Projecting the All Decade Team

This Sunday at the Pro Bowl the NFL will commemorate the 00’s, a decade that saw the NFL go from America’s third favorite (and at times arguably 4th) sport, to not only America’s number one sport, but perhaps it’s greatest passion, with the All-Decade team.

I’ve followed the same format that the NFL uses to commemorate each decade, and though this format leaves a lot of great players off the list (only two QB spots saved a huge head ache and a lot of debate), when you see this list of names the majority of the players probably already have some blacksmith (I just wanted to use the word blacksmith) working on their bust for Canton.

An important thing to note when looking over this list is that the All Decade team is not a marathon as much as it is a sprint. The list commemorates the players who performed the best this decade. Two to three years of dominating at your position are more valuable than six good seasons and one great one (see Jamal Lewis, Edgerrin James, and Curtis Martin vs Adrian Peterson and Marshall Faulk).

The 2000's Funk Football All Decade Team:

WR Terrell Owens

WR Randy Moss

WR Marvin Harrison
WR Larry Fitzgerald
TE Tony Gonzalez
TE Antonio Gates
T Jonathan Ogden
T Walter Jones
T Orlando Pace
T Chris Samuels
G Steve Hutchinson
G Will Shields
G Larry Allen
G Alan Faneca
C Kevin Mawae
C Olin Kreutz
QB Peyton Manning
QB Tom Brady
RB LaDainian Tomlinson
RB Shaun Alexander
RB Marshall Faulk
RB Adrian Peterson
FB Lorenzo Neal

DE Michael Strahan
DE Julius Peppers
DE Jason Taylor
DE Dwight Freeney
DT Shaun Rogers
DT Warren Sapp
DT Tommie Harris
DT Richard Seymour
LB Ray Lewis
LB Brian Urlacher
LB Zach Thomas
LB Derrick Brooks
LB James Harrison
LB Joey Porter
CB Champ Bailey
CB Ty Law
CB Ronde Barber
CB Charles Woodson
S Ed Reed
S Troy Polamalu
S Brian Dawkins
S John Lynch

P Jeff Feagles
P Craig Hentrich
K Adam Vinatieri
K Jeff Wilkins
PR Devin Hester
PR Ed Reed
KR Dante Hall
KR Josh Cribbs

Coach Bill Belichick
Coach Tony Dungy

The Day The Patriots Dynsasty Died?

The moment was bound to happen eventually. It couldn't have been after the 2005 divisional loss to the Broncos because they were too close to their last championship. It couldn't have been after their 2006 conference championship loss to the Colts because the game was too close and the Patriots were only one game away from the Super Bowl. It definitely wasn't after the 2007 Super Bowl loss to the Giants because heck, they went 18-0 to the Super Bowl. It couldn't have been the 2008 season because they didn't have Tom Brady.

But it may have finally happened. The New England Patriots, who since 2001 have been amidst the elite teams in the NFL every year, may have finally taken a step back to mediocrity. Yesterday's 33-14 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens was the Patriots 7th loss of the 2009 season, and the Patriots franchises completed the "season ending cycle" in doing so; In 2004 they won the Super Bowl, in 2005 they got eliminated in the divisional round, in 2006 they got eliminated in the conference championship, in 2007 they lost the Super Bowl, in 2008 they missed the playoffs, and in 2009 they made their playoff exit in the first round.

It's easy to forget now, but the 2009 Patriots entered the NFL season as the odds on favorites to win the Super Bowl, and after a 59-0 spanking of the Tennessee Titans, it was hard to argue against the Patriots going very, very deep in the 2009 playoffs. The franchise was 6-2 heading in to week 10, but looked like the most dangerous team in the league.

Then the franchise unraveled. First there was Bill Belichicks 4th and 2 call against Indianapolis that signified the Patriots were no longer the defensive minded team that won three Super Bowls. Belichick also conceded that the Patriots aura of invincibility was a thing of the past, and that Peyton Manning's arm was more dangerous than his team.

