Week 16: Oh How the Mighty Have Fallen....

The once mighty and undefeated New Orleans Saints have now lost two in a row. They lost 20-17 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who have only won 3 games all season. I mean, really--how does this happen? This is--obviously--not a good way to end the season.

Payton's also formerly mighty, undefeated Colts are no longer mighty. Or at least undefeated. They lost to the Jets 29-15. The Colts end their NFL Record regular season win streak at 23. Payton Manning sat on the sideline for the second half of the game (meaning that they figured they were going to lose anyway so why "waste" their star player. Kind of a cop out if you ask me!) I guess lots of coaches who’s teams have clinched playoff spots and 1st round byes rest their players the last game or two of the season so Payton hasn’t lost his starting job. I still think it's kind of a cop out.

The Minnesota Vikings lost to the Chicago Bears on Monday night in overtime. All Day Adrian Peterson had 2 TDs and Brett Favre threw for 2 TDs but Chicago QB Jay Cutler threw for 4 TDs and kicker Robbie Gould hit 3 field goals in the game. The Vikings were hoping to end the season well and possibly take the top seed of the NFC conference away from the New Orleans Saints but after this loss there is no way they can do that.

Note: the number 1 seed in the conference secures home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Home field is incredibly important in the sport of football and all teams would rather play in their home sand box than in the other guy's.

The San Diego Chargers beat the Tennessee Titans knocking the Titans out of playoff contention. The Chargers have a win streak of 10 games going in to the final week of the season, they haven’t lost since week six. Titan's RB Chris Johnson rushed for 142 yards--he needs 128 yards to be the 6th player in NFL history to rush for 2000 yards.

The Houston Texans beat the Miami Dolphins, knocking the Dolphins out of playoff contention and keeping their own hope of making the playoffs alive. There are two playoff spots left in the AFC conference and 5 teams fighting for those two spots.

The Carolina Panthers crushed the New York Giants 41-9 knocking the Giants out of playoff contention with the devastating loss. The NFC conference playoff picture is locked.

The New England Patriots stomped the Jacksonville Jaguars. With this win New England has won the AFC East division and secured a playoff spot. With the loss, Jacksonville is no longer in contention for the playoffs. Tom Brady threw 4 TDs, 3 of which went to Randy Moss.

The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Kansas City Chiefs. With the win the Bengals have won the AFC North division and secured themselves a spot in the playoffs.

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens 23-20. The Steelers and the Ravens both have a record of 8-7 and will be fighting for the last two playoff spots in the final week of the season.

Here is the playoff picture so far:

NFC Conference:
New Orleans Saints
Minnesota Vikings
Philadelphia Eagles
Arizona Cardinals

Green Bay Packers (wildcard)
Dallas Cowboys (wildcard)

Note: The Eagles and Cowboys play each other in week 17. If Dallas wins they will win the division, if the Eagles win they win the division. Remember that this is important because the division winners get to play at home in the first week of the playoffs.

AFC Conference:
Indianapolis Colts
San Diego Chargers
New England Patriots
Cincinnati Bengals

For the AFC, the Wildcard spots are up in the air still. The following teams have a record of 8-7 and are fighting for the two remaining playoff spots in the AFC Conference:

New York Jets
Baltimore Ravens
Pittsburgh Steelers
Houston Texans
Denver Broncos

It’s going to be an exciting week 17 for these five teams. These will be the games to watch next Sunday (games with playoff implications):


Pittsburgh Steelers @ Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots @ Houston Texans
Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos
Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys
Baltimore Ravens @ Oakland Raiders
Cincinnati Bengals @ New York Jets

Enjoy! And Happy New Year!!
xoxo

Let's catch up!!!

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!
I am happy to report that we are finally feeling better!! Only took a month or so. Jeez. I hope everyone is feeling festive and happy this holiday season...Let's figure out what the heck is going on on the field, shall we? We shall.
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Week 15:
The Colts beat the Jaguars on Thursday night. They extended their NFL-record winning streak in the regular season to 23 games and became the third 14-0 team in league history, joining the 1972 Dolphins and the 2007 Patriots.

The Cowboys beat the Saints on Saturday night, ending the Saints hopes for an undefeated season. Poor Drew Brees. They kinda got their butts kicked. The Saints are still at the top of the NFC conference but need to keep winning to make sure they stay there.

History was made when the Browns played the Chiefs, a game that nobody cared about until they saw Browns RB Jerome Harrison rush for the third highest yards in NFL history. Harrison ran for 286 yards and 3 TDs. Also, Browns kick returner, Joshua Cribbs returned two kickoffs for TDs giving him 8 for his career, an NFL record.

The Tennessee Titans beat the Miami Dolphins in overtime making their record 7-7. The Titans have gone 7-1 after starting the season 0-6 (only game they have lost is to the undefeated Colts). Titans RB Chris Johnson ran for over 100 yards again. He needs 270 yards in two games to be the 6th player in NFL history to rush for over 2000 yards.

The Houston Texans beat the St Louis Rams. Texans All Pro WR Andre Johnson had 9 catches for 196 yards and a TD (a big game!)

The Oakland Raiders beat the Denver Broncos on a last minute touchdown pass by Jamarcus Russell who was in because the Raiders' other two QBs left the game with injuries.

The San Diego Chargers beat the Cincinnati Bengals on a big game from QB Phillip Rivers. Rivers is quietly making a case for himself as MVP of the league. The Chargers have won 9 straight games and are the second seed in the AFC behind the Colts.

The Baltimore Ravens crushed the Chicago Bears intercepting Chicago QB Gay Butler (Jay Cutler) three times. Cutler leads the league in interceptions with 25. He signed a $60 million contract extension in the middle of this season after Chicago traded for him in the offseason.

The Philadelphia Eagles beat the San Francisco 49ers crushing any hopes the Niners had of making the playoffs. Eagles fans pelted Niners fans with snow balls in the stands during the loss. Yikes. Eagles fans are often heralded as the least classy fans in the league. Maybe they're just bitter because it's so freakin cold.

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Green Bay Packers 37-36 behind Big Ben Roethlisburger's 503 passing yards. The Steelers won with 0.0 seconds on the clock when Roethlisburger threw a TD to Mike Wallace to win the game. The was a lot more to this game so if you would like to read a full summary you can go to Yahoo Sports for a recap.

The Minnesota Vikings were embarrassed by the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night losing 26-7. Vikings Coach Brad Childress and Brett Favre had a heated argument on the sidelines during the game leading to the question on everybody’s minds: Who actually leads the Vikings, Brad Childress or Brett Favre? Inquiring minds want to know!

The New York Giants beat the Washington Redskins on Monday night keeping them in the hunt for a playoff wildcard spot. They need the Cowboys, Eagles and Packers to start losing for them to have a chance.

It's good to be back! Stay tuned for this weekend's game preview and have a great holiday everyone!!

A short break!

Hello my loyal bloggettes,
Just stopping for a sec to let you all know that our household has been ravaged by one sickness after another and all of my usual duties have gone straight out the window! From stomach flu to pink eye to things unmentionable here, we haven't really left the couch other than to go to the doctors office from time to time. So, needless to say, Chick 101 has taken the week off and will be back (hopefully!!!) in full force next week! Until then, if you need football news (even though it's in MAN speak. yuck.), try www.yahoosports.com.
Thanks to everyone and "see" you next week!
Chick 101

Here ComeThe Defensive Linemen: The Paparazzi

So here we are...the Defense! We've learned all about the offense (if you missed any, click on the new links in the right hand column) and now we're ready to move on.

