No position in the NFL is more highly scrutinized, debated, and discussed than the quarterback. It’s impossible to build a consistent winner without one (and people who follow the Cleveland Browns would tell you that it’s impossible to find one period).

After this weekend’s Packers loss to the Bucs, Aaron Rodgers was a popular topic of conversation on Twitter. I made the comment that he has not shown me that he has the “it” that people always talk about when it comes to QBs. Some agreed and some disagreed, but it got me thinking about where Rodgers falls in relation to today’s crop of QBs.

Thus, I set out to rank the quarterbacks currently holding starting NFL gigs, taking into account their current age and skill level, future potential, past accomplishments, and the general confidence level I would have if that player was the QB of my team.

In fact, that last factor was always the tie-breaker as I went through my rankings: who would I rather have starting for my team, with everything else being equal, if my life depending on winning a football game?

I separated the players into distinct tiers as well so you can see where I think dropoffs exist.

The real fun and the main idea of this post is to generate discussion, criticism, and debate in the comment section below. These rankings are just my opinion and I’d love to hear yours.

Let’s do some ranking.

Tier 1: The First Ballot HOF Franchise Anchor Super QBs

1 – Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts

1a – Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Do I really need to list out their accomplishments or explain why they are the only two men in this tier? Good, I didn’t think so.

Trying to decide between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning would be like trying to choose between a Heidi Klum or a Minka Kelly screensaver for your computer. You’re going to be happy either way, and while both have their staunch supporters, each side can recognize the greatness of the other.

That Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are the two best QBs of the this decade is inarguable.

Here is why I put Peyton Manning ever so slightly ahead of Tom Brady: I don’t think that Peyton’s greatness will go down in history as being linked with any particular coach as Brady’s will be linked with Bill Belichick. Thus, to me, the statement “all else being equal” tips the scales to Manning because we’ve never seen Brady without Belichick nor have we seen Manning with Belichick.

Can you imagine?

Yes, Peyton had some great years with Tony Dungy, but he was drafted by Jim Mora and is continuing his excellence with Jim Caldwell as he moves into the third stage of his career. What both QBs have done with so many transient parts around them has been impressive, but Peyton has dealt with it atop his team’s coaching staff as well.

There really is no wrong answer here, but as we get ready for Colts-Patriots this weekend, I’d love to get a sense of where the majority opinion stands on this issue. Because we are Midwest Sports Fans, I assume that Peyton will win this, but let’s find out anyway.

Tier 2: Impeccable Franchise Anchor QBs

3 – Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

You know that I’m not the biggest Roethlisberger fan, and that I consider him to be something of a tool, but even the biggest Browns fan or Big Ben hater has to give Roethlisberger his due credit now. The guy has won two Super Bowls, he consistently comes up big in important spots, and is reaching a Brady/Manning-like level of being a guy that 11-, 12-win teams are built around on a year-in, year-out basis.

He’s not the prettiest, the most text book, or the most statistically impressive. But if he’s on your sideline, everyone else will believe victory is possible regardless of circumstance. That’s a powerful, proven presence that cannot ignored.

4 – Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

This choice could cause some consternation because Brees has not yet won a Super Bowl, nor played in one, yet there are Super Bowl QBs below him.

Here is how I look at that: Do you think that the Giants would not have won the Super Bowl in 2007 with Brees as their QB? Do you think Philly and their pass-happy offense would have been worse off over the years with Brees instead of McNabb? I don’t.

I just think Brees has had to wait a little longer for his opportunity, which appears as if it might be coming this season. He has proven time and again that he is a true franchise QB, an impeccable leader, and a guy who can rally a team (heck, even a city) when the chips are down.

I still rue the day that the Dolphins passed on him in the draft and when they passed on him after he left San Diego. Give this guy Tom Brady’s career and he just might have three Super Bowls too.

Tier 3: Proven Franchise QBs

A quick note about this section. Each QB in Tier 3 has the potential to be a Tier 2 QB, but for one reason or another has question marks that prevent even their most ardent fans from having 100% confidence in them. Certainly though, these are all guys that you’d be proud and excited about having as the QB of your team right now. At least I would.

5 – Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings

There is obviously a pretty big caveat with this one: he’s got to be healthy. But Brett Favre, right now, is playing the quarterback position as well as anyone in the league. He has 16 TDs with only three INTs against the backdrop of everything else that he has done in his career. Once again, Favre is authoring an amazing story.

Now, it remains to be seen whether Favre can keep it going for 16+ games. He wore down as last season went along, and could very well do the same thing this year. But in the right situation — and let’s be honest, Minnesota is the perfect situation for him right now — Favre is a legit superstar QB even at 40.

Look down the list and tell me you’d feel more comfortable with those other guys leading your team right now than Favre. Yes, they may be less annoying, less wishy-washy, and less self-centered than Favre is…but I just cannot justify putting anyone else above him.

6 – Eli Manning, New York Giants

6a – Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles

One thing separates Eli from Donovan McNabb in my mind: he has a Super Bowl title.

That’s it.

Eli has not reached the same statistical benchmarks as McNabb, he does not have as many playoff wins, and he is not as exciting a player. But bring Eli in your locker room and everyone immediately believes a Super Bowl is possible because he’s done it.

I do think, however, that even the strongest Eli supporter still has at least some trepidation regarding Eli’s ability to play at an elite level year-in, year-out. Did he catch lightning in a bottle in 2007? Can he win regardless of his supporting cast? We’re going to find out, as Eli’s career is far from a finished product.

As for McNabb, no matter his accomplishments — and make no mistake, five NFC Title games and a Super Bowl appearance is a terrific resume that is vastly underrated — we cannot say that a locker room full of players would immediately believe they are Super Bowl bound because McNabb walks through the door. It’s just the nature of the beast, and will be that way until he closes the deal in February.

8 – Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals

Like Favre, Warner’s age and proximity to retirement make him hard to place, yet his resume and continued excellence dictate that he has to be ranked pretty high on the list.

Warner proved last year that he is still an elite QB in leading the Cardinals to the Super Bowl. He didn’t win it, but he certainly played well enough to do so. His defense just couldn’t stop Ben Roethlisberger in the final minutes.

Warner is still capable of 5-INT duds like he threw up two weeks ago, but more often than not he is going to get the ball to right player at the right time. Plus, he’s been in every situation you can possible imagine and immediately commands the respect of any locker room he walks into.

If it weren’t for his age, I’d put him above Eli and Donovan, but they have more years ahead of them to try to match Warner’s accomplishments, plus have a less checkered history of injury.

Tier 4: Franchise QBs with Skins on the Wall

And by skins on the wall I am talking of course about playoff berths.

Fans of the teams these guys play for expect each to move into Tier 2 or Tier 3 by the time their career is over, and they’ve already come close to making the leap. All have the talent to do so, but it remains to be seen if they can take that next step.

For each one of these guys, moving into the next tier will be a function of one thing and one thing only: more playoff success.

9 – Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers

I am a huge fan of this guy and came close to putting him in Tier 3. Yes, he makes funny faces and his whole nice-Christian- guy/supreme-trash-talker persona seems a bit incongruous, but this guy wins, and wins often, and is superb in clutch situations when his team counts on him.

Plus, go down the list below him and tell me (other than the aging and oft-injured Matt Hasselbeck) who has proven himself more than Rivers. He’s been in the playoffs every year he’s been a starter, made it to an AFC Championship game, and is another guy that commands the attention and respect of his teammates because they believe he will lead them to victory.

You can take any guy lower than Rivers on this list and I’ll play you head-to-head, with similar supporting casts, and I wouldn’t doubt victory for a second.

