The Sanfermines are special; they are Spain’s biggest festivities and are known worldwide. During these days the whole country forgets about their economic, social and political struggles, to concentrate on the famous bull running and to celebrate, dressed in red and white, in honor of  San Fermin. Who was beheaded because of his faith and is now considered a martyr of the Roman Catholic Church.

The festivities began in the Middle Ages, but have become world famous in the 20th century, thanks to a very well-known American writer called: Ernest Hemingway. These religious festivities, which honor San Fermin, take place in the city of Pamplona, capital of Navarre. In the past the festivity was celebrated on October 10, but the locals decided to move it to July because of the bad weather in fall.

San Fermin occurs 6-14 of July; the festivity starts with the famous “Chupinazo” in which rockets are launched from the balcony city hall, and end on 14 July at midnight with and astonishing candle lit ceremony and the singing of the “Pobre de Mí,” in which they sing these words: “Poor me, poor me, for the fiesta of San Fermín has come to a close.”

Bulls are one of the Sanfermines most important characters. Every morning at 8 a.m. the bulls and the runners come together for the Encierro, which starts at the Corral on Santo Domingo Street. When the clock of the nearby San Cernin church announces its 8 a.m., two rockets are launched and the bulls are released and start chasing the runners for almost a kilometer, until they arrive at the bullring.

Ernst Hemingway, writer of the Old Man and the Sea, in 1923 experienced the Sanfermines for the first time, and they seem to have made a good impression on him, because he came back several times. Hemingway also wrote a serious of articles related to the festivity, and even a novel which takes place during the Sanfermines called The  Sun Also Rises, which helped to make the Sanfermines worldwide renowned.

Fireworks are another attraction during the Sanfermines, every night of the festivity at 11 p.m. people gather around the old citadel of Pamplona, to enjoy the unique spectacle for half an hour. Since 2000 a firework competition takes place, with a jury and prizes, to see which firework firm does the best show.

The Sanfermines offer a lot of more attractions, it is a well-known fact that almost 1,000,000 people assist each year, it involves, besides the fireworks and the bulls, many traditional and folkloric events. The biggest day in the Sanfermines is 7 July, when thousands of people gather to accompany a replica of the Statue of San Fermin along the streets of the old part of the city. The statue of the saint is very well escorted by dancers and the famous Gigantes (giants). The Sanfermines are a celebration you should not miss if you have the opportunity to attend.

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Dial Global has announced that 23.1 million people tuned in to hear the radio broadcast of Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, February 5, 2012 featuring the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. Dial Global commissioned the study from  Edison Research, designed to accurately measure the number of people that tuned in to hear Super Bowl XLVI broadcasts and make this information available within two days of the event’s conclusion.

The survey found that listeners accessed the live broadcast in multiple listening environments, including the home, while driving, at work and other locations, on over 680 stations nationwide.

The national survey was conducted via live telephone interviews on February 6, 2012, following the Giants 21-17 victory over the Patriots. The game, which wasn’t decided until the final play, marked the second time in four years that the Giants topped the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

“We are again excited, but not surprised, to see that our research findings highlight the strength of the Dial Global brand and the ongoing demand for radio broadcast coverage of live sporting events,” said David Landau, Co-President CEO of Dial Global. “Dial Global is committed to showcasing the value of our content and exemplifying our commitment to being the most innovative, service focused company in the industry while supporting our affiliates and advertisers.”

Broadcasting nearly 100 NFL games, exclusive NFL primetime games, the Playoffs and the Super Bowl, Dial Global commissioned the Super Bowl study following the results of their initial research during the Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots (AFC Championship) and New York Giants vs. San FranciscoForty-Niners (NFC Championship) games on Sunday, January 22, 2012, which found that 22.9 million Americans listened to radio broadcast coverage of these two live NFL events.

“Given the popularity of The Super Bowl as ‘television’s ultimate event’ where people actually look forward to the commercials and the halftime show, the number of radio listeners may come as a surprise to those who are not familiar with the significant reach of broadcast radio. We are excited that our ongoing research continues to highlight the power of radio,” said Larry Rosin, Edison President.

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Normally the backup quarterback for the recently injured Michael Vick, Vince Young, threw a late touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to secure the 17-10 victory for the Philadelphia Eagles against the New York Giants on Sunday.

