NFL Honors: 2012 Season All But Complete

Saturday night, less than 24 hours before Super Bowl XLVII was set to kick-off in New Orleans, the rest of the National Football League gathered to hand out the 2012 regular season awards and celebrate the brilliant season.

The 2nd annual NFL Honors, hosted by actor Alec Baldwin again this year, was once again the life of the party, handing out zingers all over the place. From Roger Goodell to Christian Ponder to Archie Manning to Ndamukong Suh to Jim Brown, Baldwin didn't play favorites and appeared to be roasting the entire league––current and past.

All in good fun, of course.

So though we were made aware of the award winners prior to the 9 p.m. (eastern time) airing of the two-hour long show, it was worth every minute watching Baldwin in action as the players, coaches and family/friends of the players gathered for the celebration in New Orleans.

Here's a rundown of all of the awards and All-Out Blitz's take on each one:

Most Valuable Player––Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings RB

Though it was the last trophy awarded Saturday, I'll put this one first because it's clearly the most coveted award given. Peterson single-handedly led the Vikings to the postseason following a 2,097 rushing yard performance, second-most in a single-season in NFL history and just nine yards short of surpassing Eric Dickerson's record.

Personally I'm a bit surprised the voters didn't hand the award to a quarterback (Manning, Brady, Griffin III, etc.), but this was definitely the correct choice in 2012 MVPs.

Offensive Player of the Year––Adrian Peterson

Ah, yes. Peterson took this one too. I always liked it when the MVP and the OPOY awards were handed to different players for the simple idea of keeping parity within the league. But obviously Peterson was the most deserving considering he was also the MVP of the regular season.

With the league becoming more and more of a passing league, we may not see too many more single-season performances similar to Peterson's 2012 season in quite a while. Enjoy it while you can, folks.

Defensive Player of the Year––J.J. Watt, Houston Texans DE

There were multiple players that were very deserving of this award, most of which were also second-year players like Watt. Whether it was Watt, Aldon Smith of the Niners or Von Miller of the Broncos, all three second-year pass rushers are equally as deserving.

Watt finished with 20.5 sacks, most in the NFL and just 2.5 away from breaking Michael Strahan's single-season sack record of 22.5. Watt and his huge hands also led the league in passes defensed and a category that I like to call "explosions created." It's not an official stat, but it should be. Watt is by far the most disruptive pass rusher in the game today, and he's only just getting started.

Offensive Rookie of the Year––Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins QB

Again, not surprised by who won, but there were also plenty of great candidates in this category as well. Griffin battled multiple injuries throughout the season (concussion and a torn ACL in the postseason), and though the awards aren't based on postseason performance, Griffin still likely got credit for his postseason heroics despite the loss to Seattle....plus, if they were based on postseason performance don't you think Russell Wilson would have come out the winner?

Griffin and his rookie backfield teammate, RB Alfred Morris (also up for the award), built a viable one-two punch coming out of the pistol, and RGIII was both a threat with his arm and his legs. Unbelievable season for a great talent, it's just a shame that his season had to end the way it did.

Defensive Rookie of the Year––Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers LB

My off-season DROY pick, would ya look at that! Kuechly appeared to have almost been overlooked, likely based on the team he plays for. Kuechly led the league in combined tackles, with 164 (103 solo) and added 8 passes defensed, 2 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries in Carolina.

Though he was never flashy throughout his rookie campaign, the 21-year old rookie out of Boston College was the most productive defender out there. And he did it quietly. No trash talk necessary. Perhaps that's why I like him so much?

Comeback Player of the Year––Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos QB

This was a no-brainer to me. There has been a lot of talk about whether Manning or Peterson are more deserving of this award, and there's no doubt it's Peyton. Sure, Peterson had his best season to date and is the MVP, but Manning went from missing the entire 2011 season to being an MVP candidate. Peterson, on the other hand, still fell just 30 yards shy of 1,000 yards and ran for 12 TDs in his 12 starts.

