Just one more week left, and the playoffs will be finalized. New England survived a scare to maintain the top spot, while the AFC West and NFC East will be decided in the final week. The AFC North is still up for grabs; Baltimore is currently in line for a home playoff game for a change. That’s a total of three playoff spots to be determined, so let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Tuesday, December 27:

NFC

#1 Green Bay Packers

Green Bay jumped right back to their usual routine by putting up 35 points against their arch nemesis Chicago. They’re still clearly the team to beat.

#2 San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco held on to win a squeaker in Seattle, even after giving up their first rushing touchdown of the season. San Francisco can definitely win on defense, but going up against the likes of Green Bay or New Orleans will still require their offense to be more productive for the team to hang in there.

#3 New Orleans Saints vs #6 Atlanta Falcons

New Orleans won this game on Monday night n a 45-16 beat-down which saw Drew Brees break Dan Marino’s record. Atlanta will have a bitter taste in their mouths from that, but Drew Brees and the Saints’ offense already proved that they won’t be stopped.

#4 New York Giants vs #5 Detroit Lions

New York is in a very shaky division, and they’re just 4-7 in the conference. Detroit is on a three-game winning streak and is having their best season since the mid-1990s. If Detroit has their wits about them, they shouldn’t have too much trouble defeating the Giants.

AFC

#1 New England Patriots

Once again Tom Brady had to bail out a terrible Patriots‘ defense. At least the defense held in the second half. New England easily has the best offense in the AFC, but they’re setting themselves up for another big fall.

#2 Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore is one of the better teams in the AFC. They have a good offense to go with a very good defense, and they’re the only team in the conference that’s unbeaten at home. Baltimore is definitely set up to go a long way.

#3 Houston Texans vs #6 Cincinnati Bengals

Houston is on a losing streak, thanks to the suddenly pretty good Colts. Cincinnati is on a two-game winning streak, which helped them reclaim the last seed. Cincinnati has had some trouble with good teams, so if Houston can put up some points, they could get their first playoff win in as many tries.

#4 Denver Broncos vs #5 Pittsburgh Steelers

Denver allowed Buffalo to put up 40 points in the process of dropping their second game in a row. Pittsburgh once again showed off a good mix of offense and defense in a 27-0 blanking of the lowly Rams. It’s been very difficult for any non-Baltimore team to defeat Pittsburgh this year, and the Broncos have a losing home record, so Pittsburgh definitely has the edge.

Predicted Final Standings:

NFC

1. Green Bay Packers
2. San Francisco 49ers
3. New Orleans Saints
4. New York Giants
5. Atlanta Falcons
6. Detroit Lions

AFC

1. New England Patriots
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Houston Texans
4. Denver Broncos
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
6. Oakland Raiders

Predicted Playoff Results:

Wildcard Round

• Saints def. Lions
• Falcons def. Giants
• Texans def. Raiders
• Steelers def. Broncos

Divisional Round

• Packers def. Falcons
• Saints def. 49ers
• Steelers def. Patriots
• Ravens def. Texans

Conference Championships

• Packers def. Saints
• Ravens def. Steelers

Pro Bowl

• NFC def. AFC

Super Bowl

• Packers def. Ravens

© John for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, NFL, Patriots.

There’s just two weeks left in the season, but five playoff spots remain un-clinched. The NFC Wildcard race is pretty much locked up, but the AFC race is as heated as ever. New England and Kansas City took advantage of their competition losing to improve their standing. Ditto for Dallas, who reclaimed the division lead after the Giants were swept by Washington. And the Colts finally won, which means Andrew Luck may not be theirs after all. There’s still much to be decided in the next two weeks, so let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Tuesday, December 20:

NFC

#1 Green Bay Packers

Serously? The Chiefs are the team that ended the streak? At least Green Bay doesn’t have the insane pressure that comes with being unbeaten.

#2 San Francisco 49ers

Just when you thought San Francisco might be reeling a bit, they put a 20-3 beat-down on the dominant Steelers. If they keep putting up performances like that, they won’t go down easy to anyone.

#3 New Orleans Saints vs #6 Detroit Lions

New Orleans just continues to roll, putting up 42 on Minnesota. Detroit solidified their position with a second straight win, but they cut too many games too close. New Orleans is just too explosive for Detroit’s mindset to hold back.

#4 Dallas Cowboys vs #5 Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta has continued to do well in recent weeks to all but lock up a playoff spot. Dallas hasn’t been doing quite as well, and wouldn’t be in this position if the Giants hadn’t screwed up so much lately. Not that the Cowboys won’t put up a fight, but Atlanta is a little better.

AFC

#1 New England Patriots

New England finally showed some encouraging signs in Denver. They put on an offensive clinic, actually winning by more than one (three) possessions. They did so on the road. And they did so against the one team that has given them more headaches than any other in recent years. They’ll need to keep up that offensive pressure, because their defense, which got even more banged up, sure can’t help.