Although he threw three interceptions in the game, Young was the main man who helped to get the ball down the field for the Eagles, collecting 258 yards on 23 completed passes for two touchdowns. Receiver Riley Cooper was able to split the defense well, collecting 75 yards on five receptions for a touchdown. Steve Smith only caught one pass during the game, but from which he was able to collect 14 yards and a touchdown.

Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning helped in his team’s offense by throwing for 264 yards on 18 completed passes for one touchdown and one interception. Victor Cruz was the main target for Manning, gaining 128 yards on six receptions and one touchdown.

Philadelphia running back got a lot of action in the game, rushing for 113 yards on 23 attempts. The Giants, on the other hand, did not gain much on the running attack of Brandon Jacobs, who ran for only 21 yards on 12 attempts.

With no one able to score in the opening quarter, the Eagles were the first to get on the scoreboard with a 33-yard field goal from Alex Henery. The Eagles scored again with a minute left in the half with a 14-yard pass from Young to Smith. The Giants got the final points in the first half with Lawrence Tynes kicking a 48-yard field goal in the last second.

After the third quarter passed with no team being able to capitalize on offensive attempts, the Giants were able to tie the game up at 10-10 early in the fourth quarter off a 24-yard pass from Manning to Cruz. The Eagles would have the final say of the game, moving the ball 80 yards downfield on 18 plays and finishing up with an eight-yard pass from Young to Cooper to secure the win with two minutes left in the game.

The Philadelphia Eagles (4-6) head back home to prepare for a game against the New England Patriots, while the New York Giants (6-4) travel to Louisiana to face the New Orleans Saints on Monday.

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When the Jets and Patriots met a month ago, the Patriots handed the Jets their third straight loss and made people question whether the Jets would even make the playoffs, let along make good on Rex’s usual preseason guarantee. Now the Jets have the chance to do the same thing right back to the Patriots.

The Jets have been hot lately, and they are undefeated at home this season. They’ve won the past two meetings at home against New England and on Sunday have a great opportunity to give the suddenly vulnerable Patriots their third straight loss, which would be their first since 2002.

“Both teams are going to be humming for this one, no question,” Rex Ryan said. “You can sugarcoat it all you want, but they know they need it and we know we need it. Both teams are going to be hungry.”

During their three game losing streak the Jets gave up at least 30 points and fell two games behind the AFC East lead. Three wins later and New York is 5-3 and back into a tie for 1^st with Buffalo and New England. The defense looks like the defense of old, circa 09’ and 10’, allowing only 38 points and forcing 8 turnovers in the past three games. Their last win was a convincing one 27-11 over the Bills last week.

“We definitely have been getting better these last three weeks,” Ryan said. “But we’re going to see how much we’ve improved.” While the defense is playing better they will still face a tough task against Tom Brady and the Patriots who are ranked second in the league averaging 437.3 yards per game.

However in the Patriots past three games they’ve failed to score more than 20 points. Against Pittsburgh two weeks ago they managed only 213 yards total and didn’t score in the first half last week against the Giants. They also committed four turnovers against New York last week which is the third time they’ve done so this year compared to only 1 turnover through their final eight games last year.

Tom Brady isn’t having his best year as he already has 10 interceptions which is the third most in the league compared to only four all of last year. ”Just decision making,” Brady said. “I’ve just got to make better decisions.” The problem for the Patriots though hasn’t been the offense. There issue is the defense which is dead last in passing allowing 314.0 yards per game and is the only team allowing 300+ passing yards in the league.

“I think everybody can do a better job,” Bill Belichick said. “That includes everybody — it includes me, it includes all the coaches, it includes all the players. There’s room for improvement for all of us.” The Patriots cut Albert Haynesworth on Tuesday who they had brought in hopes that he could help improve their defensive front.

They also brought in wide receiver Chad Ochocinco hoping he could give them some sort of a vertical threat, but he hasn’t made a catch in three games. Last week Brady targeted him five times. ”He’s continued to do a great job in practice in his role that he’s really carved out for himself,” Brady said, “and he’s going to continue to be out there and, hopefully, make a bunch of plays.”

The patriots will need him to start making plays to give them a some semblance of a deep threat, because due to his lack of production the Patriots have had to rely extensively on Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski. With Welker likely being matched up against All-Pro corner back Darrelle Revis his job will be even tougher this week.