His 4.7 yards per carry average still looks pretty solid despite tearing a shortened season due to his torn ACL and MCL. Peyton, on the other hand, was completely out of action for an entire year and underwent four neck surgeries and what did he do? Oh, just threw for 4,659 yards, 37 TDs and a 13-3 record on his way to a 12th career Pro Bowl appearance. Yeah, I think Peyton had the best comeback season...

Coach of the Year––Bruce Arians, Indianapolis Colts

Arians became the first interim head coach to ever win the Associated Press Coach of the Year award. Filling in for head coach Chuck Pagano after he was diagnosed with leukemia in September, Arians went 9-3 during his 12 games as the head coach of the Colts. Under rookie quarterback Andrew Luck, the Arians-led Colts went to the postseason despite being without the newly-named head coach.

The cool thing about this is that Pagano finished 2nd in the Coach of the Year voting, even though he coached just four games and went 2-2 during those games...and then was one-and-done in the postseason. One of the best stories of the 2012 season, no doubt.

My Off-season Predictions

Lets see how accurate my August predictions (for these same awards) ended up being:

MVP: Arian Foster, Texans

Offensive POY: Aaron Rodgers, Packers

Defensive POY: Patrick Willis, Niners

Offensive ROY: Justin Blackmon, Jaguars (Not even close)

Defensive ROY: Whitney Mercilus, Texans (Again, not even close)

Coach of the Year: Gary Kubiak, Texans (At least they won the division..)

A little Texan-heavy, eh?? Oh well, I came close on a couple right? Anyways, at least all of the awards were handed out to the correct guys. There's only one thing left to do, and that's to play the Super Bowl!

Note: We do not own the above images. No copyright infringement intended.

Week 17: Head Coaches Who Could be Facing "Black Monday" Firings

With today being the final game of the season for over half of the teams in the National Football League, it's natural that some of the head coaches will be fired tomorrow...A.K.A. "Black Monday."

A couple of teams are in dire need of change, and finding a new head coach is step No. 1 in the rebuilding process. A couple additional teams are on the fence, and may or may not decide to fire its coach.

I'm a firm believer in that success at the professional level is not going to happen overnight, and guys who had rough years in their first season at the helm of a rebuilding team do not deserve to be canned. As a result, there is a list of guys who could be fired after today, but who I believe should be given another season or two to prove they can lead the team to postseason contention.

Fired

Rex Ryan, NYJ

There has been so many negative headlines swirling around the New York Jets in the media and, at 6-9 (possibly 6-10 after today), the Jets need major changes. I probably would have fired Rex after all the issues within the locker room last season. Ending 2011 on a three-game losing streak and missing the playoffs at 8-8, the Jets have been underperforming and need to wipe the slate clean.

Ryan got the Jets to two consecutive AFC Championships in 2009 and '10, but his Jets have gone 14-17 since then. Time to go, Rex!

Andy Reid, PHI

Philly fans have been calling for this firing for a couple of seasons now, and I think it's about time for change within the Eagles locker room as well. Rookie quarterback Nick Foles has shown us that he's the future of Philadelphia, and if the Eagles are going to deal Vick and keep Foles for next season, starting with a fresh head coach would be a smart move as well.

Reid has had a great 14 seasons at the helm for Philly, winning six division titles, making five NFC Championship appearances, one Super Bowl appearance and posting a 140-101-1 overall record (regular and postseason). But it appears he may have worn out his welcome after two straight disappointing seasons.

Pat Shurmur, CLE

Pat only makes this list because there have been numerous reports lingering that say Cleveland plans to fire both Shurmur and the General Manager Tom Heckert will be let go as early as Monday. Shurmur seems to be aware of the situation and his Browns are giving everything they have against Pittsburgh.

In his second season as coach, Shurmur has combined to go 9-22 and the front office appears to be preparing to start their search for a franchise QB over once again despite drafting rookie Brandon Weeden in the first round this past April.

Norv Turner, SD

Much like Shurmur, there have been rumors of the firing of Turner and GM A.J. Smith following the season. But unlike the Browns situation, these rumors have been spread throughout the season not just this weekend. Turner, the head of the Chargers since 2007, has missed the playoffs three consecutive seasons and has struggled to even win in the postseason (3-3).

