At long last, one team has broken away from the middling pack and established a sole proprietorship on first place. After a 29-26 overtime victory over the New York Jets, the New England Patriots now sit atop the AFC East with a record of 4-3. However, the Jets weren’t the only team to suffer a late game loss in week 7. The Buffalo Bills fell to the Tennessee Titans 35-34, after a fourth quarter comeback led by veteran quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck, handed the Bills their fourth loss of the season.

In Foxboro, Massachusetts the Patriots took advantage of a couple of untimely Mark Sanchez turnovers and some suspect play-calling to grab their fourth win of the season. Tom Brady tossed two touchdowns and didn’t turn the ball over once to a Jets defense that looked primed and ready for an upset from the first snap. However, even a stellar defensive effort wasn’t enough to combat the continued offensive woes for the Jets.

Mark Sanchez fumbled a hand-off in the opening half which lead to a safety, and threw an interception on an under thrown pass to a wide open Stephen Hill in the end zone. The Patriots rallied off a first quarter kick return touchdown by Devin McCourty. Rob Gronkowski added two touchdown passes, and his size ultimately proved too much for the Jets undermanned secondary to handle. Despite a valiant effort, the Patriots added a Gostkowski field goal in overtime, followed by a strip-sack of Sanchez to end the game. Jets fans have to be wondering how much longer Mark Sanchez can struggle before Tim Tebow sees some substantial playing time.

In Buffalo, the Bills engaged in a back and forth shootout all day, only to fall 35-34. Ryan Fitzpatrick looked more impressive than in recent weeks, tossing three touchdowns to only one interception. Running backs, Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller, both looked fresh, having seemingly fully recovered from early season injuries. However, the Bills are still working out the kinks on defensive. One of the most highly touted units in the off-season, this Buffalo defense is yet to make any type of meaningful impact toward a Bills victory.

In Week 8, the Miami Dolphins return from bye to face the Jets at Metlife Stadium. The Patriots travel to St. Louis to take on the Rams, and the Bills receive their much needed bye week.

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Another week in the AFC East and the division continues to travel as a pack. After four weeks, the Buffalo Bills, the New York Jets, and the New England patriots all stand at 2-2 while the Miami Dolphins are just one game back at 1-3.

The 2-1 Jets hosted an angry San Francisco team that completely overpowered the Jets on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Mark Sanchez posted one of his worst efforts in recent memory in a 34-0 shellacking at the hands of the 49ers. Sanchez’s consistent mistakes lead many fans to call for backup Tim Tebow to see some snaps under center, but the Jets brass remains steadfast in their commitment to Sanchez as the starting quarterback. To add injury to insult, wide receiver, Santonio Holmes, left the game with an apparent foot injury. His status is uncertain for the coming weeks, but the Jets fear he is lost for the season.

In Arizona, the Dolphins took the undefeated Cardinals to their limit, ultimately succumbing to an overtime field goal in a 24-21 loss. That makes two straight overtime losses for Miami, but this one came with a little more gusto. Ryan Tannehill looked motivated to win the game, finding target, Brian Hartline, 12 times for 253 yards and a touchdown. Ultimately, a loss is a loss, but Dolphin fans can be proud of the effort their team put forth on Sunday.

The Patriots looked the opposite of their 2-2 counterparts in the Jets and Bills after trouncing Buffalo in a 52-28 blowout. Thirty-one fourth quarter points propelled Tom Brady and the Patriots to a road win, while forcing four interceptions from Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. This might be just the type of win New England needed to shed their early season rust and leave the rest of the division in the dust.

For this upcoming week, the Jets face an equally tough foe in Houston on Monday Night Football. Miami travels to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals, Buffalo takes on the 49ers in San Francisco, while New England hosts Denver for another installment of the great rivalry between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

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What if you were told that the New England Patriots would have the highest point differential in the division after three weeks? No surprises. What if you were then told that they were in a share of last place with the Miami Dolphins, under .500 for the first time in almost a decade? Somehow, all of this is true. Whether blamed on the replacement officials, injuries to key offensive starters, or Tom Brady’s broken nose, the Patriots are 1-2. After a disappointing 31-30 loss to Baltimore, the Patriots need to go back to the drawing board before a divisional showdown next week.

For the second straight week, the Buffalo Bills took it to an overmatched squad, defeating the Browns in a hostile Cleveland environment by a final score of 24-14. After a week one debacle against the Jets, the Bills have quietly put together an impressive couple of weeks. However, the victory was bittersweet; C.J. Spiller, the offensive juggernaut of the early season, went down with a sprained shoulder. The injury doesn’t seem to be severe, but with starting running back Fred Jackson already nursing an ankle injury, the Bills’ backfield may become an issue.

This week’s divisional matchup saw the New York Jets narrowly edge the Miami Dolphins 23-20 in an overtime contest. Both teams looked offensively challenged and undisciplined. The Jets capitalized on a missed Miami field goal in overtime. In fact, the Jets had an overtime field goal of their own blocked, but Nick Folk was given a second chance and booted the game winner because Miami head coach Joe Philbin called a timeout on the previous play.

Adding insult to injury, Miami lost Reggie Bush to a sprained knee ligament. There was no structural damage, so the Dolphins will have their greatest offensive threat back this season. The same optimism could not be felt by Jets fans. All-pro cornerback Darrelle Revis suffered a torn ACL and is likely out for the season. At 2-1, the Jets have reason to believe they will be fine, but Revis is the most important player on the team, and Antonio Cromartie and Kyle Wilson will have a lot of ground to cover without Revis out there.

Next week, Miami travels to Arizona to take on the undefeated Cardinals, the Jets host the 49ers at Metlife Stadium, and Buffalo and New England match up in a divisional showdown.

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The AFC East’s week one results didn’t prove much for fans of the New England Patriots or the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots systematically dismantled an inferior Tennessee Titans team on the way to a 34-13 rout. Tom Brady looked on point, and starting running back Stevan Ridley turned some heads with 125 rushing yards. Defensive rookies Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower made an immediate impact, collaborating on a strip sack touchdown. Overall, no surprises at New England, and the Patriots remain one of the favorites to represent the AFC in the Superbowl yet again.

At the bottom of the division lay the Miami Dolphins, who were highlighted on this season of HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ and endured some hard knocks of their own in a Week 1 loss to the Houston Texans. Rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill struggled with his accuracy, and made some prototypical rookie mistakes as the veteran Texans capitalized. Rookie Head Coach Joe Philbin has his hands full with an inexperienced offensive line and a green quarterback behind center. The Dolphins are in for a long season if they continue to commit turnovers at the rate they did on Sunday.

The real surprise of the NFL’s kickoff weekend came in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where the New York Jets put up 48 points on route to a decisive victory over their divisional rival, the Buffalo Bills. An offensive unit that seemed inept for the entirety of the preseason came out firing against the supposedly new and improved Buffalo defense. Mark Sanchez had one of his best games as a pro, tossing three touchdowns to only one interception and completing over 70 percent of his passes. Rookie wide receiver Stephen Hill and second-year standout Jeremy Kerley contributed for two touchdowns each, including one by punt return for Kerley. Tim Tebow was virtually irrelevant for the Jets, contributing five carries for eleven yards.

Ryan Fitzpatrick of Buffalo looked shaky, tossing three interceptions, one of which was returned easily for a touchdown by Antonio Cromartie. Starting running back Fred Jackson left with a knee injury, and while C.J. Spiller handled the load admirably, Buffalo will sorely miss Jackson’s versatility and experience alongside Fitzpatrick.

