NFL Week 13 Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers - 11-0 

Undefeated with 11 games to go and they have the best QB and run away MVP at this point in Aaron Rodgers. If they can get past the Giants this week their shouldn't be anything to stop them from going undefeated. 

2. Baltimore Ravens - 8-3

The win Thursday against the 49ers without Ray Lewis was very impressive. I'm not quite ready to book it but at the moment the top 2 teams in my power rankings could be the super bowl matchup this year. Ravens have proven to me that if necessary they can beat Pittsburgh and the only teams that can really beat them are average or bad because for whatever reason they've been playing down to their competition which shouldn't be a problem since all playoff teams are good. 

3. Pittsburgh Steelers 8-3

If you look at their record against teams other than the Ravens you got a team that's 8-1. Not to excuse their losses but the Ravens are the 2nd best team in all of football right now. The Steelers are a complete team and this is usually the time of year they thrive in. With a great Defense as usual and one of the most explosive receiving cores in the league they should go deep into the playoffs. 

4. San Francisco 49ers - 9-2

I still think the 49ers are legit but their game against the Ravens brought up some concerns for me. Their Defense can hold it's own against anyone but clearly this offense will struggle against any elite defense ESPECIALLY if they cannot run the ball. 

5. New Orleans Saints - 8-3

The Saints have the 2nd best offense in the league and are believed to be the only team that can win a shootout with GB. They've got weapons all over the place and Brees is having a career year as he might pass Marino for most passing yards in a season. 

6. New England Patriots - 8-3 

The Pats offense has been consistently good for the most part all season and TE Rob Gronkowski is match up nightmare for every team they play. However this is one of the worst defenses in the league in terms of yards allowed and teams have shown that given the right scheme they can slow Brady down.

7. Dallas Cowboys - 7-4

The Scary thing is Dallas's record could be much better than this. This team has fought through injuries and criticism all year and now control their own destiny to win the division. Demarco Murray adds a solid running game to an already explosive offense. Romo has came up big most of the year when the Cowboys have needed it the most and I expect it to continue. 

8. Atlanta Falcons - 7-4

The Falcons have finally started to play like the team that I thought would be the 2nd best in the NFC this year. If they make the playoffs their built to be able to beat anybody and could go pretty far. Also with the Saints on the schedule one more time they can still win the South. 

9. Houston Texans - 8-3

The Texans were a legit super bowl threat and the best team in the AFC just a couple weeks ago. Then Matt Schuab went down for the year and I thought ok that pushes them back a little but maybe with a top 5 defense and rushing attack maybe Matt Lineart can manage the situation. Then he got hurt for the year last week and now Houston is down to their 3rd string QB. I can't ranked them any lower than this with all the rest of the teams past this point having their flaws but the Texans can't expect to make a run a the Super Bowl with T.J. Yates starting at QB. Unless they sign a better option as a FA this is as far as I can put them. 

10. Oakland Raiders - 7-4

The Raiders look like their going to win the West with the Chargers looking terrible and the Tebow led Broncos being their biggest competition. Even without Darren McFadden their still running the ball very effective and their defense is solid especially the front 4. Palmer is continuing to get better week after week. With the Texans QB problems theirs a chance the Raiders can pass them and get the 3 seed so they can avoid Pit or Bal in the wild card round. 

11. Detroit Lions - 7-4

The Lions clearly have some issues and will have to play their next 2 games without their best player Sue. If they suffer defeat in both games they could very well miss the playoffs. Also it appears teams have figured out Calvin Johnson and are forcing the Lions to beat them in other ways. 

12. New York Giants - 6-5

The G-Men looked awful Monday Night but I'll just chalk that up to a bad night similar to Dallas's against the Eagles. with Hanne at QB now for the Bears there's really no other team to put ahead of them with their full body of work this season. Eli has been fantastic maybe top 5 and they've got the best front 4 in football. 

13. New York Jets - 6-5

It's not pretty it's not consistent but the Jets have found away to hang in there despite not looking anything like most people expected coming into the year. The Jets offense is come and go and can't be counted on at all and even the defense has suffered it's share of bad performances this year. However it's looking like despite all that if they can hang in their they should get the final wild card spot.

14. Cincinnati Bengals - 7-4

The Bengals have been way better than expected but still aren't the real deal. Their going to lose again this week to Pittsburgh and if the Jets win they fall into a tie with them and with Baltimore on the schedule again that could be the loss that eliminates them. With a rookie QB, inconsistent running game, and no signature wins on the year I don't trust this team down the stretch. 

15. Chicago Bears - 7-4

Without Jay Cutler this team just isn't the same. Their receivers just aren't nearly good enough to be effective without a QB of Cutlers talent who's athletic enough to extend plays giving them more time to get open and who has the strongest arm in the league which gives him the ability to make throws into thigh windows when the receivers are well covered. If the Bears lose this week to KC they can probably kiss their playoff hopes good bye.

16. Tennessee Titans - 6-5

I haven't seen nearly enough to believe that what Chris Johnson did last week can become a consistent thing but he did confirm one thing for me with that performance and that's that somewhere in him the ability is still there. He's way to young and hasn't carried the ball nearly enough to have fallen off I just think the lockout and his holdout really hurt him and it took him a long time to be ready. The Titans defense has been solid all year if Hasselback can stay healthy and Chris Johnson is really back they might be able to catch Hou for the division if their QB situations becomes a major problem. 

