Week 14: Regular Season Award Leaders

With a month left to play, the hunt for the coveted Most Valuable Player award is beginning to heat up. There are plenty of deserving candidates around the league, but only one can win. Unless of course you're Steve McNair and Peyton Manning in 2003 (co-MVPs) or Brett Favre and Barry Sanders in '97.

With Week 14 approaching fast, here is All-Out Blitz's favorites for the MVP award and the remaining NFL awards handed out each season.

Most Valuable Player: Adrian Peterson, RB

Stat line: 234 rush attempts, 1,446 yards, 8 TD, 6.2 YPC, 120.5 YPG

Peterson is just one year recovered from major ACL surgery and look at what he's done this season? He's the league's rushing leader with 1,446 yards and 8 TDs. With four games to play, Peterson will likely end the regular season with a career-high in rushing yards. The 27-year old just set a Minnesota franchise record with his sixth consecutive 100-yard game against the Packers last week (he actually topped 200 yards and ran for a career-high 82 yard touchdown in the 23-14 loss).

His Vikings are currently two games back in the NFC North at 6-6, but he's the sole reason Minnesota is even in the playoff hunt and is by far the most valuable player on any team at this point. He gets the edge of Peyton Manning and rookie Andrew Luck because of the fact he underwent knee surgery last December and is still destroying his opponents less than a year later.

Other contenders:

Peyton Manning, QB

Stat line: 68.0 comp%, 3,502 yards, 29 TD, 9 INT, 104.6 rating

Much like Peterson, Manning is recovering from major surgery. After missing all last season and undergoing four neck surgeries which put his career in jeopardy, Manning has stepped onto the field in a different uniform and is poised to take the Broncos to the next level. He got off to a slow start, but his 9-3 Broncos just clinched the AFC West last week and Peyton's arm is looking as strong as ever.

Tom Brady, QB

Stat line: 64.8 comp%, 3,537 yards, 25 TD, 4 INT, 102.6 rating

Brady is in the MVP talks every season, and his four interceptions and 100+ rating, in addition to New England's 9-3 record, obviously puts him in the top 3 at this point in the season. The two-time MVP has proven he still has what it takes to be at the top of the elite quarterbacks list at the age of 35, and I don't think he's going anywhere anytime soon. I don't expect him to capture his third career MVP award this season, but it's still not out of the question with four more games to play.

Andrew Luck, QB

Stat line: 55.5 comp%, 3,596 yards, 17 TD, 16 INT, 76.1 rating

Looking at his numbers, it's tough to take him serious next to Manning and Brady in the MVP race. But the fact that he has the 2-14 Colts in the Wild Card hunt as a 23-year old rookie in the National Football League, he deserves some sort of consideration. Luck has already shown he is a leader, leading the Colts to five comeback victories this season and leading Indy to an 8-4 record through 12 games. The interception total will go down as he progresses as a passer at the professional level.

Offensive Player of the Year: Tom Brady, QB

Stat line: 64.8 comp%, 3,537 yards, 25 TD, 4 INT, 102.6 rating

As the leader of the league's No. 1 offense, the three-time Offensive Player of the Year is a given for the award. Considering I don't like to award the MVP with the OPOY award (too redundant for me), Brady gets the nod over Peterson, and Manning as well. His 4 interceptions and 102.6 rating is what will catch the eyes of voters, even though All-Out Blitz hands out its own awards.

Other contenders:

Robert Griffin III, QB
Stat line: 67.1 comp%, 2,660 yards, 17 TD, 4 INT, 104.4 rating; 714 rushing yards, 6 TD

I left him off the MVP list, much to the surprise of many. But there's no way you can leave RGIII off the OPOY (and obviously OROY) lists. The young rookie signal caller has already broken Cam Newton's rookie record of most rushing yards by a quarterback. His 104.4 rating and 4 interceptions surpasses Brady and he's the reason the Redskins sit at 6-6 and in the middle of the NFC East race.

Adrian Peterson, RB

Stat line: 234 rush attempts, 1,446 yards, 8 TD, 6.2 YPC, 120.5 YPG

Obviously the league's Most Valuable Player will find himself on this list as well. Usually you'd think he'd win both, but like I said above we don't like to give out multiple awards to the same guy. Peterson has been the Vikings' offense this season and he has looked as impressive as ever. Does he look like a guy who tore a knee ligament last season? No way.

Calvin Johnson, WR
Stat line: 86 Rec., 1,428 yards, 5 TD, 119.0 yards/game

Why not add a wideout to the mix? The awards so far have been dominated by quarterbacks and running backs (just Adrian Peterson actually), so why not give the receivers a little love with Megatron, who has successfully battled the Madden curse thus far this season. Though he's caught just 5 TD passes this season, he's racked up over 1,400 yards and leads the league with 29 catches of 20 or more yards. He's still got the big play ability and ridiculous catch ability going for him one year after having the season of his career.

Defensive Player of the Year: J.J. Watt, DE

Stat line: 59 total tackles, 15.5 sacks, 15 PD, 1 FF, 2 FR

He's slowed up a bit recently, but the second-year defensive end's fast start to the season is enough to get him the Defensive Player of the Year award in our book. His 15.5 sacks is enough to put him at No. 2 on the list (behind SF's Aldon Smith) and his 15 passes defensed is by far the most in the league. The freakishly-built 23-year old has been disrupting opposing offenses ever since coming in to the league as the 2011 First round pick of the Texans. The other guys aren't even really close to him in the race at this point.

Other contenders:

Aldon Smith, LB
Stat line: 51 total tackles, 17.5 sacks, 3 FF

Smith has already set numerous records in his second season in the league with San Francisco. The 23-year old has an NFL record 31.5 sacks in his first two seasons in addition to setting the Monday Night Football single-game sack record earlier this season with 5.5. The 7th overall pick in last year's draft, Smith was in contention for the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award last season. But his league-leading 17.5 sacks this season will put him in contention for the AP Defensive Player of the Year award.

Von Miller, LB
Stat line: 53 total tackles, 15 sacks, 1 INT, 2 PD, 5 FF (1 defensive TD)

Miller, yet another second-year player, pulled away with the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award last season over Watt and Smith. This season, he's right up there with Watt and Smith with his 15 sacks. Overall, Miller's numbers are much more well-rounded than Watt and Smith's, which could put him in the driver's seat in the final four weeks of play. But for now, the award goes to Watt without a doubt.

Charles Tillman, CB
Stat line: 67 total tackles, 2 interceptions, 12 passes defensed, 8 FF (2 defensive TDs)

Peanut Tillman, 31, is coming off his first career Pro Bowl season in 2011 and has been the heart and soul of Chicago's defense this season. He has set a precedent in forcing fumbles this season, doubling his previous career-high of 4 and has scored 2 touchdowns on defense. The veteran of the group, Tillman isn't completely out of the race for the award just yet.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Andrew Luck, QB

Stat line: 55.5 comp%, 3,596 yards, 17 TD, 16 INT, 76.1 rating

The stats would point towards RGIII rather than Luck for the OROY, but the only two stats that we here at All-Out Blitz really care about is the fact Luck has 5 come-from-behind victories this season and the Colts' record is 8-4. Luck has surpassed Peyton Manning's rookie season in Indianapolis, and he has really impressed everyone under center. His leadership abilities may be the most stunning, to me.

Other contenders:

Robert Griffin III, QB
Stat line: 67.1 comp%, 2,660 yards, 17 TD, 4 INT, 104.4 rating; 714 rushing yards, 6 TD

RGIII is a very appealing choice for ROY, his stats speak volumes and the fact that he's got the Skins sitting a game behind at 6-6 is appalling. But I think this is a simple case of "there is no right answer." It's tough to go against either of the two, and they may even end up being named co-Offensive Rookie of the Year winners.

Doug Martin/Alfred Morris, RBs

It's tough not to have both Martin and Morris together on this one. Both running backs have nearly identical numbers and have carried their respective teams. Morris and RGIII make a great tandem in Washington while Morris is a great change of pace for Josh Freeman and the Bucs. Just how similar are the stats? Martin: 236 attempts, 1,106 yards, 9 TDs, 4.7 YPC; Morris: 230 attempts, 1,106 yards, 6 TDs, 4.8 YPC.

Russell Wilson, QB
Stat line: 63.4 comp%, 2,344 yards, 19 TD, 8 INT, 95.2 rating

Wilson has come as a bit of a surprise this season, showing off his leadership abilities and doing everything he can to get his team the victory. He's gained the trust of his teammates and has already established himself as Seattle's quarterback of the future. And I guess his numbers look pretty decent as well.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Luke Kuechly, LB

Stat line: 114 total tackles, 1 sack, 4 passes defensed, 1 interception

This year is a little different than last. Last season there were guys like Aldon Smith, Von Miller, J.J. Watt (all in the running for DPOY as explained above), but this season the candidates aren't running rampant around the league. Carolina's Luke Kuechly and his fourth-most combined tackles of 114 has the Panthers barely missing the injured Jon Beason, who is on the season-ending injured reserve for the second consecutive season.