Prized free agent signee Mario Williams was a virtual no-show for Buffalo, as was the rest of the Bills defense. Buffalo fans are left scratching their head as to the promise of this season, whereas Jets supporters are already talking about a return to AFC glory. After one week this talk may be premature, but the Jets certainly proved that they can perform on both sides of the football.

For week two, the Jets travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers, Miami hosts Oakland, Buffalo is at home against Kansas City, and New England takes on Arizona in Foxboro.

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As fans all over the country speculate on whether future Hall of Fame NFL quarterback Peyton Manning will sign with Tennessee, Denver, or some other team, Nissan North America has just sweetened the deal by offering to “… make Manning a Titan.”

But in this case, the automaker, which is based in Franklin, Tenn., a suburb of Nashville, where the Tennessee NFL franchise plays, is offering to “make,” or rather, “build” Manning a 2012 Nissan Titan Pro-4X pickup truck.

On its website and Facebook page, Nissan extended the offer in an open letter to Manning. In an effort to remain neutral, Nissan indicates it will make Manning a Titan regardless of the NFL team he chooses.

Tennessee has been the corporate headquarters for Nissan’s operations covering all of North, Central and South America since 2006 when the company moved to Nashville from California. The company, now based 15 minutes south in the suburb of Franklin, Tenn., is one of the state’s largest employers. Nissan operates technical and design centers in California, Arizona and Michigan, two assembly plants and one power-train plant in Tennessee, as well as a third assembly plant in Canton, Miss.

“The Nissan Titan V-8 engine is built in Tennessee,” said Brian Carolin, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Nissan North America. “And even more poetically for Mr. Manning, the Titan itself is assembled in a place called Canton.”

Manning played college football for the University of Tennessee. He is expected to be a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee when he becomes eligible after retirement. The NFL Hall of Fame is located in Canton, Ohio.

An Open Letter to Peyton Manning

Dear Peyton,

We hope it’s okay to be informal and call you Peyton. You’ve been like one of the family to sports fans, especially Tennesseans, since your record-setting college days at the University of Tennessee.

Like you, we at Nissan North America were not all born to Rocky Top. But it is now home to our corporate headquarters and three manufacturing facilities employing more than 6,000 Tennesseans.

At Nissan, we too have fans all over the U.S.A. and we appreciate them all. And like all of your fans, we’re awaiting your decision on where to play next season. While we are in no position to sign you to any particular NFL franchise, we at Nissan North America want to make you a Titan – a 2012 Nissan Titan – as a gesture of gratitude recognizing your great accomplishments and philanthropic contributions to our national community.

We extend this offer on behalf of a nation of football fans and Nissan fans, not necessary to influence your decision.  So next time you’re in Nashville, give us a call and we’ll bring the keys.

Sincerely,

Nissan North America

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Someday, Tom Brady will hang up the cleats and be remembered for being one of the greatest quarterbacks we ever have and ever will see, despite being selected with the 199^th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.

But when that day does come, the final score of Super Bowl XLVI may ultimately be the deciding factor in how he is remembered – win or lose.

Yes, the two time league and Super Bowl MVP has already been the man under center to lead New England to three world championships in his first four years as the starter. There’s no doubt that this is leaps and bounds above what the majority of quarterbacks in this league would ever dream of accomplishing.

However, after losing to them in Super Bowl XLII, another loss to Eli Manning and the New York Giants may eventually make a remembrance of Brady’s days in the NFL look like a tale of two careers – only if he fails to win another ring over the final years of his career, of course. Fans and analysts of the game would certainly still agree that he had an outstanding career once it’s over, but would immediately question his inability to make it back to the top after such remarkable success from the get-go.

The notion of ‘What if?’ is something to be considered with a loss in Indianapolis, as well. In the scenario that Brady once again falls short to Eli and never leads his team back to the top of the mountain, one of the first things that people will bring up during his induction into Canton is chatter about what he could have potentially accomplished. They’ll bring up points like, ‘What if he had won those two Super Bowls against Eli and won five? Would he be undoubtedly be the greatest ever?’

On the other hand, a victory in this game would at least open the door that begins comparisons to former 49ers Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana no matter what happens during the rest of Brady’s time in the league. Montana and former Steeler Terry Bradshaw are the only quarterbacks to have ever won four Super Bowls during their illustrious careers, but of the two, Montana has historically received more recognition for being a winner than Bradshaw. Brady wants nothing more than to join an exclusive class that includes the man he idolized growing up in California – Montana.

Brady is well aware of what this one game could potentially mean for him on an individual standpoint, and it will be very interesting to see how that affects his performance on Sunday.

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The Dolphins were just 30 minutes away from pulling off a Christmas miracle in Foxborough. Tom Brady and the Patriots (12-3) came roaring back in the second half on Christmas Eve, erasing the Dolphins’ (5-10) 17-0 halftime lead as they would hold on to win the game 27-24.

The victory clinched the Patriots one of the top two seeds and a first round postseason bye following the Colts dramatic win over the Texans on Thursday night. “It’s good to clinch,” said receiver Deion Branch, “but not by the way we played. It’s not the way you want to do it.” Miami gave Pats fans quite a scare during the course of the first 30 minutes. The Dolphins defense, which had allowed only 14.7 points per game during their recent 5-2 stretch, sacked Brady three times while keeping New England’s high powered offense off the board.

Matt Moore and the Dolphins jumped at this rare opportunity and put together two impressive touchdown drives following a 47 yard field goal on the game’s opening possession. Just two plays after making a 47 yard catch downfield, Brandon Marshall caught a 19 yard touchdown to give Miami a 10-0 lead at the beginning of the second quarter. The drive went 82 yards on just 5 plays.

Interim head coach Todd Bowles remained aggressive. After forcing a quick 3 and out Miami added on another touchdown. A one yard touchdown pass to Charles Clay concluded an 11 play, 89 yard drive to put the Dolphins up 17-0 with 6:31 remaining in the half. Two long pass interference penalties aided the Dolphins along the way.

New England went into the locker room stunned after missing a 51 yard field goal attempt with only a few seconds left on the clock. A 17-0 score was the largest home halftime deficit for a Patriots team since trailing 18-0 to the Jets all the way back in 1999. The Dolphins were poised to give the Pats only their second home loss in 35 games – until Moore’s giveaways gave New England new life. “Our guys fought,” said Bowles, “but we didn’t finish.”

A fumbled snap by Moore early in the 3^rd was recovered by the Patriots’ Vince Wilfork at the Miami 38 following a 45 yard New England field goal to cut the lead to 17-3. Brady took advantage. He went a perfect 5-5 on the drive and finished off with a two yard scrambling touchdown pass to Deion Branch, making it a one possession game at 17-10.

The Pats then had a short field to work with after forcing a punt deep in Miami territory. Brady led his troops 41 yards downfield and tied the game with a one yard quarterback sneak with 2:17 remaining in the third. Although things were falling apart for the Dolphins, they were still in great position to take the lead to start the 4^th quarter.

Moore brought them down to the New England 44, but was intercepted by Devin McCourty down at the 2 on a ball that was held up in the air by the wind. Moore’s two turnovers proved costly despite going 17-33 for 294 yards and 3 touchdowns.

