By Kevin Adams aka Paul Bearer
With the season over, here are my award picks for the players who were the best of the season. Along with the players who were selected to my All-Season team, the best players at their position will make the team
MVP: Peyton Manning: 4,500 yards and 33 touchdowns. The man had another solid season led his team to a 14-0 start and could've went unbeaten this year, props to Drew Brees, Brett Favre and Chris Johnson, but Manning was the best player on the best team this year
Offensive Player Of The Year: Chris Johnson: 2,006 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns. How could this award go to anybody else? He cracked the 2,00 yard barrier and broke Marshall Faulk's record for yards from scrimmage with 2,509 yards, a dynamic player if there ever was one this year. This award is his easily
Defensive Player Of The Year: Charles Woodson: 74 tackles, 9 INT's 4 forced fumbles, 2 sacks. Woodson anchored the Green Bay defense all year, making plays in the secondary, in the backfield and off the blitz and scored 3 defensive touchdowns this year. Jared Allen and Darren Sharper had good years, but across the board there was no one better than the former Heisman winner.
Offensive Rookie Of The Year: Percy Harvin: 60 catches, 790 receiving yards, 6 receiving touchdowns, 2 kick return touchdowns. In his rookie season, the wideout from Florida became a pure threat for the Vikings, both as a receiver and a return man. Became a favorite receiver of Brett Favre and was selected to the Pro Bowl
Defensive Rookie Of The Year: Brian Cushing: 134 tackles, 5 sacks, 4 INT's, 2 forced fumbles. The rookie linebacker from USC showed flashes of a great player that he will become in the future, had a great season that earned him a well-deserved Pro Bowl berth.
Coach Of The Year: Sean Payton: 13-3. This was a hard choice to make, especially with the great seasons had by Jim Caldwell, Marvin Lewis, and Norv Turner. But Payton got his team off to a 12-0 start, turned New Orleans into a Super Bowl contender, and has led a team that has been solid all year.
Paul Bearer's 2009 All-Season Squad
QB: Peyton Manning, Colts
QB: Drew Brees, Saints
RB: Chris Johnson, Titans
RB: Adrian Peterson, Vikings
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
WR: Andre Johnson, Texans
WR: Brandon Marshall, Broncos
TE: Dallas Clark, Colts
TE: Vernon Davis, 49ers
OT: Jason Peters, Eagles
OG: Steve Hutchinson, Vikings
C: Nick Mangold, Jets
DE: Jared Allen, Vikings
DE: Dwight Freeney, Colts
DT: Kevin Wiliams, Vikings
DT: Haloti Ngata, Ravens
LB: DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys
LB: Patrick Willis, 49ers
LB: Elvis Dumervil, Broncos
CB: Charles Woodson, Packers
CB: Darrelle Revis, Jets
FS: Darren Sharper, Saints
SS: Brian Dawkins, Broncos
K: Nate Kaeding, Chargers
P: Shane Lechler, Raiders
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Paul Bearer's Week 16 Preview
By Kevin Adams aka Paul Bearer
Hey what's up people of The Corner and all my fellow posters in The Arena? I hope everyone had a good Christmas and a safe one with the family and all of that stuff. But now it's back to business, it's week 16 now in the NFL and the regular season is drawing to a close. Let's take a look at what we got this week.
Game Of The Week
My game of the week nod goes to the rivalry showdown in Pittsburgh, between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last time these teams met at Heinz Field it was the AFC Championship game, and while this one might not have the same stakes it is just as big for both teams who are clawing and scratching for playoff berths.
I'll start with the Ravens who beat the Steelers in a overtime matchup a few weeks ago, Baltimore is in the driver's seat in the AFC playoff race for a wild card spot. The Ravens are 8-6 and can clinch a playoff berth with a win Sunday and losses by Jacksonville and the New York Jets, the Ravens dominated Detroit and Chicago in consecutive weeks in impressive blowouts to set themselves up in this position. For Baltimore to reach the playoffs though, they must win at Heinz Field they are 2-8 since Heinz Field opened in 2001, they have had some tough losses at that place but they have to shake that away if they want to win. The Ravens control their own fate at this point in the season, if they dont make the playoffs it is on them.
The Steelers saved themselves and their season last week winning at the final gun over Green Bay on a Ben Rothlisberger touchdown pass to Mike Wallace, with that 37-36 win Pittsburgh gave itself new hope in the playoff race. Pittsburgh lost to the Ravens earlier this year, however Rothlisberger did not play, the Steelers will most definitely look to gain revenge and deal it's rival a blow to it's playoff hopes while giving themselves a boost. Unlike Baltimore however the Steelers need more outside help to get in, but they need to handle their business first on Sunday, the Steelers have an issue with their defense however, despite the win last week they were still lit up by Aaron Rodgers and have struggled as of late. A porous defense is not something the Steelers want to have going into the crunch weeks of the season.
The first game was a great one, a tough game that went into overtime and was greatly contested. Hopefully this one will be just as good as that one, and hopefully two certain posters will give us an encore in their rivalry in The Arena. (Lakersandravens and Stairway, I see y'all!)
What To Watch For
The Denver Broncos look to maintain control on their wild-card spot when they go to play the Philadelphia Eagles on the road on Sunday. The Broncos are 8-6 and clinch a playoff spot by winning their final two games, the Broncos blew an easy chance at improving their situation when they let Oakland steal win from them last week. It's not an easy order for Denver but they do control their fate. The Eagles however clinched a playoff spot in the NFC last week and sit at 10-4 and atop the NFC East ahead of the Cowboys by one game and trail Minnesota by one game for a first-round bye in the playoffs. The Eagles will welcome Brian Westbrook back to the team this week who will likely play a limited offensive role this week and also the Eagles welcome back former long-time Eagle and heart and soul of the team Brian Dawkins back to Philly.
The bickering Minnesota Vikings look to right the ship against the struggling Chicago Bears on Monday night. The Vikings are coming off their second poor performance in three weeks after their Sunday night loss to Carolina which was compounded by a disagreement between Brad Childress and quarterback Brett Favre. The Vikings have picked the wrong time to struggle both on the field and off the field, they have to get Adrian Peterson back involved, they need Percy Harvin back, they need Favre to not make mistakes, and they need the defense to step it up if they want to advance in the playoffs. They get the Bears this week who have have had their problems all season and Jay Cutler continues his mistake-filled play on the field, someone may get fired in Chicago at years end.
The Dallas Cowboys look to avoid a letdown and move closer to a playoff spot this week when they play the Washington Redskins. The Cowboys are coming off a huge win over New Orleans last week to move to 9-5 but that win will mean nothing if they lose this game. The Redskins could not have played worse last week when they were slaughtered by the New York Giants, 45-12 on Monday night. The Redskins will hope to bounce back and play spoiler against their rival this week.
The New York Jets who are mixed into a jumble of AFC 7-7 teams look to save their playoff hopes when the play the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The Jets shot themselves in the foot last week after that loss to Atlanta and a loss would by all means eliminate the Jets from the playoff hunt, and the Jets have to go play for a win no matter who the Colts put on the field. Indy comes into this game still unbeaten at 14-0 and facing the same question from last week: Who will play and for how long? Peyton Manning is supposed to start this week for Indy against a desperate Jets team.
The New England Patriots look to clinch their division on Sunday when they meet the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Pats are 9-5 with a two game lead over Miami in the AFC East and can wrap it up with a win over 7-7 Jacksonville. The Patriots have not played their best football the last two weeks but yet still got wins they are in for another tough one on Sunday. The Jaguars lost a close one to the Colts last week and not hang by a thread in the AFC playoff race, a win over New England would do wonders for them. However at 7-7, they would need a lot of help to get into the playoffs.
The 8-6 New York Giants play host to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The Giants come into this game at 8-6 but on the outside looking in when it comes to the NFC playoff race. A win coupled with losses by either Dallas or Green Bay will help the Giants, but New York has to focus on the task at hand. The Giants dominated the Redskins last week from start to finish in a impressive victory and now have to follow it up with another win this week. Carolina has no hope for the playoffs but can play spoiler and the season on a good finish, and can give the Giants trouble if they play like they played when they defeated Minnesota last week.
New Orleans looks to take out some frustration after losing it's first game and undefeated season against Dallas last week when they play Tampa Bay this week. The Saints got outplayed last week en route to a 24-17 loss and look to bounce back, the Saints had played with fire the last few weeks and finally got burned. The Saints are a great team and should respond well, but N.O. still has problems that need to be fixed before playoff time.
The Green Bay Packers look to shake off that tough loss against Pittsburgh when they meet a struggling Seattle squad on Sunday. Green Bay lost a heartbreaker but still sit good in the playoff race in the NFC, they take on a Seahawks team that seems to have hit rock bottom. I don't see Green Bay losing this one at all, especially after the way Seattle played against Tampa last week.
Two 7-7 teams meet in a game where the loser is eliminated from the playoff race, when the Houston Texans visit the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins lost a tough one in overtime against Tennessee last week which dropped them to 7-7 and losing control of their playoff destiny. The Texans beat St. Louis last week to keep their slim playoff chances alive, while a win doesn't ensure a playoff spot for either team a win keeps them with hope for a playoff spot. Also, the Texans look to keep up their chances for the first winning season in franchise history.
The now NFC West champion Arizona Cardinals host the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. The Cardinals beat Detroit last week and clinched the division when San Francisco lost to Philly last week, they now have another game against a lowly team when they meet St. Louis. The Cardinals still have faint hopes of catching Minnesota for a first round bye in the NFC. This should be a game where the Cardinals roll from start to finish.
Detroit meets San Francisco on Sunday, the Lions wind down another tough season yet again and then 49ers look to finish up a disappointing campaign on a high note. Both teams lost last week in tough games, and hopefully this one could be a good one. I look for Frank Gore to have a big game on the Lions defense.
The Cincinnati Bengals look to finally clinch a playoff berth after losses to two of the NFL's best teams in back to back weeks. The Bengals take on the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that can finally earn them that playoff spot. The Bengals have had it tough the past few weeks with the two losses and the tragic death of teammate Chris Henry, the Bengals would like nothing more than to finish strong this year and go into the playoffs with some momentum after all they have been through this year.
The Atlanta Falcons host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The Falcons after making the playoffs with an 11-5 record last year will miss the playoffs this year but look to earn back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history. The Falcons defense played a great game last week in keep them into the game against the Jets and allowed Matt Ryan to win them a tough game. Buffalo winds down another disappointing season and comes into this game with injuries at the QB spot, Fred Jackson however has been a bright spot.
Two teams with exciting victories last week play on Sunday when the Cleveland Browns host the Oakland Raiders. The Browns are coming off a high scoring thriller with Kansas City last week winning 41-34, Josh Cribbs and Jerome Harrison were the stars of the game for Cleveland and look to be two pieces the Browns can build with as Mike Holmgren takes over the Browns now in the front office. The Raiders stole a 20-19 win over the Broncos last week after Jamarcus Russell pulled the game out with a touchdown pass to Chaz Schillens late for the win. Russell got in the game after injuries to both Charlie Frye and J.P. Losman, Frye however will get the start on Sunday.
Paul's Picks
Bills @ Falcons
Chiefs @ Bengals
Raiders @ Browns
Seahawks @ Packers
Ravens @ Steelers
Texans @ Dolphins
Panthers @ Giants
Jaguars @ Patriots
Bucs @ Saints
Rams @ Cardinals
Lions @ 49ers
Broncos @ Eagles
Jets @ Colts
Cowboys @ Redskins
Vikings @ Bears (MNF)
Ok folks, that's it until next time. Be sure to watch for my Week 16 wrap-up which will come on Tuesday, y'all be sure to enjoy this week of NFL football we have here. Be sure to come and drop comments on what you read, remember y'all the ones I do it for.
Hey what's up people of The Corner and all my fellow posters in The Arena? I hope everyone had a good Christmas and a safe one with the family and all of that stuff. But now it's back to business, it's week 16 now in the NFL and the regular season is drawing to a close. Let's take a look at what we got this week.
Game Of The Week
My game of the week nod goes to the rivalry showdown in Pittsburgh, between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last time these teams met at Heinz Field it was the AFC Championship game, and while this one might not have the same stakes it is just as big for both teams who are clawing and scratching for playoff berths.
I'll start with the Ravens who beat the Steelers in a overtime matchup a few weeks ago, Baltimore is in the driver's seat in the AFC playoff race for a wild card spot. The Ravens are 8-6 and can clinch a playoff berth with a win Sunday and losses by Jacksonville and the New York Jets, the Ravens dominated Detroit and Chicago in consecutive weeks in impressive blowouts to set themselves up in this position. For Baltimore to reach the playoffs though, they must win at Heinz Field they are 2-8 since Heinz Field opened in 2001, they have had some tough losses at that place but they have to shake that away if they want to win. The Ravens control their own fate at this point in the season, if they dont make the playoffs it is on them.
The Steelers saved themselves and their season last week winning at the final gun over Green Bay on a Ben Rothlisberger touchdown pass to Mike Wallace, with that 37-36 win Pittsburgh gave itself new hope in the playoff race. Pittsburgh lost to the Ravens earlier this year, however Rothlisberger did not play, the Steelers will most definitely look to gain revenge and deal it's rival a blow to it's playoff hopes while giving themselves a boost. Unlike Baltimore however the Steelers need more outside help to get in, but they need to handle their business first on Sunday, the Steelers have an issue with their defense however, despite the win last week they were still lit up by Aaron Rodgers and have struggled as of late. A porous defense is not something the Steelers want to have going into the crunch weeks of the season.
The first game was a great one, a tough game that went into overtime and was greatly contested. Hopefully this one will be just as good as that one, and hopefully two certain posters will give us an encore in their rivalry in The Arena. (Lakersandravens and Stairway, I see y'all!)
What To Watch For
The Denver Broncos look to maintain control on their wild-card spot when they go to play the Philadelphia Eagles on the road on Sunday. The Broncos are 8-6 and clinch a playoff spot by winning their final two games, the Broncos blew an easy chance at improving their situation when they let Oakland steal win from them last week. It's not an easy order for Denver but they do control their fate. The Eagles however clinched a playoff spot in the NFC last week and sit at 10-4 and atop the NFC East ahead of the Cowboys by one game and trail Minnesota by one game for a first-round bye in the playoffs. The Eagles will welcome Brian Westbrook back to the team this week who will likely play a limited offensive role this week and also the Eagles welcome back former long-time Eagle and heart and soul of the team Brian Dawkins back to Philly.
The bickering Minnesota Vikings look to right the ship against the struggling Chicago Bears on Monday night. The Vikings are coming off their second poor performance in three weeks after their Sunday night loss to Carolina which was compounded by a disagreement between Brad Childress and quarterback Brett Favre. The Vikings have picked the wrong time to struggle both on the field and off the field, they have to get Adrian Peterson back involved, they need Percy Harvin back, they need Favre to not make mistakes, and they need the defense to step it up if they want to advance in the playoffs. They get the Bears this week who have have had their problems all season and Jay Cutler continues his mistake-filled play on the field, someone may get fired in Chicago at years end.
The Dallas Cowboys look to avoid a letdown and move closer to a playoff spot this week when they play the Washington Redskins. The Cowboys are coming off a huge win over New Orleans last week to move to 9-5 but that win will mean nothing if they lose this game. The Redskins could not have played worse last week when they were slaughtered by the New York Giants, 45-12 on Monday night. The Redskins will hope to bounce back and play spoiler against their rival this week.
The New York Jets who are mixed into a jumble of AFC 7-7 teams look to save their playoff hopes when the play the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The Jets shot themselves in the foot last week after that loss to Atlanta and a loss would by all means eliminate the Jets from the playoff hunt, and the Jets have to go play for a win no matter who the Colts put on the field. Indy comes into this game still unbeaten at 14-0 and facing the same question from last week: Who will play and for how long? Peyton Manning is supposed to start this week for Indy against a desperate Jets team.
The New England Patriots look to clinch their division on Sunday when they meet the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Pats are 9-5 with a two game lead over Miami in the AFC East and can wrap it up with a win over 7-7 Jacksonville. The Patriots have not played their best football the last two weeks but yet still got wins they are in for another tough one on Sunday. The Jaguars lost a close one to the Colts last week and not hang by a thread in the AFC playoff race, a win over New England would do wonders for them. However at 7-7, they would need a lot of help to get into the playoffs.
