About 'university of al football schedule'|The Top Nine Brands of College Football
All statistics and team records are collected from Yahoo! Sports, USA Today Sports Weekly, pro-football reference, and a quote from Ray Rice is taken from Philadelphia's Saturday Sportsweek. 32. Indianapolis Colts (0-12): My, how the tables turn quickly. It was only this past July 30 that the worst team in football signed Peyton Manning to a contract that would pay him $69 million - that is not a typo - over the first three of a five year commitment. Now it appears, after they draft Andrew Luck, they will be looking to dump Manning as soon as possible so that they do not have to eat a $20 million roster bonus due in March. No matter what direction the Colts decide to go at quarterback, this represents good news for Jim Irsay, as it provides a welcome distraction from a moribund defense that is last in the NFL in point-per-game (an unsightly 29.8). That unit also has the dubious distinction of ranking in the bottom 5 in total yards allowed per game (387.1, 28th), rushing yards allowed per game (144.2, 30th), team interception (5, last), and total sacks (19.0, T-31st). Colts quarterbacks have managed a 10:11 TD:INT while mustering just 126 first downs (the Patriots have lost 117 yards from scrimmage all season). Rookie Delone Carter's 347 yards rushing on the season is about the best thing to say regarding this offense. First Coach Fired: Jim Caldwell. 31. St. Louis Rams (2-10): The Rams have three offensive linemen on IR which, admittedly, is not a good recipe for sustained offensive production. But injuries are a fact of life in the NFL and no amount of battle scars can cover up for these putrid offensive statistics: 11.7 points per game (last), 284 yards per game (31st), and manage to convert just 28.2% of their third down opportunities (last). If franchise quarterback Sam Bradford (179-for-328, 54.6%, 1,971 yards, 6:5, 72.3 rating) can't play, Steve Spagnuolo will be turning to either Kellen Clemmons or Tommy Brandstater. No bueno. Defensively, the Rams surrender more yards on the ground (157.8) than any NFL team. The unit has made some strides under Spags, however, and are tied for third in sacks (33.0), paced by Chris Long's 12.0 (tied with Jason Babin for 2nd in the league), What happens with this team from here on out is irrelevant; new owner Stan Kroenke will clean house at season's end. Second Coach Fired: Steve Spagnuolo. 30. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-9): It truly is difficult to fathom how this team beat the Baltimore Ravens. Nevertheless, interim head coach Mel Tucker's passing game is abysmal. Rookie Blaine Gabbert has completed 49.5% of his passes and has just 81 more passing yards than Carson Palmer, who has started in five less games. The Jags' top three wide receivers are Mike Thomas (39/389/1), Jason Hill (25/367/3), and TE Mercedes Lewis (30/308/0). Consider that Wes Welker has 93 receptions, one shy of their combined total, the top four NFL wide-outs (Welker, Steve Smith, Mega-tron, and Victor Cruz) have more combined yards and that there are 55 players with at least 4 touchdowns. It would be unfair to leave out the great Maurice Jones- Drew in Jaguars rant, who has 3 more rushing yards (1137) than Shady McCoy to pace the NFL. In six seasons, MJD has been incredibly durable, missing only three games and has been the epitome of consistency (2009: 312/1391/16; 2010: 299/1324/7; 2011: 250/1137/6). His pass catching abilities out of the backfield are on par with Brian Westbrook's, even though the numbers reflect a poor-man's B-West. With the likes of Byron Leftwich, Quinn Gray, David Garrard and now Gabbert throwing him the ball, MJD has a very respectable career receiving line of 264/2396/8/9.1). Defensively, this team can do some things but unfortunately lost their top two cornerbacks (Rashean Mathis and Derek Cox) in the last month. Paul Posluszny and Daryl Smith anchor a strong linebacker corps. Dawan Landry is an NFL safety. Defensive ends Aaron Kampman and John Chick are both on injured reserve, so the 2010 10th overall pick, defensive tackle Tyson Alualu has to step it up on the pass rush (6.0 career sacks). With the lowest valuation of any NFL team ($725 million) and a new owner Shahid Khan, Turner will get at least one offseason to prove himself on the cheap. 29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-8): One can only hope that the football gods are merciful enough to disable every camera in Jacksonville at EverBank Field this Sunday so that no poor soul will be subjected to the torture of seeing these two tremendous failures swing and miss at each other like drunken prizefighters, outside of the people that actually bought tickets to this slop, who should obviously be committed. In 2010, rookie quarterback Josh Freeman was an absolute revelation for Raheem Morris' beleaguered bunch, powering the Bucs to a 10-6 record on the backs of four fourth quarter comeback victories. Freeman went 291-for-474/3,451/7.3/25:6/95.9 QB Rating and was named to the Pro Bowl. With tackle-breaking extraordinaire LeGarrette Blount banged up all year and Earnest Graham on IR, Freeman (254-for-411/2,715/6.6/12:16/74.6) has been a shell of himself. The Sean Bray mush was inflicted upon this defense when I picked them as a sleeper in one of my fantasy football drafts. They have allowed a third-worst-in-the-NFL 27.4 points per game, an astoundingly bad 393.8 yards per game (also 3rd worst), and an equally awful 141.7 on the ground (4th to last). Their 19.0 total sacks are tied with the winless Colts for second-to-last in the league. So, basically, this team does nothing well. Monte Kiffin is crying in a corner somewhere and Jon Gruden is yelling in some poor guys ear that "WHEN YOU WATCH THE FILM!" the Bucs are still a top-ten defense. One more season for Freeman and Morris to get it together in Tampa. 