Welker had a big 73 yard reception in the last meeting against the Jets, it came when he was lined up opposite Revis. He was otherwise held to a very pedestrian day only catching four balls for 51 yards. ”Sometimes I was throwing him on the ground, sometimes he was catching some balls on me,” Revis said. “I call him the ‘Energizer Bunny’ because he never stops — it doesn’t matter what you do to him, he just keeps on coming and coming.”

The key for the Patriots last time the two met was the run game. BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns and the Patriots racked up 152 yards on the ground. The Jets defense has been playing well against the run lately, though they are still ranked 22^nd giving up 123.0 yards per game. They will be getting defensive end Mike DeVito back who is a big part of their run defense so that bodes well for the Jets.

Though the Patriots pass defense is bad, the Jets will continue to rely on their run game as they have the past few games. Shonn Greene has stepped up and the Jets are averaging 130.7 yards over the three game win streak up from 76.2 before. A lot of the resurgence has to do with All-Pro center Nick Mangold fully healing from injury.

The return to the run game has also helped the passing game as Mark Sanchez has 7 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions with a 63% completion rate over the past four games. Sanchez has done well at home against the Patriots posting a 114.5 passer rating and a 2-0 record.

With the recent struggles of the Patriots and the Jets playing well lately and at home the game will be a close one. The Jets should be able to learn from the Steelers and their New York NFC counterparts and be able to keep Brady off balance in the passing game. Unless the Patriots get another big day from the run game the Jets will be hard to beat at home.

When it’s all said and done the Jets should be able to hand the beleaguered Patriots their third straight loss and move into first place in the AFC East. Final Prediction: Patriots 24 Jets 27

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The Bills come into the game on Sunday looking to avoid losing two in a row for the first time this season when they travel to Jerryworld to square off with the Cowboys who are trying to keep pace with the Giants for the NFC East. “The focus is trying to win a game. … We got everything in front of us — we hold our own destiny in our own hands, so we gotta go take care of business,” coach Chan Gailey said.

Buffalo, who sit at 5-3 tied atop the AFC East with the Patriots and the Jets, failed to take care of any business last Sunday against the Jets. They fell 27-11 and saw their high power offense, which is tied for the highest scoring in the AFC with the Patriots at 27.8 points per game, sputter as the Jets made them look like the one win Dolphins. The Bills went 3 for 11 on third down and turned it over three times.

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two interceptions and had his worst game of the year going 15 of 31 for 191 yards and a touchdown. ”It was a bad game,” said Fitzpatrick. “We certainly didn’t have our best effort out there, and I think that’s where a lot of disappointment and frustration comes in.”

Fitzpatrick will look to bounce back facing a Cowboys pass defense that’s right in the middle of the pack ranked 16^th giving up 232.5 yards per game. The Bills are led by running back Fred Jackson who is having a career year leading the AFC at 100.4 yards per game and helping the Bills to the 7^th ranked rushing attack with 135 yards per game.

However, the Jets held the team to only 96 yards on the ground and forced Jackson’s first fumble of the year. They will look to get back to the run, as Dallas has struggled lately giving up 401 yards on the ground the past two weeks. Dallas will get Sean Lee back who is their leading tackler and this should help them somewhat.

For Buffalo to keep pace for the AFC East title they’ll have to go at least 2-1 on their three game road trip facing Dallas, Miami, and then the Jets again before heading home to face Tennessee. ”It will be a difficult stretch, but we don’t have to play all three of them at the same time,” Jackson said. “If we go out and continue to make plays like we have been throughout the season, we feel like we’ll be OK.”

Buffalo has struggle so far on the road this year by going 1-2, but the losses came against the Giants and the Bengals, both who are in first place in their divisions. Each loss was only by three points. The Cowboys sit at 4-4, but are looking to make a push in the second half of the season as they benefit from an easy schedule. They also benefit from the first place Giants having a tough stretch over the next few weeks.

After the Bills the Cowboys face Washington, Miami, and Arizona who have a combined record of 6-18. After that, the Giants come to town in what looks to be a pivotal matchup. ”We’ve done a lot of things to build on over the first eight games, a lot we can be positive about. … But we have to get better,” said Garrett

When starting running back Felix Jones got hurt, people expected the running game to take a step back, but the opposite has happened with rookie DeMarco Murray shining rushing for 466 yards in three games. They hope he can keep it up against a Bills run defense that ranks 20^th giving up 120.8 yards per game.

“We are going to have a great 1-2 punch when Felix gets healthy,” Witten said. “It’s going to put us in a great situation.” The Cowboys are a little banged up with Felix Jones still being questionable and wide receiver Miles Austin out for possibly a month after he reinjured his hamstring last week.