So we have to talk about Tom Brady again for a sec (bummer, i know) in order to truly understand the defensive line. Let's say that our QB Tom is a huge celebrity. Someone like, well, like Tom Brady. Or we can go with Robert Pattinson if you'd like. I'm sure he'd love that. Anyway, we've got our Golden Boy Tom in the center of the action--say he's trying to go get a latte on Robertson Blvd and get a little shopping done. Easy for a normal person. For Robert/Tom, not so much! First we have to equip him with a slew of bodyguards (except this time much bigger and beefier than Kevin Costner) who are his Offensive line (we remember this from our Offense discussion). They are his protectors--big burly guys who foam at the mouth. When the ball is snapped, Tom backs up and his offensive linemen (the ones right in front of him) basically form a protective semi-circle around him (also called the POCKET) to protect him from the big bad defensive linemen on the other side.

Strangely, in this case, the defensive linemen act offensively (in that they are headed straight for the QB and anyone else who tries to go through the "gaps" between them) and the offensive linemen act defensively (in that they are trying to protect, or defend, the QB at all costs). Are we getting it?

Don't worry too much about their individual jobs but here's a little rundown just for fun. The guy in the very middle is the NOSE TACKLE and no, he does not tackle noses. He basically shoves against the center on the other side until someone does something more exciting down field. On either side of him are the DEFENSIVE TACKLES. Their job is to close the "gaps" in the line (see illustration) and make sure no one with the ball gets through. They are known as the "run stoppers." Now, we know that the running backs RUN with the ball, so basically, the tackles are there to stop them. Out on the ends of the line are the DEFENSIVE ENDS. Makes sense, right? Their main job is to attack the QB and put him flat on his face. They are the meanest paparazzi with an agenda. They want Tom to go down. The ends are known as the "pass rushers" meaning that they "rush" (run towards) the guy who passes (throws) the ball.


Now, I don't know about you, but I get really confused by the term "pass." If I ask you to please pass me the sweet potatoes, I don't chuck the stuff at your face from across the room. I hand it to you. In football, "pass" means to throw and "hand off" means to pass. It's all very confusing. I digress.

But that's basically the gist of the defensive line. They want to stop any and all progress towards them and would absolutely love to smash the QB into the ground. If someone does manage to get by them, they have the DEFENSIVE LINEBACKERS to deal with...which we will be covering next!
Stay tuned...

Week 12: What Happened?

Get ready for the Paparazzi...otherwise known as the Defensive Line! Until then, let's go over what happened during week 12...
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Morning Games:
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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT HOUSTON TEXANS:
So I’m starting to sound like a broken record because Payton Manning and his Colts won again and remain undefeated. The Colts were down 20-7 going into the half, they came out and scored 28 points in the second half and held the Texans to only 7 points. Final score--Colts 35 Texans 27. Payton had a decent game but threw 2 early interceptions before he was able to get into a rhythm and start dissecting the Texans defense. Texans QB Matt Schaub also threw 2 interceptions, one of which was run back by the Colts Defense for a TD. The Colts have already secured a playoff spot but want to continue this undefeated streak. They will have a tough time this Sunday as they are playing the red hot Tennessee Titans. The Colts beat the Titans early this year but the Titans are playing much better football these days with QB Vince Young at the helm. The Texans are now 5-6 and need to win the next 5 games to have a chance at the playoffs.

What to say to a dude:
"For the colts to go undefeated, I think the hardest game to win is the one coming up on Sunday against the Titans. The Titans are a completely different team than the one the colts saw in week 5."
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Afternoon Games:
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ARIZONA CARDINALS AT TENNESSEE TITANS:
It can be argued that there is no team hotter right now in the NFL than the Tennessee Titans. After losing 6 games in a row they have now won 5 in a row, this last victory against the Cardinals came at the last play of the game. Arizona led in the 4th quarter 17-13. Titans QB Vince Young orchestrated a 12 play 99 yard drive and won the game with a pass to rookie WR Kenny Britt in the back of the endzone as time expired. This game was an interesting matchup of QBs as Matt Leinart started for the Cardinals in place of injured QB Kurt Warner. This was the first meeting between QBs Vince Young and Matt Leinart since they played each other in January 2006 for the BCS Championship (college football championship) Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns beat Leinart and USC in what was one of the best College football games ever. Titans RB Chris Johnson had another big game with 154 yards and a TD. He is still leading the league in rushing yards and is still on pace to break 2000 yards rushing (remember only 5 people have ever done this). Johnson has now done something this season that only 2 other RBs have ever done, he has rushed for at least 125 yards in sixth straight games(the only other RBs to do that are Earl Campbell in 1980 and Erik Dickerson in 1984). We are really looking forward to the Titans next game against Indianapolis. Will Tennessee be the first team to beat the Colts this season?

What to say to a dude:
"Tennessee is the only team in history to start the season 0-6 and then win their next five games."
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Sunday Night:

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PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS:
This was a hard fought game just as we predicted. We didn’t predict that Big Ben Roethlisburger would not be starting at QB for the Steelers. Instead the Steelers started second year QB Dennis Dixon who has not seen much action since College. Dixon played very well, throwing one TD and running for another. The one mistake he made was in overtime when he threw an interception which cost the Steelers the game. Both defenses played well in this game, it just came down to the single mistake that Dixon made. It was another good primetime game between division rivals that both needed a win. The Ravens and Steelers are now tied in the AFC North division at 6-5 and trying to catch up to the division leading Bengals who are at 8-3.

What to say to a dude:
"I'm looking forward to these two teams meeting again in week 16 (second to last game of the season) It could be the deciding factor in whether either of these teams make the playoffs."
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Monday Night:

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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS:
The Saints are the REAL DEAL! Everybody was questioning the Saints going into this game saying they aren’t as good as their record shows. The smashing of the Patriots proved that the Saints are most definitely as good as their record shows. The Saints stay undefeated and exploited every weakness of the New England defense. The Patriots started off looking good and led 7-3 after the first quarter. Then the Saints scored 21 points in the second quarter to the Patriots 3. The Patriots got the game to 24-17 but could not get any closer. The Saints ended up winning the game 38-17. Patriots QB Tom Brady did not throw a TD this game but threw 2 interceptions. On the other side QB Drew Brees threw for 300+ yards and 5 TDs….5 TDs to 5 different players! The Saints offense looked almost perfect. They confused the Patriots defense on more than one occasion and had two WR who had over 100 yards receiving. The Saints could be the front runners in the NFC but the Vikings are only a half a game behind them. The Patriots are still at the top of their division but they have a lot of question marks after this ugly primetime performance.

What to say to a dude:
"The Saints have the best chance of going undefeated this season as they only play two teams with winning records in last five games. The toughest will be against Dallas Cowboys on a Saturday night primetime game (12/19/09)"

Other news around the league:
--After being cut by the KC Chiefs for tweeting homophobic messages, Larry Johnson was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals and he rushed for over 100 yards last Sunday against the Cleveland Browns

--Brett Favre could be playing the best football of his career. He has 24 TDs and only 3 interceptions this season. In seasons past Favre has thrown 3 interceptions or more in just one game.

--SF TE Vernon Davis, said to be the fastest TE in the league, is tied for the league lead in TDs with 9. The other two players are elite WRs Reggie Wayne and Larry Fitzgerald.