28. Cleveland Browns (4-9): As a friend of mine said during Thursday's game against the white-hot Pittsburgh Steelers: "James Harrison will eat your soul." He could also have mentioned that Harrison is going to try to knock every starting quarterback the Steelers face this season out of the game, fines be damned. Colt McCoy (18-for-35/208 YDS/0:2) finished the game against the Steelers after Harrison absolutely leveled him when he was flushed out of the pocket late in the fourth quarter. I am not predicting that the Texas University legend is going to be the next Otto Graham, but at the same time it is hard to use this season as a barometer for how his career will play out. This offense was supposed to be centered around bull runner Peyton Hillis. Here is a look at Hillis' game statistics and the Browns' opponents: · Week 1, Bengals: 17/57/3.4/0 · Week 2, @ Colts: 27/94/3.5/2 · Week 4, Titans: 10/46/4.6/0 · Week 6, @ Raiders: 6/14/2.5/0 · Week 12, @ Bengals 19/65/3.4/0 · Week 13, Ravens 12/45/3.8/0 · Week 14, @ Steelers 10/25/2.5/0 McCoy has exactly one playmaker on the outside, in rookie second round pick out of North Carolina, 6'3", 231 pound Greg Little (52/538/1). Like many bad teams, Cleveland has been gouged by the run, allowing 150.9 yards on the ground per game, second worst in the NFL next to the Rams. They have been very stout against the pass this season (187 YPG, 2nd in the NFL) and have given up just three plays of 40 or more yards all season. With former Andy Reid protégé Pat Shurmur, there are some good things to build on here; does Holmgren still have faith in McCoy? 27. Minnesota Vikings (2-10): Sure, there's no such thing as a moral victory in the standings. That does not mean that there are not positive things to build off of in losses and the Vikings have lost their last three games in about as productive a fashion as possible. After a 45-7 demolition at the hands of the best team in football, Green Bay, on November 14, Minnesota has lost to Oakland (27-21), Atlanta (24-14), and the Denver Tebows (35-32) in respectable fashion. Against Oakland, the Vikings found themselves in a 27-7 hole with promising rookie Christian Ponder throwing three picks, two crucial ones at the goal line. If not for a ridiculous hustle play by a special teamer on the Falcons that stopped a 104-yard Percy Harvin kick return 3 yards shy of the goal line, the Vikings could have put a serious hurtin' on Atlanta's playoff hopes. Ponder only threw for 186 yards, but he was accurate (17-for-25) and didn't turn the ball over without the best player in football, Adrian Peterson in the lineup. Against Denver, Ponder was plagued by the same issues he faced in the Oakland loss, throwing two crucial picks deep in Denver territory. On a positive not, he did set a Vikings rookie record with 381 passing yards and he threw 3 touchdown passes, 2 to Percy Harvin (8/108/2). Despite a solid front seven led by three defensive ends that include perennial Pro Bowler DE Jared Allen (14.5 sacks), and his counterparts Brian Robison (6 sacks) and Everson Griffin (4 sacks). Five year veteran WILL linebacker Chad Greenway ranks fifth in the NFL in total tackles (110), combining with nine year veteran MIKE backer E.J. Henderson (72 tackles, on his way to his 4th career 100+ tackle season) and promising fourth year SAM linebacker Erin Henderson, who went undrafted out of Maryland and has already played in more games this season (11) than any season prior. The problem with this squad is their miserable secondary, which allows the second most total yards (356.0, 252.2 through the air) and has managed just 6 interceptions, also second worst.One good draft/offseason, a healthy AP and this team is a playoff contender next season. 26. Washington Redskins (4-8): It's a credit to Mike Shanahan that the Deadskins have been competitive in all but one game this season (a 23-0 doughnut to Buffalo in Week 8) with Rex Grossman and John Beck as the quarterbacks on the depth chart. With how bad the NFC East is this season, had workhorse running back Tim Hightower stayed healthy, they might still be in the race. Nevertheless, TE Fred Davis has blossomed in his fourth season (59/796/13.5YAC/3) as the 1a option in the passing game, with gritty veteran WR Jabar Gaffney (46/665/14.5YAC/3) as option 1b. Rookie RB Roy Helu (97/476/4.7/2) has had a real nice last two weeks (46/208/2) in a 23-17 upset at Seattle and a closer than it looks 34-19 loss to the Jets, respectively. The problem is Helu's got butterfingers, giving the ball away as many times as he's hit paydirt, including one that set the Jets up for a 9-yard Shonn Green scamper that iced the Jets game. If Washington acquires a legitimate quarterback and gets a power runner to compliment Helu plus another wide receiver to compliment No. 1 Santana Moss and eventually replace him, they will be OK. Defensively, their front seven can compete against anyone in the NFL. On the left side, DE Adam Carriker (5 sacks)and rookie hybrid linebacker Ryan Kerrigan (56 tackles, 7 sacks) have been consistently solid. Here's a look at 14-year WILL linebacker London Fletcher's season-by-season tackle numbers and the team he played for: · 1998-99 (Rams): 28 · 1999-00 (Rams): 90 · 2000-01 (Rams): 133 · 2001-02 (Rams): 119 · 2002-03 (Bills): 149 · 2003-04 (Bills): 133 · 2004-05 (Bills): 144 · 2005-06 (Bills): 158 · 2006-07 (Bills): 146 · 2007-08 (Redskins): 129 · 2008-09 (Redskins): 133 · 2009-10 (Redskins): 142 · 2010-11 (Redskins): 136 · 2011-12 (Redskins): 124 They are very balanced defensively with 33.0 sacks (T-4th), 325.4 yards per game (8th), 21 forced turnovers (8 INT, 13 FF) and are totally wasted with an atrocious offense. Shanahan will stick around for as long as he feels like it; If Washington acquires a legitimate quarterback and gets a power runner to compliment Helu plus another wide receiver to compliment No. 1 Santana Moss and eventually replace him, they will be OK. 25. Kansas City Chiefs (5-7): There is no doubt in my mind this team would be right in the thick of the AFC West race if they did not lose QB Matt Cassel, RB Jamaal Charles, and S Eric Berry, the most devastating trio of injuries any NFL team has suffered this season, all have been placed on IR. I cannot rank a team higher than 25 with Tyler Palko on the team, let alone the starting quarterback. Palko (64-for-102/67.2%/601/5.89/1:6) has been predictably awful after being released by the Saints, Cardinals, Steelers and two CFL teams before