Tebow to Jets, Why You Ask?

By Dan Rodgers

The Jets have officially traded for former Florida Gators savior Tim Tebow. I'm hearing that the Jets gave up a 2012 fourth and sixth round pick for Tim Tebow and a 2012 seventh round pick.

This move initially made zero sense to me. The Jets just gave Mark Sanchez a three-year extension to show their faith in him as the starting QB. Bringing in Tebow could have been done because the Jets want Sanchez to feel more pressure to perform instead of coasting because Mark Brunell was the second string QB. However, WR Jeremy Kerley played well last season as a rookie Wildcat QB.

Tebow needs to understand that he is not the starting QB of the New York Jets. He is a proven winner and leader, but he needs to understand this is Sanchez's team. One issue with this move is the impact it will have on the locker room. Sanchez is in the process of becoming the leader and needs to demand the respect of the team, and Tebow joining the team might hinder that process and cause Sanchez to lose some of the team that likes Tebow.

As I've said in the past, I do not like Tebow. I think he is a phenomenal athlete, leader and winner, but I think he is an absolutely terrible NFL QB. My opinion on this trade will be determined by how the Jets use Tebow during the season. If they want him to be a change-of-pace Wildcat QB, or they change him to be an H-back/tight end, I would be OK with the trade. I said before he was drafted that Tebow should be switched to another position to fully utilize his abilities and hopefully the Jets do that.

The biggest reason I dislike the trade right now is because of the issues the media will bring throughout the season. If Sanchez gets hurt, or struggles early in the season, the media and all of Tebow's followers will be calling for him to start like they did in Denver. The media could be the primary reason that this trade doesn't work out.

If Sanchez can live up to the hype and respond to the pressure by winning and the Jets use Tebow correctly, this COULD work out OK. But I have my doubts...

Not to mention, in my opinion Sean Payton getting suspended for the entire season, among the other punishments that the Saints got, is way bigger news than Tebow to the Jets.

Only time will tell if this trade isn't a bust, but all I know is that I wish the Jets were on HBO's Hard Knocks this summer.

Rodgers That

Happy New Year and Happy Week 17

By Dan Rodgers

OK, the fantasy championships didn't go quite as expected. I came in second in one of them and I just got owned because everyone chose not to perform. I came in second in another one because my opponent got 20 points over his projection, had his kicker (Rob Bironas) get 15 points and Larry Fitzgerald and Matt Stafford both got double their projections. The only thing I could have done to win would have been to play Detroit defense over Tennessee. I figured Tennessee is a decent defense and Jacksonville's offense sucks. Of course the Jags put up 17 points and Detroit gave up 10 and scored a touchdown of their own.

The last league is ESPN.com and their fantasy playoffs are two rounds each. So I'm up 28 points and I'm really not concerned. The Saints have been playing great so I think Cam Newton won't score his usual 25-30 points and the only player on his team I'm worried about is MJD against Indy defense.

Well, now we move on to picks. This is always a tough week because certain teams have clinched everything so they bench their players. Other teams play their guys because they want to stay hot going into the playoffs. Other teams bench their slightly injured players because they have no chance at the playoffs so they don't want to worsen the situation. I have really leveled off from my hot start and have just been flirting with .500 most weeks; however, I did tie for the week this past week.

Was/Phi 9 I think Philly has clearly found their stride and will be determined to finish the season at .500
SF 10.5/Stl The 49ers are playing for a first-round bye and should destroy the most-likely Kellen Clemens-led Rams
Chi/Min 1 Two terrible teams, Minnesota at home is the safe pick
Det 3.5/GB It was just announced that Rodgers isn't active so this spread will probably jump... but Detroit wants to lock up the five seed
Car/NO 9 New Orleans has to pray the Rams win so they can get the two seed, so I think they'll play hard
Ten 1/Hou I know the Texans are locked into the three seed, but I think they'll want to knock Tennessee out of the playoffs
Ind/Jax 3.5 The Colts will play tough and keep it close but won't jeopardize their chance at the No. 1 pick
NYJ/Mia 3 The Jets are underdogs so I can't not take them because they are USUALLY good with their backs against the wall... wouldn't be surprised if this pushed though Jets SU
Buf/NE 10.5 The Pats are playing to lock up the one seed, they'll blow Buffalo out
TB/Atl 10.5 Atlanta will know whether or not they have anything to play for by game time, but Tampa is so terrible and the Falcons will want to correct all of the things that went wrong last week
Bal 1/Cin The Ravens play at the same time as the Pats and Steelers so they are still playing to lock up a bye
Pit 6.5/Cle The Steelers can pray for a Cincy win which would make Pittsburgh the two seed, and I think the Steelers win big here
SD/Oak 3 I'm digging the upet here because the Chargers definitely want to knock Oakland out, and San Diego typically plays well with no pressure SD SU
KC/Den 3.5 I like that extra half point but I actually like the Orton factor and I'm thinking another upset here KC SU
Sea/Ari 3 I think Seattle will keep it close if not win outright...
Dal/NYG 3 The Giants are just the better team at this point, I think they'll cover easy

