NFL: The Most Overrated Quarterback...Ever

He was a superhuman quarterback in college, there is no doubt about that. 110 combined touchdowns in four season, over 12,000 total yards. 2007 Heisman Trophy winner. Two time national champion. University of Florida hall of famer. Tim Tebow is without a doubt one of the greatest college football players of all time. Not only that, but he is also the most overrated NFL quarterback, ever. 

So often in the NFL we see highly touted quarterbacks with amazing skill sets not being able to produce at the highest level. Ryan Leaf, Tim Couch, Joey Harrington, the list goes on and on. It seems as though every year there is at least one first round draft pick that doesn’t pan out to his potential. With Tebow, its different. Tebow didn’t even belong in the first round of the 2010 draft. 

Tebow’s combine and Senior Bowl performances showed that he wasn’t deserving of a first round pick. Scouts from all around had him graded as a second round prospect all the way to a seventh round prospect. The criticisms were all the same, he just can’t throw. Somehow, Tebow managed to trick coaches and scouts (particularly Josh McDaniels and the Denver Broncos) into believing that he could change his throwing motion. Remember those ESPN segments? During his pro day at Florida, Tebow revealed a “new and improved” throwing motion that would help him better his passing as a quarterback. The end result was him holding the ball up at his ear, fundamentals at its best. However, every time he reared back to throw, Tebow did the same rotating motion with his arm. Nothing had changed, his release and delivery was still so slow and his arm strength still so weak. 

Watch tape of Tebow in his (limited) NFL appearances. His throws are reminiscent of Chad Pennington, lame duck after lame duck. I’d be lying if I said that I ever saw Tebow accurately throw a football longer than 30 yards and complete a pass. Watching Tebow throw reminds me of the first time that Smalls threw a baseball in The Sandlot. Somebody needs to call Benny the Jet and tell him to teach Tebow that throwing a ball is just like throwing a paper on a paper route. We’ve all seen Tebow throw, we’ve seen him fail to read defenses, and we’ve seen him underthrow receivers by five yards, consistently. Yet, somehow, we still hold him on some pedestal. 

Tebow’s level of overrated is something the sports world has never seen. Some believe that Alex Rodriguez is overrated, but we all know that he can hit a baseball 500 feet. With Tebow, we know he can’t play but people still hold him to a God-like standard. I was speechless when Denver fans put up a billboard calling for the benching of Kyle Orton in favor of Tebow. Orton’s a quality starter who threw for 3,600 yards last year! I understand that its the job of John Elway and John Fox to stand by their starting quarterback, but I blame the “Tebow Mania” on the media. Every morning, I turn on ESPN and they’re talking about Tebow. The craziest thing is that these “expert” analysts seem to be split on Tebow. Some believe that he has the ability and the competitive nature to become a great starting quarterback. The other half see the same thing that I see; a seemingly nice guy who just can’t play quarterback. The old adage is that at some point we all live to see the time when we are no longer meant to play the game we love. Some experience this at 14, others at 40. For Tebow, unfortunately, it looks to be happening now. 

When quarterbacks that are drafted so high come into the NFL and underperform, they’re chastised by the media. It happened to Harrington, happened to Matt Leinart and Jamarcus Russell as well. Tebow, on the other hand, is constantly given the benefit of the doubt. Don’t get me wrong, I admire the fire Tebow brings, and I think his drive is unquestionable. But, when it comes down to it, the NFL is a business. The goal is to produce wins and be the last team standing when the last whistle blows in February. Tebow will never be able to do that, not as a quarterback. These are just words, we all know that when we wake up tomorrow there will still be Denver fans praying to their Tim Tebow pictures and proudly wearing his jersey. 

You can catch more sports posts from me and others over at http://dormcouchsports.blogspot.com/. Its a great site, and if your into more than just sports like music and college life in general, head over there and look at what those dudes have to offer. 

NFL: 2011 Midseason Awards

The 2011 NFL season is flying by right before our eyes. It seems like just yesterday we were in the midst of the lockout, wondering if we would even be able to watch football this year in the pros. But enough of the sentimental thoughts, its time to give out The Jockstrap’s midseason awards. The winners could easily change by week 17, but this is a list of players who have preformed well enough in the first eight weeks of the season to capture the coveted AP awards. 

NFL MVP: Aaron Rodgers (2,372 yards; 20 tds; 3 ints; 71.5 cmp%)

This one is a bit of a no brainer. Rodgers has been the most dominant player in the league thus far while leading the defending champs to a 7-0 record. He’s on pace to challenge Dan Marino’s passing yard record and to break Drew Brees’ record for completion percentage in a single season. 

Still in the Hunt: Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Calvin Johnson

Offensive Player of the Year: Calvin Johnson (679 yards; 10 tds; 41 rec)

It’s rare for the MVP to win the OPTY award in the same season, so I’m giving this award to the Lions all-world wideout Calvin Johnson. The play of Matt Stafford has been important to the Lions success this year, but how many times have we seen Johnson take over the game. The comeback victory over the Cowboys was all because of Johnson, who can win any jump-ball in the endzone no matter whose guarding him. 

