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Championship Sunday Picks

2011-01-23T08:34:00.001-05:00

This is the most exciting weekend in the NFL. You have the four best teams going at it for the ultimate prize...a trip to the Super Bowl. The two games this weekend ought to be great.

Green Bay (-3) @ Chicago
Aaron Rodgers is looking like the second coming of Joe Montana and everyone's riding the Packers wave through this game and into Dallas. I say, not so fast. This will not be a walkaway. Jay Cutler is playing the best football of his life and the Bears defense isn't going to lay down like Atlanta and Philly did. Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher are going to have a say on how many points Green Bay will score. After all my bragging about Chicago, I'm still not sold on this game. The Packers defense will give Cutler fits as well and I see this as a relatively low scoring contest. I'm taking the Packers, only because Vegas is ALWAYS right on Championship Sunday but I'm still not truly sold on my prediction.

Green Bay 17 Chicago 14

Jets (+3) @ Steelers
I really like the way the Jets have been playing the last two weeks and they have all the swagger in the world right now. Sanchez is making good decisions, the line is blocking for the run game, and the defense looks solid. However, you can fake swagger all you want...you can't fake competence. Going into Indy, and winning. Going into Foxboro, and winning. And now going into Pittsburgh...and winning? I don't think so, the stars don't line up like that too often. Pittsburgh is no joke. Roethlisberger and his running game are ok, but the defense is spectacular. This might fare bad for the Jets but I've been wrong before.

Jets 10 Steelers 21

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McDaniels lands in The Lou.

2011-01-18T18:44:00.001-05:00

Josh McDaniels will be Sam Bradford's new mentor after all. The Rams hired McDaniels as offensive coordinator, team and league sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Earlier Tuesday, sources said a significant snag in negotiations between the Rams and McDaniels had led the team to broaden its search to include coaches with West Coast-system roots in which Bradford excelled during his rookie season.

McDaniels will replace Pat Shurmur, who was hired as head coach of the Cleveland Browns last week. After two days of negotiations failed to a produce a deal, talks between the Rams and McDaniels resumed later Tuesday.

McDaniels was fired as the Broncos' head coach on Dec. 6 after a rocky year-plus tenure in Denver. However, Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton flourished under McDaniels' tutelage, reaching career-highs in yards, touchdowns and passer ratings over two seasons.

Bradford passed for 3,512 yards and threw 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in his rookie season and is expected to be name the NFL's rookie of the year.

McDaniels also oversaw Tom Brady and current Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel while on New England's staff.

After Seattle fired offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates on Tuesday, McDaniels name surfaced in connection with that opening. The Rams even went through league channels Tuesday morning to request interviews with coaches including Bill Musgrave of the Falcons and Darrell Bevell of the Vikings. Musgrave is the assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach in Atlanta and Bevell has been in limbo as the offensive coordinator in Minnesota.

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Jim Mora to Denver?

2011-01-18T08:27:00.001-05:00

If the Eagles plan to make a play for Jim Mora (Not the "PLAYOFFS?!?!" Jim Mora, his son) as the franchise’s next defensive coordinator, they’d be wise to do so very soon...Like now.

Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post reports that Mora is close to becoming the next defensive coordinator of the Broncos. Mora served as head coach of the Seahawks in 2009, after two seasons as an assistant under Mike Holmgren. Before that, Mora spent three years as head coach of the Falcons.

Per the Post, Mora nearly became defensive coordinator of the Panthers under new Broncos coach John Fox in 2003, after Jack Del Rio was hired out of the position to become head coach of the Jaguars. It would be Mora’s first stint in the AFC since he spent seven seasons with the Chargers, from 1985 through 1991.

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Plaxico talks already

2011-01-18T08:24:00.001-05:00

Receiver Plaxico Burress is a free agent. Until June, however, he’s not free.

When his prison term ends, one team that has been trying to upgrade the receiver position could be interested. The Ravens. “I don’t know Plaxico Burress at all, I’ve never met him, but we’d consider him,” coach John Harbaugh said Monday, per NFL.com. “We’d consider anybody. It just depends on where he’s at. I’d like to find out what kind of person he is, to see where he’s really at in his life.”

Burress went to jail in 2009 after pleading guilty to charges arising from carrying a loaded weapon into a Manhattan nightclub. The gun went off, shooting Burress through the leg. Last year, the Ravens traded for Anquan Boldin in the offseason, and they landed T.J. Houshmandzadeh after he was dumped by the Seahawks in the final preseason roster cuts. But Boldin was invisible for long stretches of Saturday night’s game, and Houshmandzadeh dropped a pass that would have extended a potential game-tying drive.

