National Football League Dominates ESPYs

The 20th Annual ESPY Awards aired last night and, naturally, were dominated by the National Football League. The ESPY Awards, for those uninformed, are the equivalent of a Grammy or an Emmy. It's the awards show that has been put on by ESPN since the year 1993.

We live in a country that is surrounded by football. It has become easily the biggest sport in the country, so it shouldn't have come as any sort of surprise that five of the major awards were handed out to NFL players/coaches or "moments."

This year is the 20th year since it was created and was hosted by actor Rob Riggle and I have included a 14 minute video of a few of his jokes from the program last night.

But, before you watch the video here's a rundown of the awards handed out to the NFL:

Record Breaking Performance: Drew Brees' 5,476 passing yards

This is a record that I think will be broken a couple more times, at least, with the way the NFL has been changing. Before the 2011 season, a quarterback has thrown for 5,000 yards in a single-season just twice (Dan Marino and Brees), but that number is now up to five (Marino, Brees twice, Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford).

Although I believe this record will not stand for very long, it's still a well-deserved victory for Brees when you take into consideration the fact that he broke Marino's record by nearly 400 yards.

Other nominees:

*Coach K, career wins

*Mariano Rivera, career saves

*Lexi Thompson, youngest LPGA Tour winner

Game of the Year: 49ers over Saints, NFC Divisional Playoff

You know it had to be good in order to edge out Game 6 of the MLB World Series. And it really was.

With 34 combined points and four lead changes in the fourth quarter alone, the 2011-12 cinderella team (well, almost) pulled off the improbable upset over Brees' Saints thanks to a late 14-yard TD throw and catch from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis. The touchdown turned emotional as Davis ran over and hugged coach Jim Harbaugh. That was the icing on the cake for San Francisco, advancing to the NFC Championship game against the New York Giants.

Other nominees:

*Mizzou at Kansas, CBB

*Rangers at Cardinals, WS Game 6

Best Moment: Tim Tebow's 80-yard GW touchdown pass in OT

No doubt it was a great moment, but I think there were a couple more deserving than this one (*ehem* last day of MLB regular season). But of course it was the finishing touch on a miraculous upset pulled off by Tebow's Denver squad that "stood no chance" against a defense of such gratitude–No. 1 overall Pittsburgh Steelers. Not to mention it was in the postseason and gave Denver the fastest overtime victory in history.

Ok, ok, fine. Tebow's moment deserved to be recognized with an ESPY. Congrats, Tebow. Enjoy it now, because I don't see it getting too much better since you joined the circus in New York.

Other nominees:

*Derek Jeter's 3,000 hit

*Last day of MLB Regular Season

*Bubba Watson's Masters win

Best Coach/Manager: Tom Coughlin, New York Giants

Considering that, yet again, Coughlin was forced to shut his critics up by beating out tough teams in the postseason and Super Bowl to prove to everyone he is a more than capable head coach, I'd say he's pretty deserving of this award.

Haven't people learned by now that Coughlin seems to be best when backed up against a wall? Early in the season he was on the cusp of being flogged by Giants fans and run out of town, but once February rolled around these same fans started praising him and practically crowned him king.

Just goes to show that you're only loved when you're winning.

Other nominees:

*Coach Calipari, Kentucky basketball

*Kim Mulkey, Women's Baylor basketball

*Patrick Murphy, Alabama softball

*Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat

*Darryl Sutter, LA Kings

Best Comeback: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

This really was one for the books. In just 13 starts in two seasons prior to 2011, the No. 1 overall pick in 2009 had been less than stellar (19 TDs, 21 INTs, 3-10 record as starter). But this past season was a whole different story.

Stafford put up the fifth-most passing yards in NFL history (5,038) and a personal-best 41 TDs on his way to a record-season while leading Detroit back to the playoffs for the first time since 1999. With a little help from Calvin "Megatron" Johnson, Stafford put Detroit back on the radar...but this time, it was through the air that Detroit was making plays.

Going from starting three games one season due to a shoulder injury to a full 16 games the next season is a difficult enough task to accomplish as it is. But to not only accomplish that, but to pull a historically losing team out of the dark and into the light of the postseason? That is truly a noteworthy accomplishment.