Still in the Hunt: Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Fred Jackson

Defensive Player of the Year: Darrelle Revis (4 ints; 20 tackles; 10 catches allowed)

In my mind, Revis should have won the award in ’09 when he had one of the best seasons for a corner in recent memory. Instead, the award went to Charles Woodson, who had the “sexy stat” with 9 interceptions. This season, the term “Revis Island” has never been more relevant. He has allowed only 10 catches while shutting down receivers like Brandon Marshall, Vincent Jackson, and Wes Welker. Oh yeah, quarterbacks have a QB rating of 2.9 when passing against Revis. #Dominance. 

Still in the Hunt: DeMarcus Ware, Jared Allen, Charles Woodson, Ndamukong Suh

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Cam Newton (2,369 yards rushing/passing; 15 tds r/p)

Another no brainer. Cam has taken the league by storm, easily the most exciting player to watch in the league right now. The only way he doesn’t win the award is if AJ Green and the Bengals continue to play well and make the playoffs. 

Still in the Hunt: AJ Green, Andy Dalton

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Von Miller (26 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles)

This may be the most intriguing award race of them all. Miller has been a force for the Denver defense, and lone bright spot of the team. Along with Miller, Arizona’s stud cornerback/return man Patrick Peterson and San Francisco linebacker Aldon Smith are both in the race. Smith could get the nod at the end of the season, seeing as San Francisco is the only team of the three that will likely make the playoffs. 

Coach of the Year: Jim Harbaugh (6-1 record)

I got Harbaugh here by a nose to Jim Schwartz of the Lions. What Harbaugh has done, taking a team that was expected by many (including me) to be the worst team in the league and making them a frontrunner to get a bye in the playoffs, is extraordinary. Harbaugh has taken Alex Smith and actually turned him into an NFL quality quarterback. More impressive has been his ability to get the respect of the players that he didn’t even get to meet until early August. A rookie head coach performing like this after a long lockout? Unheard of. 

Still in the Hunt: Jim Schwartz, Bill Belicheck, Mike Tomlin, Marvin Lewis

NFL: Its Time for Tony Romo to Move On

I think, at long last, that it is time for Tony Romo to move on from the Dallas Cowboys. This comes off the heels of the 34-7 spanking that the Cowboys suffered last night at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, the blame for that game is not on Romo; it was one of the worst performances from a defense that I had ever seen. The Cowboys defense made Mike Vick look like the Vick of old, not the one who had seen consistent pressure and arid passes this season. But the focus, as always, will be on Romo. The Dallas media has been more brutal to Romo then the New York media has been on Eli Manning and Mark Sanchez in the past. Ever since becoming the Cowboys starter, Romo has seen showers upon showers of criticism for his play. Not all of it is unwarranted, like the playoff gaffe against the Seahawks in 2006, but Romo has been unfairly blamed for the failures of the Cowboys in the last five years. 

When I look at Romo, I see a quarterback that can and has succeed in the NFL. He’s an accurate passer whose mobility allows him to make plays outside of the pocket. Thus far, Jerry Jones has shown loyalty to Romo, but I see an end on the horizon. A parting of the ways between Romo and the Cowboys will be beneficial to both parties. For Romo, the most important thing for him is a fresh start. The constant bashing and roller coaster ride relationship Romo has been on with the fans of the Cowboys cannot have been a positive factor in his mental ability to perform on the football field. Romo has the skills and the young age to move on to a different team and help them compete. In a less vocal market, Romo could relax and play quarterback at the level that we all know his potential can take him. Imagine Romo on teams like the Seahawks or Dolphins, I truly believe he can thrive and become an even better quarterback than he is right now. 

For the Cowboys, the move would help them as well. Romo is currently under contract until 2014, so he would have to be traded. With the right trading partner, the Cowboys could yield a 1st or 2nd round pick in exchange for the quarterback. With this, the Cowboys could draft a new franchise quarterback, or use the picks to trade for another QB in the league. New England’s backup Brian Hoyer is considered to be among the best unknown talents in the league, for instance. With the “distraction” that Romo’s on the field and off the field actions off the Cowboys, they could focus on the youth and talent that they have on both sides of the ball. Dez Bryant is an athletic freak, while Demarcus Ware is just hitting his prime years as a pass rusher. They have the pieces to succeed, and it could just be that a change at quarterback is just what the team needs to take it to the next level. Looking at the other pieces of the team, coach Jason Garrett is Jones’ golden boy with a high job security. Bryant and Miles Austin aren’t going anywhere. Jason Witten is the teams unquestioned leader, while running back Demarco Murray is starting to emerge as a premier back. 

Romo is without question the best quarterback to play for the Cowboys since Troy Aikman retired. But, the long, conflicting relationship that he’s had with the Cowboys hasn’t helped either side. As we saw with the Carson Palmer-Bengals fiasco, NFL break up’s can be messy. With this situation, it doesn’t have to be. This is the rare case in which both parties will benefit from a change, and all that is left is for the Cowboys and Romo to both see the light. 

NFL: Week Seven Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers (7-0): As you all know, I view Aaron Rodgers as the best quarterback in the NFL. The Packers have a serious chance at running the table for the rest of the season, with the only road blocks ahead being a Thanksgiving day showdown against the Detroit Lions, who have slowed down considerably after a strong start to the year. 

Last Week: #1

2. New England Patriots (5-1): The Patriots defense, which hasn’t been anything to brag about this season, will suffer dramatically with the losses of Leigh Bodden (released) and Ras-I Dowling (IR). I’ve been saying it all season, if you knock around Tom Brady you will beat the Patriots. The defense allows too many big plays, but the Patriots success is linked with the way Brady performs, and not many teams can ever apply the needed pressure to cool him down. 