Other contenders:

Mark Barron, SS
Stat line: 63 total tackles, 1 interception, 8 passes defensed, 1 FF

Barron has seemed to have gone overlooked by most, but he has managed to establish himself as a threat alongside free safety Ronde Barber. In his 12 starts, Barron's 63 combined tackles has him ranked 25th among all safeties around the league.

Chandler Jones, DE
Stat line: 34 total tackles, 6 sacks, 2 passes defensed, 3 FF

One of New England's two first round picks (the other was LB Dont'a Hightower), Jones has raked in 6.0 sacks and forced 3 fumbles over his 10 starts so far this season. With no one else really running away with the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, his 6 sacks has kept him in the running.

Comeback Player of the Year: Peyton Manning, QB

Stat line: 68.0 comp%, 3,502 yards, 29 TD, 9 INT, 104.6 rating

Considering no one was real sure Peyton would play another down in the NFL, and now he has led the Denver Broncos to a second-consecutive AFC West division title, I'd say it's safe to say that this is well-deserved.

Other contenders:

Adrian Peterson, RB

Stat line: 234 rush attempts, 1,446 yards, 8 TD, 6.2 YPC, 120.5 YPG

It's tough to decide whether Peterson should be considered for the Comeback Player of the Year award. Sure, he tore his ACL and MCL in December and underwent surgery, but it's not like he had an awful season statistical-wise. It was his first season without rushing for 1,000 yards (970), but he still averaged nearly 5.0 yards/carry and 12 TDs. So I'm on the border of handing the award to Peterson, and no matter what happens the final month of the season, this award will be handed to Peyton.

Coach of the Year: Pete Carroll, SEA

Having drafted Russell Wilson to become the franchise's quarterback of the future, that was the first step Carroll, Seattle's 3rd year head coach, took to have a successful 2012 campaign. The 'Hawks have struggled within the NFC West (0-3), but have pulled off upsets of numerous playoff-contending teams such as New England, Dallas, Green Bay (though it ended controversially and they probably shouldn't have won), Minnesota and Chicago.

Carroll has already matched his career-high in wins as Seattle's head coach (7-9 in both 2010 and 2011) and is just one win behind the West-leading Niners.

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Thanksgiving Day Recap: What Have we Learned?

Unfortunately I was unable to post a preview of the three Turkey day games (happy belated Thanksgiving, by the way!). But I happened to go 3-0 on the day in terms of picking the games, so that's a positive––check out the "picks" tab if you don't believe me.

Thanks to some interesting football games, there is plenty that Thanksgiving day taught us and there's so much to take away from what we witnessed. Here's a start:

Parity, Parity, Parity

The 12:30 pm ET game between Houston and Detroit has proven even further that the National Football League is full of parity this season. This has made it extra tough to pick out a true No. 1 team in the league.

Early on, the Houston Texans were without a doubt the clear No. 1 team coming out of the AFC. Starting the season 5-0 and not allowing a team to put up any more than 25 points, Houston appeared to be on its way to an easy division title. They have continued to pull away with victories and are 10-1 on the season, but injuries to the defensive squad (Brian Cushing has been out for the season since Week 5; Johnathan Joseph missed Thursday's game due to hamstring injury) have exposed them.

The Texans' lone loss came at home against the Packers, a game in which Houston 427 yards and 42 points. The last two weeks, including Thursday, resulted in two overtime victories––43-37 over Jacksonville and 34-31 over Detroit––but very easily could have put Houston at 8-3 and just two games ahead of the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South.

Despite being the first team in the league to reach 10 wins, the Texans' defense has been exposed and could be in trouble when they get around to preparing for the 8-3, high-flying offense of the New England Patriots on Monday night, December 10. Keep your eye on the AFC South over these last 5 weeks of the season, especially considering Houston still has three division games remaining.

Ndamukong Suh has yet to change his style of play

I'm not saying whether or not it was on purpose, but the fact that it was Ndamukong Suh who happened to be the Detroit Lion defensive lineman that kicked Houston's quarterback Matt Schaub in the family jewels on Thursday seems a little fishy to me.

It appeared to be an accident, in my opinion, but the league has decided to review the play and decide whether it warrants a fine or not. If you're going to suspend Ed Reed for three safety rules violations over three seasons (though the 1-game suspension was reduced to a $50,000 fine), then why not suspend Suh for a game if the commish finds this to be a dirty play?

I'm just throwing ideas out there. It's one thing to play until you hear the whistle and play aggressively, but I would consider Suh's actions over-aggressive and unneeded. Suh, 25, is now in his 3rd NFL season and, as of last December, had been flagged for 9 personal fouls for his over-aggressive style of play and exactly one year ago today (on Thanksgiving vs. Packers) Suh stomped on Green Bay's offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith. He was suspended two games for the act.

In his first year and a half in the league he had been fined a total of $42,500 by the league. To top it all off, the a players' poll conducted by The Sporting News revealed Suh to be the league's dirtiest player. After 2+ seasons of this, he has clearly yet to change his attitude. At this point, I don't think he will ever change. It makes for interesting football, that's for sure.

NFC East will come down to the wire: Does Dallas still have a shot at the playoffs?

A 28-3 halftime lead for the Skins seemingly put the game away for Washington, until Dallas' Tony Romo came out in the 2nd half and put up 28 points. The deficit, however, was too large for the Cowboys, who ran for just 35 yards on the day. The Washington victory tied them with Dallas for second in the NFC East at 5-6.

Robert Griffin III continues to impress for the Skins, and is in the heart of the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. But with three more divisional match-ups and a tough game in Baltimore remaining on its schedule, the road to a postseason appearance looks to be rocky.

Clearly the East is still up for grabs as they are both just a half game behind the 6-4 Giants, but at this point the Cowboys, surprisingly, look to have the best shot at capturing the East. Despite the loss to Washington at home, the 'Boys have the easiest remaining schedule (vs. Philly, @ Cincy, vs. Pitt, vs. NO, @ Wash.). Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Washington are all win-able games for Dallas if their offense shows up and, depending on whether Pittsburgh has Ben Roethlisberger or not, they can compete with both the Steelers and Saints.

As for the Giants, they are already on a two game losing streak prior to the Week 11 bye and they still have a tough road ahead of them: vs. Green Bay (primetime), @ Washington (primetime), vs. New Orleans, @ Atlanta, @ Baltimore, vs. Philadelphia.

But, these are the Giants, you can never count them out of it in December. Not to mention the Cowboys and Skins have both been somewhat inconsistent this season. So this is clearly anyone's division, even the 3-7 Eagles have a slim shot at turning things around (doubtful). But my money is on the Cowboys getting things together down the stretch.

The Patriots once again have the scariest offense in NFL; Jets are done

I was expecting a rout of the Jets, but not on the defensive side of the ball. In New England's 49-19 embarrassment of the New York Jets on Thanksgiving night, New England put up 14 points on defensive touchdowns while forcing a season-high 5 turnovers and sacking Mark Sanchez twice.

Tom Brady and the offense put up staggering numbers too, of course, against New York's 14th-ranked scoring defense. The offense's 323 passing yards, 3 TDs and 152 rushing yards, 2 TDs was enough for a 30-point victory over the division rival. With 407 points in 11 games is an NFL-best, with the 2nd-ranked Texans putting up only 327 on the season.

The Patriots will get the chance to insert its dominance of the AFC in two weeks when they take on 10-1 Houston in primetime on Monday night. It will once again be up to the defense to step it up and make plays if they wish to make a Super Bowl run down the stretch. The offense is right where it's been for years.

As for the now-4-7 Jets, they've gone so far as to embarrass the infamous fan "Fireman Ed" so much that he left the game at halftime and deleted his Twitter account, according to ESPN. Wow, is the only word that can clearly describe the Jets' current state. Fans have been calling for Tim Tebow to take over the starting role, but Mark Sanchez isn't anywhere near the only problem with New York's squad.

My suggestion to New York: clean house after the season. Rex Ryan has had his chance and hasn't gotten the job done. I think it's time for a huge change within the Jets' organization and it all starts with Ryan.

Week 12 action is sure to reveal many more lessons:

*How will rookie signal caller Andrew Luck react to last week's beating. If he is able to bounce back against the Bills, he can savor his chances of winning OROY and stay in the hunt for Wild Card.

*Is starting Chad Henne going to save the rest of the Jags' season?

