Why the Arena Football League is Tim Tebow's Best Chance at Becoming an Elite NFL Quarterback

Let me make this quick and to the point: Tim Tebow's best shot at NFL stardom, as a quarterback, is through the Arena Football League. Perhaps last chance, as well?

Say whatever you want about his track record as the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback in 2010 and '11, but Tebow's chance at becoming a starting quarterback again in the National Football League is quickly dwindling.

At this point, after a failed 2012 campaign with the New York Jets, Timmy has two ways he could go about this: 1) give up on trying to become an NFL starting quarterback and admit that he may be better off switching positions if he wants another gig in the league or 2) stick with the quarterback position and sign a deal with an Arena League team.

There are plenty of teams willing to give him a deal if he chooses the latter of the two options. In fact, the Philadelphia Soul is the most recent AFL team to reach out to the newly unemployed Tebow about a job. The franchise's owner, former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski, even sent him a package of plays that he'd be used in. That's showing some initiative.

Lately the Jacksonville Jaguars appear to be the only NFL team that would be possible fits for Tebow to become quarterback for, and the team's new owner has already publicly announced that he has no interest in the former University of Florida Heisman winner. Tebow appears set on sticking with his current position and, frankly, why wouldn't he? He's been playing quarterback most of his life, he led the Florida Gators to two National Championships as the signal caller and led John Elway's Broncos to a 2011-12 AFC Wild Card victory over the heavily-favored Pittsburgh Steelers.

That being said, I am among the majority when I say that Tebow's passing skills are not up to par with that of elite QBs in the NFL at this moment in time. Though he's worked on improving his mechanics, his throwing motion is still too long and his accuracy is erratic. His 10-7 record and 75.5 QB rating shows me that he has the game management and leadership skills to lead his team to victories, but the circus he brings with him scares off potential NFL suitors. Especially after his 2012 season in New York. Just too many distractions within the locker room, and he didn't appear to earn the respect needed from his Jets teammates.

The limited number of teams in the league that have expressed interest in his services, are not after his quarterbacking services. Rather, they'd like to use him in a variety of other packages and could possibly switch him to tight end or fullback.

But here's what the Arena league can offer him: a chance to develop his mechanics and transform himself into more of a pocket passer. Arena league fields are much smaller (50 yards long, 85 feet wide with eight-yard end zones), and the game itself has little running plays. With much faster-paced, passing-oriented games, Tebow will get acclimated with three and five-step dropbacks. He'll be forced to get the ball out of his hands much quicker as well, which is something else Tebow's game tends to lack.

Arguments have been made that the Canadian Football League would be another option for Timmy to take his talents to, but I would have to disagree with that statement if he would like to make his way back to the NFL. If he heads north to the CFL, he'll most likely have a harder time re-adjusting to the NFL should he make a re-appearance in the future. With the Arena League, he'll have tighter windows to throw in, meaning that if he can complete passes and throw touchdowns for an AFL team he will have no problem going back to hitting wideouts in stride on a much wider National Football League field.

As for the CFL, it's similar to the AFL in terms of relying heavily on the passing game. The only trouble with this is that the Canadian League's fields are 110 yards in length (with 20-yard end zones) and 65 yards in width, compared with the NFL's 100yd/10-yd/53.5-yd dimensions. Huge difference if you're a quarterback switching league's and adjusting to the style of play.

Normally you would think it would be a minor adjustment for a trained professional, but considering Tebow is looking to further improve on his mechanics and pocket presence it could just prove to be an un-needed distraction.

Either way, I believe these are the two most viable options for Tebow if he plans on becoming a star NFL quarterback one day. Then again, the AFL option could be a hit-or-miss opportunity. A superb stint with an Arena League team could help his NFL stock tremendously, but if his AFL stint ends with a train wreck similar to his New York escapades then he may further damage his reputation around the league.

So if he plans on sticking with his current position in the NFL, it would be well worth the risk of temporarily leaving the league to improve his mechanics and pocket-passing abilities out of the spotlight. And lets face it, a Tim Tebow AFL signing would rack in plenty of money for the respective team that happens to land him and may even bring in a few sold out crowds to Arenas all over.

Sounds like a winning situation for everyone. Tebow gets his shot at remaining a quarterback while working on his craft, his team earns whatever money Tebow fans bring them (and possibly a few wins), and the NFL can finally get away from the Tebow circus that was 2012.

Hopefully one day Tebow can finally prove myself––and all of his other critics––wrong and become an elite, Super Bowl-winning quarterback. One day.

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May Day: No Shortages of Off-season Drama Around League

Despite still being four months away from the kick-off to the 2013 NFL regular season, which is set for Thursday September 5 in Denver, we're still seeing plenty of drama around the league.

The beginning of May usually revolves around the aftermath of the NFL draft, but this year we're seeing a little bit of side-drama. No surprise, of course, that it revolves around the New York Jets. Oh, and Tim Tebow. You'd think that we'd be used to this by now.

Jets Release Tebow; Tim Receives Numerous Other Job Offers

The news of the release of New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow a week ago comes as no surprise, but what may come as a bit of a surprise is the fact that he's already received a variety of different job offers. None of which have come from NFL teams.

Among the offers, whether serious offers or not, are the Canadian Football League and the Lingerie Football League (believe it or not).

The CFL's Montreal Alouettes own the rights to Tebow, but if he were to agree on a contract with the Canadian League team, he'd have to compete for a backup quarterback spot. That doesn't exactly sound like something Tebow would be interested in. Not to mention, the CFL isn't the best fit for Tebow at the quarterback position.

Hall of Fame NFL and CFL QB Warren Moon may have said it best when he said Tebow wouldn't make it as a CFL quarterback. The fields are larger and the league relies more heavily on the passing game. He's not a pocket quarterback and would need to play somewhere where the offense can revolve around his play-making abilities, not just his arm. Tebow's inaccuracy would hurt him in the more pass-oriented Canadian Football League, so the CFL doesn't appear to be a viable option.

About a week ago, the Legends Football League (formerly the Lingerie Football League) offered Tebow a job as quarterbacks coach, according to a Yahoo! Sports report. Clearly that isn't a likely move for him, either, considering he wants to be on the football field, not the sidelines. At least not just yet.

So, it appears the only reasonable option for Tebow in 2013 would be a position change to stay in the NFL. There have been a couple of teams interested in Timmy as a tight end, so the question now is whether he'd be willing to change positions or not.

Okay, sorry. I am officially done with Tebow talk now.

NFC Scout on Geno Smith: "He's a spoiled, pampered brat"

Unfortunately we're not done with the New York Jets, however. Rookie quarterback Geno Smith out of West Virginia was projected to go in the top 10 or 15 by some draft experts in NYC. Instead, he fell out of the first round altogether and was selected by the Jets in the second round, No. 39 overall. It was reported that his maturity is what forced him to fall so hard, costing him approximately $3 million in salary.

Over a week following the draft, his maturity is still being questioned by an anonymous NFC scout:

He's going to have a tough time in New York. Right now he's coming off as a spoiled, pampered brat.

