The Associated Press announced there All-Pro teams yesterday. However we felt that they needed a few changes, so below is our version of the NFL All-Pro team.
QB: Tom Brady 36 TD’s, 4 INT’s, 111.0 QB rating
RB: Arian Foster 1,616 Yds, 4.9 YPC16 TD’s
RB: Jammal Charles 1,467 Yds, 6.4 YPC, 5 TD’s
FB: Vonta Leach
WR: Roddy White 115 Rec, 1,389 Yds, 10 TD’s
WR: Reggie Wayne 111 Rec, 1,355 Yds, 6 TD’s
WR: Calvin Johnson 77 Rec, 1,120 Yds, 12 TD’s
TE: Jason Witten 94 Rec, 1,002, 9 TD’s
LT: Joe Thomas
LG: Logan Mankins
C: Nick Mangold
RG: Jahari Evans
RT: Jake Long
LE: Robert Mathis 11 sacks, 60 tackles
DT: Ndamukong Suh 10 sacks, 66 tackles
DT: Vince Wilfork 2 sacks, 57 tackles
RE: John Abraham 13 sacks, 40 tackles
LOLB: Clay Matthews 13.5 sacks, 60 tackles
MLB: Brian Urlacher 125 tackles, 2 FF, 1 sack
MLB: Ray Lewis 139 tackles, 2 FF, 2 sacks
ROLB: Demarcus Ware 15.5 sacks, 66 tackles
CB: Darrelle Revis 32 tackles 10 Pdef
FS: Ed Reed 8 Int’s, 37 tackles, 24 Pdef
SS: Troy Polamulu 7 Int’s, 60 tackles, 18 Pdef
CB: Nnamdi Asomugha 19 tackles 6 Pdef
KR/PR: Devin Hester 17.1 Avg per punt return and 35.6 per kick return, 3 TD’s
K: Billy Cundiff 26/29 FG
P: Shane Lechler 47.0 Avg yards per punt
Written By: Brandon Batt
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
NBA Power Rankings
1. San Antonio Spurs(37-7): Although the Spurs got handled on the road vs the Hornets on Saturday, they are still playing the best basketball in the NBA.
2. Boston Celtics (33-10): After 5 straight wins the Celtics lost to the lowly Wizards, but still are still the top team in the East as of now.
3. Los Angeles Lakers (32-13): The Lakers have been playing much better over the last couple of weeks, The question for them is, can they stay motivated for the rest of the season?
4. Chicago Bulls (30-14): Having their 2nd and 3rd best players missing significant time hasn't slowed the Bulls, they are currently the 3 seed in the East and at full strength will make some noise in the playoffs.
5. Miami Heat (31-13): The Heat's lack of depth is really hurting them while they battle injuries to the Big 3.
6. Orlando Magic (29-15): To me the Magic will always be the team that beats up the bad teams but just can't get by the good ones.
7. Oklahoma City Thunder (28-15): The Thunder have two of the best players in the NBA with Durant and Westbrook, but do they have the size to matchup with some of the elite teams in the league?
8. New Orleans Hornets (29-16): The Hornets just beat the Spurs easily at home and Chris Paul is playing like one of the top point guards in the league again.
9. Dallas Mavericks (28-15): The Mavs have been plagued with injures all season but are still the number 4 seed in the West.
10. Atlanta Hawks (29-16): The past few seasons the Hawks have been a very good regular season team and have done nothing in the playoffs to show for it.
11. Utah Jazz (27-17): The Jazz just lost a shocker on the road in Philadelphia, but D-will might be having the best year of his young career.
12. Denver Nuggets (25-18): Will he stay or will he go? Despite all the trade rumors the Nuggets are still the 7 seed in the West
13. Portland Trailblazers (25-20): The "Frailblazers" seem like they have someone go down just about every game, but are still playing good basketball for coach Nate McMillan
14. New York Knicks (22-21): The Knicks have been quiet since Christmas and seemed to have fallen back to reality. Maybe Carmelo can bring them a late Christmas present?