Last Week: #3

3. New Orleans Saints (5-2): How about that slugfest last Sunday in New Orleans? 62-7, really Indianapolis? Drew Brees is in prime form this year, throwing for 2,477 yards and 18 touchdowns as we near the midway point of the season. More important than Brees has been the staggering performance of tight end Jimmy Graham, who has 5 touchdowns 674 yards receiving so far. 

Last Week: #4

4. Baltimore Ravens (4-2): How ugly was that game Monday night in Jacksonville? I was ranting my ass off at Joe Flacco. The hype he gets is ridiculous, no “elite” quarterback should ever throw for only 8 yards in an entire half like Flacco did in the first half of Monday night. As always, the defense is the heart and soul of the Ravens, but their quick start is getting to look like a time of the past as the Steelers continue to gain momentum within the division. 

Last Week: #2

5. San Francisco 49ers (5-1): San Fran may only need two more wins this year to capture the NFC West title. Instead, they may be heading towards eight more wins and a first round bye. Alex Smith seems to finally be getting it together, and NaVarro Bowman looks like the steal of the first round, he and Patrick Willis are easily the best interior lineman duo in the league. 

Last Week: #5

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2): From unranked last week all the way to 6th this week, that’s been the theme of the Steelers entire season. Completely dominant in one game, flat in the next. The Steelers appear to be getting back on track, and with a huge game against the Patriots this week, they could solidify themselves as an even better team than the one that went to the Super Bowl last year. 

Last Week: Not Ranked

7. New York Giants (4-2): After this week against the Dolphins, the Giants have a stretch through hell in the schedule. Away against New England and San Francisco before playing Philadelphia, New Orleans, Green Bay, Dallas, and the Jets to round out the season. If the Giants can fight through the second half of the year, the Giants may be a top 2 or 3 team in the NFC. On the other hand, they could find themselves out of the playoff hunt all together. 

Last Week: #9

8. Detroit Lions (5-2): Two straight losses and the Lions may already be out of the NFC North race. I do believe that they’ll still make the playoffs, but it will only be if Matt Stafford can stay healthy and keep Calvin Johnson happy. He’s the best wide receiver in football, throw him the ball in the fourth quarter, its as simple as that. 

Last Week: #6

9. San Diego Chargers (4-2): I think the Chargers were truly exposed last week against the Jets. Phillip Rivers is not playing nearly up to his ability, and Ryan Matthews seems to be yet another injury prone running back. On the bright side, Antonio Gates looks to be back for good. Huge, huge game this week against the Chiefs, who have reeled off three straight wins and played the Chargers close in week 3. 

Last Week: #7

10. New York Jets (4-3): Looking back, the reaction to the three straight losses in the beginning of the season may have been a bit dramatic. The Jets got back to what they do best against San Diego, playing great defense and running the ball up the gut. Bye week this week, but then two crucial divisional games against Buffalo and New England. Oh yeah, if Darrelle Revis isn’t in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year, then the entire award is a crock. 

Last Week: Not Ranked 

NFL: Aaron Rodgers Enters the Pantheon

This wasn’t the career that Aaron Rodgers is supposed to have. Nobody had high expectations of Rodgers, but that is the story of his life. A kid who didn’t get a single Division I scholarship after high school isn’t supposed to ever play a down in college, but Rodgers did just that after going to junior college before quarterbacking the Cal Bears in 2003 and 2004. Rodgers did fine at Cal, even considered to be a top pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. But Rodgers wasn’t an early pick, instead he sat in the green room at Radio City Hall and watched as QB-needy teams like Cleveland, Chicago, Arizona, and Kansas City pass him up. Rodgers waited and waited, only to be drafted 24th overall by the Packers, a team that at the time was being led by future hall-of-famer and all american boy Brett Favre. Rodgers rode the pine for three seasons as he watched Favre break the all-time touchdown record and take the Packers to consecutive playoff births. When Favre finally “retired”, it was Rodgers turn. He struggled, as any third year, first time starter would. The Packers went 6-10 that year in 2009, to many of us Rodgers just wasn’t supposed to ever do anything special. Then last year, Rodgers willed the Packers to the playoffs and on into the Super Bowl after barely winning the wild card. Before we knew it, Rodgers had transformed into more than an over-looked quarterback. He was a Super Bowl MVP and star in the league. Now, seven weeks into the 2011 season, Rodgers has become the best quarterback in football. 

For years the pantheon of starting NFL quarterbacks was a two man club. it was always Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, in whatever order was your preference. Yeah, Drew Brees was always a great quarterback but many never had him in the same class as the other two. Last year Rodgers rocketed into the top-10 discussion, but nobody was thinking that he could punch a ticket into the pantheon. Now, Rodgers sits on the throne alone. Manning, although injured and surely out for the year, is still one of the leagues best. Brady has proven time and time again that he won’t lose more than 2-3 games a year, and don’t even think about giving him the ball in the last two minutes. With Rodgers its different. When Rodgers is on the field, you honestly get the feel that he can throw a touchdown or break a big play at any moment. Last week in Minnesota, Rodgers made a play that I had never seen before. Under heavy pressure from Jared Allen, Rodgers scrambled right, then quickly turned around and scrambled left. He sprinted towards the sidelines, his eyes down field the entire time. As Rodgers made his way to the edge of the field, Rodgers, while still on the move, ever so gently leaped off the ground and rocketed a perfectly accurate pass 20 yards downfield into the arms of James Jones. It was absolutely incredible. For Rodgers, it was routine. 

