Okay another season, another chance to remove egg from your face and give you my picks for the first Sunday of the NFL season.
This season promises to be good with all teams enjoying a full off-season with no CBA strike and bargaining occuring. The players asked for less physical practices, yet injuries are still happening. Some teams have been affected by such injuries such as Minnesota Vikings with Adrian Petersen; yet some teams like Kansas City have those returning like Jamal Charles who will change the balance of a side.
Some teams have been affected by contract hold outs like Maurice Jones-Drew of Jacksonville; or a new star on a new team; Peyton Manning starts for Denver, whilst the man he replaced Tim Tebow lines up in a supposed wildcat offence with the New York Jets.
All in all though I cannot wait for the season to start, and having wrongly predicted a New York Giants victory on opening night, I hope my picks are a bit better this weekend
Week 1, Sunday 9th September
Colts @ BEARS - a baptism of fire for the new star rookie QB Andrew Luck facing a tenacious defence of Chicago even without the questionable Brian Urlacher. Jay Cutler rekindles his partnership with Brandon Marshall and Matt Forte with his new contract will want to get off to a winning start. Double digit victory, though Luck should still throw 2 TDs
EAGLES @ Browns - Michael Vick v Brandon Weedon; like John Wayne v Randolph Scott. Who you going to pick? But Eagles have too many other weapons, and Andy Reid has won 63% of his road trips, too much experience for the Browns, though will be good to see how Trent Richardson's knee holds up
Rams @ LIONS - personally I like the Rams and think they will improve to maybe 6-10 this season, although on Detroit's home turf it is asking a lot. Although Jeff Fisher v Megatron will be good; how will the League combat the best receiver in football. Double digit victory.
PATRIOTS @ Titans - the reigning AFC Champions return with more weapons against a quietly rebuilt Titans with Jake Locker at the helm. Might be closer than people may think, but on paper the quality shines through.
Falcons @ CHIEFS - this is a great opening match-up; Atlanta are one of the better regular season teams yet have no play-off win yet for Matt Ryan. The Chiefs have rallied for Romeo Crennel, and with a 1-2 punch of Charles and Peyton Hillis at running back, and Dwayne Bowe still at wideout, expect an upset in Kansas.
Jaguars @ VIKINGS - not the most mouth watering of encounters but in terms of quarterback play, Christian Ponder is better than Blaine Gabbert right now, and the Viking will win if Petersen starts.
Redskins @ SAINTS - following the news that Johnathn Vilma and Will Smith will be eligible to play this season, this will give the Saints extra motivation to get off to a winning start. They may not have Sean Payton, but Drew Brees is this team's true leader. RG3 debuts and expectations are high.
Bills @ JETS - this one has flipped and flopped for weeks, but I nudge it to the Jets as they have the Tebow option for short yardage and wildcat. Ryan Fitzpatrick is okay but the Jets sometimes know how to win and have not shown us their full hand yet.
Dolphins @ TEXANS - Ryan Tannehill goes on the road for his rookie start at AFC South favourites Houston. Houston have weapons on offence, yet in spite of losing defensive options will still have too much for a team very much in transition.
49ers @ PACKERS - what a great game for the first week,the two best regular season teams from NFC face off. The 49ers are better with more weapons at receiver and added Brandon Jacobs, yet this is still Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau, home field advantage still counts for a lot nowadays.
SEAHAWKS @ Cardinals - Russell Wilson is an explosive QB, he will excite people and Pete Carroll has put his neck on the line; Arizona have one of the best receivers in football in Larry Fitzgerald yet they still cannot find a man good enough to throw to him, they have chosen John Skelton.
Panthers @ BUCCANEERS - the Bucs have changed coach, they traded well getting Vincent Jackson from San Diego, drafted well in getting Doug Martin and have a decent QB in Josh Freeman. The Panthers do have Cam Newton, but again the home team for me on this occasion. The momentum is in Tampa Bay.
Steelers @ BRONCOS - a great contest with Rothliesberger v Peyton Manning in his regular season debut for Denver. I fancy Manning to come out of the gate here, throwing to numerous and unheralded receivers (hello Eric Decker) who will become household names.
Bengals @ RAVENS - a tasty divisional rivalry match up for Monday Night Football's opener; expect the Ravens and their new no-huddle offence to create even more points and targets for Ray Rice, under the leadership of Joe Flacco.