Sunday in a Nutshell: Week 12

More football!! Here are the games to watch on Sunday:
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Morning Games:
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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT HOUSTON TEXANS:
This is a good division rivalry (now you know what this means! I'm so proud) with two very exciting offenses. Of course, we are also watching this game to see if Payton Manning and his ponies can remain undefeated. Houston has lost their last two games in the last minute so they are hoping that they might be able to hold onto a win going into the end of the game. Unfortunately they are playing on of the best QBs of all time. Payton seems to thrive under pressure and plays better when his team is behind in the game (example: look at the Colts last minute win against the Patriots two weeks ago). Payton Manning has been the MVP of the League 3 times and he is looking like he might make this season number 4. WR Reggie Wayne is playing fantastic football and is one of the top receivers in the league yet again. For the Texans, QB Matt Schaub is still playing great and hoping to stay healthy for the entire season for the first time in his career. His wide receiver All Pro Andre Johnson hopes he stays healthy as well. Johnson is having a fantastic season and will undoubtedly be selected to the Pro Bowl this season. This should be a high scoring game but I have a feeling the Colts will win another one and remain undefeated.
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Afternoon Games:
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ARIZONA CARDINALS AT TENNESSEE TITANS:
This is an interesting matchup between Arizona (NFC West) and Tennessee (AFC South). The Cardinals are sitting comfortably at the top of the NFC West standings. However, they cannot slow down and take it easy on a Tennessee team that is at the bottom of the AFC south division with a record of 4-6 because the Titans have won 4 straight games because of the arm and legs of QB Vince Young. Titans RB Chris Johnson is hoping to continue his campaign of rushing for 2000 yards this week so watch for him to break some big runs against the Cardinals defense. For Arizona, "Old Man" QB Kurt Warner will make his 42nd straight start this Sunday--this is good since Warner has been called fragile in the past and has been suffering from concussion like symptoms since last Sunday. WR Larry Fitzgerald is playing great football and does not seem to be suffering from the Madden curse at all. This should be another high scoring big play type of game.
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Sunday Night:
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PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS:
Both of these teams need to win to keep pace with the division leading Cincinnati Bengals. This might be a low scoring game as both of these teams boast incredibly tough and stingy defenses. But, both offenses have some serious weapons as well. Baltimore RB Ray Rice is leading the Ravens in rushing yards and passes caught for the season. He is an explosive 2nd year "back" and has the ability to break out huge plays for the Ravens offense. Pittsburgh, of course, has QB Big Ben Roethlisburger who is one of the toughest QBs in the league. Big Ben suffered a concussion in overtime in last Sundays loss to the Chiefs but he appears to be ok and ready to play on Sunday night. 2nd year RB Rashard Mendenhall has taken over and kept the starting job and is playing very well. Pittsburgh also has a bunch of receiving threats led by the always smiling Hines Ward. Seriously, watch next time--Hines Ward is literally always smiling. He loves playing football and one of his favorite things to do is knock a defensive player on his ass. This is going to be a game with much fighting and hard hitting. It will be another great primetime game but don’t expect too much scoring, instead expect to watch two of the best defenses in the league.
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Monday Night:
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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS:
This is definitely the game of the week! The Saints are still undefeated but will have a tough time beating Tom Brady and his New England Patriots. The Patriots are the only team to ever go 16-0 in a regular season (1972 Miami Dolphins did it but it was a 14 game season back then) and want to remain that way in the record books. Saints QB Drew Brees wants to continue his campaign for league MVP this year. He has thrown 22 TDs and only 9 interceptions this season. We’ll look for Saints RB Reggie Bush (so are he and Kim back together, or what?) to make some dynamic plays this week as well. For the Patriots, QB Tom Brady is playing at an incredibly high level at this point in the season. He has thrown 20 TDs and only 6 interceptions. His two main WRs, Randy Moss and Wes Welker, are both having pro bowl seasons. These are two division leading teams that want to keep winning at this point in the season. This will be a game with a lot of passing involved with two of the best QBs in the league facing eachother.

Next week....The DEFENSE. 

Thanksgiving Day Recap!

So as you were cooking, visiting, eating, drinking and relaxing yesterday, here's what was going on on that TV behind you. :)

GREEN BAY PACKERS AT DETROIT LIONS:
Even though the Lions play every Thanksgiving it isn’t like watching the Lions in the 90's where you got to watch RB Barry Sanders make incredible runs with an entire defense chasing him. These Lions are far less exciting……but it IS Thanksgiving and it’s just a great time to watch football, period. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers had another good game on Thursday. He passed for 300+ yards and 3 TDs. The majority of the yards went to WR Donald Driver who had 7 catches for 142 yards and a TD. The Packers won the game easily 34-12. Lions QB Matthew Stafford (the #1overall pick in this years draft) had 4 interceptions (remember the rule that the more interceptions or turnovers a team has makes the team more likely to lose). The Packers are now on a roll with a record of 7-4 and look like they have a good chance of making the playoffs.

OAKLAND RAIDERS AT DALLAS COWBOYS:
The Raiders looked great last week in their win against Cincinnati so everyone was thinking they had a good chance of beating the Cowboys on Thursday but leave it to the Raiders to NOT play like they did last week. The Raiders only scored 7 points to the 24 that Dallas scored. After QB Jamarcus Russell was benched before last weeks game everybody thought that Bruce Gradkowski was the savior. However, he showed everybody on Thursday that there is no savior for the Raiders this season. The Cowboys played a good game on the other side. QB Tony Romo (Jessica's ex) had a good game passing for 300+ yards and 2 TDs. WR Miles Austin caught seven passes for 145 yards and 1 TD and TE Jason Witten caught 5 passes for 107 yards. The Cowboys added to their NFC East division leading record now 8-3, with the New York Giants loss to Denver they only need to worry about the Eagles competing for the top spot in the division.

NEW YORK GIANTS AT DENVER BRONCOS:
What has happened to the New York Giants? After winning their first 6 games they have now lost 5 in a row. They were only able to score 2 field goals and 0 TDs. The Denver Broncos' defense held the Giants' running game to 57 yards rushing between 3 players (not good at all!) The Broncos didn’t need much offense to win and Rookie RB Knowshon Moreno carried the team on 88 yards rushing and 1 TD. Injured QB Kyle Orton threw for 245 yards and a TD. We all hoped this game would be exciting with two teams at 6-4 playing eachother but the New York Giants did not show up this Thanksgiving. The Broncos are still keeping their playoff hopes alive and are hoping for a San Diego Charger loss on Sunday to be tied for 1st place in the AFC West division.

Week 11: What Happened?

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Here is the recap for the week. I'll have the summary of yesterday's games up soon. Enjoy the holiday weekend!
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Morning Games:
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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS:
Well, Payton Manning and the Colts remain undefeated after Sunday beating the Ravens 17-15. The Colts held the Ravens to 5 field goals and no touchdowns. The Colts still have a tough road ahead of them if they want to remain undefeated this season. They have to play the Houston Texan's strong offense on Sunday which should be a good AFC South Division matchup. The Colts have already solidified a playoff spot but only two other teams in league history have gone undefeated the whole season. The 1972 Miami Dolphins went undefeated in a 14 game schedule and won the Superbowl and the New England Patriots went undefeated two seasons ago but lost the Superbowl. (poor Tom Brady) With the way Payton and his Colts are playing there is a very good chance we might see another undefeated team this season.

What to say to a dude: 
"Did you see that fumble that Ravens defensive players Ed Reed and Ray Lewis caused? I wouldn’t want to be hit be one of them but it must have been ridiculously painful to be hit by both of them."

ATLANTA FALCONS AT NEW YORK GIANTS:
The Giants fought their little hearts out and won in overtime 34-31. The Giants were up 31-17 in the fourth quarter and Atlanta QB Matt Ryan threw two TD passes to tie up the game. Atlanta RB Jason Snelling, replacing All Pro RB Michael Turner, had two TDs in the game but the effort wasn’t quite enough. Eli Manning threw 3 TDs, two of which went to TE Kevin Boss (great name, right?) The Giants are still trying to get back on track after losing 4 games in a row and this exciting win should help them get some momentum going forward. Unfortunately they have a short week of rest and will be playing the Denver Broncos on Thanksgiving. The Atlanta Falcons don’t have much of a chance catching up to their division leaders, the undefeated Drew Brees and his New Orleans Saints, so they will be playing for a wildcard spot, a spot that will be hard to secure if they lose anymore games.

