I’m a Packers fan, so I’ve been on both sides of the spectrum. Last season, I could not wait for the Super Bowl to come, the anticipation building each and every day.

This season? I can’t wait for it to be over.

Super Bowl Quarterbacks

The one thing that the down time between the games does provide is time to analyze and break down individual matchups, specifically at quarterback.

This year’s Super Bowl QB matchup, between Tom Brady and Eli Manning and their four combined rings, is a great one. It’s perhaps one of the most highly anticipated QB matchups in Super Bowl history.

Super Bowl quarterbacks Tom Brady and Eli Manning (Charles Krupa, AP)

But where does Eli-Brady XLVI rank all time?

What I’m going to do is rank all 46 quarterback match-ups in the history of the Super Bowl, based on what the stature of each quarterback was entering the game. I’ll look at where each quarterback was at the moment we are in right now, before the game, rather than how they were viewed after it.

The rankings here are based on the build-up to the Super Bowl, not the game itself.  For example, last season Aaron Rodgers was a still-unproven quarterback looking to break out of Brett Favre’s shadow, not the Super Bowl champion, MVP-caliber quarterback he is today. I’ll also put the most stock in previous Super Bowl experience as well as recent individual play. Make sense?  Let’s get started.

(And I won’t rank my hypothetical Aaron Rodgers vs. TJ Yates match-up, although it obviously would have been No. 1.)

Super Bowl QB Matchups: The 8 Greatest

#1 – Super Bowl XIX: Joe Montana (49ers) vs. Dan Marino (Dolphins)

The 15-1 49ers were making their second Super Bowl appearance in four years under Montana,  while Marino had one of the greatest statistical seasons ever, throwing for a then-record 5,084 yards that stood for over 25 years.

This matchup was the ultimate combination of proven Super Bowl success (Montana’s ’81 Super Bowl), superlative statistical success (Marino’s record, just broken this year), rising star power, and quarterback swagger.

First (and only) time Super Bowl quarterback Dan Marino v Super Bowl QB legend Joe Montana

Montana v Marino may not have been the most decorated QB matchup in NFL history going into the game, but it was certainly one of the most intriguing. I say the most intriguing ever.

#2 – Super Bowl XXXII: Brett Favre (Green Bay) vs. John Elway (Denver)

Looking at this match-up in it’s context, it’s just incredible.

Favre was coming off his third MVP season, with 3,867 yards and 35 touchdowns, as well as a Super Bowl victory the previous year. Elway, then 37, was at the tail end of his career, but still was considered one of the premier quarterbacks in the league.

This was the Broncos’ fourth of five Super Bowl appearances under Elway, having lost three in the first decade-plus of his career. It was the MVP gunslinger looking to repeat against the future Hall of Famer, making it great, but only good for second-best.

 #3 – Super Bowl XIII: Terry Bradshaw (Steelers) vs. Roger Staubach (Cowboys)

Bradshaw not only had two Super Bowl wins on his resume, but he also had an MVP season in 1978. To win his third Super Bowl, Bradshaw would have to lead the Steelers past two-time Super Bowl winner Roger Staubach and the defending champion Cowboys, who had just rolled over the Rams 28-0 in the NFC championship game.

Very close to being a top-two game, and lost out by the slimmest of margins.

#4 – Super Bowl XXIV: Joe Montana (49ers) vs. John Elway (Broncos)

Montana already had three Super Bowl wins on his resume, while Elway was finally looking to break through in the win column after losing his first two.

Montana won the MVP that season as the Niners went 14-2; Elway threw for 385 yards against Cleveland in the AFC Championship to lead Denver to its third Super Bowl in four years.

The result was a lopsided San Fran win (55-10) but the quarterback match-up heading into the game was among the best ever.

#5 – Super Bowl I: Bart Starr (Packers) vs. Len Dawson (Chiefs)

It may have been just the first championship game pitting the AFL champion against the NFL champion, but it by no means the beginning of Starr’s and Dawson’s careers. Dawson was the top rated passer in the AFL that season as well as the 1962 AFL MVP, while Starr had led the Packers to three of the previous five NFL championships.

Both went on to be Hall of Famers, and having the first Super Bowl feature such great talent helped pave the way for the growth of the NFL.

#6 – Super Bowl X: Terry Bradshaw (Steelers) vs. Roger Staubach (Cowboys)

Both quarterbacks were Super Bowl champions at this point, but their rematch three years later was a bit more anticipated. Aren’t they always?

#7 – Super Bowl XXVII: Troy Aikman (Cowboys) vs. Jim Kelly (Bills)

This matchup was a repeat of the year before, and it was Kelly’s fourth straight Super Bowl appearance, while Aikman had earned Super Bowl MVP honors the season before.

The question was whether or not Dallas would be able to repeat, as Aikman had played phenomenally in the NFC Championship game against San Francisco but had left the game with a concussion. Kelly was clearly playing at a high level, as Buffalo had gone 12-4 that season, but the question remained whether he would finally be able to win the big one.

#8 – Super Bowl XLVI: Tom Brady (Patriots) vs. Eli Manning (Giants)

This is where I think this year’s Super Bowl quarterback matchup ranks.

There are obviously plenty of people talking about it, especially since it’s the rematch of Super Bowl 42. It is Brady’s chance to cement himself as one of the top-3 quarterbacks of all time, while a win for Eli could push him into permanent elite conversation.

All-Time Super Bowl Quarterback Matchups Poll

Let’s take a quick poll break. The top 8 pretty much has it all: both of the Staubach-Bradshaw matchups, one each of the Aikman-Kelly and Brady-Manning matchups, as well as legends like Montana, Marino, Favre, Elway, Starr, and Dawson.

You’ve seen my top 8. Which one do you think should be #1?

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

Super Bowl QB Matchups: The Best Of The Rest

#9 – Super Bowl VIII: Bob Griese (Dolphins) vs. Fran Tarkenton (Vikings)

Griese led Miami, in the year after he led the Dolphins to a perfect season, to a third straight Super Bowl appearance, the first team to accomplish such a feat. Minnesota was perhaps better known for the “Purple People Eaters” on defense, they did feature Fran Tarkenton, a future Hall-of-Famer in his own right.

#10 – Super Bowl XXIII: Joe Montana (49ers) vs. Boomer Esiason (Bengals)

While Montana had the 49ers in the Super Bowl for the third time in eight seasons, it was Esiason who was the league MVP in 1988. The game was good too, with Montana leading San Fran on the “Joe Cool” drive to win the game.

#11 – Super Bowl XI: Ken Stabler (Raiders) vs. Fran Tarkenton (Vikings)

Tarkenton was the headliner of this matchup, who at age 36 had led the Vikings to their third Super Bowl in four years. But Stabler led Oakland to a 15-1 record entering the game, and The Snake had also won the MVP just two years prior, in 1974.

#12 – Super Bowl XLIII: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) vs. Kurt Warner (Cardinals)

Another instance of two previous Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks competing against each other.

Roethlisberger had Pittsburgh in its second Super Bowl in four years, but Warner, in his third Super Bowl appearance, was the story. He had to earn the starting job from Matt Leinart and had Arizona in the playoffs at just 9-7. He played spectacular in the playoffs, however, leading the Cardinals to 30-plus points in each of the three playoff games up to that point.

#13 – Super Bowl XLIV: Drew Brees (Saints) vs. Peyton Manning (Colts)

Brees-Manning was perhaps the better straight quarterback match-up than Roethlisberger-Warner the season before, but this was Brees’ first appearance in a Super Bowl, so he did not have the stature he does now.

Still, Manning was the MVP that season, and Brees was no slouch, throwing for 4,338 yards and had a passer rating of 109.6, so this was a highly anticipated matchup between two prolific quarterbacks.

#14 – Super Bowl XXVII: Troy Aikman (Cowboys) vs. Jim Kelly (Bills)

Aikman’s first Super Bowl, Kelly’s third straight. Better the next year.

#15 – Super Bowl IX: Terry Bradshaw (Steelers) vs. Fran Tarkenton (Vikings)

Perhaps the best defensive matchup ever, featuring the Steel Curtain against the Purple People Eaters, but Tarkenton was in his second straight Super Bowl and Bradshaw was in the middle of his Hall of Fame career.

#16 – Super Bowl XXVIII: Jim Plunkett (Raiders) vs. Joe Theismann (Redskins)

Maybe not the most elite of matchups from a name value perspective, but both already had a Super Bowl win on their resume entering the game, which had only happened twice to date.

#17 – Super Bowl XXXIX: Tom Brady (Patriots) vs. Donovan McNabb (Eagles)

Brady was playing in his third Super Bowl in four years against a perennial Pro Bowler in McNabb playing in his first.

#18 – Super Bowl XLVI: Eli Manning (Giants) vs. Tom Brady (Patriots)

The build-up was there based on the Patriots being 18-0 at the time, but there were serious doubts about Eli Manning. Why does everybody doubt this kid again?

Eli Manning finally earned some respect by leading the Giants to a Super Bowl 42 upset of New England. He can gain even more respect on Sunday.

#19 – Super Bowl VI: Roger Staubach (Cowboys) vs. Bob Griese (Dolphins)

The first Super Bowl appearance for each of these quarterbacks, at least one of whom would appear in five of the next seven Super Bowls.

#20 – Super Bowl XLV: Aaron Rodgers (Packers) vs. Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)

This ranking is actually based of it being Roethlisberger’s third Super Bowl appearance, and it came in the midst of Rodgers’ ascendance to one of the game’s elite, but he wasn’t truly there until this game was played.

#21 – Super Bowl II: Bart Starr (Packers) vs. Daryle Lamonica (Raiders)

Lamonica was that season’s (1967) AFL MVP, and that Starr guy was pretty good too.

#22 – Super Bowl XXXI: Brett Favre (Packers) vs. Drew Bledsoe (Patriots)

The two had combined for six Pro Bowls plus two MVPs, both of which were awarded to Favre, including his second straight in 1996.

#23 – Super Bowl XXI: Phil Simms (Giants) vs. John Elway (Broncos)

This was Elway’s first Super Bowl, on the heels of The Drive, but the Broncos ran into Simms’ 14-2 Giants, better known for the Lawrence Taylor-led defense.

 #24 – Super Bowl XVI: Joe Montana (49ers) vs. Ken Anderson (Bengals)

Both were young quarterbacks coming into their own, and while Montana would eventually win four Super Bowls, Anderson was the 1981 MVP.

#25 – Super Bowl XXX: Troy Aikman (Cowboys) vs. Neil O’Donnell (Steelers)

Aikman’s third appearance in four years, while O’Donnell was an effective manager of 11-5 Pittsburgh, throwing for just under 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns against just seven interceptions.

#26 – Super Bowl XII: Roger Staubach (Cowboys) vs. Craig Morton (Broncos)

Both quarterbacks’ second Super Bowl appearance, with Staubach leading Dallas to the win in Super Bowl VI and Morton coming up short for those same Cowboys in Super Bowl V.

#27 – Super Bowl XXVI: Mark Rypien (Redskins) vs. Jim Kelly (Bills)

Kelly was making his second straight Super Bowl appearance, while Rypien led the NFC in passer rating at 97.9 with protection from “The Hogs”.

#28 – Super Bowl XXXIII: John Elway (Broncos) vs. Chris Chandler (Falcons)

Chandler led the Falcons to a surprising 14-2, but Elway’s fifth Super Bowl appearance, and second straight, was the talk.

#29 – Super Bowl XXXIX: Steve Young (49ers) vs. Stan Humphries (Chargers)

Humphries had the surprise Chargers in the Super Bowl, but this was about Steve Young finally getting his shot at a title and monkey off his back.

