In a stunning move the New York Jets have acquired Tim Tebow and a seventh round draft pick from the Denver Broncos for a fourth and sixth round pick. The Jets will also have to pick up half of a $5 million dollar salary advance that was paid to Tebow by Denver at the beginning of last season.

The trade was originally announced yesterday only to hit a snag as the Jets didn’t like some of the language in Tebow’s contract in regards to the salary advance. Jacksonville then tried to throw their hat back into the ring, and Tebow was asked for his opinion on where he wanted to go, thrilled at the chance to play for the Jets.

Tebow joins the team whom he was able to defeat last year on his magical run of 4th quarter victories. His arrival not only brings with it “Tebowmania” and everything associated with it, but may also spark a quarterback controversy with current starter Mark Sanchez. His presence as such a polarizing figure could split a locker room that doesn’t need any more distractions.

Cornerback Antonio Cromartie tweeted on Tuesday night “we don’t need Tebow,” saying he was confident in Sanchez and the guys already on the team. Today he tweeted “Why are we doing this?”

Tebow is also the same player who last season, in the week leading up to the Jets-Broncos game, was criticized by Jets players when it came to his passing abilities. Now teammate cornerback Darrelle Revis said Tebow’s style as an “option” type quarterback wouldn’t be able to sustain itself as a long-term success.

The timing of the trade is also weird as the Jets signed Sanchez to a three-year, $40.5 million contract extension two weeks ago despite a disappointing season. Then, last week they signed Drew Stanton to be their No.2, giving him half a million in signing bonus. They also still have Greg McElroy, the former Alabama standout.

The Jets look at Tebow to fill the vacuum left by Brad Smith who signed with the Buffalo Bills last season in their wildcat situations. Especially since new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano was the coach who introduced the wildcat to the NFL.

Hall of Fame Jets QB Joe Namath wasn’t happy with the move.

“I’m just sorry that I can’t agree with this situation. I think it’s just a publicity stunt. I can’t go with it. I think it’s wrong,” Namath told “The Michael Kay Show” on ESPN1050 in New York. “I don’t think they know what they’re doing over there.”

Rex Ryan, who has vowed to return to the power running game, hopes Tebow could bring some assistance, as they only have one established running back in Shonn Greene.

The potential of backlash is especially great for the Jets as Tebow has a monstrous following and his popularity could distract Mark Sanchez. Sanchez, coming off a sub-par season could be facing the rumblings for Tebow if he doesn’t play well.

Tebow must also adjust as he falls back into the backup role after becoming the starter last season in Denver and leading them to the playoffs and a first round victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The next week however Denver was crushed by Tom Brady and the Patriots.

When it comes down to it though, Tebow made the playoffs and Sanchez did not. Sanchez struggled mightily down the stretch which got people wondering about his future with the Jets. The team backed him publicly, but vowed to change the quarterback depth chart for 2012.

With the trade for Tim Tebow, we can see that they were serious.

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Everyone in America has been hearing or talking about Tim Tebow nonstop for the past few weeks. The Patriots were apparently tired of hearing it.

Behind Tom Brady’s three touchdowns, two passing and one running, the New England Patriots put an end to Tebow’s string of late game comebacks and clinched a playoff spot in a 41-23 win over the Denver Broncos.

“It was a really good day for us,” Brady said. “Very emotional game. It was really rocking early. We showed some mental toughness.”

The Patriots were able to bounce back from a horrendous start that saw them fall behind 17-6 as Denver scored on its first three possessions. Denver outgained New England 167 to 4 in the first quarter.

But unfortunately for the Broncos, there was no late game heroics as the fast start eventually turned into a fizzle as they didn’t do anything for the rest of the game. Three late turnovers, something Denver had been limiting during their winning streak, was too much to overcome.

“We did have things going pretty well early, scored on the first three possessions and felt like we were moving the ball good and then we put it on the ground,” Tebow said. “That’s something you can’t do against a great team and Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Besides that, we were right there with them.”

Denver still controls their own destiny, but the road to an AFC West title goes through Buffalo and Kansas City, who knocked off the undefeated Packers ending their 19 game winning streak.

Tebow finished 11 of 22 for 194 yards along with 93 yards on 12 carries for two touchdowns, but was sacked four times.

The Achilles heel for the Broncos seems to be elite passers as they are 1-4 this season against the likes of Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Philip Rivers. Their lack of offensive scoring punch doesn’t seem to allow them to keep up with the quarterbacks who can sling it all over the field.

“He’s still the best out there, in my opinion,” Bailey said of Tom Brady. “And you make mistakes against a guy like that, he’s going to make you pay. That’s pretty much what happened all day.”