17. Denver Broncos - 6-5

Somehow the Broncos are 6-5 and 5-1 with Tebow as their starting QB. I've been saying he's the worst starting QB in the NFL but he's forced me to change that statement. I'll say for now he's the worst passer of the starting QB's in the NFL (that didn't get the job due to injury). Still this teams defense has been the reason for the season in Denver and with great play in the secondary from Dawkins and Bailey and Von Miller and Dummervil getting after the passer the Raiders can't let up or Den could catch them. 

18. Buffalo Bills - 5-6

What looked like a promising season for the Bills has fallen by the wayside and even though they've been competitive all year that's not enough in this league as it showed last week as they couldn't get it done against the Jets.

19. Philadelphia Eagles - 4-7

This team has no real shot to make the playoffs now and Vick is going to miss another game. I have to wonder with this huge disappointing season is it time for the Eagles to find a new coach?  

20. Tampa Buccaneers - 4-7

I called it coming into the year that this team wasn't going to be around 10-6 again and I was right. Josh Freeman has seemed to regress and Blount isn't nearly as effective on the ground this year as last. 

21. Kansas City Chiefs - 4-7

The Chiefs have been playing decent of late even against a much better Pittsburgh team on Mon. Night it came down to the final drive. 

22. Washington Redskins - 4-7

The Redskins have a solid defense. However inconsistency in both the running and passing game has hurt them this season.

23. San Diego Chargers - 4-7

This team despite it's talent has played awful this year and I don't even recognize Rivers at the moment. Looks like Norv Turner days as coach in SD are coming to an end which regrettably for the Chargers was a year to late. 

24. Seattle Seahawks - 4-7

The Seahawks have really turned it around from the beginning of the season when it looked like they'd be contenders for the 1st pick. They actually compete and make it hard on teams to win if not win themselves week to week. 

25. Miami Dolphins - 3-8

Who are these Dolphins and where they the 1st 7 games of the year? After winning 3 straight they gave Dallas more than they bargained for on Thanksgiving. They could really be spoilers down the stretch. 

26. Arizona Cardinals - 4-7

Larry Fitzgerald is having a good year despite the inconsistency at QB and Patrick Peterson really looks special. 

27. Cleveland Browns - 4-7

The Browns lost yet another game in the 4th quarter to the Bengals and have officially been swept by them for the year.

28. Carolina Panthers - 3-8

As competitive as the Panthers have been they've just been unable to win some of the games they should have. All their losing has allowed Andy Dalton to creep up into the offensive ROY discussions. Losing Jon Beason for the year really hurt this squad I believe. 

29. Jacksonville Jaguars - 3-8

Jack Del Rio has been fired and the team has been sold. Hopefully new management can surround Jones Drew with some help on offense next year. 

30. Minnesota Vikings - 2-9

It really hasn't mattered who was at QB this season this offense hasn't been able to do much. And as usual Peterson is hurt for his normal 1-2 weeks per year. 

31. St. Louis Rams - 2-9

The Rams have been absolutely terrible on run defense all year as they allowed another running back to go over 200 yards last week. 

32. Indianapolis Colts - 0-11

Unless Peyton comes back before the year ends and plays the Colts really might lose every game. They fired their defensive coordinator but I wanna know when are they going to get rid of Caldwell. I don't care what player gets hurt you can't lose EVERY game in a season and keep your job. 

Top 50 NBA players 41-50

It's Pretty much official now the NBA is back and lockout is over. So now that the lockout is over and the NBA will be starting on Christmas we can realistically start talking NBA again. I'm going to rate what I feel are the top 50 players in the NBA in order from 1-50. To rate the players I'll be looking at alot of different things that the casual NBA fan won't consider. But at the end of the day the only thing that matters and the ultimate goal is to win and the main factor when considering all these spots were winning. Simply put I feel like I have a better chance to win with the player I ranked 49th than I do with the player ranked 50th and so forth and so on until you get to number 1. 

50. Kevin Martin 

It sure must have been nice for Kevin Martin to have a full season of health. Last season marked the 1st time he's played 80 games since 2006-07. In the 3 seasons between last year and 07 Martin total games played totaled to 61, 51, and 46. I'm still not sold on his durability after just one year but it's a start. Martin is one of the most lethal shooters in the game and led the Rockets to a 43-39 record in a stacked Western Conference.  Martin averaged over 23 points per game last season. Martin's always been able to put up points but he makes for a lousy best player of a team. Martin's offensive game is mostly built around him shooting alot of jumpers and that's it. He's incredibly gifted at coming off screens or knocking down spot up jumpers. And tho he's not elite at it he is capable of creating his own shot when needed. Also for a guy that takes primarily jumpers he gets to the line quite frequently. After reading all this you might begin to wonder why he's ranked this low if he can do all that. Well because that's all he offers to a team is scoring. Martin has no real ability to handle the ball and make plays for others and doesn't really make the players around him better. Defensively Martin is one of the worst in the league. Despite being 185 he's not very quick or athletic and struggles to stay in front of defenders or give much resistance to cutters. He's also very weak and can be easily bodied in the post. Martin's Offensive ability is nice but the object of basketball is to win and for his 23 points per game not only does he not provide much else on the floor he probably allows more than 23 nightly to good offensive players which really negates his impact on the floor. 