being signed to the Cheifs' practice squad last year and then was inexplicably promoted to Matt Cassel's backup after a lockout. KC has managed a four-game winning streak from Weeks 4-8, including two divisional victories (Week 7 at Oakland 28-0 and Week 8 vs San Diego, 23-20) but with the roster a shell of itself they are averaging under 14 points and 300 total yards per game on the season. Chiefs RB's have combined for a whopping three touchdowns this season. Wide receiver and tight end will be play-making positions for this team for years to come. Dwayne Bowe (59/868/14.7/4) and Steve Breaston (48/641/13.4/2) have done what they can and TE Tony Moeaki (47/556/11.8/3 in 2010 rookie campaign) is an up-and-comer at his position who suffered a season ending knee injury in the preseason. Berry really could have helped sure up a 24th ranked run defense (130.3 YPG) but their secondary has still managed 17 picks. Penn State star DE Tamba Hali (8.0 sacks) anchors an otherwise weak pass rush (20.0 sacks, 29the in NFL).Todd Haley can't be blamed for the injuries but with their last four at the Jets, home against Green Bay and the Raiders and the season finale at Denver, KC could be hard pressed to win another game. 24. Arizona Cardinals (5-7): Jason Garrett, Ken Wisenhunt says thank you. Beating a winning team in Week 12 - the first time Arizona can say that all season - when you have had so many things go wrong is the Silver Star on top of the Poop Tree. Beetlejuice from Howard Stern could throw Larry Fitzgerald the ball and he would find a way to catch it, which Cards' fans will be able to smile about for the rest of his career. Fitzgerald (55/943/17.2/6) may prefer that hideous little fellow over the likes of John Skelton (59-for-117/50.4%/750/6.4/4:7) but, in all fairness, we must let the record show that Skeleton went 9-for-16, 166 yards and 1 touchdown against the Eagles. In the fourth quarter. Kevin Kolb's season hasn't gone according to plan but anyone other than me who follows football could see this was going to be a rocky transition after the lockout. I personally still think he will have a solid career in AZ if they rebuild what is a moribund offensive line. Ohio State RB Beanie Wells (201/916/4.6/9) is having a monster year despite being hobbled by knee, thumb and hamstring issues at various times of the season. The secondary of Arizona has masked what has been a surprisingly effective front seven. The Cards are 24th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (251.1) and have just 9 INT's. They give up almost 120 yards per game on the ground and 4 yards per carry but that's because they are losing so often and teams are rushing the ball 29.4 times a game, the seventh highest number in the league. Their 29.0 total sacks are tied for 6th in the NFL. Wisenhunt isn't going anywhere; they need a new o-line and a full offseason. 23. Philadelphia Eagles (4-8): "I've been walking my mind to an easy time My back turned towards the sun Lord knows the cold wind blows it'll turn your head around Well, there's hours of time on the telephone line To talk about things to come Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground." ~Fire and Rain, James Taylor, 1970… You can picture a big, sad man walking away from the sunset, a beer-stained and ripped Mike Mamula jersey being drenched in the tears emanating from the conversation he is having with his equally portly friend about how the Philadelphia Eagles were just humiliated by the "f@#$%^g Seahawks!" Michael Vick, the newly minted $100 million man, had to watch from the sidelines as the Eagles' scout team level linebackers and safeties were the evening sacrifice for Maximus Decimus Meridias, a.k.a Marshawn Lynch, as the Seahawks' running back completely laid to waste everything in his path. Vince Young autographed Daniel Hawthorne's game tape with a stunningly poor throw that resulted in a pick six and ended any chance for the city of Philadelphia to see a decrease in its abhorrent domestic violence statistics. This team sucks. Wait until the offseason when the real drama and excitement begins. There really is not a whole lot to watch here unless you have Eagles' players on your fantasy team, wish to see them lose to the Dolphins or maybe you're the kind of person that enjoys watching paint dry. Andy Reid will be your coach next season. After 2012, all bets are off. If Reid decides he doesn't want the job anymore, I hope you've enjoyed Marty Mornhinweg. 22. Carolina Panthers (4-8): Perhaps beating Tampa Bay is not classified as a stunning achievement these days, but you can see the foundation being laid for this football team to be good very soon. Cam Newton turns the ball over too much (13:14 TD:INT) and he needs to learn how to win in the fourth quarter of NFL games. But there is no sky or limit for this dude, who is playing like a grizzled veteran while ranking in the top 10 in yards (9th with 3,297), yards per game (8th with 274.8) and has a ridiculous 13 rushing touchdowns, the most for a quarterback in a single season in NFL history. The rookie has obviously rejuvenated the great Steve Smith's career (61/1092/17.9/5) and TE Greg Olsen (41/472/11.5/4) has been an excellent free agent signing from Houston. The defense is quite horrid (27.0 PPG/363 YPG/132.5 RYPG) but Ron Rivera is the right man to oversee this operation, coming from a strong defensive background as the Bears' defensive coordinator (2005-07)and shaping one of the best 3-4 linebacker corps in football when he was with San Diego (2008-11). Could easily have two more wins; not having a running game hasn't helped either. 21. San Diego Chargers (5-7): There will be no December miracles for the softest team in football this year. Phillip Rivers 278-for447/62.2%/3,505/7.8/19:17) recently told the San Diego media that Norv Turner doesn't get enough credit. Hey Philip, welcome to the real world. If you fail, someone replaces you; that's life. In 2006 the Chargers went 14-2 but after a first round loss to New England, Chargers owner Dean Spanos fired coach Marty Schottenheimer. And he hired Turner with a Super Bowl-or-bust mandate that, frankly, should probably be fulfilled by now. The following three season, Philip Rivers set the league on fire, beginning a stretch (2007-08 to 2010-11) where he went over 4,000 passing yards and combined for a 72:34 TD:INT while completing over 65% of his attempts. But in 2007-08, when San Diego met the undefeated Patriots and lost 21-12, a downward trend began. Rivers was really bad that night, going 19-for-37, 211 yards and 2 picks with 0 TD's. In 2008-09, after beating Peyton Manning's Colts in a 23-17 wild card round OT thriller, the Chargers lost at Pittsburgh in the divisional round 35-24. 