Brady finished 23 of 34 for 320 yards the two scores, one of which was to Ochocinco who found the end zone for the first time this season on a 33 yard reception. Brady again was able to pick up his subpar defense which gave up 167 yards on the ground in just the first quarter.

After falling behind the Patriots went into hurry up mode and Brady was able to find Aaron Hernandez from 1 yard out. Hernandez had a career game hauling in 9 passes for 129 yards.

The Broncos made things close late when Tebow scored on a keeper from 2 yards out to pull them to 34-23, but that’s when Tom Brady did what he does best, and led the Patriots down the field on a 80 yard clock draining scoring drive culminated by BenJarvus Green-Ellis’ 1 yard touchdown to put them up for good.

“The more we fight, the better this team gets,” defensive tackle Vince Wilfork said. “We knew they were going to come out fighting. They were going to come out fast and explosive. Our main goal was to weather the storm.”

The Patriots finish out the season against Miami and Buffalo as they look to secure the top seed in the AFC and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

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It is another week and another victory as the Packers are again atop the Power Rankings this week. The Ravens stand strong in the number two spot for the third straight week as they continue their quest for a bye in the playoffs. The Broncos find themselves cracking the top 10 after Tim Tebow yet again led an improbable comeback this week over the Bears moving Denver into the lead in the AFC West.

The big winners this week are the Saints, Jets, and Giants. The Saints, while only moving up 1 spot from 5^th to 4^th, got a gift from the Cardinals who beat the 49ers. With the 49ers squaring off with the Steelers, the Saints could potentially move into the 2^nd seed in the NFC. The Jets moved up from 10^th to 9^th, but, thanks to help from the rest of the NFL, the Jets now control their own destiny.

The Giants got a big late win over the Cowboys and jumped from 16^th to 12^th and more importantly are now 1^st in the NFC East with control over their destiny. It’s looking like the showdown at MetLife Stadium in a week between the Jets and Giants might mean a lot for both teams.

The big losers this week are the 49ers, Cowboys, and Bills. The 49ers fell from 3^rd to 6^th with a loss to the Cardinals and, more importantly, could lose the number two seed with a loss to Pittsburgh this weekend. The Cowboys fell five spots from 9^th to 14^th with a heartbreaking loss late to the Eli and the Giants.

After two straight losses the Cowboys are again looking up at the playoff teams. The Bills fell from 18^th to 22^nd after dropping their sixth straight and officially being eliminated from playoff contention. A season that started with so much promise has really taken a turn for the worst and they might end up finishing last in the AFC East.

Rounding out the bottom of the rankings again this week are the Vikings, Rams, and Colts. The Vikings have shut Adrian Peterson down for the season, the Rams are as far removed from the greatest show on turf as can be, and the Colts divisional rivals now have a chance to unleash years of torment by sending them to an imperfect season.

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The San Diego Chargers are finally playing well, while the Buffalo Bills have completely lost their way.

Behind Philip Rivers’ three touchdown passes, two of which went to Antonio Gates, the Chargers kept their playoff hopes barely alive in their 37-10 victory over the Bills Sunday, while eliminating the Bills from playoff contention for the 12^th straight season.

The Chargers have won two straight following a six game losing skid to move to 6-7, but a few minutes after their game ended the Broncos beat Chicago in overtime to move into first place atop the AFC West at 8-5. The Raiders are still ahead of the Chargers as well, despite losing to Green Bay sitting at a 7-6 record.

“Until they say we’re done, there’s always a chance,” said safety Eric Weddle, “Even if we were done, we’d be playing our hearts out.”

The Chargers will have to win out and hope they get some help from other teams to have a shot at winning the AFC West, but it won’t be easy as the Ravens, in a divisional race of their own, are up next for the Chargers.

For Buffalo, this marked their sixth straight loss and the final nail in the coffin on a season that started out with so much promise. The Bills started 5-2, but haven’t won in over a month and a half.

“I think the last few weeks we made some progress. Today obviously we took a step backward,” Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said. “We didn’t do anything well.”

Both teams came into the game desperate for a win to keep their seasons alive and the Chargers put their foot on the gas pedal and never let up.

Rivers finished with 240 yards on 24 of 33 passing and running back Ryan Matthews continued his good running with 114 yards on 20 carries.

The Bills tried to make it a game when Rivers fumbled a ball that was recovered by Bryan Scott in the end zone for a touchdown that pulled the Bills close at 16-10, but San Diego kept their composure and with a successful fake punt by Weddle, the Chargers were able to punch it in on Antonio Gates’ two yard reception.

“We had a very small window to make that a game and we didn’t stop that drive when they faked the punt,” Chan Gailey said. “We didn’t stop that drive and we couldn’t get anything going offensively consistently.”

