Happy New Year!

What a year it has been in the NFL.  It seems so distant now, but six months ago we were panicking about the NFL lockout.  Fans were on pins and needles hoping that NFL owners and players would reach an agreement so that America could have its favorite sport.  Fortunately, for fans, sports bars, chicken farms and pizza companies, a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was reached and not one down of professional football was missed.

The lockout ended just around the time training camps usually start.  Teams rushed to sign rookie contracts, get players to practice and bolster their rosters with free agents.  The Philadelphia Eagles shocked everyone by signing four pro-bowl defensive players.  Nnamdi Asomugha (cornerback), Jason Babin (defensive end), Cullen Jenkins (defensive tackle), and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (cornerback) all became Eagles within three days of each other.

The Eagles offense led by Michael Vick was fast and exciting in 2010.  They put up points and made it to the playoffs.  The defense on the other hand needed some help.  Especially against teams that pass a lot.  With some impressive additions to the secondary and Vick healthy, I thought that Philadelphia would make the playoffs and end up representing the NFC in Super Bowl XLVI.  You know, defense wins championships. 

Sticking with the fact that defense wins championships, I picked the New York Jets to win the AFC and play in the Super Bowl.  With 10 starters returning on defense and cornerback Darrelle Revis not holding out this year, I was sure that this would be the year for the Jets.   

Neither the Eagles nor the Jets made the playoffs.  Both teams finished the season at .500, winning only half of their games.  It was disappointing to see Philadelphia come in third in the NFC East, but there is reason to be hopeful.   In December, the defense started to look like the strong unit that I expected to see all season.  Unfortunately, for the Jets things are gloom.  Their young quarterback, Mark Sanchez, really struggled.  He was finished the season fourth in interceptions (18) thrown this season. 

The road to Indy for Super Bowl XLVI gets tough this weekend when the NFL playoffs start.  Here are the contenders.

AFC

No. 1 New England Patriots (13 – 3)

No. 2 Baltimore Ravens (12 – 4)

No. 3 Houston Texans (10 – 6)

No. 4 Denver Broncos (8 – 8)

No. 5 Pittsburgh Steelers (12 – 4)

No. 6 Cincinnati Bengals (9-7)

NFC

No. 1 Green Bay Packers (15 – 1)

No. 2 San Francisco 49ers (13 – 3)

No. 3 New Orleans Saints (13 – 3)

No. 4 New York Giants (9 – 7)

No. 5 Atlanta Falcons (10 – 6)

No. 6 Detroit Lions (10 – 6)

Get dates and times for NFL playoff games.

The teams to beat are the Patriots and the Packers.  The Patriots are first in the AFC without a deep threat wide receiver.  Tom Brady has been manhandling defenses using two tight ends.  You have to be scared of the Packers because of their depth.  Anything can happen during the playoffs.  Green Bay’s backup quarterback, Matt Flynn, put up 480 yards and 6 touchdown passes in the team’s final game of the season. 

The other team that you have to watch is the San Francisco 49ers.  Jim Harbaugh has done a great job coaching this team.  They are prepared and run the ball well, which will help them use the clock during the playoffs.  If anyone can sneak passed the Packers, it will be the 49ers.

Ciao!

Heels & Helmets

Eagles v. Jets is like Man v. Nature

The Philadelphia Eagles playing the New York Jets at home was like an episode of “Man vs. Nature.”  Man is smart, but you know what happens every time he truly encounters nature?  A natural disaster.

That is exactly what happened yesterday.  The Jets’ came flying in to The Linc with their man-made engines and wings hoping to improve their playoff chances.  Unfortunately, for Jets fans the speed and power of Rex Ryan’s team was simply no match for what nature unleashed on the gridiron in South Philadelphia. 

The Eagles with its natural wings spanning 90 inches soared high and controlled both sides of the ball.  On defense, fumbles and interceptions led to 21 points putting Philadelphia up 28 – 0 in the second quarter.  Like an American Bald Eagle, Michael Vick’s vision of the field was sharp.  He made good decisions on passing and running the ball.  He rushed and scored one touchdown by stretching into the end zone.

Man attempted a valiant attempt to come back, but after halftime it was over.  There was nothing the Jets could do to stop the Eagles.  They kept the Jets offense off of the field and ran up the score.  At the end it was all nature and the Eagles wiped out the Jets 45 – 19.  Yes, a natural disaster. 

Ciao!