Week 1: 7-9 ATS 10-6 SU
Week 2: 10-6 ATS 13-3 SU
Week 3: 11-4-1 ATS 10-6 SU
Week 4: 9-7 ATS 13-3 SU
Week 5: 6-7 ATS 7-6 SU
Week 6: 10-3 ATS 10-3 SU
Week 7: 9-3-1 ATS 10-3 SU
Week 8: 7-6 ATS 9-4 SU
Week 9: 8-6 ATS 9-5 SU
Week 10: 9-7 ATS 9-7 SU
Week 11: 6-5-2 ATS 11-2 SU
Week 12: 8-7-1 ATS 12-4 SU
Week 13: 8-8 ATS 10-6 SU
Week 14: 9-6-1 ATS 12-4 SU
Week 15: 7-7-2 ATS 10-6 SU
Week 16: 8-7-1 ATS 12-4 SU
Total: 132-98-9 ATS 167-72 SU

Bold Prediction: Jets make the playoffs? Haha, I can only pray... not impossible though: Tennessee, Cincinnati, and Oakland or Denver have to lose...

My favorite lines are SF -10.5, Philly -9, NE -10.5, Pitt -6.5, SD +3

Rodgers That

NFL Week 15 Christmas Miracle Part 2

By Dan Rodgers

We will start with my team for Part 2. The Jets were in prime position to make the playoffs after needing help, yet again. Just like two seasons ago, the Jets needed a lot of help to make the playoffs, and took advantage of the help they got.

A few weeks ago, Oakland, Cincinnati, and Tennessee lost to give the Jets the lead for the sixth seed. They controlled their own destiny to make the playoffs, but instead they felt like making it interesting by losing and giving the teams a chance. Not only did they lose to the Eagles, whom they've NEVER beaten (0-9), but they got incredibly embarrassed on offense and defense. Santonio Holmes got a taunting penalty after catching a touchdown to cut the lead to 28-10. All of this after the receiver let a ball go through his hands that was intercepted and fumbled the ball that was returned for a touchdown.

The Jets play the Giants in a game that will most likely decide both team's playoff fate. Surprisingly enough, the Jets still control their destiny based on a lucky tiebreaker with the Bengals. The Giants play the Cowboys in the final week of the season, if they win both games, they are playoff bound.

This madness was just the beginning of the late games. The Raiders scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to take a 13-point lead on the Lions. Matt Stafford led the Lions on a 71-yard drive in under three minutes to cut the lead to six. After forcing a punt, Shane Lechler did what he does best, and pinned the Lions at the two yard-line with just over two minutes to play. Unfortunately, that was way too much time for Detroit.

The game-winning touchdown drive included a 48-yard completion to Calvin Johnson. Megatron also caught the game-winning touchdown, his second on the day. The Lions left over a minute for the Raiders to attempt the tying field goal, which they did. Sebastian Janikowski attempted a 65-yard field goal, which was blocked. If Oakland had won the game, they would have the tiebreaker over the Jets, so New York caught another huge break.

The Cardinals were wetting the bed against Cleveland, but were able to come back and kick the game-winning field goal in OT. I'm not going to spend too much time on this, but it was an incredible game, and the Cards kept their playoff chances alive by getting to 7-7.

The final late game was Tom Brady vs. Tim Tebow, and the game did not live up to the hype. The Broncos actually took a 16-7 lead in the second quarter, but we all know that you can't kick field goals if you want to beat the Pats. After the 16-7 lead, the Pats responded with 20 unanswered points, with three Denver fumbles in the mix. The Denver offense isn't built for huge comebacks, especially when the defense is struggling to stop the opposition.

The Pats scored a touchdown in the third, and everyone thought it was "Tebow Time" when the Broncos cut the lead back to 11. Brady responded with a touchdown drive of his own that killed way too much clock. Tebow and two other Broncos lost fumbles, and the Pats didn't turn the ball over. I hate the Pats, but they shut up the Broncos, Tebow and all of his followers of Tebowism.

The night games only made everything else even more interesting... but we'll get to those tomorrow.

Rodgers That

Week 13 Picks

By Dan Rodgers

OK, so I was hoping to get this out earlier but the Towson game was nuts. As a Jets fan, I thought I had seen all of the possible ways of losing, but my Towson Tigers showed me something new.

