record

Boston Bruins win Stanley Cup

Dallas Mavericks win NBA title

U Conn. captures the NCAA Men's Basketball championship

Sandusky

St. Louis Cardinals stun the baseball world by winning it all!

NFL - Week Seventeen Preview

It all comes down to this for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants as they face each other in the Sunday Night Football showdown ... win or go home.
Both teams are 8-7 and whoever wins this game played at the Meadowlands will win the NFC East division title. The loser is out of the playoff picture.
The Giants won a thriller three weeks ago against the Cowboys, blocking a late field goal attempt to preserve a 37-34 win in Dallas.
Cowboys QB Tony Romo is nursing a hand injury and should be ready to go in this one. The sixth year signal caller is enjoying perhaps his finest season and will need to be at his best if Dallas is going to win this one.
On the other side, Eli Manning has been up and down as of late, but he too is enjoying a great season as his team prepares for the showdown on Sunday night.
The rest of the NFC Playoff picture is set, except for the seedings of the teams.
The Green Bay Packers are locked in at the top spot with their 14-1 record, meaning they have home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The San Francisco 49ers (12-3) play at St. Louis and will look to clinch the number two spot with a win. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saint (12-3) host Carolina and will be either the three or two seed.
The Detroit Lions (10-5) are in the playoffs as a wild card team and need to win at Green Bay to maintain the five spot. The Atlanta Falcons (9-6) are the sixth seed, but could leap Detroit if they beat Tampa Bay in the Georgia Dome on Sunday, coupled with a Lions defeat.

In the AFC, it's a bit more complicated as the Denver Broncos (8-7) look to seal the four seed by winning the AFC West division.
All they need to do is win at home over Kansas City and they are in the playoffs.
It won't be easy because there is a twist to this football game as former Broncos' starting QB Kyle Orton rolls into town with a chance to knock his former team out of the post-season party.
The Chiefs and Broncos traditionally play each other tough and this game should be no exception.
Tim Tebow vs. Kyle Orton ... no love lost there.
With all of that going on, the Oakland Raiders (8-7) play host to the San Diego Chargers with a chance to claim the AFC West crown.
The Raiders need to win and have the Chiefs beat Denver for the AFC West title to belong to them. The Chargers would like nothing more than to beat the Raiders and keep them from making the post-season.
The Raiders can still get a wild card spot with a win regardless of the Chiefs and Broncos outcome. If Oakland wins and the Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans both lose as well, then the Raiders are playoff bound for the first time in nine years.
Confused yet?
The bottom line is there are two spots still up for grabs in the AFC Playoff picture and five teams vying for those two positions.
In the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens travel to play the Cincinnati Bengals and can win the division with a victory. The Pittsburgh Steelers can claim the North crown with a win at Cleveland coupled with a Bengals win over the Ravens.
If the latter happens, the AFC North would have three teams in the playoffs.
The worst the Steelers (11-4) can do is finish as a wild card (five seed) this year.
The AFC South belongs to the Houston Texans (10-5) as they are locked in as the number three playoff seed.
The Tennessee Titans have a shot at a wild card playoff spot, along with the New York Jets. Both teams are 8-7 and MUST WIN and get quite a bit of help to snare the sixth and final AFC Playoff spot.

The rest of the games in the NFL are simply on the schedule and must be played.

Here are the Heftyinfo picks for the final weekend of the regular season ... (Home teams are listed in BOLD)

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

Last Week's Record: 13-3


SEASON RECORD: 153-87

NFL - Week Sixteen Review

 A horde of regulars and some unexpected guests are heading to the NFL Playoffs as the post-season picture came into clearer focus following the weekend action on Christmas Eve.
The one game played on Christmas Day saw the Green Bay Packers roll past the Chicago Bears, 35-21 at Lambeau Field behind FIVE touchdown passes from quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week.
 The Packers improved to 14-1 and wrapped up home field advantage throughout the NFC Playoffs with the win. The Bears, once upon a time 7-3, lost their fifth straight game since QB Jay Cutler was lost for the year with a thumb injury on his throwing hand.
The New York Giants took a huge step toward the post-season as they beat the New York Jets, 29-14 as Ahmad Bradshaw ran for two scores and wide receiver Victor Cruz raced for a 99-yard TD pass from Eli Manning.

Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan goes at it with Giants RB Brandon Jacobs

 following the Giants 29-14 win on Saturday.

After the game, the Giants were very jubilant in their celebrating the win as Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan made some "bulletin board" type statements leading up to the game about his team owning New York and that they have been the team in the playoffs while the Giants have been sitting home the last two years.
The fact is the Jets' playoff chances took a big hit with the loss, as now they have to win at Miami next weekend and get a lot of help to get into the playoffs.
Oakland knocked off host Kansas City, 16-13 in overtime to set up a shot at getting into the playoffs next week when they host the disappointing San Diego Chargers.
The Raiders' Richard Seymour blocked a field goal at the end of regulation to get the game to OT and then kicker Sebastian Janikowski drilled the game winning 36-yard field goal that improved Oakland to 8-7 and a first place tie with Denver in the AFC West.
Speaking of the Denver Broncos, they got smashed at Buffalo, 40-14 as the Bills' defense stifled the college style option offense the Broncos run, led by QB Tim Tebow, who was intercepted four times, including two taken back for touchdowns.
The Broncos (8-7) still control their own  destiny as they host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. A win for Denver puts them into the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
The Detroit Lions are headed to the NFC Playoffs for the first time in 12 years as they pasted the visiting San Diego Chargers, 38-10 behind three TD passes from QB Matthew Stafford.

Matthew Stafford

The Lions (10-5) roared out to a 24-0 halftime lead and never looked back as they assured they will be in the post-season as a "wild card" team. San Diego QB Philip Rivers was intercepted twice as the Chargers (7-8) were eliminated from the AFC playoff  picture for the second consecutive season.
The Philadelphia Eagles, another disappointment this season, won 20-7 at Dallas, but were also eliminated from the playoff picture as a result of the Giants win over the Jets earlier in the day.
Cowboys' QB Tony Romo left the game with a bruised throwing hand and will look to be ready to go on Sunday Night Football (NBC-TV) at the New York Giants in the showdown for the NFC East division title.
The New England Patriots stormed back from a 17-0 halftime deficit to beat Miami, 27-24 and improve to 12-3 in the AFC East.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady rushed for two scores and passed for another to pace the come from behind win.
Cincinnati kept up their surprising playoff hopes with a 23-16 win over visiting Arizona as QB Andy Dalton threw for two touchdowns and the defense withstood a furious fourth quarter comeback effort from the Cardinals after Cincy had built a 23-0 lead after three quarters.
Baltimore beat Cleveland, 20-14 to maintain the lead in the AFC North division as QB Joe Flacco passed for two touchdowns.
The Pittsburgh Steelers kept pace with Baltimore in the division race as they shut out St. Louis, 27-0 with backup QB Charlie Batch directing the offense as Ben Roethlisberger rested with an ankle sprain.
The Tennessee Titans (8-7) still have a flicker of hope for the post-season as they held off the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars, 23-17. Kicker Rob Bironas kicked three field goals and QB Matt Hasselbeck threw a TD pass to lead the way to the win.
Indianapolis won for the second straight time as they surprised the Houston Texans, 19-16 behind a one-yard TD pass from Dan Orlovsky to Reggie Wayne with 19 seconds remaining. The Texans (10-5) have long since been in the playoffs, having clinched the AFC South three weeks ago.