What to say to a dude: 
"The Giants and Eagles are 6-4 and the Cowboys are 7-3 in the NFC East Division, who do you think is the best team in the division? Who’s going to win the division?" 
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Afternoon Games:
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NEW YORK JETS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS:
In their first meeting this season both teams were playing completely different football, the Jets were playing great and the Patriots were playing terrible. Now the roles are reversed. The Patriots are coasting through the AFC East Division and the Jets are falling to the bottom of the division. Patriots WR Randy Moss was covered by cornerback Darrelle Revis so another WR, Wes Welker, had to step up and make plays. Welker had 15 catches for 192 yards, a monster game. On the other side of the football Rookie QB Mark Sanchez had 4 interceptions….not good at all. The Jets are now 4-6 after their great start and any more losses will pretty much put them out of playoff contention.

What to say to a dude: 
"Wes Welker is probably the best possession receiver in the league and Randy Moss is one of the best threats in the league. Tom Brady has the best of both worlds….plus he got to knock up Giselle." 

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS AT DENVER BRONCOS:
Well this game was not what it was supposed to be. The Chargers lost to the Broncos in the first meeting this season but they’ve won 5 straight since then. The Broncos started the season 6-0 but have now lost 4 straight games. The Broncos looked awful against the Chargers, only scoring 3 points the whole game. The Chargers didn’t need much offensive production to win this game and their kicker, Nate Kaeding, kicked 4 field goals in this game. The Chargers have solidified their place at the top of the AFC West division and the Broncos need a win against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving to stay close and keep their playoff hopes alive.

What to say to a dude: 
"The Broncos were hot before their bye week winning six straight games. After the bye week they have lost 4 straight….they must have lost their momentum with the week off."
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Sunday Night:
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PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT CHICAGO BEARS:
Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears have lost another game. This team had such high hopes for the season but they are almost out of playoff contention these days. RB Matt Forte has had an incredibly disappointing season after such a great rookie campaign last year (he was drafted in the top 5 in most fantasy leagues) QB Donovan McNabb had help from rookie RB LeSean McCoy who was replacing Brian Westbrook who was benched after suffering his second concussion last week. WR Desean Jackson made some big plays as well to help the Eagles win. The Eagles need to keep winning to keep pace in the tough NFC East Division as the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys are all fighting for the top spot in the division.

What to say to a dude: 
"Jay Cutler needs a big play wide receiver. He has too many young receivers who drop passes, the Bears need to go after a free agent wide reciever that will help Cutler win some games."
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Monday Night:
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TENNESSEE TITANS AT HOUSTON TEXANS:
QB Vince Young and his Titans have won their 4th straight game after losing their first 6 games of the season. This was a hard fought game on both sides of the football. Texans QB Matt Schaub had another game of passing for over 300 yards and All Pro WR Andre Johnson made some big catches for him. Titans RB Chris Johnson ran for over 150 yards but wasn’t able to break any huge runs like we are used to seeing. He is still on pace for close to a 2000 yard season (a feat done by only 5 other Running Backs) Both of these teams deserved to win but in the end it was the team (Titans) who’s kicker made the field goal to win the game. Texans kicker Kris Brown (no, not Rhianna's ex) missed 2 clutch field goals this game.

What to say to a dude: 
"The only players to rush (run) for over 2000 yards in a season are : OJ Simpson, Erik Dickerson, Terrell Davis, Barry Sanders and Jamal Lewis. OJ did it when the season was only 14 games long, not 16 so he is in a class all by himself."

Other notes around the league:
- The Raiders upset the Bengals and won the game 20-17 behind QB Brad Gradkowski after the Raiders benched Jamarcus Russell.

- The Kansas City Chiefs upset the defending superbowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime winning the game 27-24.

- The New Orleans Saints remain undefeated after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38-7

- Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings won again, they are now 9-1. Favre threw 4 TD passes.

- San Francisco 49er's WR Michael Crabtree caught his first TD pass this week!

Sunday in a Nutshell: Week 11

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Morning Games:

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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS:
Payton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts look to continue their undefeated season in Baltimore this week. Indianapolis has not lost a regular season game since Oct 27th 2008--that is an 18 game regular season winning streak, just three games shy of the record held by their arch enemy the New England Patriots. The Ravens want a win to keep pace with division leading Cincinnati Bengals. Look for Ravens RB Ray Rice (wow, such alliteration) to have a big day against the Colts defense. These two teams are not in the same division but there is a rivalry here since the Colts moved to Indianapolis from Baltimore. Remember our division talk? I have a feeling the Colts will stay undefeated after this weekend--Payton Manning is usually a safe bet. We know that now. 

ATLANTA FALCONS AT NEW YORK GIANTS:
Both of these teams have a 5-4 record (meaning 5 wins, 4 losses) and need a win to stay in the playoff race. The New York Giants started the season 5-0 but have lost their last 4 games. Way to be consistent, guys. This is "gut check time" (apparently meaning that it's time to look deep inside yourself in order to see if you have the guts to step it up a notch--or so I've been told) for Eli Manning and his New York Giants. The Falcons will have a tough time getting a win with RB Michael Turner on the sideline with an injury. RB Jason Snelling and Jerious Norwood will try to replace this elite running back. On the Giants' side look for RB Brandon Jacobs, who has had a disappointing season so far, to have a big game on Sunday. This game will probably have as many highlights as Ryan Seacrest's hair. 
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Afternoon Games:

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NEW YORK JETS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS:
After that devastating last minute loss to the Colts last Sunday the Patriots want to bounce back with a win against their division rivals, the New York Jets. The Jets beat New England in Week 2 but New England is playing great football these days and the Jets are sputtering. No pun intended. Jets Head Coach and super villain Rex Ryan is trying any method possible to motivate his team, even shedding a few tears during a press conference. Sigh. He still has faith in his Rookie QB Mark Sanchez and his young and tough defense (and if we're going based on looks, I have faith in him, too). This will be a challenge for the Jets but they have stunned the Patriots before so lets see if they can do it again.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS AT DENVER BRONCOS:
Both of these teams are 6-3 and tied for 1st place in the AFC West. Denver beat the chargers in week 6 by a score of 34-23 but the Chargers have not lost a game since. The Chargers are playing great football and the Broncos are getting worried especially with their quarterback Kyle Orton having to leave the game last week with an injury and being questionable this week to play. If Orton doesn’t play back up, QB Chris Simms (son of Football Great Phil Simms) will get the start. Even though this game is in Denver, the Broncos will have a tough time beating the smokin' hot Chargers.
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Sunday Night:

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PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT CHICAGO BEARS:
The Eagles are one game behind the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East division so they want a win to catch up. They will have to get this victory without All Pro RB Brian Westbrook who suffered his second concussion in the last 3 weeks against the Chargers last week. OUCH. QB Donovan McNabb will have to win this game with his arm this week for the Eagles. Look for WR Desean Jackson to make some big plays for the Eagles. On the other side the Chicago Bears are having a disappointing season. QB Gay Butler…ahem…Jay Cutler is the leading player in the league with 17 interceptions. (this is not a good category to lead the league in--kind of like having a high golf score. Not good.). Second year RB Matt Forte is having a disappointing season as well. If the Bears get a win they are not yet out of the runnings for the playoffs. This game doesn’t look that great on paper but just about every Sunday night game has been great and I don’t think this one will be any different.
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Monday Night:

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TENNESEE TITANS AT HOUSTON TEXANS:
This game doesn’t look too good on paper either. The Texans are 5-4 and the Titans are just 3-6…BUT this is going to be a good game. Both of these teams have big playmakers that should make some big plays on Monday night. Texans QB Matt Schaub and WR Andre Johnson should make some big plays down the field against a soft Titans defense. On the other side Titans RB Chris Johnson wants to have another big game and add to his league leading rushing yard total. He said that if he breaks 2000 yards this season (a total that only 5 players have done in a season) he would buy his offensive linemen a Mercedes each. The Titans are on a 3 game win streak and need to win the next seven games to have a shot at the playoffs. The Texans don’t have much of a chance to win their division as the Colts are up 4 games on them with 7 left so their hope is for a wildcard spot. This should be a Monday night game with some huge plays.