Steve Young finally became a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and emerged from Joe Montana's considerable shadow with a historic performance against the Chargers.

#30 – Super Bowl VII: Bob Griese (Dolphins) vs. Billy Kilmer (Redskins)

Griese was looking to avenge the Super Bowl loss and did so with a perfect Dolphins team; and then there was Billy Kilmer, and you don’t know who he is either.

#31 – Super Bowl III: Joe Namath (Jets) vs. Earl Morrall (Colts)

Namath’s guarantee is famous, but he was a slightly-above-average quarterback on the field despite his star power, while Morrall was filling in for an injured Johnny Unitas.

#32  - Super Bowl XIV: Terry Bradshaw (Steelers) vs. Vince Ferragamo (Rams)

Ferragamo was a back-up for Pat Haden and was not great, bringing down the fact that Bradshaw was playing in his fourth Super Bowl.

#33 – Super Bowl XV: Jim Plunkett (Raiders) vs. Ron Jaworski (Eagles)

Two quarterbacks you remember being as better as they actually were.

#34 – Super Bowl IV: Len Dawson (Chiefs) vs. Joe Kapp (Vikings)

Three years after losing to Bart Starr, Dawson finally got his win.

#35 – Super Bowl XXII: Doug Williams (Redskins) vs. John Elway (Broncos)

Williams was fortunate to have a loaded Redskins team, while Elway had Denver in the Super Bowl for a second straight year.

#36 – Super Bowl XXXIV: Kurt Warner (Rams) vs. Steve McNair (Titans)

Warner was the engineer of the “Greatest Show on Turf,” but Eddie George was the main threat for Tennessee.

#37 – Super Bowl XXXVI: Tom Brady (Patriots) vs. Kurt Warner (Rams)

2001 Tom Brady was just the guy who took over for Drew Bledsoe, not the 2012 Tom Brady he is today.

#38 – Super Bowl XL: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) vs. Matt Hasselbeck (Seahawks)

Big Ben was still somewhat unproven in his second year, and while Hasselbeck was efficient for Seattle, MVP Shaun Alexander was the driving force.

#39 – Super Bowl XXV: Jeff Hostetler (Giants) vs. Jim Kelly (Bills)

Only Kelly’s first Super Bowl, and Hostetler was an injury replacement for Phil Simms.

#40 – Super Bowl V: Johnny Unitas (Colts) vs. Craig Morton (Cowboys)

Unitas was 37, and Morton was in a QB controversy all season with Roger Staubach.

#41 – Super Bowl XLI: Peyton Manning (Colts) vs. Rex Grossman (Bears)

Peyton finally got to his first Super Bowl, but this match-up is dragged waaaaay down by Sexy Rexy.

In Rex's defense, the weather was awful and Peyton Manning didn't play particularly well either.

#42 – Super Bowl XXXVIII: Tom Brady (Patriots) vs. Jake Delhomme (Panthers)

Brady was going for two out of three, but he was facing the Panthers, who made it on the strength of their running game.

#43- Super Bowl  XVII: Joe Theismann (Redskins) vs. David Woodley (Dolphins)

Theismann wasn’t great, and Woodley wasn’t anybody.

#44 – Super Bowl XXXVII: Brad Johnson (Buccaneers) vs. Rich Gannon (Raiders)

Gannon was the MVP, but the Bucs were all about defense.

#45 – Super Bowl XXXV: Trent Dilfer (Ravens) vs. Kerry Collins (Giants)

Most people’s worst match-up, but only second-worst for me.

#46 – Super Bowl XX:  Jim McMahon (Bears) vs. Tony Eason (Patriots)

Eason had more interceptions than touchdowns in the regular season, while the Bears had Payton, Singletary and the Fridge, and McMahon was largely an afterthought outside his persona and sunglasses.

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So there are the rankings. 1-46. Every Super Bowl quarterback matchup ever.

The question now, as it was when we ranked the 13 best Super Bowl plays of all-time, and when we ranked the 10 best Super Bowl commercials of all-time, is what choices do you agree/disagree with? What did we get right, and what did we get wrong?

That’s what the comment section is for. Chime in below!

Wait…what?

That’s right, you heard me. Makeout sessions. Just look at these pictures and tell me these bros aren’t about to lock lips right there on the gridiron.

First, here are Tommy Brady and Timmy Tebow:

Image credit: Barry Gutierrez/AP via People.com

In this picture, Tebow appears ready to play the role of Gisele, gazing into Tom Terrific’s eyes before planting a wet smackeroo right smack dab on those dreamy lips. He’s even using the age-old technique of grabbing the outside shoulder to guide Brady towards him. This is the technique of a grizzled makeout veteran, not a close-to-holy virgin, so to see Tebow execute it so deftly is both surprising and impressive. He’s a natural, this one.

What’s funny is that even if you didn’t interpret this picture at all like that, the once-unseen-cannot-be-unseen principal applies. Now you can’t look at the picture without seeing it as an impending lip lock, can you?

To prove it, try looking at this picture of Alex Smith and Drew Brees after their epic 4th quarter rendezvous in Candlestick.

Image credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP  via GreenwichTime.com

Smith goes with a different technique than Tebow, choosing instead to control the action with the arm-around-waist strategy. But from his subtle lean back, it’s clear that he wants Brees to make the first move, just like Brees did in the final five minutes of the 4th quarter on Saturday before the game’s fantastic final few minutes.

Another great example of the Postgame QB Kiss phenomenon came in December of 2010 when Eli Manning and Aaron Rodgers met up. (Unfortunately, none of yesterday’s pics of the two really qualified; I guess Aaron just wasn’t in the mood.)

Image credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images North America via Zimbio.com

In this picture, Rodgers has clearly accepted the submissive female role. In this sense, Rodgers’ makeout-initiation strategy seems not all that unlike how he and the Packers played yesterday. You can see ARodg placing his right hand gently below Eli’s chest while gazing towards Eli’s awkwardly formed mouth. Eli, with his devil-may-care hairstyle is clearly enamored with Rodgers’ 8:00 shadow, even more than Rodgers’ ability “flight” and “spin” the ball.

As for the fourth game from yesterday, that there was actual QB play in that game is only a rumor, so I didn’t waste time searching for pictures of Fu Manchu Flacco nor T.J. Yates. But you don’t have to dig too deeply into the Google Image Search results to find other such pictures. Just search two high profile QBs’ names together, and you’re sure to find a postgame picture of them that, because of this ridiculous and unnecessary post, you will now see as the early stages of QB tonsil hockey.

Let’s try it. How about…Brees and Peyton Manning?

Yep:

Image source: Gridiron Experts

Brees and divisional rival Matt Ryan?

Image credit: AP via PennLive.com

Okay, so Drew Brees likes kissing other quarterbacks. We get it.

Let’s go the non-Brees Legends Division. How about Jay Cutler and…Brett Favre?

Yep.

Image source: PigskinReport.com

As for the brothers, they seem a bit less likely to gaze longingly into eachothers’ eyes, at least from the 90 seconds of research I just did; rather, they go right in for the bro hug like Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick here:

Image credit: Tim Shaffer/Reuters via Eurweb.com

And it’s not just limited to quarterbacks either. Coaches tend to have the same midfield meetings after games, and most are not like Jim Harbaugh and Jim Scwhartz.

In fact, from time to time we get movie-style dramatic pre-kisses like this one featuring Bill Parcells and his former apprentice Bill Belichick.

Image source: The Sports Blog

Another great example of coaches getting into the act may have occurred this weekend. Showing that he has learned from the Schwartz fiasco, Jim Harbaugh seemed quite gracious in victory with the Saints’ Sean Payton. Watch the video and decide just how gracious.

There are plenty more pictures and videos showing similar postgame closeness between opponents. I’ll let you enjoy the search for them. I think I’ve made my point and now forever ruined your ability to see these ubiquitous postgame photos as they are actually meant to be seen, which is of course as simple friend gestures of sportsmanship.

So…my work here (which probably never should have started) is done.

All that is left to do is let Turk and J.D. take us out with a song that lets all of these kissing combatants know it’s all okay. It’s just guy love…between two guys.

How could it?

In an absolute instant classic thriller, the 49ers defeated the favored Saints 36-32, dealing the deciding blow on a 14-yard, 3rd down touchdown pass from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis with 0:09 left on the clock.

It was the perfect way for the perfect football game to end.

Everything in sports, as in life, is relative.

In 1946, Army played Notre Dame in the “Game of the Century”.  The game ended in a scoreless tie. That was football then.

Fast forward 67 years and there are college football bowl games ending in 67-56 scores and multiple quarterbacks throwing for 5,000 yards in a season, with lovers of offense loving it and football “purists” abhorring it.

For people who love good defense but also appreciate prolific offense, it can be very difficult to find it on the same field at the same time.

But anyone who watched what unfolded in San Francisco today saw it.

You may think it’s impossible to say a 36-32 game featured great defense, but you had to have watched the game to appreciate it.

Until the 34-point 4th quarter, this was a 20-14 game that featured spectacular interceptions (Tarell Brown), superb pass-rushers (the Smiths Aldon and Justin), defensive backs getting well-timed sacks (Roman Harper and Malcolm Jenkins), running back-like INT returns (Dashon Goldson), run-stopping front sevens (both teams), punishing hits (Donte Whitner on Pierre Thomas), and one of the highest-octane offenses in NFL history being held to just a couple of big plays and only 14 points.

If you love defense, you had to love the first three quarters of this game. There were a few nice plays here and there (Drew Brees’ perfect pass to Marques Colston comes to mind), but for the most part the defenses ruled the day, with San Francisco benefiting from four first half turnovers by New Orleans, though not capitalizing nearly as much as they could have, in large part because Gregg Williams’ Saints D brought effective pressure and discombobulated the 49ers.

Then the 4th quarter started, and we saw a game a lot more like the one we’ve become used to: quarterbacks, pass catchers, and great runners taking over with big, timely play after big, timely play.

Frank Gore busted a 40+ yard run to set up a San Francisco field goal.

Darren Sproles, who had made many catches but been bottled up all day, exploded down the center of the field for a 44-yard touchdown pass.

Vernon Davis caught a long pass to put the 49ers right back in scoring position, which was followed by one of the gutsiest and most unexpected calls you’ll ever see on a key third down: San Francisco bootlegging Alex Smith to the left for an improbable 28-yard touchdown run.

That score put San Francisco up 29-24 with 2:11 to go. Everyone on Twitter was saying that the 49ers had scored too quickly. Little did they know that while they were in a sense correct, because New Orleans would score, it wouldn’t matter because San Francisco would score again.

Drew Brees threw another perfect pass to a well-covered Jimmy Graham that the absurdly athletic tight end grabbed and took to the house. Donte Whitner got caught between breaking it up and making the tackle, and he ended up doing neither.

With 1:37 left, the Saints led 32-29, and the game seemed over with so little time on the clock and the much-maligned Alex Smith under center.

And then…wow.

A couple of short completions got the 49ers near midfield, at which time Smith went back to the man who had come up big for him before: Davis. The 49ers tight end, freakishly athletic in his own right, got the ball well into Saints territory. All the 49ers had to do was position the ball for a field goal, tie it up, and take their chances in overtime.

Except that San Francisco has the ever-aggressive and confident Jim Harbaugh as its QB, so playing for overtime was not in the cards.

On 3rd down, with less than 20 seconds to go, the 49ers could have called a running play to center the ball, but they instead took one final shot at the end zone, and it worked out in spectacular fashion. Smith found Davis again for a catch over the middle, and Davis made the grab despite getting clocked by a Saints defender, a la Terrell Owens many years ago against Green Bay. (To complete the comparison, Davis was so overcome with emotion after the catch that he cried on the sideline.)