After the touchdown on Buffalo’s first play, Fitzpatrick was picked off and it was returned by Steve Gregory for the touchdown to make the score 30-10 and seal the game.

Fitzpatrick finished the game 13 of 34 for 176 yards and two interceptions a far cry from the numbers he was putting up at the beginning of the year.

San Diego will need some help from other teams if they hope to make the playoffs trailing in the AFC West. Their schedule also doesn’t lend itself to them as they face the Ravens, Lions, and Raiders to finish the year. The Bills, now looking to play spoiler have the Dolphins, Broncos, and Patriots remaining on their schedule.

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The debate surrounding Tim Tebow is one that virtually every NFL fan is all too familiar with. Even those who have come to Tebow’s defense have acknowledged most of the flaws in his game, ranging from his shoddy accuracy to his obscene tendency to run with the ball, rather than being a traditional NFL quarterback.

Bashing Tebow is obviously nothing new or original, but there is some additional insight that should be noted. Most of this insight can be found when one goes back to the time when the Denver Broncos originally decided to name Tebow as their starter. At the time, the Broncos were 2-5 and found themselves at the cellar of the AFC West.

Many may also remember that naming Tebow as the starting quarterback happened to coincide with the Broncos trading wide receiver, Brandon Lloyd, to the St. Louis Rams. Although the Broncos deny it, the trade was presumably made due to the fact that Lloyd had previously been somewhat outspoken about his lack of confidence in Tebow.

It is reasonable to assume that such a trade would improve team chemistry, but the fact that the player they traded happened to lead the league in receiving yards last season might lead one to deduce that the Broncos are especially confident in Tebow as their franchise quarterback.

Going back to the status of the Broncos’ season upon making Tebow the starter, the Broncos found themselves at 2-5 and still a viable candidate in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. With this in mind, the only rationale the Broncos’ front office could possibly have had behind trading a great receiver in order to start a bad quarterback is that they knew that both managerial decisions would increase their chances of finishing the season with the worst record in the NFL, allowing them to snag the first overall pick in the 2012 draft.

This may sound like a bit of a stretch, but it very well could be the only feasible explanation. It is safe to assume that the Broncos were and are aware that Tebow makes a poor NFL quarterback, considering they had all of training camp and the preseason, along with the two games he started last season, to catch on to his talent.

In spite of this, the Broncos elected to sit Tebow in favor of Kyle Orton, and no team is going to settle for mediocrity over their first round pick, unless they truly have no confidence in that first round pick’s potential. Obviously, at this point, with the Broncos in the hunt for a playoff spot at 6-5, the chances of obtaining the first overall pick in the 2012 draft have diminished for the Broncos.

However, at the time of the decisions to start Tebow and trade Lloyd, the possibility of finishing with the NFL’s worst record was well within range for the Broncos. Being able to possibly correct their mistake in the 2010 draft by giving themselves an opportunity to draft the highly touted Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck in 2012 makes this whole process a subtle act of brilliance.

It is not surprising that the Broncos continue to start Tebow, even after their chances of obtaining the first round pick have been replaced by chances of making the playoffs. It would be very difficult to justify trading Lloyd if they were to inexplicably bench him in the middle of a playoff race.

The fact that Tebow has managed to put together a few game-winning drives has only made it easier to justify starting him. What needs to be clear that Tebow has been given far too much credit for his clutch performances. One need not forget that Tebow still played poorly for three quarters prior to each of his dramatic comebacks.

While these comebacks have admittedly been impressive, they were still contingent on the much improved Broncos defense keeping the game close enough for Tebow to exercise his supposed ability to win against all odds. Unfortunately for Tebow, playing poorly for fifty minutes will not always allow enough time for the quarterback to carry his team to come from behind win.

Regardless of what the true intentions were behind starting Tebow, it should be clear that his style of play cannot adapt well to the NFL. When looking at things from a fundamental standpoint, anyone who watches Tebow closely enough can see that he makes several off-target throws throughout each game.

The only saving grace that he has is the zone read option that the Broncos have installed into their offense, which Tebow utilized to great success at the University of Florida. Tebow seems to have been running the ball very well whenever the option is called, but this should not be confused for any hint of potential to adapt his style of play to the NFL.

While the zone read has been a fairly decent change up to opposing defenses so far, the wildcat appeared unstoppable by comparison when the Dolphins started the fad in 2008. If NFL defenses can grow accustomed to stopping the wildcat, there is no doubt that they can do the same with the zone read.

It will interesting, not only to see what the future holds for Tebow as a Denver Bronco, but also what the future holds for Tebow’s status in the NFL as a whole.

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Tim Tebow was the definition of a star athlete during his four years at the University of Florida. He won the Heisman Trophy and three BCS Bowl Games. Two of them were national titles that came in just a three year span.