Stay tuned for some Defensive positions explained on Monday and this week's recap on Tuesday. Until next time...

Week 10: What Happened?

Hi everyone! How are we all doing today? Ready for some football recap? Of course you are...
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Morning Games:
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CINCINNATI BENGALS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS:
The Bengals have beaten the Steelers for the second time this season, sweeping the season series for the first time since 1998. The Steelers won 10 straight games at home until the Bengals came in and beat them, holding the Steelers to just 4 field goals. There weren’t many big plays on offense but both defenses played tough. The Bengals have Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions coming up so expect them to get a few more victories for their record. The Bengals are playing great football these days and the Steelers need to keep winning to keep up with them.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT ST. LOUIS RAMS:
Well the Saints stay undefeated but they barely beat the Rams winning the game 28-23. Kim Kardashian's boyfriend Reggie Bush (insert Khloe joke here if necessary) scored one rushing TD and one receiving TD. Rams RB Steven Jackson is the only person who seems to be playing hard on the Rams these days. He carried the ball 26 times for 131 yards and a TD. The Rams are an awful 1-9 but Jackson is in the top 10 in rushing yards for the season. I’m guessing he’ll want to be traded soon. New Orleans QB Drew Brees had a decent day but threw 2 interceptions. The Saints stay undefeated but they need to play better if they want to stay undefeated.
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None of the afternoon games were very exciting so we will skip to the Night game, the Game of the Year:
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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS:
This was the best game of the year. It will go down in history, not only because Colts QB Payton Manning beat Patriots QB Tom Brady for the fifth time in the last six times these teams have met, not because the Colts stay undefeated, not because since 2003 the regular season winner of this matchup has gone on to win the AFC title 4 times and the superbowl 3 times, but because Patriots coach Bill Belichick made a risky call at the end of the game that cost them the win. The Patriots were up by 6 points with 2 minutes left and had 4th down and 2 yards to go. The standard procedure would be to punt the ball to give the colts a longer field to score but Belichick went for it on 4th down and they failed to convert. This gave the Colts and Payton Manning a little under 2 minutes to go less than 30 yards and score, and score they did. This is the play that will be remembered but the entire game was GREAT!!!!!!! The Colts trailed by 17 points in the 4th quarter and it looked like the Pats had the victory but we now know to NEVER count Payton Manning out of a game. The Colts scored 21 points in the 4th quarter and won the game 35-34 keeping their undefeated season alive. Payton Manning threw for 327 yards, 4 TDs and 2 interceptions. On the other side Tom Brady threw for 375 yards, 3 TDs and 1 interception. There were also two of the top WRs in this game and they definitely did not disappoint us. Pats WR Randy Moss had 9 catches for 179 yards and 2 TDs. Moss became the 7th player in NFL History to catch for 14,000 yards putting him on the list with the likes of Jerry Rice and Tim Brown. He also became the 11th player in NFL history to catch 900 balls in his career and it doesn’t look like he’s slowing down. On the other side colts WR Reggie Wayne had 10 catches totaling 126 yards and 2 TDs the second of which was the game winning TD. There were so many highlights to this game that it’s tough to put them all into one paragraph but as I said before this was the best game of the year, if not the best game in the last couple of years. Yet another GREAT primetime Sunday night game.
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Other news around the league:
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-The Minnesota Vikings won again giving them a record of 8-1. Brett Favre passed for 300+yards most of which went to WR Sidney Rice who had over 200 yards receiving (big game for a WR). "All Day" Adrian Peterson had another great game--133 yards rushing and 2 TDs.

-Jacksonville Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew stopped at the 1 yard line instead of going into the endzone so they could run the clock down to 1 second before kicking the game winning field goal. He apologized to fantasy owners.

- Tennessee Titans won their 3rd game in a row being carried by the leagues leading rusher, Chris Johnson, who had 100+yards rushing and 2 TDs along with 9 catches and 100 yards receiving. Needless to say he is the only thing holding this team together

-The Denver Broncos who were once one of the undefeated teams in the league lost to the terrible Washington Redskins. The Broncos need to pull it together if they want to win the AFC West division as San Diego is now tied at 6-3 with them

Until next time....next up: DEFENSE.

{AFC + NFC = NFL} and other random musings

Ok, so it's finally time to decode these mysterious acronyms that plague our Sunday watching festivities. AFC West? AFC North? WFC (Who Effing Cares) South? Ok, so I made that last one up, but you know what I'm talking about.

Basically, think back to college (or high school, or even middle school for that matter). When the football team at your school played the regular season, they pretty much played the same local schools--sometimes several times. At the end of the season, if they did well, they advanced to the regional finals or something like that. And so on, and so on. This is basically how the NFL works.

A tad bit of history as to how this all came to be.... 
The NFL (National Football League) was founded in 1922. The sport really gained popularity and took off in 1925. In 1933, the NFL split into two divisions: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. (Ok, so it was East vs. West. Got it?)

Then in 1960, another division called the American Football League (AFL) was formed. The AFL and the NFL now competed against each other. Ok. No more East vs. West (that would be too easy). Now fast forward to 1970 when the two leagues merge into one league--keeping the name "NFL" and essentially dividing into 2 conferences. So now, the NFL consists of the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC).

These conferences (NFC and AFC) are both split up into four divisions: North, South, East and West. This means there is an NFC North, NFC South, NFC East and NFC West as well as an AFC North, AFC South, AFC East and AFC West. There are four teams in each division. Do the math and you come up with....32 teams total!

So, now it's no longer really East vs. West or any sense-making model like that. It's kinda like McDonald's and Burger King. Both places are all over the country. During the playoffs all of the best McDonald's play each other and all of the best Burger King's play each other. The best McDonald's then plays the best Burger King to see who will win the title of best burger in the National Fast food League. You know what I mean. 

Ok, I've put together a chart listing all of the different teams and where they are in regards to their division.

So why do we need to know all of this, you ask? Well, we learn a couple of things--first, we can see how seemingly unrelated cities have rivalries. For instance you may wonder why the San Francisco 49ers and the St. Louis Rams have such a heated rivalry when they aren't even near each other? Well, they are both in the AFC West division. (To be fair, the Rams used to be in Los Angeles so it makes a little more sense.)

And second, we learn that this is not the "Football Olympics" meaning that the Superbowl will showcase the BEST two teams in the NFL for that season. It hopefully will, but the best team could have been knocked out a few rounds before. And say the two best teams happen to be in the AFC--then it's actually impossible for that rivalry to go down in the Superbowl. Allow me to explain. 

The road to the Superbowl begins this way: The team with the BEST RECORD during the regular season advances to the PLAYOFFS. In other words, there are no "special" games to determine who's in and who's out--it's just who's played the best (enter all those pesky stats that we all hate). Now, because this isn't always the most fair (there could be two amazing, undefeated teams on the AFC West for instance and one mediocre team on the AFC East) each season, two WILD CARD teams are selected. They are the two teams who have the best record in the whole conference (AFC or NFC) behind the four teams already chosen. So, six teams from one conference move on to the playoffs. And with six teams on the other side, that makes 12 total teams in the playoffs.

The playoffs are "sudden death" (kinda like college basketball's "March Madness") meaning once you lose, you are out of the running. So now you know why you always hear things like, "This Superbowl will be so lame...the best game already happened in week 2 of the playoffs."