#2 Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore may have been upset in San Diego, but San Diego has been improving over December. Baltimore still has a talented defense and offense, and they’ve beaten the likes of Pittsburgh (twice) and San Francisco, so they should still do fine.

#3 Houston Texans vs #6 New York Jets

Both teams were embarrassed last week, but New York was absolutely torched. But the Texans had been winning more often before that. Plus, their defense has been much better than New York’s this season. With New York’s poor performance on the road combined with Houston’s overall effectiveness at home, Houston has the edge.

#4 Denver Broncos vs #5 Pittsburgh Steelers

Denver has had issues facing good teams this year. And they don’t get much better than Pittsburgh. Denver may have put up 23 points, but they botched an extra point and it was New England, who couldn’t do worse if they put zero guys out on defense instead of 11. Pittsburgh has the definite edge here.

What Might Change Next Week:

• Look for the Lions and Falcons to switch Wildcard spots.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: NFL, Patriots.

Fourteen weeks have come and gone, and there are six teams with 10 wins, four teams with eight wins, another six teams with seven wins, and one team that should just quit while it’s ahead.

In other words, I hope you all have the tiebreaker rules straightened out.

As always, I’ll take you on a tour through the NFL landscape as it shapes up in my expert eyes with my weekly NFL Power Rankings. We’ll cover a surprising 40-point outburst, one playoff-bound team whose Week 14 performance doesn’t bode well for their Super Bowl aspirations, and a sunglasses fad that never was.

Yeah, I’m being a tease. Deal with it. Last week’s ranking in parentheses.

Without further ado, my NFL Power Rankings from the pointless to the perfect through Week 14:

32 (32). Indianapolis Colts (0-13)

At first I was upset at the prospect of the Colts getting the first pick in the draft, but now I’m just ecstatic for the fallout of choosing between Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. Three weeks and counting!

31 (31). St. Louis Rams (2-11)

Can someone inform the NFL scheduling office that no one cares to see an NFC West snooze-fest on national TV, even if those two teams will theoretically contend for the division title at the beginning of the season? Thanks.

30 (29). Minnesota Vikings (2-11)

A no-call on a facemask penalty cost the Vikings one last shot at a win. They must be so upset that they didn’t have the opportunity to get to three wins in 13 tries.

29 (27). Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-9)

The Bucs were doomed by seven turnovers, which included back-up QB Josh Johnson somehow throwing one interception in just two pass attempts. More like the Suckaneers, am I right? Boom! High five!

28 (28). Cleveland Browns (4-9)

Colt McCoy was lit up by James Harrison on a crushing helmet-to-helmet hit, then returned two plays later despite having no recollection of the incident. In an unrelated story, the Browns offense scored three points.

27 (30). Jacksonville Jaguars (4-9)

Whoa! 41 points?! Unanswered?!?! Who is this team, and what have they done with Blaine Gabbert? Does this mean Maurice Jones-Drew can play quarterback?

26 (24). Kansas City Chiefs (5-8)

After a 37-10 drubbing, Chiefs coach Todd Haley was fired with just three games left in the 2011 season, just one year removed from a division title. Maybe those four first-half yards were all part of a nefarious plan by Tyler Palko to jumpstart his ambitions as a future head coach in the NFL.

25 (26). Washington Redskins (4-9)

The Redskins actually hard more first downs and more total yards than New England, but came up just short on the drive to tie the game. Thank God for all the red tape in Washington that keeps anyone from getting anything done.

24 (25). Carolina Panthers (4-9)

The Panthers lost for the sixth time after leading in the fourth quarters. Poor kitty cats.

23 (22). Buffalo Bills (5-8)

Ryan Fitzpatrick was so bad (13-34, 2 INTs), the newly minted franchise quarterback was benched in favor of Tyler Thigpen. Fifty-nine million well spent!

22 (16). Oakland Raiders (7-6)

Four picks, one garbage time touchdown – there’s the Carson Palmer I’ve come to know and love!

21 (15). Miami Dolphins (4-9)

Brandon Marshall said of the Eagles, “The Eagles have been inconsistent like we have. But that’s a team with a lot of talent. At any moment they can be an undefeated team, or look like one.” He knows they already lost eight times, right?

Also, coach Tony Sparano was fired, ending my attempt to initiate a sunglasses fad before it even started.

20 (23). Philadelphia Eagles (5-8)

They won! Philly won! A dream come true.

19 (19). Chicago Bears (7-6)

I feel like I could do what Caleb Hanie does, which is to say I could definitely help the Bears lose.

18 (20). Seattle Seahawks (6-7)

En route to a 31-13 smackdown, Marshawn Lynch obliterated the Rams like David Stern obliterated his last shred of credibility.

17 (21). Arizona Cardinals (6-7)

With Sunday’s win, the once 1-6 Cardinals are suddenly in the hunt for the playoffs. I think I’m going to be sick.

