LSU vs. Alabama: Just as Ugly as Their First Meeting

            Tonight's BCS National Championship was one of the most polarizing matchups in college football in recent memory. Fans were divided in the weeks leading up to the big game on whether this was a good matchup for the viewers. The teams with the two best defenses in NCAA Football were getting the chance to face each other in a rematch after LSU won 9-6 in early November thanks to four missed field goals by Alabama. For die-hard fans, what is not to like about the matchup? The game would close, low scoring, each team has a Heisman finalist, the defenses are almost NFL quality, and the head coaches on opposite sidelines are two of the greatest minds in the game. However, a touchdown would be a rare occurrence, the offenses would struggle to get past midfield, and it would be no surprise if Alabama's kicking woes were to continue. By the time the National Championship had reached the third quarter, I knew it was one of the most disappointing final games ever.
            While the majority of the time, a 15-0 lead is not considered dominant, but considering the circumstances that the game is winding down and LSU has yet to snap the ball on Bama's side of the field, the Crimson Tide are in complete control of the reigns. From LSU's first possession, it was clear Alabama was looking for revenge against the Tigers and setting the tone with its physical defense. LSU's first run attempt was stonewalled, Jordan Jefferson bobbled the snap two plays later, Les Miles' team went three and out, which forced them to punt. One of the few bright spots on the evening was punter Brad Wing, whose first kick went 59 yards and pinned Alabama on their own ten yard line. Uncharacteristically, Alabama came out of the gate being a pass-first offense. A.J. McCarron started out 3-3 on the Crimson Tide's first drive, exploiting LSU's defense through the short passing game.
            After exchanging punts, King sent another booming punt down the field for 54 yards, only to have Alabama speedster Marquis Maze make up 49 of those yards on his return. Sadly, Maze pulled his hamstring on the play and was forced to watch the rest of the game from the sideline. Wide receiver Darius Hanks slid to catch a pass from McCarron for the longest gain so far in the game, which help set up a Jeremy Shelley field goal. Alabama kept LSU off guard by sticking with passing play calls, which allowed them to move the chains frequently throughout the game. Bama's defense was manhandling LSU's offense and holding them to their own half of the field and forcing them to punt. LSU made way too many mistakes against a team the caliber of Alabama, including multiple botched snaps and  penalties that hurt the Tigers' momentum.
             Kevin Norwood had a leaping acrobatic catch over Tyrann Mathieu that led to a 49-yard field goal attempt fot Alabama. The Crimson Tide faked the kick, instead having the holder McCarron shovel pass the ball to Norwood for a first down by the slightest of margins. Bama's ensuing 42-yard field goal attempt was blocked by defensive tackle Michael Brockers, keeping the score to 3-0. Alabama continued to chip away at LSU's defense with first down pass plays, with a critical play coming on a screen pass to Hanks for nine yards.
           The story was not the same for the Tigers. With Jordan Jefferson playing the entire game, LSU could never establish an offensive rhythm and only made it into Alabama's half of the field late in the fourth quarter. Jefferson was horrendous running the option, which needed to work for LSU to have a chance to win the game. He struggled making Alabama's defensive ends commit to him or the running back and the Tigers lost yardage almost every time. Jefferson's only good plays were the few times he scrambled out of the pocket. His worst moment came in the third quarter when a play was breaking down and he shoveled passed the ball to his running back, who was blocking downfield, and it was picked off by C.J. Mosley, who was injured on the play.
            The story of the game was Alabama's defense controlling LSU's offensive possessions and McCarron getting his squad into field goal range for Shelley,  who was 5-7 on the night, to put the ball through the uprights. Suprisingly one touchdown was scored in the game when Alabama started one of their possessions at the 50-yard line and Trent Richardson bounced outside for a 34-yard touchdown run. Ironically, Shelley shanked the PAT off of the right goal post and the final score was 21-0.

Courtesy of http://sportsbore.com/college-football/roll-tide/

            Here are some of my thoughts on the game:

•   LSU may have proved tonight why a dual-quarterback system does not work--with two signal callers, each one gets half of the first team snaps and it is difficult to develop a rhythm on offense. Jefferson did not look good at all tonight and I bet many LSU fans are questioning Les Miles' decision to not play Jarred Lee.
• Alabama is very lucky that the game was not closer. Shelley missed two field goals and a PAT, which was the reason why they lost to the Tigers in November. Same story, just different result. I think the kicker position is way under valued in college football. There were at least half a dozen major losses this season because kickers could not put the ball through the uprights. Oklahoma State potentially lost a BCS Title Game-bid because of it. Stanford and Virginia Tech lost bowl games because of missed field goals. If I were Alabama, or any major program in the country for that matter, use one of your scholarships to land one of the best kickers in the country to avoid these scenarios in future years.
• Jordan Jefferson should go to the NFL combine as a safety prospect. Clearly his chances at getting drafted as a quarterback are as likely as the number of points his team scored tonight--zero. However, his injury-inducing hit on C.J. Mosley was a great tackle. If he can bottle up the rage he felt in that moment in every play, he may have a future on an NFL team's practice squad on defense.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans: 3 Plays That Changed the Outcome of the Game

          After the Cincinnati Bengals got embarrassed by the Houston Texans by a score of 31-10 at Reliant Stadium, many Cincinnati fans are livid.

                “Why didn’t our team show up? We are so much better than this!”

First off, let’s take a step back. The Bengals had a good season by all accounts this season—they drafted a franchise quarterback in Andy Dalton as well as A.J. Green, a Pro Bowl wide receiver who is virtually impossible to cover; The Bengals made the playoffs despite being in a division with two of the best teams in the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who both finished 12-4. Marvin Lewis has secured at least a few more years in Cincy by having his young team buy into his system. Even Mike Brown showed promise for the future by permitting a buy one, get one free deal for the final regular season game.

However, we need a reality check. The Bengals finished the regular season 9-7, only one win away from being an average team. If Cincinnati was 8-8, the Bengals’ season would have been considered very mediocre. The Bengals only beat one team with a winning record. While Cincinnati was competitive in all but one of its regular season games, a brutal 35-7 loss at Pittsburgh, the Bengals’ only win against a team that finished above .500 came against San Francisco early in the season. Two losses to Baltimore. Two losses to Pittsburgh. Let’s not get carried away with ourselves—Houston beat Cincinnati in Cincinnati without Andre Johnson. So considering that Saturday’s loss was in Houston, it was the franchise’s first playoff berth, and Andre Johnson was in the lineup, it is not surprising that the Texans won by a much larger margin in their second meeting with Cincy. The Bengals had their opportunities to win the game but three plays in the middle of the game decided the outcome.

 Mike Nugent’s 50-yard field goal miss. Great teams take advantage of every opportunity, especially scoring opportunities. Trust me, I know 50 yards is a long way. I would be lucky to make a PAT. Reliant Stadium had a closed roof, so there was no wind. It would have given the Bengals the lead. Missed field goals have a similar effect as turnovers. It keeps point off the board for the offensive team and gives the team on defense a chance to have good field position to start their own scoring drive.

Courtesy of http://bleacherreport.com/articles/997209-cardinals-vs-bengals-things-we-learned-from-cincys-christmas-eve-victory

            J.J.Watt’s pick six. To clarify for everyone, this interception was 99% a great play by Watt and 1% Andy Dalton’s fault. I would say 110% and -10%, but that is absurd, negative numbers wouldn’t make sense in this context. There might be five players of any position that would have caught that pass. Watt is a former tight end so he has better hands that most defensive ends. He has some serious cat-like reflexes. Watching the play on TV, the camera man had started panning the camera twenty yards downfield only to find out that the ball was actually moving in the opposite direction, in Watt’s hands. That was simply a great play by a talented rookie who you could make a case for an All-Pro bid.