15. Phoenix Suns (20-22): Nash and Vince Carter are still trying to learn how to play with one another. Phoenix will probably be fighting for the 7 or 8 seed all season
16. Memphis Grizzles (21-23): The Grizzles have a talented team but do they have what it takes to make the playoffs this year?
17. Houston Rockets (20-25): The Rockets are always a tough team to beat, because they show up every night and give 100% unfortunately that probably wont be enough to make the playoffs this year.
18. Los Angeles Clippers (17-26): Blake Griffin is one of the best rookies we have ever seen, but can he carry the Clippers into the playoffs?
19. Philadelphia 76ers (18-25): The 76ers have a good trade chip in Andre Iguodala and really should move him and build for the future.
20. Golden State Warriors (19-24): The Warriors remind of the Grizzles, loads of talent but nothing to show for it.
21. Charlotte Bobcats (17-25): The Bobcats and Michael Jordan need to decide whether they are going to compete or go into rebuilding mode, and they would be lying to themselves if they think they can compete.
22. Indiana Pacers (16-25): Indiana leads the league in white players, no wonder they are 22nd in our power rankings.
23. Milwaukee Bucks (16-25): The Bucks have been caught in the headlights all year because of injury.
24 Detroit Pistons (16-28): The only thing the Pistons lead the league in is bad contracts.
25. Washington Wizards (13-29): Young players like John Wall and Javale Mcgee makes the Wizards future seem bright.
26. Toronto Raptors (13-31): Attention Denver Nuggets! Learn from the Raptor's mistakes, get some value for Carmelo Anthony while you can.
27. New Jersey Nets (12-32): Why do I feel like the Russian Billionaire has something up his sleeve regarding the Carmelo Anthony trade?
28. Minnesota Timberwolves (10-33): Free Kevin Love!
29. Sacramento Kings (9-32): My mom always said if you have nothing good to say, don't say anything at all.
30. Cleveland Cavaliers (8-35): Lebron should be a top MVP candidate just because of how far the Cavs have fallen since his departure.
Western Conference teams written by Brandon Batt, Eastern Conference teams written by Matt Coan.
2. Boston Celtics (33-10): After 5 straight wins the Celtics lost to the lowly Wizards, but still are still the top team in the East as of now.
3. Los Angeles Lakers (32-13): The Lakers have been playing much better over the last couple of weeks, The question for them is, can they stay motivated for the rest of the season?
4. Chicago Bulls (30-14): Having their 2nd and 3rd best players missing significant time hasn't slowed the Bulls, they are currently the 3 seed in the East and at full strength will make some noise in the playoffs.
5. Miami Heat (31-13): The Heat's lack of depth is really hurting them while they battle injuries to the Big 3.
6. Orlando Magic (29-15): To me the Magic will always be the team that beats up the bad teams but just can't get by the good ones.
7. Oklahoma City Thunder (28-15): The Thunder have two of the best players in the NBA with Durant and Westbrook, but do they have the size to matchup with some of the elite teams in the league?
8. New Orleans Hornets (29-16): The Hornets just beat the Spurs easily at home and Chris Paul is playing like one of the top point guards in the league again.
9. Dallas Mavericks (28-15): The Mavs have been plagued with injures all season but are still the number 4 seed in the West.
10. Atlanta Hawks (29-16): The past few seasons the Hawks have been a very good regular season team and have done nothing in the playoffs to show for it.
11. Utah Jazz (27-17): The Jazz just lost a shocker on the road in Philadelphia, but D-will might be having the best year of his young career.
12. Denver Nuggets (25-18): Will he stay or will he go? Despite all the trade rumors the Nuggets are still the 7 seed in the West
13. Portland Trailblazers (25-20): The "Frailblazers" seem like they have someone go down just about every game, but are still playing good basketball for coach Nate McMillan
14. New York Knicks (22-21): The Knicks have been quiet since Christmas and seemed to have fallen back to reality. Maybe Carmelo can bring them a late Christmas present?
15. Phoenix Suns (20-22): Nash and Vince Carter are still trying to learn how to play with one another. Phoenix will probably be fighting for the 7 or 8 seed all season
16. Memphis Grizzles (21-23): The Grizzles have a talented team but do they have what it takes to make the playoffs this year?