The Pats would eventually convert the pick into a 42 yard field goal to take their first lead at 20-17 with 8:55 left to go. A 59 yard drive and another quarterback sneak touchdown for Brady on their next possession pretty much sealed the deal with 2:56 remaining.

Miami could not stop Brady in the second half after shutting him down in the first. He finished 27-46 with 304 yards and 3 total touchdowns. “We had (Brady’s) number in the first half, but in the second half he came out and made a lot of plays,” said Dolphins linebacker Karlos Dansby. “He is a coach on the field.”

A late touchdown by Davone Bess made it a 27-24 game, but the Patriots converted a critical 3^rd down, ran the clock out, and secured the victory. New England has now won 7 in a row with just one game remaining before beginning yet another postseason run.

And while the Dolphins let this one slip away, there were some nice milestones reached in the meantime. Reggie Bush’s fourth straight 100 yard rushing game gave him over 1,000 yards on the year. Marshall also reached the 1,000 yard receiving mark, making this the first time in team history that Miami has had both a 1,000 yard rusher and 1,000 yard receiver in one year.
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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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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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It has been a few years since the New York Giants and New England Patriots met in the unforgettable Super Bowl XLII, but the bitterness was still there. In a game that was hyped as a duel between Tom Brady and Eli Manning, fans were not disappointed.

Manning watched Brady march down the field for the score to put the Patriots up 20-17 with less than two minutes in the fourth quarter, Manning finished off a drive with a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Ballard with only a few ticks left on the clock to give the Giants the victory at Foxboro Stadium. The win improved their record to 6-2.

“I knew we would win,” Giants running back Brandon Jacobs said. “It definitely took me back to the Super Bowl.” Just like the Super Bowl, when Manning found David Tyree over the middle for the most improbable catch by an unknown receiver, Manning found Ballard for a 28-yard gain in which he leaped up and caught it through two Patriot defenders.

“If it was thrown anywhere else, I wouldn’t have caught it,” Ballard said. “You dream about making catches like that.” And just to add to the eeriness of the drive, Ballard wears 85. That’s the same number worn by Tyree that season. ”I’d rather be down by three with a minute-thirty [left] than up by four with a minute-thirty with Tom Brady, with their offense on the field,” Manning said.

“You like those situations where you have an opportunity to go win the game.” Spoken like an elite quarterback, Manning got the chance to win it and came through. He had another good game, going 20 of 39 for 250 yards two touchdowns and one interception. This was a big win keeping the Giants two games ahead of the Dallas Cowboys who beat the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

The Patriots fall to 5-3 and, more importantly, fall into a three-way tie for the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets, whom they face next week for AFC East supremacy. ”We’ve got half the season to go,” Brady said. “We’ll see what our team’s made of this week.”

The loss ended two very impressive streaks: 20 regular season home game wins for the Patriots and 31 straight regular season home wins for Brady. At one point, it looked like the Patriots were going to win behind a Brady comeback when he connected with Rob Gronkowski for a 14-yard score to put the Patriots up 20-17 with a minute and a half left.

The key play was a 20-yard pass interference call on Sergio Brown that put the Giants on the one-yard line with 30 seconds left. ”I was looking at the ball the whole time,” Brown said. “I was surprised. They come and tell us as long as we’re looking at the ball, we can play the ball.”

Manning found Ballard in the end zone for the win three plays after that. All points were scored in the second half as the game was deadlocked at 0-0 going into the half. The Giants took a 10-0 lead on a 10-yard Jacobs run. The Patriots responded with 13 unanswered points, and Stephen Gostkowski made a 45 yard field goal to put the Patriots up 13-10.

Manning answered that with a 85-yard drive capped by a Mario Manningham 10-yard touchdown with just over three minutes left. The Giants defense came up big and helped the offense overcome injuries to center David Bass, running back Ahmad Bradshaw, and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. They got to Brady twice, and forced two picks as well as a fumble.

Brady finished the day 28 of 49 for 342 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a fumble. At one point the fans started booing after Brady threw an incompletion on third down. They cheered up quickly as Aaron Ross muffed a punt on the next play that the Patriots recovered.

The Patriots had scoring opportunities, but an interception by Brady and a missed 27-yard field goal left them with zero points in the first half. The Giants face another tough test as they head west to face off with the San Francisco 49ers and the Patriots travel to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Jets.

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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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It’s the team that nobody saw coming. For the past few years, the Bills have been the laughing stock of the AFC East. They were the one team bringing down a division with the power house Patriots and the better than average Jets and Dolphins.

Not anymore. The Bills have quietly been putting together a good team and this year, we are finally seeing just how good this team and Harvard graduate QB Ryan Fitzpatrick can be. The Bills realize this and recently gave him a big contract extension of 6 years $59 million, locking up their franchise man for years to come. That extension is bad news for the rest of the AFC East.

He’s been worth every penny of that, having a career year, and has the Bills sitting in a 1^st place tie atop the AFC East with the New England Patriots at 5-2. He’s ranked 6^th in the league in quarter back, rating at 97.8 for the season. The Bills are third in the league, scoring 30.1 points per game this year.

While only being ranked 13^th overall in passing at 239.6 yards a game, the running game has received a boost from their QB play ranking 5^th overall at 140.6 a game. Running back Fred Jackson, who is having an MVP type season, is fourth in the league in yards with 721 and is ranked fourth among running backs in receiving with just over 350 yards.

He’s tied for first with Matt Forte of runs over 20 yards ranks second in yards per game with 103.0 and is fourth in yards per carry at 5.5, but is second in running backs to LeSean McCoy. DeMarco Murray and Michael Vick are one and two, but have half the carries of McCoy and Jackson. Jackson also has zero fumbles this season so far.

While the Bills defense isn’t one of the better in the league, they still put fear into a team as they lead the league in interceptions with 18 and three touchdowns off interceptions. This defense has potential the potential to be real solid in the coming years if they can keep everyone healthy. They showed this last week shutting out the Washington Redskins 23-0 and racking up 9 sacks in the process.

To the Bills credit, they’ve also been doing this against quality opponents. They’ve beaten Kansas City and Oakland, both who are tied for first with San Diego for the AFC West all sitting at 4-3. They’ve beaten the Patriots once already and beat a good Philadelphia Eagles team who has recently been turning things around after a horrible start.

They took care of business against an obviously weaker Washington team, shutting them out last week. The Bills only losses come at the hands of the Bengals and the Giants. Both these teams are atop of their divisions and have a 5-2 record. The Bills should have more respect than they do.

Consider that the Patriots have a worse defense in football, giving up 424.1 yards a game compared to the Bills who are 385.9, the Patriots are considered playoff contenders and potential Super Bowl threats. The same could be said for the Packers who rank below the Bills in yards per game giving up 391.0 and currently hold the 31^st spot in opponents passing yards per game, yet they’re widely regarded as being the best team in football.

These teams are led by their quarterbacks and Fitzpatrick has proven he can do that. Add to that a more potent running attack than either Brady or Rodgers has and this is a team that can go deep into the playoffs.

If that’s not enough for you, think about the New Orleans Saints team that won the Super Bowl a few years ago. They are very much like this Bills team in that they have a strong quarterback, a high scoring offense, and a defense that isn’t that great, but forces turnovers and scores points.

This Bills team is as good as they’re record and play this season has been. In a quarterback driven league they’ve found their man in Ryan Fitzpatrick. They are proving they can score points with anyone in the league and if teams with good quarterbacks and bad defenses can be in the hunt for the Super Bowl the same should be said for the Bills.