Other nominees:

*Sidney Crosby, PIT C

*Johan Santana, NYM pitcher

*Maria Sharapova, women's tennis player

Best NFL Player: Aaron Rodgers, Packers quarterback

He was already voted the 2012 season's No. 1 player by NFL Network after posting a 15-1 record this past regular season in Green Bay. Now he receives an ESPY for his spectacular play under center.

What's next for Rodgers, another Super Bowl ring? Perhaps.

Other nominees:

*Drew Brees, Saints

*Rob Gronkowski, Patriots

*Calvin Johnson, Lions

*Terrell Suggs, Ravens

Best Male Collegiate Athlete: Robert Griffin III

Normally I wouldn't include this category on an NFL-based article. But, come on. We all knew this was coming. If RGIII didn't win it, then it likely would have been former Stanford Cardinal, now Indianapolis Colts, quarterback Andrew Luck.

Luck was the No. 1 overall pick, but it appears RGIII may get the last laugh as the flashy quarterback is awarded the ESPY over his counterpart Luck, in addition to three other deserving nominees.

Other nominees:

*Andrew Luck, Stanford football

*Anthony Davis, Kentucky basketball

*Jack Connolly, Minnesota-Duluth hockey

*Mike Zunino, Florida baseball

~ ~ ~

Host Rob Riggle, everyone!

You may view the complete list of ESPY winners here.

Note: I do not own any of the above images (or video). No copyright infringement intended.

Is There Anything More Intimidating on the Football Field than A Bloody Face?

If that's not the face of intimidation, then I'm not so sure what is.

Brian Cushing, the leader of Houston's fourth-ranked defense in 2011, knows a thing or two about being bloodied on the football field. Back on November 6, against the Cleveland Browns, Cushing found himself in the middle of a post-play tussle with a Browns lineman. Right after being pushed from behind by the player while walking away, Cushing took off his helmet as he turned around to face the said Brown player, guard Shawn Lauvao. Unfortunately for Cushing, Lauvao head-butted him (looked unintentional as Lauvao simply got in Cushing's face).

The picture above was the end result: An angry, bloody Cushing. Houston went on to easily win the game, 30-12, to improve to 6-3 on their way to a franchise-best 10-6 season, a division title and the first playoff appearance in Texans' history.

Despite losing All Pro defensive end/outside linebacker Mario Williams, who signed elsewhere (Buffalo) this offseason, the Cushing-led Texans will be on the prowl once again in 2012. I expect even bigger things as this defense continues to mature and add depth.

A couple of days ago I expressed how confident I am in the Carolina Panthers as the favorites in the NFC South, and now I am expressing how much confidence I have in Houston capturing a second consecutive AFC South division title.

I do not own the above image. No copyright infringement intended.

Is Michael Vick Right or Wrong About Officials?

Another week gone by, another Michael Vick injury.

Just a short week after Philadelphia Eagles' starting quarterback Michael Vick collided with a teammate a suffered a minor concussion, Vick suffers what was originally announced as a broken right hand in a 29-16 loss to NFC East counterpart New York Giants.

Yesterday it was revealed that he simply bruised his non-throwing hand, according to head coach Andy Reid. But nonetheless, the usually soft-spoken Vick had some strong words for the game's officials in a post-game news conference (as displayed in the youtube video below).

While he does raise a good point in terms of him taking hits in the pocket that quarterbacks otherwise would draw a penalty flag for, I simply don't think this was a smart move for Vick.

It's apparent that he has yet to come to the realization that NFL Officials (not "refs," because there is only one "referee" on the field at a time) are bound to treat Vick differently. It's rare that Vick sits in the pocket and takes a hit, seeing as he loves to move around and extend plays. He's a whole different breed of quarterback than the rest of the Manning's, Brady's, Brees' and Rivers' out there.

Like Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, Vick holds on to the ball a bit longer and is going to be taking some hits. Whether or not they draw flags or not, that's solely up to the judgement of the referee.

There's no doubt he could've drawn a flag or two in Sunday's game against New York, but although he says "I'm not trying to complain or anything," that's pretty much exactly what he's doing here. And I don't think the league will be very happy to hear all of this.