17. Houston Rockets (20-25): The Rockets are always a tough team to beat, because they show up every night and give 100% unfortunately that probably wont be enough to make the playoffs this year.
18. Los Angeles Clippers (17-26): Blake Griffin is one of the best rookies we have ever seen, but can he carry the Clippers into the playoffs?
19. Philadelphia 76ers (18-25): The 76ers have a good trade chip in Andre Iguodala and really should move him and build for the future.
20. Golden State Warriors (19-24): The Warriors remind of the Grizzles, loads of talent but nothing to show for it.
21. Charlotte Bobcats (17-25): The Bobcats and Michael Jordan need to decide whether they are going to compete or go into rebuilding mode, and they would be lying to themselves if they think they can compete.
22. Indiana Pacers (16-25): Indiana leads the league in white players, no wonder they are 22nd in our power rankings.
23. Milwaukee Bucks (16-25): The Bucks have been caught in the headlights all year because of injury.
24 Detroit Pistons (16-28): The only thing the Pistons lead the league in is bad contracts.
25. Washington Wizards (13-29): Young players like John Wall and Javale Mcgee makes the Wizards future seem bright.
26. Toronto Raptors (13-31): Attention Denver Nuggets! Learn from the Raptor's mistakes, get some value for Carmelo Anthony while you can.
27. New Jersey Nets (12-32): Why do I feel like the Russian Billionaire has something up his sleeve regarding the Carmelo Anthony trade?
28. Minnesota Timberwolves (10-33): Free Kevin Love!
29. Sacramento Kings (9-32): My mom always said if you have nothing good to say, don't say anything at all.
30. Cleveland Cavaliers (8-35): Lebron should be a top MVP candidate just because of how far the Cavs have fallen since his departure.
Western Conference teams written by Brandon Batt, Eastern Conference teams written by Matt Coan.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs New York Jets Recap
For The first half of this game it looked like a certainty that the Pittsburgh Steelers would be representing the AFC on February 6th in Dallas. The Steelers came out on the first drive and really set a tone for this football game. They pounded at the Jets Defense with Rashard Mendenhall and then used their effective running game to setup play-action with Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers capped off their opening drive with a 1 touchdown run by Mendenhall. After another Jets drive stalled the Steelers drove down the field and ended a 8 play 60 yard drive with a Sean Suisham field goal. The entire first half the Jets offense could not get anything going on the ground or through the air. Meanwhile the Steelers were using a balanced attack to put together long, sustained scoring drives. After a 2 yard run by Roethlisberger put the Steelers up 17 to 0, the Jets got the ball back only to turn it over on a Mark Sanchez fumble which was returned by William Gay for a touchdown. While it looked like the Steelers would go into the locker room with a 24-0 lead, Mark Sanchez started to get into a little bit of rhythm and the jets ended the half with a 42 yard field goal from Nick Folk. After a miserable first half performance by the Jets, they came out in the second half ready to play. On the first drive of the second half Mark Sanchez hit ex-Steeler Santonio Holmes on 45 yard touchdown pass. The 4th quarter is where this game really started to get interesting, down 24-10 on 4th and goal with the ball on the Steelers 1 yard line, LT was stuffed by Pittsburgh’s big defensive line, this gave the Steelers the football inside their own one yard line. On first down, backup center Doug Lagursky rushed a snap to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger which resulted in a safety and the ball for the Jets. A nice return by Jericho Cotchery gave the Jets good field position, and then Mark Sanchez turned into Tom Brady and started making great throws all over the field. The final play of the drive was a 4 yard touchdown pass from Sanchez to Cotchery. After the score the Jets decided to kickoff instead of opt for the onside kick, a decision which maybe questioned by some analysts later tonight and tomorrow. The key play of the game was a 3rd and 6 at the Jets 40 yard line with 2 minutes left in the game. Ben doing what he always does got outside of the pocket and hit rookie wideout Antonio Brown right on the numbers to clinch the game and a spot in Superbowl XLV in Dallas.
Key stat: The key stat of this game was that the Steelers were 6 for 11 on third downs in this game. The biggest third down conversion was on the final drive by the Steelers when Big Ben hit Antonio Brown for a 6 yard gain to clinch a Steeler victory.