The fan base has been waiting patiently for this time to come and it has come quicker than expected, but not as a shock at all. So the next time you go to dismiss the Bills as a top team in this league, think about what they’re doing and show them some respect.

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Going into this game, all the Steelers heard was how Tom Brady has owned their team during his tenure as quarterback of the New England Patriots and how their “old” defense, with its zone blitz schemes, was going to get picked apart by Brady and company.

The Steelers changed all that talk in a big way on Sunday as Ben Roethlisberger was the quarterback picking apart the Steelers, giving Brady and the Patriots offense fits all day.

Brady came into the game with a 6-1 record against the Steelers, and put up monster numbers in doing so. But on Sunday at Heinz Field, it was all Steelers, all game. The Steelers had 39 minutes of possession, and Brady was never able to get into rhythm because the Steelers changed their defense.

Instead of featuring zone blitz schemes, which have allowed Brady and the Patriots to spread out the defense and throw in between the zones, the Steelers switched up their strategy featuring more man-to-man play. The coverage and ample pressure from wide receivers on Brady allowed them to keep Brady under wraps, and set the blueprint to bring down Bill Belichick and Brady.

Brady was sacked three times during the game, but was under pressure all day. When he couldn’t find an open receiver, Wes Welker, who, like Brady, has numbers on a record pace this season, was held to six catches for only 39 yards.

“It’s been all Tom Brady versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, and looking back on the past, how he’s owned the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I think everybody forgot about our offense a little bit and the things they’ve been doing out there,” Pittsburgh linebacker LaMarr Woodley said. “I think they took that a little personal.”

Roethlisberger had one of his best games of the season, throwing 30 times in the first half and finishing 36 of 50 for 365 yards, two touchdowns, and one pick as the Steelers notched their fourth straight victory after starting 2-2. They move into a tie for first place in the AFC.

Brady was 24 of 35 for a season low 198 yards and two touchdowns. The Patriots showed no signs of panicking, though the loss dropped them back into a tie for the AFC East with Buffalo and only one game ahead of the Jets. The Patriots punted four times during the game, missed a key field goal, and failed miserably on an onside kick attempt.

The team that was out there Sunday was very reminiscent of the Patriots teams that have shown up in the playoffs the past few years. ”It just wasn’t a really good day for us in any phase of the game, in any area,” Belichick said. “We just didn’t do a good enough job. That’s really all there is to say.”

There is more to say than just that. This is a Patriots team whose defense is so bad that on any given day when the offense isn’t putting up huge numbers, there’s a really good possibility of them losing the game.

The problems with the defense are deeper than anyone in New England wants to let on, but the Steelers have shown the rest of the league that this isn’t the same untouchable Patriots team we’ve seen over the past decade.

The Patriots host the New York Giants next week. With their schedule not getting any easier and the emergence of Buffalo combined with the recent resurgence of the Jets, the Patriots have to get things turned around quickly if they hope to keep control of the AFC East.

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When the 6-1 Patriots take on the 5-2 Steelers this Sunday we all will get a little preview of what may come later in the playoffs as both teams look to make runs at the Super Bowl. Both teams have been playing well as of late and this should be another classic showdown between one of the leagues’ best offenses and one of the best defenses.

New England is the No. 1-ranked offense and Pittsburgh is the third-ranked defense. On paper this would seem like an even matchup and for years the Steelers have been known for their staunch defense, but there is one thing that those stats don’t reflect: Tom Brady is the QB for the Patriots and if history shows anything it’s that Brady plays really well against the Steelers.

Brady is 6-1 all-time against Pittsburgh with a 104.8 career passer rating and a 67.8 completion percentage. You don’t have to be a sports analyst to know that those are astonishingly good stats against a team whose defense is usually its strong point. In the most recent matchup between the two from last year, Brady was 30 of 43 for 350 yards and three touchdowns.

Mike Tomlin, whose now in his fifth season coaching the Steelers, has yet to beat the Patriots. “He is just very good physically and mentally,” Tomlin said this week. “He is very talented in both areas. He is tough to trick, he makes quick decisions, he has pinpoint accuracy and he has the arm to do the things he desires to do.”

The Steelers run a base 3-4 defense with a lot of zone-blitzes that are designed to trick and disguise quarterbacks, but Brady always seems to be a step ahead of them. Brady’s ability, plus the personel for both teams favors the Patriots. The Steelers strength is not their secondary it’s their front seven.

With the way the Patriots utilize spread formations along with the emergence of tight ends, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, the Steelers are forced to sub out linebackers for more corners, or live with James Farrior, LaMarr Woodley, and Larry Foote matched up against the more athletic tight ends.

With the way the Patriots have been able to run the ball this year–they are 10^th in the league–it’s a double edge sword for the Steelers. Not having James Harrison, who will miss his 4^th game due to an eye injury, hurts as well because it takes away from the Steelers pass rush, which as we have seen over the years is the only way to get to Brady.

On the flip side is the atrocious Patriot defense, especially the secondary, against Big Ben and the Steeler offense. The Steelers have the 9^th ranked pass offense and the Patriots have the 32^nd ranked pass defense.

This matchup should favor the Steelers  as Rashard Mendenhall has been running the ball effectively and with a WR core consisting of Mike Wallace, Hines Ward, Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, and TE Heath Miller, the Steelers should have no problem exploiting the secondary.

This game has the looks of a shootout the question boils down to whether the Steelers can manage to stop Brady and if Big Ben, who isn’t known for putting up monster numbers in a game, can keep up with the high scoring Patriots. This is not to say that history won’t repeat itself again and that means that Tom Brady and the Patriots have the Steelers number.

Add to that giving Belichick an extra week to prepare and it is probable that the Patriots will win a high scoring. Final Prediction: Patriots 31 Steelers 21.

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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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We all saw this coming. It wasn’t supposed to happen in week 5, 6 or even week 7 but here we are: the Tebow era has officially arrived. This entire situation was handled poorly by the Broncos from the off season. Fans are fickle so it makes sense that they would clamor for the backup quarterback after an 0-4 start. The problem is Tim Tebow was third on the depth chart.

This was not purely a coaching decision or even a front office decision. This sudden move was brought on by the Denver fans. Now we all will see what Tebow can do and what the coaches saw in practice that landed him third on the depth chart. It must be a first in the NFL to have a quarterback coming from third on the depth chart to starting without any injuries to the true backup. Only with Tebow is anything like this possible.

Best Team In NFL

Power rankings change from week to week in the NFL, so it is unlikely to find the same team leading that conversation from week 1 to week 6, but that is the case with the Green Bay Packers. It would not be surprising for this team to go 14-2 this season or even better, but of course injuries will play a large role in that.

They are by far the best team, but the way they are winning will have to change or expand if they are to win the whole thing again.  They are 22^nd in the league in rushing and 30^th in passing defense, meaning there is still room for improvement. Then again, maybe they don’t need anything but Aaron Rodgers -arguably the best quarterback in the NFL.

Michael Vick and the Eagles

Michael Vick and the Eagles are 1-4 right now after losing again this past weekend: a game where everything that could have gone wrong did in fact go wrong. There is a lot of blame to go around for this dismal start to the season, but at some point everyone assumes they will correct things.

There is too much talent for them not to. When watching the Eagles play, it is difficult to see where all the money went and what they got back in return.