On the Hot Seat

Chan Gailey, BUF

Gailey's future in Buffalo isn't looking good after three losing seasons and a 15-32 record (not including today).

Jason Garrett, DAL

If Dallas loses tonight and misses the playoffs for a third consecutive season under Garrett, Jerry Jones may decide to go a different direction.

Ken Whisenhunt, ARI

Just one winning season since representing the NFC in the Super Bowl in 2008 has landed Whisenhunt on the hot seat.

Jim Schwartz, DET

Never thought I'd be putting Schwartz on the hot seat after his Lions made a surprise appearance in the NFC playoffs last season.

Needs More Time

*Mike Mularkey, JAC: 2-13 after first season as coach of Jaguars.

*Romeo Crennel, KC: 2-13 this season, 4-14 overall as KC's coach, but injuries have destroyed any hope for his Chiefs.

*Ron Rivera, CAR: Cam Newton's maturity has a direct effect on Rivera's future in Carolina.

*Mike Munchak, TEN: Disappointing turnout in Tennessee, but it's just the Hall of Famer's first campaign at the helm for the Titans.

Note: We do not own the above images. No copyright infringement intended.

Down the Stretch: Bold Predictions for the Final 3 Weeks of Play

Three weeks left to play, 8 playoff seeds still available.

You do the math.

As teams prepare for Week 15 action tomorrow afternoon, there's only one thing that we're sure of: the final three weeks of the regular season will be chaos.

Here are some bold predictions from the All-Out Blitz involving the final three weeks of the regular season. You can count on us:

*The loser of the Steelers/Cowboys showdown misses playoffs

This may be one of the biggest must-win games of the weekend, and it applies to both squads. Dallas (7-6) are tied for second in the NFC East while Pittsburgh (7-6) is sitting in third, and could be tied for second with a win. The winner doesn't necessarily make the postseason, but it certainly does boost its chances. The loser, however, may find itself out of the running due to the stiff competition.

*Adrian Peterson becomes 7th player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season

With three games to play, Peterson is 400 yards shy of 2,000 for the season and the Vikings are 7-6. In the middle of the playoff hunt, the Vikings aren't going to be getting away from running the ball down the stretch since that's what has gotten them this far. It'll be tough, considering after a Week 15 match-up with St. Louis the Vikings have to play Houston and Green Bay, but it's definitely attainable. All he has to do is average 133 yards per game down the stretch. Piece of cake for a guy who has run for 100 yards in 7 consecutive games.

He may even come close, or break, Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record of 2,105 if he can run for another 200-yard game tomorrow. He's only 506 yards away from surpassing Dickerson's record, set in 1984.

*Seattle makes postseason while Russell Wilson becomes OROY dark horse

With guys such as Andrew Luck, RGIII, Doug Martin, Alfred Morris etc. dazzling in their respective rookie seasons, it's easy to overlook Seattle's 3rd round pick Russell Wilson. But it's also easy to see that he's become the leader and franchise quarterback that the 'Hawks have been searching for since seasoned veteran Matt Hasselbeck left for Tennessee. Wilson's nearly 2,500 yards and 20 TD passes and running back Marshawn Lynch has the Seahawks at 8-5 and just a game back in the NFC West. Seattle wont beat out San Fran for the division, but a wild card seed is in clear sight.

*Giants lose 2 out of final 3 games, miss postseason...

This one really is a bold, ballsy prediction here. You can never count Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning's Giants out of it. New York has proven time after time that they can win games when it matters most, and they even currently own a one-game lead in the NFC East. However, there are just too many signs pointing towards a changing of the guard this season in the East. New York has blowout victories over teams such as San Francisco (26-3), Green Bay (38-10) and New Orleans (52-27) this season, but inconsistencies have ridden the G-Men of pulling away with the division and they have a tough remaining schedule.

Matt Ryan has never beaten the Giants, and they are the only NFC team Matty Ice has yet to beat. But Ryan is 32-4 at home during his career and is poised for revenge against New York following an early playoff exit at the hands of the Giants last season. With Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs likely making returns for the Ravens next week, Eli could be in for a long day for a second consecutive week. Given two of three losses in the final three weeks, and an easy remaining schedule for Washington and the Giants miss the postseason with a 9-7 record. Count on it.