CHARGERS @ Raiders - whilst the nudge for the AFC West has been given to the Broncos and Chiefs; the Chargers have flown under the radar whilst the Raiders are in turmoil. If the Chargers can halt Darren McFadden they win the game.
Showing posts with label Tim Tebow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tim Tebow. Show all posts
Sunday, 9 September 2012
Monday, 19 December 2011
NFL's Moving Day
In golf's majors you have the Saturday (Day 3) which is regularly referred to as moving day - where a leader cements his dominance by extending his lead, where second place novices wilt with the exposure and attention served to them; or a fan favourite starts moving up the leaderboard with a birdie charge. Sometimes the major is not so much won on the last day but the day before.
In baseball, you have the wild card chase which can bring some amazing results. Ask the St.Louis Cardinals who somehow overturned a deficit to get into the play-offs and then being the team wiht the momentum wind up winning the World Series.
For the NFL you can call Moving Day, Week 15 - so many storylines, so many things happening, upsets, history chasers, bible bashers being bashed, playoff contenders wilting and teams on the charge being cemented.
It all started as history beckoned for the Green Bay Packers at the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium as the Packers seeking a 16-0 perfect regular season (to join the 1972 Miami Dolphins and 2007 Patriots) were defeated 19-14 by the 6-8 Chiefs.
The Chiefs had fired coach Todd Haley this week after a fouth consecutive loss inspite of an improving defence led by interim head coach Romeo Crenel - the Packers were the makers of their own downfall however. For once Aaron Rodgers did not click (17-35 for 235) as there were numerous dropped from such names as Donald Driver and Jermichael Finley, as they missed the injured Greg Jennings especially. The rushing game suffered also as it accounted for only 5 of the 15 first downs.
Tellingly, the Packers had never trailed in the fourth quarter and they have been prone to moments of panic when the game is close as it was against the Buccaneers and Giants - however, credit should go to Kyle Orton who showed himself to be a top quarterback with a 23-31 for 299 yards with no turnovers; and he controlled the clock keeping Rodgers off the field for much of the game, leaving Green Bay to stew over their mistakes. Orton finished with a QB rating of 104.1 in comparison to Rodgers of 80.1, the first time this season he finished a game under 100.
The Packers have games left against the woeful Bears and hungry Lions to get the one win to cement the one seed and home field advantage. Expect the Pack to get both wins, yet as they have noted going 18-1 and winning the Superbowl would be more memorable than the Patriots season which ended with no ring and no memories.
As for the Patriots they put the snooze button on Tebow Time defeating the Broncos 41-23 which along with a Jets loss to the Eagles gave them the AFC East division and along with defeats for the Ravens and Texans means they are in the No.1 seed front seat and looking to cement home-field advantage throught the playoffs.
The atmosphere at Mile High Stadium was electric as the Broncos came storming out of the blocks utilising their running game to great effect garnering 167 yards on the ground alone in the first quarter compared to a paltry 4 by the Patriots.
The Broncos raced to a 16-7 lead after a 8yd Tebow run, a 32 yd run from Lance Ball and a field goal from Prater, nullified only by a first TD reception by Chad Ochocinco of 33 yards for the Patriots first score.
In registering their sixth consecutive victory, the Patriots as they did on the road to the Eagles a few weeks back when they fall behind early they are confident enough in their gameplan and their weapons being managed by Tom Brady to comeback and outscore any team. Tellingly, the defence stepped up and forced some turnovers and the offense then scored off of them. A muffed punt return led to a Gostkowski 34 yard FG to give a 27-16 halftime lead which would have been unthinkable fifteen minutes earlier.
And once they were ahead the Patriots never looked backed, Rob Gronkowski has been gaining the headlines lately but it was the other tight end Aaron Hernandez who had a big day (9 recs for 129, 1 TD) and the little nugget Danny Woodhead who provided an alternative to the running game (7 car, 40 yds, 1TD).
The defence stepped up in the second quarter when it needed to stop the run and did so, unfortunately they have lost Andre Carter for the season after he twisted his knee it is suspected he requires surgery. This was another mental victory for this young defence who won another big game on the road in an hostile atmosphere and are slowly growing into roles.
