Pardon My Bias

NFC West is struggling, phot courtesy of zimbio.com

This past week’s Monday Night Football highlighted two underachieving teams in the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals. Both teams belong to the weakest division in football—the NFC West. As of now, the St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks are tied atop the division at 5-6. With only 5 games left in the season, it seems that any of the four teams that can manage to finish at 7-9 will win the division. By NFL rules, each division winner is guaranteed a playoff spot with home field advantage for the first round. The question is whether a team with a losing record deserves to make the playoffs over another team who does not qualify as a wildcard team but has a better record than the division winner from the NFC West.

It is granted that the NFL will not make a rule change mid-season, but this issue is something to consider after the season. Roger Goodell and his people certainly have somewhat of a conundrum on their hands. Should a team with a losing record be allowed a playoff spot? If they have a weaker record than the wildcard team, do they deserve home field advantage? Should there be a minimum of a .500 record or better to make it to the playoffs?

I think that is unfair that a team with a losing record makes the playoffs over a team with winning and much better record. I think it is unfortunate that one of the NFC West teams will make the playoffs over a team like the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, or Chicago Bears. It is clear that there are 6 better teams in the NFC that have better records than anyone in the NFC West, and they deserve a spot in the playoffs.

I believe the best solution to this problem is to instate a rule that all playoff teams must have a .500 record or better. Also, I feel that if the wildcard team has a better record than the division winner, they should be granted the home field advantage. It is so difficult to make the playoffs in the NFL, and many divisions have become powerhouses. Good teams in good divisions should not be punished due to an unfair rule that gives a playoff spot to a mediocre team in a bad division.

This is just an opinion…so please, Pardon My Bias.

It is time for people start giving the Atlanta Falcons the credit that they deserve. They have the best record in the NFC and are in a 3-way tie for the best record in the NFL, yet there are still many doubters out there. They have now beat the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens and now the Green Bay Packers. They have beaten some very legit teams and their 19-1 record at home with Matt Ryan is quite scary.

They obviously have a very balanced offensive unit with Roddy White, Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez and Matt Ryan leading the way. For a defense, this is a very scary team to play. Ryan is one of the best young quarterbacks in the league, Gonzalez is one of the best to ever play tight end, Turner is a force to be reckoned with and White may be one of the most talented wide receivers in the NFL. Their offense is putting up a respectable 364.4 yards and 25.1 points per game and personally I feel as if their offense is just going to keep getting better as the seasons goes on.

Can Matt Ryan Lead the Falcons Deep into the Playoffs? Photo courtesy of www.digitaldads.com.

It is the Atlanta defense that many are worried about. Although they are in the bottom half of the league when it comes to yards given up per game, they are in the top 10 for points given up per game at 19 points. This means they are outscoring their opponents by about 6 points, which to me is a winning formula. You do not need to win by 15-20 points to be a great team, you just have to win and the Falcons are just winning. Their rush defense is number six in the NFL right now but it is their pass defense that is their weak link. It is quite surprising though, because although they give up a great amount of yards through the air, they are ranked sixth in the NFL for interceptions. Their biggest defensive weakness has been their inability to sack the quarterback. They are in the bottom 10 for this category with only 19 team sacks. The pathetic thing about this is that John Abraham makes up for 9 of these sacks, as he is having a comeback year.

The Atlanta Falcons are no joke and will be a scary team to face in the playoffs if they achieve home field advantage. They have a stacked offensive unit and a defense that does not give up very many points. If somehow they are able to create some more pressure on the opposing quarterback, they may just have a very good chance of winning the Super Bowl. Either way, this is not a team to sleep on and definitely not one that should be doubted.

Washington can’t quite overtake the Red Wings and stay in second. Plus, the hot teams from earlier this month are plummeting (i.e. Los Angeles,  St. Louis, and Boston). And of course, do the Islanders move out of last after beating New Jersey? No, they don’t. Check the rankings anyways.

