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NFL Power Poll: Week 12

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As expected, last night the San Diego Chargers took care of the Denver Broncos 35-14 in front of a sellout crowd in Qualcomm Stadium.  The Chargers are now a game behind the AFC West leading Kansas City Chiefs.  I’m not surprised to see San Diego fighting their way back into contention.  If they win again next Sunday night in Indianapolis, it will be hard to leave them out of the next power poll.

1. New England Patriots (8-2): Should be 9-2 heading into Dec 6th division battle with the Jets. [Read more…]

NFL Sunday Roundup: Week 11

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Let me speak for all of New England this morning when I say, “James Sanders, next one’s on me.” Wow! After what looked like another classic Peyton Manning down from 17 points in the 4th quarter comeback victory, Sanders and the Patriot defense came up with their biggest play of the season to date. For Patriot fans, who still had visions of Kevin Faulk on 4th and 1 in their heads, this was an incredibly large hurdle to pass, a result that now legitimizes the young Patriot defense and propels the team to the top spot in the AFC. Should be a mighty fine tussle when the J-E-T-S visit Foxboro in two weeks.

Going around the league, big wins yesterday for the Steelers, Ravens, and Jets.  The Jacksonville Jaguars are in first place in the AFC South and with their win over the Giants last night, the Philadelphia Eagles have assumed control of the NFC East.  Congrats to the Buffalo Bills on their amazing comeback win over the woeful Cincinnati Bengals. And finally, when do we start taking the Tampa Bay Bucs seriously as a legitimate contender in the NFC South? Share your views

View My Picks: NFL Week 11

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I sure hope they didn’t pay face value for these seats! Judging from this vantage point, it’s fair to say that Wrigley Field was not built to house major college football games.  Today’s contest between Northwestern and Illinois was the first college football game played in the Friendly Confines since 1938.  Even though stadium seating wasn’t perfect, and the field itself had only one operable endzone, I still would have enjoyed being a part of the atmosphere in Wrigley today.

On to the NFL Week 11 picks!

Oakland (+8.5) over PITTSBURGH

The Raiders and their fans relish the “no respect” role.  Take the points. Keep Reading

NFL Thursday Night: Maybe It’s a Miami Thing

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Yesterday, I gave a view from the Heat/Suns game and wrote about how the fans in Miami do not support their basketball team like they should .  Last night, during the Dolphins Thursday Night Football game against the Bears, things became clearer to me.  Maybe it’s a Miami thing.

During the the second half of Chicago’s convincing 16-0 win over Miami, it became clear to TV viewers that Bears supporters in Sun Life Stadium were the much more vocal group.  This could have been a product of the game itself.  The Dolphins looked lost on offense and eventually wore down on defense.  The Bears were solid on both sides of the ball, especially on defense, where they sacked a hapless Tyler Thigpen 6 times. So Chicago did have much more to cheer about during the game.

However, why were there so many Bears fans in the stadium to begin with? Did a lot of Midwesterners travel down to South Florida for an early Thanksgiving break?  Are the Chicago Bears truly one of “America’s Teams” with a national fanbase?  Or, like with the Heat, do people in Miami have priorities that prevent them from supporting the Dolphins?

Share your views.

Monday Night Football: Dollar Signs Abound

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Those dollar signs are for Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick, the starting QB’s in last night’s Monday Night Football game where Vick’s Eagles destroyed McNabb’s Redskins by a final score of 59-28. Before the game, it was announced that McNabb had just signed a new contract extension with the Redskins which could guarantee him $78 million over 5 years.  It has since been reported that Washington may only be on the hook for $3.75 million this season and could cut ties with their franchise quarterback as early as the end of the 2010 campaign.

Vick, on the other hand, has put himself in position to make a ton of money this off-season.  If he continues playing at his current level, 6 total touchdowns last night alone, he will become the most highly coveted free agent.  But why would the Eagles let him go?  Are they really committed to QB in waiting Kevin Kolb?  Why not sign Vick and trade Kolb to a team in need of a young, potentially productive, quarterback?  If Vick doesn’t resign with Philadelphia, could he ink with Washington and replace McNabb for the second time in his career?  Share your views.