With no Austin, Dez Bryant figures to see a lot more targets, along with tight end Kevin Ogletree and wide receiver Laurent Robinson. Buffalo’s defense, while rich with playmaking ability, they lead the AFC with 15 interceptions, isn’t that great. They rank 25^th against the pass giving up 260.4 yards per game.

The game should be a close contest as both teams can put up a lot of points in a hurry. Both teams need to win to keep pace in their respective races, but with the Bills on the road and Dallas’ defense being run by Rob Ryan, Rex’s twin brother, they will see a dose of the same stuff they saw against the Jets. The Cowboys should be able to get a win at home. Final Prediction: Bills 17 Cowboys 27.

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The New York Giants repeated a comeback victory, similar to their 2008 Superbowl championship game, against the New England Patriots, scoring the final minutes to win 24-20 on Sunday.

There were no scoring drives in the first half of the game; however, the Giants where able to take the lead off a 22-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes, then a rushing touchdown from Brandon Jacobs a minute later, giving them a 10 point lead. Stephen Gostkowski was able to get the Patriots on the board with a 32-yard field goal with five minutes left in the quarter, making the score 10-3.

Five minutes into the fourth quarter, Tom Brady through the tying 5-yard pass to Aaron Hernandez for the Patriots’ first touchdown of the game. The Patriots took the lead in the third quarter off a 45-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski, making the score 13-10.

The final three minutes of the game was where all the action and tension was. Eli Manning took charge in an 85-yard streak of plays that ended with a 10-yard pass to Mario Manningham and a lead for the Giants. Brady responded by leading nine plays downfield for 64-yards, finishing up with a 14 yard pass to Rob Gronkowski, which gave the Patriots a 20-17 lead with a minute left in the game.

But a minute was all Manning needed to get the ball downfield in eight plays, and thanks to a 20-yard pass interference call on Patriots safety Sergio Brown that left the ball spotted on the one-yard line, a touchdown pass to Jake Ballard finished the game with the Giants winning 24-20.

The Giants (6-2) travel to California to face the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday, while the New England Patriots (5-3) travel to New Jersey to face the New York Jets.

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The Kansas City Chiefs have been up and down through this first half of the season. They started off 0-3 and looking like one of the worst teams in football. With injuries to starting running back Jamaal Charles, tight end Tony Moeaki, and safety Eric Berry for the season it looked like another long one for Chiefs’ fans.

Then they were able to turn things around and find a way to win for four straight games. The fourth win coming last week against division rivals the San Diego Chargers and move into a tie for first with San Diego and the Oakland Raiders at 4-3 being the first team to ever do so. They look to continue with this momentum this Sunday against the winless Dolphins and should have a pretty good chance.

“The great part about this team is that we continue to keep our heads and continue to work,” quarterback Matt Cassel said. “Our mentality is you just try to get one win and then two wins and three wins. Now we are on a four-game win streak. Everybody is excited about that, but we know there is a lot of season left to be played. We’re happy about where we are at right now.”

The Dolphins season started like the Chiefs, but has continued going south. In the past two weeks they’ve blown chances to get that elusive first win giving up a 15 point lead with three minutes in the fourth to Tim Tebow and the awful Broncos. Then last week they had a 7 point lead going into the fourth and still couldn’t finish it out against the Giants.

“We have to learn to finish,” defensive end Randy Starks said. “Once we do that, it’ll be a different season. In the past we were able to win these games. Right now we haven’t found a way.” The Dolphins want to end this winless streak badly and if Reggie Bush who’s solid game last week could duplicate his performance the Dolphins will have a shot.

That will be a little tougher because C Mike Pouncey may not play having left the game last week with a neck injury. Bush rushed for 103 yards on 15 carries last Sunday. Kansas City is ranked 22^nd against the run surrendering 122.1 yards a game so there is a possibility Bush can still do it.

While the Chiefs rank 20^th in passing defense facing Matt Moore won’t be too much of a challenge and the Chiefs secondary has been forcing more turnovers in the past few weeks. If Matt Cassel continues his good play look for him and WR Dwayne Bowe to take advantage of the Dolphins questionable pass defense.

The Dolphins are ranked near the bottom at 27^th overall giving up 270.7 yards per game. If Cassel gets help from a good run game the Chiefs should be good to go. With the Chiefs having tons of momentum and playing great football the last month they are going to make it five in a row.