Anyway, I am actually supposed to be in Virginia right now because I'm going to the Jets @ Redskins game today. I couldn't find my wallet so I couldn't leave last night, but I finally found it so I'm going to spit out my picks and then hit the road for some tailgating and football.

Ten/Buf 2.5 It's games like this you think the Titans would be favored...
KC/Chi 7 This SHOULD be a slaughter, but we saw what happened with Pittsburgh
Oak/Mia 3 You might be thinking, "Why isn't Oakland favored?" You're about to find out why
Cin/Pit 6.5 Cincy didn't play that well last week against Cleveland and I think Pittsburgh will rebound from last week's game
NYJ 3/Was Huge letdown spot for the Jets, but if they want to make their late season playoff push, they will get the job done
Atl 3/Hou Good team playing with rookie QB, look for the defense to step up big: Houston SU
Car/TB 3 Freeman is better than Newton, even if he isn't playing that way
Den/Min 1 I can't wait to see how many people took Denver in my book
Ind/NE 20 I didn't think I would ever pick a team favored by this much, but Indy takes losing to a whole new level... (SURVIVOR 9-3)
Bal 6.5/Cle I can't believe I'm picking the Ravens, on the road, against a bad team
Dal 5/Ari For some reason, everyone loves Arizona here. This is a huge game for Dallas as they can pull ahead of the Giants by two games...
Stl/SF 13 This matchup isn't even fair
GB 7/NYG This is why the Cowboys can go ahead by two games... I can't believe this line is so low considering how good Green Bay looked against Detroit, how bad NY looked, and the extra time to prepare for the Pack
Det/NO 9 I can't pick against Brees when he is as on fire as he is, the defense better step up
SD 3/Jax New owner, new coach, the team should get up for this game on MNF: JAX SU

Week 1: 7-9 ATS 10-6 SU
Week 2: 10-6 ATS 13-3 SU
Week 3: 11-4-1 ATS 10-6 SU
Week 4: 9-7 ATS 13-3 SU
Week 5: 6-7 ATS 7-6 SU
Week 6: 10-3 ATS 10-3 SU
Week 7: 9-3-1 ATS 10-3 SU
Week 8: 7-6 ATS 9-4 SU
Week 9: 8-6 ATS 9-5 SU
Week 10: 9-7 ATS 9-7 SU
Week 11: 6-5-2 ATS 11-2 SU
Week 12: 8-7-1 ATS 12-4 SU
Total: 100-70-5 ATS 123-52 SU

You can tell that I didn't feel like actually picking a survivor, so I just went with New England...

As you can tell, the last time I had a solid week was back in Week 7. I have a good feeling about this week though.

Rodgers That

NFL Week 7: Bouncing back

By Dan Rodgers

Just as I suspected, last week I bounced back fairly well from my dreadful week 5. If you're not yet convinced of my talent, I'm going to try to find the numbers for my previous seasons so you can see my consistency.

NCAA: Rough week for Top 25 as seven teams went down, including four to unranked opponents and two top 10 teams. Unfortunately, I was hit by a few of those because I didn't expect Wisconsin to only play in the first and fourth quarters

Chi 1.5/TB (in London) No home team, the Bucs got up last week for New Orleans and Chicago is playing better
Was/Car 3 Should be able to take care of business at home assuming Philly showed Washington's true colors last week
SD/NYJ 1 Weird spread and movement all week, Jets play well at home
Sea/Cle 3 Seattle still sucks and is a road team...
Hou/Ten 3 Curious spread, I think Houston is just the better team
Den 1/Mia Crazy movement in this line, and rightfully so...Denver should kill them
Atl/Det 3 This line dropped but I still like Atlanta, Detroit SU
KC/Oak 4.5 Who knows what the Raiders are getting from their QB, possible upset, Oakland SU
Pit 4.5/Ari Pittsburgh should be more than 4.5 points better than Arizona, weak SB rematch
GB 12/Min Aaron Rodgers is amazing (it comes with the last name)
Stl/Dal 14 Rams are defeated, so that allows me to take Dallas here SURVIVOR (5-1)
Ind/NO 13.5 Even though Indy is defeated, I think they'll cover, wish I had the extra half point though... NO SU
Bal 10/Jax There is a time and place for EVERY rule to be broken and this is it... There is no reason for the Ravens to not win this game by 30+ points

Week 1: 7-9 ATS 10-6 SU
Week 2: 10-6 ATS 13-3 SU
Week 3: 11-4-1 ATS 10-6 SU
Week 4: 9-7 ATS 13-3 SU
Week 5: 6-7 ATS 7-6 SU
Week 6: 10-3 ATS 10-3 SU
Total: 53-36-1 ATS 63-27 SU

I just realized I took nine out of 13 road teams to cover, that's pretty wild. Of course I'll probably go 16-1 with survivor but who cares because I screwed myself!