What made matters worse were additional reports that said Smith used his cell phone to send texts and check his Twitter feed during pre-draft meetings with NFL teams. If that doesn't force you out of the first round, I'm not sure what will. After hearing those reports, there's no reason he should have thrown a fit and threatened to go home after being skipped over in the first round, rather than returning to Radio City Music Hall for Day 2 of the draft. Luckily for him, he did end up returning the second night, but the fact that he almost didn't may have also hurt his stock.

Between the underachieving former first rounder out of USC, Mark Sanchez and the seemingly immature Geno Smith, it looks like the Jets will once again have a tough time on offense this season. Look for this to be head coach Rex Ryan's final season at the helm.

Adrian Peterson: "I'm going for 2,500 yards"

There's no typo in that headline. Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has said that he's going for 2,500 rushing yards this season. Coming off his MVP performance of 2,097 yards, just nine shy of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season record, Peterson thinks he can gain 400 more yards in 2013.

First off, if there's a running back in the game that can do it, it's Peterson. Second off, he was coming off ACL surgery and got off to a slow start in 2012 before breaking out for eight consecutive 100+ yard games.

But, all that being said, there's no way Peterson will manage to join the 2,500 club. Not this year, not ever. Sure, Peterson manages to break out for long runs despite opposing defenses stacking the box with eight guys in anticipation of the run. But with more and more emphasis on the passing game, Peterson won't get enough carries to break out for that many yards in 16 games.

He'd have to run for at least 150 yards every single week. Even for a robotic, freakishly-built runner like Peterson, that's near-impossible. The Vikings brought in some competition for quarterback Christian Ponder this season (former KC Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel) and drafted the young wideout Cordarrelle Patterson. Clearly Minnesota appears to be ready for a more effective passing game this season.

Sorry Adrian, but it'll be tough enough to pull off another 2,000 yard season in 2013. There's a reason why no runner has ever accomplished this feat twice in a career––it's tough to do. Makes for a great debate though.

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Recapping Week 15: AFC Playoff Picture Experiences Shake-up

Heading into this past weekend, the Baltimore Ravens had a perfect shot at proving they belong with the top dogs in the American Football Conference. Taking on Peyton Manning and the then-10-3 Denver Broncos, a banged up Baltimore defense seemed poised for the challenge.

Needing a victory to clinch the AFC North title, Baltimore struggled early and often against Denver's 5th-ranked overall defense. The firing of Cam Cameron as the team's offensive coordinator earlier that week was supposed to fix the offensive problems, promoting Jim Caldwell as the OC and play-caller. With Ray Rice receiving just 12 carries throughout the entire game, Joe Flacco clearly struggled to get anything going.

If Baltimore wants to make it deep into the postseason, they will need to get Rice the ball early and often. I'm talking, 25-30 carries a game. With an All-Pro playmaker at your disposal, it's hard to understand why coach John Harbaugh has not done anything to address this problem yet.

During Baltimore's current 3-game losing streak, Rice has received just 44 carries (average of 14.6 per game) while Flacco has averaged nearly 32 pass attempts during those games. While Flacco's stat line looks near-perfect in the overtime loss to Washington (16/21, 182 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 121.4 rating), in the other two games he completed under 50% of his passes.

The truth is that Flacco has been one of the most inconsistent quarterbacks in the game this season, and has overthrown more receivers than a fifth-year quarterback should be.

There have been five instances in which Flacco had attempted 40 or more passes and Rice had received under 20 carries (at PHI, vs. CLE, at HOU and vs. DEN) this season, and Baltimore went 1-3 over that span while being outscored 117-76.

Need more proof that Ray Rice needs the ball in his hands more and Flacco should be throwing less often? I have one more vital piece of information for you: On six different occasions this season Joe has completed under 60% of his passes, and BAL's record during those six games is 2-4. Flacco has a combined 6 TDs and 6 INTs. During those two wins the defense surrendered just 19 combined points to the Chiefs (2-12) and the Chargers (5-9).

Hopefully, for Baltimore's sake, Caldwell will come to his senses and get Rice the ball early and often. He will need to in order to break Baltimore's current 3-game losing streak this weekend. All Baltimore needs is a victory over the next two games to clinch the AFC North for the third consecutive season. They did, however, manage to back into the postseason this past Sunday with the Dallas Cowboys' victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime.

In other news...

Houston Captures Second Consecutive AFC South Title

With a 29-17 victory over rookie quarterback Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts (9-5), the Houston Texans (12-2) managed to capture its second straight (and second overall) AFC South division title. The victory came in stunning fashion, too, coming off a disappointing 42-14 defeat at the hands of the Patriots (10-4) a week prior, Houston's offense was clicking on all cylinders again.

Arian Foster ran for a season-high 165 yards and quarterback Matt Schaub threw for 261 more. Thanks to 5 total sacks of Luck, the Texans managed to keep its spot as the team with the best record in the AFC. Three of those five sacks were recorded by Defensive Player of the Year favorite J.J. Watt, who managed to tie San Francisco's Aldon Smith for most in the league, with 19.5. With two games to play, both Watt and Smith are just 3.5 sacks away from breaking Michael Strahan's single-season sack record of 22.5, set in 2001.

Luckily for the Colts, they still hold the No. 5 seed in the playoff picture and will get another shot at the Texans in a Week 17 showdown at home. This week against the Chiefs the Colts can clinch a Wild Card spot with a win or a Steelers loss to the Bengals.

Houston can clinch a first round bye and the No. 1 seed with a win over Minnesota or Indianapolis.

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh: Week 16 Game to Watch

Regardless of what happens in the New York/Baltimore game, all eyes will be on Cincy (8-6) and Pittsburgh (7-7) Heinz Field this Sunday. With only three remaining teams that can clinch the final 2 spots in the AFC playoffs, this is the most important game left in the conference this season.

Cincinnati easily handled the Eagles on Thursday night, pulling away with a 34-13 victory and inching one game closer to Baltimore. Pittsburgh missed out on a huge opportunity with an overtime loss to Tony Romo's Dallas Cowboys. But, luckily for a frustrated Ben Roethlisberger, he can still clinch the sixth seed with wins over the Bengals and Browns these last two weeks.

It really will be a must-win game for the Steelers on Sunday. A win, and they control their own destiny Week 17, needing just a win over the Browns (they would hold the tiebreaker over the Bengals). But a loss would mean Cincinnati would clinch a Wild Card spot, and the Colts (whether they win or lose against the Chiefs) would capture the final available playoff spot.

Cincinnati is certainly the dark horse to squeeze into the postseason, despite winning 5 of its last 6 games. The victories over that span have come against just one playoff contender (New York Giants, 31-13). The rest of them: Kansas City (2-12), Oakland (4-10), San Diego (5-9) and Philadelphia (4-10) have a combined 15-41 record in 2012. A last-second loss to the Cowboys (8-6) two weeks ago, 20-19, has proven costly for the Bengals and may be the game everyone looks at if they lose to Pittsburgh on Sunday and miss the postseason.