*Can Pittsburgh win with Charlie Batch under center, and what impact will the Plaxico Burress signing have?

*After last week's loss to San Fran's Colin Kaepernick, can Chicago's defense bounce back against the league's leading rusher (Adrian Peterson)?

*Is Tampa a contender coming out of the NFC South? They will get their shot at proving they belong with a chance to upset the 9-1 Falcons.

*49ers @ Saints: Rematch of last year's NFC Divisional showdown.

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Contenders or Pretenders: Week 8 Edition

As we approach Week 8, we begin to decipher the playoff contenders from the "pretenders."

Now, this should come as somewhat self-explanatory but, just in case you were born yesterday, the teams labeled below as "pretenders" are teams that appear to be teams that we compete for a playoff spot this season but aren't quite as good as they appear to be.

We'll start off with the obvious contenders:

Houston Texans 6-1

As if the Texans couldn't look any more impressive, they went out and destroyed the AFC's second-best team in Baltimore this past Sunday. It wasn't just a victory, it was a clinic that Houston put on Baltimore's depleted, aging defense. Before Sunday's win, the Texans were the scariest team in the AFC. The 43-13 onslaught just makes J.J. Watt & Co. look even more superhuman(ish).

Baltimore Ravens 5-2

With Hall of Fame-bound linebacker Ray Lewis and Pro Bowl cornerback Lardarius Webb lost for the season, Baltimore's defense showed major weakness against Houston. But a returning Terrell Suggs should assist the Ravens in re-gaining that on-field energy. As for the offense, the success is riding on the right arm of Joe Flacco. I have them as viable contenders to win the North, but Flacco will need to put the offense on his back and carry them the rest of the way.

New England Patriots 4-3

Though the Patriots are currently sitting at 4-3, I list them under the obvious contenders for a couple of reasons. 1) They are the Patriots and, under HC Bill Belichick, have reached the postseason 9 times out of the last 11 seasons. 2) Tom Brady has been putting up his normal, stunning passing numbers, plus the Patriots now have the league's 4th-ranked rushing offense. Deadly combination. 3) And lastly, who else is really going to compete for the division title in the AFC East? Exactly.

Atlanta Falcons 6-0

The only remaining undefeated squad in the entire league, Matt Ryan has surely made his case for MVP (minus his 3-interception performance against Oakland) early on. Atlanta's No. 4 overall defense has kept the offense in games and has forced at least one turnover in each of the six games. With both sides of the team in tip-top shape, Atlanta is one of the more balanced teams, hence the 6-0 record.

San Francisco 49ers 5-2

The No. 2 scoring defense hasn't quite put up the defensive numbers as they did in 2011, but there's no doubt they're still top-tier material. On offense, the league's second-best run game is what's putting points on the board and allowing the Niners to come away with close victories. Alex Smith isn't lighting up any stat sheets, but his performance has been solid enough to get them by in close games with dangerous teams such as Green Bay, Detroit and Seattle. San Fran's two losses came against Minnesota and the New York Giants, who have a combined record of 10-4 this season.

New York Giants 5-2

Eli Manning continued what he did last season, proving to everyone he's a force to be reckoned with when it comes time for the fourth quarter of play. Lets face it, the Giants fall behind early in games but, in the end, put points up in the fourth quarter and prevail. After destroying opponents with 15 4th quarter TDs last season, Eli has already racked up 5 4th quarter TDs this season and has posted a QB rating of 107.2. After watching Eli's 80-yard game-winning hook-up with Victor Cruz on Sunday, it's clear that having the youngest Manning on the field with two minutes to play gives New York the advantage in close games.

Chicago Bears 5-1

The lone loss for these Chicago Bears came against division-rival and pre-season NFC North favorite Green Bay Packers. Jay Cutler has been a bit of a hit-or-miss thus far, but his offense has produced 40-plus points on two different occasions this season and the Bears have the No. 1 overall defense through seven weeks. The Bears are one of the top teams in the NFC alongside Atlanta.

The not-so-obvious contenders:

Denver Broncos 3-3

At 3-3, Denver's season could clearly go any direction at this point in time. But, with Peyton Manning orchestrating the Bronco offense, there's no way the Broncos aren't in the race for the AFC West by season's end. With each passing game, Manning seems to get more and more comfortable in John Fox's system. With 35 unanswered points against San Diego two Monday night's ago, the Broncos' offense has shown it can keep up with just about any offense in the game right now.

Pittsburgh Steelers 3-3

Without Troy Polamalu on the field, Pittsburgh's usually stingy defense has been lacking fire this season, but they've managed to hold their own despite this. The offense is what people should be worried about. Sure, Ben Roethlisberger is in total command of this offense, and is throwing the ball more than ever, and had arguably one of the best games of his career earlier this season––in a losing effort. But the Steelers are dead-last in yards per carry and has run for just 3 TDs. Injuries to Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman have depleted the backfield, but Jonathan Dwyer's 122 yards in his first career start this past weekend gives Pittsburgh some hope.

Tennessee Titans 3-4

Sophomore quarterback Jake Locker was supposed to come out this season, more matured, and tear up opposing offenses. And he did just that in his first couple of games, throwing for 781 yards and 4 TDs through the first four games. Though the Titans were 1-3 over that span, Locker held his own (90.2 QB rating) but just lacked run support from a struggling Chris Johnson. Since Locker's shoulder in a Week 4 loss to Houston, veteran Matt Hasselbeck has taken over and Tennessee has gone 2-1 with him as starter. Locker is set to miss his fourth consecutive game this weekend, but Chris Johnson seems to be out of his slump following his 195-yard performance in a 35-34 victory over Buffalo.


Seattle Seahawks 4-3

One game above .500 in the NFC West would, in season's past, warrant a division title. Ever since last season, however, we figured it'd take a little more than that. But last Thursday it was discovered that Seattle is not far behind San Francisco. Average quarterback (rookie Russell Wilson), excellent running game (Marshawn Lynch) and a defense capable of getting the job done––3rd in points allowed, have yet to allow any more than 23 points all season. Upsets over New England and Green Bay (though that one was controversial) have turned heads. Falling just 7 points shy of upsetting San Fran, the Seahawks are a force in the West.

New Orleans Saints 2-4



There's no way they'd beat out Matty Ice in Atlanta, but never count Drew Brees and his Saints out of it, even if they are without head coach Sean Payton and (were) without middle linebacker and captain Jonathan Vilma. New Orleans started the season 0-4, but have since won two consecutive and they haven't lost a game by more than 8 points. Brees' numbers have been there and the Saints are still No. 2 in passing offense, so nothing has changed there. A slight boost in the run game (currently ranked last in NFL) and the return of Vilma this Sunday should help put the Saints back on the map.

Green Bay Packers 4-3

Did anyone see Aaron Rodgers on Sunday? Yeah, he's officially back to his 2011 form. You know, when the Packers went 15-1 last season while lighting up scoreboards all over the country. Rodgers was nearly perfect, completing 30 of his 37 pass attempts for 342 yards and 3 TDs. Rodgers seems to be at his best when the Packers don't have a running game (26 carries, 70 yards, 0 TDs vs. St. Louis), which is rather strange. But hey, whatever helps him post a 132.2 QB rating, right?

Philadelphia Eagles 3-3

Turnovers. Yes, turnovers are the problem in Philly. This may not come as much of a surprise to many, but the Eagles could be sitting atop the East with New York at 5-2 had they reduced the mistakes (penalties have been a problem, too). Currently on a two-game losing streak, all of the Eagles' problems are fixable. Which is the lone reason why they are listed under contenders. Two of Philly's three losses have been by three or less points (to Pittsburgh and Detroit in OT). Careless mistakes can kill a team, and that's exactly what has happened to Mike Vick's Eagles. Oh, and Andy Reid should also be using LeSean McCoy a little more often as well.

Others: Bengals, Dolphins, Redskins, Cardinals

...And now the pretenders:

New York Jets 3-4

I'm not sure that this one really comes as a surprise. Is there really anyone––other than Rex Ryan––who believes that the Jets' two-headed monster at quarterback is really going to work out in New York? That is, of course, if you can even call it a "monster." Losing Darrelle Revis and Santonio Holmes for the season was a huge blow and, considering the Jets' three wins came against teams with a combined record of 9-10, I don't see them beating out the Patriots for the East.

Indianapolis Colts 3-3

Andrew Luck has looked brilliant, at times, this season in his rookie campaign. They have come away with a couple of close victories against Minnesota, Green Bay and Cleveland, but losses to Jacksonville and New York (Jets) tarnishes their 3-3 record. Injuries, much like numerous other teams in the league, have ravished their current 3-3 record. With Houston winning the South, the Colts would have to beat out Pittsburgh and Tennessee for a Wild Card spot. I don't see it happening, at least not this season.