They are second to last in rush defense and the huge holes they allow makes it impossible for their smaller and less experienced linebackers to make plays. Some of the blame has to go to the defensive coordinator, but more blame has to go to the head coach who hired a guy who has never coached on the pro level before.

Let’s not forget to blame Michael Vick for his inability to stop turning the ball over. Maybe they will turn things around, but they start next week against Washington, an improved division opponent who is 3-1 thus far.

Jets, Overrated?

The New York Jets have and will always be on the front pages and in every football conversation no matter what goes on in the game on Sundays.  Rex Ryan is a talker to say the least and his team usually responds, except for the last couple of games: games played against rivals New England and Baltimore.

They had horrible performances both resulting in loses. The Jets now stand at 2-3 early in the season and a must win game awaits them in Miami, a team without a quarterback and playing a major role in potentially winning the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes. The defense has been a letdown so far for the Jets but the offense has been worse, and after Miami the schedule only gets harder.

Andrew Luck Sweepstakes

It’s not every day you find a quarterback like Payton Manning who hasn’t played a down in the NFL. Yes, it’s true every year the talent evaluators become infatuated with a particular college player and proclaim him King, but this Andrew Luck thing is interesting and somewhat different.

Is Luck the next Manning or the next Favre or even Tom Brady? We won’t know for sure until he has gone through the pains of being a quarterback in the league. The pro football world has been all about Andrew Luck for a while and he would have been the top pick last year if he had chosen to leave and go pro.

But we must wait another year while the legend grows and he matures into what will hopefully be a great NFL Quarterback. Teams and professional athletes are not usually in the business of losing on purpose in hopes of landing a savior, but it sure would be nice for a team like the Miami dolphins or any other team looking for a quarterback.
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With preseason finally over, and Monday nights opener against the Dolphins waiting on the other side of the weekend, the New England Patriots seem once again poised to make another promising run at the Lombardi Trophy.

Already loaded with offensive firepower, the Pats spent the off-season beefing up their d-line with the additions of Albert Heyensworth, and former jets defensive end Shaun Ellis; moving from a predominantly 3-4 based defense to a 4-3 in hopes of finally adding the all-elusive pass rush to their arsenal.

But with last year’s quick playoff exit to the Jets still fresh in fans minds, and the sting from a playoff romping at the hands of Baltimore in 2009 still palpable, there are certainly questions about the 2011 New England Patriots that go beyond personnel acquisitions and schematics.

Consider this; the Patriots haven’t won a playoff game since beating the Chargers in the 2006 AFC Championship game. Furthermore, their last three playoff exits have not been easy defeats to swallow; in three losses to the Giants, Ravens, and Jets, Belichicks teams looked weak, confused, and perhaps most concerning of all, under prepared.

What’s troublesome about this is that while the Super Bowl teams of 2001, 2003, and 2004 were all extremely skilled, they specifically prided themselves on always being defensively strong, mentally sound, and extremely well prepared. Perhaps these first three Super Bowl victories spoiled us all, letting us believe that no pressure, no situation, no one game was too much for the unflappable Tom Brady and his stoic puppeteer Bill Belichick.

But three Lombardi trophies and seven years later, has the allure been lost, the mojo run out? At whatpoint does the “Patriot Way” become not what it was from 2001-2004, but what it has become from 2007-2011? One also has to wonder what this season means to the legacies of Tom Brady and Bill Belicheck.

A Super Bowl win would undoubtedly secure Brady’s spot in the greatest of all time debate, making him only the third quarterback ever, along with Bradshaw and Montana, to win four Lombardi’s. For Belichick, another Super Bowl victory would give him six rings over all, with four as a head coach, tying him with Chuck Noll for the most by any head coach. But another playoff loss?

Without a doubt, both Belichick and Brady will go down as some of the best ever at their respective positions; no one can argue that. But a failure to win one more big game together could tarnish the twilight years of Brady’s career, leaving his lasting image as someone who won early, but faltered late.

Most importantly, if neither Brady nor Belichick win another ring, each will have a clear superior: Brady behind Montana and Bradshaw, and Belichick behind Noll. This season is not just any season for the Patriots; resting in the balance are the legacies of coach and quarterback, a prospect which makes Monday nights debut against Miami that much more exciting, as if it needed to be.

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The Dolphins looked good early on as they took the opening drive 12 plays 84 yards and scored on a Chad Henne draw eight yards out. Reggie Bush looked good early and often between the tackles and in open space. The Patriots answered quickly with their own 78 yard drive and tied the score with a four yard run by RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

All game long there was virtually no pressure on Tom Brady. He was able to sit back in the pocket and pick apart the Dolphins defense all night. Brady’s second drive was capped with a 10 yard touchdown pass to TE Rob Gronkowski. Pro Bowl C Dan Koppen got his legs pinned late in the first half and was carted off the field. He would not return. New England led at halftime 14-7.

Patriots started the second half with the ball. Tom Brady did something he has never done in 358 regular season attempts — throw a pick. Dolphins Benny Sapp broke up a pass from Brady. The ball was tipped and picked by DE Odrick and he took it down to the 10 yard line. Henne threw a 9 yard TD pass to Hartline to tie the score at 14. The Pats would enter again a 73 yard drive and 2 yard TD pass to Wes Welker to take a 21-14 lead.

The Dolphins could not stop the no huddle offense and after another Brady touchdown pass, this time to TE Anthony Hernandez, it was settled to 28-17 at the end of the 3^rd quarter. After a New England field goal, Miami had the chance to cut the lead in half but could not convert on 4^th and goal with less than a yard to go. With 5:57 left, out of their own end zone, Tom Brady threw a record tying 99 yd touchdown to WR Wes Welker to seal the dolphins fate, making the score 38-17. They would go on to win 38-24.

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At this point last year Jets fans were on pins and needles wondering what was going to happen with All-Universe corner Darrelle Revis and his holdout. As we know now he ended up holding out all summer and it took him a while to get back to full form injuring his hamstring shortly after his return.

The injury was due to a lack of off-season, but this year there’s no lockout and Revis is up to his usual tricks of wreaking havoc on quarterbacks and wide receivers.

With this news the rest of the league should begin preparing to face arguably the most complete corner in the game when they face the New York Jets this year. This year Revis is having probably his best training camp as a pro and is on a daily basis causing trouble for QB Mark Sanchez.

Sanchez likes to ignore the “Revis Rule” and is constantly challenging him in practice, usually to no avail. Sanchez says that it makes him a better quarterback being humbled by such an outstanding corner.

“They keep saying, ‘The Revis Rule, the Revis Rule,’ but that’s my chance to get after it in practice,” Sanchez said Thursday. “I can see what you can fit in and what you can get by with.

He keeps you sharp, he keeps you accurate…You try to take short vacations on Revis Island and try to get out of there as quick as you can.”

This is great news for Jets fans as having their best player at top form is good news for the defense and having their quarterback square off against him daily can only help Sanchez in his progress.

Rex Ryan said, “He’s the Tom Brady and Peyton Manning of defensive backs in this league. He’s the best I’ve ever been around.”

The Jets will need Revis to shutdown half the field as the question mark that remains from last year is the Jets pass rush. Having Revis do his thing forces quarterbacks to hold the ball for longer giving the line more chance to get to the opposing quarterback.

It’s looking like another Pro-Bowl year for the young DB.

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It’s never been easy to evaluate a quarterback and the impact a quarterback has on whether a team wins or loses.  We have had the Quarterback rating which has been used over the years to put a value on signal callers after each game.