Carolina and QB Cam Newton (pictured left) slammed visiting Tampa Bay, 48-16 as the rookie set a record for passing yardage in a season as well as scoring his 14th rushing touchdown, a record for quarterbacks. The Panthers rushed for 270 yards in the game. The Bucs (4-11)  lost for the ninth consecutive time.
 Minnesota improved to 3-12 as they beat the host Washington Redskins, 33-26 with backup Joe Webb, in for starting QB Christian Ponder who was injured in the game.
Webb ran for a score and also threw for a pair of touchdowns in the win.
The Vikings lost All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson to a severe knee injury (torn ACL) that requires surgery and will likely sideline him heading into next season's training camp.
The San Francisco 49ers (12-3) got a late 39-yard field goal to beat the Seattle Seahawks, 19-17 and keep alive their shot at a first round playoff bye in the NFC.
The loss eliminated Seattle (7-8) from playoff contention as running back Marshawn Lynch (107 yards rushing) became the first opposing runner to score a rushing touchdown against the San Francisco defense in the 2011 NFL season.
The Monday Night Football season finale' on ESPN saw the New Orleans Saints dismantle the Atlanta Falcons, 45-16 to wrap up their second NFC South division title in three years as quarterback Drew Brees broke the NFL record for most passing yardage in a season (5,084 yards by Miami's Dan Marino in 1984 was the old record) as he threw for 307 yards and four touchdown passes in the game.

Merry Christmas Memories

On this blog, very seldom will I post personal stories as the Heftyinfo site is for sports and political stories and/or views with occasional music or entertainment videos sprinkled in.
But this is the third year of the site and it is Christmas, so I felt obliged to share some (very briefly at that) memories of Christmas past as this Christmas is being spent without my father and one of my three older brothers, who both passed away a day apart in late October of this year.
My Dad was 79 years old and my brother was just 50 years old, but this Christmas is different not having them around for the family gatherings.
Mom passed away in April 1993 and it took some getting used to as well not having her around for the Christmas celebrations that meant so much growing up in the Chicago area.
For all of those reading this and celebrating Christmas with family and friends, enjoy the time you have with the cherished ones in your life and make the most of the holiday season.
Growing up in the 1970's and then of course later in life as adulthood came along and life went along, the Christmas gatherings could be strenuous at times, with the gift giving and all the hustle and bustle of the holidays we are accustomed to seeing.
Time does go by so fast and this past year served as a strong reminder that life is precious and to not enjoy it fully and live in the present (while also remembering the past), we can forget what truly matters.
With that said, and missing my father and brother very much this Christmas, I would like to extend a Merry Christmas greeting to all those who visit this site...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A Christmas Classic

NFL - Week Sixteen Preview

Home for the Holidays with the NFL as the bulk of the games will be played on Saturday, December 24 this year with Christmas Day falling on Sunday.
The Chicago Bears travel north to Green Bay to take on the Packers on the Sunday Night Game, which will be the only game played on Christmas Day.
There are some intriguing games this week as the season winds down to the final two games and this week, Heftyinfo will provide a little more depth with the bigger games along with the capsules and the predictions for all the action.

Jets (8-6) vs. Giants (7-7)

The battle of New York as the Jets and Giants go at it on Saturday with both teams needing a win to maintain a shot at the playoffs.
The Jets (8-6) need a big game from quarterback Mark Sanchez against the depleted Giants secondary, which has been injury riddled since training camp.
 Meanwhile, Eli Manning will look to shake off his worst game this season when he was intercepted three times in the loss against the Washington Redskins.
The drama will be there as Jets head Coach Rex Ryan has already put up bulletin board material at the press conference, saying the Jets are not the "little brothers" in New York and basically challenging the Giants to show they are the better  team than the Jets.
Stay tuned.

Denver (8-6) at Buffalo (5-9)

 Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos (8-6) will travel to Buffalo to face the Bills, losers of seven straight games. The Broncos lead the league in rushing (averaging 163 yards per game) and will present a big challenge to the Buffalo defense, which struggles against the run, allowing 140 yards a game on the ground.
The Broncos need a win to avoid a Week 17 showdown with Kansas City and former quarterback Kyle Orton, so this is definitely a MUST WIN for the Broncos.

 Oakland (7-7) at Kansas City (6-8) 

Believe it or not, the Chiefs are still alive for the AFC West title as all four teams in the division can win it in  the final two weeks.
The Raiders blew a 13-point lead (at home) last week against the Detroit Lions in the final five minutes of the game while the Chiefs knocked Green Bay off and ended the Packers run at a perfect season with a 19-14 decision.
Quarterback Kyle Orton had 299 yards passing and led the offense on a key fourth quarter drive to ensure that Aaron Rodgers and the Packers would not pull off any late game heroics.
 Kansas City shut out Oakland, 28-0 back in late October and will be riding high after last week's big win, while trying to continue to show that interim Head Coach Romeo Crennel deserves to get the job full time.