The best thing Mike Vick could do right now, is to just stay quiet and keep doing what he does best: win football games for Philadelphia. If he can get his team back on track and bounce back from this 1-2 start, I think we will be seeing less and less of this. Philly is simply just frustrated by a slow start to the 2011 campaign.

Note to readers: This is my 200th post! Woo, that's a lot. Looking to add 200+ more in the near future! Thanks for supporting.

Video found on Youtube

And Then There Were Three: Buffalo Erases 21-point Deficit against New England

Coming in to Week 3's heavyweight match-ups, there were seven unbeaten teams in the National Football League. After Monday night's 18-16 Cowboys victory over the surprising 2-0 Redskins, there are only three still standing.

By far the biggest story of the weekend is, not the fact that Michael Vick suffered a bruise on his non-throwing hand (it isn't broken as originally reported), but rather that the 3-0 Buffalo Bills made a remarkable comeback against the, now 2-1, New England Patriots.

For the first time in 15 head-to-head matches between Buffalo and New England, the Bills came out on top.

That's quite a feat for such a young and inexperienced team, especially considering what they had to overcome to pull off the unimaginable.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, one of only 26 NFL players in the history of the league to play college ball at Harvard University, has showed us all that he belongs in the top half of starting quarterbacks. In terms of not only athletic ability, but also leadership.

After losing one of his top targets in Lee Evans this off-season, Fitzpatrick has gone out and thrown for 841 yards and 9 TDs (64.9 %; 103.5 QBR) and just three interceptions in the Bills' first three games this season. He led Buffalo's offense to a blowout win over Kansas City (41-7) to open the season, and managed back-to-back three-point games against Oakland and New England.

Down 21-10 at the half, Fitzpatrick's Bills put up 24 in the second half and kicker Rian Lindell hit a 28-yard game-winner as time expired, pulling out with a 34-31 victory.

This, of course, would not have been accomplished if it weren't for Buffalo's ball-hawking defense, though, as they picked off Tom Brady four times (one for a touchdown) despite hitting the quarterback just four times all game, and not recording a single sack.

Turnovers costed New England the game, but there's no denying the fact that the passing attack is still as scary as ever, with targets such as Wes Welker (16 catches, 217 yards, 2 TDs in the game) and second-year tight end Rob Gronkowski (7 catches, 109 yards, 2 TDs) to Brady's disposal.

Note to all fantasy owners: if by some miraculous chance Gronkowski is still available in your league, snag him up immediately without hesitation).

Aaron Rodgers' 2011 campaign continues to give me the sense that he and his crew are willing and able to defend the crown. Against Chicago on Sunday he threw his first interception of the season, to All Pro linebacker Brian Urlacher, but his three touchdown passes–all to TE Jermichael Finley–were enough to knock off Cutler's Bears in the NFC Championship rematch.

Cutler has been sacked more than any other quarterback in the league this year (14), other than Seattle's Tarvaris Jackson, who has also been sacked 14 times. So far in his career, Cutler's downfall has been the fact he gets the snot beat out of him while he's in the pocket, forcing him to make bad decisions and poor throws.

What happened against Green Bay's defense on Sunday? Easy, he got hit four or five times, sacked three more times, causing two interceptions and a fumble (which was recovered). Green Bay's offense did manage to outplay Chicago's when all was said and done, but I think the Bears' biggest problem is protecting the quarterback.

But I guess it didn't help that Chicago went pass-heavy, attempting 37 passes and just nine Matt Forte carries–which went for just two yards.

Chicago has plenty of problems on the offensive side, I guess you could say. But before we bash them on defense, lets credit Aaron Rodgers and his offensive attack with another great performance instead. Now that the Pats lost, I believe the Packers will be the last remaining undefeated team.

Buffalo's win Sunday was by far the most impressive, but I personally am more intrigued with Detroit's story.

First, the front seven managed to keep Adrian Peterson under 100 yards for the day, and only let him in the end zone one time. Not too shabby.

But second, they too (like Buffalo) erased a large halftime deficit. Down 20-0 at the break, Matthew Stafford led his Lions to a 26-23 overtime victory after putting up 23 points in the third and fourth quarters.