49. Jason Terry 

Consistently one of the best 6th man players in the league The Jet Jason Terry simply gets the job done. He's not flashy, he's not fast, and he's not athletic. But he is smart, cunning, and very efficient at playing the game of basketball. Jason Terry was a huge part of the Mavs title run last year as he really lit it up against the Lakers and the Heat both of whom have elite perimeter defenders. Jason Terry proved last season that he can be clutch as he made tons of big shots for the Mavs. Jason Terry is a excellent player for coming off the bench. He can play either guard spot and provides instant offense. Defensively Terry is nothing special but he is a smart defender that gives alot of effort on that end of the floor. Terry can be beat but he's going to make you work as hard as he possibly can and you have to love that attitude. Offensively Terry isn't a guy that can lead a team througout a whole game at the 2 positions as his game mostly revolves around shooting spots up 3's and off screens. Terry is a effective 3 point shooter but can be streaky at times based on his career percentages. He's quite an underrated passer as we saw him making some terrific plays setting up teammates all throughout the playoffs. Terry's game doesn't turn heads but it's incredibly efficient and he gets the job done. 

48.  Brook Lopez

Brook Lopez is a talented young C for the Nets who has now completed 3 seasons in the NBA. He's still young and hasn't come close to reaching his full potential yet but he did regress in my opinion from what he did in his 2nd year. Last season he did average 20 a game but his rebounding numbers took a huge hit. Lopez logged 35 minutes a game and only managed 6 rebounds a game which is really terrible for a guy his size. He averaged over 8 rebounds a game in his rookie and sophomore year so you know he's capable of doing better. Part of it was Kris Humpries somehow developing into a rebounding machine but part of it was also just a lack of effort on Lopez's part. Defensively his length allows him to be an effective shot blocker as he's averaged over a block in a half per game all 3 years he's been in the league. Still he's far from an elite defensive big man and much more is still to be desired on that end. With Lopez's size and Strength for one they need him to become more dominant on the boards, secondly they need him to be a little quicker with his feet as he's usually slow or late on rotations. His post game is pretty efficient for a young big man although I'd like to see his field goal percentage up over 50%. Overall Lopez just has to learn how to play the game and get a better feel especially on defense. Offensively his 20 points a game reflect his talents on that end but at the same time reflect the lack of other scoring options they had in NJ. Even after they traded for D-Will, Deron had wrist injuries so his impact as a scorer was limited and he missed games as well. I fully expect Lopez to outplay this ranking and be much higher going into next season. But due to his lack of effort on the boards and lack of mobility on defense his 20 points a game on one of the worst teams in the league last year don't impress me and this is as high as I could rank him.

47. Josh Smith

Josh Smith, who is actually one of my favorite players so no bias, is easily one of the most overrated players in the NBA. He can have those nights where he feels up the stat sheet and he plays good defense but he's has really failed to live up to all his potential if you ask me and at this point in his career I don't see him getting much better. Offensively Josh Smith's game is a mess and his basketball IQ when playing on that end of the floor can seem pretty low at times. Josh Smith often finds himself trying to do to much on offense rather it's contested mid range jumpers he has no chance of making, taking too many 3's, Or just bad post ups that don't result too much. His offensive game lacks consistency and rhythm. There's also this habbit that he shares with teammate Joe Johnson of completely falling off in clutch moments. His offensive game does have a few positives though. He's one of the best passing power forwards in the NBA and he can Dunk with the best of em. Smith is a monster in the transition game. Defensively is wear Smith thrives but even there he seems a tad bit overrated to me. His great athleticism allows him to be able to defend multiple positions and recover when he gets beat and block shots. But smith's post up defense isn't really that great as I've seen him get abused by many players with any kind of decent offensive low post game. On offense he doesn't have a true position because at the 4 he doesn't have a good low post game, face up game, and his mid range jumper is come and go at it's best. At the 3 he's a huge liability because of his lack of ball handling skills and ability to shoot. The defense would really crowd you if he was your SF. Ultimately I can understand people saying he should be higher but to me he often proves to be too much of a knuckle head that doesn't really care about the game.  

46. Lamar Odom

Lamar Odom is another one of the better 6th men in the league and is extremely vaulable to the Lakers. Odom can play both forward positions and be effective on both ends of the floor at both as well. Offensively Odom has a little post up game and can score when needed. He's also a Point Forward Type with ability to handle the ball, set up teammates, and his length really helps him finish around the rim. He's also not a bad spot up shooter. Defensively Odom is underrated I think. He's actually a very solid defender. His length gives players at either forward position problems and makes it harder to make shots. Also he's a really good rebounder. He averaged almost 9 boards a game last year while coming off the bench and playing along side 2 seven footers in Bynum and Gasol. I think his value to lakers and just overall as a player is underrated and unappreciated by many fans. 

45. Carlos Boozer

Carlos Boozer didn't quite live up to the expectations of Bulls fans and his contract but I think more of that can be credited to his injury at the beginning of the year that kept him out a couple of months more so than his actual skills declining. Also Boozer greatly benefited from playing with Deron Williams and the transition to playing with Derrick Rose was a little different. People talk about how Boozers numbers went down but when he was in Utah him and Deron Williams were terrorizing defenses with their pick and roll and the great vision of D-Will got Boozer alot more easier scoring opportunities than he got playing with Rose who's more of a shoot first PG. Anyway Boozer still had a good season in my opinion with 17.5 points per game and 9.6 reobunds in about 32 minutes of action. The Bulls also played Boozer a little less than Utah did. Probably had alot to do with the injury but in Utah Boozer got about 35 minutes a game and if you look at his stats from last year per 36 minutes he actually averaged 20 and 10. Boozer shot over 50% from the field and got to the line about 5 times per which is about his normal rate. So I don't think Boozer really fell off much I think it was more of the Bulls needing to figure out the best way to use him and him no longer playing with D-Will. Offensively Boozer is the perfect 4 man in today's NBA. He has a solid mid range game, He likes to use the high post, and he's great in the pick and roll. Boozer game lacks on defensive end however. But because he played along side guys like Noah, Deng, and Bogans not to mention their defensive mastermind coach they ware able to hide Boozer's short comings as a defender well and still have the #1 D in the NBA. 