Heels & Helmets®

Half-season review of my Super Bowl picks

After tonight’s Monday Night Football game each team in the NFL will have played at least eight games.  The regular season is 17 weeks long.  Each team plays 16 weeks and has one week without a game called a “bye week.”  So, we are officially halfway through the regular season.   Since we are at the middle of the season, I thought that I would take a look at my Super Bowl picks and see how they are doing.

I selected the New York Jets to win the AFC.  With 10 starters returning, I thought that defense would lead them out of the regular season and past the tough quarterbacks in the AFC.  After Week 2, things looked gloom for the Jets.  They went three consecutive weeks without a victory; suffering losses to the Oakland Raiders, Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots.  At the moment, the Jets are tied with the Patriots and Buffalo Bills for first in the AFC East.  They beat the Bills yesterday and have to play them again in three weeks.  Next Sunday they have a big game against New England.  This is a must win because they lost to them earlier this year.  The Jets can still win their division.  To accomplish that and get to the Super Bowl, Mark Sanchez needs to be accurate and the defense has to dominate.

For the NFC, I thought that the Philadelphia Eagles would run away with the conference championship.  It has been a disappointing first half.  After winning their season opener, they did not win other game until Week 6.  The offense has looked lackluster and the defense has appeared confused.  Things are now starting to click for the Eagles.  Star cornerback, Nnamdi Asomugha is adjusting to his role and had a key interception against the Dallas Cowboys last week.  The Eagles are in the inconsistent NFC East.  There is not a clear leader.  Philadelphia has only won three games, but a win tonight will put them at a tie for second in the NFC East.  For Philadelphia to get passed the undefeated Green Bay Packers, they need Michael Vick healthy and the defense focused. 

It has been a rocky road for my picks, but I am going to stay with them.

Ciao! 

Heels & Helmets

Destination: Super Bowl XLVI

The NFL 2011 Season is finally here!  The preseason is over.  Now every down counts.  Each inch is crucial.  It’s time to back up all of the trash talking.  All eyes are focused on Indianapolis, Indiana, the host of Super Bowl XLVI.  Who will get there?  Who will hoist up The Lombardi Trophy?

The AFC has their usual team leaders who will contend for the conference championship.  New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets will all make the playoffs again.  The Indianapolis Colts is not on this list because I think Colts QB, Peyton Manning’s neck injury will cause their offense to suffer.  I think that the Jets will make it back to the AFC Championship for the third year in a row and win it this time.  The offense will start slow.  QB, Mark Sanchez still has Santonio Holmes, but the other receivers are older and new to the team.  Once wide receivers Plaxico Burress (34 years old) and Derrick Mason (37 years old) get comfortable, their experience will help the offense.  The star unit is the defense.  The Jets returned 10 of their starters on defense.  These players know the defense and what needs to be done to take down Tom Brady (Patriots QB) and Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers QB).  Last year Jets cornerback, Darrelle Revis was only productive half of the season.  This year he prepared with his team during training camp and will start the season healthy.

The NFC is going to be really competitive.  The last two Super Bowl winners came from this conference.   The Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints were the champions in 2011 and 2010 respectively.  Both of these teams will compete for the NFC Championship, but I think that the Philadelphia Eagles will win the conference title.  The Eagles are good on both sides of the ball.  The offense is led by QB Michael Vick.  Everyone is concerned about the Eagles offensive line.  It is an issue because Vick needs to be protected to stay healthy, but I don’t think that it will stop him from having a great season.  On defense, the Eagles have the best secondary, not just in the conference, but the NFL.  Eagles cornerbacks, Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Asante Samuel will throw a wrench in every team’s passing game.

I picked teams with powerful defenses to go to the Super Bowl.  The Jets have continuity and the Eagles have talent and speed.   I am predicting the Eagles to win Super Bowl XLVI.  This isn’t because of the dream team chatter.  Here are three reasons why.

1.     Defense was a problem for the Eagles last year and they clearly solved it. 

2.     Michael Vick is not only back; he is focused.  After the first preseason game, he commented, "I went back and looked at film by myself in the offseason and a majority of the time last year Brent was open and I failed to throw to him because I was focused on DeSean and Jeremy."  

3.     The Eagles swooped in out of nowhere and signed Asomugha.  They have some other tricks up their sleeves.

The season kicks off this Thursday at 8:30 pm when the Green Bay Packers host the New Orleans Saints.  Some people think that this is a preview of the NFC Championship game.  I think we will see one of the teams that will face Philadelphia in that game.

Ciao! 

Heels & Helmets

NFL Conference Championships are set!