Now ESPN has unveiled a new way to evaluate arguably the most important position on the football field; it is called the Total Quarterback Rating.

ESPN describes this new system as a way of “understanding what each play means to the team, then gives credit to the quarterback for what happened on a play based on what he contributed”

In this new approach to the position, a quarterback will be graded from a scale of 0-100, of course 100 being the highest, 50 being average or middle of the pact and 0 being the lowest; I doubt we will see any one ranked that low, unless Jimmy Clausen starts for Carolina.

The probability of winning becomes important in rewarding points to a player, in this new system every play in which a particular quarterback is involved will affect his overall rating.

A player like Michael Vick will benefit in this new system because last year, the 600 plus yards he gains on the ground did not affect his rating as  signal caller; he will be rewarded for those yards in the  system but at the same time, so will fumbles and yardage lost.

Every aspect of playing the position will be accounted for- interestingly enough, players will be penalized for overthrowing or under throwing receivers, an aspect of this that seemed to be a little hard to compute.  If a quarterback places the ball in a great spot that allows the receiver to gain more yards after the catch that will bode well for his total rating.

There are those who believe this will answer the question of who is the best quarterback in a season yet meaningless numbers won’t be rewarded like they have been in the past. In fact, you will be rewarded as a quarterback for making the right play when it means the most to the outcome of the game.

The clutch factor which we have seen in many quarterbacks and that which many other quarterbacks lack will play a large role in how their season will be judged.

“A clutch play is defined before the play by how close the game appears to be. Down four points with three seconds to go and facing third-and-goal from the 3-yard line — that is a high-pressure and high-clutch index situation because the play can realistically raise the odds of winning to almost 100 percent or bring them down from about 40 percent to almost zero percent.”

As described by the ESPN article, a play of this nature at midfield is relatively less meaningful therefore the clutch index is lowered.  The outcome of that same play at midfield will mean less to the overall outcome of the game.

The whole premise of this new approach is that, football is played by a team and the offense functions as a team.  In order to evaluate one position (the Quarterback), it is important to understand how he contributes to the team winning.  It becomes less about the totality of the yards or touchdowns scored by the team and more about the individual plays, when they were made and how they were made.

There is more to examine about this new approach to evaluating quarterbacks in the NFL.  The Total Quarterback Rating will take some getting used to, but sports fans and NFL fans will have to learn and adapt quickly.

Many former signal callers appreciate the way this has been done because it tries to incorporate everything involved in running a play in the National Football League.  As Cosell was quoted saying in the article, “Football is not complex, but it is very detailed.”  That is clearly evident in the Total Quarterback Rating.

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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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Throughout the NBA playoffs, most recently the finals, the spotlight has been put on the referees and the way that they have treated star players on the court.

Though fans are currently focused on basketball, namely players like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade (who can seemingly get to the free throw line any time they choose to flail their arms or legs), the truth is that this phenomenon seems to be consistent across all sports.

The fact is that many officials will give the benefit of the doubt to the best veteran players. Whether this is a conscious action is another story.

When it comes to the NBA, some people are beginning to think that the league is altogether “fixed” in order to give an edge to some of the superstars. So many times when Dwyane Wade makes a strong move toward the basket, it seems that the referees have made the decision to call the foul before the actual outcome of the play. It seems that the powers at be are doing whatever they can to make these players get their rings.

Another key example of this can be seen week after week in the NFL. Premier quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning or Tom Brady can barely be touched at all without a roughing the passer flag coming out. However, do we see those same flags come out when young players like Colt McCoy take a big hit? I don’t think so.

In baseball, a popular hitter like Derek Jeter might get an edge on a close pitch if he is facing a rookie pitcher. Why? Maybe it just so happens to work out that way, but all probability points to the fact that players like Jeter not only know many of the umpires personally, but have a solid reputation across the league.

Of course fans want to see their stars do well and obtain gargantuan statistics, it’s just good for the leagues. That being said, are they being babied so much so that they are beginning to pick-up on it themselves?

For example, in crunch time of a basketball game, what is to stop LeBron from driving right into the chest of the opposing team’s big man, knowing that all game he has gotten his way with the referees? If he can wave his arms around after he throws the ball up and get to the free throw line regardless of contact, why wouldn’t he do that if it will help his team win? This is the mentality that has been so unfortunately spread among some of the league’s elite.

In other generations, there was too much pride for any of this to go on. Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon did everything they could to make the ball go through the hoop every time they attacked the rim. Simply knowing that they could probably get to the free throw line wasn’t good enough when they believed they could score every time they shot the ball. If they missed and got the call, so be it, but that surely wasn’t the goal. Some players have lost that edge these days.

Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who was fired from the league and faced criminal charges for fixing professional basketball games, has become somewhat of a whistle-blower as of late, claiming that the NBA is indeed fixed for superstar players to get their way. After some of the recent NBA Finals games he has posted YouTube videos with commentary regarding the unjust calls that are given to LeBron James, but not other players. Although he may not the the most honest person, he is an inside source, and that should send a meaningful message.

The “flopping” problem has gotten so bad that some fans and analysts have called for fines of players for intentionally trying to deceive referees to gain an edge (an idea that I most definitely can get on board with).

Is it the referees fault for being biased towards certain players? Is it the players fault for knowing they can work the referees to gain advantage? Is it the leagues fault for letting this all go too far?

I honestly believe it is a balance of all of these things. Some athletes need to get the mentality back that they can do anything, and not settle for being able to work the refs for a win. Nobody wants to see a pair of unwarranted free throws decide the NBA Finals. Nobody wants a bad roughing the passer penalty to give a free first down and change the course of an NFL playoff game.

I can only hope as a fan of the games, that the leagues and their respective officials will get together and right the wrongs that are plaguing our favorite sports. This is a problem that can and should be fixed very soon.

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The AFC East brings us some of the most popular and some of the most hated teams around the league at the same time. New York, New England, and Miami (sorry Buffalo), are some of the biggest markets in sports these days, and their respective teams rightfully get a lot of the spotlight. The Patriots are wrapping up their dynasty and now seem to be in a retooling stage. In the meantime, the Jets put themselves on HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” and became what seems to be the most hated team in the NFL. The Dolphins continue to make key acquisitions such as Ricky Williams, Brandon Marshall, and even Bill Parcells, none of which can quite get them over the hump. Of course lastly, the Bills continue to struggle so much so that fans tune in assuming that they are bound to turn it around sooner or later. There is so much to be said about these four teams and the history they bring to the table.

So where do we even begin with this division? Let’s start with what we know, the bottom.

Buffalo Bills: Well, who even knows what to say about this franchise. Being notorious for losing is a tough spot to be in. The Bills are going to have a hard time attracting big free-agents to come play in Buffalo, and thus should look for young talent to rebuild this team. Is Ryan Fitzpatrick the guy? Well, don’t forget that he did throw for 3,000 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2010 and proved that he was the real starter for this team, so maybe, but they need much more than a quarterback. Maybe C.J. Spiller will show some of the explosion he had at Clemson and be a much needed weapon for their offense. Marcell Dareus should instantly make the Bills defensive line something to plan for. It’s hard to say that the Bills even could be contenders this season, but we’ve seen crazier turnarounds in sports. Let’s just call it a work in progress.