Tebow did not play bad, 287 total yards (194 pass, 93 run) means they stuck to the gameplan but when they play against the elite QBs they come up short - against Rodgers, Brees, Brady and Rivers they have a 1-4 record. Tebow is 7-2 as a starter this season, they remain atop the AFC West with a 8-6 record due to the Raiders losing at home, but the Chargers are coming following their win over Baltimore.
The playoff future of the Broncos are in their own hands, one more win should do yet this will be the ultimate test of character to come back from. Yet they need to know their place, Tebow is not elite and with him you cannot see the Broncos winning a playoff game. And how ironic of the scheduling that they have to play at home to Kyle Orton/Kansas City in the last week, a game they may have to win to get into those playoffs. The truth is stranger than fiction.
Congratulations to the Colts who won their first game of the season (1-13) to defeat the Titans 27-13, the Colts oddly enough could miss out on the Andrew Luck/Peyton Manning farce with one more win as the St.Louis Rams are still 2-12 (they lost 20-13 to the playoff chasing Bengals), and the Colts have a winnable game at home to the Jaguars in Week 17. The Rams would appear a better ready fit for Luck if he is the No.1 draft pick, although following Robert Griffin III's Heisman winning performance that does not appear a foregone conclusion.
Baltimore did themselves no favours again, losing on the road again all four of their losses have been on the road - Tennessee, Jacksonsville, Seattle and now San Diego - calling into question whether they are a false team. Pittsburgh travel to San Francisco tonight for Monday Night Football, and if they win they will probably remain atop the AFC North and grab the 1 seed owing to their victory over New England. The Ravens are odd, as each loss comes with low output from Ray Rice who although he can change games as he did against the Cardinals, too often it is hot and cold from this team who search for dominance.
As for odd, go for the Giants who lost 23-10 at home to the Redskins dropping them back to 7-7, 4 losses have come at the MetLife stadium and seemingly every time they have a big week or performance they reply with a woeful display - Eli Manning so good at the moment and MVP quality supposedly (23-40, 257 yards, no TDs but 3 INTs). Following Dallas' Saturday night cakewalk over the Bucs, they sit at 8-6 meaning it will come down to the Week 17 showdown in New York between the Giants and Cowboys for the playoff spot at home to either the Falcons or Lions.
Such a crazy week of scores, headlines and storylines. The notion of the NFL is that on 'Any Given Sunday' something miraculous can happen, usually it does, but this Sunday was magical and amazing.
In baseball, you have the wild card chase which can bring some amazing results. Ask the St.Louis Cardinals who somehow overturned a deficit to get into the play-offs and then being the team wiht the momentum wind up winning the World Series.
For the NFL you can call Moving Day, Week 15 - so many storylines, so many things happening, upsets, history chasers, bible bashers being bashed, playoff contenders wilting and teams on the charge being cemented.
It all started as history beckoned for the Green Bay Packers at the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium as the Packers seeking a 16-0 perfect regular season (to join the 1972 Miami Dolphins and 2007 Patriots) were defeated 19-14 by the 6-8 Chiefs.
The Chiefs had fired coach Todd Haley this week after a fouth consecutive loss inspite of an improving defence led by interim head coach Romeo Crenel - the Packers were the makers of their own downfall however. For once Aaron Rodgers did not click (17-35 for 235) as there were numerous dropped from such names as Donald Driver and Jermichael Finley, as they missed the injured Greg Jennings especially. The rushing game suffered also as it accounted for only 5 of the 15 first downs.
Tellingly, the Packers had never trailed in the fourth quarter and they have been prone to moments of panic when the game is close as it was against the Buccaneers and Giants - however, credit should go to Kyle Orton who showed himself to be a top quarterback with a 23-31 for 299 yards with no turnovers; and he controlled the clock keeping Rodgers off the field for much of the game, leaving Green Bay to stew over their mistakes. Orton finished with a QB rating of 104.1 in comparison to Rodgers of 80.1, the first time this season he finished a game under 100.
The Packers have games left against the woeful Bears and hungry Lions to get the one win to cement the one seed and home field advantage. Expect the Pack to get both wins, yet as they have noted going 18-1 and winning the Superbowl would be more memorable than the Patriots season which ended with no ring and no memories.