Philadelphia (6-8) at Dallas (8-6)

The Eagles tore the New York Jets a new one last week, winning 45-19 and now face the Cowboys, a team they beat 34-7 back in Week Eight.
 Dallas is coming off a 31-15 triumph at Tampa Bay where Tony Romo had a big game, throwing for three touchdowns while running back Felix Jones stepped up big (over 100 yards on the ground) in DeMarco Murray's absence.
The Eagles will look to exploit the Cowboys' suddenly vulnerable defense as they did two months ago with Michael Vick on the move and looking to hit targets Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek while running back LeSean McCoy (20 touchdowns and 1,274 yards rushing) looks to continue to do damage against the defense.
Philadelphia comes into this game a very confident team knowing they still have a chance to win the NFC East if they win out and get some help.

San Diego (7-7) at Detroit (9-5) 

It's December, here come the Chargers.
The San Diego Chargers are making their annual late season run as the playoffs near, winning three straight as they head to Motown to take on the Lions, who will be looking to clinch their first playoff appearance since the 1999 season.
Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford had a huge game last week in the comeback win at Oakland, hooking up with wide receiver Calvin Johnson for two scores, including the game winner in the final minute.
The duo will need to be ready as the Chargers' defense has been stellar the last three games, including last week when the 'Bolts smacked the Baltimore Ravens, 34-14 on the Sunday Night Football game.
San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers has been on fire in the three wins, throwing seven touchdowns and no interceptions while running back Ryan Mathews has helped to balance the offense on the ground. The second year back topped the 1,000 yard mark last week.
This game should go down to the wire in a high scoring affair that may be decided by who has the football last.

Atlanta (9-5) at New Orleans (11-3)

The Monday Night matchup featuring the NFC South rivals with the division title on the line.
The Saints have been as good as any team in the NFL the past month and QB Drew Brees may set a new passing record in this game, needing 305 yards to break Dan Marino's record of 5,084 passing yards in single season set back in 1984.
The Falcons have been playing well on both sides of the ball and QB Matt Ryan has been steady with Michael Turner churning out the yardage on the ground.
The last time these two teams faced each other, the Saints won in overtime, 26-23 following the Falcons being stopped after going for it on fourth down at their own 29-yard line.
Atlanta Head Coach Mike Smith knows better after that and will have the Falcons ready in the Super Dome as they look to not only clinch a playoff spot with a victory, but also deny the Saints a division title.

The rest of the action follows...

Houston (10-4) at Indianapolis (1-13) - The Thursday Night game ... the Colts looking to make it two in a row on national television. You never know.


Cleveland (4-10) at Baltimore (10-4) - After being blown out on national TV and then getting new life in the AFC North title race with Pittsburgh, look for the Ravens to roll big time in this one.


Tampa Bay (4-10) at Carolina (5-9) - What has happened to the Tampa Bay Bucs?  Panthers roll!

Arizona (7-7) at Cincinnati (8-6) - The Bengals really need this one, but the Cards have been rolling hot, knocking off Dallas and San Francisco in their four-game win streak.

Miami (5-9) at New England (11-3) - The Patriots are in the AFC driver's seat going into this game. Look for Brady and company to stay on a roll, despite their weak defense.

St. Louis (2-12) at Pittsburgh (10-4) - Get some rest and take care of that ankle sprain Big Ben.

Jacksonville (4-10) at Tennessee (7-7) - The Titans' playoff chances really took a hit last week, they MUST win this game.

Minnesota (2-12) at Washington (5-9) - Rex Grossman can carve up the Vikings paltry secondary in this one.

San Francisco (11-3) at Seattle (7-7) - Two hot teams facing each other in the Great Northwest... expect a  low scoring game with the 49ers winning a close one.

Chicago (7-7) at Green Bay (13-1) - The Packers should win this game rather handily you would think... but this is the NFL's oldest rivalry.