Next weekend is Conference Championship Sunday.  The Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers are just one game away from playing in Super Bowl XLV.  Chicago will host Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game and Pittsburgh will host New York in the AFC Championship Game.

I am going to recap the Divisional Playoffs to show how each team got there. 

Green Bay traveled to the Georgia Dome and shocked the Atlanta Falcons.  Aaron Rodgers  I was really shocked to see him comfortable moving out of the pocket.  He had 366 passing yards total without any interceptions.  This coupled with a dominating performance from the defense that got 5 sacks and two interceptions (one was a touchdown) resulted in the Packers 48 – 21 victory over Atlanta and a trip to the NFC Championship Game.  This is what happens when you have a hungry offense and experienced defense.  To get to the Super Bowl Rodgers will have to stay focused and accurate. threw 3 touchdown passes and ran for one touchdown.

In the other NFC divisional game, the Seattle Seahawks’ luck ran out in Soldier Field.  Yes, I said luck.  They were lucky to win a division by only winning seven games.  They were lucky to enter the playoffs with home-field advantage.  They were lucky that the Saints did not take them serious.  Yesterday it was clear from the beginning that the Seahawks were just out of their league, or should I say division.  The defense could not stop Jay Cutler who threw two touchdowns and scored two touchdowns running.   Chicago won, 35 – 24.  Now they will stay at home to host their archrival, Packers, in the NCF Championship Game.  To earn a trip to Dallas, Cutler will need to stay on his feet and the Bears will need to protect the football.

In the AFC, Baltimore disappointed their fans and surprised me.  They started the game controlling both sides of the line of scrimmage.  The offense and the defense made big plays.  The funniest touchdown came from Cory Redding returning a fumble that all of the other guys thought was an incomplete pass.  I’m still dumfounded by all of those guys standing around waiting for the whistle to be blown.  Anyway, by halftime the Ravens were up 21 – 7, but after halftime it was the Steelers game.  The Steelers defense only allowed Baltimore to get a field goal, while Ben “Big Ben” Roethlisberger got the offense going enough to get three touchdowns.  They won, 31 – 24 and will host the AFC Championship Game.  To win next week, they will need to do what they did during the second-half the entire game. 

The other AFC matchup featured the team with the league’s best record getting embarrassed at home.  The New England Patriots could not do anything against the New York Jets.  A team that is known for being well-coached looked completely unprepared and made a ton of mistakes.  Tom Brady could not get the offense going, threw his first interception since October and special teams seemed confused.  The Patriot defense could not stop the Jets in the air or on the ground.  The Jets defense really exposed Brady’s weakness.  He is not comfortable leaving the pocket.  When he did not have a passing option, he didn’t move.  That is why he was sacked five times.  Mark Sanchez did a great job leading the offense.  Half of their touchdowns came from rushing and the other half came from passing.  The Jets backed up all of the trash talk that their coach, Rex Ryan, put out and beat the Patriots 28 – 21 on the road.  They are headed to Pittsburgh for the AFC Championship Game.  To compete for the Lombardi Trophy they will have to play just as good against another rival and not get cocky.  They had some bloopers yesterday that could have been costly.  Receivers in the same area and backs bumping into teammates can’t happen next week if they want to be successful.

So who will come out victorious on Conference Championship Sunday?  I say the visiting teams.  Green Bay Packers and the New York Jets.

Green Bay will beat Chicago and become NFC Conference Champions because of their defense.  Jay Cutler will not be able to survive five sacks and score the way he did against Seattle.  Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams will force turnovers that will lead to points.  The Packers will be packing for Dallas.

New York will overcome Pittsburgh to be AFC Conference Champions because of an explosive offense and tough defense.  I know Steelers defense is synonymous with tough, but they are not going to stop Shonn Green, L.T. (LaDainian Tomlinson), Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes.  Jets defense will be able to confuse the Steelers offense like they did against the Patriots.  Big Ben will not go down as easy as Brady did, but he will be forced to throw.  When he does, Antonio Cromartie and Darrelle Revis will be around to intercept.  The Jets are going to the Super Bowl.

The Conference Championships are Sunday on CBS and FOX. 

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears - Sunday, Jan. 23, 3:00 PM ET on FOX

New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers - Sunday, Jan. 23, 6:30 PM ET on CBS

Join us at Ulah Bistro, in Washington, DC for Conference Championship Sunday.  We’ll watch the end of the NFC Game and stay for the entire AFC Game.
Update: 1.20.11 @ 3:15 pm - We are no longer watching the game at Ulah Bistro.  We are going to watch the game with International Lifeline Fund and help them tackle filthy water and poverty in remote areas of Africa.