The 8-6 New York Giants play host to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The Giants come into this game at 8-6 but on the outside looking in when it comes to the NFC playoff race. A win coupled with losses by either Dallas or Green Bay will help the Giants, but New York has to focus on the task at hand. The Giants dominated the Redskins last week from start to finish in a impressive victory and now have to follow it up with another win this week. Carolina has no hope for the playoffs but can play spoiler and the season on a good finish, and can give the Giants trouble if they play like they played when they defeated Minnesota last week.
New Orleans looks to take out some frustration after losing it's first game and undefeated season against Dallas last week when they play Tampa Bay this week. The Saints got outplayed last week en route to a 24-17 loss and look to bounce back, the Saints had played with fire the last few weeks and finally got burned. The Saints are a great team and should respond well, but N.O. still has problems that need to be fixed before playoff time.
The Green Bay Packers look to shake off that tough loss against Pittsburgh when they meet a struggling Seattle squad on Sunday. Green Bay lost a heartbreaker but still sit good in the playoff race in the NFC, they take on a Seahawks team that seems to have hit rock bottom. I don't see Green Bay losing this one at all, especially after the way Seattle played against Tampa last week.
Two 7-7 teams meet in a game where the loser is eliminated from the playoff race, when the Houston Texans visit the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins lost a tough one in overtime against Tennessee last week which dropped them to 7-7 and losing control of their playoff destiny. The Texans beat St. Louis last week to keep their slim playoff chances alive, while a win doesn't ensure a playoff spot for either team a win keeps them with hope for a playoff spot. Also, the Texans look to keep up their chances for the first winning season in franchise history.
The now NFC West champion Arizona Cardinals host the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. The Cardinals beat Detroit last week and clinched the division when San Francisco lost to Philly last week, they now have another game against a lowly team when they meet St. Louis. The Cardinals still have faint hopes of catching Minnesota for a first round bye in the NFC. This should be a game where the Cardinals roll from start to finish.
Detroit meets San Francisco on Sunday, the Lions wind down another tough season yet again and then 49ers look to finish up a disappointing campaign on a high note. Both teams lost last week in tough games, and hopefully this one could be a good one. I look for Frank Gore to have a big game on the Lions defense.
The Cincinnati Bengals look to finally clinch a playoff berth after losses to two of the NFL's best teams in back to back weeks. The Bengals take on the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that can finally earn them that playoff spot. The Bengals have had it tough the past few weeks with the two losses and the tragic death of teammate Chris Henry, the Bengals would like nothing more than to finish strong this year and go into the playoffs with some momentum after all they have been through this year.
The Atlanta Falcons host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The Falcons after making the playoffs with an 11-5 record last year will miss the playoffs this year but look to earn back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history. The Falcons defense played a great game last week in keep them into the game against the Jets and allowed Matt Ryan to win them a tough game. Buffalo winds down another disappointing season and comes into this game with injuries at the QB spot, Fred Jackson however has been a bright spot.
Two teams with exciting victories last week play on Sunday when the Cleveland Browns host the Oakland Raiders. The Browns are coming off a high scoring thriller with Kansas City last week winning 41-34, Josh Cribbs and Jerome Harrison were the stars of the game for Cleveland and look to be two pieces the Browns can build with as Mike Holmgren takes over the Browns now in the front office. The Raiders stole a 20-19 win over the Broncos last week after Jamarcus Russell pulled the game out with a touchdown pass to Chaz Schillens late for the win. Russell got in the game after injuries to both Charlie Frye and J.P. Losman, Frye however will get the start on Sunday.
Paul's Picks
Bills @ Falcons
Chiefs @ Bengals
Raiders @ Browns
Seahawks @ Packers
Ravens @ Steelers
Texans @ Dolphins
Panthers @ Giants
Jaguars @ Patriots
Bucs @ Saints
Rams @ Cardinals
Lions @ 49ers
Broncos @ Eagles
Jets @ Colts
Cowboys @ Redskins
Vikings @ Bears (MNF)
Ok folks, that's it until next time. Be sure to watch for my Week 16 wrap-up which will come on Tuesday, y'all be sure to enjoy this week of NFL football we have here. Be sure to come and drop comments on what you read, remember y'all the ones I do it for.
Paul Bearer's Wild-Card Weekend Preview
By Kevin Adams aka Paul Bearer
Hey what's up everybody, it's your boy Paul Bearer back with another edition of Paul Bearer's NFL Discussion. The regular season is over, 20 teams have been pushed to the side, and 12 teams remain in the playoffs. 8 teams will do battle this weekend in the wild-card matchups, 4 will advance, 4 will go home. It's one of the best times of the year, NFL playoff football is here and the excitement is mounting. With that said, let's take a look at each matchup this wild-card weekend. We have the Jets taking on the Bengals, the Patriots host the Ravens, the Cardinals meet the Packers, and the Eagles do battle with the Cowboys. Let's jump into the wild-card matchups shall we?
New York Jets @ Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals overcame a late season swoon and the tragic death of a teammate to earn the first playoff berth since 2005, after going 10-6 and winning the AFC North. The Bengals swept their division rivals Baltimore and Pittsburgh, and proved to the league that they were legit this season and here to stay. Cedric Benson and a tough defense were the keys to this team, helped by Carson Palmer and the passing game. The Bengals started the season at 9-3, but a tough late schedule contributed to a 1-3 finish, but the toughest loss was the death of wide receiver Chris Henry on December 16th, the Bengals mourned the loss of Henry but had to go back out and keep playing. Back to back losses to Minnesota and San Diego tested this team and and their resolve, but they finally clinched the division by beating Kansas City in week 16, they then rested their playoffs and came out unmotivated in a week 17 loss to the same New York Jets. The Bengals lost 37-0 on the road in the season finale, but we should expect to see a different Bengals team at home on Saturday.
However you feel about the Jets entrance into the playoffs or whether or not you think they deserve it is a debate all in itself. The Jets won their last two games against Indianapolis and Cincinnati, they beat Indy after the Colts sat their starters in the second half and beat Cincy after the Bengals had nothing to play for. However, Rex Ryan and the Jets offer no apologies to anybody and are confident going into their wild-card matchup this week, Ryan was so confident he went out as to say the Jets should be Super Bowl favorites. That might be a bit of hyperbole, but whatever gets Ryan and the Jets up for this game is his and the Jets business. The Jets rode a great defense led by cornerback Darrelle Revis and a running game with Thomas Jones to their 9-7 record and playoff berth. But, the key for the Jets will be the performance of rookie QB Mark Sanchez, he has been mistake prone at times this year but of late he has cut back on the turnovers. If he does that and manages the game, it will be much easier for the Jets.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys come into this game riding high. They seemed to have defeated their December demons, finishing the month on a three game winning streak after starting the month with two losses. 2 of those 3 wins were over New Orleans snapping their undefeated their undefeated season and beating their division rival Philly for the NFC East title in the season finale a bit of payback for their 44-6 thrashing they took in Philly last year. QB Tony Romo played great football in the final month and seemed to quiet some of his critics, the Dallas defense has been playing great, and Wade Phillips is looking like a competent coach at the moment. However despite their late success, the Cowboy critics remain, despite beating the Eagles twice this season people still expect Dallas to fall short and lose this game. The critics are expecting Tony Romo to choke, for Wade to become the incompetent coach we have seen before, and for just Dallas to fall apart. Now, I think this is a different Dallas team than the one of old, but it is all on them to go out and prove that they are on Saturday.
Philadelphia looks to show that the 3rd time is the charm and beat a Dallas team they have lost to twice this year. The Eagles laid an egg in week 17 losing 24-0, costing them the number two seed in the NFC and losing a first round bye and the division title. Philadelphia was lackluster, showed no heart and missed the big plays that keys their offense. Obviously, the Eagles must improve if they want to win on Saturday, despite that bad performance the Eagles had a good season. They finished 11-5, Donovan McNabb had a solid year, Lesean McCoy had a good rookie year, Brent Celek became a top notch tight end, and Desean Jackson became one of the NFL's premier big play wideouts. Philly has experience on their side, as McNabb and coach Andy Reid have never lost an opening playoff game since their tenure together and they have been in many playoff battles. Philly is confident that they can beat this team, but they have lost twice already and Dallas feels that they can do it again. Philly has to get their offense on track and start hitting the big plays to Jackson, Celek, and Jeremy Maclin, if not they will go home early.
Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots
The New England Patriots finished this season with an identical 10-6 record like last season but there are two big differences from last season and this one. 1. Matt Cassel was the starting QB at the time due to an injury to Tom Brady and 2. The Patriots missed the playoffs last year. This time the Patriots are back in the 12 team dance, but like last year they have been hit with a big injury. Slot receiver extraordinaire Wes Welker suffered a season-ending knee injury in the season finale and will miss the playoffs, the Patriots have to move on without him and the Pats will call on Julian Edelman to fill Welker's shoes. It's hard to replace 123 receptions and 1,348 yards but the Patriots have to do what they have to do, Edelman will have to step up and Randy Moss will be called on to make more big plays. But the Patriots have been here before and been in this situation countless times, so Belicheck, Brady and Co will be ready on gameday come Sunday, New England is favored in this game despite the loss of Welker and the Pats will always get the benefit of the doubt.
The Ravens went all the way down to week 17 to know their playoff destiny, but a win over the Oakland Raiders in the season finale put them in the playoffs. The Ravens finished the season 9-7 and got the second AFC wild-card spot, the Ravens were led by a great running attack with Ray Rice and Willis McGahee who both have had big games this season. McGahee's big game led the team against the Raiders last week in a close game, the Ravens should run the ball early and often on the Patriots and look to open up the passing game for Joe Flacco. The Ravens also look to get revenge on the Patriots after losing a tough one to New England in week 4, 27-21 the Ravens lost a heartbreaker after Mark Clayton dropped a fourth down pass that would've given them a first and goal. The Ravens played the Patriots tough back then, and will play them close again on Sunday, the Ravens know they let one slip away then but this time look to finish the job and move on to the divisional round.
Green Bay Packers @ Arizona Cardinals
The Packers head to Arizona to meet the defending NFC champion Cardinals in what should be a fun matchup. Aaron Rodgers has led Green Bay to the playoffs for the first time since taking over for Brett Favre and he looks to go out on Sunday and gain respect both as a quarterback and from the Packer faithful. Rodgers had a great season throwing for 4,434 yards and 30 touchdowns, but had support from Ryan Grant who rushed for 1,253 yards and 11 touchdowns, and Green Bay was backed up by a good defense led by my Defensive Player Of The Year Charles Woodson en route to the Packers finishing 11-5. The Packers dominated the Cardinals, 33-7 last week in week 17 and look to go out and do it again despite the Cardinals resting some players last week. The Packers have been on a roll late in the season winning 7 of their last 8 games and the only loss during that time was at the final gun against Pittsburgh, I think the Packers are the better team right now and the momentum is on their side.
The Cardinals start their defense of their NFC crown and look to repeat last year's improbable Super Bowl run at home on Sunday. Arizona probably had the roughest week 17 out of all the playoff teams, when three starters: Anquan Boldin, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Calais Campbell all got hurt against Green Bay, the Cardinals hope that all three will be ready to go on Sunday. Arizona got another solid year from Kurt Warner who may be nearing the end of his career and got usual spectacular seasons from it's two All-Pro wideouts in Larry Fitzgerald and Boldin, but the Cardinals also got a good running attack this season from Tim Hightower and rookie Beanie Wells to compliment their passing attack. The Cardinals finished 10-6, but dropped 3 of the last 4 in the season and look to gain some momentum, however the Cardinals and their fans will tell you that they didn't have any momentum and were slumping going into the playoffs last year and look where they got. Their home crowd was intense last year in the playoffs, and they will be needed heavily this week to make some noise
Paul's Picks
Jets @ Bengals
Ravens @ Patriots
Eagles @ Cowboys
Packers @ Cardinals
Ok people, there you have it sorry about the delay and the missing write-up for Week 17 but please believe that I am back with a vengeance. Enjoy the weekend of Wild-Card playoff football, and be on the lookout for my Wild-Card review on Tuesday and Divisional Round preview on Thursday. So that's it for now, but be sure to comment on it and come on and give it a good read. Until next time, peace
Hey what's up everybody, it's your boy Paul Bearer back with another edition of Paul Bearer's NFL Discussion. The regular season is over, 20 teams have been pushed to the side, and 12 teams remain in the playoffs. 8 teams will do battle this weekend in the wild-card matchups, 4 will advance, 4 will go home. It's one of the best times of the year, NFL playoff football is here and the excitement is mounting. With that said, let's take a look at each matchup this wild-card weekend. We have the Jets taking on the Bengals, the Patriots host the Ravens, the Cardinals meet the Packers, and the Eagles do battle with the Cowboys. Let's jump into the wild-card matchups shall we?
New York Jets @ Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals overcame a late season swoon and the tragic death of a teammate to earn the first playoff berth since 2005, after going 10-6 and winning the AFC North. The Bengals swept their division rivals Baltimore and Pittsburgh, and proved to the league that they were legit this season and here to stay. Cedric Benson and a tough defense were the keys to this team, helped by Carson Palmer and the passing game. The Bengals started the season at 9-3, but a tough late schedule contributed to a 1-3 finish, but the toughest loss was the death of wide receiver Chris Henry on December 16th, the Bengals mourned the loss of Henry but had to go back out and keep playing. Back to back losses to Minnesota and San Diego tested this team and and their resolve, but they finally clinched the division by beating Kansas City in week 16, they then rested their playoffs and came out unmotivated in a week 17 loss to the same New York Jets. The Bengals lost 37-0 on the road in the season finale, but we should expect to see a different Bengals team at home on Saturday.
However you feel about the Jets entrance into the playoffs or whether or not you think they deserve it is a debate all in itself. The Jets won their last two games against Indianapolis and Cincinnati, they beat Indy after the Colts sat their starters in the second half and beat Cincy after the Bengals had nothing to play for. However, Rex Ryan and the Jets offer no apologies to anybody and are confident going into their wild-card matchup this week, Ryan was so confident he went out as to say the Jets should be Super Bowl favorites. That might be a bit of hyperbole, but whatever gets Ryan and the Jets up for this game is his and the Jets business. The Jets rode a great defense led by cornerback Darrelle Revis and a running game with Thomas Jones to their 9-7 record and playoff berth. But, the key for the Jets will be the performance of rookie QB Mark Sanchez, he has been mistake prone at times this year but of late he has cut back on the turnovers. If he does that and manages the game, it will be much easier for the Jets.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys come into this game riding high. They seemed to have defeated their December demons, finishing the month on a three game winning streak after starting the month with two losses. 2 of those 3 wins were over New Orleans snapping their undefeated their undefeated season and beating their division rival Philly for the NFC East title in the season finale a bit of payback for their 44-6 thrashing they took in Philly last year. QB Tony Romo played great football in the final month and seemed to quiet some of his critics, the Dallas defense has been playing great, and Wade Phillips is looking like a competent coach at the moment. However despite their late success, the Cowboy critics remain, despite beating the Eagles twice this season people still expect Dallas to fall short and lose this game. The critics are expecting Tony Romo to choke, for Wade to become the incompetent coach we have seen before, and for just Dallas to fall apart. Now, I think this is a different Dallas team than the one of old, but it is all on them to go out and prove that they are on Saturday.
Philadelphia looks to show that the 3rd time is the charm and beat a Dallas team they have lost to twice this year. The Eagles laid an egg in week 17 losing 24-0, costing them the number two seed in the NFC and losing a first round bye and the division title. Philadelphia was lackluster, showed no heart and missed the big plays that keys their offense. Obviously, the Eagles must improve if they want to win on Saturday, despite that bad performance the Eagles had a good season. They finished 11-5, Donovan McNabb had a solid year, Lesean McCoy had a good rookie year, Brent Celek became a top notch tight end, and Desean Jackson became one of the NFL's premier big play wideouts. Philly has experience on their side, as McNabb and coach Andy Reid have never lost an opening playoff game since their tenure together and they have been in many playoff battles. Philly is confident that they can beat this team, but they have lost twice already and Dallas feels that they can do it again. Philly has to get their offense on track and start hitting the big plays to Jackson, Celek, and Jeremy Maclin, if not they will go home early.
Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots
The New England Patriots finished this season with an identical 10-6 record like last season but there are two big differences from last season and this one. 1. Matt Cassel was the starting QB at the time due to an injury to Tom Brady and 2. The Patriots missed the playoffs last year. This time the Patriots are back in the 12 team dance, but like last year they have been hit with a big injury. Slot receiver extraordinaire Wes Welker suffered a season-ending knee injury in the season finale and will miss the playoffs, the Patriots have to move on without him and the Pats will call on Julian Edelman to fill Welker's shoes. It's hard to replace 123 receptions and 1,348 yards but the Patriots have to do what they have to do, Edelman will have to step up and Randy Moss will be called on to make more big plays. But the Patriots have been here before and been in this situation countless times, so Belicheck, Brady and Co will be ready on gameday come Sunday, New England is favored in this game despite the loss of Welker and the Pats will always get the benefit of the doubt.
The Ravens went all the way down to week 17 to know their playoff destiny, but a win over the Oakland Raiders in the season finale put them in the playoffs. The Ravens finished the season 9-7 and got the second AFC wild-card spot, the Ravens were led by a great running attack with Ray Rice and Willis McGahee who both have had big games this season. McGahee's big game led the team against the Raiders last week in a close game, the Ravens should run the ball early and often on the Patriots and look to open up the passing game for Joe Flacco. The Ravens also look to get revenge on the Patriots after losing a tough one to New England in week 4, 27-21 the Ravens lost a heartbreaker after Mark Clayton dropped a fourth down pass that would've given them a first and goal. The Ravens played the Patriots tough back then, and will play them close again on Sunday, the Ravens know they let one slip away then but this time look to finish the job and move on to the divisional round.
Green Bay Packers @ Arizona Cardinals
The Packers head to Arizona to meet the defending NFC champion Cardinals in what should be a fun matchup. Aaron Rodgers has led Green Bay to the playoffs for the first time since taking over for Brett Favre and he looks to go out on Sunday and gain respect both as a quarterback and from the Packer faithful. Rodgers had a great season throwing for 4,434 yards and 30 touchdowns, but had support from Ryan Grant who rushed for 1,253 yards and 11 touchdowns, and Green Bay was backed up by a good defense led by my Defensive Player Of The Year Charles Woodson en route to the Packers finishing 11-5. The Packers dominated the Cardinals, 33-7 last week in week 17 and look to go out and do it again despite the Cardinals resting some players last week. The Packers have been on a roll late in the season winning 7 of their last 8 games and the only loss during that time was at the final gun against Pittsburgh, I think the Packers are the better team right now and the momentum is on their side.
The Cardinals start their defense of their NFC crown and look to repeat last year's improbable Super Bowl run at home on Sunday. Arizona probably had the roughest week 17 out of all the playoff teams, when three starters: Anquan Boldin, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Calais Campbell all got hurt against Green Bay, the Cardinals hope that all three will be ready to go on Sunday. Arizona got another solid year from Kurt Warner who may be nearing the end of his career and got usual spectacular seasons from it's two All-Pro wideouts in Larry Fitzgerald and Boldin, but the Cardinals also got a good running attack this season from Tim Hightower and rookie Beanie Wells to compliment their passing attack. The Cardinals finished 10-6, but dropped 3 of the last 4 in the season and look to gain some momentum, however the Cardinals and their fans will tell you that they didn't have any momentum and were slumping going into the playoffs last year and look where they got. Their home crowd was intense last year in the playoffs, and they will be needed heavily this week to make some noise
Paul's Picks
Jets @ Bengals
Ravens @ Patriots
Eagles @ Cowboys
Packers @ Cardinals
Ok people, there you have it sorry about the delay and the missing write-up for Week 17 but please believe that I am back with a vengeance. Enjoy the weekend of Wild-Card playoff football, and be on the lookout for my Wild-Card review on Tuesday and Divisional Round preview on Thursday. So that's it for now, but be sure to comment on it and come on and give it a good read. Until next time, peace
Who's better Kobe Or Lebron? The Great Debate
Here's a debate I took part in over on ThaCorner. Me and the homie Cutthroat debated the topic of who is the better basketball player, Kobe Bryant or Lebron James. I argued for Lebron, Cutthroat argued for Kobe, tell me what you think
Topic - Kobe or Lebron. Arguably the 2 best overall players in the NBA today. So the topis is this...which player would be a better choice to start your NBA Franchise with and why?
Paul Bearer-
First off let me say that you cant go wrong with either choice. Kobe and Lebron are both great players, but there are many reasons why I would start my team with Lebron James.
There has never been a player like Lebron James, he is a once in 20 year talent. How often do you see a player with a body like Karl Malone, the court sense of Oscar Robertson and ability to play out on the perimeter. 6'8, 260 lbs, ability to get to the rim like no other, draw contact, is able to step outside and knock down the jumper, can set up his own teammates. There really hasn't been a total package of size, skill, and athleticism ever. How could you not want a guy like that on your team. With Lebron there's no telling how far you can go with him, both as a team and him individually. Kobe maybe and probably has hit his peak, Lebron still maybe has a higher ceiling to touch as a player and get better.
Also it has been shown that you can start and build a successful franchise with Lebron. In 2002-03 the Cleveland Cavaliers finished the season 17-65 and won the NBA Lottery and selected Lebron. In the years that followed they went:
35-47 in 2003-04 (18 game improvement), 42-40 in 2004-05 (7 game improvement), 50-32 in 2005-06 (8 game improvement), 50-32 in 2006-07 (0 game improvement, but went to the NBA Finals), 45-37 in 2007-08 (8 game reduction but went to ECF), and 66-16 in 2008-09 (21 win improvement and another ECF appearance).
That's 6 straight seasons over .500, when the Cavs previously posted 5 straight seasons under .500, 2 ECF appearances, 1 ECF title, and 1 Finals appearances. You would have to go back to the Mark Price, Craig Ehlo, Brad Daughtery, Larry Nance days in Cleveland to find that success. And even then they still didn't accomplish what Lebron's Cavs have done. Also Lebron didn't really have a championship or contending team until last year. He's went from having Carlos Boozer and Ricky Davis as his sidekicks to Ilgauskas and Larry Hughes to now finally having Mo Williams and Shaq.
The Cavs went from East doormat to East contender, and that's what Lebron brings. He can transcend a franchise overnight, make a team respectable, and get other players to play alongside of him in order to build a successful team. There's only a handful of players that can make that claim (Jabbar, Robinson, Duncan, Bird). You cannot pass on a player like that, I would pick Lebron in a second and wouldn't think twice
CutThroat
Kobe is obviously the better choice to start a franchise around. Kobe has proven that if you build around him he will deliver multiple championships. He has what is most important in a franchise player and that is the will to win.
Correct me if I’m wrong but Kobe Bryant has 4 rings right? All those stats you threw out about Lebron were nice but lets get to what is truly important. Championships. Like Herm Edwards says, “You play to win the game”, And Win is something Kobe Bryant has done. Lebron for all his height, ability and fancy numbers has yet to deliver a ring. Something Kobe Bryant has done 4 times.
So be my guest and build your franchise around Lebron. While your franchise is contending in the East mine will be winning NBA championships behind our Franchise player…Kobe Bryant.
Kobe is the right choice to build a franchise around because he proved he can win the big game, he can elevate a team and put the team on his back to deliver them to the Promised Land. Good ole’ Kobe “Moses” Bryant never fails and never lets his team down. Kobe is the only choice to build a franchise around. For all Lebron offers he hasn’t offered what is most important to a franchise and that is a championship….Unless you just don’t care about that sort of thing, which I think my opponent, Paul Bearer doesn’t by choosing to build his franchise around Lebron.
Paul Bearer
Cutthroat you are right Kobe has 4 rings, Kobe has been to the promised land, and Kobe has won and Lebron hasn't. But remember Kobe wasn't the focal point or number 1 on the Lakers for 3 of those rings. Shaq was the one who won 3 Finals MVP's. Yes, Kobe did work but at the end of the day who's team was it? It was Shaq's. Kobe had a prime, 7-1, 330 lb, best player in the league crutch to lean on. Lebron hasn't had that luxury.
Lebron has been the man from jumpstreet as an 18 year old rookie and built up a championship-caliber team, Kobe never did that. Once Kobe did become the man, the Lakers went through a 3 year mediocre stretch (34 wins in 2004-05 no playoffs, 45 wins in 2005-06, 1st round playoff exit, 42 wins in 2007-08 1st round playoff exit) until they got Pau Gasol and that rocketed to the Finals. Remember before Kobe was winning that 4th ring, he was on camera in parking lots bashing Andrew Bynum and begging to be traded.
Lebron took the Cavs on his back as an 18 year old prodigy from high school and has led them to only 1 step from the summit. Not only that he's taken some teams far in the playoffs that had no business being in those series. Examples (2007 ECF against Detroit (win), 2007 Finals against SA (loss), 2008 ECF against Boston (7 game loss)).
I care about winning and so I would have no qualms about picking Lebron, like I said he's been to the Finals before and 3 ECF appearances in only 7 years and almost carried the Cavs back to Finals by himself against Boston in 2008. I want that guy on my team who can lead a team deep into the playoffs alone and has shown to be able to do it repeatedly.
The whole rings thing with Kobe is, he's been on better teams than Lebron and had teammates that stepped up for him and performed, Lebron hasn't had that. But since we're not talking about team but individually, the choice is LEbron
CutThroat
The flaw in the "Kobe had shaq" argument you present is the fact that Kobe has won without Shaq. It doesn't matter if Kobe has had better teams, as a franchise owner your job is to surround your franchise player with a championship team. Kobe having a good team around him just means that the ownership was doing they're job. . No player has done it by themselves, did Michael Jordan not win 6 rings because he had help
In addition to delivering championships Kobe bryant has been the face of the league for over a decade. He has been the most identifiable player since Michael Jordan. As a Franchise player Kobe not only wins but he draws crowds and endorsements which means more money and recognition for the franchise.
A franchise player should represent the franchise, win, deliver multiple titles and generate money for the franchise. Kobe does all of those things and he does them better than any player especially ones named Lebron James.
Also lets not forget that Lebron has had his opportunities to win titles. His inability to win a title only demonstrates that he isn't capable of making his team better when it counts. Did the Cavaliers not go into the playoffs with one of the NBA's best records? That tells me that Lebron had a team capable of winning it all, Lebron fell short. He wasn’t able to make his team better and carry them to a championship like Kobe was able too at 31 years old coming off leading the United States Olympic Team to a gold medal.
Kobe is just a born leader, first he leads this great country of ours to a gold medal and then he leads his franchise to their 4th title under his tenure. Kobe is the choice to build a franchise around.
Paul Bearer
I admitted to Kobe winning without Shaq, I said that he did win a 4th ring. But I also mentioned Kobe's struggles without Shaq and before Pau. Kobe was struggling just to make the playoffs and win a series, if Chris Wallace (the Grizzlies GM) has common sense and actually values his franchise and doesn't trade Gasol to LA where is Kobe? He's still playing for a fringe playoff team and asking a trade.
As far as face of the league, they were putting Cavs games on national TV as soon as Cleveland won the lottery, Lebron had NBA stars watching his high school games, Lebron has been that guy for the NBA since 2003, remember Kobe was the black sheep of the league for a 2 year period (sexual assault case, bruised reputation). Lebron was a NBA global icon from jump.
Lebron is his franchise, he was the best Cavalier player after 3 seasons. Kobe might not even be the best Laker of all time. Who watched Cavs games before he got there? Who cared about the Cavs before he got there? Can you name me 5 players from the Cavs roster in the season before Lebron got there?
Yes, Lebron has had opportunities to win a title and he's come up short yes. But he's performed incredibly in those series, yes a great player makes his teammates better but his teammates still have to perform. Where was Mo Williams against Orlando? Delonte West? Where was everybody against Boston in '08? Against SA in '07? You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make it drink. Lebron has taken his team there, now they have to step up for their star, you can't knock a player for doing all in his power to win but his cast doesnt support.
You say Kobe was a born leader, but it took 8 years before Kobe finally did lead and became a leader on his team. Lebron did it from the very beginning and has done well at it, and remember he's still young, he's only 24. Sky's the limit for Lebron
CutThroat
Lebron James to this day is compared to Kobe. No matter what Lebron does he will be compared to Kobe Bryant, not the other way around. For all the lime light he receives he still has to share with Kobe Bryant. What makes who would be the better franchise player an easy decision is what separates Lebron and Kobe. The two are separated by 4 championships, about 12,000 points and legendary 12 year career.
No question Lebron is great and has the potential to be even greater. But potential can go unfulfilled. I’ll take Kobe Bryant, the seasoned veteran who has already done it for my franchise. He has proven he wins rings. There is no guarantee that Lebron will ever win a ring, that he will match the career Kobe has had or that he will continue to improve with age like Kobe has.
My opponent is playing the “what-if game” or the “he could be game”. I on the other hand am using the “he’s proven it” already approach. What Lebron can do for a franchise doesn’t mean anything until he has actually done it. Kobe has proven what he will bring to a franchise. He has shown that he can and will deliver championship titles as well as a great all around career.
As great as Lebron is he still has several flaws in his game. He still doesn’t have the last shot ability that Kobe possesses. Lebron has uplifted the Cavs to success they’ve never experienced. But Kobe was tasked with the responsibility to return a franchise to past glory. The pressure on Kobe was immense. The bigger the moment the bigger Kobe’s game.
Lebron has come up short too many times in the playoffs and in his career. You want Lebron to be your franchise player, be my guess. Just be warned that your franchise will always come up short, just like Lebron.
Kobe is a champion, a proven one at that. He has proven he can win with any nucleus. Stats don’t mean anything if the franchise isn’t delivering championships…the one thing every player dreams about, every franchise salivates over and every fan pays to see won. Choose Kobe as your championship player and your choosing a championship franchise, dare I say dynasty. Choose Lebron as your franchise player and your choosing a franchise that will be good but always will come up short when it really counts.
Topic - Kobe or Lebron. Arguably the 2 best overall players in the NBA today. So the topis is this...which player would be a better choice to start your NBA Franchise with and why?
Paul Bearer-
First off let me say that you cant go wrong with either choice. Kobe and Lebron are both great players, but there are many reasons why I would start my team with Lebron James.
There has never been a player like Lebron James, he is a once in 20 year talent. How often do you see a player with a body like Karl Malone, the court sense of Oscar Robertson and ability to play out on the perimeter. 6'8, 260 lbs, ability to get to the rim like no other, draw contact, is able to step outside and knock down the jumper, can set up his own teammates. There really hasn't been a total package of size, skill, and athleticism ever. How could you not want a guy like that on your team. With Lebron there's no telling how far you can go with him, both as a team and him individually. Kobe maybe and probably has hit his peak, Lebron still maybe has a higher ceiling to touch as a player and get better.
Also it has been shown that you can start and build a successful franchise with Lebron. In 2002-03 the Cleveland Cavaliers finished the season 17-65 and won the NBA Lottery and selected Lebron. In the years that followed they went:
35-47 in 2003-04 (18 game improvement), 42-40 in 2004-05 (7 game improvement), 50-32 in 2005-06 (8 game improvement), 50-32 in 2006-07 (0 game improvement, but went to the NBA Finals), 45-37 in 2007-08 (8 game reduction but went to ECF), and 66-16 in 2008-09 (21 win improvement and another ECF appearance).
That's 6 straight seasons over .500, when the Cavs previously posted 5 straight seasons under .500, 2 ECF appearances, 1 ECF title, and 1 Finals appearances. You would have to go back to the Mark Price, Craig Ehlo, Brad Daughtery, Larry Nance days in Cleveland to find that success. And even then they still didn't accomplish what Lebron's Cavs have done. Also Lebron didn't really have a championship or contending team until last year. He's went from having Carlos Boozer and Ricky Davis as his sidekicks to Ilgauskas and Larry Hughes to now finally having Mo Williams and Shaq.
The Cavs went from East doormat to East contender, and that's what Lebron brings. He can transcend a franchise overnight, make a team respectable, and get other players to play alongside of him in order to build a successful team. There's only a handful of players that can make that claim (Jabbar, Robinson, Duncan, Bird). You cannot pass on a player like that, I would pick Lebron in a second and wouldn't think twice
CutThroat
Kobe is obviously the better choice to start a franchise around. Kobe has proven that if you build around him he will deliver multiple championships. He has what is most important in a franchise player and that is the will to win.
Correct me if I’m wrong but Kobe Bryant has 4 rings right? All those stats you threw out about Lebron were nice but lets get to what is truly important. Championships. Like Herm Edwards says, “You play to win the game”, And Win is something Kobe Bryant has done. Lebron for all his height, ability and fancy numbers has yet to deliver a ring. Something Kobe Bryant has done 4 times.