Heftyinfo picks for the week ... (Home teams are listed in BOLD)

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

Last Week's Record: 9-7


SEASON RECORD: 140-84

TEA PARTY TAX INCREASE

This is what the TEA PARTY led Republican House of Representatives did to the 99 percent of the American people by RAISING THEIR TAXES while protecting the 1 percent with extended tax cuts.

TAKE A GOOD LOOK!

 HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE G.O.P !!!

NFL - Week Fifteen Review

The NFL post-season picture took a dramatic turn with all of the upsets around the league.
Topping them all was the Kansas City Chiefs knocking off undefeated Green Bay, 19-14 at Arrowhead Stadium behind four field goals by kicker Ryan Succop and a touchdown run by Jackie Battle along with stifling defense that limited Aaron Rodgers to just one touchdown pass.
Chiefs' Defensive Lineman Tamba Hali had three sacks in the win, which believe it or not, kept alive playoff hopes for Kansas City, which is 6-8 and finishes the season with huge games against Oakland and Denver.

Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos were beaten by the visiting New England Patriots, 41-23 as Tom Brady (pictured right) led the way, passing for two touchdowns and 320 yards and also scoring a rushing TD as well.
Denver's Tim Tebow ran for a pair of touchdowns, but there was no drama in the fourth quarter this week as the Patriots built a big lead and rolled to the easy win.
The Oakland Raiders blew a huge opportunity to catch the Broncos for first place in the AFC West when they lost at home to Detroit, 28-27 as Lions' QB Matthew Stafford threw for four touchdowns and 391 yards to lead a 14-point comeback in the final five minutes of the game for the win. Lions' wide receiver Calvin Johnson had nine catches for 214 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner with just 39 seconds remaining.
The New Orleans Saints crushed the Minnesota Vikings, 42-20 behind the passing of Drew Brees, the Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week.

Drew Brees

Brees had FIVE touchdown passes and 412 yards passing (moving him within 305 yards of the all-time passing record of 5,084 yards in 1984 held by Dan Marino) to lead the Saints to the victory, which clinched a playoff spot for them.
On the other end of the spectrum, the two New York teams lost games and had their playoff chances take a hit as a result.
The Jets were demolished at Philadelphia, 45-19 as the Eagles (6-8) built a quick 28-0 lead and never looked back. Philly QB Michael Vick ran for a score and threw a TD pass and running back LeSean McCoy ran wild, going for 102 yards and three rushing touchdowns against the vaunted Jets' defense.
The New York Giants never answered the wake up call as the Redskins rolled into the Meadowlands and dominated from start to finish in a 23-10 win over the Giants.
New York QB Eli Manning threw three interceptions in the loss.
Speaking of throwing picks, the Chicago Bears were throttled at home by the Seattle Seahawks, 38-14 as Bears' QB Caleb Hanie threw three interceptions, including two that were returned for scores by the Seattle defense.
The Bears (7-7) lost their fourth consecutive game since losing QB Jay Cutler to a thumb injury while the Seahawks, also 7-7, notched their third straight win.
Cincinnati kept their playoff chances alive with a 20-13 win over the stubborn St. Louis Rams. The win improved the Bengals to 8-6 as Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott each scored a rushing touchdown.
Carolina pulled off a stunner at Houston against the league's top defense, scoring a 28-13 win as rookie QB Cam Newton threw for two touchdowns and also ran for 55 yards in the win. The Texans (10-4) already have clinched a playoff spot as the AFC South champions.
The Indianapolis Colts beat the Tennessee Titans, 27-13 to get their first win of the season, assuring there will be no winless teams in the NFL this year.
Donald Brown ran 80 yards for the final score for the Colts, which saw their much maligned defense force three turnovers and limit Titans' running back Chris Johnson to just 55 rushing yards.
The loss pretty much knocks the Titans (7-7) out of the AFC Playoff picture, unless they win out and get a lot of help along the way in the final two weeks.
The Atlanta Falcons completely dominated Jacksonville last Thursday night, 41-14 as QB Matt Ryan had three TD passes and the Falcons' defense dominated the Jaguars pathetic offense while building a 27-0 halftime lead.