Are you ready for some football??? 

Ciao! 

Heels & Helmets®

Good teams find a way to win

Sink or swim!  (Clap, clap, clap)

Do or die!  (Clap, clap, clap)

Come on Tigers let’s break that tie!

That is a chant from my high school days cheering for the Muskegon Heights Tigers.  The games over the weekend reminded me of it.  There were some close games and several ties.  The good teams found a way to win and the bad teams loss.

College Weekend

For the first time this season, the top four teams remained intact.  In the BCS standings, Oregon #1, Auburn #2, TCU #3 and Boise State #4 all beat their opponents by 35 or more points.  Utah and Alabama can give up their hopes of playing in the championship game.  Utah suffered their first loss of the season (47 – 7) to TCU and dropped to #14.  Alabama went down six spots to #12 after receiving their second loss of the season in a close game with LSU.  A lot of people call this an upset.  I don’t.  I thought the game would be a battle between two good teams.  LSU loss a game last month, but it was to a very good Auburn team.  Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide loss to a South Carolina team that is now 6-3.   The scoring went back and forth and Les Miles coached his Tigers to a 24–21 victory.  The win elevated them from #10 to #5 in the BCS.   Stanford made the other big jump.  After beating Arizona 42-17, the Cardinals moved from #13 to #6.

Three games to follow on Saturday and why:

1. #24 Kansas State at #17 Missouri – Missouri is trying to prevent losing 3 in a row and stay #2 in the Big 12 North.

2. #19 Mississippi State at #12 Alabama – A Mississippi upset will officially put Alabama out of contention for the SEC West.  Unless something drastic happens Auburn and LSU are not going to lose three games.

3. #23 South Carolina at #22 Florida – Winner leads the SEC East.

Oh, one special note.  Congrats to Penn State Head Coach, Joe Paterno on his 400^th win!

NFL Week 9

In the NFL, overtime is played in sudden death.  The first team that scores in overtime wins the game.  15 minutes are put on the clock, but the game is only played until the first score.  I’m going to discuss the three games that went to overtime yesterday.

The New York Jets almost got their second loss in a row (third of the season) against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.  Shockingly the Jets with all its talent did not stop the inferior Lions until overtime.  Before getting to overtime, they capitalized on a poor decision.  With less than 3 minutes left in the game and the Lions up 20-17, Lions Head Coach Jim Schwartz decided to pass the ball.   When you are leading, you want to use as much time as you can.  Passing plays are quick, running plays take more time, so the smart thing would have been to run.  Especially, with only a three point lead against a team with the number of offensive weapons that the Jets have! From there, the Jets got a field goal and sent the game to overtime.  In overtime, Jets Head Coach, Rex Ryan, decided to run the team’s 2-minute offense.  (Special plays designed to score in the final two minutes of a quarter.)  It worked.  A little over two minutes later, the Jets kicked a field goal and the game was over.  New York Jets win 23 – 20.

Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings were a different team yesterday.  Well, considering that they let go of Randy Moss last week, they are truly a different team.  With less than 5 minutes left in the game, the Vikings were down by 14 points.  Favre got his team together and they scored two touchdowns to tie the game with 27 seconds left.  In overtime, the Vikings defense stopped Arizona from reaching field goal position.  Favre got the ball back and mixed some passes and runs by Adrian Peterson to put Minnesota in field goal position.  Minnesota wins 27-24.

The Oakland Raiders continued their winning streak.  Like the other two teams that were victorious after overtime, the Raiders were behind close to the end of the game.  With two minutes left in the game, Kansas City was up by 3 points.  Jason Campbell led the Raiders to get in field goal position.  They got the field goal and tied the game with only 3 seconds remaining in the game.  In overtime, Kansas City got the ball first, but did not score.  In just 3 plays, the Raiders got a field goal and the game was over.  Oakland wins 23 – 20.

It was not a tie game, but it was a MAJOR upset.  So, I have to tell you about.   The Cleveland Browns shocked everyone again when they beat the New England Patriots 34 -14.  A couple of weeks ago, they stunned the defending Super Bowl Champs, New Orleans Saints.  Returning from a bye week, they were rested and tore Bill Belichick’s Patriots to pieces.  This is a great win for Cleveland.  Maybe it will help them get over losing LeBron.

Are you ready for some football?