So be my guest and build your franchise around Lebron. While your franchise is contending in the East mine will be winning NBA championships behind our Franchise player…Kobe Bryant.
Kobe is the right choice to build a franchise around because he proved he can win the big game, he can elevate a team and put the team on his back to deliver them to the Promised Land. Good ole’ Kobe “Moses” Bryant never fails and never lets his team down. Kobe is the only choice to build a franchise around. For all Lebron offers he hasn’t offered what is most important to a franchise and that is a championship….Unless you just don’t care about that sort of thing, which I think my opponent, Paul Bearer doesn’t by choosing to build his franchise around Lebron.
Paul Bearer
Cutthroat you are right Kobe has 4 rings, Kobe has been to the promised land, and Kobe has won and Lebron hasn't. But remember Kobe wasn't the focal point or number 1 on the Lakers for 3 of those rings. Shaq was the one who won 3 Finals MVP's. Yes, Kobe did work but at the end of the day who's team was it? It was Shaq's. Kobe had a prime, 7-1, 330 lb, best player in the league crutch to lean on. Lebron hasn't had that luxury.
Lebron has been the man from jumpstreet as an 18 year old rookie and built up a championship-caliber team, Kobe never did that. Once Kobe did become the man, the Lakers went through a 3 year mediocre stretch (34 wins in 2004-05 no playoffs, 45 wins in 2005-06, 1st round playoff exit, 42 wins in 2007-08 1st round playoff exit) until they got Pau Gasol and that rocketed to the Finals. Remember before Kobe was winning that 4th ring, he was on camera in parking lots bashing Andrew Bynum and begging to be traded.
Lebron took the Cavs on his back as an 18 year old prodigy from high school and has led them to only 1 step from the summit. Not only that he's taken some teams far in the playoffs that had no business being in those series. Examples (2007 ECF against Detroit (win), 2007 Finals against SA (loss), 2008 ECF against Boston (7 game loss)).
I care about winning and so I would have no qualms about picking Lebron, like I said he's been to the Finals before and 3 ECF appearances in only 7 years and almost carried the Cavs back to Finals by himself against Boston in 2008. I want that guy on my team who can lead a team deep into the playoffs alone and has shown to be able to do it repeatedly.
The whole rings thing with Kobe is, he's been on better teams than Lebron and had teammates that stepped up for him and performed, Lebron hasn't had that. But since we're not talking about team but individually, the choice is LEbron
CutThroat
The flaw in the "Kobe had shaq" argument you present is the fact that Kobe has won without Shaq. It doesn't matter if Kobe has had better teams, as a franchise owner your job is to surround your franchise player with a championship team. Kobe having a good team around him just means that the ownership was doing they're job. . No player has done it by themselves, did Michael Jordan not win 6 rings because he had help
In addition to delivering championships Kobe bryant has been the face of the league for over a decade. He has been the most identifiable player since Michael Jordan. As a Franchise player Kobe not only wins but he draws crowds and endorsements which means more money and recognition for the franchise.
A franchise player should represent the franchise, win, deliver multiple titles and generate money for the franchise. Kobe does all of those things and he does them better than any player especially ones named Lebron James.
Also lets not forget that Lebron has had his opportunities to win titles. His inability to win a title only demonstrates that he isn't capable of making his team better when it counts. Did the Cavaliers not go into the playoffs with one of the NBA's best records? That tells me that Lebron had a team capable of winning it all, Lebron fell short. He wasn’t able to make his team better and carry them to a championship like Kobe was able too at 31 years old coming off leading the United States Olympic Team to a gold medal.
Kobe is just a born leader, first he leads this great country of ours to a gold medal and then he leads his franchise to their 4th title under his tenure. Kobe is the choice to build a franchise around.
Paul Bearer
I admitted to Kobe winning without Shaq, I said that he did win a 4th ring. But I also mentioned Kobe's struggles without Shaq and before Pau. Kobe was struggling just to make the playoffs and win a series, if Chris Wallace (the Grizzlies GM) has common sense and actually values his franchise and doesn't trade Gasol to LA where is Kobe? He's still playing for a fringe playoff team and asking a trade.
As far as face of the league, they were putting Cavs games on national TV as soon as Cleveland won the lottery, Lebron had NBA stars watching his high school games, Lebron has been that guy for the NBA since 2003, remember Kobe was the black sheep of the league for a 2 year period (sexual assault case, bruised reputation). Lebron was a NBA global icon from jump.
Lebron is his franchise, he was the best Cavalier player after 3 seasons. Kobe might not even be the best Laker of all time. Who watched Cavs games before he got there? Who cared about the Cavs before he got there? Can you name me 5 players from the Cavs roster in the season before Lebron got there?
Yes, Lebron has had opportunities to win a title and he's come up short yes. But he's performed incredibly in those series, yes a great player makes his teammates better but his teammates still have to perform. Where was Mo Williams against Orlando? Delonte West? Where was everybody against Boston in '08? Against SA in '07? You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make it drink. Lebron has taken his team there, now they have to step up for their star, you can't knock a player for doing all in his power to win but his cast doesnt support.
You say Kobe was a born leader, but it took 8 years before Kobe finally did lead and became a leader on his team. Lebron did it from the very beginning and has done well at it, and remember he's still young, he's only 24. Sky's the limit for Lebron
CutThroat
Lebron James to this day is compared to Kobe. No matter what Lebron does he will be compared to Kobe Bryant, not the other way around. For all the lime light he receives he still has to share with Kobe Bryant. What makes who would be the better franchise player an easy decision is what separates Lebron and Kobe. The two are separated by 4 championships, about 12,000 points and legendary 12 year career.
No question Lebron is great and has the potential to be even greater. But potential can go unfulfilled. I’ll take Kobe Bryant, the seasoned veteran who has already done it for my franchise. He has proven he wins rings. There is no guarantee that Lebron will ever win a ring, that he will match the career Kobe has had or that he will continue to improve with age like Kobe has.
My opponent is playing the “what-if game” or the “he could be game”. I on the other hand am using the “he’s proven it” already approach. What Lebron can do for a franchise doesn’t mean anything until he has actually done it. Kobe has proven what he will bring to a franchise. He has shown that he can and will deliver championship titles as well as a great all around career.
As great as Lebron is he still has several flaws in his game. He still doesn’t have the last shot ability that Kobe possesses. Lebron has uplifted the Cavs to success they’ve never experienced. But Kobe was tasked with the responsibility to return a franchise to past glory. The pressure on Kobe was immense. The bigger the moment the bigger Kobe’s game.
Lebron has come up short too many times in the playoffs and in his career. You want Lebron to be your franchise player, be my guess. Just be warned that your franchise will always come up short, just like Lebron.
Kobe is a champion, a proven one at that. He has proven he can win with any nucleus. Stats don’t mean anything if the franchise isn’t delivering championships…the one thing every player dreams about, every franchise salivates over and every fan pays to see won. Choose Kobe as your championship player and your choosing a championship franchise, dare I say dynasty. Choose Lebron as your franchise player and your choosing a franchise that will be good but always will come up short when it really counts.
Are NFL QB's Pampered, Protected, Pussies?
By Kevin Adams on 9/20/2010
Sounds harsh huh? But hey, I know im not the only one who has echoed that sentiment. But that's not saying I feel that way, I look at this from both points of views. But why am I talking about this? Well on Sunday of week 2 in the NFL, the issue of preferential treatment of quarterbacks was brought up.
In yesterday's game between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, which the Bengals won 15-10 featured two dubious calls on Ravens linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs. Late in the third quarter with the Ravens up 7-6, Lewis was called for tripping Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer. The penalty gave the Bengals a first down and they moved the ball down the field for a field goal giving them a 9-7 lead. The call raised eyebrows especially after replays clearly showed that Lewis didnt go into Palmer with malicious intent or even meant to do it, Lewis was clearly tripped himself and rolled into Palmer. Lewis was visibly frustrated and irate on the field with the officials after the call.
In the 4th quarter controversy came around yet again, with the Ravens having taken the lead back with another field goal, Suggs was called for roughing the passer on Palmer as the officials said he slammed Palmer into the ground. Replays appeared to show that Suggs didnt slam Palmer into the ground, despite the officials call, that penalty led to another Cincy first down and later in the drive they got the game winning field goal. The Ravens were hit with two dubious penalties in a game that was a defensive struggle and points had been at a premium, couple that with a loss coming to a divisional opponent the Ravens would have every reason to be upset.
Lewis who has been known as an outspoken player, let loose with his feelings after the game letting it be known that he feels QB's get preferential treatment in the league. "I don't think I want to be politically correct right here. I want to be honest," Lewis said. "Honest is you put six points on the [darn]board by people doing their jobs. We laugh about it so much [about] quarterbacks getting all of this protection. I get tired of whining about quarterbacks. [But] Terrell can't stop in midair and pull up on Carson after he still has the ball."
Lewis continued on, You always try to be careful because the league always tries to fine you. But there are so many rules that take away from the game. I get blocked into the player and you tell me that I tripped this man, but this man fell over my feet. There's too much crying from them. You already make the big money. Keep your big money. But don't cry when you step on the football field. That's war out there. If you want to go at it, go at it hard. But don't disrespect the game like that."
Suggs himself disagreed that the calls were the reason behind Baltimore's loss "Did we win or lose the game right there?," Suggs said, "Absolutely not."
Now while we can debate on whether those calls cost Baltimore the game, the Bengals getting 6 points in a game they won by 5 points was very helpful. But there were other mistakes by the Ravens notably their own QB Joe Flacco throwing 4 interceptions.
But we've seen this topic rear it's head and come up before. Are QB's too protected and getting beneficial treatment from officials? Quarterbacks have had rules changed and put in too protect them, after Tom Brady's knee blowout due to a hit by Bernard Pollard, it is now illegal to hit a QB around the legs. We've seen defensive players complain before about officials being too harsh when it comes to getting to the QB. There have been plenty of instances were defensive players get called for penalties on hits that were harmless in nature.
This issue has been around for years now, you can go back to 1976 when New England Patriots defensive tackle Ray "Sugar Bear" Hamilton was called for a suspect roughing the passer call on Oakland Raiders QB Kenny Stabler, with New England up by 3 in the final two minutes. The Raiders would go onto score and win the game 21-17. So this is something that isnt going away, but Lewis and his statements have brought the issue back into the present.
The quarterback has always been looked at as the glamour position in football, and the most important position on the field, and keeping the QB on the field is a big responsibility. But have the officials and the NFL gone too far with what can and cant be done with the quarterback? Yes QB's do get the money, the fame, and all the perks on the football field.
But are they getting more protected on the field? Do officials look at QB's in a different light from everyone else? Are quarterbacks spoiled pretty boys on the field? Now yes, not every QB gets every petty thing called in there favor, but we have seen QB's get more of the benefit of the doubt from officials. As a fan myself, I would hate to see the toughness, hits, and what makes football the game we love taken away from it. Quarterbacks are players like everyone else, there's no rules that you cant hit a running back below the knees or in the legs, so really in a way Lewis is right but the quarterback is the main man on the field so it comes with the territory in a way.
Whatever the sentiment is on this and no matter what feelings fans, coaches and players have this is something that will be around for a while and something that will be brought up again and again. Are the rules fine the way they are, are the officials doing the right thing, is Lewis hitting the nail on the head with his comments? Either way you feel this is something that comes with the game, whether it's right or wrong is the issue.
Geto Boys: We Can't Be Stopped album synopsis
We Can't Be Stopped
4 words never described a group and album so perfectly than We Can't Be Stopped. The Geto Boys with their 3 members Scarface, Willie D, and Bushwick Bill were putting out controversial, over-the-top, gangster rap with great results (and controversy). In 1991, it all came together perfectly on this album. No matter what, you aren't stopping this trio from saying what is on their minds, no matter what it is. The police? The music industry? The KKK? Women? A group member shooting himself in the eye? No, nothing at all, hell they even put a picture of Bushwick without his eye on the cover. But this album isn't just offensive and violent raps with no lyrical or musical qualities, this is a an album of classic material. Backed by the classic paranoia anthem "Mind Playing Tricks On Me" and songs ranging from funny, morbid, insane, & downright explicit GB is backed by dope beats with a wide ranging variety of samples to make everything work here. Even in 2010, you still can't stop them
UGK-Ridin Dirty album synopsis
Ridin Dirty
In 1996, Port Arthur, TX duo Bun B and Pimp C aka UGK released their 3rd album, the classic Ridin Dirty. An album that became the duo's magnum opus and an album that forever influenced a legion of rappers from the South to come. UGK had already dropped two great albums before with Too Hard To Swallow and Super Tight, but here on Ridin Dirty they upped the ante. Musically and lyrically the album is great with few weak spots, the production is fantastic handled by Pimp C with contributions from the underrated N.O. Joe. It created a perfect backdrop for the duo to rap about life in Texas in the 90's. The group tackles street shit with tracks like "Murder", "That's Why I Carry", "Touched", pimp game with "Good Stuff and "Pinky Ring", introspective tales with the classic "One Day" and "Hi-Life" and laid back tracks like the title track, "Diamonds & Wood" and "3 In The Mornin". Both Bun and Pimp provide excellent performances on the mic, especially Bun who was in rare form and killed almost every track on here, in fact look no further than his back end destruction on Murder. All in all, UGK solidified their status as the Kings of the Underground and a stepping stone as one of the best duos in rap history.
Paul "The Punisher" Williams vs Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez preview
By Kevin Adams
Yeah folks! One of the most anticipated fights of 2010 is upon us, the rematch of the classic 2009 clash between Paul Williams and Sergio Martinez. The first fight ended in 12 round split decision that went to Williams, a fair call but was mired in controversy as judge Pierre Benoit idiotically scored the fight 118-110 for Williams.
This time around Sergio comes into the fight holding the WBC middleweight belt and coming off giving Kelly Pavlik a complete and thorough ass kicking. Martinez, hailing from Argentina is 36 but hasnt missed a beat and is one of boxing's most avoided men, he is a slick southpaw with great movement, a great defensive fighter with great ability inside the ring. He is one of the 5 best fighters in the world P4P in my opinion and is riding a great string of performances. He is one of boxing's best talents at the moment
On the other hand you have the freakish Paul Williams, why freakish? Well let me explain, Williams from Aiken, S.C is a 6'1 anamoly with a 82-inch reach and normally throws over 100 punches a round. He stormed onto the scene with his defeat of Antonio Margarito in 2007 to win the welterweight championship, and began an ascent up the boxing world. Williams has campaigned from 147 all the way up to 160 looking for fights as he along with Martinez is avoided in boxing circles. Paul is high pressure fighter using his reach and punching output to wear down fighters. Williams defense is his offense and is quite the entertaining fighter to watch.
The first fight was a slugfest from start to finish, both fighters hit the canvas in the first round and kept it up. Paul used his pressure to pile up early rounds, but Martinez adjusted in the middle of the fight and started to tag Williams the rest of the way. A back and forth affair that was boxing at it's best, after nearly a year wait and some hassling we finally have the rematch.
As far as the fight goes, Williams has been in this situation before. In 2008 he lost his title in a 12 round decision to Carlos Quintana, Quintana a similar fighter to Martinez used the same style to beat Williams using movement and beating Williams to the punch all night. After the first fight a rematch came 4 months later, Williams adjusted to Quintana and blew him away early knocking him out in the 1st round. So maybe we could see a situation similar to the second Quintana fight, Paul may adjust and be ready for what Sergio brought in the first fight and capitalize on that. Williams was routinely caught by punches all night after leaving himself open he has to fix that or he will pay the price.
Martinez will come into the fight supremely confident, he feels (along with many others) he won the fight and he wanted the rematch badly. Martinez will most likely look to do what he did in the first fight and frustrate and keep Williams off balance and using Williams aggression against him. Sergio though cannot allow Paul to bank in a lot of rounds or he will be forced to play catchup the rest of the way. However, I would not be surprised if Martinez looks to take the fight to Williams and play the aggressor though, Williams defense is still a weak point although his chin is very strong.
This should be another close fight, and hopefully will be half as exciting as the first match. Boxing needs more bouts like this and fighters like these two hands down. I will pick Paul Williams to win this fight by a close decision I think he will land more shots and pile up points, if he keeps his head and hands up he should be able to pull out the win over a Sergio Martinez who is going to bring hell into the ring.