16 (18). San Diego Chargers (6-7)

Another classic Chargers performance, beating up on a bad team to suck people into thinking they’re good.

15 (14). Cincinnati Bengals (7-6)

The Bengals scraped together just 81 yards in the second half, with Cedric Benson carrying the ball eight times for -1 yards. Can anyone please explain how it’s possible to end up with negative net-yardage? It’s like he spotted the ball seven times with one kneel-down. Effective!

14 (12). Tennessee Titans (7-6)

Rookie Jake Locker, filling in for the injured Matt Hasselback, took a sack just five yards from the winning touchdown on the last play of the game. Typical rookie mistake. You know, if it were someone who had never played football before.

13 (17). Detroit Lions (8-5)

Despite just 13 first downs, the Lions put up 34 points, including 21 in the first quarter, and won thanks to four Vikings turnovers. Ndamukong Suh should return just in time to commit a stupid penalty and cost the Lions a playoff spot.

12 (11). Dallas Cowboys (7-6)

Even I had to feel for Cowboys fans when the game-tying field goal was blocked after Dan Bailey was iced (this time by the opposing coach!). And by “feel for,” I mean “laugh at.”

11 (13). New York Giants (7-6)

Eli Manning led the Giants to two late fourth-quarter scores to pull out a crucial NFC East victory over Dallas. Have I mentioned that I hate his guts?

10 (10). Atlanta Falcons (8-5)

The Falcons charged back from a 23-7 halftime deficit to stay in the wild card race. More surprisingly, it’s Week 14 and I still haven’t used this space to link to Steve Miller Band.

9 (9). New York Jets (8-5)

So, the Jets are back in the playoff hunt with a resounding win over a left-handed excuse of a quarterback and with a lot of help from around the league. Pardon me if I’m not all aflutter over their good fortune.

8 (8). Denver Broncos (8-5)

Whatever.

7 (7). Houston Texans (10-3)

T.J. Yates threw the go-ahead touchdown with two seconds left in the game to win 20-19. Now the Texans are going to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, and I couldn’t be more indifferent.

6 (6). New England Patriots (10-3)

Even after Rob Gronkowski set the NFL record for receiving touchdowns by a tight end in a season, the storyline was still Tom Brady’s shouting match with his offensive coordinator, Bill O’Brien. Do you think O’Brien is aware he doesn’t have to live up to his job title in every sense of the word?

5 (4). San Francisco 49ers (10-3)

The 49ers couldn’t capitalize on three possessions inside the 10-yard line, settling for a field goal each time. That doesn’t bode well for the playoffs. Well, that and losing to Arizona, a.k.a. anyone else in the NFC West.

4 (5). Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3)

Ben Roethlisberger returned from a seemingly gruesome ankle injury, reinforcing his toughness while leading the Steelers to victory. When is Roethlisberger going to realize that he will never get a girl unless he shows his sensitive side?

3 (3). New Orleans Saints (10-3)

You may have tied yourself for the single-season record of most games with 300 passing yards (10), Drew Brees, but I’m still taller than you.

2 (2). Baltimore Ravens (10-3)

Terrell Suggs on the Ravens’ win: “It’s chaos out there. A lot is going on more than you see. It’s like ‘The Matrix’ out there with a little bit of ‘Inception’. It’s a little bit crazy.” Oh, so that’s what a concussion feels like!

1 (1). Green Bay Packers (13-0)

Ryan Grant had 10 carries for 85 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first legitimate replacement for Aaron Rodgers as the noteworthy player of the game. I was starting to think I might as well just start copying and pasting every Aaron Rodgers box score into this slot.

© Nick Bohlen for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, NFL, Opinion, Patriots.

Just three games left and the playoffs can get underway. The Texans and Broncos continue to roll. San Francisco is slipping away from a bye. And the Cowboys suddenly aren’t looking their best. Indy’s magic number to clinch Andrew Luck is down to two, so that should be interesting to see what happens with Peyton Manning. The Bears are fading into obscurity without Jay Cutler, and the Lions are taking advantage to get back into the race. Plenty happened in the last week, so let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Tuesday, December 13:

NFC

#1 Green Bay Packers

Green Bay just isn’t going down any time soon.

#2 San Francisco 49ers

After a rough loss to Arizona, San Francisco is barely clinging to a tiebreaker lead over New Orleans. That loss of a lead for the bye will weigh heavy over San Francisco, and while their defense is still doing well, they’ll have to be at 100% if they hope to get through the tough NFC competition.

#3 New Orleans Saints vs #6 Detroit Lions

New Orleans has a very good offense, while the Lions‘ defense (particularly Ndamukong Suh) is undisciplined at best. While the Lions have a good offense themselves, anything less than perfect focus will kill their defense against the Saints.