Tony Romo

 The Dallas Cowboys went into Tampa bay and put a beating on the Buccaneers, winning 31-15 as they built a 28-0 halftime lead behind the performances of quarterback Tony Romo (249 yards passing and three touchdown passes) and running back Felix Jones, who ran for 108 yards in the absence of DeMarco Murray, who is out for the season with a broken ankle.
The win left the Cowboys (8-6) alone in first place in the NFC East as the New York Giants (7-7) lost at home to Washington. The Cowboys finish their regular season playing division rivals Philadelphia and then the Giants on the road in the the final weekend.
The Arizona Cardinals kept their razor thin wild card chances alive with a 20-17 overtime win against the visiting Cleveland Browns as kicker Jay Feeley nailed the deciding field goal.
Miami knocked off Buffalo in the cold and swirling snow, 30-23 behind a huge game from running back Reggie Bush, who gained 203 yards on the ground, including a 76-yard touchdown run. Both teams are 5-9 and will be looking to be the spoilers in the final two weeks of the season.
In the "prime time" Sunday Night Football game, the San Diego Chargers put a beat down on the visiting Baltimore Ravens, dominating on both sides of the ball in a 34-14 win, which keeps alive the Chargers' playoff hopes.
The win was the third in a row for the 7-7 Chargers as QB Philip Rivers threw a TD pass to Malcolm Floyd while running back Ryan Mathews scored two on the ground. The San Diego offense rolled up 415 yards against the Baltimore defense, which had Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis back after missing several games with a toe injury.
San Diego's defense sacked Ravens' QB Joe Flacco seven times and limited running back Ray Rice to just 57 yards rushing.
Baltimore (10-4) had already clinched a playoff spot as a result of the earlier games played on Sunday afternoon.
 The San Francisco 49ers rode their defense to a 20-3 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, intercepting Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger three times.
San Francisco running back Frank Gore scored a rushing touchdown and Vernon Davis hauled in a scoring pass from Alex Smith to go with a pair of field goals to provide the outcome.

No Unbeaten or Winless Teams in the 2011 NFL Season

UPSET SUNDAY!

The Green Bay Packers were stunned by the Kansas City Chiefs, 19-14 and the Indianapolis Colts topped the Tennessee Titans, 27-13 in a huge turn of stunning upsets around the league.
The Chiefs used four field goals by kicker Ryan Succop and a stifling defense that limited the potent Green Bay offense to turn the trick and knock the Packers (now 13-1) from their undefeated status.
The Colts (now 1-13) put away the Tennessee Titans behind an 80-yard touchdown run by Donald Brown (16 carries for 161 yards) that earned them their first win of the season. The loss all but eliminated the Titans from playoff contention in the AFC.
In addition to those stunners, the New York Giants blew a golden opportunity to stay in first place in the NFC East as they lost at home to the Washington Redskins, 23-10.
Meanwhile, the Houston Texans, battling three other teams for the top spot in the AFC playoff picture, lost at home, 28-13 against the Carolina Panthers.

More details on all the games around the NFL for Week 15 will be posted on Monday.

NFL's Greatest Defense Ever - 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers

With all of the talk making the rounds this NFL season of the Green Bay Packers possibly going undefeated and attempting to win back-to-back Super bowl titles, the sports talkers and reporters have been talking about the greatest teams ever.
Where do the 2011 Packers fit in? How about the 2007 New England Patriots? The 1985 Chicago Bears? The 1984 San Francisco 49ers?
And of course, the 1972 Miami Dolphins... the last (and only) team to go unbeaten and WIN the Super Bowl title.
The overwhelming choice is the Chicago Bears of 1985, which went 15-1 and steam rolled the opposition in the post-season while winning the Super Bowl.
The Bears outscored the opposition 91-10 in the three post-season victories.
Wow!
That post-season stretch is the best ever in terms of sheer domination. However, when talking about the best defense ever for a single REGULAR season, look no further than the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers were back-to-back defending Super Bowl champions and then started out 1-4 in the first five games of the '76 season, also losing starting quarterback Terry Bradshaw to injury along the way.
What followed next was simply incredible.
The Steelers pitched five shutouts and allowed an amazing total of just 28 points (3.1 points per game) in those final nine games. It was the greatest stretch of defensive dominance in the history of the NFL.
Included in the dominant run was the fact that Pittsburgh's defense did not allow a touchdown for 22 quarters in one stretch. They also did not allow a touchdown in eight of those last nine regular season games.