Paul Bearer's Top 10 Heisman Moments
On Saturday one of the most prestigious awards in sports, the Heisman Trophy will be handed out (most likely to Auburn QB Cam Newton). Winning the Heisman forever ensures you in college football and sports lore. For each Heisman winner there has been a moment that stood out for them and defined their Heisman season, here are the top 10 Heisman defining moments according to yours truly
10. Cam Newton's run for daylight-2010 vs LSU-Yeah it's not official, but hey why not? In what has been a spectacular season for the junior QB with many highlights, one moment stands out. In a late October matchup at Jordan-Hare against LSU, Newton served notice to the whole country. In a 10-10 game in the early part of the 3rd quarter, the 6'6, 250 lb do-everything QB took a snap out of the shotgun, faked a handoff to his running back and ran up the middle, he got to the first down line then stiff-armed a defender breaking a would-be tackle, juked a second defender, made a third guy miss and with a speed burst ran towards the end zone and dragged LSU CB Patrick Peterson in for the score. It was an amazing display of speed, power, and ability for Newton and a springboard for Auburn's run to the BCS title.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOi2hj_sjyY#ws
9. Eddie George-1995 vs Illinois-In George's senior season at Ohio State, he was simply unstoppable in the backfield. He rushed for 1,927 yards and 24 TD's with an average of 152.2 yards per game. George ran through defenses at will, putting up incredible numbers including a 207 yard peformance in a 45-26 win over Notre Dame. But his best game of the year came against Illinois, George was locked in a season long duel with Nebraksa's Tommie Frazier for the award but George was superhuman that day as he ran for a school record 314 yards to go with 3 touchdowns. George wound up winning the Heisman in a close margin over Frazier, 20 years after OSU's Archie Griffin won his second Heisman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7mW_08-RI4
8. Reggie Bush-2005 vs Fresno State-Bush was the most dynamic and exciting player on USC's football team which included players like Matt Leinart, LenDale White and Dwayne Jarrett. Bush's all-around game made him one of college football's best players whether it was rushing, receiving or in the return game Bush was a weapon unlike any other. In a game against Fresno State, Bush unveiled one of the best college football performances of all-time. Bush racked up an amazing 513 all-purpose yards, 294 of which came on the ground along with two TD's including an electrifying 50-yarder in the 3rd quarter for a TD. Bush's Heisman was later handed back, but for this sake we'll include him and his amazing performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwS5x920i8A
7. Eric Crouch-2001 vs Oklahoma (Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass)-In a late October matchup between #3 Nebraska and the defending national champs and #2 ranked Oklahoma, Nebraska QB Eric Crouch solidified his Heisman campaign with the famous Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass. The Cornhuskers led 13-10 in the 4th quarter, trying to get a score to get breathing room against the Sooners, Nebraksa coach Frank Solich dialed up the Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass. The play worked brilliantly as Crouch pitched the ball to Thunder Collins who pitched a reverse to Mike Stuntz who threw to a wide open Crouch streaking down the sideline, Crouch brought in the pass and streaked to a 63-yard TD the TD put Nebraksa up 20-10 which proved to be the final score and was the springboard to Nebraska reaching the title game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJtZYKIzzZE
6. Barry Sanders's late-season rampage in 1988-After backing up All-American and future Hall Of Famer Thurman Thomas for two seasons at Oklahoma State, Barry Sanders set the college football world on fire in his junior season. Sanders had maybe the greatest single season in college football history, racking up 2,628 yards rushing, 3,248 total yards, 234 points, and 39 touchdowns (37 rushing) and broke 34 single season records. Sanders nailed down his Heisman with a 4 game stretch that saw him go for 320 on the ground against K-State, 215 against Oklahoma, 312 against Kansas, and 293 yard, 4-TD day against Iowa State. Sanders had 1,140 yards on the ground in those 4 games and ended any speculation of who the Heisman winner would be that year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nh1qQPXQY4
5. Charles Woodson-1997 vs Ohio State-Charles Woodson, Michigan's dominant CB was looking to become the first primary defensive player to win the Heisman in his junior season. Woodson faced stiff opposition including Tennessee QB Peyton Manning, however in the annual rivalry game against hated Ohio State, Woodson put his stamp on the trophy and nailed down the position as best player in the land. Going up against All-Big Ten receiver David Boston, Woodson played brilliantly he intercepted a pass in the end zone preventing a touchdown, had a 37-yard catch to set up Michigan's only offensive score, and most famously returned a punt 78 yards for a score.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI1lZCpBCWE
4. Tony Dorsett sets the tone on his first carry against the tall grass-1976 vs Notre DameIn the very first game of his senior year at Pitt, running back Tony Dorsett and his Panthers faced the Fighting Irish on the road at South Bend. Last year against the Irish, Dorsett ran for 303 yards and everyone knew that the Irish would key on stopping Dorsett and preventing a repeat performance in that year's game. Dorsett came into the game the preseason Heisman favorite and would likely battle USC's Ricky Bell for the award, and on the big stage Dorsett did not disappoint, even with the Fighting Irish focused on him and the grass being grown 6 inches high. On his first time touching the ball in the game, TD went 61 yards for a touchdown crushing Notre Dame's spirit and spearheading the 31-10 Pitt victory
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6rlq_Sp6Mg
3. Ricky's record day-1998 vs Texas A&MRicky Williams was undoubtedly the best running back, player, etc in all the land in 1998. Williams had already had a great career at Texas and looked to cap it off in his senior year. Not only was Williams chasing the Heisman he was also chasing Tony Dorsett's all-time career rushing record of 6,082 yards. On Thanksgiving Day, against the rival Aggies and their "Wrecking Crew" defense Ricky had his chance and was only 63 yards behind the record going into the game. After getting 60 yards already, late in the first quarter Williams took a handoff, broke two tackles and sprinted 60 yards for a score giving him the record. Williams rushed for 295 yards and led Texas to the 26-24 upset.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7nSNJiF-m8&feature=player_embedded
2. Desmond does the pose-1991 vs Ohio StateIn what had been a great season for Michigan WR/return man Desmond Howard, in one moment he forever immortalized himself in college football lore on a cold day in late November. If you are going to make a statement a rivalry game is the best place to do so, in the second quarter against the Wolverines, the dynamic Howard went back to return a punt and then made one of the best moments in college football history. He recieved the punt at the 7-yard line, and with a wave of Buckeye defenders Howard split them all and ran right by them like they werent even there, Howard using his quickness and movement shot past at least 8 defenders and used his speed to outrun 3 more on the sideline. During the run legendary announcer Keith Jackson sealed the deal with the famous call of "Goodbye, hello Heisman!" once Howard got into the end zone he put the cherry on top by doing the Heisman pose. Now really after that, was there any doubt of who would win it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxpoqP9PkqM
1. Hail Flutie-1984 vs MiamiBig players make big plays on big stages and in big moments. Well in 1984 on Thanksgiving Day a little-but-big player made the ultimate big play. Boston College QB Doug Flutie all 5'10 of him went into a high-profile matchup against the Hurricanes who were quarterbacked by a great QB themselves, Bernie Kosar. The game did not disappoint as it was a back and forth high scoring affair, BC jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, but Kosar and Miami battled back. It was great play from both QB's who combined to go for 59-84, 919 yards, and 5 touchdowns. After a Miami score by Melvin Bratton, BC trailed 45-41 with 28 seconds remaining, three quick plays got BC down to the Miami 48 with 6 seconds left and time for one more shot. BC went with a play called "55 Flood Tip", Miami only rushed 3 men but one got through and forced Flute out to the right to avoid a sack, Flutie then launched a bomb from his own 37-yard line. The ball traveled 63 yards through the air and the Miami night, during the throw BC receiving Gerard Phelan snuck in behind the Miami defenders and the ball landed directly into his hands for the improbable, game winning TD with no time remaining. BC won the classic, 47-45 and Flutie ended the shootout with 472 yards, 4 touchdowns, a classic football moment, and went on to get the Heisman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3ykWbu2Gl0
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Paul Bearer's 2010 NBA Playoff Preview
Ok folks the marathon is over. Another regular season in the books, the 82 game grind which started back in October has ended and led us to where we are now. After last night's season finale where playoff seeding was finalized and Chicago grabbed the last playoff spot, the playoffs are here, and I as a basketball fanatic could not be more excited.
16 teams are left and this weekend will begin a journey to win the Larry O'Brien trophy and become NBA champions. This looks to be a great postseason, along with the usual suspects and favorites we have new blood in the playoffs with teams like Milwaukee, Charlotte, and Oklahoma City. Who will rise? Who will fall? 16 wins and you are a champion, the playoffs boil down to a simple, yet sweet mantra: Win or Go Home.
With that said, here's my playoff preview I will break down each matchup round by round and predict the winners of each round and name who I think will win the NBA title.
Eastern Conference First Round
1-Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 8-Chicago Bulls
The Cavaliers enter their first round matchup against Chicago well rested. Soon to be MVP Lebron James sat the final four games of the Cavs' season with them having clinched the best record in the league. Despite some flak about him not playing, the Cavaliers come into the playoffs ready to silence the demons from last year's playoff defeat at the hands of the Magic in the Conference Finals.
Chicago enters this series battle tested already. The final week of the regular season was in essence an early start to the Playoffs, with them having the battle the Toronto Raptors down to the final day of the season to get the 8th seed in the East. Second year point guard Derrick Rose has been simply amazing the final week of the season, he averaged 28.2 points over their final 5 games with Chicago going 4-1 and earning this matchup against Cleveland.
On paper this looks to be a blowout by Cleveland, with many expecting them to sweep Chicago and advance early. However, I think this series will be more competitive than people think. Chicago split the season series at 2 games with the Cavs, and Chicago has been in this situation before after being in that epic 7 game first round series against Boston last year. Chicago has the edge in the backcourt with Rose and Kirk Hinrich over Cleveland's backcourt and Joakim Noah has become one of the best young big men in the game. But in the end Cleveland is just too strong and Lebron will do enough to ensure that his team moves on, so no I don't think Cleveland will be upset but they will have a fight on their hands.
Prediction: Cleveland in 5
2-Orlando Magic vs 7-Charlotte Bobcats
Orlando comes into the playoffs the defending Eastern Conference champs and have won 59 games in the regular season. They are led by future Defensive Player Of The Year in Dwight Howard and he's supported by an abundance of perimeter talent with Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, etc. The Magic went home disappointed in the Finals last season and many of them felt they let one slip away, Orlando comes into the playoffs not only looking to get to the Finals but win the whole thing.
The Charlotte Bobcats won 44 games on the season and after 6 years in the league have earned their first playoff berth. Coach Larry Brown has done a great job with this bunch turning them into a tough and scrappy bunch. Charlotte turned around after the in-season acquisition of Stephen Jackson, and in a repeat of his first season in Golden State after being traded he has helped lead his team to the playoffs. Charlotte's heart and soul is Gerald Wallace, their do everything wing player has become one of the NBA's most improved players and is a threat on both ends of the floor.
For my money if any first round matchup has a chance for an upset it's this one. This is a series that could become eerily similar to the 2007 matchup between Golden State and Dallas. Stephen Jackson will be a big factor for Charlotte, he's fearless, a great scorer and knows the big stage, he will have to lead his team as many on this team are playoff first timers. Orlando has to play hard every game and take advantage of their advantage with Howard in the post especially if Tyson Chandler isn't healthy, Dwight should look to have a big series for the Magic. What I will be watching is the perimeter battles between Lewis, Carter, and Nelson against Wallace, Jackson, and Raymond Felton. This should really be a great and exciting series with Charlotte being in each game, but the Magic will prevail.
Prediction: Magic in 6
3-Atlanta Hawks vs. 6-Milwaukee Bucks
Atlanta comes into this series having won 53 games and recording their best season since 1997-98. The addition of sixth man Jamal Crawford was a real great move, his scoring off the bench provided another threat for the Hawks. The Hawks are loaded with talent Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, Josh Smith, and Al Horford and have two years playoff experience under their belts and this year are looking to make a power move in the East. They won their first round matchup last year, but this year they have title aspirations.
The Milwaukee Bucks have been one of the great stories this year in the NBA. Coach Scott Skiles has done a wonderful job with this team, Milwaukee was picked by many pundits to finish at the bottom of their division and be one of the worst in the East. Milwaukee it seems had a different agenda, led by big man Andrew Bogut and spurred by the drafting of rookie point guard Brandon Jennings the Bucks have fought their way to much deserved playoff spot. The Bucks however really took off when they added John Salmons in a midseason trade, and been one of the surprises of the season.
This should be one of the most fun matchups in the Playoffs with two young teams going at it. But Milwaukee suffered a huge blow when their best player Andrew Bogut injured his elbow in a nasty fall a week earlier, and he will be sorely missed. But even without Bogut the Bucks have played great basketball and the Hawks better bring it. The Hawks are for the first time in a long while, the favorite coming into a playoff series. Mike Woodson has to keep his team focused, they want to prove their are one of the league's elite so they will come out with something to prove. Josh Smith and Al Horford will look to attack the paint with Bogut out and use their advantage in athleticism, on the Bucks side they want to get up shots and cut down on turnovers so Atlanta cant run. This will be a great series, that Atlanta will win.
Prediction: Atlanta in 6
4-Boston vs. 5-Miami
The Celtics are limping into this series fighting age and the whispers that their window is now closed. Kevin Garnett seems to be a shell of his former self on the court, the Rasheed Wallace signing has not worked at all, and they look to be on their last legs. However Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Ray Allen have held it down for the C's and they pushed their way to a 50 win season and the East 4th seed. They have to try to see if they can get that chemistry back and get some juice into those old legs, if not they may be in for trouble this postseason.
The Heat come into this series on a roll having won 12 of their last 13 and leap frogging Charlotte and Milwaukee for the East's 5th seed. Dwyane Wade has been well Dwyane Wade the second half of the season and is playing like the superstar he is. The Heat will look to see if their run will extend into the playoffs and get them a series win in which they are the underdogs against the seasoned Celtics. The Heat pushed Atlanta to 7 games last year in a 4-5 matchup before losing, this year they hope to pull out the win.
This series here is my upset pick. I honestly think they Celtics are done, I know a team that's dead when I see it and the Celtics are done. Dwyane Wade has shown that he can carry a team to wins by himself, and alone win a postseason series as he did in the 2006 NBA Finals. The Celtics have the homecourt and the veteran advantage so they will look to use that towards their benefit. The X-factor for this series will be Michael Beasley, the second year player will have to step up and play well. He complained about being called a "Tito Jackson" by Charles Barkley, well this is a great time as any for him to step up and show that he's no Tito.
Prediction: Heat in 7
Western Conference First Round
1-Los Angeles Lakers vs 8-Oklahoma City Thunder
The Lakers enter the playoffs after a bumpy end to the regular season, a few losses and some injuries have rocked the boat, but they look to right the ship in the postseason. However the Lakers say their ready to go, and have a matchup that they favor. Rumor has it the Lakers tanked their Sunday afternoon game against Portland in order to draw OKC in the first round. How true that is I dont know but either way, the Lakers will be favored against the young Thunder.
The precocious Oklahoma City Thunder enter the big stage and big lights of the NBA Playoffs. They have been a great story led by their 21-year old MVP canidate Kevin Durant and his supporting cast of young guns, the Thunder have been a pleasant surprise this year winning 50 games under Coach Of The Year favorite Scott Brooks. But the Thunder could be over their heads or they could be ready to shock the world. Will they just be happy to be here? Or will they go in not minding the circumstances and look to pull the upset? The Thunder will have a lot to show and prove.
This will be one of the more fun matchups in the first round. We get a legit battle between two superstars and MVP-esque players in Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant. OKC will definitely test the Lakers, Russell Westbrook will dominate Derek Fisher and Thabo Sefalosha will play solid defense on Kobe as will the whole OKC team. The Thunder will depend on their perimeter trio of Durant, Westbrook and Jeff Green heavily this series, but they lack so much in the post and that will haunt them. In the end, I think LA's offensive talent, size, and expierence will be too much for the young Thunder. OKC's time will come, but it's not now.
Prediction: LA in 6
2-Dallas Mavericks vs 7-San Antonio Spurs
Bolstered by a midseason trade with the Washington Wizards, the Dallas Mavericks have been playing great basketball since then. The additions of Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and Deshawn Stevenson have worked wonders for the Mavs. The Mavs have an abundance of talent on their team along with their trade additions they have Shawn Marion, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, and their leader and superstar Dirk Nowitzki. The Mavs beat the Spurs in the first round last year, and look to repeat that this year.