10 – Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals

There was a time not long ago when Carson Palmer was on the verge of entering the upper-upper echelon of QBs in the NFL. When he led a young, talented Cincinnati team to the playoffs in 2005, everyone thought it was the beginning of a long run of playoff berths for Palmer and the Bengals.

But then the weight of the Bengals’ cursed franchise (or, namely, Kimo Von Oelhoffen) came down on Palmer’s knee. His injury shattered the team’s hopes in 2005 and began a spiral that saw the Bengals plummet to their usual lowly depths and saw Palmer fall off the elite QB radar screen.

Let’s face it, to truly be an elite franchise QB you have to be playing in January and February. Palmer hasn’t been the last few years, but appears poised to do so this year. He’s always had the Aikman-like talent and look about him, but he has been surrounded by chaos. Now he appears to finally have a focused, selfless, defensively competent team around him that is worthy of his talents.

11 – Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

Clearly numbers 10 and 11 on this list don’t have many playoff skins on the wall, but they have at least led their teams to the playoffs. Romo has had an ignominious experience in the playoffs, and has become a punchline for the tabloid headlines his personal life has generated, and he is referred to as Mr. November, but there are signs that he finally is starting to harness his potential and “get it.”

We won’t know for sure until December rolls around, at which time Romo must maintain the high level of play he’s had for the past month, but he appears to be maturing on and off the field and finally is the guy in Dallas. This is his team and the decision to jettison Terrell Owens is looking better and better by the week.

12 – Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Ryan has not even completed his second season in the NFL, but he makes this tier for good reasons. He clearly has the talent, he’s already taken more playoff snaps than Jay Cutler, Matt Schaub, and Aaron Rodgers combined, and he has the kind makeup and countenance that suggest he can someday become a Tier 2 or even Tier 1 QB.

Yes, he’s struggled a bit here lately in throwing too many interceptions, but if the playoffs started today he would be there once again. That’s the mark of a franchise QB and Ryan most certainly is that. He just needs more experience, but I don’t doubt that he will make a steady climb up this list in the years to come.

13 – Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks

This is a tough one because Hasselbeck is the one guy in this tier who has actually played in a Super Bowl. He’s also played in more playoff games than Palmer, Romo, and Ryan combined. But when I check my gut feeling, I’d rather have all four of the guys above him with all else being equal.

Hasselbeck has been a very good QB for many years. I also think that he has benefitted from being in a very poor division that has provided him with an easier annual path to playoffs than the guys above him on this list. But the sad truth for Hasselbeck is that he’s now on the downside of his career and will probably be a constant injury risk as he gets older, considering he is already dealing with back problems.

Hasselbeck has had a great career and I don’t want to minimize it by placing him at the bottom of this tier, but power rankings are equal parts looking forward and looking back. The looking forward part just isn’t as rosy of a picture for Hasselbeck anymore.

14 – Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens

Flacco appears to have a lot of the same qualities as Matt Ryan, and also took his team to the playoffs in his first season. In fact, Flacco even won two playoff games and almost made the Super Bowl as a rookie. So why isn’t he higher on list?

I don’t think that Flacco was asked to do as much as Ryan. Yes, his poise and game management ability were impressive for a rookie, and that’s why he makes this tier in the first place, but I still feel like he has the most to prove of anyone in Tier 4.

Flacco is the one guy in the top 15 of these Power Rankings that has not yet dealt with the pressure of being the focal point of his team. He is becoming the Ravens’ focal point more and more, but Ray Lewis is still the alpha dog in Baltimore. I think Flacco will need to emerge from Ray’s shadow, as he gains more experience and wins, to move up the list.

Tier 5: Talented but Skinless Franchise QBs

The quarterbacks in this tier all have talent and the keys to a franchise, but have yet to take a snap in the playoffs. As with the Tier 4 QBs, fans of the teams these guys lead ultimately expect them to journey up this list, but they have to make the playoffs and win there first.

15 – Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears

He is the most talented of the guys in this tier, but has a severe fatal flaw to me: his attitude and body language. This opinion comes from an outsider’s perspective, but I just don’t ever recall seeing a winning QB with the kind of deflated body language and pouty faces that we see from Cutler. I can’t imagine that inspires a lot of confidence, belief, and trust with his teammates.

Yes, he has a cannon. And yes, he has great competitiveness and confidence. But he also throws too many INTs and the Broncos went from a yearly playoff team to a home-in-January team when he took over.

There are just too many questions about Cutler for him to be any higher than this.

16 – Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Rodgers does some good things and has the potential to be a very good QB for a long time. But like Cutler, Rodgers has a fatal flaw that kills his team time and again. In Rodgers’ case it is his propensity to take sacks. He simply has to learn to protect down and distance better or his teams will always be facing an uphill battle.

Rodgers’ other deficiency is that he has not yet shown the ability be a great 4th quarter QB. Until he does, he will never be able to be considered among the elites, no matter what his cumulative stats are at the end of the season.

17 – Matt Schaub, Houston Texans

Another really talented player who racks up great stats, but who is defined by his fatal flaw: he can’t stay healthy. He has played in every game this season, which is a major reason why the Texans have a winning record, but he can only be ranked so high until he plays a full 16-game schedule and we get to see him in the playoffs.

Tier 6 – The Grizzled but Inconsistent Veterans

18 – Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos

I don’t think Orton was ever quite as bad as he was made out to be during his Chicago tenure, but he certainly is not as good as people are making him out to be through eight games in Denver. And after being exposed a bit the last two weeks, the Orton hype will probably start dying down. He is what he is: a solid but unspectacular QB who protects the ball relatively well but needs great skill players and a great defense to win.

19 – Jake Delhomme, Carolina Panthers

I’ve always been a Delhomme fan and it was hard to have to leave him out of Tier 4. This is a guy who came within seconds of winning a Super Bowl, a guy who has been to the playoffs a good amount, and a guy who has engineered plenty of 4th quarter comebacks.

But the sad truth is that Delhomme’s solid career is ending with a whimper as he either seems to throw 4-5 INTs in a game or play it conservatively and get only 100-150 yards. Delhomme is no longer the future in Carolina and may not even be the present as soon as next season.

But I’ll tell you this, for what it’s worth: if I needed to win one game, I’d take him over any of the guys ranked lower on this list. He’s got too many skins on the wall not to at least give him that level of respect.

20 – Matt Cassel, Kansas City Chiefs

He burst onto the scene last year as Tom Brady’s replacement but it is hard to know just how much stock to put into his 2008 numbers. A lot of QBs would have succeeded playing with Randy Moss and Wes Welker with Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels calling the shots. Cassel is getting his chance now to lead a franchise and is having an okay season below-the-radar in Kansas City. But like any other purported franchise QB, he’s got to have success in the playoffs to move up the list.

21 – David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars

Garrard appeared to be an up-and-comer as recently as 2007. He threw 18 TDs, on 3 INTs, and got a nice new contract from the Jags. But his entire team struggled last year amidst devastating losses on the offensive line. This year, Garrard is playing similarly to last year, which means he is just a pedestrian, average quarterback.

Because of his experience, I like him more than any of the guys lower on this list, but he is not quite what the Jags were hoping for when they signed him to the extension. By all accounts he is a great guy, he is just not a great QB.

22 – Vince Young, Tennessee Titians

Yes, Vince is still a young player, but I think we can safely consider him “grizzled” at this point. He’s won Rookie of the Year, been booed and benched, and now regained his starting job and won two straight starts. He still has a long way to go to become a consistent QB, but the potential is still there.

Of all the guys in this tier, Young is the guy I’d have the least confidence in right now, but he’s also the only guy I could see moving up two or three tiers as his career progresses.

And simply because they have to be ranked somewhere and I don’t want to think of another Tier name…

23 – Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins

It would have been great to see how Campbell’s career would have gone had he been able to stay in one offensive system from year-to-year. With all of the turmoil in Washington, Campbell has never really gotten a fair shot. His inconsistent career is the appropriate manifestation of the constant flux in Washington.