This is when I stopped looking at football as the "Olympics of football" and started to see it for what it really is--unabashed capitalism at its finest! There's nothing really wrong with this, of course. I guess it just kind of ruined the illusion for me. When I actually started looking in to it and thinking, "Well, who decides who will play who? and where will the home games be? and how come some teams play each other 3 times a season and some not at all? where is the fairness in that?" (Yes, I tend to question in run-on sentences) I came to some startling "Chick" conclusions. They are presented below:

1. If a team has lots and lots of money, it can buy the best players.
2. To be fair, a "draft" system is used.
3. The owner of a team can really be any schmo who has millions and millions of dollars and wants the ultimate ego boost and supreme control over his own group of mega-athletes. They will be the team of his dreams--his fantasies. His.........own.........................wait.................................. fantasy football team???

Did I just come to the conclusion that the NFL is actually not much more than ONE BIG GIANT HIGH-STAKES GAME OF FANTASY FOOTBALL?????
Only instead of barbies, these are real people and you use real money?????
Yes, I think I did. And now, it's really a soap opera. 

Oh, and PS- if you really want to know how games are scheduled, I found this for you:
Quoted from CBS Sportsline press release May 2001

"...the new scheduling format, under which every team will meet every other at least once in four years. There will be six home-and-home divisional games; four against teams in another division within a conference; and four more against a division in the other conference on a rotating basis. The final two games will be against conference teams based on the previous year's standings--first against first, second against second, and so on."

 And yes, I'm sorry I asked too. Until next time!

Sunday In a Nutshell: Week 9!

Good morning, all! Are we ready for today's games? First of all, I have to share a recipe with you all that I made last night from the pages of my favorite magazine, Sunset. It's called "Shot and a Beer Pork Stew" and it braises for 3 hours. PERFECT for a Sunday game day. Yummy. The pork ends up falling-apart-tender and the tequila and Tecate really make the flavor rich. Click here for the recipe.

Aside from that, let's get down to it! Here are the games to watch:
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Morning Games:
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BALTIMORE RAVENS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS:

In football terms these teams are bitter rivals that are fighting for the top spot in their division so they're going to play as hard as possible. Baltimore is coming off of a strong win against the formerly undefeated Broncos and Cincinnati is coming off of a week off after destroying the Chicago Bears two weeks ago. These teams really can't stand each other (like Kristen and Audrina on The Hills) so we should expect some fighting and smack talking between the players--always a good time. Keep an eye on Bengals RB Cedric Benson who is having the best season of his career. We also want to watch Bengals WR Chad "I felt the need to change my last name letters into last name numbers" Ochocinco who is playing well and loves to talk trash to the Ravens defense. This will be a great game to watch in the morning.
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HOUSTON TEXANS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS:
The Colts are still undefeated and QB Payton Manning is having an MVP-esque season. However, the extremely well-playing Houston Texans--lead by QB Matt Schaub who is having a Pro Bowl season himself--will be a challenge. Texans WR Andre Johnson (possibly the best Wide Reciever in the league--a supermodel, remember?) needs to have a big game to give the Texans any chance of winning. On the Colts, WR Reggie Wayne (another of the best receivers in the league) also must make some plays for his QB to give the Colts a shot at staying undefeated. This game will be FULL of highlights and big plays. Expect this to be a high scoring game.
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Afternoon Games:
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SAN DIEGO CHARGERS AT NEW YORK GIANTS:
So, Giants QB Eli Manning was drafted to the Chargers but refused to sign with them (hmmm, he sounds lilke a diva, no?) so the Giants traded their top draft pick QB Phillip Rivers to the Chargers for Eli. Eli has gone on to win a Superbowl with the Giants but Phillip Rivers has been a top tier QB for the Chargers. Both of these QBs will want the win to show the other team what they missed out on. (Mine is better....no, MINE is better! Remember the barbies!! Everyone thinks they have the best team possible.) The Giants have lost 3 in a row after winning their first 5. They need a win to bounce back. The Chargers are looking to catch up on their division leading Broncos with a win this weekend. Another great game to watch.
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Night Game:
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DALLAS COWBOYS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES:
It seems that all injuries on both sides have been healed so every star will be out to shine on Sunday night. QBs Tony Romo (Dallas) and Donovan McNabb (Philly) will be in the spotlight but look for Dallas players WR Miles Austin and RB Marion Barber along with Eagles players WR Desean Jackson and RB Brian Westbrook to be making highlights as well. This will be yet another GREAT primetime NFL game this season.
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Monday Night:
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PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT DENVER BRONCOS:
The Broncos had their first loss of the season last week when they were manhandled by the Ravens Defense. Manhandled. Ouch. Now they have to face another incredibly tough Pittsburgh Steelers Defense. The Steelers are coming off of a bye week so they have had time to lick their wounds and are ready to play a tough second half of the season. Look for newly appointed starter Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall to have a big game to prove to everyone that he deserves to be the starting running back. Denver Broncos WR Brandon Marshall had a BAD game against the Ravens so look for him to come back and have a solid game against the Steelers. Remember the Steelers are the defending Superbowl champs so they are always coming in as the favorites.


Ok, look for lots of extra entries this week. Chick 101 is getting down to business!

Week 8: What Happened?

 I know, I know....the blog is a little late this week. But--I have a good excuse, I swear! I had the opportunity to appear alongside some fabulous women in the TV show, "Desperate Housewives"--which is funny because that's exactly how I feel sometimes...desperate for sleep, anyway. So, you can watch for us on the final episode before the holidays--we're in Santa hats in a choir. Either the first or second week in December. Stay tuned!

And finally, what you've all been waiting for...what the @#$$% happened in last week's games? Just a quick summary this time as it's almost time for this week's games! And, as always, "What to say to a Dude." Enjoy.
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Morning Games: (Winners in PINK)

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DENVER BRONCOS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS:

Denver is no longer undefeated after suffering a lopsided loss to Baltimore. Baltimore let the Broncos score only 7 points (1 TD and extra point) and that didn’t happen until the 3rd quarter. Other than Baltimore's RB, Ray Rice the player with the best day was Baltimore kicker Steven Hauschka who had 3 field goals and 3 extra points.

What to say to a dude:
"Do you think the Broncos are a fluke this year going undefeated this deep into the season?"

"The Ravens defense really exploited the Broncos offensive weaknesses."
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MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW YORK JETS:

The Dolphins beat division rivals, the New York Jets for the second time this year. Jets QB Mark Sanchez threw for 2 TDs and rushed for 1 TD but it wasn’t enough to beat the Dolphins. Both of these teams cannot afford to lose anymore games to keep pace with the New England Patriots who play the Dolphins next Sunday while the Jets have a much needed week off.

What to say to a dude:
"After winning there first 3 games the Jets have only won 1 game and lost 4. Maybe it’s time for Rex Ryan to change his game plan a bit."
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Afternoon Games:
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MINNESOTA VIKINGS VS. GREEN BAY PACKERS:
Brett Favre beat his old team for the second time this season, this time was at his former home stadium, Lambeau Field. Favre threw 4 TD passes and "All Day" Adrian Peterson had 1 rushing TD. The game was a blowout in the first half with Green Bay only scoring 3 points. Brett Favre and the Vikings are now 7-1 and have a few easy games ahead versus the Detroit Lions and the Seattle Seahawks so it looks like the Vikings are solidifying a sure spot in the playoffs.

What to say to a dude:
"Brett Favre has sure proven that he is still one of the best QBs in the league."

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Monday Night:
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ATLANTA FALCONS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS:

The Saints are still undefeated! The only other team that hasn’t lost are the Colts and it looks like Saints QB Drew Brees and Colts QB Payton Manning are fighting for the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the NFL. Brees had another good game with 300+ yards passing and 2 TDs. Falcons RB Michael Turner had a big game along with Falcons WR Roddy White but unfortunately Falcons QB Matt Ryan threw 3 interceptions, one of which was returned for a TD at the end of the first half. Oopsie.