It has been an up and down season for the Spurs to say the least. After an off-season trade with the Bucks to add swingman Richard Jefferson, the Spurs became a trendy pick to win the title. However that has not come to fruition as Jefferson has struggled all year and his confidence has went straight to the toilet as a result. The Spurs have battled injuries, inconsistency, lineup shuffling, etc. However they still managed to win 50 games and in the last two months played some of their best basketball of the year. Manu Ginobili, George Hill, and Tim Duncan have been great lately for San Antonio, the Spurs have been here before and they look to give it one last shot.
This for my money will be the best and most competitive first round series out of all of them. These two in-state rivals have met before and know each other well. The Mavericks will be favored here, but I think the Spurs have a legit shot at winning this series. Despite his struggles, Richard Jefferson has improved of late and he will be the x-factor for San Antonio, he has to step up. The Mavs have a lot of firepower and will look to outscore and outshoot the Spurs, so the Spurs have to step it up on the defensive end where they have been inconsistent. The Spurs hope to get George Hill back as he is a vital part for them. This is gonna be a great one, and even though the Mavs are favored, I think the Spurs have one last good run in them this one will go 7 easily however.
Prediction: Spurs in 7
3-Phoenix Suns vs 6-Portland Trail Blazers
The most important move of the Phoenix season was the move they didn't make. Despite all the rumors that he was gone, the Suns decided to keep Amare Stoudemire and it paid dividends. Amare has been on a second half tear and the Suns have taken off, Steve Nash is playing like the best point guard in the league despite his age and is running this team as best as ever. The Suns are getting solid contributions from Grant Hill, Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley, Channing Frye, Goran Dragic, etc. The Suns missed the playoffs last year, but this year have come back on fire and look to make a title run.
Can the Trail Blazers catch a break? They broke up the "Jail Blazers", put together a team of good guys, stocked young talent, have a great coach, a star two-guard, and have done it the right way. But for seem reason, they have the worst luck. After losing Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla, the Blazers traded for Marcus Camby and seemed to get back on track. The offseason of Andre Miller was a great move, and the Blazers look confidently towards the playoffs. But in a Sunday game against L.A., Brandon Roy suffered a knee injury and the Blazers playoff hopes went down with him.
I really don't see how Phoenix loses this series. I hate to be this way and say this but for Portland it's simply no Roy, no chance. But the Blazers are competitors and they wont lay down, Andre Miller and Lamarcus Aldridge will have to be great for Portland, Lamarcus should be able to take advantage of Amare's still suspect D in the paint. But the Suns will use their superior depth to weaken and put Portland into submission. It's unfortunate for Portland and while they will be competitive, I just dont see them pulling this one out.
Prediction: Suns in 6
4-Denver Nuggets vs. 5-Utah Jazz
Denver comes into the postseason with a few questions and lingering thoughts. Is Kenyon Martin fully back? Can they stay focused? When will George Karl be back? Despite those, the Nuggets are still as talented as any team in the playoffs. An all-star PG in Chauncey Billups along with a superstar wing player in Carmelo Anthony, and plenty of talented supporting players and the Nuggets look to get one step further then where they got last year, when they fell to L.A. in the Conference Finals. If they can overcome not having Karl on the sideline they should be fine.
Utah has had another solid season, the twosome of Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer has been their usual all-star selves and led Utah to a 53 win season. Mehmet Okur, Andrei Kirelinko, Paul Millsap, CJ Miles and Wesley Matthews have given the Jazz a solid supporting cast and have made them a solid playoff team as they always are. They have been deep into the playoffs before and are experienced and will give whoever they catch in the postseason a dogfight and a long series. Jerry Sloan will have his team ready to go as always and they will be ready to play when the ball is rolled out.
After the SAS-Dallas series, this to me will be the second most competitive series in the playoffs. These two division rivals battled each other all year for the division crown and they both finished with identical 53-29 records on the season. The key is Utah's health, both Boozer and Williams are both nicked up but both will be playing but Kirelinko will not be playing this series and that will be a tough loss for the Jazz. These teams are so even that every area is almost a push, the Nuggets have more firepower and are more explosive, and the duo matchup of Billups-Anthony vs Boozer-Williams will be a great matchup to keep an eye on. This is the toughest one to pick out of them all because of how even the teams are, but this one will come down to coaching and I think Sloan will outcoach Adrian Dantley in this series and give Utah the edge.
Prediction: Jazz in 7
Ok folks, that's my first round preview of this postseason. Remember the playoffs kick off tomorrow on ABC at 2 Eastern and 3 Central. Hopefully your favorite team is in the playoffs and you will be watching and if your favorite team isn't in the playoffs. Well enjoy the lottery and still tune in and watch what should be an exciting first round.
I will be doing round by round previews for each series, so my semi-final preview will be coming at the end of the first round so be on the lookout for that.
So until next time, i'm out.
16 teams are left and this weekend will begin a journey to win the Larry O'Brien trophy and become NBA champions. This looks to be a great postseason, along with the usual suspects and favorites we have new blood in the playoffs with teams like Milwaukee, Charlotte, and Oklahoma City. Who will rise? Who will fall? 16 wins and you are a champion, the playoffs boil down to a simple, yet sweet mantra: Win or Go Home.
With that said, here's my playoff preview I will break down each matchup round by round and predict the winners of each round and name who I think will win the NBA title.
Eastern Conference First Round
1-Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 8-Chicago Bulls
The Cavaliers enter their first round matchup against Chicago well rested. Soon to be MVP Lebron James sat the final four games of the Cavs' season with them having clinched the best record in the league. Despite some flak about him not playing, the Cavaliers come into the playoffs ready to silence the demons from last year's playoff defeat at the hands of the Magic in the Conference Finals.
Chicago enters this series battle tested already. The final week of the regular season was in essence an early start to the Playoffs, with them having the battle the Toronto Raptors down to the final day of the season to get the 8th seed in the East. Second year point guard Derrick Rose has been simply amazing the final week of the season, he averaged 28.2 points over their final 5 games with Chicago going 4-1 and earning this matchup against Cleveland.
On paper this looks to be a blowout by Cleveland, with many expecting them to sweep Chicago and advance early. However, I think this series will be more competitive than people think. Chicago split the season series at 2 games with the Cavs, and Chicago has been in this situation before after being in that epic 7 game first round series against Boston last year. Chicago has the edge in the backcourt with Rose and Kirk Hinrich over Cleveland's backcourt and Joakim Noah has become one of the best young big men in the game. But in the end Cleveland is just too strong and Lebron will do enough to ensure that his team moves on, so no I don't think Cleveland will be upset but they will have a fight on their hands.
Prediction: Cleveland in 5
2-Orlando Magic vs 7-Charlotte Bobcats
Orlando comes into the playoffs the defending Eastern Conference champs and have won 59 games in the regular season. They are led by future Defensive Player Of The Year in Dwight Howard and he's supported by an abundance of perimeter talent with Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, etc. The Magic went home disappointed in the Finals last season and many of them felt they let one slip away, Orlando comes into the playoffs not only looking to get to the Finals but win the whole thing.
The Charlotte Bobcats won 44 games on the season and after 6 years in the league have earned their first playoff berth. Coach Larry Brown has done a great job with this bunch turning them into a tough and scrappy bunch. Charlotte turned around after the in-season acquisition of Stephen Jackson, and in a repeat of his first season in Golden State after being traded he has helped lead his team to the playoffs. Charlotte's heart and soul is Gerald Wallace, their do everything wing player has become one of the NBA's most improved players and is a threat on both ends of the floor.
For my money if any first round matchup has a chance for an upset it's this one. This is a series that could become eerily similar to the 2007 matchup between Golden State and Dallas. Stephen Jackson will be a big factor for Charlotte, he's fearless, a great scorer and knows the big stage, he will have to lead his team as many on this team are playoff first timers. Orlando has to play hard every game and take advantage of their advantage with Howard in the post especially if Tyson Chandler isn't healthy, Dwight should look to have a big series for the Magic. What I will be watching is the perimeter battles between Lewis, Carter, and Nelson against Wallace, Jackson, and Raymond Felton. This should really be a great and exciting series with Charlotte being in each game, but the Magic will prevail.
Prediction: Magic in 6
3-Atlanta Hawks vs. 6-Milwaukee Bucks
Atlanta comes into this series having won 53 games and recording their best season since 1997-98. The addition of sixth man Jamal Crawford was a real great move, his scoring off the bench provided another threat for the Hawks. The Hawks are loaded with talent Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, Josh Smith, and Al Horford and have two years playoff experience under their belts and this year are looking to make a power move in the East. They won their first round matchup last year, but this year they have title aspirations.
The Milwaukee Bucks have been one of the great stories this year in the NBA. Coach Scott Skiles has done a wonderful job with this team, Milwaukee was picked by many pundits to finish at the bottom of their division and be one of the worst in the East. Milwaukee it seems had a different agenda, led by big man Andrew Bogut and spurred by the drafting of rookie point guard Brandon Jennings the Bucks have fought their way to much deserved playoff spot. The Bucks however really took off when they added John Salmons in a midseason trade, and been one of the surprises of the season.
This should be one of the most fun matchups in the Playoffs with two young teams going at it. But Milwaukee suffered a huge blow when their best player Andrew Bogut injured his elbow in a nasty fall a week earlier, and he will be sorely missed. But even without Bogut the Bucks have played great basketball and the Hawks better bring it. The Hawks are for the first time in a long while, the favorite coming into a playoff series. Mike Woodson has to keep his team focused, they want to prove their are one of the league's elite so they will come out with something to prove. Josh Smith and Al Horford will look to attack the paint with Bogut out and use their advantage in athleticism, on the Bucks side they want to get up shots and cut down on turnovers so Atlanta cant run. This will be a great series, that Atlanta will win.
Prediction: Atlanta in 6
4-Boston vs. 5-Miami
The Celtics are limping into this series fighting age and the whispers that their window is now closed. Kevin Garnett seems to be a shell of his former self on the court, the Rasheed Wallace signing has not worked at all, and they look to be on their last legs. However Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Ray Allen have held it down for the C's and they pushed their way to a 50 win season and the East 4th seed. They have to try to see if they can get that chemistry back and get some juice into those old legs, if not they may be in for trouble this postseason.
The Heat come into this series on a roll having won 12 of their last 13 and leap frogging Charlotte and Milwaukee for the East's 5th seed. Dwyane Wade has been well Dwyane Wade the second half of the season and is playing like the superstar he is. The Heat will look to see if their run will extend into the playoffs and get them a series win in which they are the underdogs against the seasoned Celtics. The Heat pushed Atlanta to 7 games last year in a 4-5 matchup before losing, this year they hope to pull out the win.
This series here is my upset pick. I honestly think they Celtics are done, I know a team that's dead when I see it and the Celtics are done. Dwyane Wade has shown that he can carry a team to wins by himself, and alone win a postseason series as he did in the 2006 NBA Finals. The Celtics have the homecourt and the veteran advantage so they will look to use that towards their benefit. The X-factor for this series will be Michael Beasley, the second year player will have to step up and play well. He complained about being called a "Tito Jackson" by Charles Barkley, well this is a great time as any for him to step up and show that he's no Tito.
Prediction: Heat in 7
Western Conference First Round
1-Los Angeles Lakers vs 8-Oklahoma City Thunder
The Lakers enter the playoffs after a bumpy end to the regular season, a few losses and some injuries have rocked the boat, but they look to right the ship in the postseason. However the Lakers say their ready to go, and have a matchup that they favor. Rumor has it the Lakers tanked their Sunday afternoon game against Portland in order to draw OKC in the first round. How true that is I dont know but either way, the Lakers will be favored against the young Thunder.
The precocious Oklahoma City Thunder enter the big stage and big lights of the NBA Playoffs. They have been a great story led by their 21-year old MVP canidate Kevin Durant and his supporting cast of young guns, the Thunder have been a pleasant surprise this year winning 50 games under Coach Of The Year favorite Scott Brooks. But the Thunder could be over their heads or they could be ready to shock the world. Will they just be happy to be here? Or will they go in not minding the circumstances and look to pull the upset? The Thunder will have a lot to show and prove.
This will be one of the more fun matchups in the first round. We get a legit battle between two superstars and MVP-esque players in Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant. OKC will definitely test the Lakers, Russell Westbrook will dominate Derek Fisher and Thabo Sefalosha will play solid defense on Kobe as will the whole OKC team. The Thunder will depend on their perimeter trio of Durant, Westbrook and Jeff Green heavily this series, but they lack so much in the post and that will haunt them. In the end, I think LA's offensive talent, size, and expierence will be too much for the young Thunder. OKC's time will come, but it's not now.
Prediction: LA in 6
2-Dallas Mavericks vs 7-San Antonio Spurs
Bolstered by a midseason trade with the Washington Wizards, the Dallas Mavericks have been playing great basketball since then. The additions of Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and Deshawn Stevenson have worked wonders for the Mavs. The Mavs have an abundance of talent on their team along with their trade additions they have Shawn Marion, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, and their leader and superstar Dirk Nowitzki. The Mavs beat the Spurs in the first round last year, and look to repeat that this year.
It has been an up and down season for the Spurs to say the least. After an off-season trade with the Bucks to add swingman Richard Jefferson, the Spurs became a trendy pick to win the title. However that has not come to fruition as Jefferson has struggled all year and his confidence has went straight to the toilet as a result. The Spurs have battled injuries, inconsistency, lineup shuffling, etc. However they still managed to win 50 games and in the last two months played some of their best basketball of the year. Manu Ginobili, George Hill, and Tim Duncan have been great lately for San Antonio, the Spurs have been here before and they look to give it one last shot.
This for my money will be the best and most competitive first round series out of all of them. These two in-state rivals have met before and know each other well. The Mavericks will be favored here, but I think the Spurs have a legit shot at winning this series. Despite his struggles, Richard Jefferson has improved of late and he will be the x-factor for San Antonio, he has to step up. The Mavs have a lot of firepower and will look to outscore and outshoot the Spurs, so the Spurs have to step it up on the defensive end where they have been inconsistent. The Spurs hope to get George Hill back as he is a vital part for them. This is gonna be a great one, and even though the Mavs are favored, I think the Spurs have one last good run in them this one will go 7 easily however.
Prediction: Spurs in 7
3-Phoenix Suns vs 6-Portland Trail Blazers
The most important move of the Phoenix season was the move they didn't make. Despite all the rumors that he was gone, the Suns decided to keep Amare Stoudemire and it paid dividends. Amare has been on a second half tear and the Suns have taken off, Steve Nash is playing like the best point guard in the league despite his age and is running this team as best as ever. The Suns are getting solid contributions from Grant Hill, Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley, Channing Frye, Goran Dragic, etc. The Suns missed the playoffs last year, but this year have come back on fire and look to make a title run.
Can the Trail Blazers catch a break? They broke up the "Jail Blazers", put together a team of good guys, stocked young talent, have a great coach, a star two-guard, and have done it the right way. But for seem reason, they have the worst luck. After losing Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla, the Blazers traded for Marcus Camby and seemed to get back on track. The offseason of Andre Miller was a great move, and the Blazers look confidently towards the playoffs. But in a Sunday game against L.A., Brandon Roy suffered a knee injury and the Blazers playoff hopes went down with him.
I really don't see how Phoenix loses this series. I hate to be this way and say this but for Portland it's simply no Roy, no chance. But the Blazers are competitors and they wont lay down, Andre Miller and Lamarcus Aldridge will have to be great for Portland, Lamarcus should be able to take advantage of Amare's still suspect D in the paint. But the Suns will use their superior depth to weaken and put Portland into submission. It's unfortunate for Portland and while they will be competitive, I just dont see them pulling this one out.
Prediction: Suns in 6
4-Denver Nuggets vs. 5-Utah Jazz
Denver comes into the postseason with a few questions and lingering thoughts. Is Kenyon Martin fully back? Can they stay focused? When will George Karl be back? Despite those, the Nuggets are still as talented as any team in the playoffs. An all-star PG in Chauncey Billups along with a superstar wing player in Carmelo Anthony, and plenty of talented supporting players and the Nuggets look to get one step further then where they got last year, when they fell to L.A. in the Conference Finals. If they can overcome not having Karl on the sideline they should be fine.
Utah has had another solid season, the twosome of Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer has been their usual all-star selves and led Utah to a 53 win season. Mehmet Okur, Andrei Kirelinko, Paul Millsap, CJ Miles and Wesley Matthews have given the Jazz a solid supporting cast and have made them a solid playoff team as they always are. They have been deep into the playoffs before and are experienced and will give whoever they catch in the postseason a dogfight and a long series. Jerry Sloan will have his team ready to go as always and they will be ready to play when the ball is rolled out.
