Top 12 Stories of 2010 NFL Regular Season

This NFL season has been a season of ups and downs and more drama than the Jersey Shore seasons combined.  Formerly quiet teams have been making a name for themselves.  From the upset of the New England Patriots by the Cleveland Browns, it didn’t stop the brass from firing Eric Mangini by the end of the season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers establishing themselves a rushing team with LeGarrette Blount.  The New Orleans Saints establishing themselves as a more balanced team with running back Chris Ivory demonstrating his running prowess.  The stories about teams this season could fill more than a book, but I will list the top 12 drama-filled events of the NFL season.

Coach Raheem Morris and the Rise of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers almost made the playoffs, and they won against the New Orleans Saints 23-13.  Astounding in of itself.  Raheem Morris got his team to a 10-6 record, and he had shown his pride for his team in the locker room after their win against the Saints.  They have the template to build on for next season, and they should remain contenders.  With the potent running back LeGarrette Blount making his mark in the last few games with four 100+ yard games during the season and over 1,000 yards rushing over the entire season,  he has the potential to be an elite running back within the next few years. And with quarterback Josh Freeman, he scored at least a touchdown in nearly every game he played and ended with a fairly high 95.9 quarterback rating and 25 touchdowns to end the season.  With only 6 interceptions the entire season, he has the potential to be an elite quarterback as he has the touch to get it to his explosive wide receiver Mike Williams and the ever-steady tight end Kellen Winslow. This has the makings of a balanced team with a variety of threats.  

Coach Jason Garett of the Dallas Cowboys Brings the Team Redemption

After the disappointing losses by their former head coach Wade Phillips in the beginning of the season, interim coach Jason Garrett has earned his position as head coach into next season after undergoing formalities with owner Jerry Jones in the upcoming weeks.  With the devastating loss of 45-7 by the hands of Green Bay Packers, former coach Wade Phillips soon lost his job.  The loss of Tony Romo by the New York Giants in week 7 didn’t help things either.  With Garrett’s strict discipline and encouragement, he developed the Dallas Cowboys backfield of Felix Jones, Marion Barber and Tashard Choice into a three-headed dragon that had to be stopped. With Jon Kitna at the helm, he ended the season with above-average statistics of 88.9 quarterback rating and 16 touchdowns. This has become America’s Team once again, and Garrett has brought redemption to the once-broken team under Phillips. 

Michael Vick‘s Historical Romp of the Washington Redskins

Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Washington Redskins 59-28 in week 10 of the regular season.  He threw for 333 yards and 4 touchdowns.  He also rushed against the Redskins defense for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Vick ended the game with a stunning 150.7 quarterback rating.  But this game gave a foreboding of Michael Vick’s nature.  True, he is a mobile quarterback, but he’s far from a durable one.  And he nearly got a rude awakening with the Minnesota Vikings. 

Darren McFadden of the Oakland Raiders Breaks Out

Darren McFadden of the Oakland Raiders breaks out his third season in the league, but he could not help Tom Cable.  McFadden ended the season with 1,152 yards, 7 touchdowns and averaged 5.2 yards per carry.  Ultimately, he ended 12th in terms of rushing yardage. 

Cleveland Browns Peyton Hillis Breaks Out

Peyton Hillis had a stunning season after being acquired from the Denver Broncos.  With his strong legs, he absolutely dominated the Carolina Panthers with 3 touchdowns on 131 yards.  Finally, he ended the season with 1,177 yards, 11 touchdowns and averaged 4.4 yards per carry.  He had the same number of touchdowns as Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans, and he ultimately was ranked 11th in terms of rushing yardage.  But he could not save Eric Mangini, and Mangini was released after their last game, a devastating 41-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.    

Arian Foster of the Houston Texans Establishes a Balanced Offense

Arian Foster of the Houston Texans has given this Houston Texans offense the balance it needs.  However, their quarterback Matt Schaub flustered during the season, and he failed to play as he did for the past few seasons. Arian Foster devastated the charts this season.  He ended the season 1st in terms of rushing yards and touchdowns.  The Texans still have a potent offense, and with Foster, they can build on this underperforming season.  