Rodgers is like the love child of all-time great quarterbacks. The mobility of John Elway. The arm of Dan Marino. Accuracy of Manning, and the ice water veins of Brady. He can make the most difficult play seem like a man playing ball against teenagers. This season, Rodgers has thrown just three interceptions to 20 touchdowns. He’s completed 71.5% of his throws, and his lowest QB rating of the season was 111.4 against the Bears. Rodgers’ lowest QB rating his higher than Matt Ryan’s best rating of the season. The only comparable season to Rodgers’ this year is that of Brady in 2007. Brady threw 50 touchdowns and eight interceptions while leading the Patriots to an 18-1 season. Rodgers may not throw for 50 scores this season, but his passing yards, interceptions, and completion percentage all could be better than Brady’s in 2007. 

The scariest thing about Rodgers is that he’s only 27 and has had no history of injury problems. The man is only just entering the prime of his career, and this year could just be a sign of whats yet to come. I’ve been watching football for 15+ years, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a quarterback be able to do the things that Rodgers can do. He can come through in the clutch just like Brady. He can fix broken plays with his feet in the same tenacity that Mike Vick does for the Eagles. Rodgers, to put it simply, is the best in the business, and it is only going to get better from here. 

MLB: The Cardinals Reign Supreme

Wow, what a series. Hats off to the Cardinals, a team that was 10 games back in the division at the end of August. A team that made the playoffs only because the Atlanta Braves pulled off the second worst collapse of the season (looking at you, Red Sox). The Cardinals were a team with pitchers nobody had ever heard of, a superstar who may or may not be with the team next year, and a manager who has been coaching longer than I've been living. To think that a team made up of guys named Freese, Motte, and Rzepczynski made it through the juggernaut Phillies and the scrappy Brewers to get to the World Series. Faced with defeat twice in game 6, only to battle back on their last strikes.

Special congratulations goes to Lance Berkman, a guy who last year looked like he was way over the hill. From Yankee bust to St. Louis hero in a single season. To Albert Pujols, who solidified his career with a second championship, with more on the horizon. And to Tony LaRussa, his face as the final out landed in the glove of Freese was priceless. The fans of the Cardinals, they of the American midwest, who celebrated as a fan base should. This video  says it all. They weren't rioting or burning couches, they celebrated together, with Busch Lights and Budweiser's everywhere. For a postseason that had me completely lose interest in baseball, this World Series reiterated my love for the game, and im not even a Cardinals fan. Here's to the 2011 MLB Champion Cardinals, a team of destiny in all phases. Congratulations, now lets get to 2012 already.  

MLB: The Greatest World Series I Barely Watched

 I won’t lie, I do carry somewhat of an east coast bias for baseball. If the Yankees aren’t playing, I lose interest. If the Red Sox aren’t on for me to root against, I’m probably not watching. That’s why, with apologies to the fans in the midwest, I hadn’t watched a single game of the World Series until last night. 

Before I go off about that epic game 6 Cardinals victory, lets talk about the first five games. I feel ashamed that I haven’t bothered to watch any of the games, games that included a three home-run night for arguably the greatest player of our generation, a shutout performance by a pitcher whose facial hair looks like mine in the 6th grade, and four games that have been decided by two runs or less. This series has had the greatest manager of the last 25 years make a bullpen phone blunder. The opposing manager has had the most excited reactions to run scoring plays that I’ve ever seen. Yeah, I’m only seeing what ESPN shows me of the games, but still. This has been the best World Series since the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees in seven games 10 years ago. Game 6 was the epitome of this series. 

The game was going awful for 7 innings. I wasn’t paying much attention, between shouting friends and games of mario cart, but I caught a couple of horrible blunders by the Cardinals. The Rangers seemed to have the game all locked up, Matt Holliday got picked off at third base with the bases loaded by catcher Mike Napoli....from his knees. This was in the inning after Holliday and Rafael Furcal let a fly ball land right in between them in left field. The score was 7-4 going into the eighth inning. After Allen Craig jacked a solo home run, the Cardinals were down two going into the bottom of the ninth, up against fireballer Neftali Feliz. Albert Pujols ripped a double with one out. Lance Berkman was walked on four straight pitches. Craig struck out swinging. Up came David Freese, the Cardinals last chance to (for now) to extend their season. Freese took a 2-2 pitch and lined it deep to right field. Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz went back for the ball so casually, everyone thought it was going to be caught. As Cruz got closer to the wall, he leaped to make the catch.....and the ball nailed the wall and went rolling back towards the infield. Pujols scored, Berkman scored. Freese into third with a two out, two run triple. Tie ballgame, again. 