Lanky All Pro wideout Calvin "Megatron" Johnson helped him out a bit with a couple of miraculous touchdown catches (7 Rec., 108 yards, 2 TDs), but I think it was tight end Brandon Pettigrew who was the most surprising target of Stafford's to step his game up. Though he didn't get in to the end zone all game, Pettigrew caught 11 Stafford passes for 112 yards, making a couple of big plays when the team needed them most.

If Detroit can win close games with a very ineffective running game–19 attempts, 20 yards as a team–then imagine what they could do when Jahvid Best averages between four and five yards per carry, as opposed to his measly 1.2 from Sunday afternoon.

Nonetheless, Detroit escaped Minnesota unscathed, and will live to fight another day as an undefeated squad.

Can't wait to see how they fare against the feisty Dallas Cowboys this weekend, fresh off a slim victory over the, then-undefeated, Washington Redskins.

Photo credit

Drayton Florence: AP Photo/David Duprey

Calvin Johnson: AP Photo/Genevieve Ross

Week 2: Most Impressive 2-0 Teams

The second week of the regular season is in the books, and there are seven teams left unbeaten. Of those seven, I would say only three were expected to start the season off on such a high note.

What about the remaining four?

The Patriots and Jets respectively dominated each of its first two opponents.

New England put up 38 against Miami in the season opener, then went on to put up 35 in its home opener against San Diego on Sunday afternoon. During this stretch, MVP quarterback Tom Brady threw for a combined 940 yards, which is the second-most over a two-game period in NFL history.

New York may not have won by as large a margin in each of its first two games, but after scoring 17 fourth-quarter points and erasing a 14-point margin against Dallas, I'm certain that a three-point victory (27-24) is convincing enough. This past Sunday, Jaguars' starter Luke McCown posted an atrocious 1.8 QB rating (6/19, 59 yards, 0 TD, 4 INT) against New York's defense, scoring just three Jaguar points opposed to New York's 32.

Green Bay made its own impressive debut, dropping 42 points on New Orleans with some help from the defense and special teams. However, Drew Brees lit up Green Bay's pass defense for 419 yards and three TDs, coming just one yard shy of tying the game (barring a two-point attempt).

I was expecting Green Bay's top tier defense to have no trouble controlling Carolina's rookie quarterback Cam Newton this past weekend, but instead he passed for over 400 yards for the second consecutive week. A lack of a run game (Newton was leading rusher with 53 yards and a score on 10 carries) hurt Carolina in the end, who allowed the Pack back in the game after four turnovers.

Green Bay could easily be 1-1, or 0-2.

The other four teams: Houston, Washington, Detroit and Buffalo come as a bit of a surprise for most.

While, yes, I believe Houston is playoff-bound, and I picked Detroit as this year's surprise team in the NFC (but missing playoffs), I am still somewhat "shocked," in a sense, that they have come out of the gate swinging.

Houston had no troubled handling the Peyton Manning-less Colts (34-7 in week one), and was near-perfect in the passing category against Miami on Sunday (23-13). Washington has had some young guys step up, on both sides of the ball, with newly acquired Tim Hightower coming within four yards of topping 100 against Arizona this past week, and rookie defensive end Ryan Kerrigan recording eight total tackles, 1 sack, 3 PDs and an interception TD through two games.

Both Buffalo's Ryan Fitzpatrick and Detroit's Matthew Stafford have come out in the first two weeks looking to solidify themselves among the talks of "elite" status. Both signal callers have really taken off since last season, as Stafford is coming off a year-to-forget. With a guy like Calvin "Megatron" Johnson to his disposal, it's really not a surprise that he topped nearly 600 yards and seven TDs against Tampa Bay and Kansas City.

Stafford is just getting around to finally showing off his skills, after missing all but three games last season. Fitzpatrick, the 28-year old former Harvard grad, set career-highs in yards (3,000), touchdowns (23) and rating (81.8) in 13 games under center for Buffalo last year. It's likely this will be his first chance to be the No. 1 guy for the entire season, barring injury.

*Best 2-0 team: Patriots

*Most surprising 2-0 team: Bills

*First to lose: Bills

*Last to lose: Packers

Photo credit

Rivers/Brady: AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Jennings: AP Photo/Gerry Broome

Kerrigan: AP Photo/Cliff Owen

What Week One Taught us...

This is why we play the game.