#4 New York Giants vs #5 Atlanta Falcons

New York hasn’t been the best lately, even giving up 34 points in a win over Dallas. Atlanta, while not as good as the past few years, has still been the more constant team this year. If the Giants can’t settle into a comfortable routine, Atlanta will be able to make them fail.

AFC

#1 Houston Texans

With New England playing out of the conference, Houston‘s squeaker of a win in Cincinnati has them back at #1. However, the last three games of their seven-game win streak have all been won by one possession, unlike the previous four. Houston will need to be able to break away from opponents if they are to have a chance of making it far into the playoffs.

#2 Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore settled into #2 with an easy victory over the hapless Colts. They bring an elite defense to bear, and Joe Flacco has been arguably the most underrated quarterback in the NFL this season. Add to that a 7-0 home record, and Baltimore will be difficult to stop.

#3 New England Patriots vs #6 New York Jets

New England has managed to win five straight, but their defense is atrocious. While the Jets don’t have the best passing game, but Plaxico Burress has been a pretty good threat. And they can rush the ball with the best of them. Even Tom Brady has been less than perfect lately, and with the “defense” New England has, they’ll need Tom Terrific at his best to avoid another home playoff loss to the Jets for the second straight year.

#4 Denver Broncos vs #5 Pittsburgh Steelers

Tim Tebow is the king of the comeback in Denver, but that magic can’t last forever. The Bears beat themselves thanks to Marion Barber, and the Steelers have the second-best defense in the league behind San Francisco. Pittsburgh is a professional team that knows how to prevent teams from gaining too much hope late.

What Might Change Next Week:

• With Houston playing out of the conference, the see-saw battle with New England should continue.
• With San Francisco reeling and facing Pittsburgh, look for New Orleans to take over the second bye in the NFC.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: NFL, Patriots.

It’s just a month until the playoffs start, and the tension isn’t letting up. Houston is still winning despite being down to their third quarterback. New England is still having trouble playing 60 minutes. Even Green Bay is winning close games now. Both wildcard races are still very heated. And let’s not forget that it’s Tebow Time in Denver. With everything still so contested, and only two teams clinching playoff spots so far, let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Tuesday, December 6:

NFC

#1 Green Bay Packers

Green Bay may have allowed 35 points to the Giants and won by just a field goal, but they still showed how dangerous they can be if you give them enough time to do something.

#2 San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco once again showed how dominant they are, blanking the Rams at home. Baltimore may have gotten the better of them on Thanksgiving, but then and earlier in the season, San Fran showed they can beat just about any team.

#3 New Orleans Saints vs #6 Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta is a good team, but New Orleans has been running away with the division lately, on a four-game winning streak behind their extremely powerful offense. Add to that an unbeaten record in the Superdome and New Orleans should win.

#4 Dallas Cowboys vs #5 Chicago Bears

Chicago is on a slide ever since losing Jay Cutler, most recently managing just three points in a 10-3 home loss to Kansas City. Dallas still has Tony Romo and plenty of playmakers. The personnel issues and the home/away match-up favor Dallas in this one.

AFC

#1 New England Patriots

With Houston not facing a conference opponent, New England took the opportunity to reclaim the conference tiebreaker. However, they nearly let the useless Colts come back from a 31-3 hole in New England. If a game against a winless opponent gives the Pats such trouble, playoff opponents will be extremely difficult to defeat.

#2 Houston Texans

Houston managed to hold off Atlanta to hang onto a bye, and while their defense did stand up, Houston didn’t have the offensive outburst they’re used to. Houston is capable of playing a full game, but with Andre Johnson now out again, things became that much harder for Houston.

#3 Baltimore Ravens vs #6 Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati is struggling to maintain that last seed lately, while Baltimore has won three straight to keep pace for the AFC lead. Cincinnati has had struggles against good teams like Baltimore and Pittsburgh this season, which will only get worse once the sudden death pressure falls upon them.

#4 Denver Broncos vs #5 Pittsburgh Steelers

Tim Tebow has led the Broncos to five straight wins. However, Pittsburgh isn’t exactly known for giving up a lot of points. Pittsburgh can rush the passer effectively, especially once Troy Polamalu returns to form. In this game, Tebow will be forced to win with his passes, which doesn’t bode terribly well for Denver.

What Might Change Next Week:

• With Chicago facing a stiff challenge in Denver, they could very well drop out of the playoff picture entirely.
• If Cincinnati has any trouble at all against Houston, the Jets are in a good position to take over #6.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: NFL, Patriots.

Just over a month remains in the season, and plenty of teams are still fighting for position. The Colts are definitely getting Andrew Luck, but the wild cards and many divisions (as well as most of the byes) are still very much within reach. All of a sudden, San Francisco’s first round bye isn’t so secure, and four AFC teams from three divisions are at 8-3. Anything can and will happen in the last five weeks of the season, so let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs happened as of Tuesday, November 29:

NFC

#1 Green Bay Packers

Green Bay beat down Detroit quite nicely on Turkey Day. They’re just getting things done every which way.