Detroit still tops the rankings despite a strong bid from Washington, Phily, Montreal, and surprisingly Columbus. Photo courtesy of nhl.com

1. Detroit Red Wings (15-4-2) Week 6 Rank – 1: Despite the charge the Blue Jackets have been putting on the Red Wings hold them off twice the past week, staying tops in the Central and having the best points per game ratio and winning percentage in the NHL. That means they are good enough to stay atop the list for the time being.

2. Washington Capitals (17-6-2) Week 6 Rank – 2: Washington is looking like the beast of the east yet again, but can’t quite overtake Detroit this week again. Want to know why? A 5-0 loss to New Jersey, that’s why. Beating up the Southeast is routine for the Caps otherwise.

3. Montreal Canadians (15-8-1) Week 6 Rank – 4: Les Habs split for the week yet Carey Price goes 2-1 and is getting looks for a possible Vezina candidate. The issue now? The fact the Canadians are barely averaging over two goals a game.

4. Columbus Blue Jackets (14-8-0) Week 6 Rank – 5: A third jersey that tries to look retro by having a circle logo? Been done. And it’s a cannon? Eh, still beats the blue wasp that Columbus originally wore. On the Brightside, the Jackets being chronically overlooked will likely excuse most jersey scrutiny. Another two wins, but Detroit still shows they reign over the Central.

The Pens win four straight, largerly in part to Sidney Crosby, and jump the most spots. Photo courtesy nhl.com

5. Philadelphia Flyers (15-6-4) Week 6 Rank – 6: Maybe someone should explain to the Flyers they need to show up still when subpar teams are scheduled to play them. At least Brian Boucher and Sergei Bobrovsky do. Still, two wins and six points is a productive week.

6. Pittsburgh Penguins (15-8-2) Week 6 Rank – 13: This was a week of what the Pens can really do. Well, more like what Sidney Crosby and Marc Andre Fluery can do. Fluery wins three, allows only three goals, and Crosby singlehandedly pushes Pittsburgh’s offense slowly along.

7. Dallas Stars (13-8-1) Week 6 Rank – 10: The Stars may not be scoring consistently outside of Brad Richards, but they keep winning. Kari Lehtonen is definitely part of that, though the more overlooked aspect is that Dallas’ defense is playing solid. Something truly unheard of under Marc Crawford.

8. Los Angeles Kings (13-9-0) Week 6 Rank – 3: The Kings can’t seem to buy a win or any points for that matter nowadays. After going 1-3 last week, they lose another three. Jon Bernier hasn’t lived up to his billing yet as goalie of the future, and the offense is invisible. And just like that the Kings go from first in the west to ninth.

9. New York Rangers (14-10-1) Week 6 Rank – 12: A relatively soft week for the Rangers, as evidenced by the one game not against a sub .500 team resulted in a loss. Still a week of going 3-1-0 means moving up the ladder just about anywhere. Just not in the Atlantic division where New York is still third.

10. St. Louis Blues (12-7-3) Week 6 Rank – 8: St. Louis is still having trouble putting the puck in the net, something Jaroslav Halak has excelled at, and it has been costly. Two losses to Dallas, and averaging a goal and a third over the past week St. Louis desperately needs someone to step up big to reverse their fortunes.

11. Colorado Avalanche (13-9-1) Week 6 Rank – 9: Colorado’s biggest issue seems to be in their own division, whom they have gone 2-4-1 against. This week emulated it as the Avs dropped games to Vancouver and lowly Edmonton.

Tim Thomas and the Bruins suffered the biggest drop this week. Photo courtesy of nhl.com

12. Tampa Bay Lightning (13-8-3) Week 6 Rank – 11: Speaking of divisional issues, the only team Tampa seems to beat in the Southeast is Atlanta. Unfortunately for the Lightning they played against Washington and Florida this week. Tampa splits for the week, and Steven Stamkos is no longer scoring goals on a per game basis which means no general interest Tampa by everyone

13. Boston Bruins (12-8-2) Week 6 Rank – 7: Boston may claim the Southeast division isn’t as easy as most say as they go 1-3-0, and score only two goals in their three losses. More troublesome was that Tuuka Rask and Tim Thomas both looked inconsistent.