Though Burress, if he still can play after two years away from the field, would be an upgrade, the Ravens still need a consistent deep threat that can stretch the field and draw double coverage. Burress would be great along the sidelines or in the back of the end zone, but to truly upgrade, the Ravens may need to make a run at Terrell Owens or Randy Moss. Though no longer truly dominant, they provide more of a down-the-field presence than anyone currently on the Ravens’ roster.

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Daboll hired in Miami

2011-01-17T18:28:00.001-05:00

Brian Daboll certainly wasn’t the biggest name that the Miami Dolphins interviewed for their open offensive coordinator job, but he’s the one who will get the gig. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports that Daboll —the former Browns offensive coordinator under Eric Mangini —should be formally named to the job later Monday or Tuesday. Former Vikings head coach Brad Childress met the Dolphins about the job, as did Cowboys tight end coach John Garrett. Chargers tight end coach Rob Chudzinski was believed to be the favorite for the job. Daboll was well regarded from his time in New England and then under Eric Mangini with the Jets and Browns. Still, his Cleveland teams were among the league’s worst in yards and points in both of his seasons there. There is more talent in Miami to work with than Cleveland, but this isn’t a hire that makes me think the Dolphins’ offensive philosophy will change that much.

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Carolina hires McDermott to run defense

2011-01-17T18:27:00.001-05:00

Fired in Philadelphia after only two years on the job as defensive coordinator, Sean McDermott has landed in Carolina. McDermott won’t even have to take a step down in title, as he’ll be the defensive coordinator for the Panthers according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN. McDermott will have to take a step down in responsibility. Defensive-minded head coach Ron Rivera has said he’ll run the defense, so McDermott may not even be calling plays. There is great familiarity between the two men from the time they shared together under Jim Johnson in Philadelphia. Ron Meeks will stay in Carolina as secondary coach.

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Carolina names an offensive coordinator

2011-01-17T18:24:00.001-05:00

On the same afternoon the Panthers chose Sean McDermott as defensive coordinator, they have picked a leader for the offense and special teams too. Darin Gantt of the Charlotte Observer reports former Chargers tight end coach Rob Chudzinski will run the team’s offense. It’s a massive hire because new head coach Ron Rivera has only coached defense, and Carolina’s biggest problems certainly reside on offense. Chudzinski has been a premier tight ends coach and coached up an explosive Browns offense in 2007. When the bottom fell out of Derek Anderson in 2008, “Chud” was sent packing along with head coach Romeo Crennel. Gantt points out that Chudzinski replaces Jeff Davidson as offensive coordinator for a second time, having also displaced him in Cleveland. There are decent offensive pieces in Carolina starting with a solid offensive line and promising backfield, even if DeAngelo Williams leaves this year. The problem, as ever, is at quarterback. It’s hard to imagine Jimmy Clausen entering training camp as a presumptive starter. The team also hired former Vikings special teams coach Brian Murphy as special teams coordinator. The team will also retain Sam Mills III.

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Recap on the Divisional Playoffs

2011-01-17T08:29:00.001-05:00

Steelers 31 Ravens 24
This game went exactly as I suspected it would, except for the fact that the Ravens jumped out to a huge lead and decided not to show up for the second half.

The Ravens gave that game to Roethlisberger, and we all know that Big Ben isn't used to getting things handed to him, he usually just takes it.

After tons of sacks, turnovers, and lack of a rushing attack on both sides, this game was tied up with less than 2 minutes to go. Pittsburgh marched down the field and ran the ball in to the end zone with a little over a minute left. Baltimore got the ball back but was unable to convert a 4th and long conversion when TJ Whosyourmomma dropped a pass that would've kept Baltimore's drive alive.

Pittsburgh will play the Jets this Sunday to attempt to make their 3rd Super Bowl in 6 years. The Steelers beat the Seahawks and the Cardinals in their previous two trips.

Packers 48 Falcons 21
I'm finally ready to say that the Packers are for real. They dominated a very good Falcons team, in Atlanta. Something no one else has done this season. Aaron Rodgers looked like an elite NFL quarterback and made Atlanta's defense look non-existent. He will be this year's Drew Brees, the guy constantly compared to Manning and Brady. This game was over just before halftime when the Packers were leading 21-14 and Matty Slush threw a pick 6 to end the half while trying to get into better field goal position.

The Packers then went into cruise control and their defense denied everything Atlanta came with for the rest of the game.