The Year of Head Coaches and the Unemployment Line

This has not been the year for head coaches.  With Dallas Cowboys Wade Phillips, Minnesota Vikings Brad Childress, Denver Broncos Josh McDaniels and San Francisco 49ers Mike Singletary let go, some were nearly terminated at season’s end.  Cincinnati Bengals Marvin Lewis, Houston Texans Gary Kubiak and Tennessee Titans Jeff Fisher escaped the axe.  But Cleveland Browns Eric Mangini and Carolina Panthers John Fox simply could not.  Most were fired from their teams underperforming during the season.  Some from the drama that found itself in the locker room, like Brad Childress and his confrontation with Brett Favre.  But those that are left are on a very short leash for next season.  

Brett Favre’s Stergergate

Originally, a sexting escape involving Brett Favre and former New York Jets hostess Jenn Sterger has developed into something bigger.  But this was partially what may have sparked Brett Favre to finally declare retirement.  This caused such a rift between him and his wife Deanna that Deanna had to go to national television to somewhat defend his husband.  But this has not been the season for anything related to the New York Jets, as more drama came their way.

Brett Favre’s Final Final Final Retirement

Will this be it?  Without Brad Childress to get him back, his poor quarterback play this season and the whirlwind drama continuing and revolving around him and his family, I think this may be it.  The media frenzy won’t be focused on Favre next season.  Instead it will be focused on young Joe Webb and quite possibly Tarvaris Jackson…maybe.

The New York Jets Tripgate

The Wall of Alosi to trip Miami Dolphins gunner Nolan Carroll caused the fall of Sal Alosi for the New York Jets.  However, head coach Rex Ryan denied any involvement in such an affair.  Again, the New England Patriots were indicted as the forebearer of this technique.  And again, with Alosi’s release and more drama revolving around the Jets, this affair came on the backburner but not without ramifications. The NFL issued rules regarding sideline behavior and began an investigation into the incident.

The Denver Broncos Spygate II

Denver Broncos filming of the practice of the San Francisco 49ers in London ultimately cost Josh McDaniels and the film director Steve Scarnecchia their jobs.  McDaniels said he learned it while with the New England Patriots.  But it all went the way of whispers as he was fired.  Thereafter, the Denver Broncos Kyle Orton suffered an end-season collapse, and their backup Tim Tebow ultimately became a starter.

Minnesota Vikings Metrodome Collapses Under Snow

The Metrodome collapsed under 17 inches of snow on December 12, 2010 after a horrible blizzard.  This forced the Minnesota Vikings to play at Ford Field and TCF Bank Stadium where they were handed losses.  The video footage of the collapse was watched everywhere, as a small tear exploded and pounds of snow fell upon the field.  Now the stadium is undergoing repair, and the repair won’t begin until March.  This will spell ramifications far and wide for the Minnesota Vikings next season, if the repair takes longer than expected.

Tuesday Night Football!

The Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings played a game Tuesday night for week 16.  The Eagles fans gathered around the Linc, but what they didn’t expect Joe Webb — nor they did gameplan for Adrian Peterson to strike hard against their defense.  After enduring coaching changes and stadium changes, Webb got a stunning win over the Eagles 24-14.  With Michael Vick contending with injuries and Vikings blitzes, it was not his day.  Mortality of this Pro Bowler struck hard, as he had a thigh injury. 

Seattle Seahawks Wins Division with Losing Record And Enters Playoffs

This has been one weird season, and with Pete Carroll as coach, the Seattle Seahawks win their final game of the regular season against the St. Louis Rams and get into the playoffs.  They won their division, had a losing record and somehow reached the playoffs. However, they face the New Orleans Saints as the underdog and understandably so.  The Seahawks fans are hoping for a Cinderella team, but they are against some tough odds against this Saints team.  Despite the injuries, much like the Indianapolis Colts, Sean Payton and Drew Brees found ways to win the game. This will still be a historical Cinderella story, but it may be cut short a bit to quickly.  

Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings: The End of an Era…and the Drama (Perhaps)

Since Brett Favre of the Minnesota Vikings had already sat out for the two games against the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles, it appeared that his time had ended.  Although he did play against the Chicago Bears, he was buried in the first quarter after getting drilled into the ground by Corey Wootton.  It was a short-lived start for this once great quarterback.  Now he has declared retirement this time around after the game against the Detroit Lions, and without Brad Childress to retrieve him out of retirement, this time may be indeed permanent.