Miami Dolphins: Whereas everyone can peg Buffalo at the bottom of the division, Miami is probably the biggest question mark of the four. What do they bring to the table? It’s pretty difficult to say considering many of their main positions are unidentified. First of all, who is going to play quarterback? Chad Henne just doesn’t seem to be the answer everyone wanted him to be. When you have Brandon Marshall to throw to and you still can not significantly improve your numbers, the surroundings might not be the problem. As for running back, Ronnie Brown has somewhat fallen off. He hasn’t had a 1,000 yard rushing season since 2006 (when he barely squeaked over the mark with 1,008 yards), and we all know Ricky Williams can’t have all that much left in the tank. The one thing I liked out of the Dolphins last season was watching Cameron Wake rushing off the end and striking fear into quarterbacks while doing his best Julius Peppers impression. As for what to expect, who knows? We barely even have names to put on a depth chart, but the assumption is that they still won’t be able to lead this division.

New York Jets: Oh Rex Ryan, you sure do have a way of getting people to hate you. Since he got to town, the Jets have become a force in the AFC and also have become one of the most hated teams in the NFL because of the jolly loud-mouthed coach. As is, this team could be right back in position to compete for a Super Bowl next season, but don’t be blinded by those back-to-back AFC Championship appearances, this team does have holes. Ryan’s defense will always be one of the best in the league, and will undoubtedly annoy any offensive coordinator that tries to deal with their blitz schemes. They are aging quickly, and probably could use a new safety and some pass rushers, but that’s only if we’re getting picky. The offense has serious weapons, and if Mark Sanchez can continue his progression, we could see a lot more balance from them. Mike Westhoff is renowned as one of the best special teams coaches in the business, so there isn’t much worry there. They don’t have much more to do but go out and win the big game, but if I know the Jets, this is when a baffling 8-8 season happens. 2011 will be a very telling year for the direction of this team, and hopefully they can keep it up, Rex Ryan led teams are good for the league.

New England Patriots: This is not the same great team. I repeat, this is NOT the same great team. The dominant defense of old is gone by the wayside. Their secondary has big holes, and although their front seven is solid, they’ll need to address their secondary issues if they want to get back to an elite level. The fact is, Tom Brady is a hall of fame quarterback and probably won’t let Pats fans go a season without seeing a playoff game, the question is how deep can they get? The New England offense is dangerous because nobody knows where the ball is going to go. Unpredictability is a quarterbacks best friend. For example, they had two tight ends with over 500 yards receiving each, and 16 touchdowns between them. They will always be a throw-first team, but have no problem slashing defenses with a run when Brady catches some linebackers cheating. The Patriots are good, not great. I wouldn’t expect them to be a Super Bowl favorite going into these season, nor would I doubt a team with Brady and Belichick at the helm. Will they seed the reigns of the division to the Jets, or will they regain the dominance they held for so long over the past decade? Time will tell, as for now I’ll expect at least another playoff appearance for New England.

Ah The AFC East, this division definitely holds the keys to my heart. Growing up as a Jets fan, it was incredibly difficult to see the Patriots dynasty do what they did for so long. I now can admit that Tom Brady is one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game (although that is always a bit tough for me to say), and that Bill Belichick is a hall of fame coach, no matter how much he may have cheated throughout the championship years (sorry folks, as a Jet fan, I had to). That being said this is a new time for this division. The Jets have reached back to back AFC Championship games under Rex Ryan and seem to be on the cusp on something great, and with young talent emerging from Buffalo and Miami in their rebuilding stages, this division should continue to be highly competitive in some of the biggest markets the NFL has to offer.

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Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz and Chase Utley are three big names that came off the Disabled List this week. But the story this week though has been who is going on the DL. Star and Ace of the Florida Marlins, Josh Johnson was placed on the DL, and could be a big loss for the Marlins as they try to keep pace with the reinvigorated lineup of the Phillies. The young slugger for the Braves, Jason Heyward has now also been placed on the DL. The biggest injury story though has been that of Buster Posey, the young catcher for the San Francisco Giants. Last year’s National League Rookie of the Year helped lead the Giants to a world championship but is most likely done for the entire 2011 campaign.

The play that injured Posey took place in the 12^th inning of a game against the Florida Marlins. Scott Cousins was racing home trying to score the go-ahead run as Posey received the ball on a throw from the outfield. Posey was in front of the plate, and Cousins collided with him, trying to dislodge the ball that Posey could never get a handle on. The Marlins scored the run and won the game 7-6. Posey’s legs got caught underneath him and an MRI confirmed Posey had a fractured left fibula and three torn ligaments in his left ankle and is likely done for the season.

Posey’s agent, Jeff Berry was extremely upset after the game, believing the play warranted a change in the rules because it leaves catchers too exposed at the plate.

But this is really a no issue. Berry is upset because Posey is done for the year, and he is a great part of baseball but this is part of the game. Remember when Tom Brady was gone for an entire season? The game played on.

The simplest solution to the problem is for the catcher not to block the plate. No players can block the plate at any of the other bases, so if the catcher just straddles home or stands in front or behind the base, the collision will only take place with the catcher’s glove. Posey was doing what he has been taught to do but he wasn’t protecting himself at all. He could have easily caught the ball in front of the plate and reached back to swipe Cousins before he scored.

Baseball won’t overreact. Berry was just looking out for his own guy like any other agent would do, but there is no systemic problem with plays at the plate and collisions in baseball. Too often emotions get the best of people, and if we were to react in every situation all the sports we love could potentially be ruined.

Berry compared the play to helmet to helmet collisions in the NFL, but this is a rather unfair comparison. Catchers are wearing some protective gear but the runner has nothing but a helmet on. The runner may be the one creating the contact by barreling down on the catcher, but the catcher does not have to be in front of the plate, in fact he can’t be unless he has the ball or is in the process of receiving it. Helmet to helmet hits in the NFL are often instinctual, and they are an attempt to tackle the ball carrier. They happen on every play at the line of scrimmage, but nobody talks about that.

The other issue that has arisen from this situation is whether young stars in baseball should change positions if they are a catcher. Being a catcher wears down players, and it often takes away from the offensive numbers of players. But playing catcher is no more or less dangerous than any other position on the field. Pitchers can have a line drive come right back at them from just 60 feet away. First and third basemen could have the same thing, or even broken bats headed their way. Middle infielders constantly have to deal with players charging at them trying to break up a double play, and in the outfield there is always a chance at a collision with either the wall or another player.

Posey has been great offensively and in taking command of the pitching staff. To have one of your best players behind the dish is just an added extra. Changing his position might help his offensive numbers some, but it isn’t increasing his chances of staying healthy by too much, and it is taking away his leadership role of commanding the Giant’s defensive unit. Posey will heal eventually, and maybe next time a runner bears down on him he’ll put his body in a better position, and put an end to this rule-change discussion.

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What a mess!  This sums up nicely the almost two months since the most-watched Super Bowl as well as the most-watched program of any kind in American television history was held. This past Super Bowl being played in the new Dallas Cowboys stadium between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the previous record of 106.5 million viewers which was the record for last year’s Super Bowl.

While the NFL Lockout just began on March 11, this Lockout has been in the making for over two years, going back to 2008 when the NFL opted out of renewing the now recently expired collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association.  Owners claimed the reason for not renewing their agreement was because costs were too high and the owners would need givebacks of some monetary amount from their players in order to make it worth there wild and to keep operating under what is now the former Collective Bargaining Agreement. Besides this small story in the news, we haven’t really seen the impact over the years until now.