At this point the Cardinals held all the momentum in the world. A monumental collapse by the Rangers, who were one strike away from winning the first championship in their 50 year history. Nolan Ryan looked like a grandpa who just found out his grandson couldn’t throw a baseball, he was that mad. Then, in the top of the 10th inning, Josh Hamilton who had had an awful series, rocketed a two run home run to give the Rangers a 9-7 lead. The air seemed to be completely sucked out of Busch Stadium. I thought that the game was lost, that the cinderella Cardinals, who needed the very last game of the regular season to get into the playoffs, were finally at the end of the road. Darren Oliver, he who actually played with Nolan Ryan, came in to close the game out for the Rangers. Single to right, single to shallow left. Pitcher Edwin Jackson goes on deck to pinch hit for fellow pitcher Jason Motte, only to be pinch hit for another pitcher, Kyle Lohse. Lohse plays down the best sacrifice bunt I’d ever seen, all the way to the shortstop. Man on second and third, one out. Ryan Theriot comes up against Scot Feldman, grounding out to third but picking up an RBI along the way. 9-8, two outs, bottom of the 10th. Pujols gets intentionally walked for the fourth time in two games, setting the stage for Big Puma, Lance Berkman. The same Berkman who couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn last year with the Yankees. Berkman gets down to his final strike, and lines a single to center. John Jay scores, were all tied up (again). 

Jason Westbrook, who I could have sworn had been retired for 12 years, came in for the Cardinals and got the Rangers to go down without giving up a run. Bottom of the 11th, up came Freese again. Freese digged in against Mark Lowe, a pitcher who struck out 42 batters in the regular season. I thought this game was going to go all night, it had already taken over four hours to play. Freese took a Lowe fastball and hit it deep to center field. Hamilton went back to the wall, but it was no use. Freese had just sent the Cardinals into tomorrow, with game 7 awaiting on Friday. As the grassy knoll in centerfield was bull rushed by St. Louis fans, Freese sprinted to home plate and got his jersey ripped by his teammates. The Rangers, 25 years after Bill Buckner, had just committed what may be the second worst collapse in World Series history. 

Tonight the Cardinals will send out ace Chris Carpenter, the man who led the team all the way to the series. Holliday is questionable to play with a bum finger, both bullpens are milked from last night. Is there any other way to have a game 7? I may have not watched the first five games of the series, but that’s the beauty of baseball, sometimes you can catch the final game without missing a beat. I’m going to watch game 7, no matter who I’m with or where I am. I suggest you should too. 

NFL: Purdue Quarterbacks in the NFL

Last night, probably the only interesting thing to come out of the Colts-Saints game on NBC was a graphic that came up in the second quarter. The focus was one how Purdue University has produced the most passing yards and touchdowns by quarterbacks in the NFL. Now, Purdue is not short of its accomplishments in the Big Ten with eight conference titles and an 8-7 record in bowl games, but if you were to ask me which division I program has produced the most passing yards and passing touchdowns in NFL history, my first, second, or third guess would not have been the Purdue Boilermakers. 

Yet, the stat rings true. With quarterbacks like Len Dawson (28,711 yards; 239 touchdowns), Bob Griese (25,092; 192), Jim Everett (34,837; 203) and Drew Brees (37,418; 248); Purdue products own the record. When first asked the question, my mind would immediately think of quarterbacks out of big time programs like USC or Notre Dame. However, historically USC has not put out many successful NFL quarterbacks other than Carson Palmer, Mark Sanchez, and Rodney Peete. 

Notre Dame, other than Joe Montana and Joe Theisman, has not put out any successful quarterbacks that even the most devoted NFL fan would recognize. Tennessee had Peyton Manning and nothing much else. Michigan had Tom Brady and Jim Harbaugh. Even Miami, which boasted great NFL quarterbacks like Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, and Vinny Testaverde is behind Purdue on the list. 

At first, seeing Purdue at the top of the list is surprising. However, when thinking about successful quarterbacks in the NFL, many of them come from non-historical programs. Purdue currently has three starters in the league (Brees, Curtis Painter, and Kyle Orton), tied for the most with USC (Palmer, Sanchez, and Matt Cassel). After that, Boston College boasts two starters in Matt Hasselbeck and Matt Ryan. Besides those three programs, every other starting quarterback in the league has come from a different college. 

It’s crazy to look at and think about, but the numbers don’t lie. I really did not think that the Saints-Colts Sunday night game would yield any sort of column, but the fact that an unlikely school like Purdue has produced the most yards and touchdowns by quarterbacks in NFL history is something noteworthy. They may not win any National Championships or even the Big Ten title, but those guys over at Purdue sure do know how to produce quarterbacks. 

NFL: Week 7 Picks

Matchup	Jarboe	Sloth	Matera
Bears (-2) vs Bucs	Bears	Bears	Bears
Redskins vs Panthers (-2.5)	Panthers	Redskins	Redskins
Chargers (-1) vs Jets	Jets	Chargers	Jets
Seahawks vs Browns (-3)	Seahawks	Browns	Browns
Texans vs Titans (-2.5)	Titans	Texans	Texans
Broncos (-2) vs Dolphins	Dolphins	Broncos	Broncos
Falcons vs Lions (-5)	Lions	Falcons	Lions
Chiefs vs Raiders (-4)	Chiefs	Chiefs	Raiders
Steelers (-4) vs Cardinals	Steelers	Steelers	Steelers
Rams vs Cowboys (-14)	Cowboys	Rams	Cowboys
Packers (-10) vs Vikings	Vikings	Packers	Packers
Colts vs Saints (13.5)	Colts	Saints	Colts
Ravens (-9.5) vs Jaguars	Ravens	Ravens	Jaguars
Last Week	7-5-1	5-7-1	6-6-1
Season	44-41-5	43-42-5	42-43-5

NFL: Luck of the Draw

As we sit in week 7 of the NFL season, there are currently three winless teams left in the league; the Miami Dolphins (0-5), the Indianapolis Colts (0-6), and the St. Louis Rams (0-5). While there is still a whole bunch of football to be played and teams with wins still with the possibility of nabbing the first pick in the 2012 draft (what’s up Washington, Seattle, and Arizona?), today we’ll take a look at the three winless teams left in the NFL and evaluate their likelihood of not only getting the first pick, but also of whether or not they would draft star quarterback Andrew Luck out of Stanford. 