These are the facts that his supporters point out when they make their case as to why he will be a successful quarterback in the NFL. When labeled by many of his fans, both former and current teammates and coaches, peers, competitors, and even some of his critics as a football player, one simple word often comes to mind – winner.

He won in Gainesville and in 2011 he has won four of his first five starts as the Broncos quarterback. However, it would appear reasonable to note that Tebow’s inability to consistently throw the football at a high level is not enough to lead a championship caliber NFL team, no matter how much of the ‘it factor’ he may have.

So many people want to see him fail for a number of reasons – he is lowering the standards of performance at the position, he wears his religion on his sleeve, and he has this never-ending optimism about his job no matter what the critics say about him. A vast amount of viewers have also lost hope because — this is the NFL.

Not to say that FBS football is a walk in the park, but Tebow’s mechanical flaws at this level don’t display promise for translating into a great degree of success. Several NFL analysts such as former quarterback Trent Dilfer of ESPN agree that his throwing motion is severely prolonged and it’s an advantage to all eleven defenders he’s up against.

Lineman have that extra second or so to get to him, defensive backs have that slight moment to get a jump on the football, and linebackers will have that slim instant to either adjust in coverage or continue their pursuit of him. If that isn’t enough, his accuracy has been atrocious. He has completed only 44.8% of his passes this year, when an NFL quarterback is expected to be at the very least in the fifties, but more preferably the sixties.

He’s missed a number of wide open receivers, he’s constantly overthrowing those who have their man beat downfield, he’s throwing behind them when they create small windows that need to be hit, and for a young man with extremely muscular arms – he tends to underthrow and short-hop his teammates much too often.

‘He wins’ is what his believers always claim. They believe that that’s all that matters. But take a look at who the Broncos have beaten and the fashion in which they did so. The Dolphins couldn’t recover an onside kick late and gave up the game tying touchdown in a prevent defense, Carson Palmer was making his first start for the Raiders, the Chiefs allowed him to complete 2 passes the whole game, and the Jets had to fly cross-country on three days of rest coming off an emotional loss to the Patriots.

The competition will improve. And is it realistic to believe that this option-style offense will continue to win games?  The NFL has tended towarda a predominantly passing league over the last few years, and not only are defenses expected to catch up as they always do, but being a runner will also put Tebow in more situations where he is likely to get injured. Just look at Michael Vick and the numerous injuries he’s suffered throughout his career.

Even Tebow’s own bosses don’t show confidence in him. John Elway, former Super Bowl winning quarterback for the Broncos and current Executive Vice President of football operations for the team continuously denies that Tebow is the future of the organization when asked after every game. Head coach John Fox also admitted that the quarterback would be “screwed” if he had to run a traditional offense.

With all that being said, it doesn’t appear that Tebow will have long-term success in this league unless he finds a way to become a truly efficient pocket passer. People had the same doubts about Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton before this year’s draft, and now he is completing exactly 60% of his passes. The transformation is possible, but is all dependent on Tebow’s physical ability and mental commitment.

However, unless that happens, the future doesn’t seem too bright in Denver.

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In a span of five days, the Jets have gone from controlling their destiny for home field in the playoffs to potentially missing the playoffs all together. The Jets’ defense played great for 55 minutes on Thursday, but couldn’t stop Tebow on the final drive. Tebow capped a 95 yard drive with a 20 yard touchdown run with 58 seconds left to stun the Jets and give the Broncos the 17-13 victory.

“I like winning,” Tebow said after his third comeback in a month, “but I wish it wasn’t this stressful. Before the “drive,” the Broncos had punted on their eight previous possessions and Tebow seemed unable to do anything against the Jets defense. He then got the ball with less than six minutes and calmly engineered a 95 yard drive in which he had 57 yards on the ground.

“We played them well through the whole game, until that last play,” Jets star cornerback Darrelle Revis said. “We played them well. Tim Tebow’s legs took them to victory, ran them to victory.”

It was third and four from the Jets 20 with just over a minute left when the Broncos got a “timeout” when a fan ran onto the field and had to be chased by security. During this break the Jets made the decision to call their first all-out blitz of the night, a decision that will be talked about for weeks to come.

Tebow took the snap, read the blitz, and beat safety Eric Smith to the edge and cut back to find his way to the end zone. It was a horrible play by Smith who was supposed to set the edge, but came to far inside and couldn’t recover. ”You know he’s going to keep it in that situation. That’s what he does. You keep the ball in your playmaker’s hand,” Ryan said.