They will be too much for the Dolphins to handle at Arrowhead Stadium and should handle business against a winless team. Final Prediction: Dolphins 17 Chiefs 28.

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It’s been four years since one of the best Super Bowl’s ever, when Eli Manning and the New York Giants put an end to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots undefeated season in a stunning upset. Ask Manning and he’ll tell you he plays at Tom Brady’s level and this season he’s put the Giants on his back. The Giants have been suffering from injuries all season, but still find themselves at 5-2 atop the NFC East.

“Well, the question was if I thought I was an elite quarterback and basically, I was just saying that I did,” Manning said. “I’m usually not into the business of ranking and rating quarterbacks and comparing myself to other guys. Looking back, I thought I gave an honest answer, and I don’t regret anything.”

Manning’s play this season has done nothing but back up those words. He’s ranked third with a 102.1 passer rating behind only Brady who’s at 104.4 and Aaron Rodgers who is number 1 at an astounding 125.7.

“He doesn’t get the recognition he deserves,” guard David Diehl said. “For us, it’s something that we see. It’s the way that he works, the way he prepares either out on the field or breaking down film or getting with the wide receivers or checking and making alerts and audibles at the line of scrimmage.”

Manning should be in for another big day as the Patriots have the worst pass defense in the league giving up 323.1 yards per game. The Patriots are looking to bounce back and keep pace with either the Bills or the Jets as they got whooped by the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. It was the worst offense performance the team has had all year.

“It just wasn’t a really good day for us in any phase of the game, in any area,” Coach Bill Belichick said. “We just didn’t do a good enough job. That’s really all there is to say.” The Steelers doubled New England’s yards 427-213 and Brady threw for a season low 198 yards with two TD’s. This week won’t be easier as the Giants front four have been playing good lately.

The Giants have the most sacks in the NFL with 26. The Giants are pretty banged up going into this game. Receiver Hakeem Nicks is nursing a hamstring, running back Ahmad Bradshaw has a foot injury, stud defensive end Osi Umenyioa has a shoulder issue and he alone has 6 sacks so far this season. Center David Bass is also suffering from a knee injury.

With Nicks potentially out the Giants may have to rely on WR Victor Cruz who has played well this season and is the second leading receiver on the team. ”Anytime you get an opportunity to go in there and play and have an opportunity to be the number one or two guy and make some big plays, you always want to be excited,” Cruz said.

“Myself and Mario (Manningham) and Devin Thomas and Michael Clayton are going to have to step in and fill that void.” Brady needs to see Wes Welker pick up his production. He leads the league in receptions at 57 and has racked up 824 yards and six trips to the end zone. However, the last two games he’s been virtually shut out only bringing in 12 receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown.

The key to this game will be the offensive line of the Patriots against the defensive line of the Giants. If Matt Light and company can protect Brady he should have no problem picking apart the Giants banged up secondary though they have only been giving up 225.1 yards per game good for 13^th in the league.

If the Giants can get pressure on Brady they should be able to give Eli Manning ample opportunity to light up the league’s worst secondary. The Giants defense will give the Patriots problems at first, but Tom Brady should be able to figure things out and the Patriots will win a high scoring affair in Foxboro Stadium. Final Prediction: Giants 27 Patriots 34.

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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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With your team down by three with under two minutes left to go, who would you rather have leading your team down the field than Tom Brady? That’s exactly what happened in Sunday’s game as Brady stepped onto the field with only one thing on his mind; “You can’t not get the ball in the end zone.”

And Brady did just that, finding Aaron Hernandez in the endzone with 22 seconds left on the clock to give the Patriots a close win over the Dallas Cowboys and moving the team to 5-1 and back atop the AFC East with Buffalo losing.

This was Brady’s 32^nd comeback in games where the Patriots trailed or were tied in the fourth quarter, so it’s nothing new for Pats fans or the fans of teams playing them. The fact that he was able to do it against the fourth overall defense in the NFL, who had been stifling the Patriot offense all day, says something about Brady.

“When you’re playing against a quarterback like Tom Brady, he’s going to go down as one of the all-time greats,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “So you have to try to make it hard on him.”

Dallas did a good job all day of making things difficult for Brady as they had an extra week to prepare coming off a bye week. He was sacked three times, two by DeMarcus Ware who now has seven through five games, and picked off twice, but Brady turned it up on that last drive going 8 for 9 with 78 yards and the game winning score.