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/kerry_byrne/01/07/bengals.texans.grades/index.html

  Chris Crocker’s dropped interception. The Bengals were down 17-10 at halftime and were forced to punt on their first drive of the second half. Crocker completely fooled rookie quarterback T.J. Yates and jumped the wide receivers route. There was no Texan within ten yards of him. He would have caught the ball around Cincinnati’s 45 yard line with room to run. But in usual Bengals fashion, Crocker decided to wear his sandpaper gloves to the game and ended up deciding that the turf would rather have the ball than him. Pacman Jones was injured a few plays later and the Texans immediately took advantage of the injured corner by going deep to Andre Johnson for an easy touchdown. Even though Johnson was not playing 100% due to a hamstring injury, he made a fantastic double move that left Jones in the dust and the safety covering over top had no chance at breaking up the play.

Courtesy of http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120107/SPT02/301070096/Bengals-best-hope-falls-ground?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CSports%7Cs

 The Bengals were not able to step up to the playoffs. The Texans made exceptional plays and Cincinnati made mistakes. If these three plays had gone the other way, the Bengals would have been up 13-10 instead of being down 24-10. Once Houston had a two touchdown lead at home, the game was over for Cincinnati. They had too many blows to their morale and weren’t making the big plays that the Texans were. Stay positive Bengals Nation. Cincinnati made the playoffs with a rookie quarterback in one of the toughest divisions. The team is young and has two first round draft picks in the upcoming draft. Andy Dalton has postseason experience and look for the Bengals to be a favorite in the AFC for years to come.

NFL Wild Card Weekend Predictions: Houston Texans vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Houston Texans vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati's 20-19 loss to the Texans at the hands of rookie quarterback T.J. Yates, who put together an eighty yard drive in the final minutes of the game to get the win on the road.  Even though that matchup was only four weeks ago, much has changed since then:

• Andre Johnson is healthy enough to play after missing the last meeting against the Bengals with a hamstring injury and will give Yates a threat downfield that the Texans lacked in Cincinnati.
• Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton missed practice on Thursday and spent the day in the hospital recovering from the flu. He is expected to start on Saturday but who knows how he actually feels.
• Yates is listed as probable after suffering from a separated shoulder
• Houston will have home-field advantage and has a season's worth of experience practicing on a turf field, while the Bengals have practiced outdoors all week
• The Bengals have more playoff experience than the Texans; this is Cincinnati's third playoff berth in the past seven years while Houston is in the postseason for the first time in franchise history

The Benglas dominated the Week 14 meeting for the first fifty-five minutes, going into halftime with a 16-3 and were up 19-10 to start the fourth quarter. Cincinnati forced four turnovers and held Arian Foster, the league's fifth leading rusher, to 41 yards on 15 carries. However, the Texans outgained the Bengals by 130 yards, lead by T.J. Yates' 300 yard performance. Houston, with the second best rushing attack in the NFL, combined for nearly 150 yards on the ground between Foster, Yates, and Ben Tate. Owen Daniels broke the 100 yard mark in the game, showing the Bengals' liability in stopping tight ends.

Keys for the Houston Texans

• Run the ball early and often--The Texans have one of the best backfields with Arian Foster and Ben Tate. Being a run-first offense will increase their time of possession and keep Andy Dalton sidelined. With the return over Andre Johnson, an All-Pro wide receiver when healthy, will give the Texans big play potential once the Bengals start expecting the run on over play.
• Hold onto the ball--Houston fumbled four times and threw one interception in the last matchup against the Bengals so quite honestly, they were lucky to win. Good teams don't commit turnovers in the playoffs. The teams that lose are the ones who make the small  and preventable mistakes.
• Put pressure on Andy Dalton--The casual NFL fan wouldn't be able to tell that Dalton was a rookie. He is the first rookie to start every game and lead his team to the playoffs. The Red Rifle has also been able to achieve individual glory with his 3,400 passing yards and 20 passing touchdowns. Sports Science found that Dalton was the most accurate quarterback in last year's draft class and can make opposing teams pay if he has enough time in the pocket. Fellow rookie teammate A.J. Green made the Pro Bowl after setting the Bengals' record for receiving yards in a season by a rookie (surpassed Chris Collinsworth). Jerome Simpson, most well known for his endzone acrobatics a few weeks ago, is also closing in on 1,000 yards and Jermaine Gresham is a great threat in the red zone.

Courtesy of http://www.statesman.com/sports/rookie-yates-leading-texans-into-playoffs-2078039.html

Keys for the Cincinnati Bengals

• Take an early lead--Houston will be completely behind their team in the Texans' first playoff berth in their short history. The only way to defeat home-field advantage is to put points on the board. An early lead will quiet a noisy stadium and shift the momentum in favor of the Bengals.
• Stop the run--Cincinnati shut down Arian Foster in the previous game against Houston, but Tate and Yates still managed to run for a combined 100 yards. If the Bengals can limit the Texans' ground game, that will put pressure on T.J. Yates, a rookie quarterback with only six games under his belt, to run the offense.

Courtesy of http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1011302-bengals-vs-texans-andy-dalton-hospitalized-with-flu-like-symptoms

This Wild Card matchup is a toss-up. Both teams are entering the playoffs on losing streaks and the game will be decided by which rookie quarterback plays better under pressure and which team protects the football. Cincinnati has been competitive in fifteen of sixteen games this season and Andy Dalton is a much better quaterback than T.J. Yates. The Bengals were dominant for three and a half quarters in Week 14 but gave it away at the end. Cincinnati still has some magic left in its tank, Andy Dalton is 3-0 in his career at Reliant Stadium, and the Bengals get their first playoff win since 1991, ironically against Houston (except they were the Oilers, not the Texans). Cincinnati wins 24-21 in a very close game in Houston.

Andy Dalton's Illness Raises Questions

            As the Cincinnati Bengals prepared for the Houston Texans today for Saturday's matchup in the Wild Card round, their first playoff matchup since 2009, they were without rookie quarterback Andy Dalton. Dalton is likely on his way to winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, to go along with being selected as a Pro Bowl alternate and becomine the first rookie quarterback to start every game and take his team to the playoffs. Andy Dalton was out with the flu today and is expected to be back on the practice field tomorrow. And note that I said the practice field, not their indoor facility because, in fact, the Cincinnati Bengals don't have one. Cincinnati practiced outside for the second straight day in temperatures that hovered in the mid-20's. Temperature is one of the rare scenarios where someone can complain about something or someone being in their twenties. The wind chill was brutal but the Bengals decided there was no reason to practice indoors.