*Bill Belichick does not rest starters, Patriots end regular season on 10 game winning streak

Let's face it, the Patriots are not going to rest Tom Brady & Co. That's just not Belichick's style. People need to stop complaining about the Patriots "running up the score." This is the National Football League, and Bill and Tom don't want to play "pity football" by running the clock out, they don't have to. The Patriots proved last week that they are the No. 1 team in the league by blowing out the Houston Texans defense.

With the top defense in San Francisco visiting Gillette Stadium on Sunday night, I don't expect anything different from New England. It could end up being another embarrassing one-sided match-up if the Pats defense can contain Colin Kaepernick.

*Chargers win out, finish 8-8 for second consecutive season

Philip Rivers plays his best football in December, we're all well aware of that. And after a 34-24 victory over the Steelers last week in Ben Roethlisberger's return, it's looking a lot like another mediocre 8-8 season thanks to a strong finish. But after four straight mediocre seasons with no postseason appearances, we're thinking that the Norv Turner era could be seeing its final three games in San Diego.

*Wild Card spots are Colts' and Bengals' to lose

At this point, there's really only three legitimate contenders for the two AFC wild card seeds, meaning only one team will be utterly disappointed at the end of the month. After watching a porous effort out of Pittsburgh's offense on Sunday, they are just one more loss away from being eliminated (currently 7-6, but can't afford another loss). The Colts (9-4) and Bengals (8-6; defeated Eagles 34-13 on Thursday night) currently hold the two seeds. The Colts just need one more win to solidify a playoff spot, while the Bengals can control their own destiny with a victory over Pittsburgh next weekend.

The other contenders include the 6-7 Jets, who will need to finish the season 3-0 to even have a shot, and a bunch of 5-8 teams (Bills, Dolphins, Browns and Chargers) who can't all win out. So the bold prediction here? Well, I guess this isn't all that bold, per se, but the Colts and Bengals will capture wild card seeds and your AFC playoff teams will be as follows: Patriots, Texans, Broncos, Ravens, Colts, Bengals).

*Calvin Johnson breaks Jerry Rice's single-season receiving yards record

Detroit's Madden cover boy Calvin Johnson Jr. has avoided the so-called "Madden Curse" this season by producing 1,546 yards for the Lions. Though Megatron experienced somewhat of a slow start compared to his 2011 campaign, he now finds himself just 303 yards shy of breaking Jerry Rice's 17 year old record of 1,848 receiving yards in a single-season. All Johnson has to do is average 101.0 yards per game for the final three games to break the record that was set in 1995.

Considering he came up just short of the record last season (just 167 yards shy), Johnson must realize that the record is within reach yet again. The one surprise that we've seen with Johnson in 2012 compared to last season is that he's caught just 5 TD passes this season, despite his 96 receptions and 1,500+ yards. Oh well, the record is his if he wants it.

Have any bold predictions of your own? Feel free to share them with The All-Out Blitz in the comments section...or on our Facebook or Twitter page: @AllOutBlitz1

Note: We do not own the above images. No copyright infringement intended.

Week 5 Power Rankings: League's Top 10 After First Quarter of Season

With Chicago's 34-18 beat-down––well, more like massacre––of Tony Romo's Cowboys in the books, Week 4 is now history. Meaning a quarter of the 2012 NFL season is already behind us. It's a bit odd when you think about it, but I thought this would be the perfect time to crank out a list of the top 10 teams as of right now.

Here's what I came up with, in addition to a few other teams that were considered, but just missed the cut for top 10:

1. Houston Texans 4-0

Houston has gone from AFC South cellar dweller (2002-10), to playoff team (2011) to AFC favorites this season. Houston's top tier defense has allowed just 56 points, good enough for first in the NFL. With a healthy Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson back this season, Houston has a competent passing game that can hold its own. As a team, Houston has put up 27 or more points in each of its first four games and has allowed 14 points per game and forced nine turnovers. One could argue Houston's offense isn't as great as Atlanta's (and I would agree with you), but the Texan defense more than compensates for that.