Well, technically I should probably say "why we watch the game," because us fans and followers aren't the ones actually doing the hitting on the field. But either way the No. 1 thing I have learned after Sunday's game action is that it doesn't matter what a team looks like on paper. If the players aren't in unison, and they don't execute on the field, things won't pan out the way they are expected to.

Take Pittsburgh for example, like I just said in my previous post, Roethlisberger's offense didn't show up ready to play and Baltimore took full advantage.

There were plenty of other unexpected happenings this past weekend, and I am here to shed some light on them via a bulleted list for easier reading:

*If you don't put pressure on the opposing quarterback, and give him a nice little jab or two every once in a while, he will get too comfortable and tear your secondary apart. Piece-by-piece.

...

and vice versa

...

*Forcing turnovers, and turning them in to points will give you full advantage in this league.

(I kind of just pointed out the obvious in those first two bullets, but I thought it would be a good idea to reiterate the idea, in case someone hasn't been paying attention as of late).

*Special teams is not dead. Fans, including myself, have been rather critical of Commissioner Roger Goodell's decision to move the kick-off up five yards and eliminate the running start of the kick-off team this offseason. But as we witnessed Thursday night and Sunday, the kick return hasn't been fully eliminated from the game.

It actually seems as though that aspect of the game has been as strong as ever after the first week of play. There have been more touchbacks, but we have seen a couple of kick return touchdowns already, and returners have been steadily returning kicks from deep within the end zone.

Rookie Green Bay Packer Randall Cobb (108 yards) and San Fran's Ted Ginn Jr. (102 yards) were among the returners to break free for touchdowns. Don't be surprised if we see several more this season.

*Injuries have started to affect teams already.

That's right, there have been big-time players already ailing and several could be lost for the season. Carolina's Jon Beason, Pittsburgh's Willie Colon, San Diego's Nate Kaeding and Kansas City's Eric Berry are among the list of players who have been lost for the season.

St. Louis may not have Pro Bowl running back Steven Jackson for next Monday's matchup with the New York Giants, and Sam Bradford is a question mark, as well. Not to mention the lingering questions surrounding Peyton Manning's timetable for return.

What does this tell us? Your team could be hugely affected by an injury at any point during the season. Something else many were already aware of, but you never truly think about the possibility until it directly affects your team.

*Tom Brady is as strong as ever.

Miami's Chad Henne brought the Phins back in to the game late Monday night with two second-half touchdown passes, and he actually had a solid game going 30 for 49 with 416 yards, two TDs and just one interception. But, as we could clearly see watching the game on television, Tom Brady's Pats were in near-perfect form.

Albeit they were playing a Dolphin defense that allowed 38 or more points to New England in both match-ups last season. But either way, Brady owned the secondary Monday night throwing for 517 yards and four touchdowns (including a 99-yard TD pass to Wes Welker).

If that doesn't tell you the Pats are in mid-season form, then I truly don't know what it will take to realize this.

*Sebastian Janikowski still has the strongest leg in the game.

Monday's second game, between Oakland and Denver, featured a total of 25 penalties between the two teams. Oakland passed for just 99 yards and Denver managed 38 yards on the ground with three turnovers. Clearly an ugly game on both sides.

But luckily one bright spot came out of this one. Oakland's 33-year old kicker Sebastian Janikowski attempted a record-tying 63-yard field goal with seconds remaining on the first half clock. Not only did he get a great snap and hold, but he also split the uprights with a couple of feet to spare. The field goal ties Jason Elam and Tom Dempsey for longest-ever. What a kick.

What made it even more special? Oakland ended up winning by a field goal, 23-20. Thank goodness for Sebastian. If it weren't for him, this already long, gruesome game would have gone in to overtime. No one would have liked that too much.

*It could be another one of those seasons for Dallas.

Amidst all these "Tony Romo is a choker" talks, Mr. Romo goes and does this? Ow.

Ten seconds in to the fourth quarter, Dallas' running back Felix Jones runs the ball in from a yard out to give the 'Boys a 10-point lead. Mark Sanchez proceeds to answer Dallas' score with a touchdown of his own, a 26-yard pass to the returning Plaxico Burress. Romo and Sanchez then exchange fumbles on the following two drives, but Romo's three-and out forces a Dallas punt.