MVP of the game: The MVP of this football game to me was Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall set the tone for the Steelers on the first couple of drives with big runs on a tough Jet rush defense. Although Mendenhall did not have a great second half he did finish the game with 121 rush yards and 1 touchdown.
Goat of the game: The goat of the game was without a doubt LaDainian Tomlinson. Tomlinson could never get anything going in either half vs this stout Steeler defense. Also in maybe the biggest play of the game on a 4th and goal from inside the 1 yard line Tomlinson was kept out of the endzone. LT finished the game with 9 carries for just 16 yards, and no receptions.
Where do they go from here: From Pittsburgh the Steelers will enjoy this victory and probably get back to work on Tuesday. After that they will face the Green Bay Packers in Superbowl XLV in what should be a great matchup. After a tough loss but a pretty successful season the Jets will go into the offseason disappointed but confident as ever. If you think that this loss will shut-up or humble the Jets, then you are wrong, before you know it training camp will be here and Rex and his boys will be talking just as much as ever. Say what you will about the Jets but they are a great football team, and if Mark Sanchez continues to improve they will be a force in the AFC for years to come.
Written by: Brandon Batt
Key stat: The key stat of this game was that the Steelers were 6 for 11 on third downs in this game. The biggest third down conversion was on the final drive by the Steelers when Big Ben hit Antonio Brown for a 6 yard gain to clinch a Steeler victory.
MVP of the game: The MVP of this football game to me was Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall set the tone for the Steelers on the first couple of drives with big runs on a tough Jet rush defense. Although Mendenhall did not have a great second half he did finish the game with 121 rush yards and 1 touchdown.
Goat of the game: The goat of the game was without a doubt LaDainian Tomlinson. Tomlinson could never get anything going in either half vs this stout Steeler defense. Also in maybe the biggest play of the game on a 4th and goal from inside the 1 yard line Tomlinson was kept out of the endzone. LT finished the game with 9 carries for just 16 yards, and no receptions.
Where do they go from here: From Pittsburgh the Steelers will enjoy this victory and probably get back to work on Tuesday. After that they will face the Green Bay Packers in Superbowl XLV in what should be a great matchup. After a tough loss but a pretty successful season the Jets will go into the offseason disappointed but confident as ever. If you think that this loss will shut-up or humble the Jets, then you are wrong, before you know it training camp will be here and Rex and his boys will be talking just as much as ever. Say what you will about the Jets but they are a great football team, and if Mark Sanchez continues to improve they will be a force in the AFC for years to come.
Written by: Brandon Batt
NFC Championship Breakdown
The blank stare of Lovie Smith came out early today at Soldier Field as the Green Bay Packers took on the Chicago Bears. The opening drive consisted of Aaron Rodgers leading the Packers on a 7 play, 84 yard drive, capped off by a 1 yard touchdown run by the QB himself. The rest of the half was one sided and a horrid Bears offense tried and failed to move the ball against a great defensive effort by the Dom Capers led Packer defense. Jay Cutler couldn't hit sand in a desert and missed on several throws, including deep passes to Devin Hester and Johnny Knox that both could have put the Bears in the red zone, and after some crucial Bear's penalties the offense looked like my little brother's pee-wee football team, no offense Fuzz. After a slow start, the Bears defense seemed to buckle down and get some stops but the Packers scored again in the second quarter to make it a two touchdown game and the Bears went into halftime down 14 points, even though it felt like 35.
The Bears went into halftime with no momentum and came out with even less when after one series, a three and out, QB Jay Cutler was pulled from the game after a knee injury he sustained in the first half was bothering him. Backup Todd Collins came in, and not surprisingly did nothing. Collins played a few series and was pulled after a hard hit injured him, or maybe because he just sucks. The Chicago defense kept the Bears in the game and even got a red zone turnover on Brian Urlacher's interception, how Urlacher didn't score on the play is what I will be wondering for the rest of my life. Going into the 4th quarter the game was still 14-0.