Brett Favre has been the center of drama this season yet again. The texting and possible indecent photos sent to former Jets hostess Jenn Sterger caused a rift in his family again, and it sparked the NFL to conduct investigations into the matter.   Presently, the NFL fined $50,000 for non-cooperation in the case and surprisingly, even at this late in the season, they did not issue a suspension for Favre.  I agree with Kevin Seifert of ESPN that if this case was pressing to Jenn Sterger, she should have pursued it much earlier and asked the NFL to conduct its investigation soon after it occurred.  However, the impact has been felt by Favre’s family for over three months now, at least.  His wife Deanna Favre attempted to defend Favre on Good Morning, America in October, but the issue hasn’t quite been resolved until now.

Brett Favre and his wife Deanna have dealt with personal issues in the past before. In 2004, Favre had to deal with the deaths of his father and his brother-in-law, Casey Tynes.  Later that year, Deanna Favre was diagnosed with breast cancer, and soon she created The Deanna Favre Hope Foundation to support breast cancer education and breast imaging and diagnosis services for women.  Earlier in his life, in 1995,  Brett Favre developed an addiction to vicodin and later to alcohol.  With both, Deanna Favre stood by him during these harsh times.

Professionally, Favre had to deal with switching teams from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets to ultimately the Minnesota Vikings and their head coach Brad Childress.  The first problem with the Green Bay Packers was finally the hindering of Aaron Rodgers from taking over the starting position as quarterback, as Brett Favre shifted in and out of retirement in 2008.  With the New York Jets, in late 2009, he declared that he was finally retiring again, and he was fined $125,000 for an unreported injury by the New York Jets organization.  With the Minnesota Vikings, it appears that he has finally ended his career permanently.  With Favre on the sidelines in the games against the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions, Favre has been contending with injuries.  The most current injury is a serious concussion, dealt by the Chicago Bears.  At that time, Vikings interim coach Leslie Frazier said that he did not want to risk further injury to Favre.  And it appears to be the end — with rookie Joe Webb demonstrating that he’s more than capable of being a quarterback.

If this is the final game of Brett Favre’s NFL career as a quarterback, he has been record-setting on many statistics.  He will be the only quarterback to throw 71,838 total yards, the only quarterback to throw 508 touchdowns, the only quarterback to have 10,169 attempts, the only quarterback with 6,300 completions and lastly, the only quarterback with 336 interceptions.  A Hall of Famer maybe who has finally realized it’s time to hang up the gloves.

My 6 New Year’s Resolutions for the NFL: The New Year’s Hangover Edition

This has been one crazy season, but the dominant teams have risen to the top at the close of the season.  With the New England Patriots being the cream of the crop, other teams follow, with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Chicago Bears, the Atlanta Falcons, the Pittsburgh Steelers among others.  Additionally, viewership for the NFL has been at a high.  However, this has not been the season without its flaws.  Here are my top 6 New Year’s resolutions for the NFL:

Impose Suspension from the Game Immediately for Blatant Hits

While NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth isn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the toolshed, as he even admits, he was correct regarding this.  If a player gets immediate suspension from the game, should he blatantly commit a helmet-to-helmet hit or late hit, it would have a more direct effect on the player and the team on the whole.  The fines after the fact do serve to refrain the player after that game, however.  Pittsburgh Steeler‘s James Harrison has finally stopped after his final talk with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his fines now totaling $100,000 on his four hits. If Harrison was possibly suspended earlier on, perhaps it wouldn’t take three more hits to directly affect his behavior.

Bring More Coaches on the Hotseat

Well, this has been the season of firing for head coaches.  With Wade Phillips of the Dallas Cowboys, it took a day of brooding before owner Jerry Jones finally released Phillips.  With Josh McDaniels of the Denver Broncos, it took the development of Spygate II involving the taping of the San Francisco 49ers in London and the Broncos record to release him.  Now Eric Mangini of the Cleveland Browns rests his fate with Mike Holmgren…

However, with the firing of most of these coaches, the complexion of their respective teams have changed with it.  Generally, it has been good.  With the Cowboys, Jeff Garrett has given the Cowboys a competitive team with Jon Kitna, at least prior to Kitna’s injury, and a balanced offense with Marion Barber and Felix Jones running.  And with the Minnesota Vikings, the change from Brad Childress to Leslie Frazier has also brought change in their potential quarterback from Brett Favre to Joe Webb.  Webb admittedly demonstrated against the Philadelphia Eagles that he was more than capable of running this offense.  Now should Brett Favre to finally retire permanently, this should give Webb an opportunity to prove himself.  As a result of these firings, creative use of available players have given these teams chances.