San Diego Chargers 3-3

The Bolts finished 8-8 last season, just missing out on the postseason as Denver, also 8-8, held the tiebreaker between the two. We obviously have not yet hit December yet, so it's tough to completely give up on the Chargers considering Philip Rivers has made it a yearly occasion to over-perform in the final month of the season. But as the Broncos gain momentum and strength, it's tough to stick with the struggling Rivers, who blew a 24-point halftime lead to Peyton's Broncos just two weeks ago.

Minnesota Vikings 5-2

I'm not completely sold on the Vikings despite Christian Ponder's early sophomore-season success (5-2 record, 67 comp %, 1,492 yards, 9 TD, 6 INT, 87.6 rating) and the healthy return of All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson. The Vikes can surely put up double-digit wins this season, but that doesn't mean they will be playoff-bound, considering they share the NFC North with Chicago and Green Bay. The offense just doesn't have the fire-power to keep up with Cutler and Rodgers.

Detroit Lions 2-4

One season after breaking 5,000 yards passing, signal-caller Matt Stafford has shone a slow start to the 2012 campaign. Stafford and Megatron have yet to link up for a touchdown pass this season (Johnson's one TD was thrown by Shaun Hill) after a career-high 16 last year. Detroit's slow start, which has seen just two wins over St. Louis and Philadelphia, can be overcome but it will take more than just a couple of Stafford/Johnson touchdowns. With teams such as Seattle, Minnesota, Green Bay (2), Houston, Chicago and Atlanta, I just don't see the Lions coming out with a second straight postseason berth.

Dallas Cowboys 3-3

This has nothing to do with Tony Romo. I think he's an above-average quarterback and doesn't deserve all the backlash he often receives. The lack of weapons this offense has is a much larger problem to me. It's not really a concern of whether they have the talent, but whether they have the ability to play as a team for a full 4 quarters. At times they have shown brilliance, but they've become much too inconsistent to be a force coming out of the East.

Others: Bills, Browns, Jaguars, Raiders, Chiefs, Bucs, Panthers, Rams

Photo credit
Julio Jones: Scott Cunningham/Getty Images North America
Russell Wilson: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images North America
Shaun Phillips: Donald Miralle/Getty Images North America

Vikings, Cards Top List of Surprise Teams

Every NFL season, a team seems to come out of nowhere and shake our faith in what we think we know about how they will perform. The 2012 season has proved no different. A few teams have already exceeded expectations and find themselves ranked at or near the top of their respective divisions. Here are some of my favorite surprise teams this year:

Minnesota Vikings, NFC North

Before the season began, the Vikings were not even in the discussion when pundits talked about the NFC North. The Green Bay Packers were crowned top dog with the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions nipping at their heels. The Vikings were barely an afterthought. But now through 5 games, they lead the division, tied with the Bears at 4-1.

 Keys to success:

• Christian Ponder is emerging as an efficient passer who recognizes coverages and protects the ball. He's averaging a 95.5 passer rating and has only thrown two interceptions, both in Sunday's game against the Titans. In that game, he showed poise and maturity by quickly recovering and completing 11 of 12 passes in the second half.
• Offense -- The Vikings have rolled out a dynamic offense highlighted by wide receiver Percy Harvin and shored up by running back Adrian Peterson and even tight end Kyle Rudolph.
• Defense -- Perhaps the most improved aspect of the Vikings game is the defense. First year defensive coordinator Alan Williams seems to have them back on track and improving every week. Safeties Jamarca Sanford and Harrison Smith look strong in the secondary while defensive end Jared Allen heads up an impressive front four who are among the best at rushing teh passer and stopping the run.

Arizona Cardinals, NFC West

The talk coming out of Arizona before the season started centered around who the quarterback would be. With neither John Skelton nor Kevin Kolb distinguishing themselves during preseason, it's no wonder the announcement naming Skelton the starter came only one week before the regular season began. With instability at the quarterback position, the Cardinals weren't given much chance for success. But then they started the season 4-0 and suddenly looked like a team to be reckoned with in the NFC West.

Keys to success:

• Defense -- The Cardinals defense will be key. They will be tasked with keeping games close like they did their first four games. Even with the great wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, the Cardinals offense will not be a juggernaut. And the running game has taken a hit with Beanie Wells, and now Ryan Williams out for the season with injuries. With players like linebackers Sam Acho and Daryl Washington, the Cardinals defense will need to continue to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. So far, they are 5^th in points allowed (15.6) and have only allowed 6 touchdowns through 5 games, the fewest in the league. And with one of the best young cornerbacks in the game in Patrick Peterson, the Cardinals have an opportunity to be legitimate contenders.

Honorable Mention: St Louis Rams, NFC West

Let's face it – in the NFL, as in other sports, there are certain teams that other teams count as an automatic “W.” Rightly or wrongly, consciously or subconsciously, some teams are just not taken as a viable threat. The Rams found themselves as one of 'those' teams last year, finishing 2-14 for the season. Teams should not take them for granted this year, however. Through 5 games, they have already topped last season's record and stand at 3-2. Though a 3-2 record may not be worthy of calling them a true surprise team, they are worthy of keeping an eye on. Head coach Jeff Fisher has brought a new attitude which is evidenced in the Rams' inspired play, especially on defense. Adding Cortland Finnegan at cornerback, along with Janoris Jenkins, adds a feisty, hard-nosed edge to the secondary. Defensive ends Robert Quinn and Chris Long highlight a formidable pass attack no team can take for granted. How the Rams deal with injuries, particularly to the No. 1 receiver Danny Amendola, will determine whether their progress continues upward or not.

Obviously, there is still a lot of football left to play. These teams could actually tank from here on out making their great starts just a distant memory. Each team has their own particular flaws to overcome, but for now, they are at least in the discussion of possible playoff contenders.

Week 3 in Perspective: Plenty of Sunday Action Despite Threats to Replacement Officials

The replacement officials have continued to struggle to maintain a reasonable game pace and avoid making critical mistakes. Yesterday's slate of games may have surpassed Week 2 in terms of butchered or missed calls.

Despite being warned by the National Football League prior to Sunday about harassing or "bullying" the officials, players and coaches all over have repeatedly made verbal threats. And in Bill Belichick's case following Sunday night's 31-30 loss to Baltimore, even made contact with one official.

Numerous calls involving player safety were missed, costing Matt Schaub a piece of his ear and sending Darrius Heyward-Bey to the hospital. Jim Harbaugh's 49ers were awarded extra challenges while Mike Shanahan's Redskins were unfairly penalized an extra five yards.

If this isn't enough proof that the regular NFL officials are well-qualified for the job and have done a spectacular job over the years, then I don't know what more to say. It takes a certain set of skills to officiate an NFL game and, clearly, you cannot just replace these guys with officials from the CFL, AFL and Lingerie Football League.

I understand the officials want more money, which the league does not agree with. But at this point, I don't think it matters how much you pay these guys, just get them back on the field as soon as possible. Unfortunately for coaches, players and fans, the league has shown that they are not in any hurry to get them back out there. Commissioner Roger Goodell knows that people will still be watching, but if the issue isn't fixed in the next couple of weeks he could start to see viewership drop. And drop fast.

Rant over.

Besides the blown calls and illegal hits from yesterday, there really was some good football played around the league. I believe that Week 3's action surpassed the previous two weeks of play, by far. Some players have continued to stay cold and disappoint while others have broken out from a slow start and turned heads.

Three Early Games Decided in Overtime

Three 1:00 p.m. (eastern time) games were not decided until the fifth quarter of play, in a (partial) sudden death format. The Kansas City Chiefs captured its first win of the season by upsetting the now 0-3 New Orleans Saints in OT, led by the speedy Jamaal Charles and his 233 rushing yards. Charles missed basically all of last season after injuring his ACL in a Week 2 match-up with Detroit. Charles showed he's back to full health by carrying a full load of 33 rushing attempts and adding a 91-yard rushing TD in the third quarter. The game was won by the foot of Ryan Succop, hitting a game-winning field goal from 31 yards late in OT. Chiefs win 27-24.

The Lions and Titans combined for 85 points and just over 1,000 total yards in their match-up in Tennessee. Despite running for just 59 yards as a team, the Titans' pulled out its first victory of the season by a score of 44-41 after Rob Bironas kicked the game-winner from 26 yards out in overtime. Sophomore quarterback Jake Locker, making his third career start as Tennessee's QB, had a career day throwing for 378 yards and 2 TDs with no picks. For Detroit, Matthew Stafford sustained an injury and was forced to leave the game. What did backup Shaun Hill, hailing from the University of Maryland, do in his place? Oh, he only completed 10 of his 13 passes for 172 yards and 2 TD passes with :18 to play in regulation. It's a shame Detroit lost after Hill's effort.