After the SAS-Dallas series, this to me will be the second most competitive series in the playoffs. These two division rivals battled each other all year for the division crown and they both finished with identical 53-29 records on the season. The key is Utah's health, both Boozer and Williams are both nicked up but both will be playing but Kirelinko will not be playing this series and that will be a tough loss for the Jazz. These teams are so even that every area is almost a push, the Nuggets have more firepower and are more explosive, and the duo matchup of Billups-Anthony vs Boozer-Williams will be a great matchup to keep an eye on. This is the toughest one to pick out of them all because of how even the teams are, but this one will come down to coaching and I think Sloan will outcoach Adrian Dantley in this series and give Utah the edge.
Prediction: Jazz in 7
Ok folks, that's my first round preview of this postseason. Remember the playoffs kick off tomorrow on ABC at 2 Eastern and 3 Central. Hopefully your favorite team is in the playoffs and you will be watching and if your favorite team isn't in the playoffs. Well enjoy the lottery and still tune in and watch what should be an exciting first round.
I will be doing round by round previews for each series, so my semi-final preview will be coming at the end of the first round so be on the lookout for that.
So until next time, i'm out.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Paul Bearer's 2010 March Madness Preview
Well, people here we are. The best sporting time of the year, no disrespect to Super Bowl Weekend, the World Series, NBA Finals, World Cup, Stanley Cup, etc.But the NCAA Men's Basketball Tourney is always the crème de la crème of sporting events.
The conference tournaments are over and a great two weeks they were, the automatic bids were handed out with the SEC, Big Ten, A-10, and ACC crowning their champions. After the tournaments ended today on Selection Sunday the brackets and the field of 65 were announced. Everybody all over the country, get your brackets ready and prepare for three great weeks of basketball.
Kansas was the number 1 overall seed and will be in the Midwest Region, with Kentucky in the East, Syracuse out in the West Region and Duke in the South region. The play-in game starts the tourney off on Sunday and it gets into full swing on Thursday.
Region Breakdown
Midwest:
Kansas is the number 1 overall seed, led by their great Senior point guard Sherron Collins. Kansas finished the season 32-2, with a Big 12 title and was the number 1 team for most of the year. Kansas won the title two years ago, and Bill Self has another great squad with freshman phenom Xavier Henry, big man Cole Aldrich, Tyshawn Taylor, Brady Morningstar, Markeef and Marcus Morris. Kansas is a tourney favorite and rightfully so, this is a great team that knows how to win and has the talent to go all the way
But they should not expect a cakewalk in a strong Midwest region. This region is stacked with individual talent all around.
Ohio State grabbed a number 2 seed and is led by the likely player of the year in Evan Turner, Turner who suffered a devastating back injury early on has came back strong with a great all-around season to match his great game. He led his team to the Big 10 title, which included his halfcourt game winner against Michigan in the Big 10 semis, watch out for Turner and the Buckeyes.
After Turner, there is the 3rd seed Georgetown Hoyas, led by a great threesome in Greg Monroe, Austin Freeman and Chris Wright. The Hoyas fell short in the Big East final to West Virginia but a tough team, they combine great perimeter play from Freeman and Wright with a talented big man on the inside in Monroe. The Hoyas will give a tough battle to any one in the tournament, it's all a matter of consistency.
For my money outside of Turner the other individual to watch in this region is Greivis Vasquez, the fiery, emotional and talented leader of the 4th seed Maryland Terrapins. Vasquez who averaged 19 ppg, 6 assists, and 4 boards has the talent to single handedly win a game by himself. We've seen tournaments in the past where one guy goes on a roll and cant be stopped and carries his team (2003 Dwyane Wade, 1989 Glen Rice). Vazquez has the tools to do it, watch out for him and the Terps.
Then you have the consistent as night and day, Tom Izzo led Michigan State Spartans who grabbed the 5th seed. MSU is one of the more experienced teams, coming off a national title game appearance last year, led by point guard Kalin Lucas and forward Raymar Morgan. Sparty will be a force to be reckoned with, do not expect this team to go down easy.
Then you have the 6th seed Tennessee Volunteers from the SEC, this is a resilient and talented team. They bounced back after the suspension of Tyler Smith to finish 24-8 on the year, this team will come to play. They are one of only two teams to have beaten Kentucky on the season. They have talent with Wayne Chism, J.P. Prince and Scotty Hopson. Bruce Pearl will have this bunch ready.
The rest of the top 10 seeds round out with 7th seed Oklahoma State who has a dynamic player in James Anderson, watch out for that guy. The 8th seed UNLV Runnin Rebels, 9th Seed Northern Iowa, 10th seed Georgia Tech who lost to Duke in the ACC final today, they have a great, talented freshman in Derrick Favors, who could easily have a breakout tourney performance.
PB's Region Champ: Kansas
PB's Region's Best Player: Evan Turner
East
In the East, the SEC champ Kentucky Wildcats locked down the number 1 seed today due to their SEC title win and a 32-2 season record. Coached by John Calipari, this ridiculously talented squad is my personal favorite for the 'chip. They run three freshman in their starting five, led by freshman superstar John Wall, big man Demarcus Cousins, and Wall's first-year backcourt mate Eric Bledsoe. Combine those three with the forgotten man of the bunch talented junior forward Patrick Patterson, UK has the horses to get their first championship since Jeff Sheppard and the '97 'Cats.
But in what is a solid East region, Kentucky who is still a young team will have some good teams to deal with.
Big East champ West Virginia grabbed the 2 seed led by their star forward Da'Sean Butler. Butler really stepped onto the national stage during the Big East tourney, hitting two game-winners in 3 nights. Led by legendary coach Bob Huggins, WVU possesses a great and tough squad including players like Devin Ebanks and Kevin Jones. They will pose a great matchup to Kentucky if they meet up.
The 3rd seeded New Mexico Lobos, quietly had a great season finishing 29-4 coming from the Mountain West. A talented all-around team when they get on the floor, knows how to win and is coached well. They are inexperienced in the tourney, but won 15 in a row late in the season.
Then the East has talented teams like Texas who is the 8th seed, 4th seeded Wisconsin, 5th seeded Temple, 6th seeded Marquette, and 7th seeded Clemson. However all of those teams are very inconsistent and you never really know what you are going to get. A team like Clemson and Texas can pull off a big win in this region but then have a disappointing and bad loss. Which is why to me Kentucky's only obstacle in this region is West Virginia
PB's Region Champ: Kentucky
PB's Region's Best Player: John Wall
West
In the West region, Syracuse is the number 1 seed and rightfully so finishing up with a 28-4 record. But they come into the tournament with two straight losses and an injury issue with big man Arinze Onuaku. But I think if he's ok, 'Cuse will be ok this is a great team. Jim Boeheim will have his guys ready to go, led by Wesley Johnson and supported by guys like Andy Rautins, Scoop Jardine, Rick Jackson and Onuaku. Syracuse has a legit shot to win it all, this is an athletic, talented squad.
But in the West to me, Syracuse has some good competition and if they dont make it out I will not be shocked. It is gonna be a dogfight, because there are some good teams here among the first 5 seeds. Including one who I think will be a surprise to a lot of people
The Kansas State Wildcats boast the number 2 seed, and this team is good, I mean really good. Coached by the intense Frank Martin, the Wildcats had a great year from the Big 12 finishing 26-7. KSU has one of the best backcourts, if not the best in the nation with Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente. They were in contention for a number 1 seed, so this team is no joke. Seeing Pullen and Clemente on the big stage will be a fun sight to see, KSU will be a burden for a lot of teams.
The Pittsburgh Panthers grabbed the 3rd seed, a great season for Pitt especially after losing DeJuan Blair, Sam Young, and Levance Fields from last year. As with any Pitt team this is a gritty, tough, scrappy bunch. Ashton Gibbs is a name to remember, he is a great shooter and scorer and has a good number 2 guy alongside him in Brad Wanamaker.
Vanderbilt grabbed the 4th seed from the SEC, they are led by a good guard-big man combo in Jermaine Beal and AJ Ogilvy. Beal is another one of those guys that can go on a great run in this tourney, and Ogilvy is a talented big. Jeffery Taylor has been another good player for the Commodores who have some great wins on the year.
Rounding out the the rest of the West, you have the 5th seeded Horizon League champs Butler. Butler is a tough squad, they should make the Sweet 16 with no problem. Watch out for them
Then you have 7th seed Xavier, 8th seed Gonzaga, 9th seed Florida State and 10th seeded Florida. Outside of the top 5 seeds here, the rest are all good but to me not enough to make a lot of noise or threaten Syracuse. But Syracuse will have to meet up with Kansas State and play them in a game that will not be easy and ripe for an upset. Either way it's gonna be a good one.
PB's Region Champ: Syracuse
PB's Region's Best Player: Wesley Johnson
East
Duke grabbed the number 1 seed in a light East region this year, that to me only has two great teams. Duke has really underachieved in the tournament the past few years, but they are legit title contender. They have three great players on the perimeter in Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler, and Jon Scheyer and a great set of big men. But will they put it all together or fall short again? We will see.
In my opinion Duke's only real challenge will be the 2 seed Villanova Wildcats. The Wildcats led by Scottie Reynolds from the Big East are coming off a Final Four berth last year. That experience coupled with the great play of Reynolds and his backcourt partner Corey Fisher gives them a shot to come out of this region. But their horrid finish were they lost 5 out of 7 works against them. But I will give 'Nova the benefit of the doubt due to their talent and experience coming out of that rugged Big East though.
The Baylor Bears are the 3 seed out East and quietly had a really good season out of the Big 12. They have two dynamic guards in LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter and are a solid Sweet 16 team. If they had better big man play they might could go further but being that they are such a perimeter driven team I dont know how far they can go. They will come to play though.
Purdue grabbed the 4 seed and I would have been confident in picking them for a deep tourney run, but then Robbie Hummel got hurt and their chances got hurt. They still have a good duo in E'Twaun Moore and Jajuan Johnson, so they will be a good Sweet 16 pick but I dont see them going further.
After the 4 seeds it gets a little light among the rest of the region but there are still some good teams with 5 seed Texas A&M and 6th seeded Notre Dame. A&M and Notre Dame both used great finishes to get off the bubble and into the tourney.
Next you have 7th seeded Richmond, and 8th seeded California and their dynamic little man Jerome Randle who you should really be watching for, next up is 9th seeded Louisville who scored a big win over Syracuse late in the year and 10th seeded Saint Mary's and their talented big man Omar Samhan.
To me it's a two horse race in Duke and 'Nova, and they will decide who comes out of this region.
PB's Region Champ: Villanova
PB's Region's Best Player: Scottie Reynolds
Well there you go a region by region breakdown and preview of the 2010 NCAA tournament. I will be back after the second round for a Sweet 16 preview and followed up by writings on the rounds after that. I hope you enjoy the tournament and got your brackets ready, enjoy the tournament and come through and read my writeup and give me your feedback.
Until next time, Peace
The conference tournaments are over and a great two weeks they were, the automatic bids were handed out with the SEC, Big Ten, A-10, and ACC crowning their champions. After the tournaments ended today on Selection Sunday the brackets and the field of 65 were announced. Everybody all over the country, get your brackets ready and prepare for three great weeks of basketball.
Kansas was the number 1 overall seed and will be in the Midwest Region, with Kentucky in the East, Syracuse out in the West Region and Duke in the South region. The play-in game starts the tourney off on Sunday and it gets into full swing on Thursday.
Region Breakdown
Midwest:
Kansas is the number 1 overall seed, led by their great Senior point guard Sherron Collins. Kansas finished the season 32-2, with a Big 12 title and was the number 1 team for most of the year. Kansas won the title two years ago, and Bill Self has another great squad with freshman phenom Xavier Henry, big man Cole Aldrich, Tyshawn Taylor, Brady Morningstar, Markeef and Marcus Morris. Kansas is a tourney favorite and rightfully so, this is a great team that knows how to win and has the talent to go all the way
But they should not expect a cakewalk in a strong Midwest region. This region is stacked with individual talent all around.
Ohio State grabbed a number 2 seed and is led by the likely player of the year in Evan Turner, Turner who suffered a devastating back injury early on has came back strong with a great all-around season to match his great game. He led his team to the Big 10 title, which included his halfcourt game winner against Michigan in the Big 10 semis, watch out for Turner and the Buckeyes.
After Turner, there is the 3rd seed Georgetown Hoyas, led by a great threesome in Greg Monroe, Austin Freeman and Chris Wright. The Hoyas fell short in the Big East final to West Virginia but a tough team, they combine great perimeter play from Freeman and Wright with a talented big man on the inside in Monroe. The Hoyas will give a tough battle to any one in the tournament, it's all a matter of consistency.
For my money outside of Turner the other individual to watch in this region is Greivis Vasquez, the fiery, emotional and talented leader of the 4th seed Maryland Terrapins. Vasquez who averaged 19 ppg, 6 assists, and 4 boards has the talent to single handedly win a game by himself. We've seen tournaments in the past where one guy goes on a roll and cant be stopped and carries his team (2003 Dwyane Wade, 1989 Glen Rice). Vazquez has the tools to do it, watch out for him and the Terps.
Then you have the consistent as night and day, Tom Izzo led Michigan State Spartans who grabbed the 5th seed. MSU is one of the more experienced teams, coming off a national title game appearance last year, led by point guard Kalin Lucas and forward Raymar Morgan. Sparty will be a force to be reckoned with, do not expect this team to go down easy.
Then you have the 6th seed Tennessee Volunteers from the SEC, this is a resilient and talented team. They bounced back after the suspension of Tyler Smith to finish 24-8 on the year, this team will come to play. They are one of only two teams to have beaten Kentucky on the season. They have talent with Wayne Chism, J.P. Prince and Scotty Hopson. Bruce Pearl will have this bunch ready.
The rest of the top 10 seeds round out with 7th seed Oklahoma State who has a dynamic player in James Anderson, watch out for that guy. The 8th seed UNLV Runnin Rebels, 9th Seed Northern Iowa, 10th seed Georgia Tech who lost to Duke in the ACC final today, they have a great, talented freshman in Derrick Favors, who could easily have a breakout tourney performance.
PB's Region Champ: Kansas
PB's Region's Best Player: Evan Turner
East
In the East, the SEC champ Kentucky Wildcats locked down the number 1 seed today due to their SEC title win and a 32-2 season record. Coached by John Calipari, this ridiculously talented squad is my personal favorite for the 'chip. They run three freshman in their starting five, led by freshman superstar John Wall, big man Demarcus Cousins, and Wall's first-year backcourt mate Eric Bledsoe. Combine those three with the forgotten man of the bunch talented junior forward Patrick Patterson, UK has the horses to get their first championship since Jeff Sheppard and the '97 'Cats.
But in what is a solid East region, Kentucky who is still a young team will have some good teams to deal with.
Big East champ West Virginia grabbed the 2 seed led by their star forward Da'Sean Butler. Butler really stepped onto the national stage during the Big East tourney, hitting two game-winners in 3 nights. Led by legendary coach Bob Huggins, WVU possesses a great and tough squad including players like Devin Ebanks and Kevin Jones. They will pose a great matchup to Kentucky if they meet up.
The 3rd seeded New Mexico Lobos, quietly had a great season finishing 29-4 coming from the Mountain West. A talented all-around team when they get on the floor, knows how to win and is coached well. They are inexperienced in the tourney, but won 15 in a row late in the season.
Then the East has talented teams like Texas who is the 8th seed, 4th seeded Wisconsin, 5th seeded Temple, 6th seeded Marquette, and 7th seeded Clemson. However all of those teams are very inconsistent and you never really know what you are going to get. A team like Clemson and Texas can pull off a big win in this region but then have a disappointing and bad loss. Which is why to me Kentucky's only obstacle in this region is West Virginia
PB's Region Champ: Kentucky
PB's Region's Best Player: John Wall
West
In the West region, Syracuse is the number 1 seed and rightfully so finishing up with a 28-4 record. But they come into the tournament with two straight losses and an injury issue with big man Arinze Onuaku. But I think if he's ok, 'Cuse will be ok this is a great team. Jim Boeheim will have his guys ready to go, led by Wesley Johnson and supported by guys like Andy Rautins, Scoop Jardine, Rick Jackson and Onuaku. Syracuse has a legit shot to win it all, this is an athletic, talented squad.