Anyway, this is an interested week because there are a lot of double digit spreads (4) and spreads of a field goal or less (7). I think it's about time we see some separation and the good teams rise to the top. I hate letting mediocre teams (Buffalo/Washington) hang around.

Week 7 bold prediction: The Broncos, Packers, Cowboys and Ravens all win by at least three touchdowns.

@dhrodgers52

Rodgers That

NFL Week 2: Picks but No Video

By Dan Rodgers

So, there is no video this week because I didn't get one done before Friday and now I'm in Jersey. My girlfriend and I drove to my sister's place in Lancaster yesterday and came to Jersey today for my cousin's engagement party. Thankfully, the Jets are home this week and a bunch of us are going to the game. I'm going to try to get a video of the inside of the stadium.

Below are my picks, just like last week: The bold team is my pick and the favored team has the number (spread) next to them.

Chi/NO 6.5 Saints straight up
KC/Det 8.5
Jax/NYJ 9
Ari/Was 4
Bal 7/Ten
Sea/Pit 14.5 SURVIVOR PICK* (1-0)
GB 11.5/Car
TB/Min 3 Bucs SU as well
Cle 2/Ind
Oak/Buf 3.5
Dal 4/SF 49ers SU as well
Cin/Den 3.5 Don't touch
SD/NE 7 Pats SU
Hou 3.5/Mia
Phi 2.5/Atl Don't touch
Stl/NYG 6

Week 1: 7-9 ATS 10-6 SU, Last week was rough because it was the first week after a lockout shortened offseason. I think around .500 is decent enough.

Games with notes next to them mean I wouldn't touch the game or I picked the underdog to cover so I'm specifying if I also like them to win (straight up/SU) as well.

I'm going to start giving explanations on the Jets games because I try to not let fanhood get in the way. This week it's simple, I think they'll score like they did last week but give up less because the Jags offense isn't as good as Dallas'.

*Keep in mind survivor pick is strictly who will win the game, no spreads involved:
Pittsburgh was an easy survivor pick because of last week. They were absolutely embarrassed by the Ravens and there won't be a game they are more prepared for than this one. If they lose this week they should just forfeit the season. The 49ers crushed them last week and if they couldn't move the ball against San Fran, they definitely won't be able to against Pittsburgh. Other considerations were the Jets (but I'm trying to not pick them) and the Lions (I want to know if they are for real).

I like to use most of the advice from WalterFootball, who recommends that you do a few things while picking your survivor team:

1. Never take a road team (That's why I'm not considering Packers/Ravens this week)
   
2. Never take a team in a divisional game
3. Never take a bad team
4. Never choose an underdog (as determined by the spread)

He also says to never save teams and always take your best option. If everyone listened to him, everyone would be taking the Steelers this week because they are the clear-cut best option. Hopefully, they'll take care of business and we'll see upsets elsewhere to knock some people out. Last week, out of the 35 people in my pool, 14 were knocked out. Cleveland and Kansas City were the teams that did (or maybe didn't do) damage last week, so who will be that team this week?

Three potentials: 49ers (+4), Chargers (+7), Rams (+6)

Week 2 Bold Prediction: Three (6 total) teams in the AFC East and NFC North will be 2-0

Last but not least, I went 5-2 in my seven fantasy leagues. One I lost, it's a B.S. one that I didn't attend draft and it's only for fun and the other is because the dumb experts told me to start Deangelo Williams over Ben Tate. I lost by 8 points, and Tate had 11 more points than Williams. But, I'm not here to make excuses, business will be taken care of this week.

Rodgers That

NFL, still a man's game?

By Dan Rodgers

The NFL owners just approved a rule change...that's never a good thing.

The rule moves kickoffs from 30 yard-line to the 35. If you're not a huge football fan then you have no idea the kind of impact this will have on the game. Not to mention, a touchback is still only put at the 20 yard-line. So the kicking team just gained a huge advantage.

I know they are trying to protect player safety, but the owners want an 18 game schedule and that isn't safe. Basically, teams with good return teams (i.e. Bears, Browns, Jets, Seahawks) will be at a huge disadvantage. Not to mention, return specialists like Brad Smith, Devin Hester and Leon Washington become much less valuable.

Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff tied the record for the most touchbacks in a single season this past season. This coming season, whether it's this year or whenever, he and possibly other kickers will shatter that record. Every kickoff that was at the goal line or a yard or two deep in the endzone will now be five to seven yards deep and most likely be touchbacks.