As for the Patriots they put the snooze button on Tebow Time defeating the Broncos 41-23 which along with a Jets loss to the Eagles gave them the AFC East division and along with defeats for the Ravens and Texans means they are in the No.1 seed front seat and looking to cement home-field advantage throught the playoffs.
The atmosphere at Mile High Stadium was electric as the Broncos came storming out of the blocks utilising their running game to great effect garnering 167 yards on the ground alone in the first quarter compared to a paltry 4 by the Patriots.
The Broncos raced to a 16-7 lead after a 8yd Tebow run, a 32 yd run from Lance Ball and a field goal from Prater, nullified only by a first TD reception by Chad Ochocinco of 33 yards for the Patriots first score.
In registering their sixth consecutive victory, the Patriots as they did on the road to the Eagles a few weeks back when they fall behind early they are confident enough in their gameplan and their weapons being managed by Tom Brady to comeback and outscore any team. Tellingly, the defence stepped up and forced some turnovers and the offense then scored off of them. A muffed punt return led to a Gostkowski 34 yard FG to give a 27-16 halftime lead which would have been unthinkable fifteen minutes earlier.
And once they were ahead the Patriots never looked backed, Rob Gronkowski has been gaining the headlines lately but it was the other tight end Aaron Hernandez who had a big day (9 recs for 129, 1 TD) and the little nugget Danny Woodhead who provided an alternative to the running game (7 car, 40 yds, 1TD).
The defence stepped up in the second quarter when it needed to stop the run and did so, unfortunately they have lost Andre Carter for the season after he twisted his knee it is suspected he requires surgery. This was another mental victory for this young defence who won another big game on the road in an hostile atmosphere and are slowly growing into roles.
Tebow did not play bad, 287 total yards (194 pass, 93 run) means they stuck to the gameplan but when they play against the elite QBs they come up short - against Rodgers, Brees, Brady and Rivers they have a 1-4 record. Tebow is 7-2 as a starter this season, they remain atop the AFC West with a 8-6 record due to the Raiders losing at home, but the Chargers are coming following their win over Baltimore.
The playoff future of the Broncos are in their own hands, one more win should do yet this will be the ultimate test of character to come back from. Yet they need to know their place, Tebow is not elite and with him you cannot see the Broncos winning a playoff game. And how ironic of the scheduling that they have to play at home to Kyle Orton/Kansas City in the last week, a game they may have to win to get into those playoffs. The truth is stranger than fiction.
Congratulations to the Colts who won their first game of the season (1-13) to defeat the Titans 27-13, the Colts oddly enough could miss out on the Andrew Luck/Peyton Manning farce with one more win as the St.Louis Rams are still 2-12 (they lost 20-13 to the playoff chasing Bengals), and the Colts have a winnable game at home to the Jaguars in Week 17. The Rams would appear a better ready fit for Luck if he is the No.1 draft pick, although following Robert Griffin III's Heisman winning performance that does not appear a foregone conclusion.
Baltimore did themselves no favours again, losing on the road again all four of their losses have been on the road - Tennessee, Jacksonsville, Seattle and now San Diego - calling into question whether they are a false team. Pittsburgh travel to San Francisco tonight for Monday Night Football, and if they win they will probably remain atop the AFC North and grab the 1 seed owing to their victory over New England. The Ravens are odd, as each loss comes with low output from Ray Rice who although he can change games as he did against the Cardinals, too often it is hot and cold from this team who search for dominance.
As for odd, go for the Giants who lost 23-10 at home to the Redskins dropping them back to 7-7, 4 losses have come at the MetLife stadium and seemingly every time they have a big week or performance they reply with a woeful display - Eli Manning so good at the moment and MVP quality supposedly (23-40, 257 yards, no TDs but 3 INTs). Following Dallas' Saturday night cakewalk over the Bucs, they sit at 8-6 meaning it will come down to the Week 17 showdown in New York between the Giants and Cowboys for the playoff spot at home to either the Falcons or Lions.
Such a crazy week of scores, headlines and storylines. The notion of the NFL is that on 'Any Given Sunday' something miraculous can happen, usually it does, but this Sunday was magical and amazing.
Thursday, 15 December 2011
NFL - Week 13 Picks
I know it has been a while since I gave my selections for the NFL owing to time and getting a lot wrong, but this is a good week to step back inside.