24 – Marc Bulger, St. Louis Rams

We can all agree that this guy is toast right?

Tier 7 – The Unknown Youngsters

We don’t really know anything about Mark Sanchez, Chad Henne, Matthew Stafford, or Josh Freeman, except that none of them are as good as Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco. I will say that I am not a huge fan of this year’s rookie QBs and would take Chad Henne over any of them. Only time will tell of course, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

Tier 8 – JaMarcus and the Rest

JaMarcus Russell, Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, Trent Edwards, Alex Smith, Shaun Hill, Matt Leinart…all of these guys have been given varying amounts of opportunity and none have seized the opportunity to start (or in the case of Anderson and Russell, to start with any level of effectiveness). I have better things to do than parse through the wreckage at the bottom of this list.

Suffice it to say, these guys all suck until they prove otherwise.

So there you have it. I now step aside and leave the comment section to you. Where do you agree/disagree? Is anyone placed in the wrong tier? Your feedback and opinions are much anticipated and appreciated.

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* – Philip Rivers screaming photo credit: Hugging Harold Reynolds

* – Jay Cutler photo credit: Walking the Sidelines

Who isn’t excited for the showdown on Sunday night?

The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are two franchises that despise one another, which always makes for quality television, as well as a good game too. Yet, let’s not forget the last time these two teams met in December of 2008, which was a complete blowout and hardly a game Cowboys fans want to remember.

Losing to their most hated rival 44-6 on the final weekend of the season clearly was not a happy ending or cherry on top of a topsy-turvy 2008 season. For the Cowboys that game has been erased from their minds and currently the squad focused on the 3-game winning streak that has them at the top of the NFC East standings.

Ever since Tony Romo as been at the helm, the Cowboys are 11-1 in November, which includes a win against the Eagles in Philadelphia in 2007. This game means more for to the ‘Boys than the Eagles, especially with all the hype that surrounded this team last season and the scrutiny they continue to receive on a weekly basis.

Sunday Night Football

Dallas Cowboys (5-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (5-2)

• Dallas-Philadelphia Date: Sunday, Nov 8th
• Dallas-Philadelphia Kickoff Time: 8:20 pm
• Dallas-Philadelphia TV Network: NBC
• Dallas-Philadelphia Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
• Dallas-Philadelphia Point Spread: Eagles -3 (as of Saturday morning)
• Dallas-Philadelphia Over-Under: 50.5 (as of Saturday morning)
• Dallas-Philadelphia Spread Pick by Jerod: What a terrific game this should be. Philadelphia has rebounded from their Oakland loss to beat Washington despite playing an uneven game and then beating the Giants in a rout. Dallas, meanwhile, has quietly reasserted itself as a team to be reckoned with. The Cowboys, I believe, have actually been playing more consistent football than Philadelphia, and I think they will be out to avenge to last season’s shellacking at the end of the regular season. I think Dallas has a great chance to win this game outright, and I think they at least cover the three. Cowboys-Eagles free pick: Cowboys +3
• Dallas Sports Fans: Cowboys-Eagles Preview

4th and Short NFL Picks Podcast

Jerod and Myles discuss Week 9 of the 2009 NFL schedule

[Note: All MSF podcasts are available for free at iTunes. Intro and outro music provided by Indy's own Henry French and the Shameless.]

As for the Eagles, their win last week against the New York Giants was clearly a message sent to the entire league of how scary they can be when all cylinders are working.

Having Donovan McNabb behind center, a healthy Brian Westbrook, as well as a great receiving corps featuring DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek, and Jeremy Maclin, will certainly make things tough on the Dallas D. Putting pressure on McNabb is something the Cowboys must continue to do, which has been an ongoing theme that occurred against the Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, and Seattle Seahawks.

However, don’t sleep on this Eagles defense that has sacked their opponents quarterback 23 times, forced 8 fumbles, and has intercepted 14 passes.

This game should clearly live up to the hype, as well as feature some great plays, with both offenses stretching the field. Conversely, we should also see some terrific defense too.

Playing at home with a great home crowd will come in handy for the Eagles, which is why I believe the Eagles should indeed capture this contest, as well as take control of the NFC East. The Cowboys, however, will put up a good fight, with the only two question marks being whether or not Romo and the defense bring their A-game.

If so, then this game belongs to the Cowboys. And I think that’s what we will see.

Dallas-Philadelphia Prediction: Dallas Cowboys 31 – Philadelphia Eagles 26

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* – Tony Romo photo credit: Silent Archimedes

* – Donovan McNabb photo credit: ReceivingMe.com

From a fantasy perspective, no team is more mind-achingly frustrating intriguing than the Philadelphia Eagles heading into Week 3. Not only do the Eagles have what looks to be a pretty sweet matchup against the hapless Kansas City Chiefs, but Philadelphia’s most recent injury report would make for half of a pretty good fantasy starting lineup:

QB: Donovan McNabb – doubtful with rib injury

RB: Brian Westbrook – questionable with ankle injury

WR: Desean Jackson – questionable with groin injury

WR: Kevin Curtis – doubtful with knee injury

Most McNabb owners are probably not counting on him playing this weekend. Certainly they should not be. McNabb is reportedly progressing well, but there is no reason for the Eagles to play him this week and risk further injury when they have a bye week coming up next week.

As for Desean Jackson, he participated fully in Friday’s practice and should be good to go on Sunday. With Kevin Curtis likely out, and rookie Jeremy Maclin lining up opposite Jackson, I expect Desean and Brent Celek to get most of the targets from probable starting QB Kevin Kolb. The reports were pretty solid about Jackson, so he should be ready to contribute normally.

With all that said, the most compelling and influential injury issue in Philadelphia for Week 3 is Brian Westbrook.

Update 9/27: ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio just reported that Brian Westbrook is OUT for Sunday’s game.  Play LeSean McCoy.

Westbrook has not practiced all week while dealing with swelling in his injured ankle. It’s the same ankle that Westbrook had surgery on this past offseason, and this fact has caused some extra concern. However, as any Westbrook fantasy owner knows, he often plays on Sunday despite not practicing throughout the week.

I’ve done you the service of reading pretty much every injury update and fantasy article written about Westbrook over the 48 hours. Here is the consensus: most tentatively expect him to play, but do expect LeSean McCoy to get increased touches.

So here is my advice:

• If you own Westbrook: pencil him into your starting lineup, but be ready to make a last-minute switch once the inactives list comes out late tomorrow morning.
• If you own LeSean McCoy: play him at your flex position if you have no obvious choices, and also track the inactives list. If Westbrook is a no-go, McCoy immediately becomes a must-start RB#2 at a minimum.

I’ll update this post as soon as I find out anything more about this situation. I own Desean Jackson and LeSean McCoy in numerous leagues, so I will be playing close attention to the Eagles tomorrow morning.

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* – Brian Westbrook photo credit: All Things Philly Sports

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It’s what we have all been waiting for: NFL Kickoff 2009.

After going through football withdrawls, the draft, and preseason, our moment of Glory finally came. And it was good…real good.

In honor of Week 1 I have decided to make this week’s I’ll Tell You This an “NFL Kickoff Special”.

Enjoy.

1. The Boston TD Party

In the first of two Monday Night Football games, Tom Brady stepped onto the field for a regular season game for basically the first time in two years (not counting his less-than-a-quarter stint a year ago before getting hurt) against the Buffalo Bills.

The Bills came out motivated and the Patriot came out flat. With time dwindling down in the final minutes of the 4^th quarter, Brady threw a line drive touchdown to tight end Ben Watson to bring the Bills lead to just 5 with 2:06 to go in the game. Instead of an onside kick, the Patriots chose to kick off deep.