What happens next was a gift sent from New York's football gods. Joe McKnight blocks Mat McBriar's punt and Isaiah Trufant picks the ball up and runs it in to the end zone from 18 yards out. Tie game, 24-24. Romo fails to get in to the end zone and punts the following possession, and New York wins the game after Romo throws an interception deep in their own territory. New York's Nick Folk kicks a game-winning 50-yard field goal with less than a minute to play.

Of course Romo couldn't get his Cowboys in to FG position with under a minute remaining, and the Jets cap a 10-point fourth quarter comeback. Let the "choke" chants commence, people.

*Kansas City, Tampa Bay and Atlanta clearly have some things to work on as well, before they enter week two and expect big things to happen. Carolina fell to the Cards, but they really can't complain with the performance of rookie Cam Newton, who threw for a rookie debut record 422 yards and two touchdowns.
___________

The only determinant in how accurate these statements are, is time. Once week two hits this Sunday, these opinions can–and will most likely–change, and change rapidly. The regular season is a rollercoaster, so hold on tight.

Photos borrowed from Google (I do not own), no copyright infringement intended

Week 1 Game Picks

So far in 2011, I'm one for one in my game picks (predicted Green Bay's defeat of the Saints on Thursday). Not a bad start to the new season, if I do say so myself.

Here are my picks for the opening slate of Sunday afternoon games, plus Sunday and Monday night's games. (Note: normally I would give a couple sentences previewing each game, but I'm on a tight schedule this morning...maybe next week you'll get lucky).

Sunday September 11, 2011

Atlanta over Chicago

Pittsburgh over Baltimore

Cleveland over Cincinnati

Houston over Indianapolis

Tennessee over Jacksonville

Kansas City over Buffalo

Philadelphia over St. Louis

Detroit over Tampa Bay–UPSET

Carolina over Arizona–UPSET

San Diego over Minnesota

Seattle over San Francisco

Washington over New York (Giants)–UPSET

Dallas over New York (Jets)

Monday September 12, 2011

New England over Miami

Oakland over Denver

Photo found on Google, no copyright infringement intended

2011 Season Preview: Playoffs and Award Predictions

"What's that, playoffs?! Don't talk about playoffs, you kidding me, playoffs?!"

Thanks to the famous words of Jim Mora, I can bring to you the official 2011 playoffs preview. In my AFC and NFC season preview I picked division winners and wild card contenders. But as far as who will be making the playoff runs and beat out the rest for a Super Bowl appearance? That's coming up.

Wild Card Round

6 New York Jets @ 3 San Diego Chargers

Norv Turner brought his Bolts back to the playoffs with an AFC West title and third seed in the playoffs, yet was still not the best team on the field in San Diego. Rex Ryan's Jets were too much for Shaun Phillips and SD's defense as Mark Sanchez and New York's offense puts up 31 points.

NYJ 31-17

5 Baltimore Ravens @ 4 Houston Texans

Matt Schaub, Arian Foster and Andre Johnson led the way for the third highest scoring team in the league this season as the Texans captured the franchise's first winning season, division title and playoff appearance. However, Ray Lewis and Co. were too much for Houston's high-powered O, forcing three Schaub mistakes in the first round victory.

BAL 28-14

6 Dallas Cowboys @ 3 Green Bay Packers

Tony Romo is back! Despite the huge season from Romo (my pick for Comeback Player of the Year), the Cowboys fell short in the postseason yet again, getting knocked off by the defending champs.

GB 38-28

5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ 4 St. Louis Rams

Tampa is young and hungry–"youngry"–and Raheem Morris' mindset paid off against the West's champion St. Louis Rams in this first round matchup. Ronde Barber's defensive unit was too much for the second-year signal caller Sam Bradford in the Rams' dome.

TB 21-10

Divisional Round

6 New York Jets @ 1 New England Patriots

A rematch of last season's divisional matchup between the three-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and GQ's cover boy Mark Sanchez. Sanchez and the Jets are looking to make a third straight AFC Championship appearance, until Brady and his boys came and spoiled it.

NE 28-17

5 Baltimore Ravens @ 2 Pittsburgh Steelers

Yet another divisional matchup between these two teams, second straight. As much as I'd love to believe that Baltimore finally stepped up its game against Pittsburgh in the playoffs, it's just not going to happen this season...again. Pittsburgh–safety Troy Polamalu in particular–owns Baltimore's Joe Flacco.