With these firings, the only downside is stability of the teams for the long-term.  The development of rookie quarterbacks, in particular, will take a hit from constant change in coaches, as San Francisco 49ers Alex Smith can testify.

Conclude the Collective Bargaining Agreement Early

There are many issues being thrown about in this collective bargaining agreement for the next NFL season.  From the length of the regular season to limitation of rookie wages, this discussion could last some time.  Optimistically, it should be reached as soon as the Super Bowl ends.  But optimism can only count for so much.

Deal with the Flooding of Former Starting Quarterbacks (in 2011)

With all these backup quarterbacks proving themselves at least to be decent managers of the game, next season should be potentially interesting, should there be trades made.  With former Chicago Bears and now present starter for the Washington Redskins Rex Grossman, he had a great game against the Dallas Cowboys and an average game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Now with Donovan McNabb to be released to some other team, it could be a sight to see where he lands up.

This has been the year of the backup quarterback with starters often hurt.  Other times, like with the 49ers, it was the combination of the injury and pure gambling.  The most notable current success being Joe Webb and whether he can continue his success against the Detroit Lions. Now, with all these former starters potentially flooding the market, there could be one heck of a shakeup for next season.

Place the Pro Bowl After the Super Bowl

I realize that Roger Goodell thought it was a brilliant idea last year, but it really isn’t.  Other than copping merchandise, and seeing players that you might not otherwise see, the idea of placing the Super Bowl before the Pro Bowl is really fundamentally unsound.  Since players might be injured before the Pro Bowl, most likely, quite a few won’t be able to start.  As said before, this is a great device for selling NFL jerseys and merchandise, but the timing of it is plain horrible.  They should schedule the Pro Bowl after the Super Bowl like in the past.  Perhaps there will be less viewership, but there will be more of the selected players actually playing. 

No More NFL Network

Three major competing networks with this one being the last to join the party in the season.  Why do the fans need this kind of agony?  I know the NFL wants money, but they should give the fans a break on this one and cut the NFL Network loose. 

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Minnesota Vikings: NFL Week 16 Post-Game Analysis

After the blizzard that hit the East Coast with more than 12 to 16 inches of snow in Philadelphia, this game was delayed until today.  This has given the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings a bit more time to prepare, but it has shortened their weeks for the final game of the regular season. And with Joe Webb starting in place of Brett Favre for the Minnesota Vikings, this should have been an easy game for the Philadelphia Eagles, but it didn’t transform into such an easy game.

Now to the post-game analysis:

• Young Joe Webb is a pretty solid quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings.  He just lacks touch right now, and he has a rifle-arm when necessary.  He might be competing with Tarvaris Jackson for the starting job next season and might not remain a potential wideout for the Vikings.
• Joe Webb’s rushing score in the third quarter was amazing to give the Vikings a 17-7 lead.
• Michael Vick is still getting hit due to the mediocre Philadelphia Eagles offensive line. And hits equal interceptions like the second half of this game shown. So far there have been several interceptions that should have been caught by the Vikings. Even more there were two fumbles by Michael Vick in this game that were costly, most likely the result of the constant hits and the constant pressure by the Vikings.
• The first fumble by Michael Vick in the end of the second half recovered by Antoine Winfield was critical and needed for the Minnesota Vikings.  The field goal gave the Vikings a 10-7 lead. The second fumble near the end of the third quarter luckily didn’t count for a score, but it did cost the Eagles time of possession.
• The Minnesota Vikings slowed the game down like other opponents, such as the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys. Smart, very smart.
• Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is still one heck of a running back, even contending with injuries.
• Eagles Asante Samuel’s helmet-to-helmet hit on Vikings’ Sidney Rice was costly. It led to Joe Webb’s rushing score. And quite possibly a fine by the NFL sometime either this week or next week for Samuel.
• Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen was heavily involved in getting in Michael Vick’s pocket.
• Michael Vick begun using all his weapons in recent weeks. At least he’s beginning to understand that a balanced offense is much more dangerous, like the New England Patriots.
• Vick has yet another rushing touchdown, breaking his old record with the Atlanta Falcons.  Again, LeSean McCoy has yet another potential touchdown stolen.