This will also help the defense because there will be more touchbacks and more drives starting from the 20 yard-line.

There isn't much to debate because the rule change has already been implemented. It's just interesting because teams will be changing how they spend their money.

Rodgers That

Super Bowl Quickie

By Dan Rodgers

The Super Bowl is about a week away and two of the most storied franchises in NFL history will face off in what looks to be a phenomenal game.

The Steelers survived a second half comeback by the New York Jets and the Packers held off a late surge by the Bears third-string QB.

Pittsburgh has an elite defense and a play-making offense.
Green Bay has an elite offense and a play-making defense.

On paper these teams should provide an excellent Super Bowl. I just hope we get the best out of both teams. Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey has been ruled out for the game per an ESPN source, but I wouldn't be surprised if he attempted to play. He has an entire offseason and maybe more to recover and this is the most important game of his career.

I'm not going to say much right now about the game because there is still a week to go, but even though my Jets are out I'm still excited as a football fan for a great game.

Right now I like the Packers (-2.5) because their offense is much better than the Jets and Ravens and both of those teams were able to score on Pitt. GB also has a play-making defense and should be able to capitalize on any Pitt mistakes. They just have to contain Big Ben and make sure he doesn't hurt them outside the pocket.

More on the SB later.

Rodgers That

Can't Wait

By Dan Rodgers

At the post-game conference following the Jets win over the Patriots in the second round of the AFC playoffs, LB Bart Scott was congratulated on the victory and the reporter said, "See you in Pittsburgh." Scott's response, "Can't wait."

Of course, now the entire Jets organization is using it and Sports Center is currently mocking the hell out of it and it's hilarious.

We'll see how that goes this Sunday at 6:30. The Jets travel to Pittsburgh for the second time this season and look to beat the Steelers to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since Super Bowl III.

Two notable injury updates are that Pitt DE Aaron Smith will not play and NY QB/WR/KR Brad Smith is likely to play.

Two game breakers in this one will the Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and Jets receiver Santonio Holmes. Holmes returns to Pittsburgh for the second time this year and faces the team that dumped the Super Bowl MVP for a fifth round pick. Holmes didn't have a big game last time so he will look to get some payback against his former team.

Polamalu is the kind of guy that can give Chezmo tons of issues. He blitzes whenever he wants and is probably the best player left in the playoffs. He is phenomenal against the pass and a great tackler. Chezmo needs to know where he is on the field at all times.

I think my Jets have a solid chance of beating the Steelers as they did so earlier in the season. I expect some big plays out of both defenses.

As for the NFC, I'm in love with the Packers. I think they'll cover their field goal spread (-3).

Rodgers That

Superstitious? Well...

By Dan Rodgers

A lot of people are superstitious. Some people believe in things that pertain to their religion and some people just have certain habits that work for them. The postseason for professional sports is a time when many people get superstitious. Some athletes wear the same underwear, some have the same pregame ritual or eat the same food.

Fans have it a little differently because we don't play the game. This NFL season the Jets were 12-0 when I wore my Wayne Chrebet #80 jersey and they were 0-5 when wearing my personalized jersey, Leon Washington or Santana Moss. (Yes, every player's jersey I have is no longer with the team)

For the game against the Pats, I went to get ready and couldn't find my Chrebet jersey. I realized I had left it at my girlfriend's place after doing laundry. I resorted to wearing my Leon jersey because his team was also playing. As you know the Jets won the game, but my girlfriend showed up to the bar in the Chrebet jersey.

I am leaving for Las Vegas in eight hours and I didn't pack my Leon jersey. Basically, I've determined that clothing superstitions aren't worth it but are fun to think about. HOWEVER, I have yet to shave and I absolutely refuse to do so until the Jets are out. Last year I didn't shave but I had to go to Memphis for a Bar Mitzvah. So my mother made me shave and the Jets lost their next game (AFC Championship game to Colts).

In the end: keep your playoff beard no matter what. Don't shave it for your job, your girl, your family or anything else you could possibly think of. Anything else you want to believe, go for it but it might not be worth it.

Chezmo ends Brady Bunch's season

By Dan Rodgers

Mark Sanchez, commonly known as Chezmo in my group of friends, has beaten Peyton Manning and Tom Brady on the road in back-to-back weeks.

The Jets advance to the AFC Championship for the second time in as many years and it's Rex Ryan's third straight year there. In a post-season filled with rematches, the AFC Championship will provide us a rematch of the Jets @ Steelers. The Jets defeated the Steelers 22-17 in their regular season match, but of course that doesn't count because King Head and Shoulders wasn't available to play.