2. Atlanta Falcons 4-0

Matt Ryan, A.K.A. Matty Ice, holds an early lead for the league's Most Valuable Player. The signal caller has thrown for 1,162 yards, 11 TDs and only 2 INTs while completing nearly 70% of his pass attempts. The high-flying offensive attack, made up of Ryan and Pro Bowl-caliber wideouts Roddy White and Julio Jones, has put up a third-best 31 points per game. It's not all offense in Atlanta, however, as the defense has forced the second-most turnovers (12) and allowed just three points to the 3-1 Chargers last week.

3. Baltimore Ravens 3-1

The loss to the Eagles in Week 2 doesn't look too great on an otherwise solid 2012 resume, but there's no doubt that Baltimore's defense can still live up to expectations despite age. Ray Lewis, 37, is miraculously looking as strong as ever this season and there has officially been a timetable set for Terrell Suggs' return this season.

As for the offense, quarterback Joe Flacco seems ready to handle the bulk of the offense. The coaches have put the offense in his hands and he has shown great promise in running Baltimore's no-huddle offense thus far. An emerging Torrey Smith and Dennis Pitta should only help Flacco and his stride towards a Super Bowl appearance.

4. San Diego Chargers 3-1

As mentioned earlier, San Diego was shut down by Atlanta's tough defense in a Week 3 matchup, but besides that game the Charger offense proved they can put points on the board against division rivals. In the other three games, all wins, Philip Rivers' offense has put up 32.3 points per game and Rivers' has posted a QB rating of 100 or better. The rushing offense has been inconsistent, but they have run for 100+ yards in each of the last three games and consistently should only get better with Ryan Mathews' recent return to action.

5. Arizona Cardinals 4-0

Arizona is the third of the remaining undefeated teams. The most shocking of the three, too. The quarterback controversy of John Skelton and Kevin Kolb was sure to doom the Cards this season, but so far that has not been the case. Skelton's injury opened the door back up for Kolb to retake the starting job and he hasn't looked back since then. Arizona ranks 29th in rushing offense and 25th in passing offense, but the defense has kept things interesting.

As a team, the Cards have allowed just 15.3 points per game and forced 10 turnovers. Thanks to opposing offenses scoring four total touchdowns against them (3 passing, 1 rushing), the Cards have managed to pull upsets over such teams as the Patriots and the Eagles.

6. San Francisco 49ers 3-1

The Niners suffered a disappointing loss to Minnesota, 24-13, last week. But with that the only loss of the season, I think we can overlook that game considering Christian Ponder played a great game and the Vikes played near-perfect aside from Toby Gerhart's two fumbles. San Francisco defeated division rivals Green Bay and Detroit in Weeks 1 and 2 with four TDs and zero turnovers from quarterback Alex Smith.

The stingy defense of the Niners finally broke out this past weekend with a 34-0 shutout of the New York Jets. San Fran forced four turnovers and put the ball in the end zone with a 51-yard fumble return TD from cornerback Carlos Rogers. Looking at the 49ers' next four games, they very well could end up going into the bye week in the beginning of November with a 7-1 record.

7. Cincinnati Bengals 3-1

At 3-1, the Bengals have won three straight following its embarrassing 44-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football's season opener. Ever since that game, the Bengals have out-dueled the competition with 33 points per game and three multi-TD games from second-year quarterback Andy Dalton. What has impressed me the most, however, is probably the QB-WR tandem of Dalton and A.J. Green, both of whom are in their second professional seasons. Green has turned heads with his 428 yards and 3 TDs over the first portion of the season and Andrew Hawkins (15 Rec., 247 yards, 2 TDs) has emerged as a viable second option for Dalton.

8. New England Patriots 2-2

The Pats are one of two 2-2 teams on this list. Tom Brady has this Patriots offense ranked No. 1 in scoring and No. 6 in passing. Once again, it's Bill Belichick's defense that is holding the team back. With a new defensive coordinator (Matt Patricia) and a couple of young guns in the lineup (rookies Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower) it comes as no surprise that the Pats have allowed 28 or more points in back-to-back games. In fact, it's the first time since 2002 that the Patriots have lost back-to-back games in general (upset against Arizona in Week 2 and against Baltimore in Week 3). The reason New England cracks the top 10 with a 2-2 record is partly because both teams they fell to are in my top 5. The other reason is because the Pats still have one of the top scoring offenses in the league, and that will not change this season.