The four quarter is when thing got interesting, 3rd string Bears QB Caleb Hanie led Chicago on an 8 play, 67 yard drive capped off by a 1 yard touchdown run by RB Chester Taylor. Hanie played extremely well, given the circumstances, and aside from 1 terrible interception; a pick 6 by B.J. Raji that gave the Packers a second 14 point lead, kept the Bears alive. Hanie bounced back and led the Bears to another score with a 35 yard touchdown pass to WR Earl Bennett to cut the lead to 7 with just under 5 minutes to play. The Bears defense got a much needed stop and the Packers were forced to punt, giving the Bears one last chance to tie with 2:53 left in the game. Hanie took the Bears 82 yards on 11 plays but threw an interception to seal the Bears fate. Hanie made Bears fans proud, coming in and playing as well as he did, but it just wasn't enough. The game was closer than it seemed like and a few plays that went either way will have Bears fans wondering "What if?" for a long time, for the Packers, they will be headed to Dallas to play in Super Bowl XLV.
Key Stat: The key statistic of this game has to be the Chicago Bears third down numbers. The Bears offense went 1-13 on third downs and thus, could not stay on the field, resulting in the Packers offense having the ball 10 more minutes then the Bears. The Packers could never really stomp the Bears out and made the game closer then it should have been, but at the end of the day, they are going to Dallas.
Game MVP: An argument could be made that Jay Cutler was the Packer's MVP, he left the game on a questionable knee injury and sent the Bears into a spiral for about a quarter until Caleb Hanie got in rhythm and made the game close. We don't know the full extent of Cutler's injury yet so to say he was soft for not playing would be wrong. For those reasons I have to give game MVP to Packer's rookie CB Sam Shields. Shields had two interceptions, including the one to close the game, and a forced fumble and with Aaron Rodgers not completely dominating there isn't an obvious choice for the award.
Goat of the Game: The goat of the game to me has to be Bear's head coach Lovie Smith. The Bears defense opened the game flat and let the Packers drive down the field for a score, taking the wind out of the stadium and giving the Packers offense loads of confidence. The Bears defense did rebound to Lovie's credit but along with not being able to motivate his defense, Lovie had Todd Collins ahead of Caleb Hanie on his depth chart. Why is this significant? Because NFL rules state that if you bring your 3rd string QB into the game, you cannot bring your 1st string back in. Had Lovie had Hanie ahead of Collins, Jay Cutler could have, if he were able to, come back into the game to give the Bears a better chance of winning.
Where do they go from here? The Packers will go to Dallas to take on the AFC champion for a shot at the Lombardi Trophy. The Bears have a lot of decisions to make but their first order of business has to be to resign head coach Lovie Smith, while he was my goat of the game he is a good head coach and there will not be a better option for the Bears this off season. As far as improving the roster goes, the Bears need to get younger on defense, upgrade at Safety and get a real, legitimate offensive weapon for Jay Cutler. That being said, the number one need for the Bears is to upgrade the offensive line, it all starts with protecting your franchise quarterback and the Bears weakness finally came back to haunt them, even if it took until the NFC Championship game to happen.
Written by: Matt Coan
The Bears went into halftime with no momentum and came out with even less when after one series, a three and out, QB Jay Cutler was pulled from the game after a knee injury he sustained in the first half was bothering him. Backup Todd Collins came in, and not surprisingly did nothing. Collins played a few series and was pulled after a hard hit injured him, or maybe because he just sucks. The Chicago defense kept the Bears in the game and even got a red zone turnover on Brian Urlacher's interception, how Urlacher didn't score on the play is what I will be wondering for the rest of my life. Going into the 4th quarter the game was still 14-0.
The four quarter is when thing got interesting, 3rd string Bears QB Caleb Hanie led Chicago on an 8 play, 67 yard drive capped off by a 1 yard touchdown run by RB Chester Taylor. Hanie played extremely well, given the circumstances, and aside from 1 terrible interception; a pick 6 by B.J. Raji that gave the Packers a second 14 point lead, kept the Bears alive. Hanie bounced back and led the Bears to another score with a 35 yard touchdown pass to WR Earl Bennett to cut the lead to 7 with just under 5 minutes to play. The Bears defense got a much needed stop and the Packers were forced to punt, giving the Bears one last chance to tie with 2:53 left in the game. Hanie took the Bears 82 yards on 11 plays but threw an interception to seal the Bears fate. Hanie made Bears fans proud, coming in and playing as well as he did, but it just wasn't enough. The game was closer than it seemed like and a few plays that went either way will have Bears fans wondering "What if?" for a long time, for the Packers, they will be headed to Dallas to play in Super Bowl XLV.