Green Bay will be playing Chicago this Sunday for a chance to play in their 5th Super Bowl. They won the first two Super Bowls ever played in 1966 and 1967 defeating the Raiders and the Chiefs, then beat New England in 1996 and lost to Denver the following year.

Bears 35 Seahawks 24
This game went almost exactly as planned as well as the first game. The Bears jumped out to a quick 21-0 lead and never looked back.

Jay Cutler, in his first postseason game since high school, looked great against a terrible looking Seahawks defense. While Matt Hasselbeck had a difficult time trying to read a stingy Bears D.

The Bears led 35-10 with a little over 2:00 to go in the game when Seattle decided to showcase their two minute offense and scored 14 quick points in garbage time. Chicago plays Green Bay on Sunday attempting to make their 3rd Super Bowl. They completely obliterated the Patriots in '85 and lost to the Colts in 2006.

Jets 28 Patriots 21
This was by far the most anticipated and best game of the weekend. There was more trash talking before this game than a garbage disposal could handle.

In what was expected to be a high scoring game, 32 of the 49 total points were scored in the last 15:13 of the game and 17 points were scored I'm the last 2:00.

This game started off slow with defenses and turnovers dominating and the Jets took a 14-3 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.

Brady connected with Deion Branch with :13 left in the 3rd quarter and converted the 2-point conversion to make it 14-11. The Jets matched right back and scored a touchdown for a 10 point lead.

The Patriots then fooled everyone, including themselves by running the ball over and over and allowing the clock to tick down before missing a 4th down conversion with a little over 4 minutes left. The Patriots retained the ball later and kicked a field goal to make it a 7 point game with underachievers 2:00 to go. Shonne Green then ran the ball in to put the nail in the coffin. A crazy celebration followed, including Jets coach Rex Ryan joining the team in the end zone for the personal foul celebration. The Patriots got the ball back and scored another touchdown in garbage time but the game was ultimately over.

The Jets will play the Steelers Sunday for a chance to play in heir second Super Bowl. New York defeated the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.

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Brad Childress favorite in Miami

2011-01-15T11:36:00.001-05:00

The Miami Dolphins are very interested in former Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress for their Offensive Coordinator position.

I think this could be a great move for Miami and it opens the door for a possible trade for Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb. Childress has always been a fan of McNabb's and has openly suggested that he would like him on his team. This could be huge for Miami and would definitely answer their quarterback problem. Their defense is still suspect, but having McNabb, Marshall, Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams gives them the potential to put points on the board.

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Divisional Round Picks

2011-01-15T08:03:00.001-05:00

Here are my picks for the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Ravens (+3.5) @ Steelers
This is going to be a great game. Both defenses are fantastic and both quarterbacks can think on their feet. I think the running game is going to take full affect early and late however. There will be one or two big plays to keep both teams in it, but this game should be determined ultimately by a field goal.

Steelers 27 Ravens 24

Packers (+2) @ Falcons
All year I've been picking against Atlanta at home and losing. Not this time. The Falcons D is much better than advertised and their running game will slash through an overrated Green Bay squad. The Packers are America's favorite team right now...not mine. I think Atlanta is going to take this one by a touchdown.

Falcons 38 Packers 31

Seahawks (+10) @ Bears
The Bears Are another team that doesn't look particularly good on paper but they just keep winning games. This one ought to be a walk away. The Seahawks lookers great last week but they were playing at home against a very susceptible defense...not this time. Chicago's D will hold them until garbage time.

Bears 30 Seahawks 20

Jets (-9) @ Patriots
After all the smack talking this week, they actually have to play the game. Antonio Cromartie wants to f*** Tom Brady (as if he doesn't have enough kids himself) and Wes Welker is definitely aware of Rex Ryan's foot fetish. The bottom line is, the a Patriots are a MUCH better team than the Jets at just about every position on the field. And I'm sure Belicheck is going to put it on Ryan's boys.

Patriots 48 Jets 21

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John Fox named Head Coach in Denver

2011-01-14T08:10:00.001-05:00

The Denver Broncos have named the former Carolina Panthers head coach to the same position. Fox will be reunited with his former Offensive Coordinator, Mike McCoy. Fox, being a defensive minded coach, should help to turn around Denver's D. Personally I'm a little surprised that owner, Pat Bowlen, wants to keep McCoy. Denver's offense had many struggles this year, and Tim Tebow needs a little help in becoming a good NFL quarterback. I'm not sure McCoy is the man to do that.