The Bengals are 5-2 on the road this year, but are on a 5-game skid against the Steelers right now and haven't beat them and haven't beaten them on the road since November 15, 2009. Andy Dalton has improved vastly in his second season under center (62.5 comp %, 26 TDs, 14 INTs, 89.4 rating) and is just 86 passing yards away from surpassing his 3,398 rookie performance, but will need solid protection from his offensive line if he plans on recording his first career victory against Pittsburgh (0-3 all-time).

Establishing the run game with BenJarvus Green-Ellis early and often will be key and will allow Cincinnati to set-up the play-action pass and keep Dalton comfortable under center. Pittsburgh, to make up for its depleted defense, will need to play mistake-free football. That's exactly what they were able to do against Dallas prior to Antonio Brown's fumble on a punt return late in the game. If Brown doesn't fumble, Pittsburgh had a great shot at winning the game without going into overtime.

Must-win for both teams, obviously. But even bigger for Pittsburgh, as a loss will eliminate them from playoff contention.

New York Jets Embarrassed on Monday Night; Eliminated from Playoffs

Thanks to a porous performance from the offense (6-8) against the Tennessee Titans on national television, the Jets were officially eliminated from the AFC playoff picture last night. Both offenses, to tell you the truth, looked horrendous. But luckily for Jake Locker's Titans, Mark Sanchez (54.8 comp %, 2,678 yards, 13 TDs, 17 INTs, 67.9 rating) stole the show.

Sanchez's four interceptions and game-ending fumble with under 30 seconds to play led to a disappointing playoff run and basically a disappointing season. Sanchez, who should have been benched for good after 3rd stringer quarterback Greg McElroy led the Jets to a 7-6 win over Arizona two weeks ago, was finally benched by head coach Rex Ryan earlier today.

McElroy (5/7, 29 yards, 1 TD, 118.5 rating in 1 game this season) will make his first career start against the Chargers on Sunday. Long overdue for the second-year quarterback out of Alabama? Yes, I think so. All of New York would agree––well, half of New York anyways, I'm sure Giants fans love watching Sanchez.

The Jets offense had ample opportunities to put points on the board, as the defense managed to stall the Titans offense plenty of times, sacking Jake Locker four times and forcing 10 Tennessee punts. They even managed to limit them to just 12 first downs and, aside from one mistake that allowed Chris Johnson to run for a 94-yard touchdown in the second quarter, the front 7 limited CJ to just 28 yards on his 20 other rushing attempts. No turnovers were forced, but Tennessee committed 14 penalties for 111 yards, giving New York second chances and stalling offensive drives.

With just over two minutes to play, New York had the ball at Tennessee's 23-yard line (down by four points). Sanchez made the decision to lob a pass over the middle to tight end Jeff Cumberland, in triple coverage, as Tennessee's Michael Griffin picked off Sanchez for the fourth time of the game. It appeared to end the Jets' night, but after three Chris Johnson runs managed just four yards, the Jets had forced a 3 & out and set Sanchez up with 1st and 10 on Tennessee's 25-yard line (punter Brett Kern shanked a punt in his own end zone).

What does Sanchez do with this gift from heaven? Fumbles the snap out of shotgun formation on his first play. Game over.

I'm not even near being a Jets fan and we here at All-Out Blitz have gotten very frustrated watching this offense. Despite all of this guaranteed money Sanchez is due, I wouldn't be surprised if New York's front office somehow tried to dispose of him this offseason. Especially if McElroy is able to get something going in these final two games.

Rant over.

AFC Playoff Scenarios

*Texans clinch home-field advantage throughout playoffs with a win over Minnesota OR Denver and New England both lose.

*Broncos clinch first round bye with win over Cleveland AND Jaguars beat the Patriots.

*Ravens clinch AFC North with win over Giants.

*Colts clinch wild card with win over Kansas City OR Bengals beat Steelers

*Bengals clinch wild card with win over Pittsburgh.

*Steelers clinch wild card with wins over Cincinnati and Cleveland.

Up next...Recapping Week 15: NFC Playoff Race Coming Down to Final 2 Weeks

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Monday Night Football Live Blog: Jets Fighting for Playoff Hopes

Coverage of this past weekend's slate of Week 15 games will be coming your way tomorrow morning. For now, however, we will be taking this time to bring you live coverage of the Monday Night Football match-up between the 6-7 New York Jets and the 4-9 Tennessee Titans.

Not the most exciting match-up, we know. But we've got the time to do a live blog for the evening and since we haven't gotten the opportunity to do too many this season, why not take advantage?

Besides, this is Tennessee's chance to play spoilers and eliminate Mark Sanchez and the Jets from playoff contention. Plus this is the season's last Monday Night Football and we're only 8 days away from Christmas, so we're in an extra good mood.

Tennessee is clearly out of the postseason this season, with no possible mathematical way for them to make an appearance. New York, however, has a shot. A very slim shot, albeit, but it's still a shot. Here's their playoff scenario:

Must win final three games @ Tennessee, vs. San Diego, @ Buffalo

...AND...

Indianapolis must lose final 2 games

...OR...

Pittsburgh beats Cincinnati; Cleveland beat Pittsburgh

...OR...

Cincinnati beats Pittsburgh; Baltimore beats Cincinnati

Take a few moments to wrap your head around all of that. So not only do the Jets need to do something they haven't done since last November/December (win three consecutive games), but they also must rely on other teams to get into the postseason.

Titans in 2012

2-4 record at home

0-2 in December

2-1 vs. AFC East

Jake Locker: 1-2 record, 916 passing yards, 4 TD, 4 INT, 82.5 rating at home

Jets in 2012

3-3 record on road

2-0 in December

2-1 vs. AFC South

Mark Sanchez: 3-3 record, 1,185 passing yards, 4 TD, 4 INT, 74.0 rating on road

All-Out Blitz's pick: Jets win 24-10

In-Game Live Blog Updates

Last-minute injury report:

Jets--Dustin Keller (ankle), Stephen Hill (knee) are both out. Newly-signed wideout Braylon Edwards will be playing.
Titans--Damian Williams (hamstring), Colin McCarthy (concussion) and Scott Solomon (knee) are all out. Backup QB Rusty Smith will also be inactive tonight.

*The Jets are wearing helmet decals that say "S.H.E.S." in honor of the 20 children and 6 adults who were killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, CT last week. Also, just a few minutes ago there was a moment of silence at LP Field in honor of the victims as well.


First Quarter
*Kick-off officially at 8:41 pm eastern time, as Darrius Reynaud took the kick to the 22-yard line for Tennessee. The young Jake Locker will take his offense out on the field first.

8:45 pm: Jake Locker hits WR Nate Washington on a 30-yard pass on 3rd & 4. Just like that the Titans have set-up camp deep in New York territory on the team's opening drive.

8:49 pm: The promising drive stalls as New York stops the Titans' Chris Johnson for a loss of 10 on a 3rd down option play. Tennessee settles for a field goal attempt by Rob Bironas, which is blocked. New York will start its first offensive drive at their own 37.

Apparently Bironas had trouble finding his helmet before coming onto the field to attempt the first FG of the night.

8:51: Braylon Edwards will need to step up big for the Jets tonight, who will be without TE Dustin Keller and WR Stephen Hill.