Key Stat: The key statistic of this game has to be the Chicago Bears third down numbers. The Bears offense went 1-13 on third downs and thus, could not stay on the field, resulting in the Packers offense having the ball 10 more minutes then the Bears. The Packers could never really stomp the Bears out and made the game closer then it should have been, but at the end of the day, they are going to Dallas.
Game MVP: An argument could be made that Jay Cutler was the Packer's MVP, he left the game on a questionable knee injury and sent the Bears into a spiral for about a quarter until Caleb Hanie got in rhythm and made the game close. We don't know the full extent of Cutler's injury yet so to say he was soft for not playing would be wrong. For those reasons I have to give game MVP to Packer's rookie CB Sam Shields. Shields had two interceptions, including the one to close the game, and a forced fumble and with Aaron Rodgers not completely dominating there isn't an obvious choice for the award.
Goat of the Game: The goat of the game to me has to be Bear's head coach Lovie Smith. The Bears defense opened the game flat and let the Packers drive down the field for a score, taking the wind out of the stadium and giving the Packers offense loads of confidence. The Bears defense did rebound to Lovie's credit but along with not being able to motivate his defense, Lovie had Todd Collins ahead of Caleb Hanie on his depth chart. Why is this significant? Because NFL rules state that if you bring your 3rd string QB into the game, you cannot bring your 1st string back in. Had Lovie had Hanie ahead of Collins, Jay Cutler could have, if he were able to, come back into the game to give the Bears a better chance of winning.
Where do they go from here? The Packers will go to Dallas to take on the AFC champion for a shot at the Lombardi Trophy. The Bears have a lot of decisions to make but their first order of business has to be to resign head coach Lovie Smith, while he was my goat of the game he is a good head coach and there will not be a better option for the Bears this off season. As far as improving the roster goes, the Bears need to get younger on defense, upgrade at Safety and get a real, legitimate offensive weapon for Jay Cutler. That being said, the number one need for the Bears is to upgrade the offensive line, it all starts with protecting your franchise quarterback and the Bears weakness finally came back to haunt them, even if it took until the NFC Championship game to happen.
Written by: Matt Coan
Saturday, January 22, 2011
NFC Championship: Keys to the Game
When the Bears and Packers take the field on Sunday for the 182nd time in their 89 year history a lot will be at stake. Not only a trip to Dallas to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, but also bragging rights for what could be the next 70 years. See, 70 years ago was the last time the Bears and Packers met in the playoffs, December 14, 1941 a game in which the Bears won 33-14 and took the rivalry's lead in playoff wins 1-0. Who knows how long it will take for them to meet again and come Sunday night one city will be celebrating while the other weeps.
Key Matchup: There are great matchups all over the field Sunday, Bear's DE Julius Peppers vs. Packer's rookie tackle Bryan Bulaga, Bear's QB Jay Cutler vs. the Packer's secondary, and even the Bear's secondary vs. the Packer's highly touted Wideouts. But when the game starts, the matchup that will have the biggest impact on the result is Packer's LB Clay Matthews vs. the Bear's offensive line.
Bear's offensive line coach Mike Tice has done a great job since the bye week of finding and correcting the mistakes on the offensive line and has turned a group of sub par linemen into a serviceable protection unit. Jay Cutler is a different player when he has time in the pocket and as long as he stays on his feet I don't see any chance of a classic 3 interception 1 Touchdown game from him.
However, keeping Clay Matthews contained is easier said then done. The favorite for Defensive MVP has 13.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 0 showers taken this year and can really take control of a game. In order to win the Bears need to keep him in check and not allow him to terrorize Cutler with his unmatched power and motor or his golden locks.
As a Bears fan it is tough for me to say but the Packers have a clear edge in this matchup and best case scenario for Chicago is containing Matthews, he will make an impact, it just can't be to big.