2009-10 rolls around and lost another thriller, this time to the Jets in a 17-14 upset after a 13-3 season which culminated in a 10 game winning streak and first-round bye. (And it was against Mark Sanchez.) 2010-11 was a 9-7, playoff-less campaign, which means their one-step-backward-at-a-time, drawn-out demise has lasted one year longer than our beloved Phillies. Norv Turner and A.J.Smith were meant for each other, as long as an unemployment line and a town hall meeting where debating how to commit highway robbery are close by. 20. Buffalo Bills(5-7): Ryan Fitzpatrick's play has come around this week, a result of the reverse-Sean Bray hex in which I predict a player will do poorly or rip into them from behind a computer screen if they aren't performing well and then they happen to do really awesome immediately after. The Guy from Harvard lit into the Jets with an impressive, 29-for-36, 264 yard, 3 TD performance and followed that up with a 29-for46, 288 yard, 4 TD day against the Titans, both playoff contenders. Fred Jackson was about to win me a fantasy football championship and possibly the NFL rushing title (you decide which is more important) and then suffered a fractured fibula in Week 11 at Miami. Stevie Johnson had 82 catches for 1,073 yards and 10 TD's last season and has followed that up with a solid 2011-12 campaign (59/674/6). Buffalo's porous defense has allowed 25.3 PPG (25th), 129.1 on the ground (23rd) and has produced a measly 17.0 sacks. Aaron Maybin's career resurgence (6 sacks and 4 forced fumbles) has been a sight to see for everyone excepts Bills fans, who have had to endure the thought-to-be-bust reinvent himself with the Jets. If Fred Jackson can come back strong and they can get a few pass rushers, the Bills will compete for 2nd place in the AFC East next season. 19. Seattle Seahawks (5-7): Pete Carroll does not make bright personnel decisions. Carroll traded Seattle's 40th overall pick in the 2010 draft plus a third rounder in the 2011 draft for San Diego's 60th overall pick and quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, who promptly received a $2 million signing bonus. Arizona TE Rob Gronkowski, Penn State LB Sean Lee and Auburn RB Ben Tate were available in the second round of the 2010 draft beyond the 40th selection. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell coached Tavaris Jackson with the Vikings,running a West Coast offense and Carroll brought the two as a patchwork, quick-fix for a lockout shortened season. Jackson is not a starting-caliber quarterback in the NFL, despite the Eagles making him look like a young McNabb. Marshawn Lynch (202/854/8)appears to be made of steel in his sixth year out of Cal and if he is not dragged of the field strapped to a gurney after they play San Francisco on Christmas Eve, he will get one more big NFL payday. The Seahawks run defense is stout (103.5 YPG) and their tall rookie corners (6'3" Richard Shelman and 6'4" Brandon Browner) have allowed this unit to pick off 16 passes. LB David Hawthorne (78 tackles, 3 INT's) continued his impressive play against the Eagles, although a combination of Vince Young's ineptitude and the Eagles inability to consistently feed LeSean McCoy the rock. Mediocrity thrives. 18. Chicago Bears (7-5): The Bears have swan dived out of an airplane with no parachute in a parallel universe where the god(s) has a twisted sense of humor and won't allow them to mercifully hit the surface until they really, truly know they are dead. Say what you want about Jay Cutler but after a Week 4 win over Carolina when Cutler was awful (9-for-17, 102 yards, 1 pick), he went 111-for-173 with 1,359 yards and an 8:3 TD:INT in his next six starts in which the Bears were 5-1 and being talked about as a team Green Bay may not want to see in its quest for perfection. With Cutler and now dynamic RB Matt Forte (203/997/3) out with a knee injury, da Bears have to go to bat with Caleb Hanie and Marion Barber III. (I personally don't see the downside in giving Donovan McNabb a workout despite all the "complexities" of a Mike Martz offense. If he looks lost and seems like it's a waste of your time, you cut him, end of story.) The Bears get torched through the air to the tune of 259.5 yards per game, 5th worst in the NFL. So, despite limiting opponents to an 8th best 99.8 yards on the ground, they still allow 20.2 PPG and Caleb Hanie is not scoring you three TD's a week. The Bears will lose their next three (@ DEN, Seattle, @ GB) so that, by the time they go to Minnesota in Week 17, the game will have the same meaning for both teams. Lovie's back, Martz is coaching at a university somewhere on the West Coast and Jay Cutler will continue to invent new ways to even out his ABILITY:WUSSINESS ratio while never winning anything meaningful. 17. Oakland Raiders (7-5): The Silver and Black are this year's most overrated team in football. You do not trade first round draft picks for quarterbacks that are over 30- in Carson Palmer's case 32 on December 27 - no matter what kind of instant gratification you receive from watching the twilight of a pretty good-to-good USC guy's NFL career. Palmer lit up the aforementioned Bears secondary, the Vikings and the Chargers. He put up good numbers last week against Miami, as NFL quarterbacks tend to do when their team suffers a 34-14 trouncing (re: Vince Young, 400 yards, Patriots). When the Denver Dumervill's win the AFC West and Hue Jackson is praising an NFL-best running game that didn't even have the services of one of the game's best featured backs, Darren McFadden, he will be within his rights. But Jackson better also explain how he is going to fix a defense that gives up 25.7 PPG (26th), 141.3 YPG on the ground (27th) and 231.9 through the air (a slightly more encouraging 16th). And he better also tell Raider Nation why he's short two draft picks when he's in the process of fixing this soon-to-be mess. The only question pertaining to their matchup with Green Bay on Sunday is how ugly will this truly get? Jackson lasts another season before this truly blows up in his face, the Chargers get a coach/G.M. that is more interested in winning than smelling their own gas and they get back to normal, the Chiefs get healthy and the Broncos keep improving. Al Davis or no Al Davis this is a peek-from-the-sewer-hole season before they go back to collecting cobwebs. 