But the Patriots hung in there heading into the post-Thanksgiving edition of Monday Night Football against the Saints. That day the Patriots lost 38-17 and seemingly gave up midway through the fourth quarter. The next week the Patriots would lose in Miami to acquire their fifth loss of the season, meaning adding Tom Brady would equal no improvement in the teams overall record.

So where do the Patriots go from here? They need to get some offensive line improvement, they need to get a sure thing running back, and their defensive backs aren't what they once where; when the Patriots were winning Super Bowls they had secondaries that ranked amidst the greatest in league history. But as we know, the Patriots aren't afraid to make offseason moves, be it through trade or free agency.

Next there is the question of Tom Brady. It seems as though ever since the Manning vs Brady showdown where Brady lost, and the the Hall of Famers sided with Peyton, Brady hasn't been the same. Something like that could definitely damage an ego, especially someone like Brady who notoriously wears his ego on his sleeve. Adding to his frustration are the continuous nagging injuries. Towards the end of the season rumors began to circulate that the Patriots are seriously considering drafting their successor to Brady sometime in the next two NFL drafts, meaning that the Patriots and Brady both know that his playing days are coming to an end.

Is the Patriots dynasty dead? Yes. It's definitely not 2004 anymore. This team doesn't follow the same mentality the 2001-2004 Patriots had; if they did they wouldn't have traded Richard Seymour.

Can the Patriots be back in 2010? Absolutely. Bill Belichick was able to go 11-5 with Matt Cassell, a kid who hadn't started a football game since high school. Lord only knows what would have happened in the 2008 playoffs had the Patriots actually gotten in.

Can this team continue to rely on Brady the way the Colts rely on Manning, the Cardinals rely on Warner, and the Chargers rely on Rivers? Absolutely not. When he was a champion, Tom Brady was the best game manager in the league; he was a Phil Simms clone for the 21st century.

Brady is still a Super Bowl QB, the running game and defense are not championship caliber.

Pro Bowl Rosters are In

It's that time of the year again; PRO BOWL ROSTER TIME!

Usually every year, this date is accompanied by debate over "who should have made it" and who the selected starters are. Basically it serves as the prelude to the All-Pro discussion.

Let's tackle that first question though; Who should have made it?

In terms of AFC Quarterbacks and Running Backs, there isn't much you can complain about. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Philip Rivers are all having sterling seasons, while Chris Johnson, Mo Jo Drew, and Ray Rice are absolutely the right choices. Only Matt Schaub can really complain about getting "snubbed" but considering Peyton, Brady, or Rivers will be representing the AFC in the Super Bowl this year, odds are Schaub will be in.

Wide Receiver in the AFC is a little trickier. Reggie Wayne, Brandon Marshall, and Andre Johnson were no brainers. Wayne and Johnson can punch their tickets for the next three Pro Bowls as long as they're healthy. For the second year, Wes Welker has gone in over Randy Moss. Personally, I agree, but Moss and Vincent Jackson have every right feel snubbed. Once again, if Wayne or Welker are in the Super Bowl, expect Jackson or Moss to be representing the AFC, or at least get the invitation.

The rest of the AFC is about right; it was good to see Dumervil and Cushing selected over a household name like Merriman.

I hate to Charger bash (how can I bash the same day I put them at #1 in the Power Rankings anyway?), but Nate Kaeding in the Pro Bowl over Rob Bironas? I don't know about that. Kaeding may have made more kicks, but Bironas makes the big kicks, and the long kicks. Even the most homer Charger fan has to know Bironas deserves it, so I'll move on.

The NFC gets a bit touchy.

Favre, Brees, and Rodgers were selected as the quarterbacks which opens the question, what the heck happened to Romo, Warner, Eli, and McNabb?

By default Eli gets the Schaub treatment for not making the playoffs. Favre always gets voted in, even when he doesn't deserve it, and McNabb has been average by McNabb standards.