Courtesy of http://www.cincyjungle.com/2011/9/11/2418635/dalton-leaves-game-to-get-x-ray-on-wrist-of-throwing-arm

         
             However, two things are incredibly wrong with that statement: (1) Mike Brown needs to provide greater personal and financial support of the team and build an indoor practice facility. The Bengals finally found a franchise quarterback in Dalton who, in his rookie season, would have made everyone in Cincinnati forget who Carson Palmer was if it weren't for all the Oakland highlights each week that featured about three Palmer interceptions. You want to know the biggest difference between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals. The owners. Dan Rooney has already been elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and has made numerous significant contributions to the game such as the "Rooney Rule," which requires NFL teams to interview at least one minority coach for every vacant position. Oh, did I mention in his free time he is the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland? He and the rest of the Rooney family provide the Steelers with all of the support they need, which is a major reason why Pittsburgh has made it to the Super Bowl three times in the last six years. I don't see Mike Brown making a name for himself in the football or international world, other than being stingy with his money. The Bengals have to overcome Brown to win the games that they do and make it to the playoffs. Seriously, Mike Brown, your gesture to have a buy one, get one free deal was uncharacteristically generous to the city of Cincinnati and is hopefully a sign for what is to come in the future. Let's double the number of good things you have done for the Bengals recently by paying for an indoor practice facility out of your own pocket this offseason. (2) Who knows what caused Red's illness, but playing in freezing temperatures definitely didn't help, if it wasn't the main cause. I'm not sure what the line is on the Bengals-Texans matchup but it has to be seven points or less. The Bengals only lost by one point, 20-19, at Paul Brown Stadium in Week 14. Cincinnati has a legitimate shot to pull off the upset this week, that's assuming that Andy Dalton is healthy and plays four quarters against Houston. How perfect would that be for the reputation of Mike Brown--the Cincinnati Bengals make it to the playoffs, led by a rookie quarterback, but their lack of outdoor stadium causes him to catch the flu and the Bengals lose a winnable game as a result. You need to take every precaution to keep your star players healthy. Check that. You need to take every precaution to keep all of your players healthy.

Courtesy of http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2009/08/cincinnati_bengals_owner_mike.html

            Even though the Bengals do not have an indoor practice facility, the University of Cincinnati has a bubble field only a few miles away. Oh wait, that would Mike Brown and the Cincinnati Bengals would have to pay $5,000 per day to use it. Nevermind, a playoff win isn't worth $15,000. Remember, we're just happy to be in the playoffs no matter what.

NBA Athlete to Watch for in 2012

            Whether you want to call this my MVP prediction, burning LeBron James' jersey metaphorically through my writing, or simply premature hype, here is my NBA player to keep an eye on in the New Year.

NBA-Kevin Durant

            KD 4 MVP. If Durant were to hold a contest for the most conceited license plate suggestion for him, I think this would be a strong contender. Nothing against Derrick Rose or LBJ/King James, and no I'm not referring to the 36th President of the United States or the British king who has translation of the Bible named after him, but 2012 is Durantula's year. The Bulls are my favorite team, but it will be much harder for D-Rose to stand out in a very competitive Eastern Conference with a three-way race between Chicago, the Miami Heat, and the New York Knicks. The 2010-11 MVP will have to compete with Melo, Amare Stoudemire, LeBron, and D-Wade to make the headlines. And this year, LeBron and the Heat aren't taking no for an answer. D-Wade will take credit and even a few MVP votes away from his teammate and the Miami Heat will be the premier team in the East, making it difficult for Rose to get the recognition he deserves.

Courtesy of http://sportstalkbyzach.com/no-love-for-kevin-durant-this-year/

            Watching Durant play his first four games of the season, it was obvious he had made serious improvements in the offseason and is ready to dethrone the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers as the kings of the West. He tied the record of most consecutive games of scoring 30+ points to start a season with four such performances. KD was shooting lights out from the field, with a .573 shooting percentage from the field in that span and while he won't be a league leader in three-pointers, he is shooting 50% on the season. Between his physical prowess and basketball skills, it's actually unfair to play against him. He stands on the court at 6'9" 235 lbs. as the NBA's second leading scorer behind LeBron. Similarly to LeBron James, he's the perfect storm of athleticism, size, and basketball talent that the only defenders who have a chance to shut him down are ones with that "Big Three" combination. Watching the Orlando Magic try to play defense against him in the season opener was laughable.
            Yeah, like Hedo Turkoglu, a below-average player in league when he's doing anything besides taking spot up threes, has any chance of stopping a player with nine fewer years of wear and tear on his body and led the NCAA scoring and rebounding five years ago. Give me a break. Durant scored thirty as he led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 97-89 victory, but he could have easily scored forty. One quick move was all it took for Turk to question if Durant slipped on an invisibility cloak in front of him or was posterizing one of his teammates behind him. KD could drive past Hedo at will, make his way into the paint to either score an easy bucket or draw a foul on Dwight Howard. Howard has won three Defensive Player of the Year awards but that still doesn't make a difference against Durant. While a center like Superman, may have the height to contest most of his shots, that leaves a gaping hole big enough for Charles Barkley and Shaq to cartwheel through in the lane, not to mention the mismatch that creates on the perimeter.
            Not only has KD's scoring improved, but his assists per game is above his career average and he has shown flashes of his college self, where he can pull in close to ten boards per game. In a shortened season where teams are forced to play 66 games in 120 days, young players and teams have the advantage. They can play on back-to-back-to-back nights and remain healthy while the same cannot be said confidently about teams like the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. The average age of an OKC player is 25.4 years old, making them one of the youngest teams in the league. Compared to the Lakers' 28.2, the Thunder's players are practically on the verge of needing car seats and binkies. With guys like Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Serge Ibaka, and Daequan Cook, Durant is surrounded by very talented, young players. Oklahoma City will not grow as weary as other teams in this fast-paced season and the best part for Durant is that even though Harden and Westbrook could be All-Stars and "the guy" on other teams, KD is respected as the go-to man and the Thunder's best player.
            This season's MVP Race will be a photo finish between Durant, LeBron, D-Rose, Melo, and a case could be made for Dwight Howard, but I think the KD is the current favorite. The Thunder have the advantage with a young team in a shortened season, making them favorites for the Western Conference Finals, which will only help Durant's case.

Week 17 NFL Predictions

Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions

           Sitting at 14-1 as the top seed in the NFC for the playoffs, the Green Bay Packers have little motivation to play their starters for the entire game. The Packers are not willing to risk an injury to Aaron Rodgers just so they can finish 15-1 and keep Detroit out of the playoffs. The Packers know they can beat Detroit, as they did on the road on Thanksgiving, so they have nothing to prove and nothing to fear about facing the Lions in the playoffs. The Lions on the other hand, have a reason to win on Sunday. They have clinched a playoff berth for the first time in twelve years and a win against the Packers will make them the number five seed, as opposed to being number six with a loss to Green Bay. The Lions can win against the bottom half of the Packers' depth chart in Week 17 and then play the winner of the NFC East. The Lions have a much better chance of winning against the Dallas Cowboys or New York Giants than they would in a matchup against the New Orleans Saints or San Francisco 49'ers. In a game where Green Bay's starters shouldn't see the field past halftime and Detroit exponentially increasing its chances of advancing to the second round of the playoffs with a win, the Lions will win 31-27 on the road in Green Bay.

 

San Francisco 49'ers vs. St. Louis Rams

            These two teams are on complete opposite ends of the NFL spectrum. The 49'ers have a new identity of lockdown defense and run-down-your-throat offense under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh. The 49'ers are 12-3 with a chance to be the number two seed in the NFC and secure a first round bye with a win over the Rams. Thanks to Indianapolis' two-game win streak, St. Louis might be the worst team in the NFL. Injuries have limited Sam Bradford this season and despite his urge to play against San Francisco, St. Louis will keep him on a short leash in a meaningless game for the Rams. San Francisco will play their starters long enough to guarantee the win, which may only be a quarter or two. In all seriousness, there is something wrong with San Francisco if they don't win in St. Louis. Even if the first round bye wasn't on the line for the 49'ers, they would still win easily, and the number two seed is enough motivation for Frank Gore and the 49'ers defense to perform well on Sunday. San Francisco wins 38-14.