16. Miami Dolphins (4-8): Other than playing with heart and actually practicing the philosophy of playing the season out strong instead of using it as window dressing, the Dolphins and their Sunday opponent, Philadelphia, have a lot in common. They have been outscored by the exact same margin in the fourth quarter (Dolphins: 84-39; Eagles: 94-49) and have lost their eight games in incredibly bizarre fashion. Consider: · Week 1, vs. Patriots: Victim of Tom Brady's first 500 yard game (32-for-48, 517 yards, 4 TD's) · Week 2, vs. Texans: Still flirting with the Chad Henne experiment, the 50-year-old throws 12 completions and a brutal pick at his own 9 · Week 3, @ Browns After controlling the clock for over 37 minutes and completely dominating the game, Colt McCoy orchestrates an 80 yard drive in the last 3 minutes to rally CLE · Week 4, @ Chargers Matt Moore finally takes over but Philip Rivers has his last INT-less game · Week 7, vs. Broncos Dolphins command the game and lead 15-0 with 7:34 to go before the NFL is introduced to "getting Tebowed" as he brings them all the way back to an 18-15 win · Week 8, @ Giants Reggie Bush averages 7 YPC and Miami has the game in hand until Eli leads 10 point, 4th quarter rally · Week 12, @ Cowboys A fourth quarter lead evaporated again as Romo leads game-winning field goal drive The Dolphins allow 18.3 points per game, 5th best in the NFL and are powered by a run defense that is also 5th in the league (93.2 YPG). The Achilles heel with this unit is a secondary that, in clear contrast, is bottom-10 in passing yards per game (248.9) and have not performed well against an elite quarterback. RB Reggie Bush had many haters when he left New Orleans for Miami to be the Dolphins feature back, but the sixth-year veteran has had a fine season (155/667/5) to alleviate some of the pressure off of perfect stop-gap quarterback Matt Moore (151-for-244, 1,769 yards and 9:5 in 9 games, 8 starts). Brandon Marshall (63/910/14.4/3) is an elite wide receiver no matter who is throwing him the ball and Moore has found TE Anthony Fasano (23/356/4), a sixth-year man out of Notre Dame, to be a reliable red zone target. Tony Sparano should not be fired if the opinions of the players he coaches mean anything, but I have a feeling he is Coach Number Four on the chopping block unless he can finish at least 3-1. 15. New York Giants (6-6): It is quite enjoyable to write about the futility of a New York sports franchise, but, alas, Jason Garrett's moronic time-out to freeze his own rookie kicker who had been one of the NFL's most accurate this season, not only shattering his confidence but giving the Giants life they do not deserve. Your defense gives up an 18-play, 6-first down, 10+ minute touchdown drive to Vince Young, you should be forced to forfeit an additional game. Coming off an inspired game against the Packers, Eli Manning (276-for-442, 3,705 yards, 24 TD's and a chance at Marino's-but-soon-to-be-Brees'-record) is showing that he is still fighting his heart out to will his team into the playoffs. Two seasons ago, Manning helped Steve Smith become the franchise's all-time single season receptions leader (107)and this year he is spreading the rock around like a crack dealer, including making no-name TE Jake Ballard - who was not involved in Ohio State's passing game in college - a 500+ yard receiver. Victor Cruz (62/1076/7) is third in the NFL in receiving yards. But Eli has shown he cannot win ballgames on his own, needing a complimentary running game to go with a typically bruising Giants pass rush. The Giants do have 33.0 team sacks (T-4th) but 18 of them come from Umenyiora and Jason Pierre-Paul (11.0), another stud DE the Eagles could have drafted (remember Anthony Spencer?) and passed on for Brandon Graham. As I have tried to stress, the schedule makers absolutely screwed the Giants (from Weeks 8-12, the Giants had to run a gauntlet of @ NE, @SF, vs. PHI, @NO, vs. GB) but the NFC East sucks bad enough that they could conceivably win it with an 8-8 record. The Giants surrender over 260 yards per week through the air and are 27th in points allowed (26.3). Dallas' defense will eat Eli Manning alive without an effective Bradshaw. If the Giants miss the postseason, which I still say they will, Coughlin is the Fifth Coach of the Power Rankings out of a job this offseason. 14. Tennessee Titans (7-5): A Week 1, 16-14 loss to Jacksonville on the road proves why any nonsense about NFL games being more important at one time or another in the regular season is completely invalid. After a completely unproductive first half in which they punted five times and managed one drive of more than four plays, Matt Hasselbeck hooked up with stud wide receiver Kenny Britt for two second half TD's that were too little, too late. The journeyman's journeyman, Hasselbeck (241-for-396, 2,657 yards and 15 TD's) has the Titans breathing down Houston's necks. Chris Johnson, another player who can thank me for lambasting him and in turn, reviving his season, has vaulted himself back into the top-15 RB's yardage-wise (852, 14th best). Johnson has gone postal against the Bucs (23/190) and Bills (23/153/2) in the last two weeks, respectively. Nate Washington (53/668/4) has filled in Britt's shoes admirably as the teams go-to WR and third-year TE Jared Cook out of Steve Spurrier's South Carolina program is having his best season (28/424/2). This defense will give up yards (355.9) but they keep teams out of the end zone (19.1 PPG, 6th best in the NFL) and rookie MLB Colin McCarthy has been a bright spot as well. Second year DE Derrick Morgan (4 career sacks) needs to step up his pass rush and inject some life into a unit that needs to improve upon its 22.0 team sack total against Drew Brees. Titans run the table and win their division as Mike Munchak is named AFC Coach of the Year unanimously. 