44. Danny Granger

Danny Granger is another overrated player because of his ppg totals. People love to see that 20+ a game and anoint people all star caliber status. But Granger is like one level down from a all star if you ask me but has the mindset of a superstar and that can be dangerous at times. His offensive game as a whole is overrated to me. He's not a very good iso player yet insist on doing it anyway. Insisting on taking defenders 1 on 1 out of sets and trying to hit contested jumpers over them which usually don't fall hence to low 42% field goal percentage from last year. Granger is a pretty good shooter though. His game is better fitted for him to shoot off screens and spotting up than off the dribble and his field goal percentage would go up if he realized that. Also Granger doesn't really make the players around him that much better. He's not a play maker and great defenses can really hold the Indiana offense down when Granger is missing bad shots and refuses to pass it up. Defensively Granger is decent. Nothing special and won't give the most effort every night on that end of the floor but when he wants to be he can actually be a good defender. 

43. Monta Ellis

The Monta Ellis supporters just love to rave about his scoring ability and his points per game numbers. Monta does have great scoring ability. He has incredible quickness and might be one of the top 5 fastest players in the league. An explosive first step, great handles, and moves around the rim allow him to be a force in the paint. Some might say to me if Monta has all this elite caliber scoring ability why is he so low. Well there's a lot of reasons. ESPN and Sports Illustrated rated the NBA players during the offseason and ESPN ranked him 41, SI ranked him 44 so I feel comfortable with him here despite what casual fans might think. The biggest knock on Monta even bigger than his defense has to be that he's a selfish player on both ends of the floor. Monta supporters will scream Monta needs more help but the fact of the matter is 3 other warrior players averaged over 16 a game and the Warriors ranked in the top 10 offensively meaning that the Warriors have plenty of help around him offensively. On defense Monta flaunts nice steal numbers. However those numbers won't tell you about how he gambles and leaves the team in bad positions defensively just to try and get steals. Or helps down when it's not needed to try and get them leaving shooters open. Getting steals is about the only thing Monta puts forth any effort towards on defense and even that is to the detriment of the team. Offensively despite his talent he's a pretty selfish player. What most don't know about the Warriors is that Monta splits duties with Curry at the 1 and plays it when Curry isn't on the floor. There's nothing wrong with looking to score when your playing the 2 and plays are being called for you to do so but to often Monta gets the ball and breaks sets to go into isolations where he dribbles, dribbles, dribbles and alot of time takes bad shots. His talent allows him to make some of his bad shot attempts regardless at times. Some people will look at Monta averaging over 5 assist a game and say "look he's not selfish that's more assist than Kobe." You know whats wrong with that thinking. For one Kobe is NEVER at the 1 and the Lakers triangle offense centers around him posting up for the most part or getting the ball in other scoring situations. When he gets the ball the offense is designed for him to shoot it most times. Monta on the other hand probably runs about 20 minutes a game at the 1. That's automatically 3 assist just by running the few sets correctly that he does. The other 2 -3 come from when he's breaks down a defender and passes it up (only when he HAS to by the way) to open guys. But basically if we were picking teams for pick up games at the Y Monta would be at the top of my list but for organized NBA basketball he's not as good as some people think. If you don't agree with me name another 26 year old SG that averaged over 24 a game in back to back seasons that their team wanted to get rid of and drafted a player that plays his position in the 1st round of the draft. Nobody gives away superstars unless they just have to which should let you know that Monta isn't a superstar. All the problems in his game are also the reasons he's never been selected to an all star game yet. 

42. Stephen Curry 

Stephen Curry is a young point guard on the rise. Some people are saying he's already better than his teammate Monta Ellis and I'd agree and he has much more upside to get even better. Curry has already proven to be one of the best shooters in the league as he shows potential of one day joining the illustrious 50-40-90 club. For those that don't know that means 50 percent shooting from the field, 40 percent shooting from 3, and 90 percent shooting from the line. He got close last year as he shot 48 percent from the field, 44 percent from 3, and 93 percent from the line. Curry is also a good passer at this point in his career and will get even better. Don't be fooled by the average assist numbers he puts up because lots of the time Monta Ellis has the ball dribbling around wasting posessions while jacking up bad shots as the shot clock runs down. I'd Say his near 6 assist per game are pretty good considering the circumstances. Defensively Curry has ALOT of issues. Granted the PG position is the toughest to defend Curry still leaves alot to be desired on that end. Curry isn't the most athletic player so the elite guards can get by him without much issue. Some people may disagree with Curry being ahead of Monta but the list of top NBA players by both ESPN and Sports Illustrated said the same thing. Unlike Monta Curry puts forth actual effort on that end of the floor he's just not that experienced yet and lacks athleticism (what's Monta's excuse). He still gets his share of steals and doesn't gamble quite as much as Monta does to get his. 