New Orleans would get one final play, but they were unable to perform any Music City Miracle, and San Francisco moved on to the NFC Championship Game.

My heart is racing again just typing this.

This was a game that, quite literally, had everything. There was great defense, great offense, a furious finish, and the stakes were high.

This game even featured a legendary quarterback in Brees going up against one of the most embattled QBs in NFL history, the former #1 overall pick Smith who has fought gargantuan and well-earned doubt from everyone, even from his own fan base, during this his greatest season by far as a professional.

And somehow, some way, Alex Smith outdueled the great Drew Brees in the 4th quarter.

AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez via ESPN

Most people pick the Saints to win this game. Of those who did pick the 49ers to win, I bet not one thought San Francisco could win like this.

Just one more reason this was such an amazing athletic event: no one could have predicted the way that this game ended. No one.

Yes, Saints-49ers had it all, including the home underdog grabbing the victory – which always adds one extra layer of excitement to any game.

To everyone who watched this incredible game, I imagine you did a lot of nodding while reading this. To everyone who missed it, you missed one of the greatest games in NFL playoff history. (But don’t worry, they’ll be showing it forever wherever classic NFL games are shown.)

They don’t get much better than what we saw in San Francisco today.

It was, quite simply, the perfect football game.

Despite Tebow 3:16, this is, without question, the most interesting playoff game for me this weekend. So let’s set the stage…

Image credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez via SFGate

New Orleans Saints

With a regular season record of 13-3, the Saints are one of the strongest three seeds in recent memory with a quarterback in the midst of possibly the greatest season in the history of the position.

Drew Brees, as you likely know, set the NFL record for passing yards this past season. Was that enough for him? Obviously not. Against the Detroit Lions he threw for 466 yards, the most ever in a regulation playoff game.

They have now won nine straight games; of those nine they have scored no less than 22 points, and last weekend’s 28 points allowed were the most they have given up over that span. However, their total defense on the season ranked 24th. New Orleans is, without question, an offensively-minded team.

The Saints are 0-4 all-time in road playoff games and with a loss will match the Cincinnati Bengals for the worst road playoff record in NFL history.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are back in the playoffs for the first time in nine years. Back in August, I can assure you no one expected the 49ers to have the phenomenal season they have had.

There have been several reasons for that success. Frank Gore rushed for over 1,000 yards again, David Akers set the NFL record for most field goals kicked (44), and Alex Smith has had a renaissance at the quarterback position.

Now I won’t blow sunshine up your arse and say Smith is an elite quarterback. In fact, he, T.J. Yates, and “The Mile High Messiah” round out the bottom of QBs remaining in the playoffs; but Smith is at least competent.

Despite all these success factors, San Francisco ranked just 26th in total yards this season. Yet the 49ers somehow went 13-3, and that is due to one major thing: their defense.

Patrick Willis has looked like the second coming of Ray Lewis this year; Aldon Smith, as a rookie, recorded an amazing 14 sacks; and the entire defense has thrived. The 49ers are especially dangerous at home where they have allowed, on average, less than 11 points a game.

The 49ers are 18-8 in home playoff games in franchise history. With a win they will match the Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders for the second-most home playoff victories.

Saints-49ers Prediction

I don’t know if I could say anything as convincing as Jerod Morris posted about this game earlier in the week (which you can read here ). Luckily, I agree with him completely.

The 49ers defense is one of the best in the world and of a class the Saints have not come across this season. The Saints will have more success than most teams against San Francisco, but it won’t be enough.

A healthy Frank Gore and a stingy defense will be the difference maker as the 49ers play their way to the NFC Championship.

Pick: San Francisco 27 | New Orleans 20

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New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers Game Info

• Saints-49ers Date, Time, and TV: Saturday, January 14th at 4:30 ET on FOX
• Saints-49ers Announcers: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa
• Saints-49ers Point Spread: Saints -3.5
• Saints-49ers Over-Under: 47.5

It should be a shootout this time around, as both quarterbacks threw for over 5,000 yards this season.

Detroit Lions

The Lions come in at 10-6, and 5-3 on the road. They finished the season 5-6 after their 5-0 start, but they comfortably secured a playoff spot. They could have been the five seed, but their defense was torched by Matt Flynn and the majority of the Packers in Week 17.

Matt Stafford had a historically great season, passing for over 5,000 yards and 41 toucdowns. He has the benefit of throwing to Calvin Johnson aka “MegaTron”, who hauled in 16 touchdowns this season.

The Lions will have two options in today’s game. One will be to try and establish the run game early and control the ball. The Saints have the 12th ranked rush defense, which could make this tough. The other option is to come out firing, being very aggressive in the pass game. There is no doubt that New Orleans will score early and often, so the Lions will have to match the intensity. If Stafford can not turn the ball over, there is no reason why this game cannot come down to the wire.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Lions will have Ndamukong Suh, who did not play in the last meeting against the Saints. He provides a presence up front that provides pressure, but it is tough to just use pressure on Brees. He is great at getting the ball out of his hands quickly, and finding the open man. The Lions secondary will have to step up and play their best game of the year.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints come in at 13-3, and 8-0 at home. They could have been the #2 seed if they had beaten weak teams in Tampa Bay and St. Louis, but they could not. Either way, they come into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in football.

Drew Brees and the Saints are winners of eight straight, in which they have scored no less than 22 in a game, and given up no more than 24 in a game. In their last two games against Atlanta and Carolina, they outscored those two teams 90-33.

The defense of New Orleans is ranked 30th in passing, but that is partially attributed to the fact that they are taking it easy at the end of games when they have big leads. It is the same reason why the Patriots and Packers are at the bottom of the defensive rankings. As long as the defense can hold the Lions under 28 points, the offense can easily outscore them.

Saints-Lions Prediction

The Saints had a very disappointing exit last season in Seattle, but I do not see the Saints being upset once again. They are at their home stadium this time, and with the acquisition of Darren Sproles, along with the breakout season by Jimmy Graham, there is no reason why they should not win this game.

Prediction: Saints 34 | Lions 24

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Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints

• Lions-Saints Date, Time, and TV: Saturday, January 7th at 8:00 on NBC
• Lions-Saints Announcers: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya
• Lions-Saints Point Spread: Saints -10.5
• Lions-Saints Over-Under: 58.5

Here is a list of the many passing and receiving records that were broken or tied during the 2011 NFL season:

Most passing yards in a single season

• Old record: 5,084—Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins, 1984
• Record breakers: 5,476—Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints; 5,235—Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Highest single-season quarterback rating

• Old record: 121.1—Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts, 2004
• Record breaker: 122.5—Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Most passing yards in a single season for a rookie

• Old record: 3,739—Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts, 1998
• Record breaker: 4,051—Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

Most receiving yards in a single season for a tight end

• Old record: 1,290—Kellen Winslow, San Diego Chargers, 1980
• Record breakers: 1,327—Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots; 1,310—Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints

Most touchdown receptions in a single season for a tight end

• Old record: 13—Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers, 2004 and Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers, 2009
• Record breaker: 17—Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

Most net passing yards surrendered in a single season

• Old record: 4,541—Atlanta Falcons, 1995
• Record breakers: 4,796—Green Bay Packers; 4,703—New England Patriots

Most 500-yard passing games in a single season

• Old record: 1 (1951, 1962, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2006, 2009)
• New record: 2 (Matthew Stafford, 520 in Week 17; Tom Brady, 517 in Week 1)

Most 4,000-yard passers in a single season (tie)

• Old record: 10—2009 (Schaub, P. Manning, Romo, Rodgers, Brady, Brees, Roethlisberger, Rivers, Favre, E. Manning)
• Tied record: 10 (Brees, Brady, Stafford, E. Manning, Rodgers, Rivers, Romo, Ryan, Roethlisberger, Newton)

Most 5,000-yard passers in a single season

• Old Record: 1—1984 (Dan Marino) and 2008 (Drew Brees)
• New Record: 3 (Drew Brees, Tom Brady, and Matthew Stafford)

Most 3,000-yard rookie passers in a single season

• Old Record: 1—1998 (Peyton Manning), 2008 (Matt Ryan), and 2010 (Sam Bradford)
• New Record: 2 (Cam Newton and Andy Dalton)

Drew Brees shattered records this year with the help of his sentient Muppet football.

There’s your list. I’ll leave it to someone with more football expertise than myself to explain why all of these records went down in a single season. But I would caution you not to write off all these record-breaking performances as a consequence of rule changes to protect quarterbacks and defenseless receivers. While passing numbers have been on an upward trend since the first of these rules was put in place in the 1970s, there isn’t a single 2011 rule change that accounts for all of these records—some of which have stood since the early 1980s—falling this year.

Moving the kick-off to the 35-yard line has not had a substantial effect on starting field position. (Drew Brees’ average starting position this year was his 28.24-yard line; last year he started from the 28.64.) While the league has put a premium on player safety and banned “launching,” it has also eased roughing-the-passer rules so that a player is not penalized for grazing a quarterback’s helmet with his hand. This latter rule should have resulted in more pressure on quarterbacks.

It is also interesting that all of this happened in a year when one of the most prolific passers in league history—Peyton Manning—didn’t play and when Matt Schaub, one of the most prolific passers during the last several seasons, suffered a season-ending injury in November.

Before we as sports fans switch our focus to other items like March Madness or the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather fight that I will keep assuming will happen, we get 11 more games that make up the annual NFL playoffs. These 660 minutes will re-write, or at very least alter, the season’s script to which many think they already know the ending.

The Packers repeating as Super Bowl champions was once treated like a given...but should they even be considered the favorites anymore?

Remember, last season at this time, the Green Bay Packers were a #6 seed that only made the playoffs because the New York Giants practically handed them the last spot.

So, with that in mind, I thought I would give you some insights to, depending on your objectives, make some money during playoff season or simply sound smart around the water cooler.

I have put together 10 predictions and things that you should look for during the playoffs. I guarantee at least three or four of them will be right.

#10: The NFL Wanted Parity, They Got Mediocrity.

It is great for ratings that everyone’s favorite team has a chance to compete, if not one year, then certainly the next. Ever since St. Louis and a former Hy-Vee bag boy came from nowhere to win the Super Bowl just over a decade ago, we have had a revolving door for the most part.

The problem with this is that the quality at the top of the league is watered down, and the opportunity for epic battles between the titans is low, because there are no titans. Every team has major flaws.

So, the bad news is that the overall level of play may be lower in the playoffs than 20+ years ago, but the good news is that the results are more unpredictable.

#9: To Play Touch Football or To Risk Death.

This one really has nothing to do with the playoffs, but the National Football League has a conundrum.

The league continues to come down with harsher penalties for hard and high and low and late hits. The problem is they continue to take aggression out of a game that is by design violent. On the flip side, if they don’t, with players as big and strong as they are today, there will be the first death on the field since Warren Beatty in Heaven Can Wait.

I really an not sure what the league can do about this, but this issue, with on-field injuries combined with the lasting effects of concussions, will haunt this league for a long, long time.

#8: Every Once in a While, It Sucks to be Vegas.

Detroit is playing at New Orleans. The two quarterbacks in this game have combined for three of the five seasons of 5,000 yards passing in NFL history. Both defenses give up points, and Detroit’s even scores some.

Vegas opened the total of this game at 58.5, higher than any total (previous high was 57 in 2009 when the Saints battled that Hy Vee bag boy and the Cardinals), but probably not high enough to keep 80% of the action from going on the over.