13. Cincinnati Bengals (7-5): Despite having all but one of their games blacked out on TV this season because of continuously abysmal ticket sales, the Bengals are still firmly in the thick of the playoff race. There is no shame in not being ready for a right hook from two of the best teams in football after coming off a four win season that consisted of a 10-game losing streak. I am not arguing that this team will make the playoffs (they won't) or that they have beaten anybody of note (they haven't) but Andy "The Fabulous Fire Crotch" Daulton (229-for-387, 2,644 yards, 17:12) has shown the future is bright in more ways than one for the beleaguered Bengals. RB Cedric Benson (201/792/5) is a steamroller coming out of the backfield and punishes opposing defenses. Rookie sensation A.J. Green (50/832/7) has been everything you can ask a 4th overall pick to be. Fourth year receiver Jerome Simpson has had a breakout year with Dalton (36/577/2) and second year TE Jermaine Gresham (40/407/5) is an elite player at his position. Cincy's defense has been very good with second year DT Geno Atkins (7.0 sacks) building off a solid rookie year, and SAM 'backer Thomas Howard (66 tackles) and safety Reggie Nelson (also 66) pacing the team in stops. The Bengals need to find some playmakers in the secondary as overrated Nate Clements (1 pick) and Pacman Jones make up their starting two. A great draft keeps Marvin Lewis on the job for a least another 3 years and this is a team to get excited about. It's a shame there are 18 Bengals fans in Cleveland that care. 12. Denver Broncos (7-5): There is simply no longer any reason to ask the why or how's anymore with this team. John Fox isn't changing anything up: they are going to gouge you on the ground with a heavy dose of Willis McGahee (182/886/4), option-read's for Tim Tebow (82/468/3) and use a ferocious defense to keep the game within a score until the fourth quarter when Tebow wins games, flat-out. Not that this will surprise anyone, but it's still worth noting that second year wide receiver Eric Decker (39/552/8) is the only Bronco on the roster with more than 20 receptions. With the Bears and New England at home the next two weeks, then at Buffalo and finishing the year with a home game against the Chiefs, the schedule favors Denver to go at least 3-1 and win the AFC West for the first time since 2005. Defensive Rookie of the Year shoe-in Von Miller (11.0 sacks, 2nd only to Jesus Chr- I mean DeMarcus Ware's 15.0) and his partner in crime Elvis Dumervil (7.0 sacks) anchor a defense that yields 24.7 PPG and 366.4 YPG, both bottom-10, but one that has also steadily improved as the season's gone on. There is no one in the world that can predict when this thing will end. I don't think it's going to happen until after Denver's eventually eliminated (???) from the playoffs. 11. Detroit Lions (7-5): In three out of his four games since Detroit's bye week, Matthew Stafford has struggled. (The exception being a 5 TD day three weeks ago against the awful Carolina secondary in a 49-35 laugher.) Stafford's other three starts and the team he faced: · Week 10, @ Bears: 33-for-63, 329, 1:4 · Week 12, vs. Packers: 32-for-45, 276, 1:3 · Week 13, @ Saints: 31-for-44, 408, 1:1 The Lions, however, should be salivating at the thought of playing a Vikings team with a hurt Christian Ponder, a hurt Adrian Peterson and a really bad secondary. Detroit is vulnerable against the run (125.0 YPG, 22nd) even with Ndamukong Suh but I don't think Our Lady of Fatima's 2000-01 7th and 8th grade Varsity defense would worry about Teddy Bear Gerhart (62/253/1) so the Lions are obviously catching a break. They also surrender 23.1 PPG (20th) so the offense needs to get some of its explosiveness back which they are more than capable of. Stafford still has a 27:13 despite that ugly 3:8 in the three contests I listed. Calvin Johnson (69/1,092/12) scored eight of those TD's in the season's first four weeks; in the next four weeks, he only crossed the goal line three times but still had 23 catches for 483 yards. Megatron's last four games: · Week 10, @Bears: 7/81/0 · Week 11, vs. Panthers: 5/89/0 · Week 12, vs. Packers: 4/49/1 · Week 13, @ Saints: 6/69/0 That obviously has much to do with the amount of attention Johnson receives and Stafford's recent struggles, but Megatron needs to return to his old unguardable self in order for Detroit to make a serious run. Jim Schwartz won't win NFC Coach of the Year, but he'll get Detroit to the playoffs for the first time since 1999 and their first winning season since 2000. Detroit is still an awful city. 10. Atlanta Falcons (7-5): How Do We Give Our Playoffs Hopes Away 101: Lessons from the Enigma I Call My 2011-12 Season in Atlanta by Mike Smith could aptly summarize the whirl-wind season in The City Too Busy To Hate. But Carolina, Jacksonville and Tampa Bay all remain on the Falcons' docket which is the opposite of what the NFL schedule makers got the Giants for Christmas. Matt "Matty Ice" Ryan (266-for-441, 3,154 yards and 19 TD's) is having a good year after a spectacular 2010-11 campaign when he had a 91 QB rating and 28:9 for a 14-2 team. Since freight train-sized RB Michael Turner has gotten to Atlanta from San Diego where he played second fiddle to LT, Turner has done nothing to dispel the notion that he is one of the game's best (233/992/8). WR's Roddy White (68/881/5) and TE Tony Gonzalez (66/730/7) can stake a claim as two of the best at their positions as well and rookie WR Julio Jones (sixth overall) completes one of the most devastating offensive arsenals in the NFL (34/566/2/16.6 YPC). Atlanta gives up just 90.0 yards on the ground per game (3rd best) and their 20.3 PPG allowed is one-tenth of a point less than the Bears (T-10th). The Falcons do not generate much of a pass rush (just 23.0 sacks) and are vulnerable to the deep ball (239.8 YPG through the air) if they get into a shootout. A cake walk schedule will have them in the playoffs. They will be a tough out and a dangerous team to face in the postseason if they do not kill themselves with mistakes or if Mike Smith does not attempt to take any kind of proactive stance while the game is in progress. 