“We thought he was going to carry the ball and he didn’t disappoint us. But he ran for a touchdown. The kid’s a competitor and makes big plays with the game on the line.” Since Tim Tebow replaced Kyle Orton, the Broncos are 4-1 and have climbed back to .500 a half game behind Oakland for the lead in the AFC West.

“He’s a competitive dude,” Broncos coach John Fox said. “He’s super competitive. He never lays his sword down. He’ll fight you to the death. That’s just his nature. He’s a great young man.” Mark Sanchez heaved it up toward the end zone as time expired, but the pass was batted down dimming the hopes of the Jets to even make the playoffs.

The Jets were up 10-3 when Sanchez made a throw toward Plaxico Burress in which he followed him with his eyes the whole way, that was picked off and returned for a touchdown by Andre’ Goodman to tie the game up. Nick Folk broke that tie with a 45 yard field goal with 9:14 remaining.

The drive could’ve been over on the first play when safety Jim Leonhard had a chance to tackle Eddie Royal in the end zone for a safety, but was unable to wrap him up and Royal gained eight yards and got the drive started. Tebow impressed more with his running than his passing finishing 9 of 20 for 104 yards.

“I said before, I trust him. I trust him with everything,” teammate Von Miller said. “No matter how many interceptions he throws, no matter how many touchdowns he scores, that’s Tim Tebow and I’m going to ride with him to the end. I hope he shut up a whole bunch of critics today.”

Joe McKnight and rookie Bilal Powell had to share snaps for most of the night when Shonn Greene took a knee to the ribs and left the game. He never returned after that and with LaDanian Tomlinson being out already the Jets running back situation is very depleted. “He did it to us in college and he’s doing it here,” said teammate Robert Ayers, who went to Tennessee.

“It doesn’t have to be pretty, it doesn’t have to be Aaron Rodgers-like. As long as we get it done, that’s all that matters.” The Broncos and Tebow look to continue their success in their race for the AFC West and the playoffs when they travel to San Diego to face division rivals the Chargers who have been reeling as of late.

The Jets return home to face the Bills in a must win for the Jets if they want to stay alive in the playoff hunt.

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There is no secret about the game plan when facing a Denver Broncos team led by Tim Tebow. There will be a lot of options and running the ball and virtually no throwing. While it may seem easy to defend, Tebow is 3-1 since taking over the starting job in Denver.

The Jets are coming off a disappointing loss at home to the Patriots that all but killed any chance of them winning the AFC East, and looking to bounce back on a short week when they face the Broncos, who are suddenly back in the race for the AFC West, on Thursday night.

The Jets had a golden opportunity to take control of their playoff destiny and the AFC East, but lost 37-16 to the Patriots and snapped a three game winning streak. The game was characterized by sloppy play, including a missed 24 yard field goal, a muffed punt that the Jets failed to recover three times, a pick six, and a stupid timeout.

Sanchez didn’t show up to play, throwing two interceptions and getting sacked five times. The timeout he called before the half prompted coach Rex Ryan to tell NBC at halftime that it was the “stupidest play in NFL history.” ”There’s plenty of football left to play,” center Nick Mangold said. “We’re excited about the opportunity to get out there Thursday night and, you know, right the wrongs.”

The Jets are facing the polar opposite this week as the Patriots featured a lot of spread offenses while the Broncos are strictly a running team. This might pose some problems for the Jets defense that statistically is better against the pass with their talented cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie. The Jets rank 8^th against the pass giving up 210.8 yards per game.

On Sunday Denver rushed the ball 55 times in its win over Kansas City and had 244 yards on the ground. Tebow only attempted 8 passes all game completing 2, though one of the completions was a 56 yard touchdown to Eric Decker. The Jets faced a season-high 39 pass attempts Sunday against the Patriots holding them to 60 yards on 28 carries.

The Jets are still only rank 15^th against the run giving up 116.0 yards per contest. The Broncos have the 2^nd best rushing attack in football averaging 158.2 yards per game, but have been averaging 246.0 yards in their past three games. ”I think it’s just one more thing for people to prepare for,” Tebow said of Denver’s unique offense.

“It’s not like we went out there and did a lot (Sunday) but it’s something you have to scheme for, you have to prepare for and you have to be sound.” There might be some changes for the Broncos in the backfield, though it likely won’t change how the team runs the ball. On Sunday starter Willis McGahee left the game with a hamstring injury and is listed as Questionable.

Backup Knowshon Moreno also was hurt Sunday suffering a torn ACL which will end his season. Sunday they had to turn to third string tailback Lance Ball who was effective rushing for 96 yards on 30 carries, with Tebow adding 43 and a score on 9 carries. They will turn to Ball and second year back Jeremiah Johnson if McGahee can’t go.