Tonight Monday Night Football heads to Paul Brown Stadium.  The Cincinnati Bengals will host the Pittsburgh Steelers.  This is a divisional conference battle.  If Pittsburgh wins, they will be tied for first with Baltimore in the AFC North.  If the Bengals win, they improve their record to 3-5 and tie for third in the division.  For Cincinnati, as Bengals receiver T.O. said, “This is not a must win.  It’s a gotsta win.”  I don’t think that is going to happen.  The Bengals have two of the best receivers playing right now, but you would never guess that looking at their record or the number of points they have put up this year.  I’m going with the Steelers.  Their defense will force Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer to make mistakes.

MNF is at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.  If you’re in DC, you can join us at Degrees in the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown. 

Ciao! 

Heels & Helmets®

The NFL FINALLY Got The Memo!

Ladies, it has been a very long time coming, but the NFL finally heard our plea – WE DON’T NEED PINK JERSEYS!  For years I could not figure out why sports leagues thought that I would spend my money on a big square cut jersey just because it was pink.  What organization tries to attract a specific audience by manufacturing something that they do not want and does not fit?  Furthermore, why would a business push something that is not truly their brand?  (Forgive me my background is in marketing, so I question these things.)  In a meeting about the Detroit Lions Team store, The Director of Retail Sales walked me through the layout of the store and explained the positioning of the ladies apparel to attract women.  The positioning was not the problem; the product was. 

Women never needed pink jerseys or hats.  We just needed them in our sizes and in styles that were flattering.  If you like the Cowboys, you never wanted to rock the star in pink, you wanted it in blue.  If you are like me, you probably had some tricks to represent your team and still look fly.  Mine was going to the little boys’ section.  While it was not a perfect fit, it was not down to my knees and gave me a closer resemblance of a lady. 

I’m happy to say that those days are over!  There is a NFL clothing line with items that actually fit us!  Not sure if it was because the NFL learned that we (ladies) now control 73% of household spending and own 2 out 3 new business.  Maybe it was the 18 million cracks Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential candidacy put in the glass ceiling of the White House.  I don’t know, but I am glad that they FINALLY got the memo!  Check out the NFL’s new clothing line at www.nfl.com/women and tell them that we sent you.  I’m sure you’ll be just as excited as I am!  While you are shopping, I found the hottest boots from Bebe to go with your new swag.  (Oh, they are giving cash back on your purchases.)   Let me know what you get.

College Weekend

The first BCS standing of the season is out.  Who is at the top?  Not a team from the SEC or the Big Ten.  Oklahoma (Big 12) and Oregon (PAC-10) are #1 and #2 respectively.  The Sooners and Ducks can’t get comfortable.  Auburn #4 and LSU #6 are not far behind.  They play each other this weekend.  The winner will be the last undefeated team in the competitive SEC. 

So where are the Ohio State Buckeyes?  After a disappointing loss to Wisconsin, they are at #10 behind Michigan State #7 the only undefeated team left in the Big Ten.  This was a huge loss for the Buckeyes because it gives the advantage to Michigan State.  Ohio State will not play Michigan State this season and the Spartans beat Wisconsin a few weeks ago.  So, if both teams have the same record at the end of the season and tie for the Big Ten title, the edge goes to MSU.  Iowa may disrupt all of that.  They play Ohio State and Michigan State and are undefeated in the conference.

We have to send prayers and well wished to Rutgers defensive tackle, Eric LeGrand.  He suffered a spinal-cord injury in the last quarter of Rutgers win over Army that left him paralyzed below the neck.

NFL Week 6

It was a weekend of returns in the NFL. 

Ben Roethlisberger returned to the game after a 4 game suspension.  The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns, 28 – 10.  The Steelers won without Big Ben and you can expect that they will be even better with him back on the field.

Deion Branch returned to his old team, the New England Patriots, and had his best game since his rookie year as a Patriot in 2002.  His nine catches helped New England win in overtime against the Baltimore Ravens 23 – 20.

Kevin Kolb returned as the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, playing for injured Michael Vick .  He looked strong in the Eagles impressive 31 – 17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.  Coach Andy Reid said that Vick was still his starting quarterback and that there was not a QB controversy in Philadelphia, but we have heard that before.

LaDainian Tomlinson continues to return his passes for touchdowns.  (San Diego must be sick seeing his stats.)  LT scored two touchdowns late in the game that pushed the New Yorks Jets on top of the Denver Broncos, 24 -20.  Broncos led most of the game, so some will say that Denver played better.  I picked the Jets to go to the Super Bowl this year, so I say comebacks and clutch time victories are what great teams do.  Let’s Go J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets, Jets!