8:53: Heading into the game RB Shonn Greene needed just 117 rushing yards to top 1,000 for the second consecutive season of his 4-year career. He could accomplish that feat tonight rather easily if the Jets get him the ball early and often.

8:54: Edwards makes his first catch as a Jet in 2012, a 14-yarder on a key 3rd down.

8:57: Tim Tebow makes his first appearance of the evening, running on a QB sneak up the middle to convert the Jets' second 3rd down of the opening drive. A pass interference call one play later puts the Jets inside the red zone.

9:00: Controversial touchdown pass from Sanchez to TE Jeff Cumberland. It was ruled a TD on the field, but after seeing the replay it appears to slip through his hands and hit the ground.

It will automatically be reviewed since this season all scoring plays and turnovers are automatically reviewed upstairs...ball has been ruled to have hit the ground after further review by referee Gerry Austin. That will bring up 4th down for NY.

9:03: Nick Folk's 22-yard field goal attempt is good. 3-0 Jets, 4:22 to play in the opening quarter.

9:11: Tennessee's Chris Johnson hasn't been the same since his 2,000 yard in 2009, but he still displays his explosiveness every once in a while. He hits holes at lightning speed but runs east-to-west far too often. If he was Barry Sanders, he could get away with lateral running a little easier, but he's not. Does he not understand that you can't bounce it to the outside every play?

At this point, Jake Locker has looked like a stronger runner than Johnson, who just took off down the field for a 15-yard gain and a TEN first down.

9:12: End of quarter 1. Still 3-0 Jets with the Titans facing a fourth down and short.


Second Quarter
9:18: The Jets need to find a way to make Shonn Greene a bigger part in the offense. A powerful back like Greene needs to be utilized as much as possible, especially if you have an unreliable quarterback under center. Greene has 25 yards on 6 carries thus far tonight.

9:22: Another punt coming for the Jets. The good news for Jets fans, however, is that at least Sanchez appears to be spreading the ball out and getting everyone involved. Five completions to five different players (Edwards, Greene, Cumberland, Bilal Powell and Konrad Reuland).

9:24: There's something we haven't seen in a while, but doesn't come as much of a surprise. Sure, I've been hard on Chris Johnson, but we all know he can break a long run at any moment. That's what he just did: 94 yard rushing touchdown for CJ. Longest run in franchise history for Tennessee. 7-3 Titans.

It was the sixth 80+ yard TD of Johnson's 5-year career with the Titans. Also the 48th touchdown of his career, rushing and receiving (including postseason).

Johnson has the names of all 20 of the victims of the Newtown, CT school shooting on his cleats tonight (photo shown below), and that TD was no doubt dedicated to those children and the families of the children.

9:30: Tim Tebow stays in the game for two consecutive plays, as he runs for a first down while running the triple option. Two tight ends were lined up in the backfield along with RB Joe McKnight. They're changing things up a bit on offense here.

9:35: This actually may be the longest I've seen Tebow in a game at one time this season. Four straight now as the Jets face a 3rd & 16 following a delay of game. He miraculously avoids a second straight sack and throws the ball away to bring up 4th down. I'm not really sure what Rex Ryan is doing here, to tell you the truth. Titans get the ball back with just over 6 minutes to play in the half.

Here's Locker's chance to start to break this one open. If he really wants to, anyways.

9:41: Tennessee's offensive line is really struggling tonight. New York doesn't even need to blitz, they are getting pressure on Locker with their front line and Johnson can't even get back to the line. If you take away NY's one mistake that led to the 94-yard TD, CJ has managed just 9 yards on 9 carries.

9:44: We've been waiting for this for a while now, appears to be a Sanchez interception (Jason McCourty). It will be reviewed to determine whether McCourty was in bounds, but if the play is upheld it'll be Mark's 14th interception of the season and Tennessee ball.

Call is confirmed upstairs, Titans ball. It appears as though the Jets are already throwing in the towel and we still have four minutes until halftime. Coming up with a defensive stop and going into the half with a 7-3 deficit would be a huge win for NY.

9:47: Locker is still running for his life and is forced to step out of bounds on third down. There's the stop that I just mentioned. 3 & out. This game is as ugly as I was expecting.

9:52: "4-9 football teams do 4-9 things" --Jon Gruden. Sounds about right.

2 minute warning in Tennessee.

9:57: Does anyone wanna win this one? A promising start to a late Tennessee drives stalls after another Locker sack and a near-interception. The Jets are trying to force things to happen and neither team can get any sort of rhythm. The Jets final drive of the half ends with a Sanchez sack. U-G-L-Y.

Halftime: Titans 7, Jets 3
Sanchez's first half rating: 16.7
One explosive offensive play: C. Johnson 94-yard TD
1 turnover (Sanchez INT)
4 total sacks, 7 combined punts
*Johnson's TD run is the only first half highlight worth mentioning


Third Quarter
*What's the over/under that the Jets break 200 total yards for the game (99 total yards in first half...81 of which came on the ground)? Our pre-game 24-10 prediction is looking pretty generous right now.

10:16: Rex Ryan was impressed by Johnson's run, apparently saying at halftime that he's "never seen anything like it before."

10:18: First offensive play of the second half is Braylon's 2nd catch of the game, moving the chains already. New York had 10 first half first downs.

10:20: Another Sanchez mistake, overthrowing Cumberland and straight into the hands of McCourty. It's McCourty's second INT of the night and 4th of the season. Titans take over at the NY 46 for their first offensive drive of half No. 2.

10:23: Locker loves the bootlegs to his right, he thrives off them as he just picked up TEN's 7th first down of the evening. It was Kenny Britt's first catch of the game, 41st of the season according to ESPN's Mike Tirico.

10:25: Penalties continue to destroy any hope the Titans generate, a holding call takes Tennessee out of field goal range and a failed 3rd down conversion will force another Brett Kern punt. The penalty was Tennessee's eighth of the game.

10:38: Tennessee takes over at their own 10 as they attempt to get a scoring drive going for the first time since early in the second quarter.

10:40: Another 3 & out. Kern will make his 6th punt of the night deep inside his own end zone. The punt goes out of bounds at their own 35, giving New York fantastic field position. If New York can't get anything out of this next drive, then all hope will officially go down the drain, despite the score still being just 7-3.

10:43: A 20-yard run by Joe McKnight puts the Jets at the TEN 15-yard line and pushes the Jets over the 100-yard mark on the ground. Total group effort: McKnight 35, Greene 35, Powell 20, Tebow 15, Sanchez 4. 109 total.

10:45: Tennessee brings the heat but Sanchez gets the ball out quickly to TE Cumberland for a TD. Linebacker Tim Shaw (McCarthy's replacement) has good coverage on the play but seems to lose track of where the ball is. The 17-yard touchdown through the air and the extra point by Folk gives NY a 10-7 lead with just over three minutes to play in the quarter.

Maybe the Jets do have some fight in them, as they were able to take advantage of the poor punt from Kern.

10:49: More pressure on Locker as he overthrows Nate Washington by a couple of feet on a deep pass down the right sideline. Can Jake get a little protection at all tonight?

It's a good thing he's still got that play-action bootleg to the right in his arsenal, as he hooks up with rookie Michael Preston for a first down on the next play.