This wasn’t the best game for the Patriots as they had four turnovers, but they still found a way to pull out a victory. Brady finished 27 of 41 for 289 yards and two touchdowns.

Dallas fell to 2-3 behind an okay game from Tony Romo who was 27 of 41 for 317 yards 1 TD and 1 Int. The Cowboys broke the tie with 5:13 left and after a Patriots punt decided to run the ball three times, only gaining 5 yards and punted right back.

Welker, who entered the day as the leagues’ leading receiver, was held to 6 catches for 45 yards, but three of those catches came in that final drive none bigger than his last which put the ball at the 8 yard line. That’s when Brady found Hernandez in one on one coverage and zipped a pass to him for the winning score.

“This is probably, as a whole, one of our worst performances as an offense,” Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch said. “It’s times like this when we show what we’re made of — that last drive.”

All things aside the Patriots are right where they were expected to be, heading into their bye week at a 5-1 mark. Things don’t get easier for the Patriots after the bye though as they travel to Pittsburgh and then face the Giants at home.

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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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With three weeks of the preseason finished and the starters sitting for the entire fourth game this week against the Philadelphia Eagles it’s time to look ahead to the regular season. The Jets are on a Super Bowl or bust mission this season, but can they really make it there or are they all talk.

Going into this season the Jets have a lot of question marks, but they have a ton of upside and the results could culminate in winning it all. Some of the big questions for the team are: How much depth do they have on the O-line?

Will Mark Sanchez continue to improve in his third season and take the steps he is expected to take and become the leader the team needs? How will Sanchez and his new look receiving core gel and how quickly?

Will Shonn Greene be able to perform at a high level as the feature back all season? Can they generate any QB pressure without a prolific pass rusher? Will the two rookies Mohammad Wilkerson and Kendrick Ellis be able to contribute in their rookie years?

While this may seem like a lot of questions as well as key ones, and most of them having to do with the offense, the Jets looked good overall in their preseason campaign. It seemed like what the team needed was just more time as with every game a different problem would arise. Against the Texans the line couldn’t protect Sanchez, against the Bengals they couldn’t run the ball, and against the Giants they couldn’t pass.

The one thing that has been consistent for the Jets in the preseason is their defense. The starting unit has only allowed 10 points in the 3 preseason games.

Rex Ryan, who usually doesn’t hesitate to gush about his defense said on Tuesday, “”Will we end up being the best defense in football? I think so. I challenge everybody: Put your negatives comments out there and we’ll see what happens in the end, because I think our defense is going to be outstanding.”

“I wouldn’t trade this defense for anybody’s in the league.”

The Jets defense is definitely poised to be a top 3 if not best defense in the league with 10 returning starters and 9 of the 10 having 2 years under Rex Ryan’s defense which should mean less communication breakdowns than there have been. The Jets also have 10 defensive backs who have played in the system which should help the continuity of the secondary.

For the first time in his tenure with the Jets OLB Calvin Pace will play in the first game. He missed the first month of 2009 due to suspension and 2010 due to a broken foot. Pace is the teams best pass rusher and having him from the start should help the defense overall.

Another big difference from last year is the status of CB Darrelle Revis. He’s participated fully in training camp and is in top shape this year as opposed to last year having held out all of the preseason. That probably led to his slow start and the hamstring injury he suffered in Week 2.

With the defense looking to be in top form and help carry the Jets there season really comes down to the continued development of Mark Sanchez. He showed how good there offense can be against the Bengals, but also how inconsistent as we saw against the Giants.

If Mark Sanchez continues to take steps forward, Shonn Greene steps up to the challenge of being a featured back in the NFL, and the Jets D can dominate like they have the past two years the Jets look to be on their way to a potential Superbowl title.

So the big question on all Jets fans minds and many people around the NFL this season is this: Will the Jets be flying high or crashing and burning when its all said and done with?

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When I told my mom I was writing a story comparing the sports Mecca’s of Boston and New York, she laughed in my face. She said, “Son, you’ve lived your whole life in New Jersey and I swear to god if you say one thing good about the Red Sox I’m taking the car from you”…No mom, anything but the car! These words stung because I decided to write this when the Red Sox were on a roll and leading the American East. Now, I can breathe easy as the first place Yankees have won seven straight and damn are they good; but wow have Boston sports been on a tear in recent memory. (Sorry momma)

Let’s compare the cities by the three big sports (basketball, baseball and football). I can promise all of you that you won’t find any use of “wicked” or “fugghet about it” in this article. This shall be fun.