Are you ready for some football?

Monday Night Football goes to Jacksonville tonight.  The Jacksonville Jaguars will host the Tennessee Titans.  Both teams have some fast running backs, Titan Chris Johnson and Jaguar Maurice Jones-Drew.  They are tied at 3-2 in the close AFC South.  The winner will join Houston and Indiana at 4 – 2.  I am going with Tennessee.  Jacksonville’s defense has allowed over 27 points per game.  I don’t think that this defense will stop Chris Johnson.

Ciao! 

Heels & Helmets

New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens at the top of the class

I can’t believe it.  The first quarter of the 2010 NFL Season is just about over.  You know what that means.  Quarter exams.  In Week 4 in the NFL, some teams passed their exams, some barely survived and others failed miserably. 

Top of the class.

The New York Jets are leading their division and LaDainian Tomlinson (LT) is running like he is in his twenties.  Buffalo did not have a chance against them yesterday.  The Jets won easily 38-14.  The Baltimore Ravens defense rallied and gave the Pittsburgh Steelers their first loss of the season.  Ray Lewis had an interception late in the game that sealed the Ravens 17-14 victory.  The Steelers were without their starting quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, but defense wins championships.

Just passing.

The Altanta Falcons barely beat the winless San Francisco 49ers, 16 -14.  The Washington Redskins won yesterday 17-12 against the Philadelphia Eagles (making Donovan McNabb’s return to Philadelphia pretty sweet), but the Eagles were without their new savior, Michael Vick.  The victory does not elevate them because they are in a division in which every team has loss twice.  The New Orleans Saints offense is struggling.  Luckily, they brought back 46 year old, John Carney, who made 3 field goals that put them 16 -14 over the Carolina Panthers.

Failing.

The Indianapolis Colts are not playing to their potential and have a disappointing record of 2-2.  The Chicago Bears only managed a field goal in a loss to the New York Giants.  The Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Carolina and San Francisco are looking forward to their first win of the season.

Incomplete.

Shockingly, Kansas City Chiefs is the only undefeated team left in the league.  Like the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they had a bye in Week 4.  These teams will finish up their first quarter next week.  If the Chiefs pull out a victory over Indiana, teams will start to take them seriously.

New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins play tonight on Monday Night Football.  Both teams have former Michigan quarterbacks as starters.  Tom Brady (Patriots) may teach the younger Chad Henne (Dolphins) a few things, but I don’t think that the Patriots defense will stop Ricky Williams, Ronnie Brown or Brandon Marshall.  I’m going with Miami to win and take second place in the AFC East.

In college football, Oregon moved to #3 in the rankings.  Boise State is still undefeated, but they already had a week off so they are only 4-0.  Even with an unblemished record, we may see Boise State move down again.  They do not have a challenging schedule.  So, if a team like Auburn or Nebraska beats a ranked opponent it will look more impressive than Boise pounding on San Jose State.

Alabama #1 dominated Florida #14 (they moved down from #7).  A week after they almost suffered a loss to Arkansas, the Crimson Tide rolled over the Gators and held them to just 6 points.   They only have 3 more ranked opponents on their schedule, Auburn #8, LSU #12 and South Carolina #19.  After this weekend’s game against South Carolina, they will not face any tough competition until November.

Ohio State #2 and Terrelle Pryor are still leading the Big Ten, but they made Buckeye fans worry on Saturday.  Although they won, they struggled against an unranked Illinois team.  Considering that Alabama crushed a top 10 team, it’s surprising to me that the Buckeyes still received a first place vote in both the Associated Press and USA Today polls.  

In other areas of the Big Ten, star quarterback, Denard Robinson, saved Michigan #18.  His 277 passing yards and 217 rushing yards are the reasons Michigan is still undefeated.  Michigan State #17 upset Wisconsin #20 adding more intensity to their match up against Michigan on Saturday.  The rivals will enter Michigan Stadium without a loss and battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy.  Paul has been away from Michigan for a couple of years.  After Saturday, he’ll back in his plush arrangements in Ann Arbor.  Am I biased? Of course.  Go Blue!

Ciao! 

Heels & Helmets

Vick is Back!

Week 2 in the NFL gives teams a second chance to impress fans.  Win, and fans believe they were just rusty last week.  Lose, and fans begin questioning when they are going to win.  Before I move into the highlights of the second week, I have to go back to Week 1 and Calvin Johnson’s touchdown. 