#2 San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco lost the battle of the Harbaughs, but they still only allowed 16 points to Baltimore. The 49ers are still as good as ever, and their magic number to clinch the division is down to one, by the way.

#3 New Orleans Saints vs #6 Atlanta Falcons

Both teams are riding winning streaks, though New Orleans did thoroughly destroy the Giants Monday. And they did already win in Atlanta. With 362 points to 259 on the season, New Orleans is simply the more explosive team.

#4 Dallas Cowboys vs #5 Chicago Bears

Both teams are identical as far as the home/away stats go. Dallas has won four in a row, while Chicago just ended a five-gamer. But with both teams noticeably better at home, and Chicago down a starting quarterback, Dallas has the edge.

AFC

#1 Houston Texans

An extra conference win has the Texans at #1. They’re doing well enough, but after losing Matt Schaub, they lost Matt Leinart too. The Texans shouldn’t be able to keep pace with their offense dwindling like this.

#2 New England Patriots

New England has a very dangerous offense that will get a lot of practice against some easy foes from here on out. Ditto for their terribly porous defense, which does allow a lot of yardage, but just 223 points so far. As long as New England realizes this year that the playoffs are sudden death, they can go far. At least until they come up against just as prolific an offense as themselves.

#3 Baltimore Ravens vs #6 Cincinnati Bengals

The Ravens are 6-0 at home so far, and a perfect 3-0 in their division. Cincinnati may have some young skill, but Baltimore has the energy and experience to move on.

#4 Oakland Raiders vs #5 Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh has really only had trouble with Baltimore this season, and Oakland may be 7-4, but they still have a -14 point differential. In fact, every team in the AFC West has a negative differential. With Pittsburgh’s offense and defense going the way they do, and considering Oakland is a better road team, Pittsburgh should move on pretty easily.

What Might Change Next Week:

• Definitely look for Houston to start their tailspin, allowing New England to take over the AFC once more.
• Also look for Denver (@ MIN) to take over Cincinnati’s (@ PIT) spot.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Patriots.

Coming up on Thanksgiving, the Lions will actually have a meaningful game. Both conferences are still in heated races for seeding, with the AFC turning upside down week by week. The Packers and 49ers are still the best of the best, but other teams are on the rise, too. Much has been made lately of New England’s easy schedule the rest of the way. And there are a lot of new quarterback situations to work out; Chicago and Houston need a veteran to help with the playoff push, and while Arizona is all but mathematically out, they have some decisions to make regarding their future quarterback. With such a large amount of upheaval in the NFL, let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Tuesday, November 22:

NFC

#1 Green Bay Packers

Tampa gave them a good run, but once again Green Bay did what they do best: score.

#2 San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco put up another great defensive performance against Arizona, and showed that they can edge you out with field goals at any distance. If you can’t get several touchdowns against the ’9ers, then you won’t win.

#3 New Orleans Saints vs #6 Chicago Bears

New Orleans has a beast of an offense, easily behind only Green Bay. They may not have as prolific a defense as Chicago, but with Jay Cutler now out, the Bears don’t have a good chance at all to keep pace with Drew Brees.

#4 Dallas Cowboys vs #5 Detroit Lions

Dallas and Detroit are both known for their defenses, though Detroit has the better offense, led by Calvin “Megatron” Johnson. Most recently, Dallas barely edged out Washington, who has the league’s longest active non-Indianapolis losing streak. Detroit let Cam Newton rattle off 35 points, but once again overcame adversity with a three-possession deficit erased once again. Dallas may be good enough to win the NFC East, but Tony Romo doesn’t quite have the options Matthew Stafford does.

AFC

#1 New England Patriots

New England started very poorly against Kansas City, but then turned up the heat. They have a good offense and easy schedule, but we’ve seen in the playoffs what happens when a good team comes to Gillette.

#2 Baltimore Ravens

Any team that can give Pittsburgh fits is a team to be reckoned with. Balitmore‘s defense is third in the league, and they’re unbeaten at home, the only AFC team that can make that claim. Especially considering recent history against New England, Baltimore could easily represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

#3 Houston Texans vs #6 Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati is still doing well despite two straight losses; they did take Baltimore to the wire in Maryland. Houston has won four straight, but they’re out Matt Schaub, and have to either bring in a proven quarterback or go with Matt Leinart. Remember Leinart’s blowup at a press conference that led to his Arizona demise? He’ll very likely do the same to Houston.

#4 Oakland Raiders vs #5 Pittsburgh Steelers

Oakland in the playoffs? With that weak division, it’s a real possibility. Pittsburgh has more than enough power on both ends of the field to take advantage of that. A -19 point differential doesn’t bode well for Oakland in the playoffs, either.