Green Bay continue on their road to perfection at Kansas City, Tebow sees if he can go toe to toe with Tom Brady at home, the Giants host the Redskins to cement supremacy in the NFC East and we have a titanic tussle on Monday Night as the Harrison-less Steelers travel to San Francisco with question marks over the starting place of QB Ben Rothliesberger.
Here are my picks with brief explanations:
Jaguars @ FALCONS - The Jags had a fine win last week, but the Falcons are pretty good at home even though MoJo will have more huge numbers.
COWBOYS @ Tampa Bay - not a bad game to have on the bounce back after the loss to the Giants, but then we all thought they would beat the Cardinals.
Panthers @ TEXANS - T.J. Yates did a great job at Cincy last week with a last second TD drive to win the game 20-19; the Panthers had a good win last week but the Texans are on a mission after securing the division, now they need to get a bye.
Redskins @ GIANTS - Eli Manning is controlling this offence so well, and with Jason Pierre Paul making big plays on defence, the Giants can suddenly build momentum towards the huge week 17 matchup at home to Dallas.
Dolphins @ BILLS - Miami lost their starman, Matt Moore to injury and the Eagles took advantage, the Bills still have Fitzpatrick fully fit so going with the home-field advantage on this one. Even though without Moore, both teams are equal now.
Seahawks @ BEARS - the Bears have to win one game, although Marshawn Lynch is lights out at the moment, close one.
SAINTS @ Vikings - an indoor game for the Saints to enjoy, they are on a roll Brees is on the march for that 2 seed.
BENGALS @ Rams - Cincy were unlucky last week but still have a shot at the playoffs so need to wipe the floor with the sorry Rams.
TITANS @ Colts - The Titans are also in the hunt for that playoff spot so need a road win also.
PACKERS @ Chiefs - no brainer on this one.
LIONS @ Raiders - the Raiders looked to have imploded, full of injuries, bad decision making and miss McFadden badly. The Lions are in the driving seat for a playoff spot and have Suh returning from suspension.
PATRIOTS @ Broncos - the Patriots need to get out to an early lead otherwise this will be close and when it is close, Tebow always has a chance. Patriots need to win and hope one of Ravens/Texans slip up to maintain a 1 or 2 seed, currently they are at 3.
JETS @ Eagles - might be the game of the weekend; Sanchez is not dominating but he is scoring, the Eagles will be competitive but when the season is on the line for the last two years the Jets get the job done. Expect Shonn Greene to have another big day.
Browns @ CARDINALS - the Cardinals are having a good end to the season, thanks to the fine work of John Skelton
RAVENS @ Chargers - this could be a tough one but I can see the Ravens just grinding out the victory if they allow Rice to have enough of the ball
STEELERS @ 49ers - the wheels have come off the SanFran bus due to their lack of redzone potency, I give this to the Steelers if Big Ben starts if he does not then I feel San Fran might win but they need to trust Gore with the ball in the red zone or alternatively go for some big plays downfield with Crabtree.
Should be another great weekend of action, what will be the headlines on Monday morning. Hopefully you will check back in with me for a review.
All the best and Go Pats.
Green Bay continue on their road to perfection at Kansas City, Tebow sees if he can go toe to toe with Tom Brady at home, the Giants host the Redskins to cement supremacy in the NFC East and we have a titanic tussle on Monday Night as the Harrison-less Steelers travel to San Francisco with question marks over the starting place of QB Ben Rothliesberger.
Here are my picks with brief explanations:
Jaguars @ FALCONS - The Jags had a fine win last week, but the Falcons are pretty good at home even though MoJo will have more huge numbers.
COWBOYS @ Tampa Bay - not a bad game to have on the bounce back after the loss to the Giants, but then we all thought they would beat the Cardinals.
Panthers @ TEXANS - T.J. Yates did a great job at Cincy last week with a last second TD drive to win the game 20-19; the Panthers had a good win last week but the Texans are on a mission after securing the division, now they need to get a bye.
Redskins @ GIANTS - Eli Manning is controlling this offence so well, and with Jason Pierre Paul making big plays on defence, the Giants can suddenly build momentum towards the huge week 17 matchup at home to Dallas.
