The End Zone

Here's another round of the End Zone!!

1.It seems that every two years Lovie Smith is on the hot seat and the Bears turn in a magical run. Are you buying or selling the Bears?

KDC: Reluctantly, I’m buying. When you asked earlier about the most overlooked team, I mistakenly said the Falcons. It was the Bears & they’ve only gotten stronger since then. Assuming they stay healthy, I see them tying or winning the NFC North (w/my beloved Packers, who I think will beat them in the rematch). Give Mike Martz some love for getting Jay Cutler (more) consistent.

Momo: I’m selling, although I reserve the right to change my mind. The Bears O-line block some weeks, look atrocious the next. The one constant has been their defense. I think they will lose to the Packers and the division, that is mainly because of the inconsistency of Cutler. Martz and he don’t have the receivers nor the run game that frighten people. They will still make the playoffs despite their offensive issues.

2. Although they lost this past Sunday (Indy did win Thursday night), still got the Chargers and Colts making the playoffs?

KDC: The Chargers are probably doomed this year. When a team starts out so slow every year, ya gotta look at the coach. You can’t plan on December being perfect every year. This is the year it catches up with them. (Honestly? I’m rooting for the Raiders making the playoffs just because they’re fun & feisty.

A few weeks back, I confidently stated the Colts would make it again. And they probably will, but I don’t think anyone realized how beat up they were until the last 2 weeks. They’ll probably do it because Jacksonville will play like Jacksonville again, not because they’re playoff caliber.

Momo: If I am a Charger fan I ask for a refund for their first 8 home games!! This team starts slow every year and then decides that they will play the right way and make a run. With that said, I think they will still make the playoffs and surprisingly will probably win their division. Their schedule is so weak their last four, if they beat the Chiefs on Sunday, they will only be a game back. Never heard the Raiders described as fun and feisty. Dysfunctional yes, but not fun.
The Colts will run the table as well with their beat up team and will just squeak into the playoffs. Shouldn’t Jim Caldwell be nominated for coach of the year with all the injuries this team has faced, he and Peyton have kept this team steady and in the hunt.

3. It’s been almost three weeks since we spoke about Favre, now we have to bring it back up, do you think the league will suspend him for the Sterger controversy?

KDC: Honestly, I think they’ll let the year end & then announce whatever penalties they deem necessary.

Momo: What we know is that Favre only wants to get to 300 starts and then he will sit. Sterger’s camp want to take that away from him and I don’t believe the league will comply. We both believe that the league wants this to go away after the season but a lawsuit pending could change everything.

4. Any racial significance to Peyton Hillis being the first white running back to get to a 1000 yards since Craig James in 1985?

Momo: I think it is because a lot of white kids are told not to play running back. Hillis is proving that the color of your skin should not be a factor on where you play. The great part is that he is probably was always told that he could only play fullback and is proving all the naysayers wrong. This is 20 years in the making and it should be celebrated. Hillis is a good running back whether white or black.

KDC: I don't think the average (non-Browns) fan even realized that. Hopefully, like the stupid black QB stigma, coaches will simply assess a player by his talents & not his skin color & line up his talents with their playbook. I still don't get how so many coaches are so inflexible that they impose their system on a new team w/out assessing the teams talents first. It's the same mindset. White = FB, Black = anything but QB, etc.

5th Quarter

BCS And All Its Fun

1.The BCS Got It Right: Sometimes I know it seems as if I am against the BCS but the concept can be better. But this time the flawed system actually got the best matchup in the title game. My biggest beef with the BCS is it would have kept TCU out if either Auburn or Oregon lost. That didn't happen so TCU is regulated to to the Rose Bowl, which doesn't make any sense to me (more on that later). Now we are dealing with the game being played on the tenth of January!!! Are you telling me that we can't decide a championship in the month of December? The Cotton Bowl, a New Years Day tradition, is being played on the 7th!!! Finals for college students are this week and next, so you mean to tell me that the students athletes need 3 weeks of practice? That's why this system is a sham. Most college football fans stop caring in December and go into full fledged NFL-mode for the rest of the season. The Cartel needs to figure out a way to get December back, because right now, no one cares.