PIT 24-14

6 Dallas Cowboys @ 1 Atlanta Falcons

Another can happen, right? Right. That's exactly why I'm picking the Falcons to fall in their first game of the postseason for a second straight season. I'd love to see "Matty Ice" have a breakout performance in the playoffs, but Romo's Boys are poised for another solid game.

DAL 34-21

5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ 2 Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa is youngry! But Michael Vick and his Eagles were on fire all season, there's no way they let a couple of Buccaneers get in their way of the Super Bowl this season. Vick runs all over the Bucs en route to a convincing victory.

PHI 38-17

Conference Championships

2 Pittsburgh Steelers @ 1 New England Patriots

New England got the best of the Steelers the last time these two played for the AFC Championship, and I believe it will happen again. Brady is still at his best, and this could be the last year that he's at the very top of his game.

NE 35-24

6 Dallas Cowboys @ 2 Philadelphia Eagles

Another year, another Cowboys failure. Despite reaching the NFC Championship, we can deem this season of Romo and Dallas' a failure, because they fell short of the Super Bowl thanks to NFC East counterpart Philadelphia.

PHI 31-21

Super Bowl

Road to Indy:

2 Philadelphia Eagles vs. 1 New England Patriots

Ah, a rematch of the 2004 Super Bowl XXXIX, in which New England defeated Philadelphia 24-21. Unfortunately I believe the same thing will happen. Not the exact score, but the Patriots 2000s "dynasty" is overdue another championship. Welker wins the MVP that he's been waiting for all these years.

NE 28-14

Regular Season Awards

MVP: Aaron Rodgers

Best quarterback: Aaron Rodgers

Best running back: Adrian Peterson

Best wide receiver: Larry Fitzgerald

Best tight end: Jason Witten

Best offensive lineman: Maurkice Pouncey

Best defensive lineman: Ndamukong Suh

Best linebacker: Patrick Willis

Offensive Player of the Year: Aaron Rodgers

Defensive Player of the Year: Patrick Willis

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Julio Jones

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Von Miller

Comeback Player of the Year: Tony Romo

Breakout Player of the Year: Colt McCoy/LeGarrette Blount

Best player on new team: Nnamdi Asomugha

Coach of the Year: Gary Kubiak

Note: photos found on Google, no copyright infringement intended

Regular Season Kick-off: Saints/Packers Preview

IT'S HERE!

Football is back and as strong as ever, and as always the defending Super Bowl champions will be hosting the season's opening game, which kicks off in less than 10 minutes.

The four-time Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, led by Pro Bowler Aaron Rodgers, play host to 2009's Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints at Wisconsin's Lambeau Field.

We are in for a treat tonight, because we have two of the league's top 10 highest-scoring offenses going head-to-head, as well as two of the league's top defenses. Both team's have hard-hitting linebackers (Clay Matthews III for GB and Jonathan Vilma for NO) leading the way for defensive units that know how to create turnovers.

Something's gotta give in tonight's match-up, right?

Right.

Expect a big game from Super Bowl XLV's MVP Aaron Rodgers, and a couple of turnovers from Green Bay's defense. Either way, I think there will be plenty of points being scored on both sides and this game will be decided by a field goal.

Mason Crosby. Yes, you heard me. Green Bay's kicker will be the difference in tonight's game, which obviously will be settled by a last-second field goal.

My Prediction: Packers 31, Saints 28

You heard it here first. Enjoy tonight's game!

Photo found on Google, no copyright infringement intended

(Note: I will be posting my yearly award predictions tomorrow, as well as my playoff and Super Bowl predictions. So stay tuned!

Comeback Player of the Year: Who Will be Competing for Award in 2011

Now, of course, the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award isn't exactly the most coveted honor you can receive in this league–that title belongs to the Most Valuable Player, of course.

But it is, however, a positive feat to accomplish.

Whether a player suffers a devastating season-ending injury, or just straight up has a down year, the previous season, being honored as the league's "comeback" player for a particular season may aid in that player gaining his confidence back.

Last season there was no doubt that Philadelphia Eagles' signal caller Michael Vick would receive the award for his MVP-worthy performance (3,018 yards, 21 TD passes, 676 rushing yards, 9 TDs) just one year removed from spending his days in prison.