41. Tyreke Evans

Tyreke Evans has only played 2 seasons now but he's showed alot more in his rookie year than this year. Tyreke played 57 games last season and missed games with injury that definitely had some affect on the drop off in his game. Tyreke is in the mold of a Monta to a degree on the offensive end when it comes to his shot selection and desire to want to iso and play 1 on  1 basketball. However he's still more willing to be a real pg especially when he's actually playing the position. Evans also is solid defensively and will get much better over time as he becomes more experienced. He's a solid on ball defender and is active in the passing lanes. Evans is versatile enough to play 3 positions 1-3. Another Negative on Evans game is his shooting. He only shot 41% from the field and 29% from 3 both terribly low. He also got to the line less than 5 times a game last year after getting there almost 7 times a game his rookie year. When your not hitting jumpers consistently and your not getting to the line it tells me that your not being efficient on the offensive end and that was the case as he was definitely a high volume scorer last year. Evans will be fine he just needs to improve his jumper, get to the basket a little more which would also result in more free throw attempts, and just improve his overall shot selection and decision making. 

Thanksgiving Predictions

Green Bay Packers (10-0) vs. Detroit Lions (7-3)

This will be the first time since I think I've been watching football in my short lifetime where I'm actually looking forward to seeing the Lions Thanksgiving game. Finally a game that matters where we will see the upstart 7-3 Lions at home on Thanksgiving take on the defending champion undefeated Green Bay Packers. 

Green Bay Keys To Victory: Green Bay hasn't really ran the ball on anybody all year and I'm not saying they need a 100 yard rusher but it might help Rodgers out against what will probably be the best pass rush he's faced all year if they use the running game to negate it some. The Lions play a wide 9 with their defensive line and just get after the QB like crazy. It's effective in rushing the passer but it also creates running lanes making it easier to run the ball which is why their run D has been suspect this year. We all know the Packers can throw it all over the place but I think they can really do damage if they start off on the ground 1st having success and force Detroit to slow the rush up field with their D-Line and play the gaps which would give Rodgers more time to throw. Defensively they need to put pressure on Stafford which would increase the chances of him making a mistake and double team Calvin Johnson forcing somebody else to beat them in the passing game. 

Detroit Keys To Victory: Offensively the Lions are going to have to score some points. I know their defense is good but to think your going to hold GB to anything less than 21 points is asinine. I figure that if Det plays a great game on defense maybe they can hold GB to 21-24 points meaning Det will need at least 27 to win. They need to get creative with Calvin Johnson and line him up all over the place as the X, Y, and Z to create matchup problems and keep the Packers D on their heels. Also they need another strong game on the ground. Stafford isn't going to win a shootout with Rodgers so their going to need a solid performance from the ground game to shorten the game and win the time of possession battle to keep Rodgers off the field. Defensively their front 4 needs to dominate this game if they want to win. The Lions don't have the personnel in the secondary to matchup with the Packers receiving core so their going to need to use 6 and 7 guys in coverage to negate that. However you also have to get pressure on Rodgers to have any chance of beating them or he'll pick you apart so the Lions need Suh and company to get to Rodgers without having to blitz so they can maximize their coverage and better defend all those weapons GB has.  

Prediction: I got the Packers winning this game but it'll be close and should come down to the 4th quarter but I just don't think the Lions secondary is good enough to slow down this GB offense enough and I am not sold on the Lions ability to run the ball well enough to keep Rodgers off the field. Also I feel like GB defense is starting to play alot better and should be able to do just enough to keep the lead Rodgers gets them. 

 Dallas Cowboys (6-4) vs. Miami Dolphins (3-7)

The Cowboys have gotten hot at the right time thanks to a soft spot in their schedule. But this game might not be as easy as expected as the Dolphins have won 3 in a row after starting 0-7 as Tony Sparano has seemed to have ignited a sense of pride in his team. Sparano also is a former assistant for the Cowboys so he could have some insight in that regard. That would also make him used to preparing for the short week. 

Dallas Keys To Victory: The Cowboys are clearly the more talented team here so it shouldn't take anything special. In my opinion the main thing for Dallas in this game is just being prepared for anything and not beating them selves. Miami isn't going to the playoffs they know their outmatches and they probably have some gadgets in place to use in this game so they just gotta be ready for anything both on defense and special teams. Also Dallas has to play smart themselves. If they Run the ball, take care of the ball, and keep the penalties to a minimum I really don't see how Miami could win this game. However not committing penalties and turnovers is easier said than done for the Cowboys. 

Miami Keys To Victory: The Dolphins aren't that explosive on offense so to win this game their going to need a big performance by their defense. Defensively their going to have to put pressure on Romo and mix things up and try and confuse him and get him out of rhythm. The Dolphins are also going to have to stop the run I think that's ultimately the key for them to win the game. I know Jason Garrett and if the running game gets off to a slow start he'll usually abandon it and become one dimensional which will open the door for the Dolphins to get after Romo and maybe force turnovers. Offensively the Dolphins are going to have to get creative and Reggie Bush is the key. They need to use him in a variety of ways as both a runner and receiver and try and get him matched up with linebackers and safeties in space. Mike Jenkins isn't expected to play which means they also need to try and take advantage of the Devone Bess when he's matched up on Allan Ball it worked really well for the Redskins last week. When teams go to 3 receiver sets and the Cowboys matchup with Nickel they usually let Scandrick or Newman defend the slot so whoever gets matched up with Ball they need to try and get the ball to. But most importantly on offense the Dolphins can't afford to turn the ball over. 