It will be interesting to see how the Jets approach this week because they don't have any grudge against the Steelers that I know of. In fact, it might have been better motivation right now for the Jets if the Steelers had beaten them earlier this season. Regardless, look for Rex Ryan to make it "personal" because he lost to the Steelers in the 2008 AFC Championship game as the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator.

Look for more on both conference's title games later this week.

Rodgers That

GO JETS!

I will not really write about this game. The Jets are +9 and I think they'll cover. Their keys to victory are to run the hell out of the ball and for Sanchez to not turn it over. Oh wait, everyone is saying that? Yeah, because everyone picks out the obvious stuff. The most important thing that needs to happen for the Jets to win: disrupt Brady's flow and timing. Don't allow him to take a three-step drop and release. Make him second guess himself.

The Jets can run and score all they want, but if the Pats aren't stopped it won't matter. Limit Brady's possessions like they did with Manning last week.

The Pats will look to force Sanchez into turnovers, stop the run and look for favorable matchups in the passing game. Rob Gronkowski figures to be a huge X-Factor for the Pats given his size and receiving ability. On the defensive side of the ball, Kyle Arrington is going to have to be a difference maker against the Jets passing offense. The Jets will look to expose him.

I would say the offensive factor for the Jets is Shonn Greene. He is a tough, physical runner that the Jets will need to rely on to pound the ball and wear down the New England defensive front. On defense the two things I'll be looking for are the non-existent pass rush and Antonio Cromartie's play. Cro is talking a lot and was exposed on a deep route against the Colts. The Jets will need to generate a pass rush without blitzing to more effectively throw Brady off of his game.

Wild Card Saturday

By Dan Rodgers

This is an interesting year for the NFL because all four Wild Card teams have better records than the team that is hosting them, except one. The Jets have a better record than the Colts by a game, the Ravens by two games over the Chiefs, the Saints by four games over Seattle, and Green Bay has the same record as Philly but beat them earlier this year.

This means that if the team the better record (or tiebreak) were to host, all four Wild Card teams would be hosting the division winners this week.

Game 1

Saints (-10) @ Seahawks - This is an interesting game because everyone is all over New Orleans since Seattle is, record-wise, the worst playoff team in NFL history. A lot of the Saints offensive weapons are banged up, with TE Jimmy Graham inactive and RBs Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory on IR. I don't think this will matter too much because Brees could turn me into a 1,000-yard receiver. I expect for Reggie Bush to make some big plays in the passing game on a few screen plays. The screens, dump-offs and other short passes will act as the Saints rushing game today because of the injuries to the running backs.

The Seahawks will look to run-run-run and keep Brees off the field. Lynch has had some fumbling issues this year as he did twice in the regular season game against the Saints. I don't think it will work because the Saints should force Hasselbeck to beat them...which he won't.

My Prediction: Saints (-10) 34 Seahawks 16


Game 2

Jets (+2.5) @ Colts - In a rematch of last season's AFC Championship game, the Jets look to avenge their loss. The Colts are definitely not the same team as the only playoff team they defeated this season was the Kansas City Chiefs. The Colts run defense has vastly improved in the last four games and will look to continue that against the smashmouth run game of the Jets led by Shonn Greene. The Colts will hope to stop him and LT to force Mark Sanchez to beat him like they did last season. Sanchez did have some success against Indy's defense throwing for over 250 yards and two touchdowns in last year's contest.

I think the Jets will find some success but the game will be determined by Manning. Reggie Wayne will take a vacation to Revis Island like he did last year, so Manning will have to use other targets like Jacob Tamme, Blair White and Pierre Garcon. Dallas Clark and Austin Collie are both out which should make the Jets feel a bit better.

My Prediction: Jets (+2.5) 24 Colts 23

Rodgers That

NFL history made, good or bad?

By Dan Rodgers

The Sunday night football game was left open so that the NFL could put whatever game they wanted there based on how important it was. Well, the game that was moved was the St. Louis Rams @ Seattle Seahawks. The winner of the game would win the division and the loser would go home.

To my surprise, Seattle played fairly well and their defense came to life. The Rams couldn't do much on offense, even though it didn't look like they even tried. It wasn't an offensive explosion or anything, but the game was still exciting because of what it meant.

Many people were rooting for St. Louis because if they had won the game they would have finished 8-8. However, because Seattle won the game, they finished the season 7-9 and won the division. This is the first time in NFL history that a sub-.500 team has made the playoffs. Twice before an 8-8 team won their division.

Due to this, talk has emerged regarding reorganizing the divisions (this would never happen); there has also been talks about where the Wild Card games are played. There are discussions about allowing whichever team has a better record host the game. I would definitely not be opposed to that.