This was one good game for the Vikings, and a simply amazing upset with a score of 24-14.  Interim Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier may have found a way to retain his job for the upcoming season, and rookie Joe Webb may have found his new position for next season.  Webb demonstrated he was great at managing the game, and Adrian Peterson certainly helped him. For the Eagles, they have lost their chance of having a bye week into the playoffs.  If the Eagles can pull the New York Giants road trip success a few years back, it would be phenomenal.  Unfortunately, they lack David Tyree and his miracle helmet.

The Mess at the Minnesota Vikings’ Metrodome: The Grinch Edition

In Minnesota, when it snows, it pours.  The Metrodome ‘s roof collapsed under nearly 17 inches of snow and forced the home team of the Minnesota Vikings to first play in Detroit on Ford Field and then on University of Minnesota TCF Bank Stadium‘s frozen field.  Unfortunately, neither game went well for them, and each one brought on more disastrous results.

The first game was a disastrous loss against the New York Giants at Ford Field. The tandem of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw ran all over them with a total of 219 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks caught for 96 yards on them.  The Vikings loss was only 21-3, but it hit them hard.  Vikings quarterback Brett Favre sat on the sidelines while his backup Tarvaris Jackson got pounded into injured reserve following the game.

The next game against the Chicago Bears at TCF Bank Stadium was even worse.  Brett Favre started and was soon crushed by Chicago Bears Corey Wootton with a concussion.  Running back Adrian Peterson sat out to nurse his thigh injury, and Toby Gerhart took over.  Chicago Bears Devin Hester made history with his 14th career return touchdown. Bears running back Matt Forte ran for 92 yards.  And well, the Vikings lost horribly 41-14, and the Bears clinched their division.

Fortunately, for them, they still continue on their road trip while their stadium goes under repair.  Unfortunately, it is against the visceral Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.  Both will bring on disastrous results for the Vikings as Brett Favre is going to be out for the rest of the season and Adrian Peterson is nursing injuries.  With Joe Webb at the helm, it’s going to be the end of the Vikings.  Interim coach Leslie Frazier may be lucky to escape being fired…or not.

Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Joe Webb: Fantasy Football X-Factor

If you’re this desperate, then you must have already felt that you have won the fantasy football Super Bowl.  While Green Bay Packers backup Matt Flynn showed some surprises with 3 touchdowns against the tough New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings backup Joe Webb may not show such promise.  Being the third option quarterback after both Brett Favre and Tarvaris Jackson being injured and now facing the Philadelphia Eagles blitz packages after facing the New York Giants and the Chicago Bears defenses.  In both games, he hasn’t scored a touchdown and 2 interceptions.  Now he has an average 39.3 quarterback rating.  I wouldn’t gamble a 39.3 rating even against the Eagles 21st-ranked passing defense. But there’s a minimal glimmer of hope.  If Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler can occasionally play as an elite quarterback, Webb might have a small chance of winning against the Eagles. The only possibly good game Webb may have is against the Detroit Lions, but even that’s a risky play.  Unfortunately, Webb should remain waiver wire fodder unless he can demonstrate against the Eagles that he’s more than capable.  If he does, he’s no more than a low-end QB2 at best against the Lions.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Minnesota Vikings: NFL Week 16 Pre-Game Analysis

With the Minnesota Vikings Metrodome still under repair from the blizzard, the Vikings may find it somewhat unfortunate to be playing elsewhere, but unfortunately, they are facing an explosive Eagles offense attempting to clinch a berth in the playoffs.  This will not fare well for incoming Vikings with an injured Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson coming into Lincoln Financial Field.