Miami Dolphins (0-5, 3 winnable games remaining): There are probably thousands of Dolphins fans that are already licking there lips at the possibility of landing Andrew Luck in the draft (in fact, they even have a "Suck for Luck" campaign circulating Miami). Since Dan Marino retired in 1999, the Dolphins have not had a franchise quarterback lead their team. Instead, guys like Chad Pennington, Chad Henne, Jay Fiedler, Gus Ferotte, and now Matt Moore have been behind center for Miami. Luck provides the “face of the franchise” appeal that the Dolphins have lacked in the past 10+ years. Looking at the remainder of the Dolphins schedule, they have a very good chance to to be on the clock at #1 in April. Of the remaining 11 games in the season, I view only three of them as games that the Dolphins can win; week 7 against Denver, week 9 at Kansas City, and week 10 at home against Washington. The best shot they may have at a victory is actually this week against Denver. If the Dolphins had any strength on the team at all, its on the defense. Cameron Wake is an absolute freak as a pass rusher, and Vontae Davis is a solid corner. Denver comes in with Tim Tebow as the starter, a much more attractive matchup than Kyle Orton. The Broncos are horrible, if the Dolphins have any shot at screwing themselves out of Luck and the number one pick, its this week. 

Chances of landing the first pick: Very High

Chances they draft Luck: Undoubtedly 

St. Louis Rams (0-5, 4 winnable games remaining): The Rams may have the easiest schedule for the rest of the season among the three winless teams. It doesn’t hurt that they play in the NFC West, and with four meetings with Seattle and Arizona remaining, the Rams will have to be really, really bad to remain winless. However, if St. Louis keeps losing and gets the #1 pick, they will have a very interesting scenario on their hands. Two seasons ago, St. Louis drafted Sam Bradford out of Oklahoma with the first overall pick. Now, according to draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. of ESPN, Luck is the highest rated player on his big board since John Elway all the way back in the 80s. Bradford was good coming out of Oklahoma, but he doesn’t have the potential that Luck has. Bradford played well last year and showed that he can play at this level, but if the Rams do end up with the first overall pick, they’ll go one of two routes. The first is shopping around that first pick. If the Saints were willing to part with an entire draft class just to get Ricky Williams, imagine what qb-hungry teams would do for the chance to have Andrew Luck as there starting quarterback. If the Rams don’t get any offers that attract them for that number one pick, then they’ll have to put Bradford out there for a trade. Bradford won’t yield as much as the number one pick, but at this stage in his career and with his high ceiling as a quarterback, he’ll get you at least two number one picks. I’m rooting for this scenario to happen, seeing a team that already has a young, good quarterback sitting in position to take Andrew Luck will make draft day all the more intriguing. 

Chances of landing the first pick: High

Chances they draft Luck: Likely 

Indianapolis Colts (0-6, 2 winnable games remaining): This has been the story everyone has been talking about since Peyton Manning went down for the season. I think its pretty clear to all that the Curtis Painter era won’t last past this season. But, what would the Colts do with the number one pick? More on that later, first it has to be determined if the Colts will even be in position to draft at the number one overall spot. Left on the schedule, I see only two games that Painter and the Colts could potentially win. They do play the Panthers in week 12, but I could see Cam Newton lighting that defense up. The only chance the Colts have to win this season are in their two meetings with division rival Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts play the Jags in week 10 and then again in week 17. With upcoming games against Houston, New England, and Baltimore, the Colts could enter week 17 at 0-15, at the cusp of the number one pick. The Jaguars are easily the weakest team on their schedule, but Blaine Gabbert has come along nicely and they  were able to hold the Steelers to zero second half points last week. Assuming that the Colts finish with the worst record in the league, it would make for a more unbelievable position than that of the Rams potential pickle. You have to presume that Peyton Manning, if fully healthy next year, will be able to compete and be the starter for the franchise he made relevant for another three to four years. So, do the Colts draft Luck and sit him on the bench for four years to learn under an all-time great? Or do they trade that pick for several number one’s and a couple 2011 picks. With those picks, the Colts could rebuild a foundation around Manning and give him more weapons to use. A wild-card scenario is that of the Colts shopping Manning around to the rest of the league. Manning will be 36 the next time he plays football (2012), and his neck injury is a huge red flag. What would it be like for a franchise to shop around their greatest player ever in favor for an unproven, albeit highly gifted, college quarterback? No one really knows what Jim Irsay and the Colts will be thinking in April, but it will sure be something to watch. 