Instead of taking a knee, Leodis McKelvin of the Bills decided to bring the ball out. After breaking a tackle or two, he got hammered and dumped the ball on the ground. The Patriots recovered near the 30 yard line of the Bills, and just a few short plays later Brady hit Watson again, on what seemed to be the exact same play, for another touchdown.

With only 50 seconds remaining, the Bills could not answer, and the Patriots would move to 1-0 on a miracle, or perhaps a follie.

I’ll Tell You This: As you may know about me, I am a die-hard Colts fan, and it pains me to talk about anything that has to do with the success of the New England Patriots.

But as for the Bills’ return man, I have a simple message: you are an idiot.

If you take a knee, your offense will run at least 30 seconds off of the clock, New England will use all of their time outs, and the entire AFC will take a collective breath as they realize that the mighty Patriots are 0-1.

But no.

You had to try to be the hero. Enjoy the practice squad.

The only consolation I can take is that MAYBE, just maybe, the Patriots aren’t the juggernaut that everyone seems to think they will be again.

2. The AFC South

Obviously, I can’t give the Patriots face time without spending a little time on my Colts and their division.

Houston, who has been deemed by many to possibly win the AFC South, came out flat and never caught fire. In their 24-7 loss to the Jets, Steve Slaton was not effective, Matt Schaub was disappointing, and the Jets ran for 150 yards on 49 attempts while protecting their rookie starter, Mark Sanchez.

Tennessee faced off against the defending Super Bowl champs, the Steelers. After an overtime slugfest, Tennessee dropped their battle on an OT field goal by Pittsburgh as the Steelers were victorious 13-10.

In the only divisional match-up, Jacksonville played the Colts.

Manning and Co. would have a rough start with a redzone interception, followed by a mid-field fumble by Joseph Addai.

After failing to convert a 4th and 1 at midfield in the closing minutes of the game, holding a 14-12 lead, the Colts’ defense would take a stand and force Jacksonville into a turnover on downs to hold onto the victory, leaving the Colts as the only team to be 1-0 in possibly the toughest division in football.

I’ll Tell You This: I’m sorry, did I just report that the Colts’ defense won the game? I think I did. And, the Colts now hold their own destiny for the rest of the season in the AFC South.

The AFC, and perhaps the entire NFL, must be asking themselves this: If Manning and his offense can get on track, and they presumably will, how dominant can this team be with a stronger defense, which get even better when vaunted safety Bob Sanders returns?

3. What a “Brees”

Drew Brees torched the Detroit Lions on Sunday completing 26 of 34 passes for 358 yards and 6, yes count them six, touchdowns in the Saints’ 45-27 romp of the cellar dweller Lions.

I’ll Tell You This: Everyone in the league has done nothing but talk about Peyton Manning and Tom Brady for the past 5 or 6 years. Recently talk has swung to Eli Manning, Big Ben, and Aaron Rodgers, who, among others, have been anointed the next line of MVPs of the NFL.

But Drew Brees is the real deal and deserves to be mentioned with the former group, not the latter.

He may even be…possibly…the best quarterback in the NFL right now.

Only time will tell, but I would even hazard to guess that Tom Brady’s 50 TD record is in serious jeopardy. Get over it NFL, I know he is not the most marketable player in the league, but Drew Brees could very well be your best.

4. The Replacements

With Week 1 in the books, several injuries have taken center stage. The most prominent injury is that of Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher. After dislocating his wrist, Urlacher is now done for the season. The Bears immediately looked at signing former Buc Derrick Brooks, but decided on Tim Shaw instead.

The other injury that has swept headlines is the broken ribs of Donovan McNabb. After what seemed to be a late hit in the end zone, McNabb left the game to find out the he had cracked ribs. The Eagles have activated Michael Vick, but since he is unavailable until week three, they have pursued and signed QB Jeff Garcia, and have released WR Hank Baskett to make room on their roster.

I’ll Tell You This: In Chicago, the loss of Urlacher is devastating. Brooks could be a nice player, but he is older and will not run this defense the way the Urlacher did. Who is Tim Shaw again?

In Philly, the stage has now been set for a three-way QB controversy that may very well find itself headlining on Jerry Springer. It’s my guess that things will never be the same in Philly, and I don’t see this situation working itself out.

5. The Great White Hype

In my final story of the week, I am going to do something a little different. I’m going to rant. No story, just a rant. So……

I’ll Tell You This:

I am sick and tired of hearing how awesome two players are. One is in the NFL; the other is a NCAA football player.

First, let me address the player who has already been involved in Heisman talk, True Freshman QB from USC, Matt Barkley.

I watched the Ohio State game. It was a phenomenal game, and USC truly outplayed Ohio State in the 4th quarter to get the W. However, following the end of the game the announcer, as it seems all of Sports Media have been doing, began to talk about Barkley and what a great game he had, and how he was truly a candidate in the Heisman Race.

For the love of God, he completed less than 50% of his passes (15 for 31) for 195 yards and one interception. No Touchdowns. Wow. If this is what it takes to be a Heisman candidate then I hereby nominate myself, and I think that I could possibly contend with those numbers.

My other complaint is focused on Green Bay Packers QB, Aaron Rogers.

His stats from Sunday’s bout with Chicago? He completed 17-28 passes for 184 yards and 1 touchdown. Not that this is a bad performance, but it is FAR from what I would consider an MVP performance, especially given the performance by Drew Brees this week. With the hype surrounding Rodgers this season, I expected more. 

All in all, it was a phenomenal Kick Off, with a lot of exciting games and finishes, and perhaps even a few surprises. Feel free to comment and tell me what your favorite moment of NFL Kick Off weekend was. I’d love to hear it.

Until next week kids…

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You can follow Myles on twitter at www.twitter.com/mylesb3269

* – Tom Brady photo credit: More Than an Electrician

* – Drew Brees photo credit: The Campus Socialite

Kevin Kolb is mopping up the massacre as Jake Delhomme has thrown 4 picks.

And now for some updates, as of 5:00 CT on Sunday night.

The initial prognosis and injury update on McNabb, courtesy of Pro Football Talk (via ESPN’s Chris Mortensen) is that Donovan McNabb has a broken rib. As of right now, no specific timetable is known regarding how long McNabb might be out.

A more recent post by Pro Football Talk highlights the likelihood that McNabb’s availability will hinge on his ability to withstand the pain the broken rib will provide. Additionally, the team and McNabb will have to wait until tomorrow when further tests reveal the extent of the injury and how much risk of future injury McNabb might be running by playing.

Follow the links to StubHub for great deals on Philadelphia Eagles tickets and all NFL tickets.

And, of course, there is this reality: Michael Vick is eligible to play on one more week, beginning in Week 3. It has been pretty obvious this preseason, based on the subtext of some of McNabb’s public comments, that he feels somewhat threatened by the presence of Vick. I’ll echo what the PFT guys say: Kevin Kolb may start next week, but if McNabb can walk, he’ll be on the field come Week 3.

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* – Donovan McNabb photo credit: NFL Freaks

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We are just over one week away from NFL kickoff 2009, less that a week from College Football, and coming down the stretch in Major League Baseball. Here are my top 5 stories for this week.

1 – LA Dodgers Make Deals to Solidify Playoff Roster

As the waiver deadline approaches the most active team seems to be the L.A. Dodgers, picking up White Sox slugger Jim Thome and Diamondbacks’ hurler Jon Garland. As of today the Dodgers hold a 5.5 game lead on Colorado, who also made a move trading for White Sox pitcher Jose Contreras.