Saints @ Seahawks 4:30 Sat. NBC
Jets @ Colts 8:00 Sat. NBC

Ravens @ Chiefs 1:00 Sun. CBS
Packers @ Eagles 4:30 Sun. Fox

Rodgers That

Week 17 leaves much to desire

By Dan Rodgers

I am sitting on my couch watching NFL Redzone right now. If you don't know about it then you are probably not a football fan.

They are showing the Bengals @ Ravens because the Cincy is inside the five with 16 seconds left, and an incomplete pass puts them at fourth down and two yards to go.

Palmer makes a terrible throw to a an open receiver and the Ravens take over on downs. They knee the ball, win game number 12 and leave a lot of question marks as they head into Wild Card Weekend.

The Jets played their backups for almost the entire game against Buffalo, with the only thing that could change would be moving up to the fifth seed if Pittsburgh lost and Baltimore won. That didn't happen so the Jets will stick with the sixth seed.

Talking about the Steelers, they destroyed the Brownies 41-9 in Cleveland. The win clinched them the two seed and a first-round bye.

The Falcons win over Carolina clinched them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, even though they would have earned it anyway because of the Saints loss to Tampa Bay. The Bucs keep their playoff hopes alive with the win. It was just about the only interesting thing to happen during the early games. They now need the Giants and Packers to lose to earn the six seed. If either win, the Bucs are eliminated.

It should be an interested set of late games. I think the Pack will take care of business against the Bears and clinch a playoff spot, but I also think the G-Men will beat the Skins to atleast keep the Pack looking over their shoulder during the game.

The other important factor is the Colts/Titans game. If Indy wins, they move up to the three seed and play the Jets in the first round. If they lose and Jacksonville wins, the Jags win the division and four seed. If the Jags lose and the Colts lose, the Colts get the four seed and host the Ravens. WOW, that's a lot to take and I'm ready to watch it all go down.

Rodgers That

Not in the Mood

By Dan Rodgers

So the Jets loss today and I'm still pissed even though they made the playoffs. The pass defense was terrible against a mediocre Chicago offense. Whatever.

I was the best team in my fantasy football league this year and this week is the championship. I'm facing a friend of mine who snuck in even though he has a good team. I have been destroying any and everyone, last week I won by about 100 points which is a massacre in our league.

Today, of course being the championship, my guys decided to suck. Not to mention, my friend's team had random guys just go off. Ray Rice and Joe Flacco were held in check coming up under their projections. BUT, Miles Austin put up about 19 points and don't even get me started on Rob Gronkowski who had two touchdown catches today. He had Garcon who caught a touchdown, Aaron Rodgers who threw two touchdown passes from inside the five yard-line.

My guys on the other hand, were nothing short of average. My starters at least. Josh Freeman and Jay Cutler, who were both on my bench, put up 40 and 30 points, respecively. Vick hasn't played yet and Schaub was well below average in the second half finishing with only 15 points. Mendenhall also had 15 and Arian Foster had a decent day with 21. Nicks did have a touchdown, but Larry Fitzgerald was terrible with only one catch. The Jets defense gave up a ton of points and Chris Cooley had something like five dropped passes.

I'm down about 58 points with Vick and Lance Moore to play, and all he has left is Matt Bryant. I still have a shot in hell only because Vick has put up unbelieveable games already this season; however, unlikely that the two of them will outscore Bryant by that much.

Hopefully both players will have career days...I'm frustrated as hell with a bunch of things right now. Not to mention I just missed out on extra money for my trip to Las Vegas.

Rodgers That

Ugh, Jets...

By Dan Rodgers

So I apologize for not writing. My sister's wedding was this weekend and I have final exams this week. There has been a lot going on, but now that finals finish up this week and winter break begins, the amount of posts should definitely increase.

I am still feeling crappy from the Jets pathetic loss on Sunday. Not really feeling anything write now, just watching MNF with Abe because he's a Ravens fan.

Ravens 14 Texans 0 5:23 in 2Q

Giants 21 Vikings 3 2:46 in 3Q

Rodgers That

Week 13: Two Games

By Dan Rodgers

So as we progress through to the end of the season, we get back to divisional games. This week, only two games matter: Steelers at Ravens - SNF, Jets at Patriots - MNF

I know we are almost at the of the first half, but in the book that I have with my friends I predicted the Ravens in the under. The Steelers have not played well as of recent and would have lost to the Bills in OT had Steve Johnson not dropped a beautiful pass that hit him right in the hands.

Sorry for being so late, went to Royal Farms with my friend. The game just got interesting as Mike Wallace got stopped on third down inside the five. Pittsburgh elected to kick the field goal and now trails 10-6. There are just under 13 minutes left and this game has been really uneventful minus those few deep bombs the Ravens had in the first half.