10:50: Second red zone attempt of the game for the Titans. Last one came in the first quarter and ended with a blocked FG off the leg of Bironas.

10:54: Locker takes the ball into the end zone himself on a designed running play to his left, following his lead blockers the whole way. Locker was 3-for-4 on the drive before he capped it with a 13-yard TD run. A Bironas extra point gives Tennessee the lead back, 14-10, with under a minute to play in the third.

10:56: A short run on first down by Powell takes us to the end of the quarter. With 15 minutes to play, Tennessee leads the Jets 14-10. Rex Ryan better get his squad to rally together as they only have one quarter left to stay alive in the playoff hunt.


Fourth Quarter
*Tennessee leads nearly every offensive category through three quarters of play with the exception of total plays, first downs and giveaways.

11:03: New York has limited the penalties tonight, but there was a crucial one on that 3rd & 2 that eventually led to a punt after Akeem Ayers sacked Mark Sanchez (4th sack for Titans tonight). Titans offense back on the field at LP Field.

11:07: Neither team has managed to keep its quarterback upright on 3rd downs. Locker is dropped for the fourth time tonight as well, forcing another Kern punt and another fair catch from NY return man Jeremy Kerley. A holding call against the kicking team (Titans) adds 10 yards on to the end of the play, giving New York solid field position to start the next drive.

11:10: Two consecutive short passes that Sanchez has now missed, both check down passes. He's now 9/21 for just 93 yards.

Sanchez completes a pass for 8 yards on 3rd and 10. Another punt coming, but hey, at least Sanchez is now over the 100 passing yards mark for the night!! That's good news, right?? His rating has climbed to 36.7 for the game as well. Offense still not making any progress, however.

11:14: Tennessee's penalty count just went up to 12 for 86 yards after Deuce Lutui is called for holding. Basically tackled his man.

Cromartie barely misses an interception on the very next play. If "almost-interceptions" counted as interceptions, I think Locker would have about 3 so far tonight. Ouch.

11:19: Locker underthrows an open Lavelle Hawkins on 3rd and long. The two teams have combined for a 7-for-23 3rd down conversion rate tonight. New York takes back over at their own 23-yard line after Kern's eighth punt of the game. I'm feeling a long, 10-play scoring drive from Sanchez. We're overdue for one, wouldn't you say?

11:21: It had appeared as though Rex Ryan had come to his senses. Started this drive with a couple of Shonn Greene carries which resulted in a first down, but then a deep Sanchez pass intended for Edwards was picked off by Michael Griffin. Errant throw which was unnecessary. Tried to force it in, gave Griffin an easy INT.

Another holding penalty against Tennessee on Griffin's return negated the decent field position, but Tennessee holds possession with a four-point lead and 7 minutes to play, nevertheless.

11:24: Another designed run play for Locker comes up one yard short on 3rd down. Tennessee only managed to take off about a minute and a half on the game clock before the ball was given back to Sanchez and Co.

With 5:20 to play, this drive (starting at NY's own 8) may be New York's final chance to re-take the lead.

11:27: With Greene getting the ball on 3 of the first 4 plays this drive, I just thought I'd share with you the impact he's made on offense this season...In the 6 NY wins, Greene has been heavily involved. But in the team's 7 losses, Greene got 16 or fewer rushing attempts and just 1 total TD.

Take the ball out of Sanchez's hands and into Greene's for 25+ times a game, Rex. That's all I'm going to say. He's received 20 or more carries on just four occasions this season, all of which resulted in victories.

11:30: More Tennessee penalties have kept the NY drive alive as we reach the two-minute warning in Nashville. Will be interesting to see if Sanchez can close this one out and stay alive in the postseason hunt.

11:33: Uhm, oh my. What on earth was that? Inside Tennessee's 25-yard line and Sanchez throws another errant pass off his back foot, into triple coverage. Griffin makes his second pick of the game and gives the Titans the ball back inside their own 5 with 1:51 to play. Sanchez's 4th of the game and 17th INT on the year.

Awful.

11:35: Tennessee plays it safe and gives it to Johnson three straight times. The result? Four total yards and a Kern punt with :53 to play. New York will get the ball back one more time with zero timeouts.

11:37: Wacky ending to this one. For the second time this game Kern kicks one off the side of his foot and the Jets will get the ball at the TEN 25.

11:38: First play for New York's offense and Sanchez FUMBLES the snap out of the gun and gives the ball up for the 5th time this game. With no TOs left, Locker can kneel the ball and run out the final 39 seconds of play.

Unbelievable finish. Titans improve to 5-9 while the Jets fall to 6-8 and are eliminated from the postseason for the second consecutive season after two straight AFC Championship appearances.

FINAL: Titans 14, Jets 10

More recap and reaction from tonight's game, as well as the rest of Week 15, will come tomorrow morning/afternoon. Thanks for following along tonight!

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

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.

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

Week 7: NFL Divisional Matchups - Part II

Analyzing the Week 7 divisional matchups - Part II. Take a look here to see Part I.

AFC EAST

Jets (3-3) at Patriots (3-3): Sunday October 21, 4:25pm EST CBS

The AFC East has a 4-way tie for first with each team, Dolphins, Patriots, Bills and Jets, all at 3-3 (notwithstanding tiebreakers). Even though the Jets had some crucial injuries – shutdown corner Darrelle Revis and veteran wide receiver Santonio Holmes, both out for the season – they still find themselves in the hunt for the division lead. And in spite of a somewhat shaky start with the receiving corps of Jeremy Kerley and Stephen Hill, both now seem to be settling into their respective roles. Along with receiver Chaz Schilens, all three will need to take advantage of the Patriots injury-depleted secondary. Since the Patriots have been good at stopping the run, expect running back Shonn Greene's production to be minimal, forcing quarterback Mark Sanchez and his receivers to exploit the Pats' rookie safeties. The Pats will also have to contend with any sub packages using backup quarterback Tim Tebow.

Tom Brady heads the Patriots high-powered offense and they lead the league in average total yards per game (445) and points per game (31.3). The usually pass-happy Patriots have also added a very effective run game this year. Perhaps the Jets biggest challenge though, will be counteracting the Pats hurry-up, no huddle offense. The Pats have successfully used it in keeping defenses guessing and off-balance, and most of all, exhausted. To keep the game close, the Jets need to contain wide receiver Wes Welker and the always dangerous tight end tandem of Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. Expect to see safeties Yeremiah Bell and LaRon Landry helping corners Kyle Wilson and Antonio Cromartie cover the tight ends. The Patriots, though, will use this game to re-establish their supremacy in the AFC East.

Prediction: Jets 19 Patriots 41

AFC NORTH

Steelers (2-3) at Bengals (3-3): Sunday October 21, 8:20pm EST NBC

If any team has shown us the folly of making preseason predictions, it is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Currently sitting at 2-3 and 3^rd in the division, the Steelers will undoubtedly take this opportunity to turn their season around. But it will be no easy task as they are 0-3 on the road with all three losses coming after leading in the 4^th quarter. Another factor making their task difficult is the injuries they've suffered to key personnel, especially on defense and their failure in jumpstarting a viable running game. Star running back Rashard Mendenhall has only played in one full game due to injury and backups Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer, who have also suffered injuries, have not taken up the slack. With the Bengals ranking 2^nd in sacks with 20, Big Ben's skill of evading defenders and extending the play will be tested. But if it's a case of an irresistible force meeting an immovable object, my money's on the immovable object, Big Ben.