9. Green Bay Packers 2-2

The replacement officials clearly took a victory away from the Packers last Monday night in Seattle, so I almost want to put an asterisk next to Green Bay's 2-2 record. Aaron Rodgers (69.9 comp %, 1,064 yards, 7 TD, 3 INT) isn't in his 2011 MVP form, but that doesn't mean he's having a bad season either. I expect the running game, led by Cedric Benson, to improve upon its current 25th-best as the season progresses. It's the defense that I've been impressed with so far. Clay Matthews III has been playing out of his mind lately, sacking the opposing quarterback 7.0 times in four games. As a team they are 10th-ranked in overall defense, but sixth against the pass and have allowed just one TD on the ground. The unit as a whole has looked much more impressive (so far) than they did in 2011, and I don't think they've reached their full potential quite yet.

10. Philadelphia Eagles 3-1

Philly is lucky to crack the list. Heck, they're lucky to even be 3-1. They could just as easily have started the season at 1-3. To play as awful as they did on offense in the first two weeks of the season and to win by one point after a come-from-behind game-winning scoring drive at the last minute is what I call lucky. I usually avoid using that word when it comes to winning football games–in fact, I kind of hate when people say "they got lucky." But I think it's justified in the case of the Eagles.

Michael Vick combined for six interceptions, a lost fumble and four sacks in the first two weeks, producing five touchdown drives total. Sure, one of those two games came against the heavy-hitting Baltimore Ravens, but the other came against rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden in Cleveland...and he threw four interceptions in that game as well. Then came a 27-6 loss to Arizona. If Philadelphia had lost to New York on Monday night, they would have been nowhere near the top 10. I just can't see myself leaving a 3-1 team that contained Baltimore's offense and put up 191 rushing yards on the Giants off the list. That's all.

Just missed (in no particular order):

Pittsburgh Steelers 1-2

By far the worst run game in the league. But Ben Roethlisberger has been having a great season and hopefully the return of Rashard Mendehall this week will improve the offense. The Steelers are still awaiting the return of James Harrison and Troy Polamalu on defense, however.

New York Giants 2-2

A loss to the Eagles on Sunday night has certainly hurt the Giants' and may have cost them a top 10 spot. But I expect to see them back at it in the next couple of weeks. Never count Eli Manning and his two Super Bowl MVPs out of anything.

Chicago Bears 3-1

You would think a spectacular 34-18 victory over Dallas, a game in which the Chicago defense forced 5 Tony Romo interceptions and returned two of them for TDs, would be enough to crack the top 10. But the inconsistency of the offense throughout the first quarter of the season has them on the outside looking in, for now.

Minnesota Vikings 3-1

Minnesota has been a bit of a surprise, sitting at 3-1 in the NFC North right now. The team was unsure whether or not Adrian Peterson would be fully recovered from his ACL injury in time to begin the season on the field. Well, he was. And he's produced 332 yards and 2 rushing TDs through four games. Oh and second-year quarterback Christian Ponder has been playing alright too (68.3 comp %, 824 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT).

Biggest disappointments:

New Orleans Saints 0-4

They are winless, losing to the likes of Washington and Carolina, and without head coach Sean Payton. Enough said. Brees hasn't lost a step or anything like that, he's still put up his usual gaudy passing numbers. It's just the defense has yet to allow anything less than 27 points in a game.

New York Jets 2-2

A 34-0 shutout this past weekend, a game in which Mark Sanchez threw for 103 yards and an INT on 13/29 passing and the run game managed just 45 yards on 17 carries (2.6 yards/carry). Sure, they're 2-2 and tied atop the division, but the fact that you've lost Darrelle Revis for the season and Santonio Holmes has suffered a serious foot injury sure isn't looking good. Fans are already calling for Tim Tebow to start? Ouch, looks like desperation mode has begun quicker than expected.