Is there any way Drew Brees scores less than 38? Will Stafford score less than 28? And Vegas can’t even get bad weather indoors….

#7: Tim Tebow is the Worst Starting Playoff QB in last 10 Years, and That Includes Trent Dilfer.

Tim Tebow is a fantastic human being. He is a wonderful leader of men. He was a tremendous college quarterback. But, let’s face it, now that the league has figured out the Denver gimmicks, Tebow is not a quality starting quarterback in the NFL.

In his last three games, Tebow is 30-73 (41%, ouch), with 1 TD and 4 INT’s. And he has lost multiple fumbles as well. The best thing that can possibly happen this week to Denver is that Tebow and crew get shut out, so that John Elway can do what he knows is the right thing: find the franchise quarterback of the future.

#6: The 49ers Have the Formula to Win It All, If It Were 1986.

The 49ers run the ball very effectively with Frank Gore, control the ball with Alex Smith making few mistakes, and play great defense. That was a great formula before teams started scoring 500+ points a season.

As great as their defense is, the teams they will face in the NFC will get their points, and Jim Harbaugh’s team will just not be able to keep up.

#5: When Was the Last Time Two Rookie QB’s Started Against Each Other in a Playoff Game?

Houston has waited FOREVER to get to the playoffs, and now that they are here, their hopes rest on the shoulders of rookie 5^th round draft choice T.J. Yates. Yates has come a long way since beating out Greg Paulus’ brother for the starting job in Chapel Hill a few years back.

The Texans will try to rely on a great one-two running attack of Arian Foster and Ben Tate. The problem is that the Bengals have a top 5 rush defense.

I am not sure that Andy Dalton and his weapons have enough experience to take advantage of this opportunity on the road, but one thing I look for is the anti-Lions/Saints, with a final score like you might find after the 1^st quarter in New Orleans.

#4: Watch Out For the New York (Football) Giants.

Admittedly, the Giants only got into the playoffs because the Eagles did not realize the season had started until 75% of it had been completed. But this team is for real and can beat anyone.

Eli Manning has taken his level of play up significantly this year, and on the defensive side of the ball, with Umenyiora back with Tuck and JPP, they have enough pass rush to hide their deficiencies in their thin secondary.

If they get by the Falcons this weekend, watch for a monumental upset the following weekend, because….

#3: Green Bay Will Not Win the Super Bowl.

Green Bay has had a spectacular season. But they, better than anyone after their run last season, understand that the Super Bowl is not always won by the best team of the season, but the team that is playing the best at the end.

Green Bay will get a boost if they get Greg Jennings back for the playoff push, but as you look at the competition, other teams are just playing better right now.

#2: Will the Patriots Win a Playoff Game?

It has been four long years since David Tyree made the LAST catch of his illustrious career and kept the Patriots from a perfect 19-0 season by winning Super Bowl XLII. The Patriots have not won a playoff game since.

While they went 13-3 this season, do not be surprised if that playoff futility continues after their bye week.

The Patriots defense is awful, so bad that they have used receivers as starters in their secondary multiple times this season. As great as Tom Brady is, if they run into a well-rounded team, they will have a difficult time advancing, even with the friendly Foxborough crowd locked in throughout the AFC playoffs.

#1: New Orleans Will Beat Baltimore in Indianapolis.

First, I thought Pittsburgh would get to the big game, but I have switched to Baltimore because they are healthier than Pittsburgh heading into the playoffs, especially with news that Rashard Mendenhall may be out.

But these are the two teams that will wade through the kiddie pool and get to swim in the deep end. And in the end, Drew Brees and company will have just enough to hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the second time.

And then, we will be less than 6 months away from training camps!

Last night, Brees broke the single-season passing yardage record that was held by favorite football player of all-time, Dan Marino, yet I found myself happy for him – hell, I was pretty much rooting for him.

Then I watched Brees’ postgame speech after the game, and I was reminded, yet again, why Brees is impossible to dislike.

Hat tip to @AmandaRykoff for posting this on Facebook.

How perfect is that? And he’s not just being falsely humble for the cameras. Not only does he believe, but he’s right.

You think Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers or even Tony Romo wouldn’t have the record if they played for the Saints as currently constructed? They probably would. Do you think Brees would have the record if he had ended up in Miami many years ago? Probably not.

Season-long records like these are absolutely team achievements, and leave it to Brees to go all the way to the ball boys as he gave credit where it was most certainly due.

I won’t belabor this next point because I’ve made it time and again in previous articles, but it’s worth mentioning one more time:

Drew Brees is absolutely, positively everything an athlete should be.

He’s everything a leader should be.

So despite the taint of black and gold that he’ll never escape (at least for me), Brees is still one of my favorite football players. Like Patrick Willis, like Tim Tebow, like Nnamdi Asomugua, he’s the kind of guy you point to and tell young athletes to emulate, because he is the quintessential example of what someone who is a professional sportsman should be.

Congratulations Drew Brees. You are truly deserving of every great achievement you attain during your career.

Watch the New Orleans Saints (11-3) host the Atlanta Falcons (9-5) to wrap up the last of the Christmas weekend games, and hopefully the holiday lights will not surge all the electrical power from the Superdome like last week at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

Note that the Saints have secured a spot in the playoffs while the Falcons are still fighting for a Wild Card position. (Click to see the complete NFL playoff scenarios: AFC | NFC)

Let’s take a look at your Monday night entertainment.

The Falcons

The last time Atlanta met the Saints in week 9, they put a pretty good fight falling just three points short of a win. One might blame penalties on the outcome of the last game as the Falcons had 10 penalties for a total of 85 yards.

However, Matt Ryan, errr Matty Ice, is ready to make his mark at the Superdome and take down the Saints on their home turf.

The offense currently ranks 9th in the league for passing yards with 255.8 yards per game. Ryan has 3,698 yards with 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also has the help of running back Michael Turner (1,129 yds, 4.1 yds/att, 9 touchdowns) and wide receivers Roddy White (1,100 yds, 12.9 yds/rec, 8 touchdowns), Tony Gonzalez (826 yds, 11.2 yds/rec, 7 touchdowns), and Julio Jones (755 yds, 18 yds/rec, 5 touchdowns).

When the Falcons first met the Saints earlier this season, things were a little shaky on the offensive line. Left tackle Will Svitek was making his third start of the year and Joe Hawley was making his second pro start at right guard. The Falcons have improved their pass protection since that game. They have given up 26 sacks, ranking them 9th in the league, but they have given up 74 quarterback hits, ranking them 26th in the league.

The Falcons defense will have the real challenge against Drew Brees’ arm and the stellar Saints offense. While the Falcons have held their opponents to only 96.6 rushing yards per game, making them fourth in the league, they are not as effective at stopping the passing game (17th in the league with 230.6 yards), which is the Saints ultimate scoring weapon.

Getting the pressure on Brees early in the game will be key to keeping the Saints within the Falcons grasp. Defensive end John Abraham leads the team with 8.5 sacks, and outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon has contributed 4 sacks to the team total of 30.

The Saints

Leading the NFC South, this Saints team is on fire, especially their exceptional offense. Quarterback Drew Brees continues to burn defenses and wow the crowds throwing for 4,780 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

The Saints offense is second in the league for points scored (32.1 per game) and leads the league in passing yards with 331.4 yards per game. With receivers like Jimmy Graham (1,171 yds, 13.5 yds/rec, 9 td), Marques Colston (917 yds, 13.9 yds/rec, 5 td), and Lance Moore (574 yds, 11.5 yds/rec, 8 td), they definitely give Brees a hand in lighting up the field.

If Atlanta has a shot at beating the Saints, it’s because the Saints’ defense is not at the same level as their offense. New Orleans has allowed 256.1 passing yards per game (ranking them 28th in the league) and given up 21.9 points per game (16th in the league).

On November 13th, the Saints easily dominated a majority of the game until the end, when the defense allowed Atlanta to march 85 yards in 1:55 and kick a 27-yard field goal to tie it up. Strong safety Roman Harper and defensive end Will Smith have led New Orleans in sacks for the team (Harper with 7.5 and Smith with 6.5).

My Saints-Falcons Prediction

My initial gut was to go with the Saints, hands down, but I don’t think it’s going to be a blow out for them. Atlanta has shown lots of improvement since they beginning of the season, and they even held the Saints to only a three point win last time they met. With the team eager to give itself a chance to win the NFC South crown, there is no holding back for this Atlanta team.

But…

Drew Brees and his offense are on fire. End of story. While the Saints defense may struggle, the Falcons defense is not strong enough to hold back the power of the Saints offense, especially on their home turf.

Final Score: New Orleans Saints: 35 | Atlanta Falcons: 28

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Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

• Falcons-Saints Date: Monday, December 26 at 8:30 PM on ESPN
• Falcons-Saints Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden
• Falcons-Saints Point Spread: Saints -6.5
• Falcons-Saints Over-Under Odds: 53

Image source: iSportsWeb

Problem is, this team is peaking at absolutely the wrong time.

Is Indy losing by winning?

You could understand Blue Horseshoe going out and winning one game, as they did versus Tennessee to avoid the stigma of a historic 0-16 season. Even two wins would still give Indy the #1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

But running into the Division Champion but also free-falling Houston Texans Thursday night was an unexpected road block, as a back-breaking three-game winning streak is suddenly very attainable.

I get a team wanting to finish strong and Indy getting two nice wins to close out the home schedule. But in the process they have made life very difficult for themselves in the ‘Suck For Luck’ sweepstakes.

Everyone knows the Jacksonville Jaguars – Indy’s Week 17 opponent – are capable of sinking down to the occasion – not to mention their fan base, which will step down and stay away from the season finale in droves. And if the Jaguars can “run the table” and finish 4-12, they could even get a high enough draft pick to put them in the conversation to trade up for Andrew Luck.

But it’s always more difficult to win, actually more easy to lose, on the road – even if asking Dan Orlovsky to perform worse than Blaine Gabbert is daunting.

Impact of Barkley’s return to USC

Up until about 24 hours ago, the #2 overall draft pick was not such a bad thing for a team that will eventually be in need of a new quarterback. That was until Matt Barkley announced that he will stay for a senior season at the University of Southern California.

From Barkley’s perspective that is not a bad move (barring injury). Tommy Trojan is off probation next year and Barkley will enter the 2012 season as the Heisman front-runner. Of course being the most well-known candidate pre-season in the Heisman race frequently proves not to pan out, as the ’12 versions of Robert Griffin III will no doubt emerge with a groundswell of support.

But Barkley staying at SC suddenly makes the QB pool for the 2012 Draft much more shallow. RGIII is projected as a top-five pick (and has to come out this year, in my opinion, while iron is still hot), but unlike Andrew Luck not as NFL-ready. If Peyton Manning is healthy, Griffin would be perfect to stash away and develop for 1-2 years.

After that, there are no “can’t miss” types. Oklahoma’s Landry Jones currently projects middle first-round, but comes across similar to Christian Ponder or Landry’s predecessor at OU, Sam Bradford. After Jones, there are no others whose skill set pops out, unless someone off-the-radar really progresses in the pre-draft workout process.

New entrants in “Suck for Luck” Sweepstakes

If Indianapolis does lose New Year’s Day, there will be a messy situation. If Archie Manning comes out and says that his son might not be crazy about starting while looking over his shoulder at his eventual replacement, it will not be the first time the Manning clan had sent a strong hint towards an NFL organization (see Eli Manning/San Diego Chargers/2004).

But again, there’s that $28 million roster bonus albatross, an awful lot for a 36-year old fresh off a couple of neck surgeries and now on a rebuilding team.