The Bengals greatest offensive asset is 2^nd year wide receiver A.J. Green. The Dalton-Green connection has contributed to their averaging 282 passing yards per game, good enough for 8^th in the league. However, quarterback Andy Dalton has been vulnerable when pressured, throwing 8 interceptions when blitz pressure is applied. Can the Steelers defensive line keep enough pressure on Dalton to disrupt his flow and force miscues? Both teams are struggling with the run. The Bengals are 21^st averaging 99 yards per game; while the Steelers rank 31^st averaging just 74. The game will be decided by each quarterback's ability to connect with their respective receivers: Dalton with Green and Andrew Hawkins and Big Ben with Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Emanuel Sanders. Because of the injuries to key Steelers, and the fact that those who are returning this week may not be playing to full potential, here's my one upset pick of the 6 division matchups this week (if picking the 2^nd place team over the 3^rd place one can even be called an upset).

Prediction: Steelers 17 Bengals 23

Update: QB Ben Roethlisberger left Thursday's practice early after sustaining an ankle injury. We will have to stay tuned to see if this development will impact Sunday's game.

NFC NORTH

Lions (2-3) at Bears (4-1):  Monday October 19, 8:30pm EST on ESPN

To say that the Detroit Lions have gotten off to a slow start is an understatement. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, who threw for over 5,000 yards last year, has only 4 touchdowns to 5 interceptions through 5 games. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who led the league in touchdown receptions for WRs last year with 16, only has one so far. They face a stout Chicago defense that is ranked No. 1 in defending the run, only allowing an average of 65 rushing yards per game. The Bears are also No. 1 in points allowed per game with 14.2. The Lions' running game has gotten off to a slow start, though back Mikel Leshoure, who missed the first two games of the season, has given the Lions some spark at the position. Because of their stalled running game, the Lions will rely heavily on the pass.

Bears' running back Matt Forte's big play potential keeps defenses on their heels and opens up the passing game. The Lions will have to keep pressure on quarterback Jay Cutler to disrupt his connection with deep-threat wide receiver Brandon Marshall. The key to the game will be how well the Bears' defense can contain the Lions' receiving arsenal of Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson, Titus Young, and tight ends Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler. With the Lions trying to get back in the hunt in the AFC North, this will be a crucial game for both teams.

Prediction: Lions 21 Bears 23

Note: statistics quoted (exc. pts per game) are rounded off for clarity

Photo credit
Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America

Hall of Fame Induction: Curtis Martin's Acceptance Speech Steals the Show

Six new members have officially been ushered in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame following Saturday night's ceremonies. All six were well-deserved, including former Steelers' cornerback Jack Butler, who played in the 1950s and has been waiting 53 years to receive his call from the Hall.

Dermontti Dawson, Chris Doleman, Cortez Kennedy, Willie Roaf and Curtis Martin were the remaining five to be celebrated and embraced in Canton, Ohio this evening.

As always, the speeches and stories of the former NFL players were touching and emotional, but there was one in particular that caught my attention and had all the components of a tear-jerker. It was former New England Patriots and New York Jets running back Curtis Martin.

In his second year of eligibility, the fourth leading rusher of all-time got his chance at eternal glory. Martin's former head coach in both New England and New York, Bill Parcells, awaiting his own call to the HOF, was in attendance and was Martin's presenter.

With 14,101 rushing yards, 90 rushing TDs, five Pro Bowls and 10 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons in his 11 years in the league, Martin was the main attraction at the ceremonies, therefore making him the last speaker of the evening. And, boy, was it quite the finale.

I was well-aware of his antics and accomplishments on the football field, of course, growing up watching him play. He was, in my opinion, one of the most underrated runners of his time despite his career marks.

But what I wasn't aware of was his rough childhood and all of the things he was forced to overcome, doing so successfully as we can all see.

He gave a tremendous tribute to his mother, as he told anecdotes of stories from growing up with her, who was faced with beatings and what Martin described as "torture" from his father. She dealt with numerous family deaths, which were often gruesome homicides. He gave full credit to his mother for raising him the way she did and, as he choked up a bit, he poured his heart out for everyone as his mother tried to fight the tears away herself.

I think I can personally say that Martin delivered one of the most touching HOF acceptance speeches I have seen in quite a while, and I would even rank it ahead of Michael Irvin's in 2007 which was also tear-filled, maybe a little more so than the norm.

Giving credit to his former coaches, recognizing all his position coaches over his career and personally recognizing his former high school football coach, Martin showed how classy he is. He and Parcells have a very personal relationship and, "Wonder Boy," as Parcells used to refer to him as, Martin embraced and cherished that relationship throughout his career, as reflected in his speech.

Martin instructed for all of his former teammates at Pittsburgh (where he played his college ball), New England and New York that were in attendance that night to stand up so he could give them credit, as well.

The quote I liked the best out of everything he said during his speech came when he stated that earlier in the week a reporter asked him if he'd let his kid play football. At first, he said he'd probably be reluctant to do so (referring to the dangers of the sport). But he then responded with: "If my kid can learn what I learned from this game, I'd probably let him play. It's worth the risk."

Going from a kid, with a rough childhood, who didn't even like football and thought he was a better baseball player, to a 39-year old inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Quite a turn-around for Mr. Curtis Martin, I'd say.

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

Additional note: As soon as a decent video of his speech is uploaded to Youtube I will post it for your viewing pleasure.

Training Camp Battle to Watch: Sanchez vs. Tebow

With training camps in full swing, the No. 1 thing on everyone's mind at this point is position battles. Every team experiences those battles throughout camp each year and, whether you realize it or not, camp is vital for many of the players.

Proven veterans often use two-a-days to get back in tip-top shape, but it's the young newcomers who take this opportunity to impress peers and coaching staff.

In Tim Tebow's case with the Jets, he's looking to win over the role as starting quarterback. The fifth overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft, 25-year old Mark Sanchez has underachieved in the eyes of New York fans and media throughout his first three seasons under center for New York.

Head coach Rex Ryan and New York's front office showed their confidence in Sanchez by signing him to a three-year ($20 million in guaranteed money) extension on March 9, despite numerous teammates coming out and criticizing Sanchez for having a "poor work ethic."

Twelve days later New York traded for Denver's quarterback Tim Tebow.

I don't expect Tebow to come close to winning over the starting job before September, and he has struggled throwing the ball so far during camp, but that does not mean he will not be competing for it anyways.

Here's the bottom line: New York brought in Tebow as an attempt to light a fire under Sanchez, and a possible 1-2 punch at the position. Ryan will be putting in a package of plays that will allow Tebow to see some playing time without starting at the quarterback position. Ryan has been quoted saying that Tebow is a great football player with improving throwing mechanics.

Tebow will be New York's "gadget" player and can play different positions, including H-back.