Last week, I shared the rule on a player going to the ground with a catch and noted that according to this rule, Johnson’s touchdown was incomplete.  After a reader blasted me for not being the critical thinker he has come to know through my blog, I had to revisit the play and the rule.  I will not say how many times I looked at the replay, but let’s just say if I were given a dollar for each time I reviewed it, we would all be getting Louboutins, heading to Nice and cruising the Mediterranean, ON ME!   

Anyway, after reviewing the play, the catch was a touchdown.  Again, the rule is:

If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.

I want to point out this part of the rule, “If he loses control of the ball.” Calvin Johnson never lost control of the ball.  He caught the ball with two hands and moved it to one hand, but he still had control of the ball.  (Think of it as a one-hand catch.)  The ball was not rolling around in his hand.  He had a tight grip on the ball and maintained control when his body hit the ground.  As a result, it was a touchdown.

Now on to NFL Week 2.  Some teams had a better second day at school.  Others you can expect are going to start using the old “the dog ate my homework” excuse.  

Becoming a star pupil  - Michael Vick, started as a NFL Quarterback for the first time since December 2006 when he was an Atlanta Falcon.  (He missed the entire 2007 and 2008 seasons because he was incarcerated for his involvement with dog fighting.)  Building on a solid performance last week of over 65% passing completions and 103 rushing yards against Green Bay, the former pro bowler displayed that he has shaken off the dust.  With 284 passing yards, 37 rushing yards, deep passes and quick moves to avoid the defense, he led the Eagles to their first victory of the season in a win over the Detroit Lions.  While Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid says that there is not a controversy over the quarterback position, I expect that Eagles fan will start one if Kevin Kolb struggles next week.  A little secret: the Eagles offensive linemen are quietly hoping for Vick to start as well.  For 11 years they have protected a quarterback who is mobile.  They are not accustomed to holding off the defense for a quarterback to take an entire class period to throw the ball.  Vick fits Philadelphia’s O-line perfectly.

Not meeting expectations – The Cowboys and the Vikings were predicted by many to compete for the Super Bowl.  Now both teams are still hoping to get their first win.  The problem for the Vikings is that Brett Favre was not in training camp and they are in need of wide receivers.  The Cowboys on the other hand, have all of the pieces, but they are not prepared.  Both of their losses were due to tons of mistakes.  Since 1990, only 22 teams that started off 0 – 2 made it to the playoffs.  The New York Giants won the Super Bowl in 2008 after beginning the season 0-2, so there is hope for these teams.  I think Minnesota will see their first win at home against the Lions next week.  Things are looking gloom for the Cowboys.  They play an undefeated Houston team on the road next week and are off the following week.  I see the Cowboys not getting their first win until October.

Sibling rivalry – “Manning Bowl II” was no contest, AT ALL.  Big brother, Peyton, showed little brother, Eli, how to lead an offense and dominate.  Unfortunately, for the younger Manning, his big bro was totally focused on avenging a disappointing loss to Houston that opened the season.  The Giants could not do anything to stop the Colts offense.  It was truly over when the Giants were still scoreless in the 3^rd quarter and the Colts kept Peyton in to continue beating up on his kid brother’s team.  The Colts win it easily, 38 – 14 and Peyton remains undefeated against his brother.

Name off of the chalkboard - The Jets stopped talking and just did their work.  The offense was… an offense.  The line blocked, Mark Sanchez threw the ball, Dustin Keller and Braylon Edwards caught the ball and LaDainian Tomlinson ran the ball.  See how productive a unit can be when everyone just does there job?  Their defense limited Tom Brady to just 2 touchdowns.  One of those was an awesome catch by Randy Moss, but it was not enough.  Jets win it 28 – 14 at home.

On the college gridiron, another team from the state of Michigan entered the top 25 after beating Notre Dame.  Michigan State is now 3-0 and #25 and #23 on the AP and USA Today Polls respectively.  In the USA Today Poll, they are right behind Michigan #22.  This adds more fuel to the intra-state and conference rivalry.  Their meeting on October 9 at the Big House, well BIGGER House, will be a battle!   This week’s game to watch is Alabama #1 against Arkansas #12.  This will be a test for both teams.  Arkansas looked great in a victory on the road against Georgia, but their defense will have to slow down Heisman winner, Mark Ingram.  Alabama has dominated in their first three games, but this will be their first game on the road against a ranked opponent.