2. Political Bowl Process: Nebraska plays Washington again, Boise gets shipped to Las Vegas, and they destroy a typical bowl matchup in the Rose Bowl. The bowl process is purely political and its sickening. Nebraska this year already thumped Washington in Washington but yet they are playing again because Cornhusker fans travel better than Mizzou's. How is this a fair process? The matchup doesn't even make sense because Nebraska DOMINATED the Huskies in September. So you mean to tell me that Boise St. fans wouldn't have gone to California to support their team? No they ship to Nevada as a nice consolation prize. Also how about having Stanford and Wisconsin play in the Rose Bowl, keep the matchup normal. Instead they send TCU, which could have invaded Florida and dismantled Va Tech in the Orange Bowl. It just make more sense to put Stanford in the Rose Bowl and reward them for such a great season. Temple got overlooked with an 8-4 record for teams with records of 6-6, while a team the beat in UConn goes to a BCS bowl. I don't have a problem with UConn going, but because Temple isn't a national football power so we will just overlook them. Let's not reward them for being above average. That's why the system is so jacked up. A playoff would keep the sanity and stop the madness for a money grab.

3. On a football note, and this is a quote: Nebraska will miss the Big 12 and will rue the day it entered the Big 10. The way this team is currently constructed and recruited it can dominate the Big 12 North. Going to the Big Ten, Nebraska will see that they will not dominate their competition as they did in the North. The Cornhuskers are a running team that cannot not pass, the Big Ten has some teams that can pass, and they are going to have to play tougher teams in conference year in and year out. Every year they are mandated to play Penn St., Wisconsin and Iowa. All these teams have really good balance on the offensive side of the ball. Maybe that's why Pelini did not want to go to that conference. You go from a one, two loss team a year to at least a three loss team. Having Iowa St. and Kansas on your schedule looks a lot better than Illinois and Michigan.

The End Zone

1. So when I posed the question about how good the NFC South was, you criticized me heavily. now that the Falcons have beaten your beloved Packers and have the inside track for home field, you say what?

Kdc: Um. Check past End Zone posts. You mentioned the AFC South, not the NFC South. But I get your drift. Atlanta (sadly) deserved their win against my Packers (despite the official’s missed call on the Gonzales catch on 4th down). They should cruise to home field advantage (& deserve it so far).

The Saints righted themselves quickly without Reggie Bush, so I can see them returning to the Super Bowl with Reggie Bush.

As stated in by me in mid-October, the Bucs were the surprise team with staying power who looks like they’re just not going to make it into the playoffs. But they’re a great story and next year they should be mighty.

Definitely the best division in the NFC.

Momo: So you might be right about that post, however Atlanta has been overlooked by most people in the league as a quality team. They are not flashy, just solid on both sides of the ball. Even their head coach name is not flashy, Mike Smith, might as well be John Doe. People outside of Atlanta couldn't’t pick that guy out of a lineup. Another thing is Matt Ryan is virtually unbeatable at home with a 19-1 record. They have already beaten the Saints in New Orleans, so with that said they have the tiebreaker. If they get home field it will be tough to beat them, just as the Packers found out

2. The NFL not suspending Andre Johnson for fighting is....

Kdc: Ridiculous. Andre Johnson might be the nicest guy on the planet as everyone is saying, but that doesn’t excuse his behavior on the field. Should’ve been at least 1 game & a fine for Johnson & Finnegan both. Hines Ward is correct – the NFL is being hypocritical.

Momo: The league not suspending shows that they are only looking out for their network. If the Texans were playing on Fox, CBS, or ESPN he would have been suspended. I know he could have would have appealed the suspension but by not suspending him you just sent the message that fighting is ok but hitting a quarterback or any type of hit on the field is a more punishable offense.

3.Should a team below .500 who wins there division be allowed to go to the playoffs? (NFC West)

Kdc: Why have divisions if they don’t mean anything? As ridiculous as the NFC West is right now, either the division is important or not. However, I agree w/Sports Illustrated’s Peter King – that doesn’t mean they should host the game if their record is inferior.

Momo: Ok, this is near and dear to my heart because the division in question has the two teams of my childhood and young adulthood are the ones we are talking about. This will shock you but I don’t think they should because you are rewarding mediocrity. How can you have a team that is 10-6 in another division and tell them thanks for playing but an inferior team is reaping the rewards of the playoffs. It’s almost the same thing in college football where a .500 team gets to participate in a bowl game. Stop giving out participation trophies.

4. Josh McDaniels taping the 49ers and then losing and also saying the Patriots used to do the same thing is...

Kdc: Correct, but who cares. Patriots got nailed on it & so should McDaniel’s.

Momo: Dead on and completely unsportsmanlike. McDaniel’s is skating on thin ice and the only thing that could save him is a work stoppage. You cannot be a leader of men and decide and try to cheat to win.