9. New York Jets (7-5): The most unlikable team in professional sports is at it again, this time with Mark Sanchez becoming the first quarterback in the modern era to throw 4 TD passes and less than 200 yards. It never occurred to me as I was growing up that all it took to get famous was to piggyback off of a famous parent, as the slovenly Ryan brothers have done with legendary Eagles coach Buddy Ryan. Rex and Rob have won nothing and nothing in their careers, respectively as the head coach of anything and yet somehow receive unwarranted praise because one knows how to curse and one has a foot fetish that he likes to videotape. The Jets road to the playoffs is not paved with roses; however, as games at home against KC and the Giants plus road games at Philly and Miami could make it interesting, but the world is a cruel place and good things happen to bad people. If you want to actually read about the Jets you'll have to go somewhere else. They'll make the playoffs. Who cares? 8. Dallas Cowboys (7-5): Normally I would love to use this rant as a forum to boast of the follies of Jason Garrett freezing Dan Bailey, his own kicker, in a loss to the Cardinals. But Dallas controls its own fate still and with two games left against the Giants, one in Tampa and at home against Philly, the 'Pokes are in good shape. Tony Romo (273-for-442, 3,325 yards and 22:9) has been up-and-down but he lived up to his Mr. November billing, a month he has now gone an absurd 19-2 for his career in as Dallas went 4-0. Romo's gumption and his penchant for not coming through in the clutch will haunt him his whole career if he doesn't start doing something to change the perception and this Sunday night at home against the wounded-animal Giants is the perfect opportunity. Miles Austin (150/2361/18 from 2009-2010) emerged as an elite receiver two years ago but while he has played in only 6 games and remains questionable for the Giants game, Laurent Robinson (42/626/7) dithered around with the Falcons and Rams his first four seasons before carving out a niche in Dallas. Robinson forms a great WR tandem with second year stud Dez Bryant (46/706/7) and future Hall of Fame TE Jason Witten (61/760/5). Complimented by RB DeMarco Murray (179/872/2/5.5 YPC) this can be a much more potent offense than they've shown if they can stop tripping over their own feet. Dallas' has been impressive defensively, allowing 20.3 PPG (T-10th) and 100.5 YPG on the ground (9th) and they are led by NFC Defensive Player of the Year lock DeMarcus Ware (15.0 sacks) recorded 20.0 for the 2008 season and could definitely break Michael Strahan's single season record 22.5 from 2001. Dallas wins the NFC East but Jerry Jones knows that is not much of an accomplishment and Garrett needs to win at least one playoff game and not get killed in another to keep his job. 7. Houston Texans (9-3): I am not picking this team to make the playoffs, but in the interest of the exercise, a nine win team with the NFL's number one ranked defense can't be ranked too low. Houston has a very difficult game, at Cincinnati against a desperate Bengals team with nothing to lose after an 0-3 run against the Steelers twice and once to Baltimore. Look at T.J. Yates' drive log in his game and a half as the Texans' starter: punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, fumble, FG, punt, TD, punt, punt, missed FG, TD, punt. That's 12 punts, 2 TD's, 1-for-2 on FG's. After the Bengals game, another trap game awaits at home against Carolina who is trying to figure out how to win ballgames and, like Cincy, will be playing with nothing to lose. Of course, this prediction is probably utter tripe, considering Houston's defense has allowed 15.8 PPG (3rd best), 274.1 YPG (1st) and whose 35.0 sacks are tied with Dallas and Minnesota for the most in the NFL. Also, when you have two RB's like Arian Foster (224/916/8 in 10 games) and Ben Tate (138/753/3) your quarterback may end up being inconsequential. Nevertheless, I want to be able to say I called it if Tennessee does pull off the miracle. Comes down to 9-6 Houston and 9-6 Tennessee on the final day of the season, in Houston and I'm going with the Titans to win the ballgame and the tie-breaker. More sadness in Houston. Crazier things have happened. 6. New Orleans Saints (9-3): Let's give some props to Dan Marino. In 1984, that man played in an era when wide receivers, quarterbacks, and the passing game in general was not regarded as sacred like the game we watch today and he threw for 5,084 yards and 47 TD's, a yardage record that will only be broken now, 27 years later and a TD record that stood for 20 years until Peyton Manning threw 49 in 2004. Marino had the legendary 5-time Pro Bowler Mark Clayton (73/1389/18) but you watch highlight clips of Mark Duper (71/1306/8) and you see that without Marino, this guy isn't making 3 Pro Bowls. Marino's leading rusher was FB Woody Bennett (144/606/7) and that was a season I'll always regret not getting to personally watch because it is one of the greatest statistical feats in the history of American sports. So, congratulations to Drew Brees who is going to shatter that bad boy worse than Elin Nordergren smashed Tiger Woods' windshield two years ago. Brees (349-for-496, 4,031 yards, 30:11) has had an unbelievable run with the Saints and he cemented his shrine in Canton with his Super Bowl victory two years ago. Sean Payton's squad is going to live and die by this offense and it will be a hell of a game when they end up facing Green Bay in the playoffs. 