New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins

            The Jets need a miracle bigger than Rex Ryan's stomach to make it to the playoffs. Not only does New York need to win, but the Jets need Cincinnati, Tennessee, and Denver/Oakland to lose as well. The second best team in the Big Apple only has control over one of those outcomes-a win against the 5-10 Miami Dolphins and I don't think the Jets can leave Miami victorious. Mark Sanchez has struggled lately, most notably in the Battle of New York where he threw nearly sixty times, completed half of them, and had three fourth quarter turnovers. Sanchez has only broken the two-hundred yard mark in half of his games and has too many giveaways this season. The Dolphins were very impressive in their first half against the New England last week, leading 17-0 at halftime. While the second half was embarrassing as they gave up the lead in the second half, Miami showed how good they can be when they play well. The Dolphins have their first pair of a 1,000 yard rusher and receiver with Reggie Bush and Brandon Marshall. Quarterback Matt Moore has almost a 6:1 touchdown to interception ratio in his last six games, with his only two interceptions in that span coming against New England. This will be a very close game, but I think the Miami Dolphins will win 27-24.

 

Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings

           A battle of NFC North teams that are crashing and burning. The Chicago Bears, once playoff hopefuls, have lost five straight games after injuries to quarterback Jay Cutler and Matt Forte. They have fallen to 7-8 after unsuccessful starts by Caleb Hanie and Josh McCown. The Bears' D has kept them in most of their games in their stretch of losses, but Chicago can't count on the offense to put up big numbers no matter who they're playing. Minnesota's woeful 3-12 season surprisingly managed to take a turn for the worse when running back Adrian Peterson suffered a terrible knee injury. Week 17 in Minnesota will determine which team has better backups at quarterback and running back. Chicago will probably start McCown to decide if he has a future in a Bears uniform and may let rookie Nathan Enderle take his first NFL snaps. With an injury to backup running back Marion Barber, third-string running back Khalil Bell had his first career start and opened eyes with his 121 yard performance against the Packers, averaging over five yards per carry. For the Vikings, rookie Christian Ponder out of Florida State has been impressive in his first season and will most likely start against the Bears after being knocked out of the game with a concussion. In limited snaps, backup QB Joe Webb accounted for three scores and over 100 all-purpose yards. Toby Gerhart put up career best numbers last week when he ran for 109 yards on 11 carries. Another close matchup, the game will be decided by a small margin. If the Bears score on defense or special teams, I give Chicago the edge, but a non-offensive TD can never be guaranteed, so Minnesota wins 20-17.

 

New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills

           The Patriots are looking for revenge from their loss to the Bills early in the season and will continue their dominance over Buffalo at home. The Pats will be the number one seed in the AFC with a victory and there's no reason why Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will not win in Foxborough. Brady has been overshadowed by Drew Brees this season, but amazingly the Patriots quarterback is on pace to break Dan Marino's previous single-season passing yardage record. Even if Brady only plays the first half of Sunday's game, he still has a shot at eclipsing the 5,084 mark. Ryan Fiztpatrick has tanked just as Buffalo has as the season has progressed. New England wins decisively 37-21.

 

Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints

            This NFC South matchup has little impact on the playoff picture. New Orleans has secured the number three seed and can only make the jump to No. 2 if for some unthinkable reason San Francisco loses to St. Louis and the Saints win. I think Sean Peyton will play his starters for the first half to give New Orleans a sizeable lead in case the Rams do upset the 49'ers. Additionally, Drew Brees does have to finish the season as the single-season passing leader of all-time. Peyton and Brees would both deny it if they were asked by the media, but if Brees were to sit out the entire game and Tom Brady were to play three quarters, then Brady would surpass Brees. Seeing the kind of figure Brees is for the city of New Orleans and the leader he is for the Saints, no one in Louisiana is going to let that happen. Even if Cam Newton puts up huge numbers, the Saints can still outscore the Panthers. The Saints win a high-scoring game 42-34.

 

Washington Redskins vs. Philadelphia Eagles

             With Michael Vick back on the field for the Eagles, Philly has put together a win streak late in the season, although it is too little, too late. Both of these teams have been NFC East disappointments this season. Nothing spectacular was expected from the Redskins but the Eagles appeared to be favored to make it to the NFC Championship Game. Despite Philly signing a handful of Pro Bowlers-Jason Babin, Nnamdi Asomugha, Domonique Rodgers-Cromartie, Cullen Jenkins, and Vince Young-the Eagles sit at 7-8 and two wins away from the playoffs. With one of the best running backs in the NFL and the total touchdown leader, LeSean McCoy, the Eagles have a strong weapon on offense to complement their physical defense. Philadelphia wins 28-20.

Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

              First of all, I'm not sure who would want to watch this game. A 2-win team against a 4-win team and they will both try their hardest to lose the game. The Colts avoided the shame of finishing 0-16 by winning the past two games, but the only way that Indy can guarantee drafting Andrew Luck is to lose this game. For the same reason, Jacksonville will hope that the Colts win. If the Colts get the number one overall draft pick, the Jaguars will have to face Andrew Luck for twice a year for at least ten years. Both teams are pretty miserable in all areas except for the Jaguars at running back. The Jaguars have the worst offense in the league despite having Maurice Jones-Drew, the NFL's leading rusher. Blaine Gabbert is not playing well in his rookie season and lacks a good receiving core. Indianapolis has used three quarterbacks this season and even though Dan Orlovsky has two wins under his belt, he is not the future for the Colts. This game will be very ugly but Jacksonville wins the game 21-17.

Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans

                 The Texans have locked up the number three seed in the playoffs and the Titans are fighting for the final Wild Card spot. This game will be decided by a touchdown or less. The Texans are the better team with one of the league's best defenses, rushing attacks, and wide receiver's. However, Houston has secured its first playoff berth and as many other teams in similar positions, will probably rest or limit its starting players. Tennessee has more to play for and will leave everything on the field on Sunday. Chris Johnson is an elite running back and Matt Hasselbeck, assuming he is healthy enough to play, can provide leadership that only a veteran quarterback with playoff experience can. I think the Tennessee Titans pull out the win in Texas 34-28.

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons

           When the NFL team schedules were released in the offseason, this game was potentially the deciding factor for the NFC South title or a Wild Card spot, but it turns out it's neither. Josh Freeman and the Bucs turned heads last season with a 10-6 record. Freeman was very impressive in his sophomore year and Tampa Bay appeared to be on an upward trend. However, the Buccaneers were a disappointment in 2011, entering Week 17 with a 4-11 record. After last week's Monday Night Football matchup at the Superdome, it is apparent that New Orleans, not Atlanta, is the best team in the division. The Saints blew out the Falcons 45-16 in a game highlighted by Drew Brees breaking the single-season passing yards record. The Falcons have locked up a Wild Card spot and are guaranteed to be on the road against a tough opponent in the first round of the playoffs. The Falcons want to redeem themselves after getting embarrassed on the national stage last week and need to make adjustments before entering the playoffs. Atlanta wins 35-24.