14. Vancouver Canucks (12-7-3) Week 6 Rank – 15: Vancouver resembled a Stanley Cup contender again this week, which raises the fact that next week they won’t again. Still 10 goals in two games and only three against is as scary as clapping at Rick Rypien.

15. San Jose Sharks (11-7-4) Week 6 Rank – 16: The Sharks use Antti Niemi and show their investment was in fact worth it by beating Chicago. Niemi then allows six goals in his next start. Hm. And it is starting to look like Dany Heatley won the Joe Thornton sweepstakes and is seeing his goal totals skyrocket.

16. Phoenix Coyotes (11-6-5) Week 6 Rank – 17: Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov shuts out Edmonton, then gets scored on six times. Not surprisingly the Coyotes split the week. More suspect was Dave Tippet giving the Coyotes the day off after their win against Edmonton only to get beat in Anaheim. No getting soft there Mr. Coach-of-the-Year winner, it’s only a holiday.

17. Minnesota Wild (11-9-2) Week 6 Rank – 14: Jose Theodore gets the only win after Nik Backstrom is shelled? Better hold on tight Minnesota. However it looks like Martin Havlat is back to a point a game type player. Unfortunately he only has five goals, which is what the Wild really need.

18. Chicago Blackhawks (13-11-2) Week 6 Rank – 20: Chicago has played better hockey. Yet the Ducks and the Kings have played better hockey also, and the Blackhawks played less badly getting two wins. Still, someone should tell Jonathan Toews to show up. One assist for the week is not creepy commercial worthy Mr. Toews.

19. Atlanta Thrashers (12-9-3) Week 6 Rank – 24: Five wins in a row for Atlanta, with three this past week with Ondrej Pavelec allowing only three goals in those five. And Dustin Byfuglien for the Norris? His numbers look like it. Six points this week for 25 points in 24 games.

20. Ottawa Senators (11-12-1) Week 6 Rank – 22: I am beginning to think Pascal Leclaire has got to be the most frustrated person living. Three games this week allowing a respectable two goals against each game and he only wins one. Brian Elliot starts once against Toronto and gets the shutout. Maddening I tell you.

21. Anaheim Ducks (11-11-3) Week 6 Rank – 21: Not the greatest week for the Ducks’ defense and Jonas Hiller. The Ducks allow four straight games of four goals against and they go 1-3. The Ducks can thank Bobby Ryan for his hat trick in their 6-4 win over Phoenix this week.

22. Florida Panthers (10-12-0) Week 6 Rank – 19: The case of the disappearing offense strikes again. Only three goals in three losses for the Panthers. As seen before, the offense appears for one game and the Panthers win. I think this is more of their offense being terrible rather than just inconsistent. Still only three points behind for eighth place in the Eastern conference. Ridiculous.

23. Carolina Hurricanes (10-10-3) Week 6 Rank – 23: Outside of games against Washington, Carolina had a good weak. They played the Caps twice, falling by a goal in both cases (one via shootout). At least they only have three more games against Washington.

24. Nashville Predators (9-8-5) Week 6 Rank – 18: Nashville’s luck in the shootout has apparently run out, losing both shootouts and falling to 2-2 in them. The larger concern being the offense again, only scoring four goals in four games, with the Preds dropping all four.

25. Calgary Flames (9-12-2) Week 6 Rank – 25: More lack of offense as the Flames only score four in four games also. Yet they won one and snagged an extra point in the shootout loss. Plus Calgary can still hold their record over Edmonton so things still aren’t too terrible in Calgary.

26. Toronto Maple Leafs (8-11-3) Week 6 Rank – 26: Lack of offense and lack of consistency must be at endemic levels. The Leafs get a win over the Stars, scoring four, then only score one more goal in two games. Toronto has now been shut out five times this season already, making goalies everywhere look forward to playing them.

27. Buffalo Sabres (9-13-3) Week 6 Rank – 27: And now we come back to inner division issues for Buffalo. Only one win against Northeastern teams not named after a plant. The Sabres’ one win this week? Against Toronto. One of their two losses? Montreal. Looks like this may stay a habit, just like their lackluster play.