Chances of landing the first pick: Very High

Chances they draft Luck: High (but who really knows)

NFL: Evaluating the Carson Palmer Trade

It has been the story of week 7 in the NFL, and may very well be the story of the year. Early Tuesday morning the Oakland Raiders traded their first round pick in the 2012 draft and a second rounder in the 2013 draft to the Cincinnati Bengals for former starting quarterback Carson Palmer. 

Palmer fell out of favor with the Bengals after demanding a trade in the off-season. When owner Mike Brown refused, Palmer stated that he had more than enough money to live off of, and formally announced his retirement from the Bengals and football. 

The Bengals decided to go a different route at quarterback while still playing a round of staring contest with Palmer, drafting stud wide receiver AJ Green and Andy Dalton in their first two picks of the 2011 draft. Green has put on a phenomenal campaign for Rookie of the Year, hauling in 29 catches for 453 yards and four touchdowns. Dalton rebounded from a shaky preseason to lead the Bengals to a 3-2 record, with 1,311 yards passing and 7 touchdowns to 5 interceptions. 

The Raiders got off to a quick start, moving to 4-2 on the season before quarterback Jason Campbell was lost for the foreseeable future to a broken collarbone. Not showing any faith in backup Kyle Boller, Hue Jackson and the Raiders made the move for Palmer before the trade deadline. Palmer and Jackson are familiar with each other, as Jackson was the Bengals wide receiver coach from 2004 to 2006. Jackson was also the USC offensive coordinator in 1999 and 2000 when Palmer was the starter. 

In looking at the trade, the Bengals are the clear winner. Adding two potential first round picks to an already young and talented team is vital to continuing the development of Dalton and Green on offense. I’m not really sure that Palmer, even at the height of his career with the Bengals, was ever worth two first round picks. The trade leaves the Raiders without a draft pick until the fifth round this year, although they could garner third round compensatory picks for departed tight end Zack Miller. The Raiders already lose a second rounder to the Patriots in the Richard Seymour trade, and a third rounder used in the Supplemental Draft on Ohio State “quarterback” Terrelle Pryor. Pryor clearly isn’t ready to take over as an NFL quarterback, and with Kyle Boller not being a starter since the early 2000s with the Ravens, Palmer was their last option. 

Palmer is relatively young, only 31 years old, but he has had a rich history of injuries. From his knee to his elbow, Palmer is not at the elite level that other 31 year old quarterbacks Tony Romo or Michael Vick. Palmer shouldn’t have trouble adjusting to the Raiders offense, its the same one he had his career year with in 2005 when Jackson was apart of the Bengals coaching staff. 

The real trouble that Palmer is going to have is developing a chemistry with the Raiders receivers. Ever wonder why Tom Brady and Wes Welker seem to be on the same page during every offensive play that the Patriots run? Its because Welker and Brady throw with each other every single day for the past four seasons. Palmer has no history with Jacoby Ford or Darius Heyward-Bey, the Raiders two top wideouts. 

The Raiders are a team of speed, their receivers are at their best when they run down the field and catch bombs. Palmer was never the type of quarterback to toss the ball downfield. Last season his average yards per pass was 6.78, the fourth lowest in his career. Palmer is not going to come into the season and instantly be a force for the Raiders. Last year he threw for 26 touchdowns and 20 interceptions, the latter being the most in his career. Its ignorant to think that Palmer sat on the couch all season and wasn’t working out, but there is a huge difference in tossing around on a local high school field and practicing with an NFL team. 

The Raiders are in a win now mode. They’re in prime position to make the playoffs this year, with the AFC West not being a powerhouse. Palmer and the Raiders first test is against the Chiefs, a team thats giving up 30 points per game. The Chargers are 4-1 this season, but have down so against very bad teams, with victories over the Chiefs, Broncos, Dolphins, and Vikings. If Palmer can come into the Raiders and successfully hand the ball off to Darren McFadden and occasionally be able to pick up the third and longs, the Raiders will be in a good spot. 

The trade is indefensible if your the Raiders. Your not getting a healthy quarterback with a strong arm in the prime of his career. Palmer has never been the same since tearing his ACL in the playoffs against the Steelers. I, for one, am rooting for Palmer and the Raiders. He wasn’t worth a first round pick, let alone two, but he could be just the quarterback that the Raiders need right now. 

MLB: World Series Preview

Did anybody really expect to see a Fall Classic with the Cardinals and Rangers? The two teams won their respected divisions in compeltely different ways. The Rangers did it with the power of Nelson Cruz, the Cardinals won on the superb bullpen pitching and solid starts from Chris Carpenter, not to mention that guy Albert Pujols.

This really is a hard series to judge, and not to be mean but with two boring teams playing, it isn't very marketable. However, this series has the potential to go down as a classic; we don't always need to have the Yankees, Red Sox, or Phillies in it to have a good time (remember last year?).

Looking at the two squads, they are really quite similar. Both teams have tremendous star power. The Cardinals have the best player in baseball, Albert Pujols. The Rangers have superstar Josh Hamilton, not to mention emerging star Nelson Cruz.

With both teams possessing extreme power in the middle of the lineups, this series is going to come down to the pitching. If CJ Wilson can give the Rangers two quality starts at the beginning and end of the series, they'll be in a great position to win their first ever World Series. However, the NLCS proved that the Cardinals do not need  great starting pitching performance to win. That bullpen is among the deepest the league has seen in years, from Marc Rzepcynksi to Jason Motte.