MNF – Tonight the reigning Super Bowl Champs, New Orleans Saints, will play the San Francisco 49ers.  Last week the 49ers gave up 31 points to the Seattle Seahawks.  Surely their defense will not be able to hold off Drew Brees, Marques Colston, Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush.  Who Dat Nation will see their team remain undefeated.

Ciao! 

Heels & Helmets

Ahhh… NFL football!

Yes, NFL football is finally here!  OK, not really.  It is just the preseason.  Which basically means four weeks of scrimmages for teams to evaluate what players learned in training camp and how they apply it in a game setting to narrow down their roster and select starters.  You will not see the starters making the big hits that you will see during the regular season in fear of injuries before the season starts.  However, after six long months of not watching one down of football, just seeing the teams in full uniforms on the field creates some excitement for football fans.

Winning in the preseason does not necessarily indicate what a team will do in a real game.  Just look at the Detroit Lions who went undefeated during the 2008 preseason, but ended the regular season 0 – 16.  Nevertheless, it does provide a glimpse of what your team is capable of doing, where the weaknesses are, and most importantly gives you an opportunity to see players in action before drafting players for your fantasy football team.

After the first full weekend of preseason games, I was most impressed with the depth at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Pittsburgh is going to be without Big Roethlisberger for the first part of the regular season.  Since he was slapped with his suspension, everyone has wondered who would take the snaps at the beginning of the season.  While it appears as if Byron Leftwich would get the starting job, he struggled over the weekend against Detroit.  But, no worries for Steeler Nation because Dennis Dixon stepped in and completed 6 of 7 passes and led the offense to three touchdowns after starting deep in their own territory.  They were playing the Lions and it is the preseason, so Steelers fans do not need to book flights Dallas (host for Super Bowl 2011), but they should feel comfortable with whoever Head Coach Mike Tomlin has fill in for Big Ben for a few weeks. 

Tonight the New York teams (Giants and Jets) will faceoff in the New Meadowlands Stadium at 8 p.m.  I selected the New York Jets to win it all this year.  Watching them return their starters and add veterans like LaDainian Tomlinson (running back) and Antonio Cromartie (cornerback) to their roster, I believe that they will get past the Indianapolis Colts this year, represent the AFC in the Super Bowl and take home the Lombardi Trophy.   Now the preseason has started and their star cornerback, Darrelle Revis, does not have a contract and has not been to training camp.  Jets fans should not worry, but tonight will show how strong the defense is without Revis.  Watch the game on ESPN.

OK, it’s time to get ready for the Heels & Helmets Fantasy Football League Draft on September 6 online at noon!  Go back and review the responsibilities of the positions on offense, defense, and special teams and catch a couple of preseason games to examine the players.  This will be your team!  You’re the boss.  Who will you pick?

Ciao! 

Heels & Helmets

2011 Super Bowl Champs...

The New York Jets.

OK, I normally don’t do this.  Actually until last week, it was totally against my rules.  I think it is crazy to start talking about the Super Bowl in the spring.  Training camp hasn’t started, rosters are not confirmed; I mean T.O. still does not have a home this year.  So it doesn’t make any sense at all!  However, I was called out and in my excitement went against my own rules.

I entered Oprah’s contest to have a show on her network, Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).  The show idea I presented was a sports show (what else?) for women.  Similar to the way we enlighten all of you on what’s going on in football, the program would cover sports topics and educate women on all sports.  For my video audition, I illustrated a few of the segments that would take place when we discuss football.  One is “Hail Mary.”  During this portion of the show, “my friend,” Mary, will ask for an explanation of the game or game prediction.  So, my real friend producing my audition acting as “Mary” asked, “Who do you think will win the Super Bowl next year?”  Instead of using the time to explain my rule and share the top teams that I think will be contenders as of that day, I made a prediction. 

The New York Jets.

The Jets did have a very good season last year.   They made it all the way to the AFC Championship with a rookie quarterback.  They added a veteran running back, LaDainian Tomlinson, and a top wide receiver, Santonio Holmes (he’s a Buckeye, but I give credit when it is due) to their roster.  I am excited about what they will accomplish this fall, but it is June!  I am not supposed to discuss Super Bowl predictions before training camp, confirmed rosters and the dreadful word… injuries.  Yet, I did.  So, I am going for the Jets.

Let’s Go J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets, Jets!

See everything that I had to say about the New York Jets winning it all next year and while you are there vote for me and tell everyone you know to do the same thing!

http://myown.oprah.com/audition/index.html?request=search&q=Shavannia

Ciao!

Heels &  Helmets