What Might Change Next Week:

• There probably won’t be any changes this week for a change; the most likely change would be Pittsburgh taking over for Baltimore if John Harbaugh and the Ravens can’t make it past brother Jim and the 49ers.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: NFL, Patriots.

All is well in the world after the Patriots won Sunday night.

My friend who happens to be a Jets fan might disagree (just a hunch based on the number of expletive-ridden texts he sent me over the course of the second half), but as far as I’m concerned, I have never had a more quintessentially American moment than enjoying a delicious slice of apple pie after a big Patriots win over the Jets.

But this isn’t just about the Patriots, this is my expert NFL Power Rankings after ten weeks of football!

We have three unexpected news items to discuss from Sunday: Chris Johnson’s breakout, the NFC West’s Sunday dominance, and, um, let’s see, the third one, uh…the EPA!

Oops. Last week’s ranking in parentheses.

Without further ado, the rank and file of the NFL’s Tweedledums and Tweedledees through Week 10:

32 (32). Indianapolis Colts (0-10)

With a two-game lead in the “Suck for Luck” sweepstakes, it looks like the Colts will be able to draft best player available to replace Peyton Manning and his neck that looks like a high school metal fab project.

31 (31). St. Louis Rams (2-7)

The Rams barely beat the Browns when a botched snap led Cleveland to shank a chip-shot field goal. You may have won, but sorry, St. Louis: do not pass Go second-to-last place, do not collect $200.

30 (26). Washington Redskins (3-6)

The ‘Skins turned back to Rex Grossman to lead them to victory, but he threw two picks instead. I don’t know whether to be excited or appalled when Dan Snyder gives up 1,001 draft picks to the Colts for Peyton Manning.

29 (27). Cleveland Browns (3-6)

With a completion percentage under 60 and just one more career touchdown pass than career interceptions, it will always baffle me how Colt McCoy can stand to ruin such a cool name with such crappy stats.

28 (20). Carolina Panthers (2-7)

I’m officially out on the Panthers after they failed to stop Chris Johnson and the Titans. I don’t know who that’s worse for: the Panthers since they’re terrible, or Johnson since he is bad enough to serve as my measuring stick for bad teams.

27 (21). Kansas City Chiefs (4-5)

The Chiefs let Denver romp for 244 yards rushing even when they knew the run was coming every single play. It’s like they pooped in the refrigerator and ate an entire wheel of cheese – I’m not even mad, I’m just impressed.

26 (30). Miami Dolphins (2-7)

The Dolphins won their first home game in almost a year behind a retro-Reggie Bush performance. And since he’s playing well like he did at USC, it means he’s probably cheating. Just remember you first heard it here at SoB.

25 (19). Minnesota Vikings (2-7)

The Vikings got so owned by the Packers on MNF, they couldn’t even keep back-up quarterback Matt Flynn out of the endzone.

24 (25). Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6)

Blaine Gabbert broke 100 yards passing this week! I don’t know if I’m more impressed by his performance or Curtis Painter of the Colts, who for the second straight week managed to get replaced by the guy who was so scared to be sacked that he ran untouched out of the back of the end zone for a safety.

23 (29). Arizona Cardinals (3-6)

John Skelton looks to assume Kevin Kolb’s starting QB job with three touchdown passes to lead Arizona to a come-from-behind win. Sadly, the Cardinals can’t replace Kolb’s $63 million contract so easily.

22 (28). Seattle Seahawks (3-6)

The Seahawks beat the Ravens to give the NFC West a perfect 4-0 record on Sunday. If there were any time to predict the end of the world, now would be it.

21 (18). Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)

Ex-Pat Albert Haynesworth made an impact with his new team by blocking a PAT and recording five tackles, two more than he had in six games with the Patriots. Unfortunately, the Bucs lost by 28, so his impact had roughly the same effect as always: none.

20 (16). Philadelphia Eagles (3-6)

The Eagles blew another lead in the fourth quarter as Michael Vick went 16 for 34 with 2 INTs and a 32.8 passer rating. Maybe the Eagles should have waited for the Dream Team to become a reality before agreeing to give Vick $100 million for playing well in the preseason.

19 (15). San Diego Chargers (4-5)

The Chargers lost again to somehow be on the verge of not winning the AFC West. How long can Norv Turner coach this team to mediocrity before getting fired? He’s like the Tebow of coaches. Except he doesn’t win.

18 (24). Oakland Raiders (5-4)

Since trading for Carson Palmer, the Raiders have surged into first place in the AFC West with a win over the Chargers on Thursday night. Let’s be clear: acquiring Palmer and being in first are not correlated. I thought they would have been mutually exclusive.

17 (23). Denver Broncos (4-5)

Tim Tebow won despite completing two passes in eight attempts for 69 yards. God must have a thing for beefy quarterbacks who can’t throw the ball.