All in all, the AFC West is very weak and this will help them become contenders. I just don't think they will have enough offensive fire power to compete for a championship.

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Pat Shurmer leading candidate for HC job in Cleveland

2011-01-13T10:07:00.001-05:00

Rams Offensive Coordinator, Pat Shurmer has emerged as the leading candidate for the Cleveland Browns head coaching position. The Browns are also looking at former Pittsburgh Panthers coach, Dave Wannstedt, for their defensive coordinator position.

I think both of these hires would be good for the team. Pat Shurmer has done a very good job with a weak Rams offense and made QB Sam Bradford a great ROY candidate. I think he can help Colt McCoy form into a legitimate NFL quarterback and get Cleveland's offense back on track.

Wannstedt has tons of NFL head coaching experience, most recently with the Bears and Dolphins. Coming back to a defensive coordinator in the NFL would be great for him and the Browns.

All in all, this works out well for Cleveland if everything works out. Their only problem is, they still play in the AFC North, one of the toughest divisions in the NFL.

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Iowa's Sash to enter draft

2011-01-12T18:29:00.001-05:00

Iowa safety Taylor Sash will declare for the NFL Draft. Sash had 15 picks and 216 tackles in 3 years as a Hawkeye. I assume he'll go in the second round and it wouldn't surprise me if the Colts pick him up. They love those Iowa guys and they're desperate for Safety help.

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CarGo gets huge deal...is it deserved?

2011-01-12T08:32:00.001-05:00

Carlos Gonzalez became the least experienced player in baseball history to receive such a lengthy and lucrative deal (seven-year, $80.5 million contract), according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, a website that tracks MLB contracts.

The 25-year-old has played in 319 big-league games through parts of three seasons. The good news for Rockies fans is that Mr. Gonzalez is in excellent company. Previously, the least experienced player to sign a deal of at least seven years and $70 million was Chase Utley. He inked a seven-year, $85 million deal after playing 444 games. Likewise, Albert Pujols played 475 games before earning a seven-year, $100 million extension in 2004.

Other teams in recent years have locked their budding stars into long-term contracts, but paid significantly less. The Brewers gave Ryan Braun an eight-year contract in his second season, but will pay $45 million. The Rays took a similar approach with Evan Longoria, signing him to an option-laden deal during his rookie campaign that tops at nine years, $44.5 million.

In my opinion, a 7 year deal is a bit long. Outfielders come a dime a dozen and he only had ONE good year. I understand that he's young and winning a gold glove and silver slugger award looks great on a resume but to compare, Matt Kemp has the same awards with productive numbers in more than a single season. However, I don't see the Dodgers giving Kemp $11 mil a year for nearly a decade. I thinking Colorado needed to sign him and maybe this was the going market for him but he peaked at a convenient time and his upside is limited.

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UCONN reportedly working out deal with Mark Whipple

2011-01-11T20:07:00.001-05:00

UCONN is expected to name Mark Whipple their new head coach sometime this week. Whipple was the Offensive Coordinator at the University of Miami and was relieved of his duties when new Head Coach, Al Golden came in.

My view: I feel that UCONN could have acquires a better coach than Whipple. Mike Edsall was a very good coach, And although their record was weak, they did win the Big East. Whipple had problems getting the offense of the Hurricanes rolling at times, especially in the red zone. Miami had a top 20 recruiting class consistently with solid offensive weapons, and Whipple had problems getting them to score points.

I think that ultimately this is a bad deal for UCONN, and I don't see them improving much on their 7-5 record from this year.

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2011-01-11T19:01:00.001-05:00

The Detroit Tigers and free-agent right-hander Brad Penny have agreed to a one-year deal worth $3 million, plus $3 million in incentives, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

Penny, 32, is recovering from an upper-back injury that limited him to just nine starts in 2009. He went on the disabled list in late May, but at the time, it was believed to be a minor injury.

He was 3-4 with a 3.23 ERA after signing a one-year, $7.5 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals last offseason. The previous season, Penny started 30 games for Boston and San Francisco.

If healthy and effective, Penny could provide a boost to a Detroit rotation that also includes Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.

The Tigers have been busy this offseason as they try to improve on last year's 81-81 record. Detroit also has added catcher Victor Martinez and reliever Joaquin Benoit.

Penny began his career with Florida in 2000, when Dave Dombrowski was an executive for the Marlins. Dombrowski is now Detroit's general manager. Penny helped the Marlins to a World Series title in 2003, then eventually ended up in Los Angeles, where he was an All-Star in 2006 and 2007, winning a career-high 16 games each of those two seasons.