Prediction: The Cowboys are usually pretty good on Thanksgiving especially against bad teams. I'm expecting Miami to hang around the 1st half and then for Dallas to slowly rap it up in the 2nd half winning by double digits. 

San Francisco 49ers (9-1) vs. Baltimore Ravens (7-3)

    

This is the Night game in a matchup of two teams both looking to make deep runs into the playoffs. It's also a matchup of two brothers at head coach. As well as perhaps the best two MLBs in football. 

49ers Keys To Victory: This game has the making of a defensive slug fest and I think it'll more than likely be one of those 17-14 defensive struggles. The 49ers could win this game if they do what they've been doing all year. Offensively that means a heavy dose of Frank Gore (if he's healthy) and a smart and efficient Alex Smith that can move the ball when necessary and avoids the big mistake. That will be easier said than done against this team as Ray Lewis and Ngata will make it hard to run and Suggs and Reed will make it hard to prevent turnovers. In a game with Reed lurking some of the biggest plays of the game for Smith will be knowing when to just take a sack or throw it away. Defensively their going to have to limit Ray Rice who should get the ball alot in this game after the coaching staff has been criticized for not getting him the ball enough. Also Torrey Smith has become quite the deep threat they need to keep him from getting behind their defense and making that big play that can bust the game open. 

Ravens Keys To Victory: Baltimore's passing game has looked better than it's really ever had in recent memory which might be the reason the coaching staff has somewhat forgot about Ray Rice. However if they wanna ultimately win the Super Bowl not to mention this game they have to get back to feeding their best player on offense which is Ray Rice. It's going to be tough to run against the 49ers but the Ravens have a big strong physical O-Line and Rice is a top 10 RB so if they stick with it eventually they should be able to have some success on the ground. Also if they are able to run the ball effectively it should force that 49ers Defense to creep up near the line of scrimmage more making them vulnerable to play action pass which is what I feel is Flacco's biggest strength. Also their going to need Boldin to play a big part in doing his role as a possession receiver making big catches on 3rd down to keep the chains moving. Defensively I feel like it's as simple as this if they force multiple turnovers they win this game and I think its very possible that they can force Alex Smith into a interception or 2 maybe even a sack fumble. If they can't force any turnovers then their going to have to stop the run and force the 49ers to become more one dimensional which should favor the Ravens. 

Prediction: I really like what the 49ers have been doing and I think their legit which is why this game will be close but I don't think their better than the Ravens. If Baltimore plays to their strengths and run the ball and not come out like their the packers throwing it everywhere they should be able to win the battle at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and win a hard fought defensive game at the end. 

NFL Week 12 Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers - 10-0 

2. San Francisco 49ers - 9-1

3. Baltimore Ravens - 7-3

4. Pittsburgh Steelers - 7-3

5. New Orleans Saints - 7-3

6. Houston Texans - 7-3

7. New England Patriots - 7-3

8. Detroit Lions - 7-3

9. Dallas Cowboys - 6-4

10. Atlanta Falcons - 6-4

11. New York Giants - 6-4

12. Oakland Raiders - 6-4

13. Chicago Bears - 7-3

14. Philadelphia Eagles - 4-6 

15. Cincinnati Bengals - 6-4

16. Tennessee Titans - 5-5 

17. Denver Broncos - 5-5

18. New York Jets - 5-5

19. Buffalo Bills - 5-5 

20. San Diego Chargers - 4-6 

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 4-6

22. Seattle Seahawks - 4-6 

23. Kansas City Chiefs - 4-6 

24. Miami Dolphins - 3-7

25. Washington Redskins - 3-7 

26. Cleveland Browns - 4-6 

27. Arizona Cardinals - 3-7

28. Jacksonville Jaguars - 3-7

29. Carolina Panthers - 2-8

30. Minnesota Vikings - 2-8

31. St. Louis Rams - 2-8

32. Indianapolis Colts - 0-10

Jets @ Broncos Review

Somehow someway the Broncos are not 5-5 and 4-1 in their last five with the worst starting QB in the NFL. There out there running the option and zone reads like this is college football. I'm no Tebow fan but I can't deny what I witnessed last night was something special which is what has me so befuddled. Like how can someone with so little talent play and come up so big. At the same time unlike most I'm able to maintain prospective on Tebow and this Broncos team. Last night while Tebow and the Broncos offense did mostly nothing for over 50 minutes the Broncos Defense was putting on a clinic. Rather it was shutting down the running game or forcing turnovers when they needed to if you want admit Denver's defense really won this game you at least have to admit they put Tebow in position to win it. Not taking anything away from Tebow but it's the responsibility of the offense to score at least 10 points the fact that they ended up scoring their 10 offensive points of the night on a game winning drive just made it more dramatic. I'm still not buying Tebow or this team. This defense tho improved has only played one offense I'd say was good since Tebow took over against the Lions and they scored in bunches. Tebow can only win games like that if their playing against a sorry enough offense that will allow his mediocrity in the 1st 3 quarters to be overcame such was the case against Miami, KC, and not the Jets. And really people can't say the Jets played bad on defense at all they simply weren't clutch on defense. It was still a great defensive performance only giving up 10 offensive points and holding Denver to 229 total yards. The 1 person everyone should really be mad at is Mark Sanchez as he is the reason they really lost this game. It's bad enough he didn't make any plays to really win the game for him put he also failed to do the 1 thing they always say he can do and that's manage the game. Throwing that pic 6 really started the whole comeback. The Broncos as a team especially on offense had no life the crowd was restless and out of it and just like that the place erupts the Broncos are only down 3 and it's a game. But don't mistake this as Tebow hate he got the job done and has his team in playoff contention I ain't mad at that but please try to keep whats going on in prospective.  