16 (14). Buffalo Bills (5-4)

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three interceptions to just one touchdown while averaging 4.7 yards per attempt. Apparently his $59 million contract is not for his on-field performance, but for having to live in Buffalo.

15 (22). Tennessee Titans (5-4)

Chris Johnson finally broke out for 130 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. Sure, it was a meaningless touchdown run set up by Matt Hasselbeck running out of bounds at the one-yard-line because Johnson is on his quarterback’s fantasy team, but still.

14 (11). Cincinnati Bengals (6-3)

The Bengals lost their first of four meetings with the Steelers and Ravens. You’re not in Kansas at TCU anymore, Dorothy Dalton.

13 (17). Dallas Cowboys (5-4)

It was a great day for Cowboys fans, as DeMarco Murray ran for over 100 yards and Tony Romo completed over 88 percent of his passes with fully healed ribs. That is, unless you have crush on Cowboys cheerleader Kelsi Reich.

12 (9). New York Jets (5-4)

The Jets supposed “shutdown” defense has now given up 67 points to the Patriots in two losses. Even worse, now they have to stir Bill Belichick’s drink.

11 (5). Detroit Lions (6-3)

Apparently the Lions have no running game, as Matt Stafford threw the ball 63 times. All to Calvin Johnson.

 10 (8). Atlanta Falcons (5-4)

Coach Mike Smith ordered his team to go for it in OT on 4th and inches from the Falcons’ own 29, costing his team the game when they couldn’t convert. Smith took full responsibility, acknowledging he probably shouldn’t have been the one trying to pick up the first down.

 9 (13). Houston Texans (7-3)

Just when I was getting ready to buy into Houston with their ability to win without Andre Johnson and their top-ranked defense, Matt Schaub goes down for the year with a broken foot. Luckily, back-up quarterback Matt Leinart knows how to win after going 37-2 at USC. Unluckily, that was his record in beer pong.

8 (10). New England Patriots (6-3)

Starting in the second half, I switched to Budweiser, flirting with the fine line between superstition and alcoholism depending on whether the Patriots won or lost. Luckily, it turned out to be a good karmic decision. I haven’t stopped drinking Bud heavy since.

7 (7). New York Giants (6-3)

You couldn’t have come up short in your fourth quarter comeback last week, Giants? Really, Eli? I’m so bitter.

6 (2). Baltimore Ravens (6-3)

The Ravens continue to be a total enigma after losing to the hapless Seahawks. Seriously, would a single team I rank second win so I don’t have to keep rearranging the rankings each week?

5 (12). Chicago Bears (6-3)

Despite only 12 first downs, the Bears avenged an earlier loss at Detroit and trounced the Lions 37-13 at home by forcing six turnovers. The Lions were caught off guard when Jay Cutler asked them for the ball nicely.

4 (6). New Orleans Saints (7-3)

In this week’s awful pun, it was a Brees for Drew to continue his streak of 37 straight games with a touchdown pass.

3 (4). Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3)

Even after getting swept by the Ravens last week, the Steelers find themselves back in first in the AFC North behind their vaunted defense. They finally convinced Troy Polamalu to stop checking his hair for dandruff long enough to play.

2 (3). San Francisco 49ers (8-1)

The 49ers showed they are for real in beating the Giants 27-20. Everyone credits Jim Harbaugh with the turnaround, but he said, “I don’t take any credit. It’s these men. These mighty, strong men.” Um, no comment.

1 (1). Green Bay Packers (9-0)

A week after getting shredded for 38 points, the Packers defense showed up in a big way to hold their opponent to seven points and complement the offense’s 45-point outburst. Like when Lara Croft fit the two pieces of the triangle together in Tomb Raider, the Packers now control time.

What’s that? No one wants me to make obscure references to terrible movies? Duly noted.

For next week.

© Nick Bohlen for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, NFL, Opinion, Patriots.

With just seven weeks to go, and several divisions are still very much up for grabs. For that matter, the whole AFC is on the line, with going from #1 to #6 in a week becoming rather likely lately. The Packers are still the team to beat, but with San Francisco, Pittsburgh and even Houston winning big, there’s some hefty competition. New England and Oakland are back on track for the time being, while the Giants are slipping. There’s a lot to look forward to in the season’s home stretch, so let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Tuesday, November 15:

NFC

#1 Green Bay Packers

It’s the Packers. Enough said.

#2 San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco held off a good version of the Giants to win their seventh in a row. They’re an all-around team that can score and limit opponents’ points, and should pretty much only be given a true test by the Packers.

#3 New Orleans Saints vs #6 Chicago Bears

New Orleans held very strong to hold back Atlanta in OT in Atlanta. Chicago took advantage of home-field to take down the powerhouse known as Detroit. Both teams are very home-field oriented this season, which when coupled with the Saints’ runaway offense (only a touchdown behind Green Bay) should give New Orleans the edge they need.