 

Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals

           Both teams have reasons to play well on Sunday. With a win, the Ravens will finish the season 12-4 and win the AFC North over the Pittsburgh Steelers. With a win, the Bengals can make the playoffs for the first time since 2005. The game will be incredibly competitive as the AFC North is one of the most physical divisions in football and this is a must-win game for both teams. With a win, the Ravens would get a first round bye and home field advantage and the Bengals would get a playoff berth. The Bengals sold two-thirds of the seats available in Paul Brown Stadium last week alone and the city of Cincinnati is completely behind its team. Andy Dalton has had a phenomenal rookie season, making a case for Offensive Rookie of the Year, was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate, and is ready to lead his team to the playoffs. He has faced tough competition by playing the Steelers twice, the Ravens once already, San Francisco, as well as Houston, and Dalton is going to start his great NFL career by making it to the playoffs as a rookie. The Bengals come from behind in the fourth quarter to win 27-24.

 

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns

           Big Ben is a very tough quarterback and will play Sunday against the Browns. Roethlisberger looked horrible in the Steelers' Monday Night Football loss to San Francisco and is currently battling an ankle injury. Despite how much his leg may hurt, a first round bye is on the line. The Steelers can even choose to give him an occasional series off by letting backup Charlie Batch take over. Batch beat St. Louis in his first start of the season last week. The Browns will have difficulty without quarterback Colt McCoy, who is still out after a brutal hit from James Harrison the last time the Browns faced the Steelers. Peyton Hillis is back in the lineup for the Browns but the Madden Curse has had its way with Hillis this season between injuries and contract disputes. Pittsburgh wins 31-24.

Kansas City Cheifs vs. Denver Broncos

           Tim Tebow's magic may be running out as Denver has lost its past two games by huge margins to the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills. There are two big story lines in the final game of the season as Denver can make the playoffs with a win and Kyle Orton returns to play his former team to try to prevent them from making the playoffs. However, the Denver Broncos win 21-17.

 

New York Giants vs. Dallad Cowboys

 

           This is arguably the most important and most influential matchup of Week 17. Both the Giants and Cowboys are 8-7. The winner moves on to the playoffs, while the losing team's season is done. Tony Romo suffered an injury that knocked him out of the game last week, so there's no telling how healthy he is for this week. Plus, the Giants D-Line with Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck. Eli Manning has had a very good season and the Giants will win 27-21.

 

San Diego Chargers vs. Oakland Raiders

 

           With a win and a loss from Denver or a win and losses from New York and Cincinnati, Oakland has an outside chance to make the playoffs. However, San Diego is known for how well they play late in the season, especially December (January 1 is close enough to December). The Chargers are very good on offense between Philip Rivers, Ryan Matthews, and Vincent Jackson, while for the Raiders, Carson Palmer can be a major liability. San Diego wins 24-13. 

 

Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals

             Both teams are out of the playoffs no matter what, but this is still a divisional rivalry. Both teams enter the game at 7-8, with only the winning team making it to .500. Larry Fitzgerald is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL and John Skelton has been alright for a young quaterback. Marshawn Lynch is a powerful running back, but the Seahawks will need more than their rushing game to win this one. Cardinals win 17-14.

 

Oklahoma City Dominant in Christmas Day Matchup Against Orlando Magic

            Coming off of his second straight scoring title, Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder hosted Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic on Christmas Day. Dwight Howard won the tip over Serge Ibaka and Jameer Nelson found Ryan Anderson for the first bucket of the game. The Thunder went down the court on their first possession and Kevin Durant made fader despite tight defense from Hedo Turkoglu. The Magic started the game with an 18-11 run thanks to six points from Anderson. Russel Westbrook was a good orchestrator on offense for Oklahoma City, varying the pace of their offense, and involving his teammates after being criticized last season in the postseason for taking too many shots. Orlando came out shooting strong, starting the game 8-9, but then went cold for most of the rest of the game. In that stretch, the Thunder were too passive on offense against the older and much slower Magic. Oklahoma City is a young, fast team with Westbrook, Durant, James Harden, Eric Maynor, and Daequan Cook. The Magic have guys like Howard, Turkoglu, and Glen "Big Baby" Davis, who are not known for running the floor. As the game progressed, OKC became much better at pushing the floor on fast breaks and taking advantage of easy points. Many of Orlando's offensive possessions were led by Hedo Turkoglu, which seemed like a misuse of two players on the Magic. Turkoglu is a thirty-two-year-old small forward whose ideal role is being a spot-up shooter. Orlando has a quality point guard in Jameer Nelson, who has seven years of experience running the Magic's offense as a pass-first player. Oklahoma City showed great ball movement, keeping the Magic on their heels, and finding great looks for different players. The biggest play of the first quarter was when Howard was stripped by Harden, the Thunder went on a four-man fast break, and Harden found Nazr Mohammed for the bucket.

Courtesy of http://www.buffingtonmedia.com/tag/kevin-durant

            It was prommising for Oklahoma City at the end of the first quarter and start of the second, when the Thunder were able to play well with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on the bench. OKC's bench played very well against the Magic, led by Harden, who might have the coolest facial hair in the league and enough to make up for the lack of hair on Durant, Westbrook, Cook, and Maynor. Harden finished the game with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. Oklahoma City won the battle of the boards early and extended its lead with back-to-back three-pointers from Eric Maynor and Daequan Cook. For the Magic, Ryan Anderson and Jameer Nelson were the only players with good shooting nights. Anderson led Orlando with 25 points on 9-17 shooting (6-12 on his three-point attempts). Orlando's shooting woes were the worst for Howard and Jason Richardson, who were a combined 5-22 for 13 points. Big Baby struggled in the first half on both ends of the floor, with three personal fouls and hitting only a third of his shots. Durant hit a three to make the score 44-29 in favor of OKC as the arena erupted as the home team started to pull away. Kevin Durant had a mismatch all night against the Magic, being defended by the much slower Turkoglu for most of the game. Durant could drive to the basket at will and Orlando would have to make the choice between surrendering a basket or fouling him. Westbrook found Harden for an alley-oop at the end of the second quarter to give the Thunder a 55-41 lead going into halftime.

Courtesy of http://www.barbershopblog.com/tag/james-harden/

            Westbrook started off the third quarter with a turn-around fading jump shot, drew a foul, and made the free throw for an old-fashioned three-point play. Durant then had his own three point play after dribbling past Hedo Turkoglu and being fouled by Howard. Jameer Nelson was a good motor for Orlando and kept them from getting blown out by the Thunder. Nelson dropped 18 points on a night where the Magic were uncharacteristically bad from behind the arc. Serge Ibaka, who led the NBA in blocked shots last season, was a strong defensive presence throughout the game for Oklahoma City with six rebounds and two blocks, one of which drew fans to their feet after he had a monster rejection against Nelson on a lay-up attempt. Thabo Sefolosha, a future Hedo Turkoglu, his both of his spot up threes and had eight points in the game. While Dwight Howard had an off night shooting the ball, he made his presence known through his rebounds, finishing with fifteen.

Courtesy of http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/06/18/report-warriors-offered-monta-ellis-for-dwight-howard/

            At the start of the fourth quarter, OKC was winning 81-63 and Harden was even more impressive as the game progressed. He drained shots from all over the court and was a pesky defender. I'll make the prediction that unless Harden makes his way into the Thunder's starting lineup, he will win 6th Man of the Year. It is Oklahoma City's Western Conference to lose and Harden has developed into a player who could start and average eighteen to twenty points per game for any team in the NBA. I was very impressed by the Thunder's team chemistry. All of their players were unselfish with the ball and the sky is the limit with as much youth and energy Oklahoma City has on their team. Daequan Cook made a jumper from behind the arc to give OKC its biggest lead of the game, 85-63. The Magic continued to shoot poorly from the field and they lacked an identity with Howard on the bench. Orlando made the game closer at the end but still lost 97-89. Oklahoma City was very impressive in their first game of the season and deserve to be the favorite in the Western Conference. Kevin Durant finished with 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. Westbrook, who was on the All-NBA 2nd Team last season, scored 14 points along with 7 rebounds and 6 assists.