New England Patriots vs. New York (New Jersey) Jets/ Giants

This matchup shouldn’t even exist because both New York football teams don’t actually play in New York but we’ll let that slide.  Now a few years ago this would be a no brainer. The Patriots were in the midst of the dynasty, the Giants were a slightly above average football team, and the Jets were a joke under “The Walking Cast”; Chad Pennington.  Then in 2009, the Giants beat the undefeated Patriots in an amazing Superbowl comeback, and all of a sudden the Rex Ryan Jets have become a constant visitor to the AFC championship game. Oh how the tables have turned. Today, the Jets are young, led by third year quarterback Mark Sanchez and a dynamite offensive line.

There defense is top in the league but aging quickly. The Patriots are led by the one of the all time greats in Tom Brady. They lack an effective running game and a star wide receiver but Coach Belichick has a knack of developing great role players with the likes of Wes Welker and Danny Woodhead. There defense is young, and becoming really good, really fast. The Giants have an average quarterback in Eli Manning, an inconsistent running game but a very good receiving corps led by Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith. There defense looks to be losing a key member in Osi Umenyiora and their secondary looks to improve with rookie addition Prince Awakamura.

The Edge:

Boston: The only reason I almost picked New York was because of Tom Brady’s draft day crying episode a few months back; oh and that hideous ponytail. The Patriots though, are still one of the best teams in the league. They have a hall of fame coach with a hall of fame quarterback; and any team that can make a star out of Danny Woodhead is doing something right. The Jets will still be solid but they’ll be losing key free agents whenever the lockout ends and it’s hard to tell if there defense can stay out of the trainer’s room. As for the Giants, well I just see no hope for them.  The team is going downhill instead of up and Eli’s play has become too inconsistent.

New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox

Ah, finally; the almighty rivalry of Yankees vs. Red Sox. There is so much history between these two teams that it’s hard not to get excited over the rivalry. From back in the days of Babe Ruth to Ted Williams to the present of Jeter and Pedroia, the rivalry never gets old. The Yankees are 27 time World Champions with their last championship coming in just 2009.  The Red Sox has been on fire recently and won two World Series since 2004 after an 86 year losing streak. Both teams seem to be 1 and 2 in the American League East every single year and seem to both make the playoffs. Every. Single. Year. (Do you think they get tired of playing each other?) Today, the Yankees are atop the AL East with the Red Sox less than two games behind and both teams are World Series contenders. All it comes down to really is who will beat who?

The Edge

New York: Got to give this one to the Yankees (You’re welcome Mom). The Yankees are the best franchise in all of sports. I know, I know, they had one collapse to the Red Sox back in 2004 but I’m sure the Yankees just felt bad and let them win. The Red Sox are known for losing; Babe, Bucky, Buchner, Boone anyone? If you’re going to pull the Yankees buy their team argument; well guess what? So, do the Red Sox. (Crawford, Gonzalez). The Yankees are currently first in the AL East ahead of the Red Sox and have the stronger lineup and bullpen. The Yankees take the cake on this one.

New York Knicks Vs Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics have been one of the most consistently winning teams in all of the NBA for the past few seasons. After a forgetful start to the new millennium, the Celtics returned to prominence in 2007-2008 with the formation of The Big Three. The Big Three consisted of Boston superstar, Paul Pierce and new additions of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.  The Celtics have gone on to win an NBA championship and win at least 60 games every season since the formation of the Big Three.

The Big three though is getting up there in years and coach Doc Rivers seems ready for retirement. The Knicks on the other hand have been well, awful. They were a league embarrassment under former President and Coach, Isaiah Thomas (Drafting Renaldo Balkman?!) and have only recently reinstated the winning to the Knicks faithful. With the additions of Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks could have a bright future ahead of them.

The Edge:

Boston: It was almost a no brainer on this one. Even though Boston is a team full of old men, they are a well oiled machine. The Celtics put on a clinic this past spring and swept the new look Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. The Knicks are on the rise but without a big man and a stable front office; I don’t see it happening quickly. The Celtics are destined to win for at least a few more seasons.

It looks like that Boston has edged out New York for the better sports city. (Sorry Mom). The battle is extremely close and could go either way but right now Boston just can’t seem to lose. Wicked awesome right?

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