New York Jets vs. Denver Broncos Breakdown

                              

                                                Winner: New York Jets 

Tonight The Jets travel to Denver to take on the Broncos in the NFL Network Thursday night football game. The Broncos as far as talent goes aren't very good but Tim Tebow has been one of the biggest stories in the NFL this year. However unlike ESPN I don't waist time talking about mediocre players more than they deserve which is why I put the Broncos actual best player at the top with the Jets best player. Anyway let me break this game down for you guys. I watched film on both these teams last games and the Jets defensively for the 1st half were actually playing really good, but then the 2nd half came around and Brady figured them out and went to work in one of his most impressive outings of the season. Offensively as usual Mark Sanchez and company didn't do much the entire game. As for Denver last game they ran the ball 55 times and threw it 8 so I can't begin to tell you what a snooze fest it was breaking that game down. But anyway the Broncos aren't coming out running 55 times and only throwing 8 against the Jets not if they don't wanna be punting it 15-20 times this game. Rex Ryan is a defensive genius and this is a terrific defense. We all saw what happened last time the Broncos played a legit defense against Detroit I expect the same this game. I really can't see them establishing a real passing game the Jets should be able to man all their wr's up and shut them down allowing Rex to do some creative things with his linebackers and safeties that should force Tebow into making mistakes.  However there's a chance this game might not be a blowout the Denver defense has been tough of late and the Jets offense isn't exactly a force to be reckoned with. Champ Bailey is quietly having another great year and so is rookie Von Miller. Champ can take away Holmes so if the rest of the defense can control Plaxico and Keller they should do fine against this come and go passing attack of the Jets. Although I do expect the Jets to come out and try and pound the ball against Denver which Denver will also have to man up and stop if they wanna keep their team in the game. But basically rather Denver wins this game or not will come down to their defense. The Jets defense is going to completely shut the Broncos down. The most Denver can hope for offensively is about 14 points so the Broncos D is going to have to come up big and hold the Jets to 13 or so and maybe even need to score a defensive TD some how. Also they'll need another big play on special teams. I don't see it happened I think the Jets muster up somewhere around 20 points and hold the Broncos to 10 or less for a double digit convincing win on the road. 

Week 11 Power Rankings

1. Green Packers - 9-0 

Aaron Rodgers is playing better than any QB I've ever seen what else needs to be said.

2. San Francisco 49ers - 8-1

After their big win against the Giants I am now a believer this team has the formula to win it all it'll come down to Alex Smith just how far they can really go tho. 

3. Baltimore Ravens - 7-3

the Ravens had a little hick up last week that was bad i'll admit but a season sweep of Pittsburgh keeps them in the top 5 for now.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers - 7-3 

This teams only losses this year have come to the Texans and Ravens and look where those two teams are right now. Steelers still haven't hit their peak yet and their defense isn't fully healthy at the moment. If the injury to Schuab is permanent all they have to do is find away to beat the Ravens.

5. New Orleans Saints - 7-3 

Other than a lost to the Rams I'm satisfied with what I've seen from them this year. This might be the only team in the NFC capable of winning a shootout with the Packers. 

6. Chicago Bears - 6-3

I remember when the Bears were 2-3 coming off week 5 and I tried to tell everyone they'd be fine. That first 5 game stretch might have been the toughest any team will face this year and it seems to have made the Bears better off. 6-3 against what has been a very tough schedule so far I'm really impressed with this team. 

7. New York Giants - 6-3

Giants to a degree have benefited from a somewhat easy schedule. However they are now in the middle of the schedule getting significantly tougher and so far their 1-1. They still have to make it through the rest of it if they want to hold of Dallas who have it much easier the rest of the way. 

8. New England Patriots - 6-3

The love affair of Aaron Rodgers might have made some people forget Brady can be unstoppable in his own right when he gets going and he proved it last Sunday Night. I still don't like this defense but never the less this teams offense has carried them to 6-3 through a pretty challenging schedule so I have to respect what their doing.

9. Houston Texans - 7-3

Originally I was going to rank this team 3rd in my rankings but then heard the news about Matt Schaub being out for the year. They'll most likely win the division regardless but any hopes of a deep playoff run are most likely gone without Matt Schaub unless somehow Lineart pulls a Alex Smith and re-invents himself. First Mario, then Andre, now Schuab some teams just have to worst luck.

10. Dallas Cowboys - 5-4

Cowboys have been fighting injuries to key players all year and have managed to put themselves in a position to make a good run to win the division. Also you still can't convince me Detroit or the Bengals are better teams than Dallas just because they have better records. 

11. Detroit Lions - 6-3 

The Lions aren't undefeated anymore but I wouldn't get to critical of this team just yet. Their still having a solid year and their 6-3 mark is something to be proud of especially with all 3 losses being against quality opponents. However a playoff spot is still far from locked up with the sudden surge of the Bears and Falcons and whoever finishes 2nd in the East all in the running for those 2 wildcard spots. 

12. Atlanta Falcons - 5-4 

This team is getting closer and closer to looking like the team I thought they'd be coming into the season. Julio is finally starting to make plays. This team is very capable of going on a run and still making the playoffs. 