This will be the only time I address this issue throughout August: Sanchez is the starter in New York, and will be all season. If NY struggles early on, of course the fans will call for the benching of Sanchez. But if they were smart, they'd stick with Mark after throwing all that guaranteed money at him earlier this offseason.

Who has the edge: Mark Sanchez

Who wins the battle: Mark Sanchez

Stay tuned for more upcoming "Training Camp Battles to Watch"

Note: I do not own the above photo. Photo cred goes to the Washington Post.

Legendary Tomlinson to Officially Retire a Charger

It was announced earlier this morning that the soon-to-be 33-year old running back LaDainian Tomlinson will retire as a San Diego Charger. He will hold a press conference to make the official announcement on Monday.

Tomlinson, a.k.a. "LT," was drafted fifth overall by San Diego in the 2001 NFL draft after rushing for over 5,000 yards and 54 touchdowns in four seasons at Texas Christian University. The TCU Horned Frogs eventually retired his No. 5 jersey after his stellar career which included 2,158 yards and 22 TDs on the ground as a senior in 2000.

Tomlinson didn't win Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2001 (Anthony Thomas of the Bears was the winner), but he did, however, put up 1,200 yards and 10 TDs on the ground and left his mark on the league as a young 22-year old.

Over the next eight seasons with the Chargers, Tomlinson was the definition of a workhorse and every down back. He rarely missed a game (missed just three regular season starts while in SD) and posted at least 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of his nine seasons with the team.

Reaching five Pro Bowls and being named to four First Team All Pros solidified LaDainian as his era's most dangerous back. Using his combination of speed and agility, Tomlinson shredded opposing defenses similarly to the way Barry Sanders and Walter "Sweetness" Payton did throughout their respective Hall of Fame careers.

His signature TD celebration became a widespread phenomena as fellow players and fans alike attempted to emulate it.

He retires as the league’s fifth-leading rusher in history with 13,684 yards and third on the all-time touchdowns list (145 rushing, 17 receiving) behind only Jerry Rice (208 total) and Emmitt Smith (175 total).

The NFL MVP (2006) and two-time rushing leader ('06 and '07) also still holds the single-season record for total touchdowns, with 31 back in 2006 (28 rushing, three receiving). It’s a record that may not be broken again, in my opinion.

If there's any doubt that LT isn't a first ballot HOFer, then clearly you need to begin to do a little extra research.

The only thing Hall of Fame voters may hold against Tomlinson is his lack of postseason success and Super Bowl ring. In 10 playoff games, Tomlinson has just one 100-yard game and seven career TDs and a record of 5-5.

Fortunately for LaDainian, running backs are not judged by Super Bowl championships and postseason records. That's more of a career-maker (or breaker) for quarterbacks. As for Tomlinson's career lackluster 3.6 yards/carry average on 131 postseason rushing attempts, that wont slow him down either.

The best running back in NFL history (in my opinion) Barry Sanders has just a 4.2 Y/C average, 1 TD and a 1-5 record in six postseason starts with Detroit. The fact that his respective team has struggled in the postseason, along with Tomlinson's, doesn't take away from his accomplishments that got the team there.

Because, lets face it, Sanders is the sole reason Detroit made it that far. And much like him, Tomlinson was the main reason San Diego made five playoff appearances throughout his career.

Tomlinson's stellar career was slowed by a rocky finish in New York, as he spent two sub-par seasons with the Jets after showing signs of age with San Diego in 2009 (ran for under 1,000 yards in his career while missing two starts).

In New York, Tomlinson combined for 1,194 yards and 7 TDs in 14 starts. In the postseason, Tomlinson contributed 141 yards and two TDs on the Jets' way to an AFC Championship loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010.

If it weren't for Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith's outlandish careers, Tomlinson would be the league's TD king. Especially considering in addition to his 162 combined rushing/receiving TDs, he also threw for seven, yes seven, TDs in his 11 seasons.

Tomlinson's rare combination of speed, agility and elusiveness will allow him to go down as a top-5 running back in league history. In fact, here is my list of top running backs (in order): 1) Barry Sanders, 2) Walter Payton, 3) Jim Brown, 4) Emmitt Smith, 5) LaDainian Tomlinson.

That's right, another legend will officially retire tomorrow, and he will be dearly missed by the league. Maybe not by opposing defenses and D-Coordinators, but undoubtedly by everyone else.

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

Of course you know I had to include a highlight video, too (below)..

HOF Snub: Why Curtis Martin is the Most Underrated Running Back in NFL History

Whether the lockout is lifted in time or not, we will see seven more players inducted in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in August.

Three-time Super Bowl champion tight end Shannon Sharpe, Deion "Prime-time" Sanders and the running back on The Greatest Show on Turf, Marshall Faulk, are among those seven. But, in my opinion, there was one huge snub in this year's class.

Don't get me wrong, there were plenty that deserved to get in this year, and obviously they can't all get in at once. But I didn't think there was any doubt that former New England Patriot and New York Jet Curtis Martin would be voted in this year. It was his first year of eligibility, so he'll obviously be one of the first in come 2012. But Curtis is first-year talent, no questions asked.

Why did voters leave him out of the final group? Easy. He was underrated.

Curtis' Pats and Jets weren't winners.

Okay, so maybe I went a little far with that bold statement, because he did in fact make it to the Super Bowl while in New England. He even ran for 42 yards and a score against Brett Favre's Packers in the 1996 matchup. But the truth is, in Martin's 11 professional seasons he was on a measly five playoff teams--10 games in total--and put up a 5-5 record in those games.

Marshall Faulk, also in his first year of eligibility for the Hall, was, like I stated above, a member of The Greatest Show on Turf in St. Louis, which featured three other future Hall of Famers: quarterback Kurt Warner and wideouts Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt.

Martin played with some great players over his years as well, including quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who showed flashes of brilliance in his early years with the Pats. But he was never surrounding with that kind of talent in his offenses.

Did I mention that in his 11-year career Curtis racked up over 14,000 yards and hung up his cleats as the league's fourth all-time rusher, behind only Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton and Barry Sanders. All three of those backs, obviously, have been in the Hall for quite some time.

Martin's five Pro Bowls and just one First-Team All Pro selection could be what has kept him from grabbing more attention from fans. But the truth of the matter is that Martin hasn't quite gotten as much respected as he deserves over his brilliant career.

Missing just 10 starts, consistency was the name of the game when it came to his production.

Rushing for 1,000-plus yards 10 times with just 29 career fumbles over his 166 starts seems like a pretty great accomplishment for an NFL running back.

I know it's tough and sometimes unproductive to compare different playing eras, but he had five less fumbles than Chicago Bears' great Gale Sayers, who played in 68 games over seven seasons as the Bears' primary running back and returner. Barry Sanders played just 10 seasons and fumbled the football 41 career times, and most consider Barry the NFL's best running back of all-time.

Tough to argue those numbers, which certainly favor Martin.

He also led the league in carries just one time, which just so happened to also be the same season he led the league in rushing yards (just one more than Seattle's Shaun Alexander) with 1,697 yards in 2004, a career-best. Two years later, he was out of the game.