Dolphins @ BILLS - Miami lost their starman, Matt Moore to injury and the Eagles took advantage, the Bills still have Fitzpatrick fully fit so going with the home-field advantage on this one. Even though without Moore, both teams are equal now.
Seahawks @ BEARS - the Bears have to win one game, although Marshawn Lynch is lights out at the moment, close one.
SAINTS @ Vikings - an indoor game for the Saints to enjoy, they are on a roll Brees is on the march for that 2 seed.
BENGALS @ Rams - Cincy were unlucky last week but still have a shot at the playoffs so need to wipe the floor with the sorry Rams.
TITANS @ Colts - The Titans are also in the hunt for that playoff spot so need a road win also.
PACKERS @ Chiefs - no brainer on this one.
LIONS @ Raiders - the Raiders looked to have imploded, full of injuries, bad decision making and miss McFadden badly. The Lions are in the driving seat for a playoff spot and have Suh returning from suspension.
PATRIOTS @ Broncos - the Patriots need to get out to an early lead otherwise this will be close and when it is close, Tebow always has a chance. Patriots need to win and hope one of Ravens/Texans slip up to maintain a 1 or 2 seed, currently they are at 3.
JETS @ Eagles - might be the game of the weekend; Sanchez is not dominating but he is scoring, the Eagles will be competitive but when the season is on the line for the last two years the Jets get the job done. Expect Shonn Greene to have another big day.
Browns @ CARDINALS - the Cardinals are having a good end to the season, thanks to the fine work of John Skelton
RAVENS @ Chargers - this could be a tough one but I can see the Ravens just grinding out the victory if they allow Rice to have enough of the ball
STEELERS @ 49ers - the wheels have come off the SanFran bus due to their lack of redzone potency, I give this to the Steelers if Big Ben starts if he does not then I feel San Fran might win but they need to trust Gore with the ball in the red zone or alternatively go for some big plays downfield with Crabtree.
Should be another great weekend of action, what will be the headlines on Monday morning. Hopefully you will check back in with me for a review.
All the best and Go Pats.
Green Bay v Tebow: When the Story Isn't the Story
This year in the NFL there have been an amazing set of storylines - the coming out party of rookie QBs (Newton, Dalton, Yates); the continued indiscipline of James Harrison; the implosion at Detroit after a great start (more down to the lose of Jahvid Best than their own indiscipline); the reinvention of the 49ers under the stewardship of Jon Harbaugh.
Yet there appears to be two stories that far outweigh all of these storylines; one involves a team heading for glory and the other is a man who is playing with glory in his heart. The Green Bay Packers v Tim Tebow. One is playing for immortality, the other plays for an immortal.
The current Super Bowl champions from Wisconsin, who had a 7 game unbeaten run to win in Dallas this February over the favoured Pittsburgh Steelers, have continued currently 13-0. One more win this week at Kansas City will guarantee home field advantage throughout the playoffs at the formidabel Lambeau Field - a place that is so cold and hostile, it gives the Packers an added advantage as if they need one.
They do not need any extra help, as right now Aaron Rodgers is playing the QB position better than anyone else right now, in spite of it being a good year for his peers Drew Brees and Tom Brady. All three are on pace to break Dan Marino's single-season passing record; as was Matt Schaub before his season-ending shoulder injury.
Rodgers is a beast - he throws it so accurately, so precisely with such poise and confidence he has made it look very easy. He shakes off pressure that breaks the pocket due to his ability to run outside of it, he takes hit when necessary which is seldom, so maybe credit should go to his O-line for giving him time but he has an abundance of weapons downfield in Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings; coupled with the useful return of Ryan Grant who missed last year due to injury.
These Packers score for fun, when in a shootout they outscore the Chargers easily because the other QB will no doubt make a mistake either incompleting or being intercepted, and only once have they been run close which was at the Giants two weeks ago when with the game tied at 34; Rodgers with less than a minute marched down the field again with relevant ease to create a game winning field goal from reliable Mason Crosby. The Giants were favoured to give the Pack a tough time, they did but in the end the result was never in doubt.
After the Chiefs (who fired Todd Haley this week, Romeo Crenel is interim) they have two divisional games remaining against the Bears (who are nothing without Cutler) and the Lions who may well need to win to sneak into the playoffs. A lot of talk is being spoken about whether the Packers should aim for a 16-0 record to finish the season with or if they should rest key players (incl. Rodgers) once home field is secured.