Play of the Year in the Final Days of 2011

            Before last Saturday, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jerome Simpson was infamously best known for police catching him receiving a two pound shipment of marijuana at his home, in addition to finding drug paraphernalia and another stash of marijuana inside. Simpson managed to avoid suspension and arrest, soon making the national spotlight for a much more comical reason. Against the Cleveland Browns in Week 12, at the end of a play, Browns linebacker Scott Fujita bumped into Simpson and Simpson jumped up in the air and fell on his back. The referees saw the Bengals wide receiver go flying down to the ground out of the corner of their eyes and threw a penalty flag without realizing what had actually happened.

Courtesy of http://blacksportsonline.com/home/2011/11/bengals-wr-jerome-simpson-with-greatest-flop-of-all-time-video/

            This weekend, Jerome Simpson managed to one-up all of his on and off the field antics with front flip over an Arizona Cardinals defender into the endzone, landing on both feet. The Bengals were on the Cardinals twenty yard line when Simpson ran across the field on a crossing route, Andy Dalton hit the wide-open receiver, and Simpson flipped over linebacker Daryl Washington, and almost stuck the landing perfectly.

Courtesy of http://losthatsportsblog.com/tag/jerome-simpson-td-flip/

Christmas Day NFL Sunday Night Football Preview

            After suffering their first loss of the season last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Green Bay Packers face the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field. Chicago announced this week that backup quarterback Josh McCown will start for the first time this season. For the Packers, tonight's game is about how the defending Super Bowl Champions will respond after losing their first game in their last twenty. They have secured the number one seed in the playoffs in the NFC, which means that the next two weeks are opportunities for the Packers to fine-tune their offense for when it really matters--the post-season. For the Chicago Bears, they are trying to stop their four-game losing streak with a win against their division rivals. In their first matchup of the season, the Bears played the Packers close, losing 27-17. The second time around, however, the game will be much different. The Bears will be without three of their biggest offensive weapons--quarterback Jay Cutler and running backs Matt Forte and Marion Barber. Instead, Chicago will have to rely on McCown and third-year running back Kahlil Bell. Bell has had limited snaps inthe NFL, with only 79 carries for 382 yards rushing.

Courtesy of http://www.yoursportsfan.com/index.php/sports/nfl

            Being a Chicago Bears fan, I wish I could sugar-coat this game and talk about how great the Bears defense is but it's impossible. I can't talk about the Bears losing by less than two touchdowns with a good conscience. Aaron Rodgers is a contender for MVP with 4,360 passing yards, 40 touchdowns to only 6 interceptions, and he's ocmpleted nearly 70% of his passes. The state of Wisconsin has forgotten about Brett Favre. There's a new sheriff in town and his name is Aaron Rodgers. The Packers are loaded with offensive weapons. Being a pass-first offense, Green Bay doesn't need much of a rushing attack but between James Starks, Ryan Grant, and Rodgers, they can count on 100 yards per game. While the Packers do not have a player with over 1,000 receiving yards, they do have seven with over 200 yards this season. It's hard for a defense to to pick out one wide receiver or tight end and say "We're going to shut him down," because any player that is an eligible receiver can beat any defense in the league.


Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/bryan_armen_graham/01/09/packers.eagles.grades/index.html

            The Bears will be lucky to rush for more than 100 yards and throw for more than 150. They're relying on third-string players at quarterback and running back. While Green Bay's defense is second to last in passing yards allowed per game, they played against the likes of Drew Brees, Cam Newton, Jay Cutler, Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers, Matthew Stafford, and Eli Manning, to name a few opposing quarterbacks. They have not been playing against Josh McCowns all season, but rather elite quarterbacks in half of their games. McCown has not started since 2007 and will struggle tonight. Green Bay is excellent at stopping the run, so Kahlil Bell will likely have a rough first start. Chicago's defense have better luck in stopping Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense than most of Green Bay's opponents this season, but the Bears have no way of scoring. The combination of the game being at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers coming off of their first loss of the season, and the Bears having arguably the worst offense in the league playing tonight, I predict the Packers win 31-10.

Indianapolis Colts May Have Won Their Way out of Andrew Luck

            Just seven days ago, the Indianapolis Colts were 0-13 and many believed Indy was on its way to a 0-16 record. The Colts would then get the number one overall pick, draft Andrew Luck, let Luck learn from Peyton Manning, and then dominate the AFC South for the next ten to fifteen years with another great franchise quarterback. However, Indianapolis managed to pull themselves together with a 27-13 win against the Tennessee Titans thanks to a huge rushing performance by Donald Brown. Then they had to turn around and face the division-leading Houston Texans on a short week. No one expected the Colts to win against one of the top defenses and rushing attacks in the league. With late game heroics from Dan Orlovsky and Reggie Wayne, the Colts pulled off the upset in the final minute to win consecutive games for the first time all season. While the Colts organization and all of Indy's fans must be thrilled that they finished the season strong, the team may have played its way out of Andrew Luck.

Courtesy of http://everyjoe.com/sports/andrew-luck-is-stupid/

             The Indianapolis Colts never would have expected that they would have to "compete" for the number one pick. The Colts are 2-13 with the Minnesota Vikings and St. Louis Rams also having two wins on the season. It is very unlikely that the Vikings would draft Andrew Luck since they selected quarterback Christian Ponder with their first round pick last year and he has had a lot of experience from this season. Plus, Minnesota has two winnable games left--at the Washington Redskins and at home against the Chicago Bears. The Rams, on the other hand, could really use Andrew Luck. Sam Bradford is struggling in his second year in the NFL, completing just over 50% of his passes, barely broke the 2,000 yard mark this season, has had twice as many turnovers as touchdown passes, and is too prone to injury. The Rams have also tested A.J. Feely and Kellen Clemens at quarterback but neither one is a long-term solution to their quarterback problems. St. Louis plays the Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49'ers, both playoff-bound teams, in their final two games, which are almost guaranteed losses. If the Rams finish the year 2-14 then they have a shot at drafting Luck. The Indianapolis Colts have one game left in Jacksonville against the Jaguars, which will decide the future of Andrew Luck as well as the AFC South and NFC West for the next fifteen years. The only way the Colts can guarantee the #1 overall pick is to lose on New Year's Day. If I were Jim Caldwell, I would tell the defensive coordinator to draw up new schemes that the Colts players have no experience with and try them against the Jags. Then, "accidentally" punt the ball on third down because you "thought" it was fourth down. Maybe they should play very conservative and run on 3rd & 11 to not run the risk of throwing an interception. Whatever the in-game solution is, Indy needs to lose on purpose but disguise it very well so that there is not serious backlash. The best case scenario for the Colts is for Jacksonville to come out strong so that Indianapolis could not win the game even if they tried their hardest. But then, why should the Jaguars try at all? They know if the Colts lose, then they have to face Andrew Luck twice a year until the mid-2020's and I doubt they want that. I'm not sure who would want to watch Indianapolis play at Jacksonville in the first place, but I would strongly recommend against watching them in Week 17, because it will be a game with both teams trying their hardest to lose.
            The Indianapolis Colts need Andrew Luck. Peyton Manning is 35 and his best years are behind him. The owner of the Colts, Jim Irsay, said that Manning would play next season if he's healthy, but what if he's not. Or even if he is, there is no guarantee that he will throw for 4,000+ yards and 30+ touchdowns. The Colts have a solid receiving core, their backfield is above average, and they drafted offensive linemen with their first two picks in last year's draft. Now all Indy needs is a quarterback to lead them back to the Super Bowl. Andrew Luck has gone to Peyton Manning's football camps and they have had interactions in the past, so it would be ideal for Manning to teach Luck the in's and out's of the NFL so that Andrew Luck is the next Peyton Manning. The Indianapolis Colts are in a very rare situation where they can have two All-Pro, franchise quarterbacks and draft the second when the first's career is winding down. They need Andrew Luck, which means they need to lose at all costs against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even if the St. Louis Rams and the Minnesota Vikings finish 2-14, the Colts have a statistically easier schedule, so they will have the advantage and get the number one draft pick.