13. New York Jets - 5-4
Don't let the record completely fool you on the Jets 3 of their losses are against the Ravens and Pats and with those teams out the way they should be able to make a run and finish around 10-6 grabbing one of those wild card spots.

14. Oakland Raiders - 5-4
Injuries to Darren McFadden and Jason Campbell set this team back a bit but I think Carson is starting to get his feet back under him after a rough start and the Raiders will get McFadden back. They are currently winning the west and even if they don't win the division they still have a solid shot at a wildcard.

15. Cincinnati Bengals - 6-3
I'm not at all buying the Bengals as a playoff team but they did prove to me Sunday they are a decent team and will be a playoff "contender." Still I just don't think they have enough to get a wild card spot over the likes of the Jets, Steelers/Ravens, and Chargers/Raiders. Still their having an incredible season and Marvin Lewis has probably saved his job.

16. Tennessee Titans - 5-4
The Titans are right there as far as fighting for a wild card spot as well and Chris Johnson looks like he's finally figured it out. With the way they've played on defense, if Hasselback can keep his level of play up and Johnson can be anything close to the old CJ combined with the potential of Lineart finishing the year as the Texans QB they might just win the South.

17. Buffalo Bills - 5-4
They got embarrassed against Dallas last week and what was once looking like a potential playoff season early in the year is starting to fade fast.

18. San Diego Chargers - 4-5
The Chargers are still talented and now Gates is back in the lineup. With the way the division is going they still very much have a good shot at winning the West.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 4-5
This season isn't going how alot of people expected except for me that is. Last year they went 10-6 by beating 9 non playoff teams and losing to 5 playoff teams. They were a middle of the road team last year and they are again this year. Also what happened to Josh Freeman???

20. Seattle Seahawks - 3-6
Despite their 3-6 record they've been surprisingly competitive this year not to mention 2 huge wins against the Giants and Ravens. They aren't as bad as I thought they'd be this year props to Carrol and those guys.

21. Philadelphia Eagles - 3-6
Remember how the Eagles were finally ready to go on a run after beating Dallas on Sunday Night a few weeks ago? Yea me either #DreamTeam

22. Denver Broncos - 4-5
Somehow someway with the worst starting QB in the NFL this team is winning but they can't play teams like Miami and KC every week lets see what they do against the Jets.

23. Arizona Cardinals - 3-6
That win against the Eagles last week was legit they outplayed them and did it with a back up QB.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars - 3-6
The Jags beat down the Redskins last week and this team appears to be getting better week to week which is all you can really ask of a young not so talented team. Jones-Drew is also quietly having a great season.

25. Miami Dolphins 2-7
The Dolphins are on a 2 game winning streak and look good as of late. Sparano has seemed to light a fire under these guys however come season's end he's still gone.

26. Washington Redskins 3-6
Remember when the Redskins were in 1st place in the NFC East and Rex Grossman was the talk of the town? Yea me either

27. Minnesota Vikings - 2-7
3 of the teams last 4 have come against the Bears and Packers twice this team just isn't capable of handling that and they lost as expected but Ponder has definitely showed flashed that he can play a little.

28. Carolina Panthers - 2-7
Panthers played a bad game last week but still the team has been fairly competitive all year even with some of the better teams in the league.

29. St. Louis Rams - 2-7
The Rams now have wins over Cleveland and a impressive win over the Saints since starting 0-6 had they not lost to the Cardinals they'd be looking pretty good right now.

30. Cleveland Browns - 3-6
This team has been disappointing for me all year as I felt they'd be the 3rd best team in the North coming into the year but they continue to lose games they should be winning.

31. Kansas City Chiefs - 4-5
I would have had the Chiefs a little higher but this team just lost their starting QB for the year on top of already losing their RB and best player. If you thought this offense has been bad to this point you haven't seen anything yet because things are about to get alot worse.

32. Indianapolis Colts - 0-10
It appears the Colts have locked all but locked up that 1st pick. The real questions concerning the Colts at this point in the year are to trade Manning or Luck?

Not Right Now For Tebow

Aite I'm not saying it's completely over for Tebow or that he should never start again but if he doesn't show some type of improvement this week he needs to be benched for this season. Not saying the Broncos should give up on him but I'm saying he's just not ready this season. Personally I don't think he'll ever be ready but that's just me. It's not my team and I'm not the idiot that picked him in the 1st round so I'm not stuck with him. The Broncos are however, and rather or not he does get better this season they have to give him more time to work on his mechanics. Meanwhile unless they just want to lose games and try to suck for Luck they HAVE to make a move if Tebow's next game looks like the last 2. We've seen Kyle Orton (who despite also being bad still played better than Tebow, we've seen Tebow, but we haven't seen Quinn play for this team. He can't be as bad as Tebow has and might actually be a little better than Orton has. Quinn struggled in Cleveland I know but he's had time to work on his game and reflect on that and who knows maybe he's better now. Technically he beat out Tebow in camp so I say give him a chance. I'm not saying Quinn is the solution or that they'll win more games with him because the fact remains their going to suck no matter who's back there. My point is they have 3 QBs on the team and there clearly going to have a high draft pick. I think this team needs to know what they have in ALL 3 of their QBs going into the offseason. This team has so many needs that if it's a chance no matter how small that any of these QBs are the answer long term, or even short term they need to try and find out, that is all I'm saying. Maybe Tebow will prove us all wrong and be a good starting QB one day but Not Right Now.