One of the most poorly played games of the day was a New York Jets/Miami Dolphins match-up in South Florida. The two teams combined for four turnovers and 20 penalties and Miami's Dan Carpenter missed two field goals, one being the potential game-winner in overtime. The game ended with Nick Folk kicking it in from 33 yards out with just over six minutes to play in the extra quarter. First-year Miami head coach Joe Philbin, however, shot himself in the toe by trying to ice Folk. Folk had his first attempt blocked by Miami, but Philbin had called the timeout before the ball was snapped, therefore giving Folk a second try. When you're given a second try, you can't miss. And Folk didn't, giving New York its second win of the season and dropping Miami to 1-2.

Dalton, Bengals knock off RGIII's Skins

Yes, I know, there was controversy towards the end of Cincinnati's 38-31 victory over Robert Griffin III and the 1-2 Skins, like I stated above. But that doesn't take away from one of the best games of Dalton's young career. His 328 yards and 3 passing touchdowns marks just the third time he's accomplished a 300-yard game in his 20 starts (regular and postseason). It was also the first time he's had back-to-back 300+ yard, 3 TD games. He was near flawless in a match-up with the Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan-less Skins defense. His favorite target, sophomore wideout A.J. Green had a big day as well (9 rec., 183 yards, 1 TD), sending a message to the other wideouts in the league. Green is here to stay. And apparently so is Dalton.

Bears' Defense Assists Cutler in 23-6 Victory

Sure, it would appear as though Jay Cutler redeemed himself after a relatively embarrassing performance against Green Bay last week. The reason for Chicago's victory, improving to 2-1 in the process, is pretty much because of a defense that forced two Sam Bradford interceptions and limited St. Louis' offense to 160 total yards and zero red zone trips. Bradford was unable to get anything going all game long against this Chicago defense, and Cutler's stat-line of 17/31, 183 yards, 1 INT isn't going to win over any of his fantasy owners. But it was enough to get the job done. That's all we can ask, right? No 7-sack game this week.

Spiller Goes Down, Choice Steps up in Buffalo Victory

C.J. Spiller had won over fantasy owners in the first two weeks of the season, filling the void for the injured Fred Jackson who was said to miss at least the first month of play this season. Well, another injury to a Buffalo running back occurred in yesterday's game with the Browns, as Spiller left the game with a left shoulder injury. At the time of the injury he only had four carries for 16 yards. Luckily another running back stepped right in as Tashard Choice ran for 91 yards on his 20 carries to help Ryan Fitzpatrick to a 24-14 victory over the Browns. Buffalo is now 2-1, but injuries continue to cloud up the backfield situation heading into next week's game with New England.

Romo Prevails vs. Bucs Despite Lack of Offensive Production

Tony Romo's Dallas Cowboys improved to 2-1, tying the Giants and Eagles for the NFC East lead, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16-10. But it wasn't pretty, on both sides of the field. Josh Freeman was limited 110 passing yards (10/28, 1 TD, 1 INT) and had a run game that managed just 3.0 yards per carry. Romo led Dallas on just one touchdown drive, capped by a DeMarco Murray 11-yard TD run in the first quarter. Other than that, both teams combined for five turnovers and six sacks. It didn't really appear to be spectacular defense, just poorly executed offensive drives. Both teams also finished for a combined 2-for-7 in the red zone. Neither lit up the scoreboard, or stat sheet in this match-up. Not sure which Cowboys team to expect this season, to tell you the truth.

Jones-Drew Leads Jags to First Victory

Ah, yes. Here's what we've all been waiting for. A big game from Maurice Jones-Drew. MJD held out of camp and preseason and clearly wasn't fully prepared for the first few weeks of the regular season, combining for 137 yards and 0 TDs in his first two games. But yesterday he broke out for 177 yards and a touchdown in Jacksonville's 22-17 victory over Andrew Luck's Colts. Luck was decent, throwing for 313 yards and a pair of TDs, but Blaine Gabbert's 80-yard bomb to Cecil Shorts with less than a minute to play gave Jacksonville the victory.

Vikings, led by Ponder, Stun 49ers

More controversy towards the end of this game was the main things that caught everyone's attention, but luckily Minnesota prevailed in the end despite coach Jim Harbaugh's two extra challenges that were basically conned from the referee. Sophomore quarterback Christian Ponder, much like fellow second year-men Locker and Dalton, looked very impressive throughout. Out-passing counterpart Alex Smith, Ponder got the job done with both his arm (2 TD passes to TE Kyle Rudolph) and his legs (23-yard TD run in 2nd qtr). Minnesota's defense stepped up as well, sacking Smith three times and forcing three more turnovers in the 24-13 victory. The controversy made no difference in the outcome of the game, luckily.

Big Ben Plays Near-Perfect Football, Stunned by Last-Second Janikowski GWer

Ben Roethlisberger had a career day in a 34-31 loss to the Oakland Raiders. Due to a lack of a running game (54 yards on 20 carries, 0 TD), Roethlisberger was forced to pass the ball 49 times, which is tied for the third-most of his nine-year career. Ben completed 36 of those passes for 384 yards and 4 TDs, with no interceptions. Oakland's Darren McFadden, finishing with 113 yards and a TD, ran for a 64-yard touchdown early in the game to knot the score at 7 apiece. But Oakland had never led until they tied the game at 34 following an Antonio Brown fumble and then hit the 43-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. Sebastian Janikowski used his leg to score the final six points of the game as the Raiders completed the comeback.

Cardinals, Kolb Improve to 3-0 by Shutting Down Vick's Eagles

The Eagles didn't have a shot from the very beginning of the game. Head coach Andy Reid even admitted he did a terrible job at preparing his team for the game. Arizona, one of the league's only undefeated teams left, sacked Vick five times throughout the four quarters and LeSean McCoy only touched the ball 16 times (13 rushes, 3 catches). Vick's two fumbles proved costly, one of which was returned 93 yards for an Arizona touchdown with six seconds to play in the first half. Kevin Kolb, of all guys, outplayed his former teammate Michael Vick as Kolb and wideout Larry Fitzgerald torched Philly's secondary all game. I almost want to say that Philadelphia is lucky the final score was only 27-6.

Atlanta Stays Winless After 27-3 Victory

San Diego was at home, and had running back Ryan Mathews (broke collarbone in preseason) back in the lineup, yet Matt Ryan's 3-0 Falcons were far too much for Philip Rivers and the Charger offense. Ryan threw for three more TDs, giving him a league-leading 8 for the season, spreading the ball out to eight different receivers in Atlanta's high-powered first half. Atlanta, in addition to Arizona and Houston, is one of three teams left that have yet to lose this season. With the way this passing offense has been playing, I think they could end up being the last to lose a game, too.

Peyton, Broncos Fall just Short of Comeback for Second Straight game

Peyton Manning's Broncos got off to another slow start against the 3-0 Texans, down 21-5 at one point during the second quarter. But two 4th quarter passing TDs to Brandon Stokley and Joel Dressen put Denver back in the game late, though the comeback attempt eventually failed. Peyton is not looking his regular form as a lot of his passes appear to be dead ducks, or just very loose spirals. It's disappointing not seeing his normal tight spirals thrown into very small windows, but we all know it'll take him some time to get back to full health. He'll be just fine.

Ravens Win Rematch in Controversy-filled SNF match-up

There's no doubt there were a lot of questionable calls, and a couple of critical no-calls as well in this game. In total, 24 penalties were called, adding up to 218 penalty yards (135 of them went against Baltimore). It was a long, yet still entertaining, game that featured two 300-yard passers in Tom Brady and Joe Flacco. Less than 24 hours after his younger brother was killed in a motorcycle accident, Baltimore receiver Torrey Smith had a career game with six catches for 127 yards and 2 TDs. A very inspiring performance indeed, and it was capped off when Baltimore placekicker Justin Tucker hit a walk-off 27-yard field goal as time expired, to give Baltimore a 31-30 redemption victory. Once again, there was some question as to whether or not the FG was good, but it appeared to sail just over top of the right upright, meaning it was, in fact, three points and a win for the 2-1 Ravens.

Key Injuries:

Matthew Stafford, Detroit QB--hamstring. Status uncertain.

C.J. Spiller, Buffalo RB--shoulder. Will have MRI, likely to miss Week 4.

Reggie Bush, Miami RB--knee. MRI revealed no structural damage

Austin Collie, Indianapolis WR--ruptured patella tendon. Out for season.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Oakland WR--concussion and neck strain. Released from hospital on Monday.

Adrian Clayborn, Tampa Bay DE--torn knee ligament. Out for rest of season.