WOW!

There are many who will argue for the 1985 Bears or even the 2000 Baltimore Ravens defenses as the best ever in a regular season, but what the "Steel Curtain" did during that nine game stretch that led to a 10-4 finish after the poor 1-4 start was indescribable.

Need more proof... well here is some VIDEO evidence of the greatest regular season defense in NFL history... the 1976 PITTSBURGH STEELERS.

Happy Holidays

NFL - Week Fifteen Preview

The big question coming into Week 15 is whether or not the Denver Broncos, led by quarterback Tim Tebow, can continue to put the whammy on their opponents, which this week just happens to be future Hall-of-Famer Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
What the Broncos have been doing is stunning everyone around the NFL, but really it is quite simple. They have been playing outstanding defense and Tebow has kept the mistakes to a minimum.
In other words... football 101.
The Patriots can score points in bunches and their defense is the worst in football. So it stands to reason that this game will be a high scoring affair that could come down to the wire (once again) if  New England doesn't take Tebow and the Broncos serious.
Knowing Head Coach Bill Belichick's take on things, that shouldn't be a problem. He has a way of exposing the opposition's weaknesses and then exploiting them to the enth degree.
Stay tuned regarding this game.
There are some other intriguing matchups in Week 15 as well, including the "prime time" games on Sunday night and Monday Night Football.
The Baltimore Ravens (10-3) travel to take on the San Diego Chargers (6-7) in the Sunday night tilt, which should be a thriller. Great defense (Baltimore) vs. a high flying offense, led by the recently rejuvenated quarterback Philip Rivers of the Chargers.
The MNF game has the Pittsburgh Steelers taking on the San Francisco 49ers (both teams are 10-3) in the Bay Area. These two teams have solid defenses, but Pittsburgh rates the edge offensively.

Following is a capsule preview of the games and the Heftyinfo picks for the week.

 THURSDAY NIGHT

Jacksonville (4-9) at Atlanta (8-5) - The Falcons soar in this game.

 SATURDAY NIGHT

 Dallas (7-6) at Tampa Bay (4-9) - The Cowboys should win this game against the woeful Bucs.

SUNDAY

Miami (4-9) at Buffalo (5-8) - Battle of AFC East cellar dwellers.


Seattle (6-7) at Chicago (7-6) - Stay in bounds Marion Barber!

Carolina (4-9) at Houston (10-3) - The Texans are tough, even with a third string QB playing.

Tennessee (7-6) at Indianapolis (0-13) - The Titans get a welcome game against Indy ... just what they need to keep playoff hopes alive.


Green Bay (13-0) at Kansas City (5-8) - The Packers face a defensive "genius" of sorts in Chiefs interim Head Coach Romeo Crennel. Take the Packers!

New Orleans (10-3) at Minnesota (2-11) - The Saints might put up 50 points in this game.


Washington (4-9) at NY Giants (7-6) - Can the Giants make it two in a row? Yes!

Cincinnati (7-6) at St. Louis (2-11) - The Bengals get the tonic they need in the Rams to keep their own playoff hopes alive.

Detroit (8-5) at Oakland (7-6) - Suh returns for the Lions... that could mean a long day for QB Carson Palmer and the Raiders.

Cleveland (4-9) at Arizona (6-7) - The Cardinals are riding high and should get to .500 this week.


New England (10-3) at Denver (8-5) - How can you pick against Tebow & the Broncos?  Because Brady & the Patriots are the better quarterback and team... that's how.

NY Jets (8-5) at Philadelphia (5-8) - Believe it or not, the Eagles soar in this game.

Baltimore (10-3) at San Diego (6-7) - It's December ... here come the Chargers.

MONDAY NIGHT

Pittsburgh (10-3) at San Francisco (10-3) - The Steelers should win this one in a squeaker.


Heftyinfo predictions for Week 15 ... (Home teams are listed in BOLD)

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

Last Week's Record: 10-6


SEASON RECORD: 131-77