What to say to a dude:
"Who is the best QB in the NFL, Drew Brees or Payton Manning?" 
"Which team will lose first, the Saints or the Colts?"
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Here are some stories we're following this season:
-Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the only team without a win in the NFL
-The Tennessee Titans finally won a game.
-Oakland Raiders Coach Tom Cable is being investigated for domestic violence accusations. This was the coach who supposedly broke an assistant coach’s jaw during preseason. Chill out, Tom.

Until tomorrow!

Sunday in a Nutshell: Week 8

 HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!!
Hope this holiday finds you well....get ready for tomorrow's big games!!
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Morning Games:
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DENVER BRONCOS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS:

Denver is still undefeated and coming off of a bye week (remember, this means that they have the week off) so they should be healed and rested and ready to go this Sunday. The Ravens are 3-3 but are still an incredibly tough team to play. They also have a great mascot for Halloween. Baltimore is also coming off of a bye week so both of these teams will either come out with a lot of energy or will be a bit rusty from the week off. Either way this game should be a good one but will most likely be a low scoring matchup as both teams boast strong defenses. Keep an eye on underpaid WR Brandon Marshall.

MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW YORK JETS:

The Dolphins beat the Jets in their first meeting which was QB Chad Henne's (rhymes with Jenny) first game as a starter. The Jets are coming off of a big win against the Raiders while the Dolphins are coming off of a loss to the Saints--a game where they let by 2 TDs at half time. These teams always play hard against each other so this should be a good game to watch….especially with Miami still running the wildcat offense so effectively through RBs Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown.
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Afternoon Games:
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MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS:

This is it! Brett Favre returns to Lambeau field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the place he called his home for 16 seasons. The Vikings have already played the Packers once this year and came out with a victory. Green Bay is looking for redemption and would like to beat their division rivals. They're also coming off of a game where they destroyed the Browns and held them to 3 points (1 field goal) total. The Vikings are coming off of their first loss of the season and would like to bounce back with a win. I think this is an incredibly important game to Brett Favre but his replacement on the Packers--QB Aaron Rodgers--most likely feels the same importance of this game. Let’s also not forget a guy named "All Day" who the Packers will be looking to stop. This is the game of the week FO SHO!!!!!!!!!
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Night Game:
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There is no Sunday night game due to the World Series.
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Monday Night:
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ATLANTA FALCONS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS:
The Saints are still undefeated but gave everybody a scare last week when they looked terrible in the first half of the game against Miami. Atlanta is coming off of a loss to Dallas and would like to bounce back with a win. This will be a game full of highlights and fireworks as both of these teams boast high powered offenses--another great Primetime game for this NFL season.

Until next time!

Week 7: What Happened?

What happened, you ask? Well I'll tell you! Here goes:
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Morning Games:
(winning team in RED)

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SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT HOUSTON TEXANS:

Well this was an interesting one. Houston was winning 21-0 by the half. The 49ers decided to bench starting QB Shaun Hill for their backup QB Alex Smith. Smith was the 49ers #1 pick overall in the draft in 2005 but has been a bust ever since. He stepped in and threw 3 TD passes--all to TE Vernon Davis. Unfortunately the Texans made a field goal in the second half so the final score was 24-21 in favor of the Texans. Michael Crabtree had a decent first day of school. Remember he is just starting the season because he held out for more cash. There were no fireworks but you can see his potential and will probably be a big star. One to watch.

What to say to a dude:

"Do you think Alex Smith will be able to get this weak offense going and give the Niners the QB that they need to win some games?" 

"I guess Mike Singletary really made an impression on Vernon Davis. (who after 6 games has more TDs than he’s ever had in the past)"

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MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS:

Well Brett Favre lost--finally. Sad face. :( He had two costly turnovers--one fumble (when the offensive player drops the ball and the other guys grab it) returned for a touchdown and one interception (when the QB throws the ball and a defensive player catches it) at the end of the game that was returned for a touchdown. That last minute interception lost them the game. Oops. Favre attempted 51 passes in a game which is a lot especially for a guy who’s 157 years old (alright, just kidding...he’s only 85). If the Vikings want to keep his arm alive they are going to have to run the ball with "All Day" Adrian Peterson more than the 18 times they did in this game.

What to say to a dude:

"The Steelers defense looks like it did when they won the superbowl last year." 

"Brett Farve will never last the whole season if he has to throw 50 passes every game, why didn’t Minnesota use Adrian Peterson more?"

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Afternoon Games:

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NEW YORK JETS AT OAKLAND RAIDERS:

Well, the Raiders are back to their old awful ways after that fluke win against the Eagles last week. Raiders QB Jamarcus Russell was benched after the first half. The half in which he threw 2 interceptions. Not a good start. The backup QB Bruce Gradkowski did not fare much better and the Raiders were shut out by the Jets. This means that the score was 38-0. Ugly. Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez had a decent game with no mistakes but it was the running game that really beat the Raiders. Unfortunately the Jets had one RB who didn’t have such a lovely game. Leon Washington broke a bone in his leg and a piece of the bone was actually sticking out of the skin….needless to say his season is over. Gross.
Super Villain coach Rex Ryan should be happy with his team’s performance but isn’t happy with losing a big playmaker like Leon Washington.

What to say to a dude:

"How many more chances are the Raiders going to give to QB Jamarcus Russell? He looks terrible these days."

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CHICAGO BEARS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS:

Yikes. The Bears got destroyed by the Bengals. Bengals QB Carson Palmer had 5 TD passes--two of which went to our favorite guy with a number as his last name, Chad Ochocinco. Former Bears RB Cedric Benson had a monster game for the Bengals with 189 rushing yards and a TD touching the ball 37 times (a lot for a RB). Jay Cutler threw 3 interceptions for the Bears. The Bengals are playing well right now with a 5-2 record while the Bears are mediocre with a 3-3 record.

What to say to a dude:

"Do you think after that game that the Bears Execs are thinking twice about giving Jay Cutler a 2 year $30 million extension?"

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NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS:

By the end the first half, it looked like the Saints' perfect season was over. They were down 24-10 at halftime. The Saints scored 34 points in the second half and Miami was only able to score 10. The final score: 46-34. The Saints won and continue the season undefeated. M(most) V(valuble) P(player) Candidate QB Drew Brees threw 3 interceptions and only 1 TD but he ran 2 TDs in. Dolphins RB Ricky Williams had 3 TDs and RB Ronnie Brown rushed for 1 TD. Unfortunately, the Dolphins passing game led by Chad Henne (rhymes with Jenny) was sub-par so they couldn’t keep up with the Saints high powered offense.

What to say to a dude:

"Out of the 3 undefeated teams, Saints, Colts and Broncos, who do you think is the best team?" 

"Who do you think is playing better--Drew Brees or Payton Manning?"

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Night Game:

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ARIZONA CARDINALS AT NEW YORK GIANTS:

Payton’s little bro Eli Manning has now lost 2 in a row. Eli threw 3 interceptions and made only 1 TD. Cardinals QB Kurt Warner didn’t have a spectacular game but only had one turnover to Eli’s 3. We often hear that the team with the least turnovers wins the game. Larry Fitzgerald caught 6 passes but no TDs and still has not felt the wrath of the Madden Curse (Note other Madden Cover guy Troy Palomalu played well this Sunday and didn’t get hurt again) The Giants have now lost 2 in a row both to teams with high powered passing offenses. The Defense needs to start playing better for the Giants to win. The Cardinals have now won 3 games in a row.

What to say to a dude:

"Do you think Kurt Warner and the Cardinals are playing well enough in a weak NFC west division to make the playoffs and get to the superbowl again?" 

Next week we'll cover all this silly division madness. AFC? NFC? Yes, and yes. Stay tuned!

Sunday in a Nutshell: Week 7

Hi everyone, here are the games to watch on Sunday!