If Brees makes it to the Super Bowl, expect Rodgers to start, with Romo and McNabb getting the
alternate selections. Potentially Eli or Warner.

The RB's and WR's; A.P, Steven Jackson, DeAngelo Williams, Fitz, DeSean Jackson, Miles Austin, and Sidney Rice can't really be argued. I suppose Marques Colston and Steve Smith (NYG) might complain, but c'mon fellas. Only Frank Gore has a real argument, but his (one and then some) game missed probably caused the '9ers work horse from a shot to play in Miami.

The defense looked good but a few obvious names are missing.

When will London Fletcher make it to the Pro Bowl! Vilma over Fletcher? Ugh.

Also, what happened to Will Smith? And no, I don't mean DJ Jazzy Jeff's Will Smith, I mean Saints DE Will Smith. A.K.A the guy with 13 sacks, .5 less than Jared Allen, and not all of which came in one early season game against a putrid offensive line. Yeah, that Will Smith.

Finally, who the hell is Heath Farwell and how did he make the Pro Bowl (as a special teamer) over the Bears LS Patrick Mannelly. Mannelly better get in.

Finally, if you remember back in early November when voting opened I made a list of 11 Players I felt should get selected, my list included Vincent Jackson, Dallas Clark, Steven Jackson, Jairus Byrd, London Fletcher, Matt Schaub, Cedric Benson, Kirk Morrison, Jacoby Jones, Sebastian Janikowski, and James Laurenitis.

Of that list only Clark, S. Jackson, and Byrd were selected. I suppose that's all that should have gotten selected. V. Jackson and Benson may get in as reserves. Fletcher and Schaub should get in as reserves. Jones may replace Cribbs, too.

50 Active NFL Players Going To The Hall of Fame

I set out to make a list of 20 active players headed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That list of 20 turned into a list of 40. From 40 it turned into 50.

Now I know not all 50 will make it to the Hall of Fame. At least ten of them are projections. I'd guess though, gun-to-my-head, that at least 40 of the 50 will make it into the Hall of Fame.

So please, debate. Am I way off? Am I spot on? Write back. Let me know.

Here's the list:

50 Active NFL Players Headed for the Hall of Fame

In No Particular Order

Peyton Manning, Quarterback - He's going to do damage to the NFL record books. He's been the fastest player to every major statistical record, he's likely to retire with the most MVP awards of all time, and he already has a Super Bowl ring and a Super Bowl MVP. He's a 9 time Pro Bowler in 11 professional season, and has 4 first team All Pro bids. He's 33 years old and will pass Warren Moon for 4th all time in passing yards at the end of this season. He'll pass Elway early in 2010. The question for Peyton isn't where his stats will be, it's will he win any more Super Bowls?

Brett Favre, Quarterback - He's going to retire the statistical leader in every major quarterbacking category in the NFL. Not to mention he won a Super Bowl and 3 MVP awards. Not only is Brett Favre going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer, but he's probably going to be on every major list of greatest players of all time.

Troy Polamalu, Safety - Players like Polamalu get into the Hall of Fame all the time. He's the face of a defense that has already won two Super Bowls. From 2004 to 2008 he went to five straight Pro Bowls, and like Ray Lewis and Jason Taylor, he's been one of the faces of the NFL this decade.

Junior Seau, Linebacker - The funny thing is that Seau should probably be getting inducted in the Hall of Fame this year. Needless to say, he's played in two Super Bowl's and was one of the most prolific linebackers of the 1990's (and 2000's I suppose). When he (finally) retires he'll get in first ballot.