Darrelle Revis, New York Jets CB--torn ACL, out for season

Monday Night Preview:

Packers at Seahawks

Seattle's rookie signal caller Russell Wilson is coming off his most impressive performance last week, a 27-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. With Marshawn Lynch taking the pressure off Wilson with his 122 yards and 1 TD, Seattle's offense scored 17 unanswered points to put the game out of the hands of the Cowboys.

In tonight's match-up, however, Seattle will need to give Lynch at least 30 carries. Against a team of Green Bay's caliber, Pete Carroll will need to establish the run early and keep with it. This will be Wilson's toughest match-up yet and will need to be comfortable. Normally I would say you'd need to attack, but in Seattle's case a conservative game plan is their best bet to beat the Packers.

After missing last week's game with a groin injury, Greg Jennings told ESPN's Lisa Salters that he will be playing tonight and he has been listed as active by the team.

My Prediction: Packers 35, Seahawks 14

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Sunday Recap: RGIII Leads Long List of Impressive Performances

When the Washington Redskins gave up three draft picks (first rounders in 2013 and 2014 and second rounder in 2012) just to move up four slots and select Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III with the No. 2 overall pick, I was very skeptic.

Throughout the offseason, in fact, I have admittedly been skeptic of this move by the Redskins front office. There's no doubt Griffin is a great quarterback who will be a solid professional, and was the second-best QB in the 2012 draft class. I just didn't see how giving up three high draft picks would allow the Skins offense to succeed immediately.

Would they be able to build a potent offense around him without those two first round picks in 2013 and 2014? That was my biggest question.

But after watching Griffin tear New Orleans' defense a new one (albeit without defensive captain Jonathan Vilma) yesterday afternoon, throwing for 320 yards and two TDs with guys such as Pierre Garcon, Aldrick Robinson and rookie running back Alfred Morris as the offense around him, RGIII has me second guessing myself.

No one is more excited than Washington fans, who have struggled at the quarterback position for years, maybe even a couple of decades. The Skins have not had a capable quarterback since at least Mark Rypien and Doug Williams in the late '80s and early '90s. It's been long overdue for the people in D.C., and maybe. Just maybe. Griffin and Mike Shanahan's Redskin offense can defy my criticism and compete in the East this season. Although, it's just one game, and I will continue to stand by my statement (that Washington will sit in last place by season's end) until RGIII further proves himself.

Griffin trumped the remaining rookie quarterbacks yesterday, by far. Andrew Luck, who's supposed to be the most pro-ready, quarterbacked the Colts to two scoring drives but threw three picks in a 41-21 loss to Chicago's Jay Cutler. Luck did manage to top 300 yards and put the ball into the end zone (four-yard TD pass to Donnie Avery in the fourth), but Luck only managed to complete 23 of his 45 pass attempts and never really demonstrated poise in the pocket and a strong throwing arm.

Chicago's stout defense ate him up for three sacks and a lost fumble, in addition to those three picks. For Luck, it was certainly a forgettable game, as it was for the other three rookie signal callers: Ryan Tannehill, Brandon Weeden and Russell Wilson.

Tannehill, the No. 8 overall pick of the Dolphins, was stuck with an unfortunate situation much like Luck, facing a very tenacious Houston defense. Tannehill really didn't stand a chance, being sacked three times and intercepted three additional times in a 30-10 defeat on the road.

Weeden, Cleveland's 28-year old No. 22 overall pick, had a showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles and, despite a porous performance under center (12/35, 118 yards, 4 INTs) fell just short of upsetting Michael Vick's Eagles. Vick threw four interceptions himself, so of course Weeden got a little help from the defense in this one, but even if the Browns had pulled off a victory, Weeden's four interception day would still not be anything to celebrate.

The fifth and final rookie quarterback to suit up for his respective team this weekend was Seattle's Russell Wilson, who was taking on the Cardinals. Arizona, in a 20-16 victory, had a little quarterback trouble of their own with starter John Skelton coming down with what has been announced a "low ankle sprain" (timetable for return is unknown). Kolb was forced to take over as he went 6/8 for 66 yards and a TD.

Wilson was a little less impressive than Kolb in his pro debut for Seattle, looking uncomfortable in the pocket and erratic with some of his passes. He finished the day by completing just 18 of his 34 pass attempts with one touchdown and an interception. The numbers proved to look better than Weeden's four interceptions, but he still certainly has some things he can improve on heading into his Week 2 matchup with Denver's defense.

Lets just get right down to it, the rookie quarterbacks (aside from Griffin, who didn't show much weakness against New Orleans), have a little bit of work to do before this weekend.

As for the rest of the NFL, there are teams that came right out of the tunnel and proved to all of us critics that the preseason doesn't mean squat. Just look at New York, for instance. The Jets scored just one touchdown in all four of its preseason match-ups. What did they do yesterday afternoon against Buffalo? Oh, no big deal, Mark Sanchez just rocked Buffalo's secondary for 266 yards and three TDs in a 48-28 beatdown.

It was a total team effort, too, as Shonn Greene ran for 94 yards and a TD while the defense picked Ryan Fitzpatrick off three times––Antonio Cromartie returned one of those 40 yards for a touchdown.

Jacksonville showed us that they aren't just going to lay down for any teams. They may not have come out winners, but second-year quarterback Blaine Gabbert put up a career-high 260 yards and 2 TDs, taking the Vikings to overtime before falling 26-23 on a Blair Walsh 38-yard field goal.

Other things that caught my attention on Sunday:

*Patriots revamped defense

I mentioned this in my season preview, you know the fact that Bill Belichick went out and upgraded on defense by selecting Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower in the first round. Well, it's already starting to pay off. Hightower recorded five tackles, one of which went for a loss and recovered a fumble for a six-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Who forced the fumble? Jones did, of course. Patriots defeated Tennessee on the road 34-13.

*Manning is back in the record books

Not only did future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning make an impressive Bronco debut in his return to action, defeating the Steelers 31-19 by throwing for 253 yards and 2 TDs. But he also happened to be just the third quarterback in NFL history to throw for 400 touchdowns, joining the greats Brett Favre (508) and Dan Marino (420). That's quite a club, I'd say.

*Ryan, Falcons plan on sticking around

The South has been all about Drew Brees' Saints and Cam Newton's rookie performance last season. People seem to be forgetting about the Falcons. Well, in yesterday's 40-point performance against Kansas City, Ryan has grabbed the spotlight once again, throwing for 299 yards and 3 TDs. Clearly he doesn't want us to forget about good old Atlanta.

*Niners trump Rodgers, Packers

In what I thought to be the game of the week, the Alex Smith-led 49ers managed to hand Green Bay its first loss of the season, 30-22. Just remember that the Pack lost one game all of last season. Once again, Smith went mistake-less (threw just five interceptions all of last season) and the Niner defense, looking to prove last season wasn't just a fluke, limited the Packers to just 45 yards on the ground.

*Arizona's QB carousel continues

It was bad enough that the overpaid Kevin Kolb struggled throughout the preseason and lost his starting role to John Skelton. But now, Skelton has suffered a low ankle sprain and may miss a game or two. Can Arizona and All Pro wideout Larry Fitzgerald ever catch a break on offense? The good news: they defeated Seattle anyways.

*Panthers struggle on the ground; fall to Tampa

It sure was an ugly one in Tampa Bay yesterday. Not only did Cam Newton throw two interceptions, but Carolina just couldn't get anything going on the ground. With Jonathan Stewart out, DeAngelo Williams got the start but carried the ball just six times for -1 yards. In total, Carolina ran the ball 13 times for 10 yards. TEN. That is not a typo. Tampa dominated the time of possession, holding the ball for nearly 38 of the 60 minutes of play, yet they still only managed a 16-10 victory. This game should have been a blowout according to the numbers Carolina put up. Ugly game for both squads.

- - - - -

We still have two more games this evening, a double-header on ESPN. First game will be between AFC North rivals Baltimore and Cincinnati, with the winner being the downright leader of the division (Browns and Steelers both lost). The second game is between AFC West rivals San Diego and Oakland.

Hopefully I'll be able to get a quick MNF preview up in a few minutes. Stay tuned!

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40 Story Lines to Monitor Closely this Season

Every season there are pre-season headlines that catch my attention, and 2012 will be no different.

In fact, I have actually found about 40 or so story lines that should get any fan pumped for this Wednesday's season opener (in no particular order).

RGIII in D.C.

The rookie signal caller Robert Griffin III showed patches of excellence this preseason, but also proved to falter under pressure at other times. It will certainly be interesting to see how Griffin, the No. 2 overall pick this past April, fares in his first season at the helm. Especially considering he will be playing in a rough NFC East division.