X-Factor: The obvious X-factor to me is the windy city flyer himself, Devin Hester. If the Bears have any clear edge in this game it is in the Special Teams department, and specifically the return game. If the Packers decide to kick to Hester, for a reason unclear to me, Hester will have a real chance to take over the game for the Bears. Hester is due for a breakout return, against the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional playoffs he nearly broke 2 punt returns off and got the Bears great field position all game. Packer's coach Mike Mccarthy isn't over confident like Pete Carrol and will probably swallow his pride and kick away from Hester. Even without being kicked to Hester makes an impact in the field position game and either way they Bears will benefit.
Prediction: There is little to no chance of a blowout either way because of how well these teams know each other and how tough they play each other. In both meetings this year the game was close and decided by only a few plays. In their second meeting the Packers were fighting for their playoff lives and could only put up 10 against a Bears defense playing with nothing at stake. The Bears can't possibly be worried about Green Bay Running Back James Starks and should be able to completely shut him down, putting the game on QB Aaron Rodgers shoulders. The Bears defense plays this Packer team tough and will be confident from their week 17 battle. Matt Forte will get his 20 carries for 85 yards, combined with a healthy dose of Chester Taylor and the Bears will control the clock. Devin Hester makes a big play in the return game and Robbie Gould seals it. Bears 23 Packers 20
Written by: Matt Coan
Key Matchup: There are great matchups all over the field Sunday, Bear's DE Julius Peppers vs. Packer's rookie tackle Bryan Bulaga, Bear's QB Jay Cutler vs. the Packer's secondary, and even the Bear's secondary vs. the Packer's highly touted Wideouts. But when the game starts, the matchup that will have the biggest impact on the result is Packer's LB Clay Matthews vs. the Bear's offensive line.
Bear's offensive line coach Mike Tice has done a great job since the bye week of finding and correcting the mistakes on the offensive line and has turned a group of sub par linemen into a serviceable protection unit. Jay Cutler is a different player when he has time in the pocket and as long as he stays on his feet I don't see any chance of a classic 3 interception 1 Touchdown game from him.
However, keeping Clay Matthews contained is easier said then done. The favorite for Defensive MVP has 13.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 0 showers taken this year and can really take control of a game. In order to win the Bears need to keep him in check and not allow him to terrorize Cutler with his unmatched power and motor or his golden locks.
As a Bears fan it is tough for me to say but the Packers have a clear edge in this matchup and best case scenario for Chicago is containing Matthews, he will make an impact, it just can't be to big.
X-Factor: The obvious X-factor to me is the windy city flyer himself, Devin Hester. If the Bears have any clear edge in this game it is in the Special Teams department, and specifically the return game. If the Packers decide to kick to Hester, for a reason unclear to me, Hester will have a real chance to take over the game for the Bears. Hester is due for a breakout return, against the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional playoffs he nearly broke 2 punt returns off and got the Bears great field position all game. Packer's coach Mike Mccarthy isn't over confident like Pete Carrol and will probably swallow his pride and kick away from Hester. Even without being kicked to Hester makes an impact in the field position game and either way they Bears will benefit.
Prediction: There is little to no chance of a blowout either way because of how well these teams know each other and how tough they play each other. In both meetings this year the game was close and decided by only a few plays. In their second meeting the Packers were fighting for their playoff lives and could only put up 10 against a Bears defense playing with nothing at stake. The Bears can't possibly be worried about Green Bay Running Back James Starks and should be able to completely shut him down, putting the game on QB Aaron Rodgers shoulders. The Bears defense plays this Packer team tough and will be confident from their week 17 battle. Matt Forte will get his 20 carries for 85 yards, combined with a healthy dose of Chester Taylor and the Bears will control the clock. Devin Hester makes a big play in the return game and Robbie Gould seals it. Bears 23 Packers 20
Written by: Matt Coan
New York Jets vs Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday 6:30 ET)
On Sunday the New York Jets head into Heinz Field for a week 15 rematch with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Although there has not been as much trash talk as there was last week, both teams plan to due their talking on the field. This game has so many great players and match-ups; Big Ben vs Sanchez, Tomlin vs Ryan, and Revis vs Ward. At the end of the day the biggest matchup is team vs team, the Jets vs the Steelers and the winner gets a trip to Superbowl XLV.