Detroit Lions 1-3

An overtime loss (44-41 to TEN) and two losses of eight points or less is rather heartbreaking. But either way I wasn't expecting a 1-3 record and a spot at the bottom of the NFC North from this Detroit Lions squad. Matthew Stafford has tossing the rock plenty of times, ranking first in passing yards per game (322.0), but injuries to the backfield have prevented the team from establishing the run early in games, relying too heavily on the arm of Stafford.

Carolina Panthers 1-3

I, personally, was (and still am) expecting big things from Carolina this season. Unfortunately Cam Newton hasn't quite shown that he has matured from his impressive rookie campaign of a year ago. He seems a bit too tied up with how he himself is performing rather than rallying his guys together as a team. He's been lacking that leadership quality you'd like to see in your franchise QB and he will need to get it together rather quickly if Carolina is to compete in the South.

- - - - -

There you have it, my first edition of the 2012 Power Rankings.

The bottom two of the list were tough to pick. You could really make an argument for putting the Giants, Bears or Vikings in place of the Packers or Eagles on the list and it could be justifiable. Just goes to show you the parity we've seen in this league over the years.

Re-visit this list a couple of weeks down the road and I can assure you that the new list will look radically different from this one. The Bears and Giants offenses have been inconsistent thus far, but they have the potential to crack the top 10 and surpass Philly, Cincy and Arizona by the time October is complete.

Note: I do not own the above images. No copyright infringement intended.

Mendenhall Expected to Miss First Six Games; "Redzone Redman" Time in Pittsburgh

Still in the recovery process of a torn ACL, suffered during Pittsburgh's Week 17 matchup with the Cleveland Browns on January 1.

Typically the recovery process of a torn knee ligament is between eight and 12 months, so the Steelers placed Mendenhall on the physically unable to perform list (PUP list) this summer as he continues his rehabbing following the surgery last winter.

Yesterday it was announced by General Manager Kevin Colbert that Mendenhall would likely miss the first six games of the season. Yesterday's news does not come as much of a surprise as I was already expecting Mendenhall to begin the regular season on the PUP list.

This hands the undrafted, 27-year old Isaac Redman a golden opportunity. Without Mendenhall in the picture for the first portion of the season, Redman will be handed the reins as Pittsburgh's No. 1 running back.

The bruising, 6'/230 pounder out of Bowie State University, entering his fourth season in the National Football League, has never ran the ball more than 110 times in a season. It's going to be quite a transition for both Redman and new offensive coordinator Todd Haley, who is attempting to install a new offense with inexperienced backs and possibly two rookies on the offensive line.

Appropriately nicknamed, "Redzone Redman" has been primarily used as a short-distance or third down running back. His sample size is very small–just 163 attempts over his three year span–but he's shown flashes of brilliance throughout his 2011 campaign.

Stepping in for the injured Mendenhall in January against Cleveland, Redman fell just shy of posting his first career 100-yard game, totaling 92 rushing yards and a TD on 19 attempts. Ineffective during the Steelers' Super Bowl run in 2010, Redman showed off his bruising running style in Pittsburgh's Wild Card matchup with Denver.

On his 17 carries, he average 7.1 yards per carry with his 121 yards in a 29-23 overtime loss.

It will be interesting to see how Redman adjusts to being an every down back, with the help of fellow backup running backs Jonathan Dwyer, John Clay, Baron Batch and rookie Chris Rainey, who are all battling for the second string spot.

The news throughout training camp this month from Latrobe, PA is that Redman is looking quite impressive and he is ready to shoulder the majority of the load for the reinvented Pittsburgh offense early on this season.

In my personal opinion, I'm rather excited that Redman will be taking over as the guy for Pittsburgh, and it wouldn't surprise me one bit to see him carry an elevated role even once Mendenhall is back and healthy. I'm starting to think that "Redzone Redman" posters and banners will be displayed all over Heinz Field this season, and be prepared to see T-shirts all over the state of Pennsylvania as well.

Isaac Redman is ready for action, and he's not going anywhere any time soon.

Note: I do not own the above images. No copyright infringement intended.