I’ll tell you this: the Dodgers are putting together a team that will compete with the Yankees in the World Series. There is no doubt in my mind that the Dodgers are the team to beat in the National League, save for maybe (and this is painful for a Cub’s fan to admit) the Cardinals.

2 – A Tale of Two Cities: Minnesota and Philadelphia

Brett Favre and Michael Vick have made their comebacks and the inevitable debates have followed.

In Minnesota, talk of team mutiny was rumored, some sources saying that the locker room was split. These rumors were put to bed quickly, but Viking Nation may see it differently. One Vikings fan was found to have a live goat in her trunk painted purple and gold.

Vick has also been met with equivalent praise and disapproval, with Donovan McNabb going on record saying that Vick’s presence and the style of play-calling involving Vick was “a gimmick” and a distraction from their game plan.

I’ll tell you this: Like it or not, the Vikings became a contender when they signed Favre. However, Vick brings quite the distraction both on and off of the field. It will be interesting to see, but if McNabb is already skeptical about Vick’s role, then that can’t be a good sign for the Eagles.

3 – Trouble in Ann Arbor

In what has been a tumultuous summer of violations in College Football, one last situation has raised its ugly head right before the season’s start.

This week some former and current players accused Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff of exceeding the NCAA’s practice guidelines and complained that the staff was over-working student athletes beyond the maximum weekly and daily hours limitations. Rodriguez responded with an emotional press conference, completely denying the allegations by saying that they were “miscommunications” and “just not true.”

I’ll Tell You This: The Wolverines went 3-9 last year in Rodriguez’s first year at the helm. While it would not surprise me that these players were over-worked, I think the bigger issue is that, to save his job, Rodriguez has to find a way to bring Michigan back to being one of the premier teams in the NCAA.

4 – Injuries in the NFL Preseason

With the NFL preseason coming to an end, injuries have already begun to raise their ugly heads at big-time positions for teams.

Patriots QB Tom Brady injured his shoulder when Redskins $100 million dollar man Albert Haynesworth crushed him in the second quarter of their game last week. The master of masking issues, Bill Belichick, down-played the injury saying that Brady would be ready for the regular season.

Brett Favre has said that he has a cracked rib, but played in the Vikings’ preseason game against Houston without any protection. Could it be that Favre is preparing an excuse for what might become a disappointing season?

Finally, all of Kansas City stopped breathing for about 24 hours when off-season acquisition QB Matt Cassel went down hard with a knee injury. At first the prognosis was 4-6 weeks, seemingly a finishing blow to KC before the season even started; however, now reports are saying that the MCL strain that Cassel suffered was minor and he would return to the lineup possibly sooner rather that later, maybe even for the season opener.

I’ll Tell You This: Nothing can kill a team’s season faster than an unexpected and unnecessary preseason injury. Hopefully all of the above stay healthy so we can watch as many teams battle it out for the playoffs at full strength as possible. A healthy NFL is a more fan-friendly NFL.

5 – The Return of Pacman

Adam “Pacman” Jones has returned to football. But this time it’s not in the NFL. It’s not even with the upstart AFL, which launches next month. 

No, Pacman Jones is headed to the Canadian Football League. He has signed “in principal” a one year deal with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

I’ll tell you this: Who cares?

Apparently no-one in the NFL is ok with giving Jones yet another chance to prove that he can’t control his personal life, and honestly, I can’t blame them. Jones is just one of those players with all the talent in the world but no self-control. And playing professional sports is a luxury. He can’t control his life, he is a thug, and he is not a role model like we want our athletes of today to be.

Good riddance Pacman. Canada, you can have him.

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You can follow BigMB on twitter by going to www.twitter.com/mylesb3269

* – Jose Contreras and Jim Thome photo credit: by Charles Rex Arbogast – AP via South Side Sox

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What Michael Vick brings to the table for the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles is excitement, big plays, and lots of flash.  As football fans, we crave this like a bad drug habit.  This excitement and big play potential is why we watch the game, similar to how many NASCAR fans watch races for the crashes.  

Michael Vick will make the Eagles interesting, not just due to being a decoy and running the wildcat formation.  He will also make the Eagles interesting because we want to see how he is changed on and off the field. Plus, as we found out after last night’s, Vick’s presence in Philadelphia has created the potential for controversy between he, Donovan McNabb, and the Eagles fans as the season progresses.  

During his interview with James Brown on 60 minutes, Vick acknowledged that he was the last one on the field and the first one off it during his time in Atlanta.  He could get away with this to a certain extent because, as we all know, Vick is as nimble as a cheetah on the field and has a cannon for an arm. There is no denying his skills as an athlete no matter how much we may dislike the things he has done.  

With the media circus that surrounds Vick this year, will he be the first one on the field and the last one off it? What if Vick spends more time watching film and, in turn, is able to break down defenses not only with his legs but with his arm?  He will have six weeks to prepare for the grind that is the NFL before being able to play in the regular seson, and he will be fresh when defenses (and even his own teammates) are banged up.  

This is where things will become interesting.  

Eagles fans have this love-hate relationship with Donovan McNabb.  Things will very likely be rosy for the first seven games of the season for Philadelphia, as they can easily go 6-1 with their schedule.  Once Vick is back, however, the schedule becomes disastrous.  They will play consecutively starting November 1st: the Giants, Cowboys, at San Diego, at the Bears, Redskins, at Atlanta (to say that Falcon fans will not be happy to welcome Vick back is the understatement of the year) and at the New York Giants.  

Not that the Eagles will lose all of these games, but they will be in a “dog fight” for each one of them.  

If Donovan McNabb struggles and Vick shows signs of brilliance, what will happen then?  Do Eagle fans start to chant we want Vick?  [Editor's Note: They already have!]

What I do know is Vick was perfect with 4-4 passing in the first half of tonight’s preseason game while McNabb had a touchdown but also a fumble and a pick returned for a touchdown.  

Was last night a sign of things to come?  Only time will tell. 

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Keep your eye out for Rich’s next column here at MSF, and you can also follow his blog at http://www.nflandcollegefootball.com/.

* – Michael Vick photo credit: AP Photo/Matt Slocum via ESPN.com

Last night was my first draft of many over the next couple of weeks. This morning I am going to regale you with what I hope are educational and enlightening nuggets of knowledge and insight that drove my picks as the draft motored along. 

Let’s get right to it.

First, the league particulars so you have a frame of reference:

• 12-team, non-keeper, H2H, PPR
• Starting roster: 2 QB, 3 WR, 2 RB, 1 TE, 1 W/TE, 1 W/R, 2 K, 2 DEF
• Stat notes: 6 pts per passing TD; 1 pt per reception, Return yards counted

And here is my roster, with the draft position (I had the 8th and 15th picks to start) in parentheses:

• QB Tom Brady (1st pick, 8th overall)
• QB Donovan McNabb (3rd, 28th)
• QB Shaun Hill (14th, 145th)
• QB Kerry Collins (18th, 185th)
• RB Frank Gore (2nd, 15th)
• RB Felix Jones (7th, 78th)
• RB LeSean McCoy (10th, 105th)
• RB Darren Sproles (12th, 125th)
• RB Tim Hightower (15th, 158th)
• WR Hines Ward (5th, 48th)
• WR Anthony Gonzalez (6th, 55th)
• WR Torry Holt (8th, 85th)
• WR Steve Smith – NYG (11th, 118th)
• WR Chris Henry (16th, 165th)
• TE Jason Witten (4th, 35th)
• TE Vernon Davis (13th, 138th)
• K Matt Prater (17th, 178th)
• DEF New York Jets (9th, 98th)
• DEF San Francisco 49ers (19th, 198th)

And yes, I know I need another kicker, but for some reason the Yahoo! system wasn’t letting us draft a second kicker. Oh well. Kickers are a crapshoot anyway.