San Francisco's attempt at repeating as NFC West champs

Falling just short of a Super Bowl appearance last season, San Francisco is poised to make a return to the playoffs in 2012. I actually think they may be stronger this season than they were during its 13-3 campaign last season. Virtually the same, hard-hitting defense and a few added weapons on offense means Seattle, St. Louis and Arizona will be in for a rough season.

New England's Revamped defense

For once, coach Belichick decided to stack up on defense in the draft, selecting defensive end Chandler Jones and linebacker Dont'a Hightower with the No. 21 and No. 25 overall picks and safety Tavon Wilson in the second round. With an aging defense, ranked 31st in the league last season, New England added some key youth and depth to the roster and I expect to see immediate results this season.

Weeden/Richardson rookie campaigns in Cleveland

Brandon Weeden, 27-year old rookie quarterback selected with the 22nd pick, has been named opening day starter over Colt McCoy and the recently-cut Seneca Wallace. Already pretty mature for a rookie, considering his age, Weeden is a step up from McCoy. Running back Trent Richardson's status for Week 1 is still uncertain (knee surgery) but I am still expecting an impact from Richardson as Cleveland's No. 1 back this season.

Reggie Bush's push to 1,000 rushing yards

Last year with Miami, Bush put up his first 1,000 yard season in his six seasons in the league, also tying a career-high with six TDs. Entering his second season with the 'Phins, it appears as though Bush is finally coming into his own and I think he's just getting started as the franchise's top offensive weapon.

Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson's return to full-health

Houston suffered numerous key injuries last season, including quarterback Matt Schaub, defensive end/LB Mario Williams and the All-Pro wideout Andre Johnson. If they can win the AFC South and reach the AFC Divisional playoff round without its top quarterback/wide receiver combo for the full season, just imagine what they could do this season with the duo back in the starting lineup. Scary, I know, right?

Peyton Manning era begins in Denver

This, perhaps, has been one of the biggest story lines all offseason and is without a doubt the most anticipated. Will he stay healthy? Will he return to All Pro form? Can he get Denver back to the playoffs and build on 2011's success? So many questions and, yet, none of them can be answered until the season gets underway.

Jeff Fisher's St. Louis coaching debut

After parting ways with Tennessee in 2010, following a 17-year tenure with HOU/TEN, Fisher took the 2011 season off. St. Louis fired head coach Steve Spagnuolo on January 2, hiring Fisher shortly after that. Currently in rebuilding mode with the under-performing Sam Bradford under center, I'm not so sure Fisher can be the savior St. Louis has been hoping for. But there's only one way to find that out..

DeMarco Murray/RunDMC bounce-back seasons

Murray was a huge surprise in his rookie season last year with Dallas, rushing for 897 yards and two TDs during his seven starts at RB. He suffered a season-ending ankle injury during Dallas' Week 14 matchup with the Giants, however, and the Cowboys went 1-2 the rest of the way without Murray. Darren "RunDMC" McFadden has been brilliant for the Raiders, when he's healthy of course. Also making just seven 2011 starts, McFadden ran for 614 yards and four TDs before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 7. Both backs have high expectations for their respective teams this coming season.

Andrew Luck's Indianapolis debut

Luck has been deemed the best college prospect since, yes, another Colt: Peyton Manning in 1998. At the No. 1 overall slot in April, possibly already one of the league's smartest quarterbacks has great expectations for 2012, even at the helm of the rebuilding Colts. I'm not expecting Indianapolis to be a playoff team this season, however, considering it's a tough task to beat out Houston for the division and teams such as Baltimore/Pittsburgh and San Diego/Oakland/Denver for the wild card spots.

Gronk/Hernandez attempt to improve on 2011 campaigns

Tight end (and H-back in Hernandez's case) has been a key position over the last few seasons, and with Rob Gronkowski setting tight end history in 2011 (90 rec., 1,327 yards, 17 TDs), it's going to be tough to overlook these two guys. Tom Brady already has top targets at the wide receiver position in Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd. Adding Gronk and Hernandez has already proved to be fatal for opposing defenses. Scary to think what could happen this season.

Stafford, Megatro aerial attack

Sharing a division with Green Bay and Chicago can be tough, and will be proven once again this season. Last season, due in part to the passing combo of Matthew Stafford and Calvin "Megatron" Johnson plus a defensive attack led by Ndamukong Suh, the Lions made a playoff trip for the first time since 1999. At 10-6, Detroit fell to New Orleans in the Wild Card round, but not before putting up a great fight. A couple of sites, including ESPN, have projected Stafford to throw for 5,000 yards again this season, and if Detroit can establish a running game we could be in for a nice treat in the NFC North once again in 2012.

Mario Williams joins Kyle Williams in Buffalo

Mario is out of Houston, signing a monster 6-year, $96 million contract with $50M in guaranteed bucks. He will even be sporting a different number with the Bills, switching from No. 90 to No. 94. It will be an odd sight this season, but I believe that the duo of Mario (back at defensive end) and defensive tackle Kyle Williams (54 solo tackles, 5.5 sacks and a Pro Bowl appearance in 2010) will make an underrated pass rush. Both, also, will be attempting to return from injury as they missed significant time during the 2011 season.

Houston's defense (even without Super Mario)

With Williams gone, you'd think the Texans may lose a beat on defense. But that's not the case. Houston ranked 2nd in total defense last season while Williams played in just five games all season. Plus Houston added a replacement for Mario, drafting the 6-foot-4/261 pound Whitney Mercilus in the first round of the draft, as he will join Houston's young defense that's made up of the likes of J.J. Watt, Connor Barwin, Brian Cushing and Brooks Reed.

Cam Newton set to improve on record-breaking rookie season

Superman Cam Newton took an under-performing Carolina offense and won six games in his rookie campaign last season. Not only did he improve the overall win/loss result by four games (2-14 in 2010), but he also set records in the process. Known for his powerful running style, Newton set the QB record for rushing TDs in a single-season (14). But, he was also effective as a passer, setting the QB rookie record for yards (4,051 with 21 TDs, 17 INTs). If he can improve as a leader and cut down on the interceptions this season, he could lead this team to a division title.

Eli Manning's pursuit to repeat as Super Bowl champ

The Jets, unfortunately, have gotten all the media attention in New York this offseason. But that isn't anything new to Eli and his Giants squad. The defending champs are, once again, receiving little attention. But that seems to be when Manning and Co. thrive best: when they are under the radar. This alone may be the key to New York's road to a repeat in 2012. Whether or not they'll be successful is a whole other story, however.

Sanchez/Tebow drama in NYJ

I promise this will be the only time I mention the Jets in this post. Because, just like you, I try to avoid all of this drama talk. But clearly this will be an important story line throughout the season, nonetheless. Rex Ryan continues to talk up his team, but the 0-4 preseason record and the fact they only managed to score one touchdown in those four games is very alarming. It won't be long until New York fans start crying for Tebow to start over Sanchez. And that's when I believe the real trouble will start.

Pittsburgh, Todd Haley's restructured offense

Injuries have eat Pittsburgh alive this offseason. From Rashard Mendenhall to Isaac Redman to rookie David DeCastro to James Harrison to rookie Sean Spence. They just can't seem to catch a break. But I believe it will be Ben Roethlisberger's relationship with new offensive coordinator Todd Haley that will need to be at its best in order for this team to thrive in 2012. Jonathan Dwyer may rise up as Pittsburgh's go-to guy in the backfield with Redman and Mendenhall ailing. Either way, I'm sure Haley's glad to see Mike Wallace back in team facilities and as long as the line holds up, the receiving combo of Wallace and Antonio Brown will be nearly untouchable.

Andy Dalton, A.J. Green's sophomore seasons in Cincy

Fellow rookies, QB Dalton and WR Green, both experienced great campaigns last season and will be looking to add on to that success this season. Dalton (3,398 yards, 20 TDs) and Green (65 catches, 1,057 yards, 7 TDs) were key to Cincy's 9-7 playoff campaign and will need to repeat that performance in order to get back to the playoffs this season. Nine wins will not cut it.

Skelton to start over Kolb for Arizona

On Friday the Cardinals announced that John Skelton would begin the season as the team's starting quarterback, while Kevin Kolb backs him up. Last offseason Arizona traded for the Philadelphia backup and signed him to an extension, expecting him to be the franchise quarterback. Instead, he battled a concussion and made just nine starts in 2011 (3-6 record; 9 TD, 8 INT, 81.1 QBR). This preseason Kolb struggled (59.5 comp %, 203 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT) and lost the job to Skelton, who went 5-2 as Arizona's starting quarterback in place of Kolb last season.