Should Indy complete their collapse and finish 3-13, the Minnesota Vikings could get the #1 pick by losing out, but I see the Vikes winning at least one game – if not Saturday in DC, then definitely against a Chicago Bears team with who knows how many ‘customers’, I mean players, potentially nervous about the next shoe dropping in the Sam Hurd saga.

The St. Louis Rams would be interesting, and stand a real chance of going 2-14 with the Steelers/49ers left on the schedule. Sam Bradford regressed this year, but then again so did everything around them. Would STL pull the plug on that investment, with the smart money having Luck being the better product in time? Or do they trade down, where they can get an impressive haul (i.e. multiple draft picks) which could be the better route for a franchise that simply needs more productive bodies everywhere?

An intriguing free agent QB

And then there are teams already in contention who could use an elite quarterback right now, and there just happens to be one with a QB who WILL be a free agent at the conclusion of the 2011 season.

For the record, Drew Brees indicated on a radio interview with Westwood One Thursday night that he has zero intention of leaving the New Orleans Saints, and that the contract situation will be hammered out when appropriate.

But there’s the cautionary tale of Albert Pujols. Yes different sport, but similar story line. Brees seems to remain a perfect fit for the NOLA Saints – but a contract is a contract, and a contract expiring is a contract expiring.

What if Drew gets an offer too good to pass up??

There’s a franchise that has had a fantastic turnaround this season, but still, with hindsight being 20-20, laments selecting Alex Smith over what would had been the second incarnation of Joe Montana with the first pick of the 2005 Draft.

Aaron Rodgers will now never come through that door in Frisco, but Drew Brees, still in his prime, would be the next best thing – and the Niners’ missing link.

And I can think a few other landing spots for Drew – the Houston Texans now have the playoff monkey off their backs and Matt Schaub (when healthy) is decent, but Brees would be an upgrade. And can a New York Jets fan look anyone square in the eye and say they’re happy with Mark Sanchez?

Final Thought

So expect teams to play to win in Week 17, as it should be. If his health checks out, Peyton Manning should still be good for three more years while Indy develops Griffin, or someone else. And there are too many examples of QB’s being thrown into the fire and being ruined on bad teams (see Archie Manning, and now potentially Sam Bradford) or players who simply didn’t live up to their college exploits (see Matt Leinart/Vince Young).

When it comes to finding a special quarterback either by way of the NFL Draft or free agency, the process often comes down to – what else…

Luck.

Maybe by taking a look at all the wonderful and curious things that are happening in the world of sports, I can learn to become a passive observer who can relax as I enjoy watching feats of athleticism, competition, gamesmanship, and sportsmanship, instead of a fan whose weekend is wrecked when Evansville loses a close game to Tennessee Tech (at home).

I’ll give it a try. Here’s what we learned this weekend.

1. No one is perfect . . .

A few weeks ago, I said that the Packers wouldn’t lose a regular season game unless Mike McCarthy decided to rest his players. I was wrong.

Saturday night on Facebook, I suggested that Aaron Rodgers was the only MVP candidate. Wrong again.

The Packers lost 19-14 Sunday to the Chiefs—a team that fired its coach this week and that starts Kyle Orton at quarterback—in a game where Rodgers completed fewer than half of his passes. Rodgers threw for 235 yards and accounted for 2 touchdowns, but 87 of those yards and one of those touchdowns came against a prevent defense with less than 5 minutes remaining and the Chiefs leading by 2 scores. (And if there’s one thing that I know about professional football, it’s that prevent defenses don’t prevent anything.)

Meanwhile Dan Orlovsky and the Indianapolis Colts ended their perfect season by beating my Tennessee Titans 27-14. The Colts ran for 205 yards (including 161 from Donald Brown) against the porous Titans defense and Tennessee turned over the ball thrice. The good news for Titans fans is that rookie quarterback Jake Locker has star potential. (Then again, so did Vince Young.)

2. . . . except maybe Drew Brees.

Entering this weekend, four quarterbacks were on pace to have 5,000-yard passing seasons. To date there have only been two 5,000-yard passing seasons in NFL history. (Dan Marino in 1984 and Drew Brees in 2008.) Rodgers and Eli Manning fell off the pace Sunday, but both still have a reasonable chance of reaching the milestone. Tom Brady needs 407 yards in two games to get there.

Drew Brees threw for 412 yards and five touchdowns in the Saints’ win against the Vikings Sunday. For the season, he has 4,780 yards. He needs only 220 yards to get to 5,000 and 305 yards to set the all-time single-season passing record (Marino’s 5,084 yards in 1984). And he has two games to do it. Brees, who leads the league in completion percentage and has thrown for 37 touchdowns, could nab his first MVP award unless Rodgers returns to form next week.

No caption necessary.

3. Yes, Virginia, there are college football playoffs.

Speaking of Virginia, Salem, Virginia was the site of Friday night’s Stagg Bowl, the Division III National Championship Game. For a 7th straight year, Mt. Union faced Wisconsin-Whitewater. Whitewater took its 3rd straight title and its 4th win in seven championship meetings with Mt. Union.

Meanwhile in Florence, Alabama the Pittsburg State (Kansas) Gorillas (that’s right) beat the Wayne State (Michigan) Warriors in the Division II title game.

In Division I-FCS Drew Lange’s North Dakota State Bison advanced to the Championship Game on January 7 in Frisco, Texas, where they’ll face Sam Houston State.

I’m not sure how the players at Wisconsin-Whitewater, Pittsburg State, and North Dakota State find a way to play all these extra games and still take their finals, but they manage.

Also, the Midwest dominates the NCAA football playoffs.

4. The Ohio University won all the sour cream and chives.

The Ohio U. Bobcats came back to edge out Utah State 24-23 in Saturday’s Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, a game that may have the best bowl-game logo ever designed:

The victory gave Ohio its first win in six bowl appearances.

5. The Missouri Valley is deep, no thanks to my Evansville Aces.

The Indiana State Sycamores men’s basketball team upset my #25 Vanderbilt Commodores 61-55 in Nashville Saturday night. Aside from my disappointing Evansville Purple Aces (who lost by two to Tennessee Tech to dip back below .500), the Missouri Valley Conference is off to a good start.

The Valley, which received multiple NCAA Tournament bids every year from 1999 through 2007 (including four bids in 2006 and three in 1999 and 2005) has been a one-bid league since 2008. This year, 4 teams have a realistic chance of making the dance: Indiana State, #24/25 Creighton, Northern Iowa (3-0 against major conference teams), and Wichita State (who boasts a 19-point win over UNLV).

6. Xavier needs to keep its players away from fights, and press conferences.

The Xavier Musketeers took the court Saturday for the first time since their Crosstown Shootout win over Cincinnati, a game that ended with a brawl instead of a buzzer. Last week’s late-game fisticuffs resulted in 4-game suspensions for Xavier freshmen Dez Wells and Landen Amos and a 2-game suspension for junior Mark Lyons. Star senior guard Tu Holloway (a national player-of-the-year candidate before the brawl) lost one game for his post-game comments.

Without the suspended players, Xavier lost 64-42 at home to Oral Roberts, the Musketeers’ first loss of the season. Cincinnati, the guiltier party last week, had no trouble with Wright State and Radford. Then again, the Bearcats didn’t lose an All American point guard.

Then again, if you’re a Xavier fan, there’s really no shame in losing to team that’s capable of doing this:

7. For the first first time in 5 years we have a new NCAA volleyball champion.

As if things weren’t already bad enough at Penn State, the Nittany Lions’ volleyball dynasty ended last weekend with a quarterfinal loss to UCLA. Saturday evening the #9 Bruins beat #3 Illinois to win their 4th volleyball title, the first title since 2006 not won by Penn State. Illnois remains without a women’s sports national championship.

8. This lady is walking across Antarctica.

She's spending Christmas as far away from Santa as is geographically possible. (AP photo)

32-year-old Felicity Aston of the United Kingdom is walking across Antarctica, by herself. Aston says the most challenging aspect of the 1,700-kilometer trek is the solitude:

“When that plane disappeared and left me on the wrong side of Antarctica all by myself with two little sledges, it really hit me that I’m completely responsible for myself,” she said in an interview by satellite phone. “It’s just you. You have to sort out your problems, and that makes you feel very vulnerable.”

Aston hopes to reach the South Pole this week so she can stock up on supplies. (I’m guessing that the South Pole has a Pilot Travel Center, and maybe a Walgreens.)

Remember Aston this week when you’re whining about having to walk 800 yards from your parking space to the mall entrance. You can follow her on Twitter.

Nick Saban is not a nice person.

These two things are givens. There is no reasonable argument to make against either.

And just in case you weren’t convinced about the second one, all you need to do is read this post at Sports by Brooks to be convinced. Here is the gist, as Brooks recounts what Heath Evans told to Jorge Sedano on 790 The Ticket in Miami:

Jeno James, our best offensive lineman at the time, comes in and collapses after practice, uh, vomiting all kinds of stuff that would make a billygoat puke, eyes rolled in the back of his head. Myself, about four other lineman are trying to carry him from the locker room, to the training room. 

Obviously it’s a moment of panic, everyone, you know, we don’t know if this guy’s, you know, gonna die, I mean, the whole deal. But he’s so big and sweaty and heavy that we actually have to set him down in the hallway between the locker room and the training room.

Nick Saban literally just starts walking in, steps over Jeno James convulsing, doesn’t say a word, doesn’t try to help, goes upstairs, I don’t know what he does. But then obviously they get Jeno trauma-offed to the hospital.

Saban calls a team meeting about 10:30 that night, comes down and says, ‘You know, the captain of the ship can never show fear or indecision, we’ve always gotta have an answer, and so I had to go upstairs, that’s why I walked over Geno like that, I had to collect my thoughts and decide what’s best for our team.’

That’s Nick Saban for you: he’ll win tons of football games (college anyway) but step over convulsing players in the process.

And this got me thinking…

If he could come in from a 3-hour long practice in the scorching heat of south Florida and step right over a player who is convulsing and puking with his eyes rolled back in his head, what wouldn’t Nick Saban step over?

With just a little bit of Internet sleuthing, I was unable to uncover some other curious step-over decisions made by Saban.

Remember when Alabama wide receiver Tyrone Prothro fractured his tibia and fibula? Mike Shula was the coach then, but Saban was there to step right over Prothro (presumably to show leadership and collect his thoughts).

It seems that Saban has a history of stepping over football players who are suffering from terrible injuries.

Remember when Eric LeGrand of Rutgers was paralyzed? There was Saban, showing not one sign of fear nor indecision.

For the record, I felt a little bad including this one, considering the seriousness of LeGrand’s injury, but it does offer me the opportunity to link to this article about how the inspiring LeGrand is fighting every day to walk again. Every time I see LeGrand on TV, with his positive attitude despite these horrific circumstances, I gain more and more admiration for the kid. So yes, I feel bad including this image here; but if it gets one or a few of you to go read up more on this amazing young man, and if it further sensationalizes how big of a jackass Saban is, then I can live with myself.

Moving on now, how about Little Nick Saban jogging right over a helpless young girl who has crashed on her skateboard?

And then there was that time when Saban stepped over Turd Ferguson while walking alone in a field of Bermuda grass.

Of course, later that day, while still walking in the barren field of grass, Saban came upon an old man who had fallen. Did Saban stop to help the old man? Not a chance.

NO FEAR!

And in another example of Saban-style leaderhsip, the Nicktator also encountered infamous child molester Jerry Sandusky with the kid from Up.

Did Saban even consider stopping? Hell no.

He continued on, probably to collect his thoughts and decide what the appropriate course of action would be.