28. New Jersey Devils (8-14-2) Week 6 Rank – 29: By far New Jersey’s best week. Who is responsible? Certainly not the offense. It is the goalie, and it’s not Martin Brodeur. Backup stopper Johann Hedburg gets three wins, allows only a goal against average for the week, shuts out the Capitals, and inspires moose everywhere. The downside for the week? Losing the Battle of the Bottom, getting shutout by the Islanders.

29. Edmonton Oilers (6-12-4) Week 6 Rank – 28: Is Martin Gerber the savoir for the Edmonton Oilers, winning a game, only allowing two goals, and assisting on the game winning goal? Guess not, as Devan Dubnyk got the next start and Gerber has only played that one game.

30. New York Islanders (5-12-5) Week 6 Rank – 30: The Islanders got points, including a win, which makes this the best week the Islanders have had since mid October. Rick DiPietro also played in both, which makes it back to back games and he didn’t get hurt. He also shut out the New Jersey Devils to show that the Islanders are not ready yet to be sent to the AHL. Still, a long way to go to get out of the bottom.

Boise State’s painful overtime loss to Nevada has delivered a fatal blow to the Bronco’s National Title hopes. Boise had its 24 game winning streak snapped and they can only blame themselves. Boise State built a 24-7 lead at halftime to only watch it slip away in the 2nd half. The Bronco defense could not stop the Wolfpack in the 4th and they gave up 17 points before kicker Kyle Brotzman missed a 26 yard field goal with 2 seconds to play in regulation. And Brotzman wasn’t finished yet, he managed to miss a 29 yard field goal in overtime and this allowed the Wolfpack come down and kick their own 34 yard field goal for the victory. The fact of the matter is that Boise State’s high powered offense could not generate any points in the 2nd half as the Wolfpack really clamped down.

Kellen Moore looks on after Boise State's overtime loss to Nevada. Will Moore return for his redshirt senior season? Picture courtesy of Yahoo! Sports.

Where does this leave Boise’s bowl game hopes? Well Boise will definitely be disappointed with the fact that they will not be participating in the National Title game, but they should not hang their head in defeat. They should be proud of their accomplishments and try to run the table next season in the MWC. While I was never a fan of Boise State being in consideration of the title game, there’s no point to kick a dog while its down. Just as much as Boise State’s weak schedule can help them if they go undefeated it can hurt them if they lose at all.  If the Broncos lose even 1 game at any point during the season they can kiss their chances at that national title good-bye. While I still don’t believe an undefeated Boise State or TCU team is more deserving than 1 loss SEC, Big 12, or PAC-10 team, going undefeated would be a great feat in itself. But for now it’s Bye Bye Boise, better luck next season.

This is just an opinion…so please Pardon My Bias.

Lebron makes his return to Cleveland this Thursday, photo courtesy of buzzytimes.com

This Thursday has one of the most anticipated games of the NBA season when the South Beach Heat travel to Cleveland for Lebron James homecoming. Something tells me that Kanye West and Chris Martin’s “Homecoming” will not be playing over the speakers. Something also tells me the James will certainly not be treated as a king in his own hometown , and it will be more of a coup de tat environment. All the hatred for the “King of Akron” has been well documented through websites, the media, and countless YouTube viral videos. It is clear that LBJ is looked as a Persona Non Grata in Cleveland. I expect the decibel level in the Q to be raised to an unbearable amount with all the boo birds. The Cavaliers have even beefed up security for Thursday night’s game, and have gone to measures of banning anti-Lebron clothing for the homecoming game. With all this said, I have one question: will Lebron do his signature chalk/powder throw? This moment in my head has been built up with much anticipation. Will he throw the chalk or will he not? Well let’s take a look at his options:

Throwing the chalk – This clearly is the worst possible option. After putting your entire city on blast on national TV, the last thing you need to do is throw chalk on them. In Cleveland, the phrase “throwing salt in someone’s wounds” has probably changed to “throwing chalk in someone’s wounds.” There is no reason for Lebron to remind the poor people of Cleveland of the dreaded past. In the worst case scenario (although highly possible), I see Cavs fans by the check-in table throw chalk right back at Lebron and stain that black Miami Heat jersey with chalk as if it was blood, but that’s worst case…