After fully recovering from a serious knee injury, Tom Brady put the Pats on his back and was awarded the CPY trophy in 2009. Chad Pennington–one of two players to be named CPY on two separate occasions–won the year before Brady, in 2008, two seasons removed from his first CPY-worthy season.

This year, I don't believe we will see another two-time winner (Garrison Hearst won in both 1995 and 2001), because Pennington and Brady do not have anything to come back from and obviously Vick can't win it in consecutive seasons.

                                              Carolina made the decision to keep Williams for another five years.

But we could almost certainly have another instance in which there are two winners. On three different occasions there have been co-winners: Joe Montana and Tommy Kramer in 1986, Jim Harbaugh and Garrison Hearst in 1995 and Steve Smith and Tedy Bruschi in 2005.

With two or more strong candidates heading in to training camp, I think we are bound to see quite the race for the CPY crown in 2011. DeAngelo Williams, running back of the Carolina Panthers, just re-signed with his respective team and is poised to break back out this season as the No. 1 back in Cam Newton's offense.

Williams played just six games in 2010 after suffering a foot sprain in late October. He was then placed on the Injured Reserve in mid-November, ending his season with just 361 rushing yards and one touchdown.

In his previous two seasons, Williams totaled 2,632 yards and 25 touchdowns on the ground for Carolina. There's no way Williams doesn't break back out for 1,000+ yards and double-digit touchdown totals in '11 as long as he stays healthy.

DeAngelo's teammate, RB Jonathan Stewart, also suffered a concussion and ultimately started just seven games, running for 770 yards and two touchdowns throughout the season. For Stewart, that's most certainly a down-season, considering he ran for 20 touchdowns in his first two pro seasons alongside Williams.

Williams and Stewart are two guys who could compete, but then quarterback Tony Romo comes in to the picture.

                                           Romo made just six starts in 2010 before breaking his left clavicle

Dallas disappointed its fans with a 6-10 third place finish in the NFC East last season, with Tony Romo going 1-5 in his six starts before suffering a broken left clavicle and being placed on the IR in December. Romo has been known to put up great numbers in the regular season, and then go on to falter in the postseason.

Fortunately, this award is given out for what these guys do in the regular season, so his gaudy fantasy-type numbers (4,000 yards, 30 TDs, 90-plus QB rating) would be more than enough to win him this distinction.

Other possible players who could compete for CPY include, but are not limited to:

*Donovan McNabb––possible reincarnation in Minnesota? It's certainly possible with Adrian Peterson carrying the ball and Minn.'s defense crushing opposing offenses.

*Marshawn Lynch––after impressing many with his eye-popping touchdown run in Seattle's postseason win over New Orleans, it appears the troubled running back may have something left in the tank.

*Steve Smith (Car.)––I still believe Smith will find a new home for 2011 before the season starts, and if he does, one could expect he'd turn some heads with a refreshed approach to his game in a new atmosphere.

*Elvis Dumervil––Dumervil led the NFL in sacks two seasons ago, with 17. But before 2010 even got underway Dumervil's season was over after suffering a torn pectoral muscle on August 4. Just one month after signing a six-year deal.

My Prediction: DeAngelo Williams––freshly re-signed, Williams will break 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns, taking the pressure off rookie Cam Newton under center.

~~Photos borrowed from Google, no copyright infringement intended~~

New Unis in Buffalo: Bills bring back old school look

The Buffalo Bills introduced its new line of uniforms for 2011 at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Friday.

Now, instead of occasionally repping the old school white helmet, Buffalo is back to permanently sporting the look for the first time since 1983. The new jerseys now say 'Buffalo' just below the v-neck on the front of the jersey, and the charging buffalo logo will appear on the back of the jersey just above the (player's) nameplate.

Reebok, the maker of the new jerseys, made them 30-40 percent lighter and they feature two white and red stripes on the sleeves.

I, for one, am a huge fan of the new look for the Bills. A lot of teams, when choosing new uniforms, have gone with a brand new look and got away from tradition. But Buffalo incorporated both old and new to combine for a great-looking uniform for the new decade.

Great job.

Photo credit: AP Photo