Morning Games:

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT HOUSTON TEXANS:
Two words sum up this game: Michael Crabtree. Now, I normally would never bore you with stats, but this was a player that as a freshman in college caught 134 passes for 1962 yards and 22 TDs….these are record breaking NFL stats. In college these are unheard of. Crabtree was expected to be drafted early in the top 10 but when teams like the Oakland Raiders picked players that nobody thought they would, Crabtree ended up as the 10th pick overall to the 49ers. He was pissed. Crabtree thought he deserved more $$$ than the 49ers offered him (which was something like $22 million...not too shabby) and held out on the team (meaning he didn’t participate in ANY games or practices) until last week when he finally signed the contract. Everybody is curious if he was worth it and hopefully in this game we’ll see. 49ers RB Frank Gore is back from injury. On the other side Houston is playing great football. QB Matt Schaub is leading the league in many statistic categories. This will be a great game to watch.

What to say to a dude:
"Do you think Crabtree will live up to the hype? At least he's coming in at a good time...the 49er offense definitely needs a jump start."

MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS:
This is yet another test for Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. "Madden Cursed" Troy Polamalu (remember him from week 1?) is back on the Steelers defense much to the chagrin of the Vikings offense. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisburger threw for 400 yards last week but is going to have a tough time against the hard hitting Vikings defense led by defensive linemen Jared Allen, Kevin Williams and Pat Williams (no relation). This will also be a test for "All Day" Adrian Peterson against this tough Pittsburgh defense. Lets see if Brett Favre can remain undefeated with the Minnesota Vikings.

Afternoon Games:

NEW YORK JETS AT OAKLAND RAIDERS:
The Raiders won last week! Finally. QB Jamarcus Russell actually looked like he knew what was he was doing and the Raiders Defense held the Eagles offense to 3 field goals and no TDs. Super Villain Rex Ryan and Rookie QB Mark Sanchez have lost 3 in a row after winning the first 3 games of the season. This game will show if Jamarcus Russell had a fluke game last week or he is starting to live up to the hype. We’ll see if Rookie Coach and Rookie QB can lead the jets to a win after 3 tough losses. Should be an interesting game.

CHICAGO BEARS AT CINNCINATI BENGALS:
Both of these teams lost last week and are looking to bounce back this Sunday. Bengals RB Cedric Benson is having a surprisingly great season after having 3 awful seasons in Chicago. Benson will be looking to have a big game to prove that his old team made a mistake letting him go. Chicago defense will be looking to prove him wrong. Gay Butler/Jay Cutler just signed a 2 year $30 million contract extension so he will be looking to show the Chicago bears execs that he is worth it. These two teams are going to be playing hard on Sunday.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS:
These are just two very fun teams to watch. Saints QB Drew Brees is playing unbelievable football. Miami’s Wildcat offense is still very effective. The Saints will most likely win and stay undefeated but this will still be a great game to watch just for the exciting offenses.

Sunday Night:

ARIZONA CARDINALS AT NEW YORK GIANTS:
Cardinals QB Kurt Warner was the Giants starting QB when Eli Manning was drafted. He got benched halfway through the season so Eli could take over the team. Eli took the Giants to the superbowl a few years later and Kurt Warner took the Cardinals to the superbowl last year. Both teams really want this win, especially NY after losing so badly to the Saints last week. Another great game lined up for Sunday night.

And that's it for now. Until tomorrow!

Week 6: What Happened?

So did we all see the first super snowy game of the season? What fun! Here we go with the recap:

Morning Games: (the team in RED is the team that won)

HOUSTON TEXANS AT CINNCINNATI BENGALS:
The Houston Texans got a much needed win after a tough loss to Arizona last week. Texans QB Matt Schaub had another huge game passing for 4 TDs and wide receiver Andre Johnson did great too. On the Bengals, QB Carson Palmer had less of an outstanding game along with Chad "My favorite number is 85 so I just went and changed my name" Ochocinco who had over 100 yards receiving but no TDs. This ended the Bengals 4 game winning streak and showed that their defense can be beaten if you simply throw the ball over their heads (meaning that a "pass heavy" offense seemed to work against them).

What to say to a dude:
"Do you think Carson Palmer will start declining towards the second half of the season like all of the experts predict?" Or "I think Andre Johnson is the best receiver in football, do you think anybody else is better this season?"

BALTIMORE RAVENS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS:
Well Brett Favre did it again. This game was a 20-10 game in favor of the Vikings going into the 4th quarter. Favre threw another TD pass to bring the game to 27-10 and it looked like the game was over. The Ravens scored a quick TD to bring the game to 27-17, the Vikings kicked a field goal to make the score 30-17--again we all thought it was over--but the Ravens scored 2 more TDs to take the lead 30-31 with only 3 and a half minutes left. Brett Favre proceeded to march his team down the field and the Vikings kicked a field goal with less than 2 minutes left. The Ravens had one more chance with the ball and had a 44 yard field goal opportunity with 2 seconds left but the kicker missed it giving Brett Favre and the Vikings another last minute win keeping their undefeated season alive. This is the first time Favre has gone this deep into the season being undefeated. He also seemed quite happy, frolicking amongst his teammates with a grin from ear to ear.

What to say to a dude:
"Do you think Brett Favre can last all season or is his arm going to start to have issues like last season when he was on the Jets?"

NEW YORK GIANTS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS:
It appears that the Saints are the real deal. Their defense shut down a very good NY Giants offense and their offense really gave a beating to a tough Giants defense. Saints QB Drew Brees was back in form throwing 4 TDs to 4 different players. The saints also had 3 rushing TDs, one of them by Kim Kardashian's BF, Reggie Bush. The Saints remain undefeated but have a tough road ahead playing Miami and Atlanta . Eli Manning (Payton's bro) only had 1 TD and also threw an interception….not a good game for baby brother.

What to say to a dude:
"Drew Brees is back to his old form after the bye week. Do you think he’ll be MVP this year?" Or, "Are the Saints the best undefeated team in the NFL or do you think the Colts or Vikings are better?"

Afternoon Games:
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS:
This was a terrible game for Seattle who after putting up 40+ points only put up 3 points against a pretty weak Arizona defense. AZ WR Larry Fitzgerald had 13 catches for 100 yards and a TD. This was a good game for AZ fans, not so good for Seattle fans.

What to say to a dude:
"Seattle is so streaky that I don’t think they’ll be able to win the NFC West division."

TENNESSEE TITANS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS:
The snow was falling hard during this game and the mighty Titans were falling even harder (cheesy but true). New England Beat the Titans 59-0. Did you read that? FIFTY-NINE to ZERO. Patriots had the biggest half time lead in league history of 45-0 and the final score was the largest margin of victory since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. (More on that this week) Tom Brady threw 5 TD passes in the second quarter (another NFL record) and threw 6 TDs total in the game. The Titans had -7 (yes, that's negative seven) yards passing the entire game. This is an incredibly painful loss for the Titans who are now 0-6. I bet the Lions don't feel so bad now. The one ray of hope is that Titans RB Chris Johnson had a good day rushing with over 100 yards….no TDs though. Big win for New England, big loss for Tennessee.

What to say to a dude:
Just start quoting all of the records set in this game (above).

Night Game:
CHICAGO BEARS AT ATLANTA FALCONS:
Jay Cutler had a decent day of passing but threw 2 interceptions. Those turnovers along with RB Matt Forte’s two fumbles pretty much cost the Bears the game. Atlanta didn’t have a great game but came away with the win due to Chicago’s 4 turnovers compared to their two turnovers. Atlanta scored a TD with a little over 3 minutes left in the game to take the lead 21-14 and Chicago just couldn't match it. This was one of the less exciting primetime games we’ve had this season but still a good game to watch for football fans.

What to say to a dude:
"I’m not sure Jay Cutler was worth everything that the Bears gave up to get him, especially seeing how well Kyle Orton is playing for the Broncos." Or "The Bears are not the same team without Linebacker Brian Urlacher. Too bad he's out for the season."

And that's all for now!