5. San Francisco 49ers (10-2): Alex Smith is 8th in the NFL with a 94.9 QB rating. Miracles do happen, and John Harbaugh has been pulling rabbits out of his hat with this guy all season. Smith (302-for-521, 2,390 yards and 15 TD's) has only thrown 5 picks and he has had a game this season where he was sacked 11 times (Baltimore on Thanksgiving). Frank Gore (224/982/5) is fifth in the NFL in rushing but San Francisco has a leak in the boat with a hole in the right side of an offensive line that was badly exposed by the Ravens and will be again by the experienced coaches they will see in the postseason if they don't patch it up. Michael Crabtree, the much-hyped Texas Tech phenom in his third year has found a groove over the last three weeks (17/270/1) and if Braylon Edwards' balky knee can heal, they can form a legit WR corp. TE Vernon Davis (48/516/5) is one of the best in the NFL at his position. Teams are just hard pressed to score against SF (13.4 PPG, 1st) and they allow the fewest rushing yards in the league as well (71.8 YPG, 17 less than Baltimore, the next closest team). John Harbaugh is the easy choice for NFC Coach of the Year and the San Francisco 49ers are as legit a Super Bowl contender as anybody. 4. New England Patriots (9-3): I predict this team will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl but after giving up 350+ yards against Dan Orlovsky and the Colts, they get knocked back a few pegs. The Pats visit Washington, the one place the franchise has never won a game before facing of against a potential playoff opponent at Denver before wrapping up the season with two divisional games at home against Miami and Buffalo. The game against the Broncos will be more about whether Tebow is capable of throwing for 300 yards and 3 scoring throws to get his team a win because as bad as New England's pass defense is, they only allow 102.1 on the ground (10th) and surrender three TD's (20.6) a game which is less than half of what this offense is capable of. Unless this team stumbles to, say, a 2-2 mark in its last 4 and actually shows signs of its Swiss-cheese secondary actually causing them to lose games, there really isn't much cause for concern here. Everything is setting up for Aaron Rodgers to get his chance to dethrone the master in what could be the Super Bowl of our lifetime, so far. 3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3): Ben Roethlisberger (16-for-21/280 YDS/2 TD's) gave one of his gutsiest performances in a career littered with them. Had the Steelers been playing stiffer competition than the punchless Browns, it would have been even more memorable. Big Ben's was the grittiest performance on a bad leg since Donovan McNabb played on a broken fibula against the Cardinals in 2002 (20-for-25/255 YDS/4 TD's). RB Rashard Mendenhall is having a forgettable regular season, but he did just average over 4 yards a carry (4.2 on 18) against the Browns, the first time he has managed that feat since Week 9. And those baby steps may be the product of an offensive line that is finally starting to settle down, a unit that did not allow a sack of Roethlisberger the entire second half. The only two teams the Steelers have lost too, the Ravens and Texans, each have 9 wins; also, they've knocked off New England, Tennessee and Cincy twice. Their stiffest test of the season comes next Monday night against San Francisco. Pittsburgh's ageless defense is allowing the second fewest points (15.2) and the second fewest yards (276.1) per game. A patchwork offensive line and a down year from Mendenhall could hurt them in the playoffs, but we've seen Big Ben and the defense do some extraordinary things so you can never doubt Pittsburgh. 2. Baltimore Ravens (9-3): The Ravens have 41 sacks, six more than the next closest teams (Houston, Dallas and Minnesota) and absolutely pulverized Alex Smith and the Niners. The 16.0 PPG (4th best) and 287.3 YPG (3rd) ranks right behind rival Pittsburgh. Terrell Suggs is an animal (53 tackles, 10.0 sacks) and inflicts pain at will. He made Ben Roethlisberger's life worse than Big Ben could ever do to an innocent college girl at a bar and he single-handedly disrupted the San Fran passing attack in their Thanksgiving demolition. One position on the field you can't make a fair comparison is at QB, where Joe Flacco is nice (240-for-443, 2,895 yards, 13:8) who still needs to show he can win at the games biggest stage (Flacco has 4 TD's and 7 picks in 7 postseason starts.) The same can be said vice-versa when admiring not only what RB Ray Rice does on the field, but the way he goes about his business off the field. Like Matt Forte and DeSean Jackson, Rice is playing on his rookie contract. Unlike those two, Rice hasn't 1. Bitched and moaned about it and 2. Let it affect his play. This quote is taken from Philadelphia's SaturdaySportsWeek: "I just live by the creed of, 'If you take care of what you've got to take care of on the field, then you'll be taken care of.' I just think that's the only way to go about it. Talking and complaining about it are not going to get you paid. Everybody knows that. I'm still under contract anyhow, so when the season ends, obviously you get more into that stuff. But you have to put the personal stuff aside. We're winning and I'm on a winning team. Obviously, you're playing for guys like Ray Lewis and the vets, and you think about everything they've been through. You're trying to get those guys to the Promised Land. So I'm able to easily block it out, put my ego aside and try to do everything I can for the team." Hey DeSean, tattoo that on your forehead and take a lesson. You've got to love this team but, at the same time, the onus is on Flacco to protect the ball once they get to the playoffs. With Indy, Cleveland, San Diego and Cincy left, Baltimore will have the advantage of a 1st round bye and homefield advantage throughout. 1. Green Bay Packers (12-0): Oh, what, you want an explanation? Green Bay will go undefeated and beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. So, just to recap, here is my NFC and AFC playoff predictions, in order: NFC AFC 1. Green Bay Packers (16-0) 1. Baltimore Ravens (13-3) 2. San Francisco 49ers (13-3) 2. New England Patriots (12-4) 3. New Orleans Saints (12-4) 3. Denver Broncos (10-6) 4. Dallas Cowboys (9-7) 4. Tennessee Titans (9-7) 5. Atlanta Falcons (10-6) 5. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) 6. Detroit Lions (9-7) 6. New York Jets (10-6) |
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