Quarterbacks

Whether it’s Brett Favre or Joe Webb of the Minnesota Vikings as quarterback, it’s not going to bode well for the Vikings in this game either, after losses to the New York Giants and the Chicago Bears.  Vikings quarterback Brett Favre has 11 touchdowns, 19 interceptions and a lowly 69.9 quarterback rating.  Joe Webb is no better with 0 touchdowns, 2 interceptions and an even lower 39.9 rating. Meanwhile, Michael Vick has been pretty much the Eagles offense.  He has 20 touchdowns, 5 interceptions and a 103.6 quarterback rating.  However you take it, it’s a huge edge for Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Running Backs

Adrian Peterson, the Vikings running back, has 11 touchdowns, 1,149 yards rushing and averaging 4.7 yards per carry.  However, he was out for the Chicago Bears, and Toby Gerhart took over his place.  He was quite successful on the ground nonetheless with 77 yards on the ground and averaging 4.8 yards per carry.  LeSean McCoy has 1,036 yards rushing, 7 touchdowns and averaging 5.4 yards per carry.  However, Michael Vick has 613 yards rushing, 8 touchdowns and averaging 6.7 yards per carry.  The Eagles and unfortunately, the quarterback/running back Michael Vick, get the rushing edge.

Wide Receivers

The Eagles wide receivers Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson have a combined total yardage of 1,914, 16 touchdowns and averaging 18.4 yards per reception.  The Vikings wide receivers Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice have a combined 963 passing yards, 7 touchdowns and averaging 14.5 yards per reception. The edge goes to the Eagles on this one.

Tight Ends

The Eagles tight end Brent Celek has 414 yards, 4 touchdowns and averaging 12.9 yards per reception.  Meanwhile, the Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe has 485 yards, 2 touchdowns and averaging 11.5 yards per reception.  The edge goes to the Vikings, as they will use him more under Joe Webb or Brett Favre, although the current statistics say otherwise.

Defenses

The Minnesota Vikings defense is ranked 10th against the pass and 8th against the run.  Although currently, the Vikings defense has given lots of yardage to running backs of the New York Giants and the Chicago Bears.  The Eagles defense is ranked 21st against the pass and 11th against the run.  With the depleted defense and the Eagles relying on their offense to carry the game, the defense has been under-performing.  However, they will face Joe Webb or Brett Favre. Either option will give the Eagles defense the edge.

Coaches/Intangibles

Eagles head coach Andy Reid has been relying on explosive plays from his wide receivers and Michael Vick to win games.  However, coach Leslie Frazier is still a run-first coach, and his offensive playmakers are suffering through injuries.  The Eagles get the edge.

The Edge

Not going to be good for the Vikings — 41-7 Philadelphia Eagles.  The Minnesota Vikings will be able to score first, but they won’t be able to compete with this offense. 

Minnesota Vikings Wide Receiver Sidney Rice: Fantasy Football X-Factor

For those who have been waiting on Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Sidney Rice early on this season, it is about time that Rice has finally returned for the Vikings. However, he came at an inopportune time.  After he had success with the Buffalo Bills on 105 yards and 2 touchdowns, Brett Favre suffered an injured shoulder as well as numbness and tingling in his hands.  That does not bode well for Sidney Rice or any of the Vikings receivers down the stretch, as it means a serious nerve injury and potentially career-ending for Favre.  With Tavaris Jackson also injured, it now leaves the Minnesota Vikings with rookie Joe Webb and potentially free agent Patrick Ramsey in their game against the Chicago Bears. At this point, Rice and the receiving corps are in desperate trouble. He is no better than a WR2, but with the way the season is about to conclude, he could potentially become a WR3 or waiver wire fodder.  Head coach Leslie Frazier should heavily lean on Adrian Peterson the rest of the way out with Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions on the schedule.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants: NFL Week 15 Pre-Game Analysis

After the Minnesota Vikings‘ Metrodome collapsed under 17 inches of snow from a severe blizzard, the game was moved from Minnesota to Detroit at Ford Stadium.  This has been a disruptive affair for both teams, but the New York Giants appeared to get the worst of it.  However, they endured and won over a headless Minnesota Vikings team without Brett Favre.  Two things now stack against the Giants team: the loss of a day of rest and the easy game against the Vikings. Now to the pre-game analysis:

Quarterbacks

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick had 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions against the Dallas Cowboys.  However, if not for DeSean Jackson‘s 91-yard touchdown run, the game would have remained quite close.  The Cowboys have finally perfected the formula that the New York Giants originally created and contained Vick for much of the game.  Michael Vick currently has a 104.3 quarterback rating on 17 touchdowns, 4 interceptions and 2,513 passing yards. Meanwhile, on the New York Giants end of the scale, Eli Manning has a 92.1 rating on 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.  However, Manning has not playing fantastic over the last few games.  He’s had 6 interceptions over the Giants last four games. And the Philadelphia Eagles defense won’t get any easier. The Eagles clearly get the edge in this one.