Nick Saban is the captain of the ship folks. Why would he stop?

Like that time the Titantic was sinking. Did Captain Saban stop to offer a helping hand? Nope, he just did what he’s always known he could do: walked on water and got the hell out of there.

And the thing with Saban is that not only will he not stop, you can barely even distract him.

Hell, there can be riots going on and an ironic meme-ready hookup happening right in front of him, but Saban will just step right over and walk on by.

Not even history can stop Nick Saban.

When everyone in the White House was sitting on pins and needles waiting for Osama bin Laden to be brought to justice, Saban leapt up, stepped over the President, and crunched Hilary Clinton’s laptop.

Why? He had to go upstairs. Or something.

Heck, Saban is such a megalomaniacal, football-focused “leader” that he couldn’t even be bothered to help Zack talk Jesse Spano out of taking more uppers.

She may have been “so excited” but Saban wasn’t about to show even the slightest hint of fear or indecision. What would Slater have thought?

Oh, and then there was that one time when Saban stepped over Drew Brees and his injured shoulder…

Oops.

I guess he didn’t take enough time to collect his thoughts on that one.

For the record, as someone who grew up cheering for the Miami Dolphins, and thus suffered through the insufferable Saban Era in Miami, this was a thoroughly satisfying post to write.

Go LSU.

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The Saints lead the NFC South with a record of 7-3, while the Giants trail the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East with a record of 6-4.

Since their bye week in week 7, the Giants have lost two of the four games and need to win this one to keep the pressure on the Cowboys. With the Saints coming off a bye week and playing at home, they are going to be tough to beat.

The Giants

Eli Manning has some pressure on him to keep his team’s head above water.

It’s hard to figure this rollercoaster team. The Giants beat the Philadelphia Eagles big in Philadelphia, yet they couldn’t seal the deal at home. The Giants were beaten at home by the now 4-7 Seattle Seahawks, but then took down New England on the Patriots’ home turf.

The Giants need to find some consistency if they want a shot at the playoffs and division champs.

The Giants’ offense is ranked 13th in overall in yards in the league, 4th for pass yards and near rock bottom at 31st for rushing yards. Relying on a pass-heavy offense works well when you are confident in your receivers, but the Giants have dealt with near-constant health issues a the position. However, new star receiver Victor Cruz continues to establish a solid relationship with Manning as he draws closer to his 1,000-yard receiving mark.

Where the Giants have really struggled is with their running game. With running back Ahmad Bradshaw suffering from a fractured foot, the team’s rushing options are limited. After Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, who has also been dealing with an injury, leads the Giants with a total of 274 yards rushing with 3 yards per attempt. This is not the type of running game the Giants can rely on to win the game.

The Giants’ defense is less than impressive giving up 239.9 passing and 121.5 rushing yards per game. This is not the kind of weakness you want to have when facing Drew Brees and his arm in the Superdome.

The Saints

Drew Brees leads the New Orleans Saints’ killer offense that ranks first in the league for total yards per game and passing yards per game. Brees has a passer rating of 101.3 with a 70.9 completion percentage. With three strong receivers (Jimmy Graham, 873 yds, 6 TD; Marques Colston, 589 yds, 3 TD; Darren Sproles, 448 yds, 3 TD), these guys could have it easy against a Giants defense that has given up plenty of yards.

The Saints running game seems to have similar weaknesses to the Giants running game. The Saints are at least ranked 14th in rushing yards per game though at 117.5 average yards per game. Running back Mark Ingram only has 340 yards in 90 carries, averaging 3.7 yards per carry.

Taking a look at the Saints’ defense, they have also given up plenty of yards to their opponents. The defense has allowed other teams to pass for an average of 239.9 yards per game and rush for an average of 121.5 yards per game. Since the Giants don’t have a strong running game to begin with, most of the focus will be on shutting down the pass.

My Saints-Giants MNF Prediction

These two teams are very similar. Both have similar weaknesses on offense and defense. The winner will be determined by which defense can get pressure on the quarterback and break them. However, neither Eli Manning or Drew Brees will be easy to crack.

Overall, the Saints have the advantage.

Brees and his offense have shown more power, impact, and consistency than the Giants. Brees has more options to work with on offense, with at least three top receivers who can help throw off the defense. Manning will need to count on a solid performance from the defense to slow down Brees’ passing game and keep he and the Giants on the field the longest. That could be asking a lot from a defense that gives up almost 240 passing yards per game.

Plus with the game at the Superdome, the Giants have a lot to overcome mentally if they are going to win this match.

Final Score

New Orleans Saints 35 |  New York Giants 31

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New York Giants at New Orleans Saints Game Info:

• Giants-Saints Date: Monday, November 28th
• Giants-Saints Time: 8:30 ET
• Giants-Saints TV: ESPN
• Giants-Saints Announcers: Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, and Ron Jaworski
• Giants-Saints Point Spread: Saints -7.5
• Giants-Saints Over-Under: 51

As soon as I opened up my big mouth and proclaimed that 2011 was going to be the most prolific fantasy year ever, scoring around the league plummets.  No worries.

At least I had a great week on the predictions front, as I was right on nearly 80% of my picks.

As always, here is a quick look back at last week before we move on to week 7.

Week Six Recap

• Grading Scale for Predictions regarding Best Player/Start Em/Other Guys I Liked - (Hits:  Top 12 for QBs/TEs and Top 30 for RBs/WRs)
• Grading Scale for Predictions regarding Worst Player/Sit Em/Other Guys I Didn’t Like - (Hits:  13th or worse for QBs/TEs and 31st or worse for RBs/WRs)
• Quick Note:  The following players got injured and have been removed from the grading scale for fairness:  Peyton Hillis, Julio Jones

Overall: 30 for 38 (79%)

Best Player Predictions: 4 for 4

• Hits: Tom Brady, Ray Rice, Calvin Johnson, Aaron Hernandez

• Misses: None

Start Em Predictions: 2 for 3

• Hits: Tony Romo, Dez Bryant

• Misses: Benjamin Watson

Other Guys I Liked Predictions: 13 for 15

• Hits: Josh Freeman, Michael Vick, Michael Turner, DeAngelo Williams, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Adrian Peterson, Mike Wallace, Wes Welker, Percy Harvin, Jeremy Maclin, Jimmy Graham, Dallas Clark, Jason Witten
• Misses: Ben Roethlisberger, Curtis Painter

Worst Player Predictions: 3 for 4

• Hits: Miami QB, Mike Thomas, Scott Chandler
• Misses: Jahvid Best

Sit Em Predictions: 2 for 4

• Hits: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jermichael Finley
• Misses: Arian Foster (although I was VERY close…), Steve Johnson

Other Guys I Didn’t Like Predictions: 6 for 8

• Hits: Matt Schaub, Alex Smith, Sam Bradford, Tim Hightower, Ted Ginn Jr., Randall Cobb
• Misses: Jonathan Stewart, Mark Ingram

#####

Fantasy Football Week 7 Start Em Sit Em

Once again, “Start Em” guys are QBs/TEs outside of the Top 12 and RBs/WRs outside of the Top 25. “Sit Em Guys” include QBs/TEs that are in the Top 12 and RBs/WRs that are in the Top 25.

Remember that the following teams are on bye in Week 7:

• Buffalo
• Cincinnati
• New England
• NY Giants
• Philadelphia
• San Francisco

Fantasy Football Week 7 Start Em, Sit em Quarterbacks

Projected Best Performer – Tony Romo

Dez Bryant and Miles Austin came back off of injury last week and played very well.  Unfortunately, none of them could get into the end zone against the Patriots’ defense.  Week seven should be a different story as the Cowboys host the hapless St. Louis Rams.  I feel VERY good about this pick – when you can seamlessly insert the word “hapless” into a sentence and nobody disagrees, you know you are in for a good week in fantasy.

Tony Romo Fantasy Football Week 7 Projection – 380 yards, 4 TDs

Start Em – Ben Roethlisberger

Big Ben got off to a great start last week before Rashard Mendenhall got rolling.  Look for Big Ben to have a big day against the very average Arizona secondary.

Ben Roethlisberger Fantasy Football Week 7 Projection – 295 yards, 3 TDs

Other Start ‘Em Picks at QB for Week Seven:

• Jay Cutler – First of all, he just DOMINATES. Secondly, haven’t you been more and more impressed with him every week?  Tampa Bay is good, but not against the pass (27th in the league), and Cutler has clearly proven that he is an elite QB.  If Mike Martz really HAS solved their offensive line problems with the heavier protection packages, look for Cutler to dominate yet again.
• Matthew Stafford – Atlanta has the sixth worst passing defense in the league…and Calvin Johnson won’t be happy about getting shut out for the first game all year.  Big day for Stafford and Co.
• Drew Brees – He’s amazing…and playing the Colts.
• Matt Hasselbeck – As long as he stays healthy, he should put up some good numbers.  Plus, he’s playing the Texans who are in the bottom half of the league at defending the pass.

Projected Worst Performer – Blaine Gabbert

Rookie…who may not be that good…playing on MNF…against Baltimore.  Yikes.

Blaine Gabbert Fantasy Football Week 7 Projection – 140 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs

Sit Em – Cam Newton

Coming off of his first rough game of the year, Cam Newton would like to be playing someone soft on the defensive side of the ball.  Unfortunately, he will be facing the Redskins, who are sixth in the league against the pass.  Look for Cam to still get his points (running the ball and maybe scoring a TD or two), but not come anywhere close to the production he had in weeks one through five.

Cam Newton Fantasy Football Week 7 Projection – 230 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs; 40 yards rushing.

Other Sit ‘Em Picks at QB for Week Seven:

• Mark Sanchez and Philip Rivers – San Diego and NY are ranked 1st and 4th against the pass respectively.  Don’t expect either team to really air it out in this one.
• Kevin Kolb – Isn’t it an amazing testament to Dick LeBeau that for years you couldn’t run on the Steelers, and as soon as the league turned pass-happy the Steelers became impossible to pass against?  So far, they are second in the league against the pass, allowing a paltry 5.9 yards per attempt.  Wow.

Jerod’s thoughts:

I agree that Tony Romo is a start this week against the Rams’ secondary, but it should be noted that I was VERY high on Romo last week against New England and he disappointed. I think there are some real confidence issues on the Dallas offense. Watch this game carefully. If Romo doesn’t have a big day with Dez and Miles, and Jason Garrett continues to be a conservative play caller, I’m going to start to worry about Romo’s fantasy potential for the rest of the season.

As for Gabbert, I think you’re over-shooting his potential. One TD against Baltimore? Only in extreme garbage time. (So I guess it’s possible…)

I don’t know if you opinions on Cutler and Cam will be popular, but I agree with them. Sound reasoning on both.

Fantasy Football Week 7 Start Em, Sit em Running Backs

Projected Best Performer – Ray Rice

Monday Night Football against the Jaguars.  Don’t get your hopes up if you have a ten point lead going into Monday if the other guy has Ray Rice.

Ray Rice Fantasy Football Week 7 Projection – 190 total yards, 2 TDs

Start Em – Ryan Torain

Torain got a lot of touches last week, and the Panthers are last in the league against the run.  Torain, and maybe even Roy Helu should have a very good game against the fighting Cam-Cams.

Ryan Torain Fantasy Football Week 7 Projection – 140 total yards, 1 TDs

Other Start ‘Em Picks at RB for Week Seven:

• Whoever is rushing for TB – Either way, he should have a good game against a poor Chicago front seven.
• Rashard Mendenhall – Back to back productive weeks for the Pittsburgh running game, and finally a good week for Mendenhall, who has been extremely disappointing this season.
• Michael Turner – Detroit’s outstanding defensive line is surprisingly lackluster against the run.  Plus, ATL is trying to get back to their old, conservative ways.  Big day for Michael Turner.