Hines Ward, Wide Receiver - As far as Wide Receivers go, Hines Ward isn't exactly one of the greatest ever. To be fair, Ward couldn't shine Jerry Rice, Cris Carter, Tim Brown, Don Maynard, Steve Largeant, Randy Moss, Reggie Wayne, or Terrell Owens' shoes. What Ward does have is a lot of respect around the league (despite being deemed a "dirty" player) and two Super Bowl rings, including one Super Bowl MVP. Ward also has over 10,000 career receiving yards, four Pro Bowls, and will likely play his entire career in Pittsburgh; a franchise that has a nonstop shuttle from the playing field to Canton.

Ray Lewis, Linebacker - His criminal allegations should prevent him from getting in first ballot, but it won't. Ray Lewis will enter Canton five years after he retires, and will rightfully be considered one of the greatest players ever to play the game. He has two defensive player of the year awards (a rarity) and a Super Bowl MVP (an even greater rarity for a defensive player). He's an icon of 00's.

Tom Brady, Quarterback - A no brainer for the Hall of Fame. He has three Super Bowl rings, an MVP, the single season touchdown mark, and an incredible winning percentage. His career numbers will easily be Hall of Fame numbers, and who knows, he may even get another ring between now and his retirement.

Tony Gonzalez, Tight End - The most prolific TE of all time. He may not be the best tight end to ever play the game, but his numbers year in and year out, at a position where most players have short careers is astounding. He has over 11,000 yards receiving and is a 10 time Pro Bowler, 5 time first team All Pro. He'll get in first ballot.

LaDanian Tomlinson, Running Back - The defining tailback of the 00's, LT will go in first ballot. Whether he wins a ring or not doesn't matter; just ask Barry Sanders, O.J Simpson, etc. His numbers are great. He won't come close to Emmitt's record like he said he would, but he's going to join Emmitt in the Hall.

Terrell Owens, Wide Receiver - He's going to retire in the top 5 all time in receiving yards, and top three all time in receiving touchdowns. His reputation will prevent him from being first ballot, and maybe even second ballot, but the only question surrounding whether or not Owens is a Hall of Famer is what team does he go in as? I suppose the 49ers will claim him.

Kurt Warner, Quarterback - Super Bowl MVP, 2x NFL MVP, 3x NFC Champion QB, 2x first team All Pro, 4x Pro Bowler, career passer rating 93.6. It'll be hard to keep him out.

Edgerrin James, Running Back - He has the yardage, the touchdowns, the awards, two rushing titles, and he was part of one of the more visible teams of his era (that always helps). The only thing that hurts his chances of getting in is Joseph Addai, but odds are five years from now people will let that go.

Kevin Mawae, Center - The Seahawks wish they never let this guy go. Mawae is a seven time (and counting) Pro Bowler and three time All Pro. He's also the most identifiable center of his generation, and has started well over 200 games.

Adam Vinatieri, Kicker - The greatest kicker in league history. Though his leg strength is nowhere near elite, his kickoffs were always average, and he only went to two Pro Bowls, his four Super Bowls, and countless clutch kicks (Tuck rule game, SB XXXVI, SB XXXVIII, 2006 AFC Div Playoffs etc. etc. etc.) will send him into an exclusive group of kickers viewed as Canton worthy.

Randy Moss, Wide Receiver - It was obvious since his rookie season in 1998 that Randy Moss was Canton bound. Forget about his off the field issues, and the two years in Oakland, Moss has the numbers to retire today and easily find his way into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He has led the NFL in receiving touchdowns four times (including a single season record 23), and is a four time All Pro. He currently ranks second all time in receiving touchdowns.

Jason Taylor, Defensive End - The former defensive player of the year, six time Pro Bowler, and three time All Pro, leads all active players with 126 sacks. He's also been one of the most visible players of his generation and that will enhance his Hall of Fame odds. He won't need much enhancement though, he's getting in.

Ed Reed, Safety - He may not have been on the World Champion 2000 Ravens, but his addition to the Ravens in 2002 is what kept the defense elite for the remainder of the decade. He's a five time Pro Bowler, 4 time All Pro, and has also been a successful kick returner. He's got a lot of mileage left in his tank, and there's no doubt he's going to be one of many University of Miami players to enter the Hall of Fame from this generation.