5th Quarter

Some thoughts from the Thanksgiving weekend of college football:

Does the Boise St. kicker stay in Nevada or go to Chile?Its gotta be tough for him to go back to state of Idaho. He cost his team a shot at a national title and the school millions? Also Brotzman killed any hopes of a playoff by missing that kick. Way to go!!!

Will the NCAA fine me for talking about a player costing a school money?

When will people start respecting Andy Dalton and the TCU Horned Frogs?

Why is TCU going to the Big East? Seems like a lateral move to me. Big 12 is a way better option.

If you are at Michigan St. and Texas A&M, the BCS is working out great for you by putting teams that you beat ahead of you and keeping you from a major bowl.

Is there a more dysfunctional offense in the nation than the Florida Gators? Meyer ran out a quarterback who could throw and not run, another quarterback who splits time as a half back, tight end and a third who couldn't throw and run a little but had trouble protecting the ball. Its no wonder they are giving a Tebow a statue. Meyer looks lost.

For as a great as Alabama was supposed to be, how did they lose three games and blew a 24-0 lead to a rival? Great teams just don't do that.
Some teams are destined to play each other, Oregon and Auburn look that way.

Did anyone know or care that Notre Dame and USC played?

Randy Shannon did not deserve to get fired from the University of Miami. Miami thinks of itself as a blue blood, but changing coaches every four year does not get your program on track. it provides consistent losing.

Who knew Mizzou would be in a better position to get to a BCS bowl by not winning the North.

A lot of pundits pick for the title game the Iowa Hawkeyes just gave up their last couple of games. Not good when everyone says you are the best 7-5 team in the country.

And finally, do we still have to call Michigan versus Ohio St. a rivalry? Its so one sided its ridiculous.

Black Friday Football

Rivals and Tigers and Bears!! Oh My!!

Upcoming games for today and tomorrow:
LSU vs. Arkansas: I really don't know how these two are rivals, seeing how the whole state of Texas separates them, but for all intensive purpose they are. Les Miles and the Tigers believe the have a legit shot at playing in the BCS title game. The "Mad Hatter", which he does not like to be called, stated that a one-loss SEC team deserves a bid over the undefeated Boise and TCU. The CBS announcers seemed to agree with Miles statement about the SEC and the Tigers. Funny thing though for one, national announcers should never show bias towards any teams or conference. Stay neutral and just call the game, if I need an opinion, I'll get it from someone else but not from you Secondly, if Miles had a quarterback his team would not have to grovel for voters sympathy. Beat the teams on your schedule and quit begging. Show a little respect to other conferences and their schools. Speaking of respect...

Boise St. and TCU: Constantly get hammered because of their conference schedule and who they play. The Ohio St. president chimed in and gave his opinion on how "unworthy theses schools are" to play in the title game. My solution is if you think your team and your conference is so superior to them, then play them!! Schedule them in the non-conference for a home and home. Step up oh mighty SEC and Big Ten. The teams who lobby hard to get in the national championship game are always one loss teams from conference who feel its their birth right to hog the riches of college football. They always call themselves purist and blue bloods and there is never anyone room from upstarts. Note to the major conferences: Boise and TCU are here to stay! If you want to take them down then strap it up and get it on!!! Beat them on the field and everyone will bow down to you. But lose and know that everyone will know that maybe your program is the one that is undeserving.

My picks for the weekend:
Auburn loses to Bama: The Tide will prove to be just too much at home. Should be a good one.

Nebraska finds a way against Colorado: The Buffs are playing better and this is the last time these two rivals will play each other because both are leaving the Big 12. Also, can Bo Pelini stop being so angry? Yelling at his quarterback and officials is not very professional. This isn't the first time he has acted like that. That's exactly why fans act the way they do towards players and officials. They get their cues from their head coach. Pelini, you are a leader of young men, act like one!!

Mizzou beats Kansas: " Never should have lost to Texas Tech and you could have been in the Big 12 championship game.

Okla St. in a stunner against OU: The Cowboys have flown under the radar all year.

Boise St. thumps Nevada: Enough said.

Oregon gets past Arizona: Which will set-up a showdown against their rival Oregon St. next week in Corvallis. Strange thing happen in Corvallis at night.

Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for reading....

Donovan McNabb: Hall of Famer or Not?

Everyone was talking about Donovan McNabb's huge new contract (it was originally proclaimed to be worth $78m with $40m guaranteed, but that has been revised down). All the stranger because his coach benched him in the final 2 minutes of a game 2 weeks previous.