Running Backs

The Eagles’ LeSean McCoy has 972 yards,  7 touchdowns and averaging 5.3 yards per carry to date.   Note that Michael Vick has nearly half the rushing yardage of McCoy and 7 touchdowns as well.  No wonder the NFL referees still consider him a running back-quarterback.  The Giants’  Brandon Jacobs has 282 yards, 5 touchdowns and 4.9 yards per carry.  Jacobs has been hot lately with two consecutive 100+ yard games and 3 touchdowns between them. I think Jacobs and the Giants have the edge in this game since the Giants will most likely resort to the run to stall Vick and the Eagles from entering the field.

Wide Receivers

The Philadelphia Eagles tandem of DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin have been devastating together. They have a combined 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns between them. They are averaging combined about 18.9 yards per reception.  Meanwhile, the New York Giants receivers of Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks have a combined 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns between them.  However, the Giants receivers are averaging about 13 yards per reception between them.  The Eagles get the edge in terms of pure long yardage threats.

Tight Ends

Condundrum for the Philadelphia Eagles on this one…Eagles tight end Brent Celek has been getting more involved lately, but he still only has 342 yards, 3 touchdowns and 11.4 yards per reception since last game.  The Giants tight end Kevin Boss has 443 yards, 4 touchdowns and 14.8 yards per reception.  Although Vick should lean toward Celek more in this game, Eli Manning should do the same but with actual intention of gaining yardage rather than token passes.  The Giants get the large edge in this one.

Defenses

The aggressive New York Giants defense is ranked 2nd in pass and 5th in rush. The Giants defense pounded Brett Favre’s replacement, Tarvaris Jackson, last game, sending him to the sidelines in the third quarter and last few seconds of the fourth quarter.  On the opposite end, the Philadelphia Eagles defense ranked 17th in the pass and 11th against the rush.  On the downside, the Eagles offensive line is still mediocre at best.  The Giants defense may be running on fumes, but they are also inspired from the Vikings game.  The Giants get a huge edge, and they pose a severe threat to Michael Vick’s health in this game.

Coaches/Intangibles

Eagles coach Andy Reid is still running his pass-first offense, and Giants coach Tom Coughlin is running his running-based game, with some balanced passing attack.  The Eagles get the edge on coaches. But then there’s the Giants defense…If there’s a game to fear for Michael Vick, it’s this one.  Even with disruptions for the Vikings game, they still sidelined another quarterback — even momentarily. Vick won’t get no reprieve.    The Giants get a large edge overall.

The Edge

The edge goes to the Giants in a close game, I think. 20-17 New York Giants for the simple reason that the Dallas Cowboys have finally perfected the Giants original formula to stop Vick, and now the Giants will improve the formula once again.  I think Vick may suffer a serious injury in this game due to the aggression of the Giants defense, and Kevin Kolb may make his return.

Minnesota Vikings Brett Favre Blasted by the Buffalo Bills: It’s Time for Tarvaris Jackson

Minnesota Vikings Brett Favre got blasted by Buffalo Bills linebacker Arthur Moats on his first pass play, and it appears that Favre won’t return for next week’s game due to a sprained shoulder. (However, it may be more Brett Favre drama, but I’ll withhold judgement until Wednesday’s practice report.) Since the change from head coach Brad Childress to Leslie Frazier, the Vikings had a renewed sense of urgency, and now it’s time for a quarterback change as well.

Tavaris Jackson fared decently for starting, but he only managed the game.  However, the Vikings won over the Bills 38-14.  Jackson initially had an interception returned for a touchdown from Bills cornerback Drayton Florence from 40 yards out.  He settled down and connected with Sidney Rice for 2 touchdowns and for 105 yards.  It also helped he had Adrian Peterson in the backfield.  Peterson was impressive and returned to his original form with 107 yards and 3 touchdowns on the day. Overall, Tarvaris Jackson ended the day with 187 yards, 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions on the Bills defense nonetheless.

I believe it’s time for a change in quarterback, despite Tarvaris Jackson’s lackluster performance. Jackson can’t mature as a player grow without starting and making mistakes.  Brett Favre has outworn his welcome with the Vikings, and his statistics, gameplay and drama all should culminate for his departure by the close of the season.