Not only is Profootballreference.com great for researching and looking up research for the National Football League, but it also has a very useful feature: the "similar players" section, in which they compare a player's career to other current or former NFL players.

The list 10 players (it's the careers of the players that are being compared) that PFR listed as similar to Martin includes four Hall of Fame running backs--Tony Dorsett, Franco Harris, Jim Brown and Lenny Moore.

Curtis Martin put up very respectable numbers throughout his career, and was the model athlete both on and off the field. The fourth-leading rusher in NFL history was, without question, the biggest snub in the 2011 HOF class. I would be shocked if he was not the first voted in once 2012 rolls around.

(Note: this article was written based on opinion, using research and career statistics from Profootballreference.com. No, I am not a Jets fan. I'm just a guy who would like for Curtis Martin to receive a little more credit and attention for his accomplishments and approach to the game. There aren't enough guys like him in this league, he was a pleasure to watch every time he touched the football).

Photo credit
1. borrowed from thejetsblog.com
2. borrowed from greenpinstripes.com

Jets Talk-the-Talk, and Show they can Walk-the-Walk with Playoff Victory over Pats

I have to admit it, Rex Ryan's Jets did it once again.

I was expecting Mr. Playoff himself, Tom Brady, to walk in their and send the Jets home with their tails between their legs. But the defense stepped it up and backed up all their trash talk earlier that week, and made Wes Welker look silly after his 11 foot references, direct towards coach Ryan, in a press conference earlier this week.

As much as I didn't like to see the loud and obnoxious Jets do exactly what they keep saying they were going to do, you gotta tip your hats to them. They showed the NFL world that Brady can, and will be, stopped. Much like the Baltimore Ravens did last year against the Pats.

I can't exactly remember who it was, but I noticed someone that I follow on twitter that the New England Patriots haven't won a big game since they were caught cheating in '07. Interesting piece of information, though I really don't believe that it's that big of a deal.

The Patriots have had a target on their back since the last time they won the Super Bowl, and it seems opposing coaches have done a very nice job coming up with a game plan to stop them over the last couple of seasons.

What the Patriots failed to do is get pressure on Mark Sanchez. The mistakes and turnovers come when he's being hit and rushed, but the Pats' pass rush couldn't get to him and bring him down all game. With no pressure, comes no turnovers for this young signal caller.

It surely was a struggle for both teams early on, as New York couldn't take advantage of Tom Brady's first interception since he threw two in the team's week five showdown with Baltimore. After just three plays following David Harris's 58-yard return of the INT, kicker Nick Folk missed a 30-yard field which went just inches to the left of the upright.

That was Brady's only mistake of the game as he threw for 299 yards and two TDs throughout the game. But after taking an early 3-0 lead, New England allowed the Jets to take its first lead of the day with a 7-yard run from running back Ladainian Tomlinson, who isn't much of a fan of the Pats after his Chargers fell to them in the 2006 AFC Divisional round and he watched the Patriots dance on the No. 1 seed's logo in the middle of the field.

After that game he called them out for having 'no class' in the press conference, and has hated them ever since. I actually tend to believe that that's one of the many reasons he signed with the Jets this offseason. Because of the rivalry with New England.

Mark Sanchez threw his first of a career playoff-high three TDs during the second quarter, just before the half, to wideout Braylon Edwards from 15 yards out. This allowed the Jets to carry the momentum in to the locker room at the half, leading 14-3.

It didn't seem as though anyone doubted that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick wouldn't come right back out with a few adjustments and get back in to this game early in the second half. But, no scoring took place until less than a minute remained in the third quarter, and it was Brady's first TD pass of the game to Alge Crumpler from two yards out. Sammy Morris scored his first points of the season after running the ball in for the successful two-point conversion try, making it a three-point game (14-11) at the end of three quarters.

Once again, Brady is dangerous in the fourth quarter. And once again New York proved to everyone that they can hang with their AFC East counterpart, scoring another Sanchez touchdown. This one was to Mr. Postseason himself, wideout Santonio Holmes, who now has caught four touchdown passes in his six postseason games. Just two minutes in to the final quarter of play and New York was back to a 10-point lead.

New England's 14-play drive after the NY touchdown, which elapsed nearly eight full minutes of action, ended when Deion Branch dropped a pass on fourth & 13. With five minutes to play after the dropped pass, it seemed the Pats chances had slipped away. New York failed to pick up a first down on their drive, though, and was forced to give the ball right back with a 10-point lead still.

New England got a Shayne Graham field goal with a minute and a half to play, but a failed onside kick attempt led to another New York touchdown, this one run in by running back Shonn Greene. Down 28-14, New England did witness another Brady touchdown to Branch, putting them within seven. But the Pats were finally put out of their misery after they failed on a second onside kick.

Rex Ryan was pumped, Bart Scott was pumped as he showed in a post-game interview (though the overrated linebacker only contributed two tackles on defense) and yes, Braylon Edwards was pumped as well, showing his enthusiasm with a cart-wheel followed by a backflip in the middle of the playing field. Some Patriots' players decided not to shake hands in the middle of the field afterwards because they felt as though some of the Jets weren't showing any class.

Deion Branch even called out some of those Jets players in the press room afterwards. It's a bit funny, in my opinion, because isn't that exactly what New England did to the Jets just six weeks ago when they routed New York by 42 points? I believe that's exactly what happened.

So of course New York is going to do this after defeating the favored Pats, in their own house.

If you can't take it, New England, please don't dish it out. You started this, New York's trash talk--and defeat of the Pats--just finished it for you.

(Note: I do not approve of the class-less Jets actions after the game, but at the same time I don't think it's fair for the Patriots to cry about it when that's exactly what they did to New York earlier in the season.)

Should be a great AFC Championship game next week in Pittsburgh! But I will likely be picking against the Jets for the second straight week. I wonder if they will prove me wrong again?

Photo credit

Ladainian Tomlinson: NFL/Kirby Lee

David Harris: AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

Just a couple of BOLD Predictions for Today's Games

Just about ten minutes until the first game, Seattle vs. Chicago at Soldier Field, kicks off on FOX. So why not take one last sneak peak at the final two games of the Divisional round.

Here are a few predictions of mine which are longshots to happen, but are still certainly possible in today's match-ups:

*After being sacked by Seattle's defense six times in the Seattle/Chicago week six showdown, the Bears make a nice recovery as Seattle's defense, led by D-end Chris Clemons, gets to Cutler just twice. Cutler finishes the game mistake-free as well.

*Eight days after Marshawn Lynch's "greatest run in postseason history," in which he broke eight tackles on a 67-yard game-clinching touchdown run to slay the giant (defending champion Saints), the Seattle running back is shut down by Chicago's top-tier defense.

*Tom Brady scorches trash-talking New York cornerback Antonio Cromartie for three touchdowns in a New England blowout.

*Mark Sanchez is sacked four times, and picked off three more times, in his matchup against New England's defense, whom intercepted the opposition a league-leading 25 times in the regular season.

Enjoy the games, and keep an eye on these four bold predictions of mine.

Photo credit

Marshawn Lynch: NFL/Kirby Lee