Walter Jones, Tackle - Jones is a nine time Pro Bowler, four time All Pro, and was the best player on the 2005 NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks team. Chances are, whenever he retires, he'll be a first ballot Hall of Famer. He may not be the most well known player in the NFL, but he's absolutely regarded as one of the best.

Torry Holt, Wide Receiver - Holt was part of the "Greatest Show on Turf," and though Isaac Bruce, Marshall Faulk, Kurt Warner, and Orlando Pace may take some of the shine away from Holt, it's hard to deny that Holt wasn't equally as important as those four players. He's been to seven Pro Bowls, was selected to one All Pro team, and has already caught for over 13,000 yards. He's likely to finish his career top 5 in yards; and his Super Bowl ring certainly helps his chances.

Isaac Bruce, Wide Receiver - He only has four Pro Bowl selections, but that means nothing when it comes to Isaac Bruce. Not only did he play for the 1999 Rams, who arguably had the most explosive offense of all time, but he currently ranks as number two all time in receiving yards. He's going to the Hall of Fame.

Jeff Saturday, Center - The icon of Peyton Manning's offensive line, Saturday has become one of the most marketable and recognizable offensive lineman of all time. He will (likely) play the remainder of his career with Peyton, and chances are Peyton will be giving a speech in Canton 5 to 7 years after Saturday retires.

Brian Urlacher, Linebacker - Say what you will about Urlacher, he's far too much of an icon not to make it to the hall. He'll have the Pro Bowls, he has a defensive player of the year award, he'll have the All Pros, and he lead a defense to a Super Bowl. He's one of the most recognizable players of the decade, too. And that helps.

Ty Law, Cornerback - Ty Law was instrumental on helping the Patriots win three Super Bowls, and he played for them in four. Law has also been a part of five Pro Bowls, has two All Pro teams to his name, and has recorded over 50 interceptions in his career. The fact that he's been a journeyman since 2004 doesn't matter.

Dwight Freeney, Defensive End - Freeney is bound to retire with great sack numbers (likely over 120), not to mention at least one Super Bowl ring. He was one of the most visible defensive players of his generation, and the amount of double coverage he demanded his entire career will definitely be examined when his numbers are. He currently has four Pro Bowls and two All Pro selections, and those numbers are likely to grow.

Ben Roethlisberger, Quarterback - His game may not be the most beautiful in the history of the league, but Big Ben is Canton Bound. He already has two Super Bowl rings, and his career record as a starter is great. He won't shine in the Hall of Fame with beautiful numbers, but if he keeps up this pace, he may have his own section in the hall.

Jamal Lewis, Running Back - Despite having seven 1,000 yard seasons, Lewis only has one Pro Bowl and one All Pro appearance. In 2003 he rushed for over 2,000 yards, one of only five running backs in that club (OJ, Dickerson, Barry Sanders are in the Hall, Terrell Davis had too short of a career to make it, but should get in one day in my opinion). Help Lewis is the fact that he's going to enter Hall of Fame yardage status, he has a Super Bowl ring, he has an AP Offensive Player of the Year award, and he has the 2,000 yard season. Hurting Lewis? He spent 2001 in jail.

Reggie Wayne, Wide Receiver - Playing your entire career with Peyton Manning helps. Wayne is bound for his fourth Pro Bowl this season, already has one Super Bowl, has performed tremendously in big games, and will probably retire with numbers that will make Marvin Harrison envious.

Orlando Pace, Tackle - The NFL loves it when guys like Orlando Pace make it to the Hall of Fame. The #1 overall pick in the 1997 draft, Pace helped the Rams turnaround a franchise that once lay dead at the bottom of a ferocious NFC. With Pace blocking the blind side, Kurt Warner won two MVP awards, Marshall Faulk won one MVP award, and Steven Jackson and Marc Bulger became Pro Bowlers. There's no denying who the best player mentioned in this paragraph is; Orlando Pace.