Now arguments may be made that the last team who went 16-0, the Patriots in 2007 did not win the Super Bowl as they lost to the Giants in Arizona - so maybe the search for perfection comes at a price and the need to have rest is paramount, although they would argue that the Packers will get two weeks to rest once the regular season concludes. The Packers give the impression of not being overawed by the persuasive powers of history, of taking it one game at a time and they know that this is the only chance they get at perfection for this group of players.
And yet this search for perfection is being overshadowed by the performances of one man. Tim Tebow. Tebow the second string QB of the Denver Broncos who is metaphorically become their saviour of sorts as he has taken them from 1-4 to a 8-5 record atop the AFC West ahead of the Oakland Raiders and with a chance of making the playoffs and a home game at that,as they will be ranked fourth as a division winner.
Tebow-mania started in Miami, the same weekend as the NFL game at Wembley between Tampa and Chicago. 15-0 down with three minutes on the clock, somehow they managed to recover an onside kick and lead a charge to tie to force OT where Matt Prater converted the game winning, defying field goal.
The next week they were hammered at home by a rampant Detroit, but since then they have won 6 on the bounce each win more amazing than the last. From Tebow's 20 yard rushing TD in the last two minutes against the Jets, to last week's 10 point comeback against the Bears with Prater again nailing an OT winning field goal.
Tebow is a conflicting figure in sports and culture at the moment, Tebow is a practising Christian with strong beliefs and values. The use of faith in the workplace is always a strong point of conflict in a mutli-faith nation like America - some people do not like religion thrust in their face, yet Tebow is only the extreme version of every athlete who thanks God for every victory. Tebow does not hide behind his fatih and instead embraces it. What I think really upsets people about Tebow - is that he is a limited player in terms of technique and skill level, in comparison to Rodgers there is no comparison. Tebow is proving to be a better running back, a young man of 260lbs who cannot be knocked out of his steps by 270lbs linebackers.
And yet despite his mechanical defaults he is winning games, surely teams would rather win ugly than lose beautifully, he is a phenonmenon granted and yet in the same season that a team is winning beautifully and playing football from a different planet they are not being exalted or praised, and overlooked by a savage media who always look for a hero amongst the muck - it has happened in America for decades (Iwo Jima, Miracle on Ice, Hoosiers) - the Packers are led by the MVP in Aaron Rodgers yet their accomplishments are being overshadowed by one young man.
Tebow is a game changer, a clutch player, a man who can inspire in ranks that were down and out; Tebow changed college football and his position, when colleges looked for his duplicate, hence why Cam Newton (13 TD's each thrown and run) was the No.1 pick and why Robert Griffin III won the Heisman this year and will be a top 5 pick in the draft in April. There is still a place for in the pocket passers like Andy Dalton and Andrew Luck, but Tebow's influence is having a trickling effect from the professional to the college to the high school games thanks in part to the (over)exposure of his performances this season.
It is yet to be determined if Tebow will be a part of Canton's Hall of Fame, he still has 10-12 seasons at the top table and his sheer will and determination coupled with a fine work ethic will insure of employment; yet Green Bay are in the midst of a historical run it is rare thay you get the opportunity to witness history taking place at the moment it happens. And if I had a choice between a team and one man; I will take the 53 man roster.
Yet there appears to be two stories that far outweigh all of these storylines; one involves a team heading for glory and the other is a man who is playing with glory in his heart. The Green Bay Packers v Tim Tebow. One is playing for immortality, the other plays for an immortal.
The current Super Bowl champions from Wisconsin, who had a 7 game unbeaten run to win in Dallas this February over the favoured Pittsburgh Steelers, have continued currently 13-0. One more win this week at Kansas City will guarantee home field advantage throughout the playoffs at the formidabel Lambeau Field - a place that is so cold and hostile, it gives the Packers an added advantage as if they need one.
They do not need any extra help, as right now Aaron Rodgers is playing the QB position better than anyone else right now, in spite of it being a good year for his peers Drew Brees and Tom Brady. All three are on pace to break Dan Marino's single-season passing record; as was Matt Schaub before his season-ending shoulder injury.