Penny went 16-4 with a 3.03 ERA in 2007, finishing third in voting for the National League Cy Young Award. He has struggled to regain that form.

Penny was bothered by shoulder problems in 2008, and he was ineffective in a brief stint in the AL with Boston in 2009, going 7-8 with a 5.61 ERA. The Red Sox ended up releasing him in the middle of the season, but he caught on with the Giants and pitched well for them down the stretch.

Penny won his first three decisions with the Cardinals last year, allowing only three earned runs through his first four starts. He began having problems again soon after that, and he was pulled before the fourth inning of his last start May 21 before going on the disabled list.

My take: this is a little risky for $3 million. However, if he makes his incentives, it could be well worth the $6 million. He's EXTREMELY injury prone and I feel that his injuries have hampered his mechanics. If he can stay healthy, get his velocity back, and control the ball, he'll be a good 4 or 5 starter for Detroit.

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Michigan names Brady Hoke head coach

2011-01-11T18:52:00.001-05:00

I think this is a pretty good pickup for a Michigan football team that's finding it rather difficult to get a big name coach in town.

Hoke worked wonders at Ball State, taking them to a 12-1 record in 2008 and brought San Diego State to a 9-4 record last year after they were under. 500 for years.

Michigan was dead set against going after a guy without ties to the program, talking to Jim Harbaugh and Les Miles and being declined by both. Hoke is a great third option and, in my mind the talent level dropped immensely after him.

Grade: B+

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Thoughts on Auburn's National Championship

2011-01-11T07:42:00.000-05:00

Now that Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers have won the National Championship, and I've been able to get a (half) nights sleep, I'll give my opinion on what this means for all parties involved. Speculation shall begin on what the future holds for both Auburn and Newton, my assumption is that they won't follow the same path, maybe the same success (or lack thereof) but they won't be together much longer.

It seems like a sure bet to me that Newton will declare for the NFL draft sometime in the next month or so. He's going to have to take a pay cut from what Auburn's paying him, partially because there's a new rookie cap on draft picks beginning this year, and partially because he's not going to be drafted that high anyhow. I project him as a late first/early second round pick. He'll be a decent fit for very few teams but the fact that he didn't play in a pro style offense and he's DEFINITELY not a pro style quarterback is going to make a lot of teams think twice about drafting a guy that's going to have to sit and learn for at least two seasons before he's ready for real action, and that's not even bringing up the fact that he's got more off-field issues than the entire Cincinnati Bengals team alone.

As far as the Auburn team goes, Chizik seems to have done an incredible job with this team in only his second season, but you can put most of this teams success squarely on the shoulders of Newton. Michael Dyer will be a silver lining seeing as he gained over 1200 yards as a Freshman and will stick around but Newton was the teams leading passer AND rusher this season and there really isn't a solution for when he enters the draft. The fact that they have to compete in the SEC doesn't fair in their favor either.

The biggest problem for Auburn will be when the NCAA finds that Newton was ineligible this season by taking money from the school. This will, I repeat, THIS WILL happen. Auburn will lose the designation of this year's National Champions and more importantly, they will lose TONS of scholarships, which we all know means years and years of mediocreness.

So, with all that said, Tiger fans shall celebrate until camp begins and try not to think about the future. Congratulations, you were the best team this year but don't hold your breath for another Championship anytime soon.

Game Over!

2011-01-11T00:11:00.000-05:00

Auburn kicks the field goal with :00 on the clock and they are now National Champions! Congratulations. War Eagle. Thanks for your readership. I'm out!

2011-01-11T00:09:00.000-05:00

A timeout. During the TO, Auburn decides to go for the TD. Newton and the offense are on the field. They don't get in, and now the field goal unit is trotting out. Results to follow...

2011-01-11T00:08:00.000-05:00

The ball IS spotted at the 1, Auburn decides to kick the field goal...and it's...

2011-01-11T00:07:00.000-05:00

Looks like the ball will be spotted at the 1. What should Auburn do? Go for the TD or kick the Field Goal?

2011-01-11T00:04:00.000-05:00

All Auburn has to do is center the ball, and Michael Dyer says forget about it. He runs it in for a game winning TD if the ball broke the plan, it's under review.

2011-01-10T23:59:00.000-05:00

Amazing run by Michael Dyer there. Awareness is key.

2011-01-10T23:57:00.000-05:00

And the 2 point conversion is good! Deadlocked at 19 with 2:33 to play. Cam Newton will get the ball back here. Can he win it for them? Let's see if he can earn that Heisman.