The Jets also look to run the ball, though not to the extreme that the Broncos do. They’re averaging 125.5 yards on the ground in their last four games with Shonn Greene averaging 80.8. LaDanian Tomlinson who was hurt late in the game Sunday will not play this week and the Jets have activated rookie Bilal Powel from the practice squad.

The last meeting between the teams was last year and the Jets won 24-20 with a late touchdown from Tomlinson to seal the win. Tebow was only used as a runner in that game carrying the ball 6 times for 23 yards.

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Texas Christian University, with the help of quarterback Casey Pachall, Brandon Carter, and Josh Boyce, was able to come back from behind to defeat Boise State 36-35 on Saturday.

Pachall carried TCU through the game, earning MVP by throwing for 473 yards on 24 completions and five touchdowns. Boyce and Carter were Pachall’s main targets. A total of 183 receiving yards was collected all together between the two, while Boyce got three of the touchdowns, and Carter got the remaining two.

Boise quarterback Kellen Moore had a great game as well.  He threw two touchdowns and a total of 320 yards on 28 catches. Matt Miller and Dallas Burroughs were his valuable receivers with one touchdown catch apiece and a total of 127 yards receiving collected all together. Running back D.J. Harper helped move the ball on the ground, running a total of 125 yards in 24 attempts for two touchdowns.

Boise State was the first team to get on the scoreboard, with Moore throwing a 22-yard pass to Miller four minutes into the first quarter. TCU responded three minutes later with a 74-yard pass from Pachall to Carter, tying the game up at seven points apiece. TCU struck again early in the second quarter with another 75-yard pass from Pachall, this time to Brandon Carter.

Boise State tied the game up almost halfway through the second quarter with Harper rushing 17 yards for the touchdown. TCU ended the first half with another big pass from Pachall, this time throwing 69 yards to Boyce to get the go-ahead touchdown. The Broncos took the lead away from TCU in the third quarter.  Tyrone Crawford recovered a TCU fumble and ran for a 32-yard touchdown.

Harper ran for a 3-yard touchdown later on in the quarter. TCU did not show any signs of giving up by getting another touchdown with two minutes left in the quarter.  Another pass from Pachall to Boyce ended with a two-point conversion. Going into the final quarter with a one-point lead, Kellen Moore was able to strengthen their lead with a 54-yard pass to Burroughs that ended with a touchdown.

However, Pachall threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Carter with 1:05 left, then got the two-point conversion with a pass to Boyce to get the lead. Boise State’s kicker, Dan Goodale, could have won the game with a 39-yard field goal, but his attempt went wide to the right as the time expired with TCU winning 36-35.

TCU (8-2) travels back home to face Colorado State on Saturday, while Boise State (8-1) travels to face the San Diego State Aztecs.

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The Packers are again at the top of the Power Rankings this week as they remain undefeated. The Ravens and Steelers switch spots after Joe Flacco led a late drive to win the game at Heinz Field. The Bears, Texans, and Bengals all cracked the top 10 this week with the Patriots and Bills both losing and falling out of the top ten.

The big winner this week is the Dallas Cowboys who jump from 21^st to 15^th, with a win over Seattle to stay within striking distance of the Giants who have a tough schedule coming up. Another big move was the Jets who while only moving from 13^th to 11^th with their win over Buffalo, have jumped both the Patriots and Bills to be the highest ranked AFC East team.

The big losers this week are the New England Patriots who fell from 6^th to 13^th after their second straight loss. The Bills also saw themselves fall from 14^th to 8^th after getting beat at home by the Jets. The Chiefs dropped from 21^st to 16^th after their four game win streak was snapped by the winless Miami Dolphins in a big way.

The Cardinals, who last week fell behind the Rams, switched with the Rams again this week after beating St. Louis in OT on an amazing punt return by rookie Patrick Peterson. Rounding out the bottom of the rankings again this week are the Indianapolis Colts who lost again this week and look like they’ll be the front runners for Andrew Luck in next year’s draft.

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Besides the Packers which are again atop the Power Rankings this week, there is some shake up near the top of this week’s rankings with some big losses and gains. The 49ers move up into the number 2 spot sitting at 6-1 atop the NFC West. The Steelers, after their big win over the Patriots, move up to number 3 and are the top team in the AFC just ahead of division rivals Baltimore who moved from 8^th to 5^th.

The Patriots and Saints saw themselves drop four spots from 2^nd and 3^rd to 6^th and 7^th respectively after bad losses this week. The Chargers are the big losers this week dropping all the way from 7^th down 15^th after a loss for the 2^nd straight week this time coming at the hands of division rivals the Chiefs.

The Eagles saw themselves jump four spots from 22^nd to 18^th after an impressive victory over the Cowboys. The Vikings also saw themselves making a jump from 28^th to 23^rd behind a second impressive game from rookie QB Christian Ponder and another stud performance from Adrian Peterson.