Adrian Peterson, Running Back - He's only been in the NFL three seasons so naturally this is all projection. As a rookie, Peterson was a Pro Bowler and rushed for over 1,300 yards. In his second season Peterson won the league rushing title. In his third season, Peterson is again in the rushing title hunt. In a forthcoming era that will see fewer and fewer Running Backs see Canton enshrinement, Adrian Peterson looks to be the last of a dying breed. He only needs another three to four seasons like the ones he's had so far to get to Canton. Since 2007 he's been the best in the game. He'll probably be the best for a few more years.

Larry Fitzgerald, Wide Receiver - Again, this is totally a projection, but at age 26 he already has 7,000 receiving yards, three Pro Bowls, and a playoff run that would make even Jerry Rice envious. Fitzgerald is also the best receiver to play the game since Jerry Rice (sorry Randy, Andre, Reggie, TO) and the media loves him. It's important to note that his numbers with Kurt Warner are considerably better than his numbers without. Warner maybe has one more season left in the NFL.

Donovan McNabb, Quarterback - In a way, it's sort of sad the way we look at Donovan now. In fifteen years everyone reading this blog right now will remember McNabb as a player in a lot of great games. "The good old days" we'll call them. 4th and 26, the scramble on Monday Night vs Dallas, five NFC championship games in one decade. He also evolved the game, and was the only "athletic quarterback" of his generation to truly pan out. McNabb is also (along with Peyton Manning) the only quarterback to start and close a decade as the opening day starter for the same team. Longevity like that, especially at the quarterback position, usually translates into a Hall of Fame induction.

Charles Woodson, Cornerback - His Heisman Trophy won't mean anything towards getting into the Hall of Fame, but it definitely adds to his lure. The five Pro Bowls (and counting) only add more fuel to Woodson's Hall of Fame campaign. His numbers don't necessarily look great, but for a cornerback that's usually a sign of greatness. Opposing quarterbacks rarely ever threw Woodson's way, especially during his days with the Raiders. He also forced a fumble in a certain 2001 playoff game that changed the game forever.

Julius Peppers, Defensive End - Players like Julius Peppers don't come around every often.
Versatile, athletic, and explosive, Peppers is 29 years old and already has over 77 sacks in his career. Like Dwight Freeney, Peppers sees a lot of double and triple coverage, which makes that number even more impressive.

Matt Light, Tackle - He doesn't have a ton of Pro Bowls, he only has one All Pro, but Light was the Left Tackle for a team that went to 4 Super Bowls, and for the bulk of a Hall of Fame QB's career. That will be enough to get him to Canton. If he doesn't get it, it will be because of Super Bowl XLII.

Champ Bailey, Cornerback - 8 Pro Bowls, 3 All Pros, not much more you can say. He's only 31 years old so he still has another three to four years left in his tank. After that, he should find a home in Canton. Question is, is he a Bronco or Redskin? I say a Bronco.

Fred Taylor, Running Back - Taylor has the career stats and longevity to make it to the Hall of Fame. Taylor's problem may be that he's never been an elite Running Back. He may not get in first ballot, but he'll get in eventually, especially as the length of running back careers shrink further.

Chad Ochocinco, Wide Receiver - Remember when he wore that stupid jacket opening day 2007? He's probably going to hit the 10,000 yard receiving mark this season, he has five Pro Bowls, he gets a lot of touchdowns, and at 31 he's still relatively young. Two or three more 1,000 yard seasons after this one will guarantee Ochocinco a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Eli Manning, Quarterback - Even with as much critique to his name as Eli Manning has, it'll still be hard to keep him out of the Hall of Fame when his playing career is done. He's easily on pace to join the exclusive 40,000 yard club, and he's already begun to develop a great winning percentage. He'll have the numbers, and he already has a ring from a game that will become legendary. A few more Pro Bowl seasons and he'll get in. Another ring and it's a sure thing.