Before I analyze a few of the players individually, here a few picks after which I smiled with that smug feeling we all get when we think we’ve really made a good value pick: Felix Jones, LeSean McCoy, Chris Henry, Vernon Davis.

And, just for good measure, here a few picks from other people that really pissed me off because it removed someone from the board a pick or two before I was targeting them: Drew Brees (I picked Brady), Randy Moss (I picked Gore), Ronnie Brown (I picked McNabb), Percy Harvin and Ted Ginn Jr (I picked Steve Smith, the Giants one), Ahmad Bradshaw (I picked V Davis).

Now that we have all of that out of the way, here are a few of the important lessons that I am taking away from my first fantasy football draft of the 2009 season:

I am bullish on Tom Brady

I know that Tom Brady is coming off a pretty nasty knee injury, and as fantasy football owners we have all been (rightfully) conditioned to be wary of using high draft picks on guys coming off of injury, but…

It’s Tom F’ing Brady. 

In a 2-QB league, I knew I wanted to get either Brees or Brady with the 8th pick since the elite RBs would be gone. Brees obviously comes with less risk and is stellar every season, but Brady is the one guy that I think has a legitimate shot to surpass Brees’ production this year. All you have to do is look at Brady’s last full season in the league to see what he’s capable of producing. That is why I also targeted Randy Moss in the second round, although my dad got to him first.

I’d been going back and forth in my mind about whether or not I consider Brady a first round pick. In a standard 1-QB league, probably not. But he would still be the 2nd QB I’d want. In a 2-QB league I definitely think he is a first round pick and my lack of hesitation in clicking the “Draft” button proved to me that I’m confident in Brady’s ability for a strong rebound season. And you should be too.

Felix Jones has the potential to be a mid-round pick that produces top-round value

Maybe it’s listening to Dallas radio every day and hearing the perpetually negative Dallas talking heads always gushing about Felix Jones. Or perhaps it’s the memory of his scintillating but sparse performances as a rookie in which he seemed to create a big play TD every game until he got hurt. Or quite possibly it’s the memory of how Steve Slaton and Chris Johnson turned into great late-round picks for me last year at RB.

Either way, for those reasons and many more, I am extremely high on Felix Jones this season.

For goodness sakes, Felix Jones averaged 8.9 yards per carry last year as a rookie.  Granted, he only got 30 carries in six games…but 8.9 yards per carry. He also scored 3 TDs in the midst of those 30 carries. I know that it’s a small sample size, but the Cowboys had already started to increase Jones’ role in the offense before he got hurt in Week 6. This season, they are committed to increasing his role even more.

There is already talk that Felix Jones may add punt returning to his list of duties, and from everything I have seen and read the Cowboys want to get him 12-15 touches per game. For a lot of players that might not be enough to secure an every week starting position on fantasy rosters, but for a guy with the breakaway ability of Jones it’s plenty.

Sure, he’ll have a few weeks where he might not generate huge numbers, but that is not unlike a lot of players. This is a guy who does not need goalline carries to get touchdowns — which is good, because Marion Barber will get those — and a guy who plays for a team that is seeking playmakers to replace the lost production of Terrell Owens.

It sounds like the Cowboys are going to be committed to running the ball more this year and to lightening the load on Marion Barber somewhat, especially in early in games, so he is fresh to close them out in the 4th quarter. That opens the door for Felix Jones to get his touches, and I have a feeling Jones will get more and more as the season progresses and he proves himself to be the most dynamic playmaker on a Cowboys’ offense that may struggle to get big plays out of its passing game.

I don’t think Felix Jones will produce 1st or 2nd round value — although he could if Marion Barber were to get hurt — but I do think he can be a solid #2 running back that produces like a 3rd or 4th round pick. I might have taken him a bit early in the 7th round, but only because I knew my brother wanted him too. My advice would be to start targeting Jones around the late 7th to early 8th round, and then reap the rewards of his big play TDs all season long.

Those two picks — Brady in the 1st and Felix Jones in the 7th — were the two I felt the strongest about coming out of last night’s draft.  Here a few other quick-hit thoughts regarding my players:

I think Donovan McNabb could be primed for one of his best seasons, assuming he stays healthy. The Eagles have a solid backup to the oft-dinged and now old Brian Westbrook in rookie LeSean McCoy (more on him later), plus they added another playmaking speedster in Jeremy Maclin to go along with DeSean Jackson. Not to mention, Michael Vick may get out there in some wildcat formations which could lead to some unconventional yardage or TDs for McNabb.

Something about McNabb just seems more at ease, more confident this offseason. And with the Eagles playing for the memory of Jim Johnson, and with the bitter taste of last year’s NFC Championship Game loss, I think they will have a solid season…with McNabb leading them every step of the way.

Shaun Hill is sneaky good, by the way, and makes a solid late-round pick as a backup QB.  Did you know that in 12 career starts Hill has a 90.5 passer rating? He should get the nod in San Francisco and be able to get you through a bye week or short-term injury to your starter.

I mentioned LeSean McCoy earlier.  I really like his potential this year as a possible Steve Slaton type back. Remember last season when Slaton started out as Ahman Green’s backup and was considered too small to be an everydown back? Green spent the whole season injured and ineffective and now Slaton is being picked in the first 10-15 selections. That could be McCoy next season.

McCoy’s value obviously goes down if Brian Westbrook stays healthy all year, but with Westbrook already digned up and getting up there in age, it’s not the most outlandish of bets that Westbrook misses some time this year. When he does, McCoy will be there to put up similar numbers as a dual threat back. Plus, McCoy has value even when Westbrook is healthy. The Eagles are going to reduce Westbrook’s workload this year in an effort to try and keep him fresh and healthy. McCoy can produce as a 3rd RB or flex player with 10-15 touches per game.

If you can get McCoy in the 9th to 11th rounds I think you could have yourself a potential Slaton/Chris Johnson type late round steal.

Wide receiver appears to be the weakness of my team, but after the consistent production of Hines Ward I think I have three guys that could significantly trump their production from a year ago.

Anthony Gonzalez enters his third season (the typical breakout year for WRs) and is now firmly entrenched as the #2 WR behind Reggie Wayne. I think Gonzalez is primed for at least 75-80 catches (solid in a PPR league) and should grab 5-7 TDs. 

Torry Holt is getting older and had a terrible year last season in St. Louis, but I see him having a resurgence in Jacksonville.  He is their clear #1 WR and all of the training camp reports say that he has quickly developed a rapport with David Garrard. Plus, Jacksonville has no one else at WR. Holt won’t be the Holt of old, but could put up solid #2 WR numbers. I like him for 80-90 catches and the wily vet could find his way into the endzone 7-8 times as well.

Steve Smith of the Giants is another third year receiver who could have a breakout year. He quietly grabbed 57 balls last year, but only for a 10.1 yard average and 1 TD. He is not a big play guy, nor will he probably score a lot of TDs. But with Plaxico Burress gone and the Giants lacking proven receiving threats on the outside, Eli Manning will probably go to Smith a lot. He has more value in a PPR league and could grab 75-85 balls and get in the endzone a few times. Not bad for a bye week fill-in, #4 WR.

And watch out for Chris Henry in Cincinnati. I know the guy is a knucklehead, but he’s also extremely talented, has Carson Palmer back at QB, and there is a 90-100 catch void with TJ Houshmandzadeh’s departure. Plus, Henry is apparently a “changed man” this year.  We’ll see about that, but guys with proven 50-60 catch, 6-8 TD ability are worthy of late-round fliers, which is why I took one on Henry.

Obviously I love getting Jason Witten, even in the 4th round, because he will be Tony Romo’s #1 target this season. And Witten has more value in a PPR league than a non-PPR. But I also think I may have plucked a top-5 tight end in the 13th round by picking Vernon Davis.