Did Matt Barkley Make the Right Decision?

            To answer the question, we will never know if he would be better off declaring for the 2012 NFL draft and getting selected in the top ten picks as opposed to staying at the University of Southern California for his senior season. However, he can make his choice to stay in school the right one by completing the "serious unfinished business" that he mentioned in his press conference. He's lived in California his entire life and knows the wealth of talent that the Trojans will have next season, so he has no reason to declare for the pros unless he is desperate for a few million dollars in the next six months.  Barkley would be the second best quarterback prospect in the upcoming NFL draft behind Stanford's Andrew Luck. ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper predicted Barkley getting selected in the eighth overall pick, where the USC quarterback would be guaranteed millions of dollars. Barring a potential injury next season, Matt Barkley should be the number one quarterback in the draft and a probably top five pick.

Courtesy of http://dcprosportsreport.com/2011/12/20/all-i-want-for-christmas-in-dc-sports-is/matt-barkley-p2/

             Right now, Barkley has his sights set on the Heisman trophy and a national championship in the first few weeks of 2013. And frankly, there's no reason why he accomplish both of those goals. It is way too early to speculate about who will win the Heisman trophy next season since players still have time to declare for the 2012 NFL draft and those that stay in college have an entire off-season to improve, but it is fun nonetheless.  Barkley is probably the current front-runner for the Heisman after his junior season with over 3,500 yards, 39 touchdowns, and only 7 interceptions. Other candidates include Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, Wisconsin running back Montee Ball (if he were to forgo the 2012 NFL draft), LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein, and South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore. In terms of winning the BCS National Championship, the Trojans' two-year ban from bowl games is lifted after this season and USC is currently ranked 9th in the USA Today poll, with the possibility of finishing even higher after multiple of the top eight teams are guaranteed to lose again this season. USC is bringing back lots of talent next year and reloading with the 18th best recruiting class according to ESPN and four of the ESPN Top 150 recruits. The Trojans' losses on offense include starting left tackle Matt Kalil (declared for the NFL draft) and senior backup running back Marc Tyler. The rest of the key players around Barkley are returning and looking to make the leap to the top of the polls.
            The biggest concern with Matt Barkley returning to the University of Southern California is the potential for injury. For Barkley's sake, I hope he talked to St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford before he made his decision to stay at USC. In his sophomore season at Oklahoma in 2008, Bradford won the Heisman and lost in the championship game to Tim Tebow's Florida Gators. Despite his potential to be a top five draft pick and the best quarterback prospect in the draft, he chose to forgo the 2009 NFL draft. In his junior season, Bradford injured his shoulder in the first game of the season, was forced to sit out for three weeks, before he re-injured his shoulder, which ended his season. He was selected number one overall in 2010 but the college season that he returned for was nothing like he dreamed it would be and he has faced shoulder injuries in the NFL after his two injuries in college.
            No one can know what is best for Matt Barkely and we will most likely never find out which choice would have been better for him. Years from now, when we look back on this day, if he stays healthy, wins the Heisman and the BCS National Championship at USC next season then he made the "right choice." But if he has a Bradford-like season and suffers a season-ending injury, then he made the "wrong decision." The chances are in his favor that he will still be a top draft pick in next year's NFL draft and will make millions of dollars from his contract, so I cannot blame him for taking advantage of his senior season with a star-studded Trojans team.

Streetball between Cincinnati and Arkansas Pine-Bluff

            When I watched the University of Cincinnati's home basketball game at Fifth Third Arena last night against Arkansas Pine-Bluff, I thought I accidentally bought a ticket to the And1 tour. You know, the streetball series with AO on the receiving end of half-court alley-oops and The Professor breaking defenders' ankles. And we cannot forget the commentator who walks around the court with a microphone screaming "E mono, E mono, OH BABY!"  In no aspect of the match-up did it resemble typical college basketball.
            The Bearcats won 101-53 in a game in which they had doubled the visiting team's score ever since the opening minutes of the second half. UC managed to finish with a three-point percentage on the heels of the team's free throw percentage. The Bearcats were 15-28 from behind the arc and 18-29 from the charity stripe. If I were Mick Cronin, I would have told my players to step back and shoot jump shots for all of their free throws. They hit almost as many contested three-pointers as they did uncontested free throws, so why not? The typical possession was Arkansas Pine-Bluff dribbling down the court, struggling for forty minutes against Cincinnati's full-court press, a guard would fire a pass to a teammates that would fly out of bounds or they would throw up a bad shot, which would be rebounded by UC. In fact, Arkansas Pine-Bluff might as well have been playing Hot Potatoe, because they had 29 turnovers in the game. UC would then hustle down the court and the Bearcats would start playing H-O-R-S-E from behind the arc. Cincinnati could score at will. Junior guard Cashmere Wright had 17 points within the first twelve minutes and could have made a push for 45+ if he played the entire game. Multiple Bearcats were in double digits in scoring with Ja'Quan Parker going for 17, Sean "Tu Holloway wouldn't start for us" Kilpatrick dropping 12, Dion Dixon scoring 16, and Jeremiah Davis contributing 13 off the bench. The game was enough of a blowout in the first half that UC completed an alley-oop in the final minutes of the half. To make the game more like streetball, the officials stopped calling the majority of the fouls. Basic infractions such as traveling and moving screens were ignored.
            It will be very intriguing to watch Cincinnati play after Yancy Gates and Cheikh Mbodj, the team's centers, return from suspension. For the first time in almost thirty-five years, UC scored over one-hundred points in consecutive games. They have developed a new offense that gives their guards more freedom than ever before. They play a full-court defense the entire game, run the floor, and shoot lights-out from anywhere within twenty-two feet of the basket. Although Cincinnati has won three straight blowouts since the Crosstown Shootout brawl, they have yet to face real competition to see if their run-and-gun style offense is effective. When I first saw Yancy Gates play in high school at Withrow, I could tell he is not a big man that runs the court and hustled the entire time he is in the game. He tends to stand around and jog, as opposed to going all out. His play style will clash with UC's current approach. Does Cincinnati still need Yancy as much as they thought? Or, will they have to re-create their offensive scheme to suit a center that can't run the floor or defend in a full-court press?