X-factor for Pitt, Mike Wallace: With the Jets expected to match-up Darrelle Revis on Hines Ward, that leaves either Antonio Cromartie or Jets nickelback Drew Coleman on one of the fastest receivers in the NFL, Mike Wallace. When these two teams met in week 15 Wallace went off for 102 yards on 7 catches. If Wallace has a repeat of his week 15 performance the Jets will be in serious trouble.
X-factor for NYJ, Shonn Greene: For the Jets, the X-factor is their second year runningback out of Iowa, Shonn Greene. In the week 15 matchup versus Pittsburgh, Greene had just 12 carries for 40 yards, but in this years playoffs he has 36 carries for 146 yards(just over 4 yards per carry) and one touchdown. However this week he faces the best rush defense in the NFL and a Steeler defense that allowed just 126 total yards to a pretty good Baltimore offense. For the Jets to win this game they will need to, as Rex Ryan puts it “Ground and Pound” and Greene will be a major part of that.
Key matchup, Revis vs Ward: There is no question that this is the key matchup of the game. You have the leagues best cornerback vs a former Superbowl MVP. In their matchup in week 15 Ward didn’t see much of Revis, as he was mainly covering the Steelers number 2 receiver Mike Wallace. Ward isn’t the fastest guy or the biggest but what makes him so good, is that when Big Ben scrambles and buys time, Hines Ward always works back to the ball and makes a play. If Revis can take Ward out of the game then that will go a long way in stopping Roethlisberger from making plays outside the pocket.
Prediction: Steelers 20 Jets 16
Although the Jets pulled out a victory in week 15 at Heinz Field, the Steelers were without possibly their best player in Troy Polamalu. I think Polamalu will have a huge game and the Jets offense won’t be able really move the ball vs the Steelers defense. However the Jets will keep it close by making plays on defense and with Brad Smith in the return game. In the end I think Big Ben just makes more plays then Mark Sanchez, and Pittsburgh will be headed to Dallas on February 6th.
X-factor for Pitt, Mike Wallace: With the Jets expected to match-up Darrelle Revis on Hines Ward, that leaves either Antonio Cromartie or Jets nickelback Drew Coleman on one of the fastest receivers in the NFL, Mike Wallace. When these two teams met in week 15 Wallace went off for 102 yards on 7 catches. If Wallace has a repeat of his week 15 performance the Jets will be in serious trouble.
X-factor for NYJ, Shonn Greene: For the Jets, the X-factor is their second year runningback out of Iowa, Shonn Greene. In the week 15 matchup versus Pittsburgh, Greene had just 12 carries for 40 yards, but in this years playoffs he has 36 carries for 146 yards(just over 4 yards per carry) and one touchdown. However this week he faces the best rush defense in the NFL and a Steeler defense that allowed just 126 total yards to a pretty good Baltimore offense. For the Jets to win this game they will need to, as Rex Ryan puts it “Ground and Pound” and Greene will be a major part of that.
Key matchup, Revis vs Ward: There is no question that this is the key matchup of the game. You have the leagues best cornerback vs a former Superbowl MVP. In their matchup in week 15 Ward didn’t see much of Revis, as he was mainly covering the Steelers number 2 receiver Mike Wallace. Ward isn’t the fastest guy or the biggest but what makes him so good, is that when Big Ben scrambles and buys time, Hines Ward always works back to the ball and makes a play. If Revis can take Ward out of the game then that will go a long way in stopping Roethlisberger from making plays outside the pocket.
Prediction: Steelers 20 Jets 16
Although the Jets pulled out a victory in week 15 at Heinz Field, the Steelers were without possibly their best player in Troy Polamalu. I think Polamalu will have a huge game and the Jets offense won’t be able really move the ball vs the Steelers defense. However the Jets will keep it close by making plays on defense and with Brad Smith in the return game. In the end I think Big Ben just makes more plays then Mark Sanchez, and Pittsburgh will be headed to Dallas on February 6th.
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