Not throwing the chalk – Well if you have gone this far to totally disrespect the city of Cleveland, how much can throwing a little chalk in the air really hurt? After all, Lebron James is a brand, a talent. The chalk throwing is all a part of the grand scheme of this brand and talent (which are now in South Beach). Why should Lebron coward away from what he has done his entire career? I wouldn’t want to hear after the game that Lebron had a poor shooting night because he did not have his traditional chalk on his hands to start the game. Throw away Bron Bron…

Sure debating about this is ridiculous to some, but what about this whole Lebron James soap opera hasn’t been ridiculous? At the end of the day, I think he does throw the chalk up because he is Lebron James and he hasn’t made one right decision in this matter. I, along with all the NBA fans of the world, will be anxiously watching Thursday night to see what happens.

This is just an opinion…so please, Pardon My Bias.

How many times have we seen Drew Brees do this? Down by less than 7, last few minutes of the game, and Brees carries his team to the victory? He did it in SF earlier this season and he has done it again on Thanksgiving Day. The Saints jumped out to a 17-0 lead and seemed to relax and allowed the Cowboys to have some life. When they found themselves suddenly down in 27-23 in the 4th quarter, the Saints had no momentum to build on as they seemed to be in neutral for most of the game. So what did they do (after Malcolm Jenkins made one of the best defensive plays I have seen in a long time)? They let Brees be Brees.

Brees at his best. Picture courtesy of Yahoo! Sports

With 3:03 left on the clock and only 1 timeout the Saints started their drive at their own 11. Brees wasted no time going to work and hit Colston for a 22 yard gain. Following 2 incomplete passes and facing a 3rd and 10, the Saints looked like they may not be able to push the drive further. Then the big play came, Brees was able to step up in the pocket and hit Robert Meachem for a 55 yard gain bringing the Saints to the Dallas 12 yard line. And just 25 seconds later, Brees hit Lance Moore on a quick slant for the go-ahead TD. And with that the Saints scare was over and their comeback was complete.

Brees has proved time and time again that if you give him an inch he can take it a mile, or 89 yards to be exact. Brees is undoubtedly one of the best QBs in the game and has his Saints at 8-3 this season. With Reggie Bush finally back, the sky is the limit for this Saints offense.

This is just an opinion…so please Pardon My Bias.

photo courtesy of AP

Tom Brady led the New England Patriots into Detroit earlier today and absolutely feasted on the Lions. The Lions jumped off to a good start early, but Brady and the Pats came firing back. Brady finished the game completing 21-27 of his passes for 341 yards and 4 big touchdowns. The Patriots had a big 35-point second half to win the game 45-24.

The Lions have had a tradition of playing on Thanksgiving, and as of recently, a tradition of being cooked like a turkey on Thanksgiving. Too the credit of the Lions, they played extremely well through the first three quarters keeping up with the Pats. At the end of three, the score was tied at 24, but then the Patriots went on a 21-point 4^th quarter splurge that put the game away.

The Patriots now move to a 9-2 record, which is the best in the NFL. The Jets and Falcons also have a chance to keep up with the Patriots if they also win this week. At this point, the Patriots truly do look like the best team in the league. They play the Jets in week 13, which will be a great matchup against two teams that have the best records in the NFL, and are division rivals that absolutely hate each other.

Tom Brady has been fantastic so far, and is proving many of his doubters from the beginning of the season wrong. He has not thrown an interception in his last 190 passing attempts, which is a career high for passes thrown without an interception for Brady. He has been extremely efficient as well with a passer rating over 100 in 4 out of his last 5 games. Through the season Brady has 23 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. Even losing deep option Randy Moss has not hurt Brady. They acquired Deion Branch, and it looks as if Branch never left.

The Patriots have a couple more difficult games left on their schedule with the Jets, Bears, and Packers. This team is capable of winning them all, and I would not be surprised if they finish the season with the best record in the NFL.

This is just an opinion…so please, Pardon My Bias.