NFL Power Rankings Entering Week 16

            There are only two weeks left in the regular season of the NFL and it's crunch time for teams trying to make the playoffs. Here are my power rankings going into Week 16:

1. Green Bay Packers--Their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs will only make them better. Aaron Rodgers is the best player in the league and will lead the Packers to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row.
2. New England Patriots--The Pats have won six straight and ended Tim Tebow's stretch of miracle fourth quarter comebacks by an impressive margin. Bill Belichick is one of the smartest head coaches in the NFL and Tom Brady is a natural winner.
3. New Orleans Saints--Drew Brees is on pace to break the single-season passing record and the Saints are an offensive juggernaut. They have the ability to outscore their opponents to make it to the NFC Championship.
4. San Francisco 49'ers--Jim Harbaugh has completely transformed the 49'ers into one of the elite teams in the NFL and is deserving of Coach of the Year. The 49'ers made their case for a top spot in the power rankings by dominating the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football.
5. Baltimore Ravens--The Ravens have two favorable match-ups to close out the regular season against the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals and will finish the season at 12-4 at the top of the AFC North.
6. Atlanta Falcons--Atlanta has a powerful offense with Matt Ryan and Michael Turner as well as an above-average defense. They are a close second in the NFC South behind the Saints.
7. Dallas Cowboys--Tony Romo has gone under the radar for most of the season and he has lots of offensive weapons around him between DeMarco Murray, Jason Witten, and Dez Bryant. 
8. Detroit Lions--The Lions were the hottest team at the start of the season, cooled down, and are starting to pick it back up again. Calvin Johnson is by far the best wide receiver in the league and is a favorite target for Matthew Stafford.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers--If it weren't for Ben Roethlisberger's injured ankle, they would be ranked higher, but their performance against the 49'ers was embarrassing and they are not the same team they were earlier in the season.
10. Houston Texans--The Texans have arguably the best defense in the NFL, but losing Matt Schaub for the season has hurt their playoff hopes. Between Arian Foster and Ben Tate, Houston has one of the best rushing attacks in the league.
11. Denver Broncos--The Tim Tebow experiment is working well so far, despite a bad loss to the Patriots last week, and the Broncos are in position for Tebow to work his magic in the playoffs.
12. New York Jets--Rex Ryan has been quieter than in years past and the Jets are down from previous years, but the have a chance to be a wild card team in the playoffs and Mark Sanchez is very good in the playoffs for a young QB. 
13. New York Giants--Eli Manning is making up for the Peyton Manning-less NFL by stepping up his game this season. The Ahmad Bradshaw-Brandon Jacobs split backfield seems to be working on offense.
14. Cincinnati Bengals--Andy Dalton is a front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year and A.J. Green has made a name for himself as well. If the Bengals win out, they could be the second wild card team in the AFC, and the AFC North would be sending three teams to the playoffs.
15. Seattle Seahawks--Tavaris Jackson has done surprisingly well with his new team and Marshawn Lynch is a potential Pro Bowler.
16. Arizona Cardinals--Also in the NFC West, the Cardinals are fighting for a playoff berth. Their second half of the season has helped their case.
17. Philadelphia Eagles--Getting Michael Vick back on the field will help Philly try to salvage their season, but it is too late for the "Dream Team."
18. Tennessee Titans--Injuries to Matt Hasselbeck and Chris Johnson have hurt Tennessee this season. They have played poorly despite their weak division.
19. San Diego Chargers--It is finally December and the Chargers are still in the close race commonly known as the AFC West. Philip Rivers and Ryan Matthews can still lead their team to the playoffs if they win out and Denver loses at least one game.  
20. Chicago Bears--The Bears would be a dangerous team in the playoffs if Jay Cutler and Matt Forte were healthy, but Caleb Hanie and Josh McCown will not get it done for Chicago. Their defense and special teams are their only hope left this season.
21. Oakland Raiders--The Raiders have choked down the stretch but their offense has improved with the addition of Carson Palmer and the dual-running back system is working in Oakland.
22. Carolina Panthers--Cam Newton has put up impressive numbers as a rookie and is one of the few encouraging parts of the Panthers organization.
23. Washington Redskins--The Redskins have beaten up on the Giants twice this season and have played good teams, such as the Patriots and Cowboys, very close.
24. Miami Dolphins--Miami has turned its season around after starting 0-6.
25. Buffalo Bills--Despite starting the season 4-1, the Bills have played like the team everyone expected and are at the bottom of the AFC East.
26. Kansas City Chiefs--Their biggest wins came against San Diego, Chicago, and most importantly, Green Bay.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers--They started the season strong with wins against Atlanta and New Orleans, but have fallen off with eight straight losses. 
28. Cleveland Browns--It is hard to do well with potentially three divisional opponents who will make the playoffs.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars--The Jaguars are showing why they deserve to re-locate to Los Angeles after having a miserable season. Blaine Gabbert has struggled in his rookie year.
30. St. Louis Rams--The Rams knocked off the Saints earlier in the season, but losing Sam Bradford has hurt them.
31. Minnesota Vikings--Even though Donovan McNabb retired early in the season, the Vikings were able to give rookie Christian Ponder lots of game experience. Similarly to the Browns, Minnesota's division was very good this year between Green Bay, Chicago, and Detroit.
32. Indianapolis Colts--There is not much to say other than that they don't have Peyton Manning and they almost went 0-16.

Bears in Need of Quarterback, Should Have Pursued McNabb

            After the Chicago Bears announced that recently signed quarterback Josh McCown will be starting on Christmas Day against the Green Bay Packers, it is apparent that the Bears desperately need a new quarterback. Jay Cutler had been playing very well for the Bears and Chicago had forgotten about his debatable injury last year in the playoffs. Backup QB Caleb Hanie was horrendous in the four games in which he replaced Cutler, completing less than half of his pass attempts, throwing for 600 yards, only three touchdown passes and nine interceptions (two were returned for touchdowns). The Bears lost by a touchdown or less in three of the four games thanks to their defense, but they lost all four games that Hanie started. McCown has jumped from team to team in his nine seasons in the NFL, with most of his experience coming from his time on the Arizona Cardinals from 2003 to 2005. He has already made Chicago Bears fans nervous in his relief of Caleb Hanie against Seattle, where he threw two passes, one of which was intercepted. With any quarterback currently on their roster, the Bears are unlikely to beat the Packers. The Packers have won nineteen of their last twenty games for a reason--they're the best team in the NFL. McCown has not had significant playing time in years and even when he did he was a mediocre quarterback. The Bears are technically still in the playoff picture even though they would have to win their final games and need the Cowboys, Giants, Lions, Seahawks, and Cardinals to lose their last games. The Bears should have contacted Donovan McNabb the minute they found out that Cutler was done for the year.

Courtesy of http://chicago.sbnation.com/chicago-bears/2011/12/21/2652027/packers-vs-bears-week-16-2011-news-injury-odds-score-update-recap

            Sure, the Minnesota Vikings were not having success with McNabb but he is still capable of playing at a high level in the NFL. He is a tested quarterback with playoff experience and would be mature enough to step into a new situation and lead the Bears to the playoffs as a Wild Card team. If Chicago's playoff chances weren't so slim, I would be tempted to call McNabb's agent, fly him to Chicago for practice, and have him start against the Packers on Sunday.

Courtesy of http://www.topusatrend.com/2011/12/02/vikings-donovan-mcnabb-research-stops-with-waiving-of-experienced-qb/

            The Chicago Bears had won five straight games before Cutler was injured and were one of the hottest teams in the NFL at 7-3. With Cutler for the rest of the season, they would have been a lock for the playoffs. McNabb may not have been able to have a winning record with the Bears, but it would have only taken three or four wins for the Bears to make the playoffs. The Bears were essentially without an offense their past four games since Matt Forte and Cutler are sidelined with injuries. Hopefully Lovie Smith and Chicago's front office has learned from their mistake and finds a solid backup quarterback in the off-season through free agency or the draft.