Foster/Tate running back duo in Houston

Arian Foster, in my opinion, proved as a top running back last season after following up his league-leading 1,616 rushing yards and 16 TD performance in 2010 with a 1,200/10 TD performance on the way to Houston's first playoff appearance ever. The beauty of his situation is that he received 49 less carries than the season before because of the emergence of Ben Tate. Tate missed his entire rookie season in 2010 because of a broken ankle in the offseason, but bounced back 942 yards and four TDs in his first full season. As a team, Houston ran for a second-best 2,448 yards, 18 TD and posted a 4.5 yards/carry average. I only see Tate improving from here, too.

NFC East Carousel: New York, Dallas, Philly or Washington?

It seems as though many believe Robert Griffin III will take Washington to the playoffs in his rookie season, but clearly these people don't understand that they are in the NFC East. Not even the second overall pick can make such an impact on a team that went 5-11 and finished fourth in the division last season. Tony Romo is poised to return Dallas to the playoffs, as I will explain later if you read on. Michael Vick, though I'm not quite a believer in the Eagles this season, will be a tough challenge, especially with LeSean McCoy coming off his best season yet. And clearly the defending champs will be a force to be reckoned with once again. I will not give you the answer to who will win the East, unfortunately–you will have to wait until the season preview. But RGIII will not make the immediate impact that everyone's expecting. Give him some time to adjust and develop.

Palmer's first full season with the Raiders

Carson struggled under center after joining Oakland during the season–and that showed on the field. But with a fleet of underrated targets in Denarius Moore, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Louis Murphy and Jacoby Ford, and the return of Darren McFadden, I believe Palmer has the tools necessary to make his second season with the team a relatively successful one.

KC: Can Jamaal Charles bounce-back and carry the full load?

Charles was only able to put 12 carries under his belt last season before suffering a season-ending injury. With what looks to be a full return, Charles will likely receive 220-250 carries while new Chief Peyton Hillis and third-year back Dexter McCluster receive third-down carries. But the big question here is whether or not Charles can stay healthy for the entire season.

Big season for TB's Clayborn?

Last year's 20th overall pick by Tampa Bay, defensive end Adrian Clayborn out of Iowa, quietly had a solid season as a pass rusher the the Bucs. Recording 40 total tackles and 7.5 sacks off the end, Clayborn showed potential and durability as the team's leading sacker. I would expect to see a double-digit sack total from Clayborn in 2012. Maybe even between 12 and 14. Look out for Adrian, NFC South.

Tony Romo looks to prove critics wrong, carry Dallas back to playoffs

Like I stated earlier, this, if there ever were, is the year for Romo. He's getting DeMarco Murray back in the lineup and may even get a breakout season from Dez Bryant as long as he can stay out of trouble. The most important move this offseason for Dallas, however, was improving the secondary by drafting Morris Claiborne and adding Brandon Carr at corner. Romo, contrary to popular belief, is a great quarterback and, if healthy, has a shot at making a playoff return coming out of the East.

Matt Ryan looks to get over playoff slump

Ryan in Atlanta, much like Romo and Baltimore's Flacco, is a quarterback that has a lot to prove. He's a Pro Bowler and has posted a 43-19 record as the Falcons' starter over his four pro seasons. But in his three postseason appearances his Falcons have been one-and-done each time, going 0-3 and being outscore 102-47. It's not now or never for Matt, but he's certainly itching to win a playoff game that's for sure.

Cutler and Marshall reunite in Chicago

Quarterback Jay Cutler and wide receiver Brandon Marshall both came into the league at the same time, being drafted in the first and third rounds, respectively, by the Denver Broncos back in 2006. They each spent four seasons with the team (Marshall caught 327 balls for 4,019 yards and 25 TDs over that span) before parting ways. Cutler was shipped to Chicago where he's been ever since while Marshall spent the last two seasons in Miami. On March 13, Marshall was traded to Chicago for two third round picks, making for a nice little reunion between the two.

How does Brees and Co. react to Bounty Scandal?

I wont spend long on the subject because, well, everyone is tired of hearing about it–especially the Saints. The bounty scandal, in a nut shell, has cost New Orleans its head coach Sean Payton for the entire 2012 season and interim/assistant coach Joe Vitt for six games, in addition to linebacker and captain Jonathan Vilma for the entire season. How will New Orleans respond to that? Well it doesn't effect Drew Brees and his weapons of mass destruction, so they will be just as effective without Payton roaming the sidelines. The three-headed monster in Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles and Mark Ingram will make for a top 10 run game and the Saints will be in contention for the NFC South. That's how it will go down.

DeMarcus Ware, Jared Allen sack race

In Minnesota Jared Allen quietly came within a sack of breaking the single-season sack record last season, while Dallas' pass-rusher DeMarcus Ware came within a half sack of tying his career-high of 20. These two monsters eat quarterbacks for breakfast, lunch and dinner and, quite frankly, I would not doubt that they could both end up breaking Michael Strahan's record of 22.5 in one season. It's highly possible, and not entirely out of the question for it to happen this season.

Can Green Bay go 16-0?

Most Valuable Player Aaron Rodgers led the Pack to a 15-1 regular season record last year and was then quickly a one-and-done in the playoffs after being beheaded by the eventual champion G-Men. I do not expect a repeat performance in the postseason by Green Bay. A potent running game seemed to be all the Packers lacked last season, and now that former Bengal Cedric Benson is donning the green and gold, going 16-0 isn't all that far of a reach for this Packer team, especially if the defense steps it up this season.

Can Flacco lead Baltimore back to the AFC Championship game?

Joe Flacco, in his four NFL seasons, has posted a record of 44-20 as the starter and has taken Baltimore to the playoffs in each of those four seasons. At 27, Joe has proved to mature more and more each season, and after coming within one great defensive play (NE's Sterling Moore on Lee Evans to prevent the TD) and a missed 32-yard field goal of a Super Bowl appearance, Flacco has shown his worth. Still inconsistent at times, Flacco has shown that he does need a little help from his offense, but who doesn't? When he's on, he's as close to a top-tier quarterback as you can get. With Ray Rice in his backfield and a top five defense once again, I certainly think an AFC Championship appearance is possible this season, as well.

Adrian Peterson's recovery from ACL injury

Most fantasy football sites had "All Day" out of its top 10 for running backs because of his recovery from his torn ACL suffered last December. But, to my surprise, Peterson is in line to start Week 1 and may not even miss a beat this season. Remember when Wes Welker was expected to miss the entire 2010 season because of a knee injury, and he started Week 1 and caught 86 passes that season? Yeah, well, Peterson could have that type of turnout. He is Adrian Peterson, you know. But, just to be safe, I didn't keep him in my keeper league this season anyways.

Philip Rivers' new weapons in San Diego

With the departure of Vincent Jackson (Tampa Bay), San Diego went out this offseason and reeled in a couple of new targets for Rivers to spread the ball to. Going defense-heavy in the draft, it took a couple of free agent signings to bring in these targets, landing New Orleans' Robert Meachem, who will be a great deep-threat for Rivers. The shifty, quick Eddie Royal was brought in from division rival Denver to play slot and replace Jackson and Patrick Crayton. These guys are welcome additions to tight end Antonio Gates and the tall, 6'5" Malcom Floyd.

Ryan Fitzpatrick will be trying to prove to Buffalo he was worth the money

Being a Harvard guy, Fitzpatrick is clearly one of the smartest guys on the field. But is he really worth what the Bills have him under contract for? He's the second-highest paid player (7 years, $62.2M) on Buffalo's roster behind Mario Williams after signing an extension last October. Not long after the extension, however, Fitzpatrick began to struggle under center and finished 2011 with a league-leading 23 interceptions. This is a big year for Fitz. He will need to prove he belongs as Buffalo's starter, and quick. I know he doesn't want to end up like Kevin Kolb and have Vince Young take over the starting role.

Russell Wilson takes over starting job in Seattle

Oh, yes. Another interesting quarterback situation, this one's out west. Seattle brought in Green Bay's backup Matt Flynn this offseason, signing him to a three-year deal worth $19.5 million ($10 mil guaranteed). I was expecting Flynn, 27, to be the starter of the future for the 'Hawks. That was until, of course, Seattle made the decision to select Wisconsin's little man (5'11"/206 pounds) Russell Wilson in the third round of the draft in April. This caused an all-out QB battle during camp and preseason, with Wilson coming out the winner. Wilson impressed in the preseason, throwing for 536 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT and posting a rating of 110.3. It was an impressive month of work, and a deserved starting role. I'm just curious to see how it ends up this season.

Additional noteworthy story lines:

Stewart, Williams duo back in action for Carolina
With age and injury, can Baltimore and Pittsburgh still have top 3 defenses?

Can Josh Freeman prove he has what it takes to take TB to playoffs?
How will Justin Blackmon fare in his rookie season?

Any others that you will be keeping detailed record of this season? Let me know which ones I missed! Also, more Season Preview articles on the way!

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