Rodgers is a beast - he throws it so accurately, so precisely with such poise and confidence he has made it look very easy. He shakes off pressure that breaks the pocket due to his ability to run outside of it, he takes hit when necessary which is seldom, so maybe credit should go to his O-line for giving him time but he has an abundance of weapons downfield in Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings; coupled with the useful return of Ryan Grant who missed last year due to injury.
These Packers score for fun, when in a shootout they outscore the Chargers easily because the other QB will no doubt make a mistake either incompleting or being intercepted, and only once have they been run close which was at the Giants two weeks ago when with the game tied at 34; Rodgers with less than a minute marched down the field again with relevant ease to create a game winning field goal from reliable Mason Crosby. The Giants were favoured to give the Pack a tough time, they did but in the end the result was never in doubt.
After the Chiefs (who fired Todd Haley this week, Romeo Crenel is interim) they have two divisional games remaining against the Bears (who are nothing without Cutler) and the Lions who may well need to win to sneak into the playoffs. A lot of talk is being spoken about whether the Packers should aim for a 16-0 record to finish the season with or if they should rest key players (incl. Rodgers) once home field is secured.
Now arguments may be made that the last team who went 16-0, the Patriots in 2007 did not win the Super Bowl as they lost to the Giants in Arizona - so maybe the search for perfection comes at a price and the need to have rest is paramount, although they would argue that the Packers will get two weeks to rest once the regular season concludes. The Packers give the impression of not being overawed by the persuasive powers of history, of taking it one game at a time and they know that this is the only chance they get at perfection for this group of players.
And yet this search for perfection is being overshadowed by the performances of one man. Tim Tebow. Tebow the second string QB of the Denver Broncos who is metaphorically become their saviour of sorts as he has taken them from 1-4 to a 8-5 record atop the AFC West ahead of the Oakland Raiders and with a chance of making the playoffs and a home game at that,as they will be ranked fourth as a division winner.
Tebow-mania started in Miami, the same weekend as the NFL game at Wembley between Tampa and Chicago. 15-0 down with three minutes on the clock, somehow they managed to recover an onside kick and lead a charge to tie to force OT where Matt Prater converted the game winning, defying field goal.
The next week they were hammered at home by a rampant Detroit, but since then they have won 6 on the bounce each win more amazing than the last. From Tebow's 20 yard rushing TD in the last two minutes against the Jets, to last week's 10 point comeback against the Bears with Prater again nailing an OT winning field goal.
Tebow is a conflicting figure in sports and culture at the moment, Tebow is a practising Christian with strong beliefs and values. The use of faith in the workplace is always a strong point of conflict in a mutli-faith nation like America - some people do not like religion thrust in their face, yet Tebow is only the extreme version of every athlete who thanks God for every victory. Tebow does not hide behind his fatih and instead embraces it. What I think really upsets people about Tebow - is that he is a limited player in terms of technique and skill level, in comparison to Rodgers there is no comparison. Tebow is proving to be a better running back, a young man of 260lbs who cannot be knocked out of his steps by 270lbs linebackers.
And yet despite his mechanical defaults he is winning games, surely teams would rather win ugly than lose beautifully, he is a phenonmenon granted and yet in the same season that a team is winning beautifully and playing football from a different planet they are not being exalted or praised, and overlooked by a savage media who always look for a hero amongst the muck - it has happened in America for decades (Iwo Jima, Miracle on Ice, Hoosiers) - the Packers are led by the MVP in Aaron Rodgers yet their accomplishments are being overshadowed by one young man.
Tebow is a game changer, a clutch player, a man who can inspire in ranks that were down and out; Tebow changed college football and his position, when colleges looked for his duplicate, hence why Cam Newton (13 TD's each thrown and run) was the No.1 pick and why Robert Griffin III won the Heisman this year and will be a top 5 pick in the draft in April. There is still a place for in the pocket passers like Andy Dalton and Andrew Luck, but Tebow's influence is having a trickling effect from the professional to the college to the high school games thanks in part to the (over)exposure of his performances this season.
It is yet to be determined if Tebow will be a part of Canton's Hall of Fame, he still has 10-12 seasons at the top table and his sheer will and determination coupled with a fine work ethic will insure of employment; yet Green Bay are in the midst of a historical run it is rare thay you get the opportunity to witness history taking place at the moment it happens. And if I had a choice between a team and one man; I will take the 53 man roster.
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