The Rams who got their first win of the season against the Saints saw themselves leapfrog the Cardinals who blew a 23-6 halftime lead against the Ravens. Bringing up the rear of the rankings again this week are the Dolphins at 31 and the Colts at 32 as both teams failed to get a win again and don’t look very good.

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The Packers top the Power Rankings again this week with another impressive performance from Aaron Rodgers. The Steelers make a push for the top jumping up to 5^th, and with a win over number 2 New England can jump up next week. The Texans, Falcons, and Chiefs all jumped up 5 spots to 12^th, 14^th, and 19^th respectively.

The Ravens saw themselves drop from 3^rd to 8^th after a horrible loss to the Jaguars. The Raiders dropped 7 spots from 9th to 16th after trouble at the QB position post Carson Palmer trade gave them a loss going into their bye week. The Bucs also dropped 5 spots from 12^th to 17^th after getting whooped in London by the Bears.

The Colts again round out the bottom of the rankings this week after getting obliterated by the Saints 62-7 and they don’t look poised to move anytime soon.

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The Packers still hold the top spot in this week’s Power Rankings. The 49ers and Giants are the big winners both jumping five spots up to 4^th and 10^th respectively. This week’s big losers are the Texans who fall five spots down to 17^th and the Cowboys who dropped from 14^th down to 21^st. The Colts, Rams, and Dolphins still round out the bottom of the pack.

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As we enter week four of the NFL regular season, teams look to prove if they are contenders or pretenders. This week does not feature a divisional game, like in week two, because of fear of the lockout. Still, there are intriguing match-ups to be played in week four.

Carolina Panthers @ Chicago Bears: Cam Newton came away with his first career win last week despite the horrible weather conditions. Bears look to confuse the rookie with their cover 2 schemes. Bears 24-17

Buffalo Bills @ Cincinnati Bengals: Ryan Fitzpatrick leads the Bills into Cincinnati after another amazing comeback, this time coming against the New England Patriots. They are 3-0 but this game might be a must-win. They still have to play the Jets twice, the Patriots in New England, a game in San Diego and the NFC East Division. Bills 28-24

Washington Redskins @ St. Louis Rams: Redskins let one get away at Dallas Monday night. They stay on the road to play a Rams team in the lower echelon in total defense. Washington is looking to bounce back. Redskins 23-14

San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Vick left last week against the Giants with a broken right (non-throwing) hand. The CT scan on Monday reported it was just a contusion. Vick should be able to make the start. 49ers have to travel from east to west — not good. Eagles 26-17

Minnesota Vikings @ Kansas City Chiefs: For the third straight game, the Vikings blew a double-digit lead and lost the game. The Chiefs competed for the first time this season last week against the Chargers, but fell short. McNabb’s job is in jeopardy. Vikings 27-14

New Orleans Saints @ Jacksonville Jaguars: Blaine Gabbert looks to capture his first win of his career. He’ll have to do it against the high-powered Saints who hung up 40 points on the Texans and 30 in the second half. Saints 28-14

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Houston Texans: Big Ben looks to stay upright against Mario Williams and the Texans’ improved defense. Texans defense failed their first test against an Elite quarterback last week. Ben Roethlisberger is of that caliber. Steelers 27-24

Detroit Lions @ Dallas Cowboys: Lions have not run the ball well this season and are using their TEs to get yardage. Detroit plays back to back games on the road. Dallas looks to win the time of possession battle. Dallas 23-17

Tennessee Titans @ Cleveland Browns: Titans are taking a huge hit after losing WR Kenny Britt for the season. He tore both his ACL and MCL. There is cause for concern as RB Chris Johnson is yet to get it going. The signing of Matt Hasselbeck has looked good thus far. Titans 20-17

Atlanta Falcons @ Seattle Seahawks: Falcons always struggle on the road, while Seattle plays better at home. Falcons are the better team. They’ll get it done. 21-13

N.Y. Giants @ Arizona Cardinals: Giants could be in for a letdown, coming off a huge divisional road win last week. The Cardinals secondary has been horrible so far in the first three weeks. Giants 31-24

Miami Dolphins @ San Diego Chargers: Dolphins are still searching for their first win this season. Phillip Rivers looks to pick apart their secondary. Chargers 27-14

New England Patriots @ Oakland Raiders: Patriots almost never lose back to back games. Raiders looked impressive against the Jets and look to take advantage of one of the worst defenses in the league. Tom Brady finds a way to win. 28-27

Denver Broncos @ Green Bay Packers: Denver has had trouble stopping anybody. It might be time to see Tim Tebow. Packers look ready to repeat. Packers 31-20

N.Y. Jets @ Baltimore Ravens: Jets were embarrassed last week and they know it. Rex Ryan and his old team meet again. This game could be a shootout. Jets 28-24

Indianapolis Colts @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Colts played well last week but can they take it with them on the road. Tampa is back after a tough week one loss. Tampa 17-10
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The perennial position on any NFL team is the man under center, the quarterback of course. With the draft approaching and a lack of elite quarterback prospects, teams will have to decide whether they should go for broke, drafting a quarterback high, or play it safe and take a position where busts are less likely. Virtually every team in the top five has a need at quarterback but exactly what type of talents are they looking at and how urgent are their needs?