Yes, Davis has proven himself to be a bit of a diva and has failed to fulfill the vast potential that made him a #1 pick. But he still grabbed 52 balls and scored 4 times last year. He is also another guy with a checkered past that appears to be taking his profession more seriously this year. As with Chris Henry, we’ll see. But on a team that lacks great WRs, the tight end will see lots of opportunities in SF.

And for the record, look at Tony Gonzalez’s career stats. It wasn’t really until his third year that he broke out (76 catches, 11 TDs after only 4 TDs in his first two years). Targeting talented pass catchers in their third seasons is a proven strategy for finding sleeper success, and Vernon Davis is a guy you can get cheap that could far outperform his draft position.

Finally, I hate the New York Jets but I love the potential of their defense this year. Not only should they have a healthy Kris Jenkins and be buoyed by the presence of Lito Sheppard opposite Derrelle Revis, but they have former Ravens DC Rex Ryan calling the shots this year. Even if the Jets give up points, they will be aggressive. That means lots of sacks and lots of forced turnovers. Those are the types of defenses that can offer value even when they give up higher scores. I think the Jets could easily finish the year as a top-5, maybe even a top-3, fantasy defense.

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Remember, to get any and all fantasy questions answered in a quick and timely fashion, jump on over to the MSF Fantasy Football Discussion Forum, where we are waiting to help you out with your draft preparation. And I know that owe you the other half of my Bust/Sleeper column, so look for that later this week.

* – Tom Brady photo credit: Noon Time Sports

* – Felix Jones photo credit: Dallas Observer Sportatorium

* – Donovan McNabb and LeSean McCoy photo credit: Sean Simmers, The Patriot News via PennLive

The Arizona Cardinals (yes, the same franchise that has never won two playoff games in the same season) are playing the Philadelphia Eagles (yes, the same franchise that tied Cincinnati earlier this season and was left for dead when they were 5-5-1) in the NFC Championship game. I suppose Philadelphia isn’t that big of a surprise when you consider their four previous NFC Championship game appearances this decade. But the Cardinals? The pathetic, moribund Cardinals? Can it really be so?

Oh, it be so — and I for one think it is going to be a great game on Sunday.

Quickly, as has become our custom in these playoff preview posts, here are the particulars to get you ready for the game:

NFC Championship Game

Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals

• Sunday, January 18, 2009
• TV: 3:00 ET on FOX
• Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver
• Season Series: Philadelphia Eagles 1 | Arizona Cardinals 0
• Point Spread: Philadelphia Eagles -3 1/2
• Over-Under: 47 (point spread courtesy of BetUs.com)

Now, let’s have a little fun. 2008 was a most unlikely year, with plenty of occurences that no one ever would have thought possible a 365 days before the NFC Championship game on January 18, 2008. For instance, who would have thought…

• The United States would elect a black President? It happened.
• The Miami Dolphins would go from 1-15 to AFC East champions? It happened.
• The Atlanta Falcons, behind a rookie QB and a rookie head coach, would make the playoffs? It happened.
• The Baltimore Ravens, behind a rookie QB and a rookie head coach, would make not only the playoffs, but the AFC Championship game? It happened.
• The city of Philadelphia would win a championship? It happened.
• Fans of Indiana University would seriously contemplate their team going 0-16 in the Big Ten after ethics violations in their basketball program? It is, sadly, happening right now.
• Brett Favre would be playing for someone other than the Packers? It happened.
• That I would have moved from Indiana to Dallas and started a blog about Midwest sports and then stayed up late to write a preview of a game that does not involve any teams from the Midwest? It happened.

And I could go on and on.

When you take into account all of the crazy, unlikely occurences that we have already seen during this calendar year, maybe we should not be all that surprised that the Eagles and Cardinals are playing this weekend for the right to go to the Super Bowl.

It seems to be just one of those years.

But enough of all this. The Eagles and Cardinals are playing this weekend and you, my faithful readers, are counting on me to provide you with a prediction that will most likely be proven horribly false. 99% of my other predictions have gone that way this season. (At least one thing happened that wasn’t a surprise!)

Before I get into a prediction, let’s run down the current injury status of the key players in this game:

Philadelphia Eagles Injury Updates

• Brian Westbrook is listed as probable and will play.

What, do you need to know any more about the Eagles’ injury report?

Arizona Cardinals Injury Updates

• Anquan Boldin is questionable, and says that he wants to practice a few times this week leading up to Sunday’s game. He will definitely be on the field and give it a go — we’ll have to wait and see how much he has in him.
• TE Stephen Spach is out for the season with a torn right ACL.
• The Cardinals are hopeful that Ben Patrick can serve as the #2 TE.

I’ll update this as the week goes on.

Now, let’s get down to business. Three reasons why the Eagles can win, three reasons why the Cardinals can win, and then a prediction.

Three Reasons Why the Philadelphia Eagles Can Win:

1 — Their defense is playing outstanding. The Eagles are known for their “exotic” blitz schemes and they have been harassing quarterbacks as of late. Just ask Tony Romo and Eli Manning, among others. We all know that Kurt Warner is subject to fumblitis when he gets pressure in the pocket. The Eagles are the kind of team that can do it consistently.

2 — Brian Westbrook is healthy. No, Westbrook did not have a great statistical game against the Giants, but his mere presence means everything for the Eagles’ offense. And while Arizona’s defense did a great job last weekend against Carolina, they are not a dominant unit. On the ground and through the air, Brian Westbrook will get a lot of touches. If the Cardinals cannot contain him — and remember, the Cardinals did not exactly shut down the Panthers running game, Jake Delhomme did — Westbrook could have a huge night.

3 — Asante Samuel and Donovan McNabb are capable of making game-changing plays on every snap. Samuel always seems to come up with interceptions at opportune times, and it will be strength-v-strength with him matched up on the Cardinals’ excellent receivers, a tougher match than Carolina’s DBs. And Donovan McNabb is playing some of the best football he has played in years. He is not always accurate, but he seems much more comfortable with DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis. With a healthy Westbrook, McNabb will have his opportunities to make plays down the field.

Three Reasons Why the Arizona Cardinals Can Win:

1 — They have the best player on the field: Larry Fitzgerald. Even with Anquan Boldin out, Fitzgerald was a man among boys last weekend. He dominated, and is capable of making big plays in double and even triple coverage. With Philadelphia sure to pressure Kurt Warner, and the old gray-beard QB being forced to get rid of the ball quickly, he will most likely look to Larry Fitzgerald early and often regardless of the coverage. Fitzgerald is capable of making it work.

2 — Ken Whisenhunt is on a roll pushing the right buttons. He chastised his team after a horrible performance against New England and they responded. He called Edgerrin James’ number early and often in the first round of the playoffs, and the Cardinals actually had a competent running game for once. Having a head coach who is perfectly in sync with his team is crucial at this point in the season, and Whisenhunt is proving to be one of the special young head coaches in the NFL.

3 — The Cardinals defense is playing its best football of the season. They contained the Falcons’ vaunted rushing attack in the the wild-card round. Then last week, they forced 412 turnovers against Jake Delhomme and — whoop! Delhomme just threw another pick as I am typing this. Donovan McNabb can be inaccurate with his throws, and the Cardinals can obviously take advantage. If they can force a few turnovers, it may help neutralize the occasional devastation their blitzing D will surely cause for the Cardinals offense.

So who wins?

I honestly have a strange, nagging gut feeling that this game is going to go into overtime. And no, it has nothing to do with the big story from earlier this year in which Donovan McNabb said he did not know games could end in a tie. It just feels like that close of a game, and it probably should considering that these two teams have nearly identical records. I think Philadelphia is a little bit better and more experienced overall, but the Cardinals are playing home.