The Cardinals were able to shut down Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun in six games, the bullpen should be able to do the same with Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, and Michael Young. 


It's going to be a great series, even if it isn't the sexiest matchup. Cardinals win in 7 games. 

NFL: Week Six Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers (6-0): Aaron Rodgers and the Packers had the most deceiving 24-3 victory last week against the Rams. Rodgers threw for 300+ yards for the fourth time this season, but the defense gave up 424 total yards from St. Louis. Green Bay goes into week 7 as the best team in the league right now, gearing up for the 1-5 Minnesota Vikings, where rookie Christian Ponder makes his first pro start. 

Last Week: #1

2. Baltimore Ravens (4-1): Baltimore came out of their bye week and defeated the Houston Texans 29-14. Joe Flacco threw for 304 yards and Ray Rice rushed for another 101 yards, but the offense only put up one touchdown along with five field goals courtesy of Billy Cundiff. The Baltimore defense held Houston, who was without Andre Johnson again this week, to only 293 yards of total offense. The Baltimore defense remains the strong point of the team, and with the Patriots and Saints looking decent at best this week, the Ravens have leapfrogged back into the top-2. 

Last Week: #4

3. New England Patriots (5-1): If it weren’t for the most vanilla play calling on the Cowboys second to last offensive drive of the game, the Patriots may have suffered their second loss of the season. The New England defense looked spotty again this week, giving up 300 yards passing to Tony Romo. However, just as in years past, the Patriots won the battle in the two-minute drill, with Tom Brady driving the team down field before connecting with Aaron Hernandez on the game winning 8 yard touchdown pass. Dallas proved again that if you can knock down Brady and apply pressure, the Patriots are not as dominant as they seem. Unfortunately, that needs to happen for 60 minutes of play not 58, because if you put the Pats in position to win the game in the last two minutes, they’ll beat you every time. 

Last Week: #3

4. New Orleans Saints (4-2): How devastating could it be to lose your head coach in the first quarter to an MCL injury? In the case of the Saints, pretty devastating. Coach Sean Payton is the head signal caller for the Saints offense, and when he left the game the offense faltered. He was not responsible for the fourth down end zone interception Drew Brees threw into the arms of safety Quincy Black, but losing your head coach and play caller really does affect the performance of a team. The Saints loss to Tampa Bay was brutal, as now the two teams stand atop the NFC South at 4-2.

Last Week: #2

5. San Francisco 49ers (5-1): I’m not even going to get into the post-game shouting match between Jim Harbuagh and Jim Schwartz, just know that I would not want to go toe-to-toe with Harbaugh. The 49ers defense was spectacular on Sunday, holding Calvin Johnson to zero touchdown catches, and the Lions never even looked his way on their last two drives when it mattered most. When losing 10-0 early, the 49ers stuck to their guns and ran Frank Gore up and down the field. If the defense and running game can remain dominant and Alex Smith continue to play smart football, the 49ers could be on their way to a first round bye in the playoffs. 

Last Week: #9

6. Detroit Lions (5-1): How badly does America want to see the Lions and 49ers meet up again in the playoffs? The game was not pretty, sloppy play on offense by Matt Stafford and the rest of the Lions, but these two teams are good. The 49ers proved that if you can take Calvin Johnson out of the game, the Lions aren’t going to dominate you. If Johnson and Stafford can get back in a groove for the rest of the year, the Lions will be able to walk into the playoffs. 

Last Week: #5

7. San Diego Chargers (4-1): Week 7 will prove whether or not the Chargers are overrated. On the season, the San Diego four victories came against teams with a combined win total of four (Denver, Miami, Minnesota, and Kansas City). The Chargers were only able to beat those teams by an average margin of 6 points. This Sunday against the Jets could expose San Diego, especially if Vincent Jackson is on Revis Island and tight end Antonio Gates still nurses his toe injury. 

Last Week: #6

8. Oakland Raiders (4-2): The Raiders were so devastated by the collarbone injury to starting quarterback Jason Campbell that they traded away two first round picks to Cincinnati for Carson Palmer this morning. What this shows is that Hue Jackson and the silver and black are fighting to make the playoffs this season. If Palmer can come in and be accurate enough to make some plays when the Raiders aren’t running it with Darren McFadden, then they’ll be able to do just that. 

Last Week: #10

9. New York Giants (4-2): The Giants were able to bounce back nicely this week with a 27-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills after losing to Seattle last week. The emergence of Jason Pierre-Paul on the defensive line as allowed Giants fans to forget about all the injuries the unit has had this year. They now find themselves atop the mediocre NFC East at 4-2, with key games against New England and San Francisco on the horizon. 

Last Week: Not Ranked

10. Buffalo Bills (4-2): The slipper may be falling off the foot of the Bills this year. The defense got exposed Sunday against the Giants. All year we’ve seen them make big plays on interception returns for touchdowns in key moments, but the Buffalo defense just is not that good. They enter an extremely tough stretch in the coming weeks that could determine their playoff fates, with games against Washington, the Jets, Dallas, Miami and then the Jets again. 

Last Week: #8

Honorable Mentions: Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2, beat Jacksonville 17-10), Washington Redskins (3-2, lost to Philadelphia 20-13), New York Jets (3-3, beat Miami 24-6) Cincinnati Bengals (4-2, beat Indianapolis 27-17)