Projected Worst Performer – GB Running Backs

Green Bay’s running backs aren’t good…and Minnesota’s rush defense is really good…and it doesn’t matter because Aaron Rodgers and the Packers simply don’t need to run the ball.

Packers’ RBs Fantasy Football Week 7 Projection – 65 total yards

Sit Em – Willis McGahee

The Dolphins will be thinking one thing this week: “let’s see if Tim Tebow can beat us.”  They will be stacking the box to stuff the run, and they are already great against the run (third in the league).  This is especially staggering considering they have been so awful this year and have faced offenses that have been conserving leads late in games.  Look for McGahee and Moreno to have very quiet weeks as Miami and everyone else watches to see if Timmy can beat them.

Knowshon Moreno Fantasy Football Week 7 Projection – 45 total yards

Other Sit ‘Em Picks at RB for Week Seven:

• Adrian Peterson – Green Bay is great against the run…and might be up by 60 points in the first quarter.  Just think about it.
• Rams’ Running Backs – Dallas is #1 against the run…and could be playing with a lead for most of the game.
• Jonathan Stewart – Washington’s defense is solid all over, and Stewart will be left out of the mix this week.

Jerod’s thoughts:

First off, just so we’re clear: DO NOT SIT ADRIAN PETERSON. Okay? Under no circumstances does this guy ever come out of your lineup. Is Green Bay a potentially troublesome matchup from a touch perspective? Sure. And are they good against the run? Yes, they’re pretty good. But this is ADRIAN PETERSON. Start him. Always.

Moving on now…

I would never tell anyone to sit Ray Rice, and you shouldn’t. But I am not nearly as bullish as Jon is considering the matchup. Jacksonville is many things, and most of them bad, but their defense is actually pretty good. Rice will find the going tougher than many might think.

As for Torain, I trusted him in Week 6 and he failed me. I still like him going forward, especially with the matchup this week, but just know that whenever you start a running back for Mike Shanahan you are taking on the risk of that running back getting benched for the hot hand. It’s just how it is. Still, Torain is probably a low-top 20 option this week.

Fantasy Football Week 7 Start Em, Sit em Wide Receivers

Projected Best Performer – Megatron

He will be mad after being shut out last week for the first time.  Plus, Atlanta is ATROCIOUS defending the pass (29th in the league for receiving defense).

Calvin Johnson Fantasy Football Week 7 Projection – 120 receiving yards, 2 TDs

Start Em – Dwayne Bowe

He’s big, he’s strong, he’s rested, and he’s facing a terrible secondary.  Bowe won’t disappoint his owners in week 7.

Dwayne Bowe Fantasy Football Week 7 Projection – 130 receiving yards, 1 TD

Other Start ‘Em Picks at WR for Week Seven:

• Mike Wallace – He’s a big play machine.
• Greg Jennings – He was left out of the shuffle a little bit last week.  Rodgers will get him involved again.
• Devin Hester – If the Bears run more 7 and 8 man protection schemes, they will have to utilize Hester more because he is one of their only receivers that is explosive enough to beat his man one on one.  Plus, he’s money in the return game.
• Pierre Garcon – His speed and size create matchup problems for the Saints.  Despite a huge drop, he killed them in the Super Bowl and he will do it again this week.

Projected Worst Performer – Mike Thomas

I almost feel bad for the guy.  His team is terrible, his QB is young (and possibly terrible), and he will be facing a tough Baltimore defense on national television.

Mike Thomas Fantasy Football Week 7 Projection – 4 catches for 30 yards.

Sit Em – Vincent Jackson

A little bit overrated…and facing Darrelle Revis.  Not a good combination.

Vincent Jackson Fantasy Football Week 7 Projection – 3 catches for 40 yards 

Other Sit ‘Em Picks at WR for Week Seven:

• Larry Fitzgerald – Dick LeBeau will make it his personal mission to ensure that Kolb won’t even have enough time to throw the ball up to Larry.
• Santonio Holmes – Rough week for Sanchez, the Jets’ offensive line, and in consequence, Mr. Holmes.
• Brandon Lloyd – Receivers don’t do much when they switch teams mid-season.

Jerod’s thoughts:

Yes, Calvin Johnson and Dwayne Bowe should both off this week. Solid choices. However, I cannot tell people to sit Larry Fitzgerald. I know the matchup isn’t great and Kevin Kolb is a turd disguised as a franchise QB, but Fitzgerald remains one of the five most talented receivers in football. He can pop for two TDs any week. Play him.

I also am not a big fan of Brandon Lloyd for this week, but I do like him long-term. He is back with Josh McDaniels, and Sam Bradford has been yearning for a true #1 WR, a role that Lloyd can fill. Once Bradford gets healthy and the Rams’ schedule eases up, Lloyd could pay huge fantasy dividends. Buy low, and buy now.

Fantasy Football Week 7 Start Em, Sit em Tight Ends

Projected Best Performer – Jimmy Graham

He might go for 400 yards against the Colts’ defense.

Jimmy Graham Fantasy Football Week 7 Projection – 110 receiving yards, 2 TDs

Start Em – Fred Davis

Look for whoever is playing QB for Washington to check down often and look for Davis on safe, quick passes all day.

Fred Davis Fantasy Football Week 7 Projection – 8 catches for 95 receiving yards, 1 TD

Other Start ‘Em Picks at TE for Week Seven:

• Tony Gonzalez – Matt Ryan will look Tony’s way against the Detroit Defensive Line.
• Greg Olsen – Cam Newton loves him, and he will be one of the only guys that has a good game against the ‘Skins.

Projected Worst Performer – Visanthe Shiancoe

Not a good matchup against Green Bay’s linebackers.

Visanthe Shiancoe Fantasy Football Week 7 Projection – 2 catches for 20 yards

Sit Em – Dustin Keller

Once again, it’s very hard to choose a TE that will play poorly when most of them seem to be playing so well, but I think Keller and the rest of the Jets’ offense will have a rough game against San Diego.

Dustin Keller Fantasy Football Week 7 Projection – 4 catches for 50 yards.

Jerod’s thoughts:

It’s very hard to quibble with any of these picks. Jimmy Graham has a ridiculous four straight games with 100 yards receiving or more. That is insane. And despite injuring his coach in Week 6, I’m sure Drew Brees will continue targeting him incessantly this week and beyond. He’s the clear #1 tight end in football right now.

Fantasy Football Week 7 Start Em, Sit em D/ST

[Editor's note: As always, the D/ST picks are written by Jerod, not Jon.]

Start Em D/ST: Dallas Cowboys

Do you realize the Cowboys D is owned in only 47% of Yahoo leagues? Wow. When was the last time anything associated with the Cowboys was underrated? Folks, you can forget about the porous unit from last year. Rob Ryan has done wonders with this year’s Cowboys. Anchored by the spectacular Demarcus Ware and the emerging Sean Lee, the 2011 Cowboys D is solid. They also have a great matchup in Week 7 against St. Louis. Pick up and start.

Other start ‘em D/ST units for Week 7:

• The New Orleans Saints defense hasn’t been great this year, but I like a blitz-happy D against the Colts’ Curtis Painter.
• Tim Tebow makes his first start of the season in Week 7. Considering his throwing deficiencies, the Dolphins aren’t a terrible option if the bye week has you desperate.

Sit Em D/ST: Minnesota Vikings

I recommended the Vikings D to a few people last week, thinking they’d have a field day against the Bears’ terrible O-line, but I was proven horribly wrong. So let me state the obvious to make amends: you don’t want to start the Vikings’ D against Aaron Rodgers and the Pack.

Other sit ‘em D/ST units for Week 7:

• The Jets’ D has been shaky this year – don’t let their strong performance against Matt Moore and the Dolphins fool you. Facing Phil Rivers and the Chargers, who are coming off a bye and should have Antonio Gates back, could be trouble for Rex Ryan’s crew.

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That’s all we’ve got for you this week folks. Pose your questions in the comment section and we’ll be here all week to answer. Good luck in Week 7!

Don’t miss the rest of our Week 7 Fantasy Football coverage:

• Week 7 Waiver Wire Advice

Also, don’t forget that if your NFL fantasy team is struggling, or you’re just getting bored with the NFL, our friends over at Daily Joust over weekly college fantasy football games with real money prizes at stake. Check them out:

Andre Johnson is gone.  Ben Roethlisberger is banged up.  Miles Austin is on the mend.  Marques Colston is back, but when will he get on track?

With the bye weeks now here, the time has come when fantasy leagues are truly won and lost.  If you drafted well, and got a little lucky, you should be near the top of the standings.  But nobody can ever completely escape the injury bug.  Managing your lineup properly when byes and injuries attack is what separates the good owners from the great ones.

So let’s look at the Week Five games and decide who to start and who to sit this week.

As always, let’s briefly recap last week’s picks just to see how we did.

Once again, “Start Em” guys are QBs/TEs outside of the Top 12 and RBs/WRs outside of the Top 25. “Sit Em Guys” include QBs/TEs that are in the Top 12 and RBs/WRs that are in the Top 25.

Week Four Recap

Overall – 29 for 47 (62%)

Best Player Predictions: 2 for 4

• Hits: Megatron and Rob Gronkowski
• Misses: Matt Stafford and Adrian Peterson

Start Em Predictions: 2 for 4

• Hits: BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Greg Olsen
• Misses: Ben Roethlisberger and Plaxico Burress (Thanks a lot…Sanchez…)

Other Guys I Liked Predictions: 12 for 16

• Hits: Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Matt Hasselbeck, Fred Jackson, Michael Turner, Brandon Jacobs, AJ Green, Wes Welker, Roddy White, Jimmy Graham, Jermaine Gresham, and Tony Gonzalez
• Misses: Jay Cutler, Jahvid Best, Reggie Wayne, and Jermichael Finley.

Worst Player Predictions: 0 for 4

• Misses: Kyle Orton, Texans’ Running Backs (HUGE MISS…sorry guys), Sidney Rice, and Owen Daniels

Sit Em Predictions: 1 for 4

• Hits: Joe Flacco
• Misses: Ray Rice (Never will I ever doubt him again), Dwayne Bowe, and Vernon Davis

Other Guys I Didn’t Like Predictions: 12 for 15

• Hits: Matt Cassel, Blaine Gabbert, Matt Schaub, Chad Henne, Daniel Thomas, James Starks, Cowboys’ Running Backs, Chad Ochocinco, Jeremy Maclin, Anquan Boldin, Heath Miller, and Kellen Winslow
• Misses: Denver Running Backs, Steve Smith 1.0, and Benjamin Watson

And now onto the Week 5 start em, sit em picks.

Fantasy Football Week 5 Start Em, Sit Em Projections

One brief change this week:

As you know, Jerod did the Start/Sit column the last two years before handing the keys to me this year. He still edits the column before it’s posted though, and helps out in the comment section answering questions throughout the week. And while we agree on the majority of these picks, there are some spots where we differ, and we think it will add value to the column to have him chime in with alternate viewpoints when he has them.

So at the end of each position section, you’ll see a blockquote with Jerod’s quick-hit thoughts on the picks, especially any he strongly disagrees with. As always when it comes to our fantasy advice, MSF is an ego-free zone where helping readers put the best possible lineup together is the goal. This is just one more way we can work together to do that.