PMB Week 12 NFL Picks

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11

This is just an opinion so please…Pardon My Bias

This weeks Sunday night game may just determine who this year’s NFL MVP will be. In one corner we have the two-time reigning MVP, Peyton Manning, and in the other corner we have the very disliked yet record pacing, Philip Rivers. This weeks match-up of the Indianapolis Colts vs. San Diego Chargers, could very much determine who will end up hoisting the MVP trophy at the end of the year.

Manning has the better record at 6-4, but the Colts are somewhat struggling this year. Of course the injuries that the Colts have been suffering does not help. Manning currently has thrown 20 touchdowns to only 7 interceptions and 3,059 yards. Unfortunately for them, this year their division is not going to be a runaway. They are currently tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars and lead the Tennessee Titans by only one game and the Houston Texans by two. It is quite a funny situation because the Chargers are in a very tight race themselves.

Rivers vs. Manning: The MVP Showdown. Photo courtesy of www.nydailynews.com.

San Diego has won their division the past couple of seasons but this year they currently sit in 3rd place behind the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders. No, I did not mistype that. Although the Chargers got off to their annual slow start, they are once again making a run and only sit one game behind the Chiefs. They are currently 5-5 with Rivers throwing for 23 touchdowns and 9 interceptions and a whooping 3,177 yards. Rivers has surprised many this year with his excellent play. With the lack of a running game, in which Ryan Matthews has not been able to fill the hole for, and receiving absences, Rivers has played some outstanding football. He has definitely surprised many this year and is making believers of many of his once doubters.

Michael Vick right now also looks like a viable MVP candidate but he seems to be having issues throwing while running to the right and defenses are beginning to pick up on this issue. I believe the MVP race comes down to Manning and Rivers and although the end team results will play a huge role, this specific game could change a lot of perceptions. In my opinion, the Charger win over the Broncos was the start of their run towards the playoffs and it was the start of Rivers beginning to stand out in this MVP race. With a win over the Colts and the Chargers making the playoffs, I do not think there is any way to not give this honor to Rivers. Actually in my preseason award predictions, I stated that I wanted to pick Rivers but went with Manning as a safe pick. I guess I wasn’t too far off because it may just end up being one of those two guys who achieves this honor.

This is just an opinion…so please Pardon My Bias.

Poor Lions fan. picture courtesy of sportsmansdaily.com

Let’s face it, the Detroit Lions organization has been quite awful since their establishment in 1929. Since the Super Bowl became the championship game of the NFL in 1967, the Lions are one of only four teams yet to qualify for a Super Bowl. The others are: Houston Texans (established 2002), Jacksonville Jaquars (established 1995), and the Cleveland Browns. In fact, in the last 53 years the Detroit Lions have only qualified for the playoffs 9 times. Since the NFL expanded to 32 teams in 2002, the Lions are the only NFC team not to make the playoffs. The Lions have not had a winning season since 2000 and unless they win 6 straight to end this season, the streak will continue. And if that’s not enough for you, the Lions are the only team in NFL history to go 0-16 in a season, that is quite pathetic. The Lions are considered one of the worst franchise in all of sports. So why am I bringing up all these inadequacies of the Lions franchise? Because its time to change tradition.

At least the Lions fans have a sense of humor. Picture courtesy of foxnews.com

I know there are plenty of die-hard Lions fans out there that continue to hope for the miracle-that the lions will actually be good one day. Bless their hearts, but for the rest of us NFL fans who don’t care to watch a 2-8 team play please leave the Lions off the Thanksgiving Day lineup. Year in and year out the Lions disappoint on their most important game of the season.  they have lost 6 straight Thanksgiving Day games and have often been clobbered ( 34-12 loss vs Green Bay in 2009, 41-9 loss against Indianapolis in 2004, etc…). In the 70 games played on Thanksgiving Day by the Lions, they have posted a 33-35-2 record. The NFL needs to break this old tradition and start a new tradition. A hefty majority of the NFL’s fan base does not care to watch the Lions play any game during a 17 week season, let alone on Thanksgiving Day. I implore the NFL to make the change soon, for the sake of our sanity.

This is just an opinion…so please Pardon My Bias.