Tomorrow night should be interesting. My Jets travel to Foxboro to take on the Pats. Both teams are 9-2 and it's the first time in NFL history that two teams with such good records play this late in the season on MNF where Joe Montana and the 49ers are not one of the teams.

Hopefully you understood that crazy fact. I like the Jets chances and not just because I am a fan of the team. I think we proved in week two that we can play with them. However, they are clearly a much different team without Moss and with Woodhead and Branch. It will be interesting to see how the Jets defend the Pats passing game especially with the dangerous receiving tight ends they have.

I am also intrigued to see how the Pats will defend the Jets passing game with Holmes, Edwards, Keller etc. I think some people might surprised at the offensive output tomorrow night. I think we could see a relatively high-scoring game considering both head coaches are defensive minded.

I already told you I predicted the Ravens to cover the spread (-3) and the under (39.5).

I think the Jets will cover the spread because it's 3.5 and it feels like this could be decided by a field goal. The over/under is a steep 45 points. I would definitely stay away from this if I could, but since I have to pick it in my book I am going to play it safe and go over because of the terrible NE secondary and the injuries in the NY secondary.

Enjoy the end of SNF and the game of the year tomorrow night.

Rodgers That

The Way the World Works

By Dan Rodgers

Okay, so this post is going to a be a short description letting you know how the world works as of December 2010. Ready, go.

• Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera are Yankees
• Red Sox trade for Adrian Gonzalez in attempt to keep up with Yankees
• Troy Tulowitzki overrated? No sir, best shortstop in the big leagues

• Virginia Tech Hokies are ACC Champs having won 11 straight
• Oregon and Auburn stay unbeaten and head to BCS National Championship, sorry TCU - not this year...better luck next year in the Big East
• Cam Newton is a lock for the Heisman Trophy
  

• Jets and Pats battle Monday night for AFC East supremacy
• Ravens and Steelers battle Sunday night for AFC North supremacy
• The whole NFC is a complete mess and a .500 or sub-.500 team may win their division

• UNC Men's BBall is a joke even though they beat Kentucky by two at home
• On the other hand, Duke is playing at the level they are ranked, No. 1

• The Heat don't look too hot with their "Big 3"
• Why is the Western Conference so much better than the Eastern?
  
• Anyone surprised by New Orleans(13-6) and Utah(15-6), I sure am...

• Caps, Pens tied for most points in NHL - surprise surprise...
• Why is the Eastern Conference so much better than the Western?

As you can tell, quite a bit is going on in the sports world. Some eyebrow-raising, some not. The point is, it's unpredictable. I love it and I love that Jeter and Mo re-signed. It's no surprise that the Sox gone Gonzalez, but I was hoping SD would keep him. The NFL is beyond nuts and don't get me started on NCAA Basketball. The NHL seems to be the most predictable with the NBA being somewhat surprising. We'll see where we're at in a month or so.

Rodgers That

Turkey Day football!

By Dan Rodgers

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving, and it's full of food, family and football. The first game is actually already underway: Pats (-6.5) at Lions. The Lions currently lead 7.3 on a touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson (no surprise).

The Pats just punted back to Detroit. The Lions defense has looked very good since the first drive when they gave up the field goal. Surprisingly, there has been a ton of punts already in a game that I thought would be full of points. Don't get me wrong, it's still early, but I figured the over/under would get blown out of the water (51 points).

I picked New England in the book, mainly because they are the safe choice and everyone else did as well so I can't lose any ground. Obviously I'll be rooting hard for Detroit, and the Lions actually play very well at home. They are 2-2, with both losses by three points each to the Jets and Eagles.

The next game on is at 4:15, the Saints travel to Dallas to take on a recently tough Cowboys team. Dallas is 2-0 since Jason Garrett has taken over the head coaching job. The Saints have looked good as of late and should be able to beat Dallas handily. I like New Orleans to cover the 3.5 point spread.

The late game is between the Cincinnati Bengals and my New York Jets. The Jets host a Thanksgiving game for the first time that I can remember and come into the game tied for the best record in the NFL (8-2). The Jets are nine point favorites and look to make a statement by winning a game before the final 30 seconds. Cincy is terrible this year (2-8), and absolutely sucked in the second half last week against Buffalo getting outscored 42-3.

I have been thinking about the Bengals covering this one because the Jets have been playing close games recently, but after reading some articles I am beginning to believe this has massive blowout potential written all over it. The one thing I am worried about is that we play the Pats Monday night in New England next week. It's the biggest game of the year so this could be considered a 'look ahead' or 'breather' alert. However, hosting the Thanksgiving game tonight should negate that.

Jets will win by 20 plus.

Note: Lions ball, four minutes left in third, tied at 24.

Rodgers That