Remember that the following teams are on bye in Week 5:

• Cleveland
• Dallas
• St. Louis
• Miami
• Washington
• Baltimore

Fantasy Football Week 5 Start Em, Sit em Picks: Quarterbacks 

Projected Best Performer – Michael Vick

Vick started to look like the Vick of last season on Sunday, and his team still got the loss.  Buffalo’s secondary leaves a lot to be desired, as they have been torched by several teams already this season.  Look for Vick to try and put the Eagles on his shoulders as they travel to Buffalo trying to save their season.  The Eagles may not win, but Vick should have a MONSTER day.

Michael Vick Fantasy Football Week 5 Projection – 380 passing yards, 3 TDs and 1INT; 85 rushing yards, 1 TD

Start Em – Philip Rivers

I almost feel like this is cheating, but Rivers is only ranked 14th among fantasy quarterbacks.  Look for him to start moving up the charts this week in Denver.

Philip Rivers Fantasy Football Week 5 Projection – 350 yards, 3 TDs

Other Guys I Like:

• Eli Manning – At home against Seattle.
• Drew Brees – On the road in Carolina.
• Curtis Painter – Played well in his debut, and will be doing his best against the Chiefs to make sure the Colts don’t finish with the worst record in the league.
• Mark Sanchez – The Pats’ defense is beyond banged up right now…and they weren’t all that good to begin with – especially against the pass.

Projected Worst Performer – Cam Newton

No, this is not one of those “He can’t really be this good!  He’s going to fail eventually!” picks… I have actually been very impressed by the youngster so far this year.  Unfortunately, the Saints’ defense will be unlike anything he has played so far.  The Packers were definitely a better defense, but they played very vanilla against him.  He has never faced a defense that will attack him like New Orleans will this Sunday.  I think Newton will go on to have a very good season, but not this week against New Orleans.

Cam Newton Fantasy Football Week 5 Projected Stats – 180 passing yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs; 45 rushing yards, 2 fumbles

Sit Em – Tom Brady

Just hear me out.  Obviously, if you have Tom Brady, you probably don’t have a reliable backup.  That’s ok.  He could still get you 15 to 18 fantasy points this week.  However, if you are in a small league, and you were able to pick up someone like Matt Stafford as a backup, you should look very seriously at benching Brady this week, and it has everything to do with the Patriots’ Week 5 opponent and Brady’s checkered history against them.

The Jets have one of the best passing defenses in the league, and Darrelle Revis will be able to shut down Wes Welker better than anyone else in the league.  That leaves Brady with only Rob Gronkowski as a legitimate weapon all day, and the Jets will be licking their chops to rush Brady if New England only has five guys protecting him.

Plus, consider Brady’s last five starts against the Jets:

• 2010 Playoffs: 299 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
• 2010 Week 2: 248 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
• 2010 Week 13: 326 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INT
• 2009 Week 11: 310 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
• 2009 Week 2: 216 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT

Based on the averages, Brady will still throw for 250 yards, and may even have a few TDs…and of course he has the potential to throw a 4 TD gem against anyone…but the Jets have also proven that more often than not they at least pull Brady back to the pack; thus, there could definitely be much better options than him for your lineup this week.

Tom Brady Fantasy Football Week 5 Projected Stats – 250 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT

Other Guys I Don’t Like

• Ben Roethlisberger – The Steelers are just bad, and he’s banged up.
• Donovan McNabb – I’m just trying to pad my stats for next week…
• Matt Ryan – They might lose by 50 points to Green Bay.
• Jay Cutler – Detroit’s defensive line will make him dance by the second quarter.

Jerod’s thoughts:

Everything here sounds reasonable, including Jon’s thoughts on Brady (who I’d still start though, personally), but I disagree on Matt Ryan. He and the Falcons offense are much better at home and in domes, and the Green Bay defense is giving up a lot through the air. I say start Ryan. He’s a top 10 QB this week.

———-

Fantasy Football Week 5 Start Em, Sit em Picks: Running Backs

Projected Best Performer – Maurice Jones-Drew

Jacksonville is just awful, and they will ride Mo-Joe until he falls over in the second quarter during week 8.  I feel bad for the guy, having his prime ruined on lousy teams.  Fortunately, his fantasy owners will make good – especially this week against Cincinnati.

Maurice Jones-Drew Fantasy Football Week 5 Projection – 180 yards, 1 TD; 80 yards receiving

Start Em – Joseph Addai

He’s quietly had a pretty decent year, despite all of the upheaval in Indy.  The Colts’ offense should move a little more fluidly with Curtis Painter as well.  To top that off, Indy will be playing Kansas City in a game that the Colts foolishly think they need to win.  Colts’ fans will watch in horror as Indy ruins their chances at Andrew Luck.

Joseph Addai Fantasy Football Week 5 Projection – 135 yards, 1 TD; 45 yards receiving, 1 TD

Other Guys I Like

• Darren Sproles – He’s just so fast…and Carolina’s LBs are hurt.
• LeGarrette Blount – San Francisco is actually sneaky decent…Tampa Bay will be forced to grind it out more than normal.
• LaDainian Tomlinson – He might have 150 yards receiving against the Pats.
• Mike Tolbert – Playing Denver…enough said.

Projected Worst Performer – Rashard Mendenhall

He’s awful, and Tennessee is good.

Rashard Mendenhall Fantasy Football Week 5 Projected Stats – 10 yards rushing

Sit Em – Michael Turner

Remember the last time Green Bay played Atlanta, on that fast turf, indoors, and jumped out to a huge lead, and rendered Michael Turner unusable against a defensive line that was already amazing at stuffing the run?  Oh.  Me neither…

Michael Turner Fantasy Football Week 5 Projected Stats – 25 yards rushing; 15 yards receiving

Other Guys I Don’t Like

• Shonn Greene – Not a great matchup against NE.
• BJGE – Pats won’t have a good day on offense.
• James Starks – The Packers don’t run the ball…and they don’t need to.
• Matt Forte – Detroit’s defensive line will make him cry by the second quarter.

Jerod’s thoughts:

Joseph Addai has been surprisingly effective this season, and I like him as a flex option this week, perhaps even over Mendenhall (who I’m growing to hate), but I personally would not start him over Michael Turner. I know the Packers held him down in the playoffs last year, but in Week 12 of 2010 he had over 100 yards and a TD against Green Bay in the Georgia Dome, and Green Bay’s defense is not nearly as good this year. Hell, let me just say it: I like everyone in the Packers-Falcons game, and with Turner averaging 4.6 yards per carry this year, I can’t recommend sitting him.

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Fantasy Football Week 5 Start Em, Sit em Picks: Wide Receivers

Projected Best Performer – Megatron

I will continue to pick him every week until he becomes human.

Calvin Johnson Fantasy Football Week 5 Projection – 8 catches for 120 yards and 3 TDs.

Start Em – Deion Branch

If the Jets do what I think they will do, I think Branch will have a breakout game of sorts.  Look for Gronkowski and Welker to be neutralized, and Branch to have a pretty decent game.

Deion Branch Fantasy Football Week 5 Projection – 7 catches for 90 yards and 1 TD.

Other Guys I Like

• Reggie Wayne – Got a lot of targets last week with Painter, and should have a favorable matchup against anyone on KC.
• Hakeem Nicks – Huge game for him.
• AJ Green – He’s unbelievable…I keep telling you.
• Devery Henderson – Despite registering zero catches last week, Carolina won’t be able to stay in front of him and Henderson will bounce back.

Projected Worst Performer – David Nelson

Nnamdi Asomugha finally justifies the money that was spent on him this summer.

David Nelson Fantasy Football Week 5 Projected Stats – 4 catches for 30 yards.

Sit Em – Pierre Garcon

Don’t chase TDs!  He only had two catches on Monday Night, and although they ended up being two giant home runs, he only caught the ball one-fourth of the time it was thrown to him.  Believe me, this is hard for me to say, because Pierre is my favorite player.  I may or may not have spent more than 100 bucks on a Super Bowl jersey with his name and number that ended up being a curse against the Saints.  Either way, don’t be fooled by his “big game” against Tampa.  He’s hit or miss…and this week is a miss.

Pierre Garcon Fantasy Football Week 5 Projected Stats – 0 catches

Other Guys I Don’t Like

• Wes Welker – Bad game by his standards.
• Victor Cruz – Stop drinking the Cruz kool-aid…right now…at least for one more week.
• Steve Smith 1.0 – Tough game for Newton and the Panthers.
• Jacoby Jones – Don’t be fooled…he won’t have a break out game, no matter who is hurt on his team.

Jerod’s Thoughts:

So long as people make sure to still start Wes Welker – because you can’t sit him right now – I’m fine with him being in Jon’s dislike section. I also agree on Garcon. Don’t overreact to one big week and a couple of fluky touchdowns. As for Nelson, the question is who will Nnamdi cover? The Eagles play a lot of zone, which has been part of their secondary’s downfall since they have a lot of good cover corners. And I agree on Branch. I thought he’d bounce back last week, but I think it comes this week with one of Brady’s favorite all-time targets getting the 3rd or 4th best cover option on the Jets.

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Fantasy Football Week 5 Start Em, Sit em Picks: Tight Ends

Projected Best Performer – Jermaine Gresham

He’s really good and the Jaguars are really bad.

Jermaine Gresham Fantasy Football Week 5 Projection: 7 catches for 120 yards and 1 TD.

Start Em – Brandon Pettigrew

I watched, first hand, two weeks ago as the Chicago Bears proved they couldn’t guard tight ends and Jermichael Finley went off.  Look for Pettigrew to have a big day in a huge Monday Night Football game that the city of Detroit deserves.

Brandon Pettigrew Fantasy Football Week 5 Projected Stats – 5 catches for 130 yards and 1 TD

Other Guys I Like

• Greg Olsen – Cam Newton’s security blanket all game against the blitzing Saints.
• Dallas Clark – Let’s just hook everybody up the the Curtis Painter rejuvenation machine!
• Owen Daniels – He’s the guy that will get more looks with Andre Johnson being out.
• Scott Chandler – I know I always say not to chase TDs…but I think he grabs one or two this week.

Projected Worst Performer – Heath Miller

When Tight Ends lose it…they LOSE it…and Heath Miller has lost it.

Heath Miller Fantasy Football Week 5 Projected Stats – 1 catch for 8 yard

Sit Em – Vernon Davis

Tampa Bay did a great job of locking down Dallas Clark, and they should have similar success against the 49ers.

Vernon Davis Fantasy Football Week 5 Projected Stats – 4 catches for 40 yards

Other Guys I Don’t Like

• I originally picked Jimmy Graham, but as I thought about it, I started to have second thoughts.  Then, I read Jerod’s thoughts below, and completely agreed.  There really aren’t any of the big name tight ends that I dislike this week…so I am sticking to Davis and these other two guys.
• Jeff King – Rough day for Arizona
• Jeremy Shockey – One get enough looks against New Orleans.

Jerod’s thoughts:

First off, you can’t sit Jimmy Graham. Sorry Jon, but I disagree here strongly. He hasn’t caught fewer than four passes this year and he’s had over 100 yards the last two weeks. He’s also scored three times. The reality is that Graham, not Colston, not Meachem, not Moore, not Henderson, is Drew Brees’ #1 target right now. Also, I’d think long and hard before sitting Vernon Davis. Alex Smith gained a lot of confidence last week, and Davis remains the best receiving threat on the team. If you’re going to sit him, make sure it’s for someone the caliber of Gronkowski, Pettigrew, or Graham. Remember: talent usually wins out over time, and few tight ends are as talented as Vernon Davis.

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As always, feel free to ask your questions in the comment section and I will do my best to respond.  Or, you can send them to me on twitter anytime: @The_Dr_Twitch.