This led to a discussion between us about the status of McNabb's place in football history. Naturally, we're both right though we happen to disagree.

kdc: $40m guaranteed to McNabb? You gotta be kidding me!

Momo: I know. I think it was a political move by Snyder (owner of the Redskins). People started throwing race into the mix. Its great for McNabb but puzzling for the Skins.

kdc: Political makes sense. About the only sense. I know he doesn't have a great (offensive) line, but still - his age & past aren't long term characteristics to build a team around. He's a stop-gap.

I mean, Donovan's always been a good man, but I'm not sure anyone's every called him a great QB.

Momo: He's going to the Hall of Fame but I agree, building around him is going to be tough. Unless you just don't think you can develop a QB to win fast enough. Its just a puzzling move.

I'd say McNabb is at least a top 15 QB.

kdc: HOF? Seriously? I'm not saying he's a slouch, but I see him as Patrick Ewing - someone who everyone talks a lot about in their day, but ultimately not one of the best. Puffed because he's on the East Coast. B+ certainly, but I can't see him being much better than that (which is Top 15 today, but I'd say closer to #13-15 in that top 15 than Top 10).

Again, a wonderful man, but not a HOF QB.

Momo: McNabb has 5 NFC championships, 1 Super Bowl, 6 pro bowls. His career numbers are comparable to Kurt Warner. He has done less with more, he's put up great numbers with no talent.

kdc: Okay, I was wrong. Your stats show Donovan's an A- QB, not a B+. Still, A- shouldn't get you into the HOF. It should just get you recognized and in the Pro Bowl.

While I concede he certainly hasn't had the most offensive talent at WR (I think you could argue his RBs, mostly, have been strong), the same could be said for Tom Brady, who's won 3 Super Bowls. (A fact we both despise.) Ironically, when Brady had his stellar WR corps, they lost the Super Bowl. The same could be said for Donovan--his best WR corps got him into a Super Bowl that the Eagles lost. (And he's been accused of freezing up in the last 2 minutes of that Super Bowl, which can't help his cause.)

Plus, Andy Reid is easily one of the best coaches in the last decade; to my mind that easily cancels out some subpar WRs over the years.

While I think Kurt Warner will someday make the HOF, there are many that think his hollow middle years (late Rams years, NY Giants, early Cardinal years) might be enough to keep him out. Warner was twice a league MVP. So I think your comparison is apt. Unless Donovan ends his career in a blaze of glory (as Warner did), he is on the cusp of the HOF, but on the wrong side of the cusp. Sorry, I just don't see it.

The End Zone

1. Your first half MVP is...

Momo: Michael Vick. No one could have possibly imagined this 20 months ago. Vick so far has completely remade himself into the passer that everyone thought he could be. A true story of incredible heights and a tragic fall only to arise again to become a better person and player. Maybe Andy Reid knew what he was doing by getting rid of McNabb.

kdc: You’re a sucker for a redemption story! Vick’s been quite good, but Tom Brady & Peyton Manning have been so much better at QB. You’re going to rob them just because they’ve won it before. I don’t like the Patriots (or Brady much), but until now he’s been fab. I can only hope that the loss of Randy Moss will bring the Patriot’s offense back to earth (as it crashed last week).

2. Think its possible that the NFC West gets 3 teams in the playoffs?

Momo: As great as a story the young Bucs have been, the challenge will come from the Eagles in the NFC East. Shockingly as much as people talk about how the best teams are only in the AFC, the NFC boast the Falcons, Giants and now the resurgent Packers.

kdc: I think you’re in the wrong region of the country. The NFC South – with the Falcons, Saints & Buccaneers – could easily have 3 teams make it, but they’re the only NFC conference I can see possibly hosting 3.

3. Most underrated/least talked about team is...
kdc: The NFL is rich in stories & storylines this year. There’s a bunch & I think there will be better as the season progresses. Honestly, I think it took the Falcons win over the Raven’s Thursday night to give them the attention they deserve (They’re 7-2!) The Eagles haven’t gotten much love as a team, either.

Momo: For me the least talked about team has been the Falcons. A lot of people don't realize they are 7-2 and Matt Ryan is 15-1 as a starter at home and if this team gets home field advantage, watch out. Underrated, I would say the Steelers fit in that mold. Think about how they survived their first four games without Big Ben. Now with him back they are starting to get back into rhythm in their passing game. And is there a better defensive player than Troy Polamalu? I think not.