A lot of major events have happened since the Super Bowl which have shaped the heated and messy landscape that the owners, players, and fans have been exposed too and endured this New Year. A time line of events hopefully will help to clarify the current state of the NFL as we see it today.

Before the Super Bowl on January 18, the NFL Players Association, here after called the Union, filed a collusion claim against owners regarding lack of movement of restricted free agents.  On February 6, the day before the Super Bowl, both sides met for a brief negotiations session where nothing was accomplished.  Then, Happy Valentine’s Day to you too sweetheart, the NFL filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board on February 14th for not bargaining in good faith because the Union had plans of decertifying for a long time now.  Soon after on February 18^th, renowned federal mediator George Cohen began working with the two sides in Washington to see if some type of agreement or extension could be reached.

Cohen actually fared better than most experts thought, given an almost impossible task; he was able to keep the two sides at the negotiations table for over two weeks. An impressive feat for how far apart the sides were at the start and considering how much they distrusted each other.  Then on March 1^st, U.S. District Judge David Doty, who was a major player in the Labor disputes between the NFL and NFLPA before in 1993, ruled against the NFL, claiming they violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement when they sought for a 4 billion dollar TV revenue profit guarantee even if no games were played in the 2011 season due to a lockout.

This was considered “Lockout Insurance” to Doty who implied in his judicial opinion that if there was indeed a lockout and the players brought an Anti-Trust suit claim against the owners, that he would rule in the favor of the NFLPA once again.  This ruling was seen as a huge victory to the players and blow to the negotiation strategy of the owners.  Then, potentially because of this ruling, the two parties on March 3^rd, just before the official Collective Bargaining Agreement would expire, decided to extend the deadline one more day to continue talks.

The following day, the two sides then agreed on March 4^th to extend the deadline for an entire week, in order to continue negotiations.  Sadly, to football fans across America, the following Friday, after rejecting the owner’s proposal, the NFLPA decertified giving up its right to represent the players.  Later that night, at approximately midnight, the NFL led by Commissioner Roger Goodell imposed a lockout of the players once the Collective Bargaining Agreement expired.

Now having proceeded to what can be described as an ugly divorce, headed by Demaurice Smith as the Union leader and Commissioner Roger Goodell for the NFL and its owners, 10 players filed an antitrust lawsuit and injunctive request in the federal court in St. Paul, Minnesota on March 11th.  This is the same court that Judge David Doty resides.

To try to clarify, an antitrust case is a legal action brought against a party or parties who are being charged with limiting free competition in the marketplace.  The players are essentially claiming that the league and its owners by locking out the players from all football activities have limited the players’ ability to market their services to any employer of their choice, which includes price fixing of the amounts that would be paid to the players.

In this proceeding, the alleged anti-competitive actions that have generally taken place include a lockout to prevent free-agency and by boycotting rookie players through efforts to force their salaries to be lower then what they actually would be in a free market.  This claim is seen through the proposal to implement a rookie wage scale and cap to how much rookies can make.  The suit, which seeks to end the lockout against the players, names Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees as its lead plaintiffs along with other current NFL players

In addition to current players, the league in its effort to show uniformity included one of the incoming top rookie prospects, Von Miller of Texas A&M.  Then, surprising to the union, it is U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson and not Judge Doty who has scheduled a hearing for April 6^th.  Additionally, while some people have expressed curiosity as to why such a high profile case, would take almost a month to have a hearing, this month turnaround is actually fairly quick for cases in the legal world.

While this waiting period has been going on, a lot of interesting events have still taken place, either feeding football fans appetite for news on their beloved sport, or just angering them.  With the lockout taking place, all football operations and activities are suspended.  Essentially current NFL players are “locked out” of the facilities and are unable to communicate with coaches and other personnel.  So even though there is not scheduled to be any OTAs, minicamps, or even film study sessions at team facilities at this time with the players, one event is guaranteed to happen, the 2011 NFL Draft held in New York City.

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The NFL officially has a work stoppage. As of 12:00 a.m. March 12, 2011 the NFL owners imposed a lockout, disallowing any players from entering the teams’ facilities. This came just hours after the NFLPA’s union dissolved itself, and just as the current CBA expired.

There seemed to be some light at the end of the tunnel, as the CBA kept being extended and the two sides continued to meet for 16 days of face-to-face mediation in front of a federal mediator. Now NFL fans should be worried. The NFL has become incredibly popular to a level unprecedented. The last two Super Bowls have ranked as the highest watched programs in U.S. television history.

So the big question now is what happens next? Now that there are chains locking players out, negotiations will head to the courts. A number of NFL players have filed a lawsuit to try to block the owners’ lockout. These players include some of the league’s biggest stars, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees. The antitrust suit attacks the NFL’s policies on several key issues including the draft, salary cap and free-agent restrictions such as franchise tags.

Who knows how long things could drag out in the courts. The key figures, DeMaurice Smith and Roger Goodell now take a back seat to relevancy as judges and lawyers become the role players for now. Goodell even reduced his salary to $1 during the lockout, a symbolic gesture, but also to belittle his role from here on out.

Clearly the biggest loser in this whole ordeal is the fans. The draft becomes less exciting because draft-day-trades can only include picks for picks and not player swaps. No players that are drafted can be signed until an agreement is reached, leaving new players and old players in a sort of limbo, not knowing when and where their futures lie. Fans usually excited about the draft and impending free-agency, or prepping their fantasy teams, will be left hoping for a season at all. What good is a fall Sunday on the couch with no football? What else is exciting about a Monday night?

Not all is doom and gloom for fans though. College football isn’t going anywhere, and although the sanction-ridden league constantly has problems, nothing will ever stop the games from being played. Players that might jump to the NFL early will stick around, and NFL coaches that are out of jobs could jump into the college game, making the product on the field that much better. With the added attention to the college game, perhaps something will be done about the awful BCS system and the lack of playoffs.

Television networks could also capitalize on a lack of football, putting premier shows on Sunday or Monday nights, or trying out some new pilots for the future.

The last time there was serious labor problems in the NFL was 1987 when there was a player strike, and the NFL brought in replacement players. They could attempt the same thing this year, but the lack of star power would make it a tough product to sell.

Another interesting idea that has been out there is the players creating their own league to force the owners’ hands. Former and current players would simply create and run their own league, or could even join the UFL, making it relevant and sliding around the NFL’s demands. Several networks would rush to pick up TV contracts, and there are plenty of stadiums around the country that would fill up to see an NFL game, minus the NFL tag. This would give the players all the power, forcing the NFL to make concessions, or disappear forever. Imagine Jerry Jones with his billion-dollar stadium, and a Dallas Cowboys team that no longer exists.

This is just one proposed idea of many but hopefully the two sides don’t allow things to get that far. The selfishness and greed needs to end and an agreement on how to split billions of dollars from TV contracts, ticket and merchandise sales, sponsorships, etc. needs to be compromised.

Reports stated that the NFL and union were still about $185 million apart when talks broke down on Friday, which is progress, but there were still so many other issues involving free-agency, pensions, safety, the number of games, and rookie salaries that the two sides could not agree on.

The union also had a problem with NFL owners not opening their books to prove that they needed the money they were claiming, citing a problem of trust and transparency.

So although it may be a tough pill to swallow for fans out there. Don’t give up. Things will work out in some way, and regardless, there will be good TV in the fall NFL or not. The “fat cats” in this issue will not come out on top, and hopefully in the end the game will once again be the most important aspect, the game for the fans.

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