#4 New York Giants vs #5 Detroit Lions

That game in Chicago was actually the first road loss for Detroit all season. The Giants were still in that game against San Fran until the final minute. The troublesome thing for the Giants is that Detroit has 61 more net points. Given the sporadic struggles NY has had this season, Detroit is in line for its first playoff win in forever.

AFC

#1 Houston Texans

An early season victory over Pittsburgh has Houston ruling the AFC. When healthy, they’re a very dangerous opponent. If Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson remain healthy for the playoffs, they’ll do fine. Even if they are, expect other teams to keep almost non-stop pressure on them.

#2 Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh has been just as dominant as ever. In fact, their only real achilles heel has been Baltimore. Still, it’s been difficult for anyone to do well against Pittsburgh this season.

#3 New England Patriots vs #6 Cincinnati Bengals

Aside from Denver, Cincinnati‘s losses this season have been to good teams Pittsburgh and San Francisco. New England picked things up against the Jets, but they will always be known to concentrate only on their own passing game while Tom Brady is in town. Cincy’s offense has been a pleasant surprise this year, so Tom Terrific may need to stay on top for New England to avoid another embarrassing home playoff loss.

#4 Oakland Raiders vs #5 Baltimore Ravens

Oakland is in first place, but in the weakest division in football. Baltimore has the league’s second-best defense behind San Francisco, but any supposedly good team has its credibility damaged after losing to Seattle. But considering Baltimore’s overall defense on the season and their 98 more net points, they should do fine.

What Might Change Next Week:

• Look for New England to emerge from a three-way tie to lead the AFC.
• That means Baltimore getting the tiebreaker over Pittsburgh for the division won’t help with the conference.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments
Filed under: NFL, Patriots.

The NFL season is entering its latter half, and the race is just as exciting as ever. Two divisions have a three-way tie for the lead, and another has the third team half a game back. Both conferences have a division with three teams currently in the playoff bracket; a division has only finished that way twice since the current divisional alignment occurred. One win-less and one unbeaten team remain, which should make for an entertaining finish. Aside from the runaway NFC West, all divisions are led by at most two games, so let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Tuesday, November 8:

NFC

#1 Green Bay Packers

You play the Packers at home. You score 38 points. You lose. That says all you need to know about Green Bay.

#2 San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco may not always score the most, but they have the league’s most formidable defense and a kicker that can score from over 50 yards away with great reliability. Without question, the 49ers this year are a team to be reckoned with.

#3 New York Giants vs #6 Chicago Bears

Any team like the Giants that can win in New England is to be feared. Then again, the Bears did the same in Philadelphia. Both teams are similar in that way, though the Giants haven’t been too consistent this year. If the Giants can settle down and play a full 60 minutes against a quality team, they’ll do fine, otherwise the Bears will take advantage.

#4 New Orleans Saints vs #5 Detroit Lions

So far, New Orleans hasn’t lost at home while Detroit hasn’t lost on the road. However, Detroit has a noticeably better defense, and a decent offense of their own. With Detroit’s resurgence and the sheer force with which they play (Suh, Fairley and Megatron amongst others), New Orleans will have a hard time.

AFC

#1 Cincinnati Bengals

After a bit of turmoil in the AFC North, Cincinnati finds themselves atop the standings. Their offense is good behind the rookie pairing of Andy Dalton and A.J. Green, and their defense is the third best in the league. The Bengals can hang with any team, and they’ll be more than ready to prove it.

#2 Houston Texans

With the weakened Colts (and an under-performing Chris Johnson) in their division, Houston is taking advantage to put together a franchise season. Andre Johnson will be back soon enough, and with Houston’s surprisingly good defense, they’ll be tough.

#3 New England Patriots vs #6 Pittsburgh Steelers

Thanks to a three-way tie that kicks Buffalo out of the picture, New England leads the AFC East. The thing is that they’re sliding fast. Defenses are figuring out their offense and their own defense still tends to give up tough plays at the most inopportune times. Pittsburgh may have lost at home to Baltimore, but at least they’re consistent in their performance. And with New England’s recent home playoff history, Pittsburgh is fixing to win this Pats game as well.

#4 Kansas City Chiefs vs #5 Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore has got to be feeling great after sweeping the Steelers for the second time ever. Kansas City, meanwhile, was limited, at home, to a field goal by the previously win-less Dolphins. Kansas City is struggling in the NFL’s weakest division, and this rematch from last year’s playoffs, down to the seeds, shouldn’t end any differently.

What Might Change Next Week:

• San Diego hosts Oakland; victory will get them the division.
• If Cincy loses to Pittsburgh, definitely a possibility, the Ravens will take over the division and the AFC.
• Look for the Jets to take over the AFC East after hosting New England coupled with Buffalo’s tough time in Dallas.
• Atlanta hosts New Orleans with the chance to take over the NFC South.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments
Filed under: NFL, Patriots.