The Teams

The Panthers at No. 1 took a chance on Jimmy Clausen last season but it looks as if they have lost interest in the young quarterback. The problem though is that this is one of the weaker quarterback classes when it comes to star power. Giving Clausen another season to develop may be the best option for the Panthers who could draft a beast like Auburn Defensive Lineman Nick Fairley instead. If the Panthers do decide to draft a quarterback though to try to make a splash and please the fans the decision of who may, not be an easy one to make. In years past the No. 1 pick overall was already known well before the draft began, but not this year.

The Broncos at No. 2 might be glancing at the quarterback position out of the corner of their eye, but John Elway realizes no one in this draft will replicate him and the Broncos could stay pat with Kyle Orton and their investment in Tim Tebow. It wouldn’t be shocking though to see a quarterback taken especially if Elway likes a quarterback enough to develop behind Orton, trusting Tebow is not the long-term solution.

The Bills seem to be a favorite every year to take a quarterback in the first round to build their franchise around, but every pick has seemed to falter. As the third pick, the Bills will have to see what happens in front of them as to whether another quarterback gamble will pay off or not. Ryan Fitzpatrick did prove to be capable last season and seems like he could hold down this position for now.

The Bengals are on the verge of rebuilding or staying competitive. It looks like Carson Palmer will not be their quarterback next season and, with no replacement in sight, the Bengals will likely look to fill the void through the draft. Carson’s brother Jordan and Dan LeFevour are the only other options for the Bengals, and the Bengals likely won’t put their future behind either of their arms.

The Cardinals hold the fifth pick in the draft and they too have needs at the quarterback position. Matt Leinart never panned out and John Skelton started their last four games of the season but was unimpressive, totaling only two touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 62.3. Their other quarterbacks Max Hall and Derek Anderson, who played the bulk of the games, also had miserable seasons and are not the future for the Cardinals.

The Players

Blaine Gabbert: This quarterback from Missouri has skyrocketed up the draft board for most experts. He has great size at 6-5, and NFL-ready accuracy and arm strength. Gabbert is described as a great leader with the intangibles and his toughness is unmatched. He did however play in a spread offense, and could have difficulty adjusting to being under center for the majority of his NFL snaps.

Cam Newton: The reigning Heisman Trophy winner from Auburn has a dynamic combination of speed and arm strength. He also has great size at 6-5, and with a 250 lb. frame he makes it difficult for defenders to bring him down. Newton, like Gabbert, played in a spread offense in college and the adjustment to an NFL system may be a difficult transition. There have also been questions about what type of a person Newton is, and the fact that he has only played at a high level for one year could scare some potential drafters away.

Ryan Mallett: Another quarterback who decided to leave early for the draft, Mallett, from Arkansas, has great size at 6-7, and can make all the NFL throws. He is more suited to make the transition to an NFL offense, and does a good job reading defenses. Mallett lacks mobility and is strictly a pocket-passer which could scare teams who are trying to revamp or rebuild their offensive lines. His mental toughness and attitude are two of the things that have lowered his draft stock, but his potential is through the roof.

Jake Locker: A senior from Washington, Locker is smaller than the other top prospects at his position. Locker, at 6-2, has worked in an NFL-style offense and has a ton of experience. He has an NFL-capable arm, good speed, and leadership abilities. The knock on Locker has been his steady decline in performance, his accuracy problems, and problems with his mechanics. He did have a shaky line at Washington though, and as a top prospect in 2010, he does have all the capabilities for an NFL team willing to give him a shot.

Christian Ponder: This senior quarterback from Florida State has decent size at 6-3, and is an accurate passer and intelligent player. He has the ability to run with the ball and does a good job of reading his progressions. He doesn’t have a great arm though, which is something that really awes teams. Ponder is a solid quarterback, however, and could be a good, safe pick for a team that needs a franchise quarterback.

The potential is there, although unlikely that all of the top five teams could take a quarterback to fulfill their needs. With so many teams in need, this could be an interesting draft full of tough decisions for NFL teams already facing a difficult future.

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