In the end though, I can’t pick against the Philadelphia. This season just seems to be shaping up to be one of those storybook season for Donovan McNabb. He’s had plenty of adversity and is now 8 quarters away from cementing his legacy as one of the 15 or so best QBs in NFL history. After the benching fiasco, the overtime hubbub, and the poor overall play of the Eagles, to have led his team to the doorstep of a Super Bowl — well, it just seems like one of those perfect scripts that we see unfold all to often in the NFL.

I think the script continues, and that McNabb and Westbrook do enough to complement a great performance from the Philly D. Look for a Kurt Warner fumble to change the momentum of the game at some point in the second half. A big-play TD in overtime wins it for the Eagles.

Eagles-Cardinals Prediction

Philadelphia Eagles 27 | Arizona Cardinals 21

What do you think?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

During today’s NFC Divisional Round playoff game between the Eagles and Giants, which the Eagles won 23-11 to advance to the NFC Championship game next weekend, Donovan McNabb was flagged for a taunting penalty late in the game after picking up the telephone on the Giants’ sidelines.

I actually missed this play when it happened, but heard Joe Buck and Troy Aikman talking about it afterwards. Luckily for McNabb and the Eagles, the game had already been iced away and the penalty did not have any adverse effect on the outcome.

Courtesy of BSO, here is the video:

And as Littal points out in his post about McNabb picking up the phone on the Giants sideline and getting penalized, Troy Aikman had a pretty good like after it happened: “Sometimes I don’t know what is running through that guy’s head.”

In a related story, football fans across the country still have no idea what was running through the head of Donovan McNabb earlier this season when he made these infamous comments about the NFL’s overtime rules.

We do, however, know exactly what is running through Donovan McNabb’s head right now: he and his Eagles are heading to their fifth NFC Championship game this decade to take on another 9-win team, the Arizona Cardinals. And as Mike Florio at PFT points out, this season will be the first time in a non-strike season since 1979 that a 9-win team will be going to the Super Bowl.

Wow. A crazy NFL season just gets crazier. And if San Diego can win at Heinz Field today (behind the inspirational running of Darren Sproles), it will mean that all four home teams, and all four teams who had byes, lost in the Divisional Round.

I guess “bye” had a much different meaning than usual this season.

They played audio of McNabb’s press conference in which he admitted to not knowing that NFL games could end in a tie. He compounds this egregious error by wondering aloud what the NFL will do in the playoffs or Super Bowl. Donovan…playoff games can’t end in a tie. They play another overtime. It has happened multiple times.

According to Golic, McNabb was not the only Eagles player to make such an admission after the game, which is maybe even more surprising. Donovan McNabb is not just a rogue moron, but the Eagles locker room is filled with them!

Seriously?

Do Donovan McNabb and the Eagles ever watch the NFL? How can you not know what the overtime rules are, especially when they are such a bone of contention for so many people.

Anyway, here is the video:

What do you think?

I don’t think this lack of common knowledge by Donovan McNabb did anything to change the outcome of yesterday’s game. He still hurled a hail mary at the end of the game, even though he thought they would get another crack at it. I just think the fact that he didn’t know such a common knowledge rule is mind-boggling, and that he would admit it publicly is even more mind-boggling. If I didn’t know about a rule so germane to the outcome of NFL games, I’d feel horribly embarrassed. I definitely would not be admitting in the press conference and giving the Eagle’s diabolical fan base even more fodder for booing me.

Wow. If this were a rookie, I suppose the lack of knowledge and lack of media savvy could be understandable. Not really, but at least somewhat explainable. For a guy of Donovan McNabb’s experience and stature to look like such a bumbling fool…I don’t really know what to say.

I didn’t know an NFL quarterback could be so clueless.

[tags]philadelphia eagles, NFL, Donovan McNabb[/tags]

Two weeks ago, after your first week in the NFL, I watched you with a grin on my face in a post game interview as you shrugged and smiled about your first NFL appearance being a 100 yard game. “I’m just living that rookie life.” Well, like Adam Sandler shakes the fat kid’s face in Billy Madison, pleading with him to maintain his innocence, I, too, write to with the same emotion. Pleading with you, don’t go the way of other “locker room problem” receivers.

Monday night you looked like an asshole. I’ll spell it out for you. You dropped a touchdown cause you turn yourself on too much. If your self-obsession is a problem, go beat off in the mirror. Don’t cost your team six points. Any one of your douche bag friends, girlfriends or “buddies” who said, “It’s no big deal, you guys scored, anyway” is wrong. They clearly don’t know the scale of football you play. That was, perhaps, the greatest Monday night game ever and you win the “Biggest Idiot of the Greatest Game” award. If you didn’t have Brian Westbrook risk his neck on the next play, Andy Reid would have eaten you. After allowing a mob, donning Chase Utley jerseys, to pelt you with batteries and put you on the flat grill at Gino’s Steaks.

Just in case your memory is as piss poor as your judgment, here is a clip from Idiot Circus starring DeSean Jackson from Monday night. No…wait. It’s a clip of a professional football game. Funny how the line can get blurred when a clown steals the show.

Think back to your JV football coach. If you dropped that ball in practice he would have slapped the shit out of you, because that’s what America wanted to do to you last night. They wanted to slap the shit out of you. Philly fans wanted to hang you, but the rest of us just wanted to slap you. Brian Dawkins wanted to do it with his dick. I think I saw him mouth the words, “smack that rookie with a cock” on the sideline.

DeSean, we get it. You’re young, you’re rich, you run routes like a mother-effin laser and Donovan McNabb has been begging to meet you since he started in Philly, but, please, don’t go take that asshole reciever road. Football fans don’t want to see more off the field, on the field drama. (It might be par for the course in the NFC east but here in the central Da’ Coach would have broken your nose at halftime. It offends the Midwestern fans’ mild sensibilities.)

That act is tired. Don’t take the flash in the pan, the-only-thing-we-remember-you-for-is-the-antics, TO route. Sure, he’s a good receiver, TO might even be one of the best but the football populous will forever stand with the man who is better than him, in the books and in our hearts, Jerry Rice, (your personal mentor) because TO is a dick. You love to watch him catch the ball but when he crosses the goal line and you have to watch him celebrate, I roll my eyes and think, “I wish Jason Witten had caught that, so I don’t have to watch this.” Then I say, “I wish Greg Olsen was Jason Witten…” My brief reverie of talent aside, you get the point. The “I love me some me” mentality is selfish football.

You and me, we are almost the same age, and while TO’s antics of signing the camera, standing on the star, playing cheerleader made us laugh and were the highlights of shit-talking at pick up football games. That’s what it is – SHIT. The dude can’t stop talking shit. He still rags on Jeff Garcia. Jeff Garcia, the guy who looks more like he could be the IT guy at your office rather than veteran QB. Who rags on the friendly, balding IT guy? He’s always pretty helpful. Well, so is Jeff Garcia.

I’m pretty sure that even though TO has star power, if it wasn’t for the humble, saintly, nice guy demeanor of Tony “I-wouldn’t-be-mad-if-he-banged-my-sister” Romo, to balance out his ego, the Cowboys ship would have sunk by now. Don’t sink your super bowl quality team, DeSean. Hold on to the goddamn football, get jacked up but beware because if I see you doing sit-ups in your driveway while you talk shit about your QB, I’ll write another letter addressed to Philly but it will go like this…

“Dear Jon Runyan-

Please, take a dump in DeSean Jackson’s locker. He’s being a dick. Here’s a 100 dollar gift card to White Castle, hopefully that will help…”

That would likely send some sort of message but I’m hoping you’re not gonna make me spend 100 dollars at White Castle.

Love,

Sean