But in the West to me, Syracuse has some good competition and if they dont make it out I will not be shocked. It is gonna be a dogfight, because there are some good teams here among the first 5 seeds. Including one who I think will be a surprise to a lot of people
The Kansas State Wildcats boast the number 2 seed, and this team is good, I mean really good. Coached by the intense Frank Martin, the Wildcats had a great year from the Big 12 finishing 26-7. KSU has one of the best backcourts, if not the best in the nation with Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente. They were in contention for a number 1 seed, so this team is no joke. Seeing Pullen and Clemente on the big stage will be a fun sight to see, KSU will be a burden for a lot of teams.
The Pittsburgh Panthers grabbed the 3rd seed, a great season for Pitt especially after losing DeJuan Blair, Sam Young, and Levance Fields from last year. As with any Pitt team this is a gritty, tough, scrappy bunch. Ashton Gibbs is a name to remember, he is a great shooter and scorer and has a good number 2 guy alongside him in Brad Wanamaker.
Vanderbilt grabbed the 4th seed from the SEC, they are led by a good guard-big man combo in Jermaine Beal and AJ Ogilvy. Beal is another one of those guys that can go on a great run in this tourney, and Ogilvy is a talented big. Jeffery Taylor has been another good player for the Commodores who have some great wins on the year.
Rounding out the the rest of the West, you have the 5th seeded Horizon League champs Butler. Butler is a tough squad, they should make the Sweet 16 with no problem. Watch out for them
Then you have 7th seed Xavier, 8th seed Gonzaga, 9th seed Florida State and 10th seeded Florida. Outside of the top 5 seeds here, the rest are all good but to me not enough to make a lot of noise or threaten Syracuse. But Syracuse will have to meet up with Kansas State and play them in a game that will not be easy and ripe for an upset. Either way it's gonna be a good one.
PB's Region Champ: Syracuse
PB's Region's Best Player: Wesley Johnson
East
Duke grabbed the number 1 seed in a light East region this year, that to me only has two great teams. Duke has really underachieved in the tournament the past few years, but they are legit title contender. They have three great players on the perimeter in Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler, and Jon Scheyer and a great set of big men. But will they put it all together or fall short again? We will see.
In my opinion Duke's only real challenge will be the 2 seed Villanova Wildcats. The Wildcats led by Scottie Reynolds from the Big East are coming off a Final Four berth last year. That experience coupled with the great play of Reynolds and his backcourt partner Corey Fisher gives them a shot to come out of this region. But their horrid finish were they lost 5 out of 7 works against them. But I will give 'Nova the benefit of the doubt due to their talent and experience coming out of that rugged Big East though.
The Baylor Bears are the 3 seed out East and quietly had a really good season out of the Big 12. They have two dynamic guards in LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter and are a solid Sweet 16 team. If they had better big man play they might could go further but being that they are such a perimeter driven team I dont know how far they can go. They will come to play though.
Purdue grabbed the 4 seed and I would have been confident in picking them for a deep tourney run, but then Robbie Hummel got hurt and their chances got hurt. They still have a good duo in E'Twaun Moore and Jajuan Johnson, so they will be a good Sweet 16 pick but I dont see them going further.
After the 4 seeds it gets a little light among the rest of the region but there are still some good teams with 5 seed Texas A&M and 6th seeded Notre Dame. A&M and Notre Dame both used great finishes to get off the bubble and into the tourney.
Next you have 7th seeded Richmond, and 8th seeded California and their dynamic little man Jerome Randle who you should really be watching for, next up is 9th seeded Louisville who scored a big win over Syracuse late in the year and 10th seeded Saint Mary's and their talented big man Omar Samhan.
To me it's a two horse race in Duke and 'Nova, and they will decide who comes out of this region.
PB's Region Champ: Villanova
PB's Region's Best Player: Scottie Reynolds
Well there you go a region by region breakdown and preview of the 2010 NCAA tournament. I will be back after the second round for a Sweet 16 preview and followed up by writings on the rounds after that. I hope you enjoy the tournament and got your brackets ready, enjoy the tournament and come through and read my writeup and give me your feedback.
Until next time, Peace
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Paul Bearer's Week 15 Wrap-Up
Paul Bearer's Week 15 Wrap-Up What's up first of all to all the posters and people of The Corner and what's up to my Arena fam. Another week gone by in the National Football League and a great week at that. A lot of great games went down during this week 15, so let's take a look back and recap the week that was week 15.
[i][b]Sunday's Best [/b][/i]
It was a shootout in Pittsburgh on Sunday, as Ben Rothlisberger and Aaron Rodgers dueled all afternoon and put on an offensive showcase for the people. The Steelers kept their playoff hopes alive with a thrilling 37-36 victory over Green Bay in a game that was decided on the final play at the final gun. Rothlisberger threw for 503 yards and three touchdowns including two to rookie Mike Wallace the last of which with 0:00 on the clock, on a beautiful grab by Wallace in the corner of the end zone to give Pittsburgh the win. The touchdown was the cap on a game winning 86-yard drive which was kept alive with a 32 yard strike to Santonio Holmes by Rothlisberger. Ben calmly lead his team down field on a dead tired Packer defense, as they could not make the big play to end the game. But before that the game was a good one already. The Steelers struck early when Rothlisberger hit Wallace for a 60 yard touchdown pass on their first play of the game to go up 7-0, the Packers answered right back when Rodgers found Greg Jennings for a 83 yard touchdown to tie the game up at 7. Rashard Mendenhall had a 2 yard plunge to make the score 14-7, but Rodgers ran 12 yards to tie the game up at 14. The Rothlisberger hit Mewelde Moore for a score to give Pittsburgh a 21-14 lead at the half, in the second half the Packers went to work. Down 24-14 the Packers came back to take a 28-27 lead after Ryan Grant broke loose for a 24 yard touchdown run, Jeff Reed hit a field goal to put Pittsburgh back in front but Rodgers then found a wide open James Jones for a touchdown to put Green Bay in the lead 36-30 after Mike Tomlin decided to run an onside kick after the field goal. However, the Steelers and Rothlisberger had time to work the field and steal this game. Aaron Rodgers threw for 383 yards and three touchdowns in defeat as the Packers fell to 9-5, but are still in control of their wild card destiny in the NFC. The Steelers improved to 7-7 and put a light on their previously fading playoff hopes, they have a huge matchup next week with the Ravens, will this game be a springboard to a run for the playoffs or will the Steelers have a letdown?
[b]Bearer's Week 15 Breakdown [/b]
The Saints were 13-0 heading into their Saturday night matchup with the Dallas Cowboys at the Superdome. N.O. was favored and undefeated talk was swirling all around, but Dallas had other ideas. The Saints had struggled and had tough games the past 3 weeks and avoided 2 upsets against Washington and Atlanta, but this time the fortune ran out. The Cowboys pulled off the 24-17 upset in a great game outplaying New Orleans to the end of the game. They forced three turnovers including two fumbles, Marion Barber ran for two scores and Miles Austin had 139 yards receiving and a touchdown. Despite the well play of the Cowboys they had to sweat it out as New Orleans went on a run to get the game close, down 24-3 going into the 4th, the Saints scored two touchdowns to bring the game to 24-17. Dallas got the ball back and drove downfield to run out clock and get a game clinching score, however in a mistake that ultimately cost the Redskins a win against N.O., kicker Nick Folk missed a chip shot field goal to put the game on ice and allowed Brees and company one last chance. Brees started to march the team downfield and hit Marques Colston on fourth down to keep the game moving and had the Saints at midfield, but then linebacker Demarcus Ware who was carted off the field, broke around the line and sacked and stripped Drew Brees, Jay Ratliff recovered the fumble and ended the game. Ware played great having two sacks and forcing two fumbles, the Cowboys got a big win and season saver for them improving them to 9-5 and better position in the wild card race. The Saints finally get their first loss of the year, they cant dwell on it but the Saints have now been shown to be vulnerable and have issues that they need to fix or else they may get exposed in the playoffs.
The Indianapolis Colts survived a tough game from Jacksonville on Thursday to remain undefeated at 14-0, with a 35-31 victory on the road. Peyton Manning was Peyton Manning putting together another great game for his team and getting them a win, Manning threw for 308 yards and four touchdowns and led them to the victory. Both teams went back and forth in the first half, trading scores en route to Indy leading at the half 21-17, Manning hit Austin Collie and Dallas Clark for touchdowns and Chad Simpson returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score. Jacksonville got two rushing scores from Maurice Jones-Drew and a field goal from Josh Scobee to keep them in it. In the third quarter, David Garrard went to work throwing two touchdowns to give the Jaguars a 31-28 lead after Manning found Clark on a 27-yard touchdown strike in the quarter, surprisingly after Jones-Drew's successful first half, Jacksonville abandoned the running game. In the 4th with the game tight and time passing by, Manning proved why he's the best quarterback in the league when he hit a streaking Reggie Wayne down the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown pass and the 35-31 lead they would not relinquish. The Jags have now lost 3 of their last 4 games to fall to 7-7 and back in the muddle of the AFC playoff chase and probably have to win out to get into the playoffs, the Colts kept the ship upright and didn't fall over like the Saints on Sunday and are now the top dog in the NFL.
For the second time of the year, the Cleveland Browns played another dismal team and put on a show in a game that seemed to be a bad matchup on paper. The Browns got a win over the Kansas City Chiefs in a entertaining game by the score of 41-34, the story of the game were the two huge performances by the Browns' Josh Cribbs and running back Jerome Harrison. Cribbs ran back to kickoffs for 100 yards and 103 yards for touchdowns in the first half and Harrison broke Jim Brown's single-game team rushing record running for 286 yards, the third most in NFL history and three touchdowns, including the game winning 28-yard sprint late in the 4th. The Chiefs played well in defeat however, Matt Cassel threw for 331 yards and 2 touchdowns and Jamaal Charles ran for 154 yards and a score for the Chiefs who came up just short.
Vince Young continued to play his role as savior of the Titans as he led Tennessee to a 27-24 OT victory over the Miami Dolphins, to boost their playoff hopes. Despite suffering a leg injury last week, Young played well throwing for three touchdowns, two of which to receiver Justin Gage along with 236 yards passing for the Titans who only got 104 yards from Chris Johnson after Miami bottled him up in the second half. Miami played strong too, overcoming a 18-point second half deficit behind the running of Ricky Willilams and the leg of Dan Carpenter. Carpenter kicked three field goals to help Miami and Williams scored a touchdown and the game tying 2 point conversion after Chad Henne found Anthony Fasano in the end zone. In OT however Henne threw an interception to Michael Griffin which was compounded by a 15 yard penalty for a late hit on Miami, Titans kicker Rob Bironas then ended the game on a 48 yard field goal.
The Oakland Raiders stole a win over the Denver Broncos, 20-19 on a late TD pass by Jamarcus Russell to Chaz Schillens for the win. Russell came on in relief after quarterbacks Charlie Frye and J.P. Losman were knocked out of the game for Oakland, Russell than led a 58 yard drive for that final score to take the win. This loss is a big blow for the Broncos who blew a good chance to improve their playoff hopes.
Arizona defeated a tough Detroit Lions team, 31-24 on Sunday. Arizona came out and avoided a second straight upset by finally holding the pesky Lions after a sloppy loss to San Francisco last week. Detroit played well after being throttled by Baltimore, 48-3 last week, a 5-yard touchdown pass from Kurt Warner to Anquan Boldin was the winning score for the Cardinals with 1:54 left. A bonus for the Cardinals was that they also clinched the NFC West this week with a loss by the 49ers.
In another great game on Sunday, the San Diego Chargers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 27-24 in a tough emotional loss for the Bengals after the previous week. A 52-yard field goal by Nate Kaeding with 3 seconds left won it for the Chargers and defeated the grieving Bengals, the Chargers won their ninth straight and clinched the AFC West. The Bengals played a great, tough game under the circumstances they faced coming into this matchup for them to come out and play so hard and almost have a chance to win it is a testament to that team.
Minnesota got smacked in the mouth and beaten on Sunday night for the second time in three weeks after a fourth quarter run by the Panthers led to a 26-7 loss for the Vikings. Julius Peppers was a monster on Sunday and Brett Favre is probably going to see Peppers in his sleep, he dominated Bryant McKinnie so bad that McKinnie was taken out of the game and Favre was almost pulled out leading to a testy exchange with coach Brad Childress. The Vikings have looked lackluster in the last three weeks, maybe Favre is fading, maybe the team peaked too soon, maybe they are in a slump, maybe they aren't as good as we thought. Whatever it is it needs to be fixed in Minnesota and fixed soon.
With their offense stuck in neutral the New England Patriots used a good old-fashioned game of running the football and defense to defeat the pesky Buffalo Bills, 17-10. The Pats and Randy Moss in particular were dogged by questions of Moss not showing effort and giving up on his team last week, Moss responded with 5 catches for 70 yards and a touchdown. However the game was dominated by the Pats defense, with Tully Banta-Cain anchoring the defense with three sacks and the Pats only allowed 172 yards by the Bills after Buffalo's opening drive. The Pats improved to a record of 9-5 and holds on to the lead in the AFC East, and the Bills fell to 5-9 and will miss the playoffs for the 10th straight season.
Philadelphia got a win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday 27-13 to earn another playoff berth. Donovan McNabb threw a touchdown to Desean Jackson and ran for another in helping the Eagles get a win over the sloppy 49ers, Jackson also had 140 yards receiving. The Eagles intercepted Alex Smith three times en route to the Eagles fifth straight win, to improve to 10-4. Frank Gore ran for 107 yards but the 'Niners couldn't overcome the mistakes by Smith.
In a week full of teams facing upsets and close calls, the Baltimore Ravens looked better than any team this week after beating the uninspired Chicago Bears 31-7. Joe Flacco threw four touchdown passes in Baltimore's easy victory, the defense forced 4 turnovers including three interceptions by Jay Cutler, and the Ravens scored 24 of their points off turnovers. The Ravens have now taken control of their playoff destiny and improve to 8-6 with a showdown with rival Pittsburgh coming in week 16.
Houston rode their two best players Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub to a victory over the St. Louis Rams 16-13 on Sunday. Schaub threw for over 300 yards and Johnson had 196 yards receiving for the Texans who used field goals to beat the now 1-13 Rams. The Texans improved to 7-7 and stay on the outside of the playoff race and keep hope in getting their first winning season in franchise history.
Tampa Bay posted an impressive 24-7 win over the lackluster Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. The Buccaneer defense forced Matt Hasselbeck to turning the ball over five times, and Josh Freeman threw two second half touchdowns for the Bucs to gain their second win of the season. The Seahawks put on a dismal performance in front of their home fans who have fallen to rock bottom after their second straight poor performance. This on the other had was a good win for a young, struggling Buccaneers team, and a mark to show how far the Seahawks have fell.
The New York Jets had every opportunity to put away the Atlanta Falcons and win a game to help their playoff status and failed to do it. The Jets allowed the Falcons to hang around and got burned after Matt Ryan found Tony Gonzales in the end zone with seconds left to give the Falcons a 10-7 win. Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez playing on knee braces was intercepted three times and their offense couldn't do it's job and spoiled a great game by the Jets defense. The Falcons were eliminated by the Cowboys from the playoff race but went out and dealt a huge blow to the Jets playoff hopes.
Finally on Monday night, the New York Giants went out and destroyed the Washington Redskins, 45-12. Eli Manning threw for three touchdowns and 268 yards and sat the fourth as the Giants dominated every part and facet of the game on Monday, Ahmad Bradshaw ran for two touchdowns in the first half for the Giants. The Giants improved to 8-6 and one game behind Green Bay and rival Dallas for wild card positions in the NFC, the Redskins didn't show much resistance and were down 24-0 at halftime and it only got worse in the second half. A minor brawl broke out between the teams pretty much brought on by the Redskins frustration.
[b]Paul's Players Of The Week[/b] Offense: Jerome Harrison: 34 carries, 286 rushing yards, three touchdowns Defense: Demarcus Ware: 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
[i]How Did I Do?[/i] 9-7 this week, 62-31 total
Ok, people there you have it. That was a great week on NFL football we got in week 15, hopefully week 16 will be just as good or better. My week 16 preview will come on Wednesday so be on the lookout for that. Keep following my writeups and commenting and posting on what you read, remember y'all the ones I do it for.
Shoutout to my Arena fam and people of this great site we call The Corner. The Arena Stay Winning and The Corner Stay Winning. Until next time, it's me Paul Bearer signing off until next time. Peace!
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