Patrick Willis, Linebacker - Like Adrian Peterson, this is a projection, and like Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis has entered the NFL and immediately taken over as the best in the league at his position. He's a tackles machine, he makes the 49ers defense legitimate, and he'll probably be a Pro Bowl fixture for the next 7 years. He'll be a welcome addition to the Hall of Fame for a 49ers team that had a pretty bad 00's after dominating the 80's and 90's with Hall of Fame talent.

Steve Hutchinson, Guard - Ask Matt Hasselbeck how good this guy is. He's been to the Pro Bowl every year since 2003, and he's established himself as the best Left Guard in the NFL in that time span. With the Seahawks he helped make Shaun Alexander the leagues premiere rusher, with the Vikings he's helped make Adrian Peterson the leagues premiere rusher. Coincidences like that don't happen in professional football. Steve Hutchinson is a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Andre Johnson, Wide Receiver - Johnson is only 28 years old and already has over 7,000 career receiving yards. He's just beginning to hit his stride as an elite receiver, and already has been to 3 Pro Bowls and has 1 First Team All-Pro to his name. Those numbers should be 4 and 2 after this season.

Ronde Barber, Cornerback - His better known, twin brother Tiki Barber won't get into the Hall of Fame, but Ronde will. Perhaps because of the participation of the 2002 Bucs defense, one of the greatest units in NFL history, perhaps because of the 5 Pro Bowls, 3 All Pros, perhaps because of the 37 career interceptions (including a mesmerizing 10 in 2001), or perhaps because he plays defense and has scored 13 touchdowns thus far in his career. Ronde Barber is a Hall of Famer.

Olin Kreutz, Center - He hasn't been to the Pro Bowl since 2006, but the Bears offensive line has still been pretty good since then. From 2001 to 2006 he represented the Bears in the Pro Bowl every single season, and his presence of the offensive line is part of the reason that Shane Matthews, Jim Miller, Chris Chandler, Rex Grossman, and Kyle Orton were able to have success as Chicago's starting quarterback.

Brian Dawkins, Safety - When he retires, Brian Dawkins is going to go straight to Canton. seven Pro Bowls, 4 All Pros, the face of a defense that dominated the 00's in the NFC. Brian Dawkins deserves all the praise he gets as a professional football player, and despite what some believe (mostly NFC East fans) he was never overrated.

Tommie Harris, Defensive Tackle - He's only 26, but you can see where this career is headed. He has three Pro Bowls, that number is going to grow, and more importantly you can see the difference he makes when he's on the field. If he can play at this level for another six seasons, there's a good chance that Tommie Harris will be in the Hall of Fame.

Antonio Gates, Tight End - He may not be the best tight end of his generation, but he's definitely the second best. For a tight end, Gates is a yardage and scoring machine. He's changed the way the game is played at the TE position, and if he can put up good numbers for the next three seasons, he'll be a Hall of Famer.

Steven Jackson, Running Back - This is another projection, but Steven Jackson is only 26 years old and should be headed for his 2nd Pro Bowl on a team that asks him to do more than any one player should have to do. He's had five straight 1,000 yard seasons behind a banged up offensive line. He's going to finish 2009 near 6,700 to 7,000 yards and will have three seasons to get to 10,000 yards. If he does, then he'll be a Hall of Famer. He may have to leave St. Louis though.

Darren Sharper, Safety - It's hard to get into the Hall of Fame as a defensive player without a ton of accolades and media attention. Darren Sharper doesn't have any of that (although he may finally get it this season), but he leads all active players in interceptions, has been to four Pro Bowls, has one All Pro selection (will likely be two after this season) and ranks second all time in interceptions for touchdowns, and 9th all time in interceptions. If Sharper gets just five more interceptions it will be really difficult to keep him out of the Hall of Fame. He's 34 so he has maybe two more seasons to get there.

Jeff Feagles, Punter - It's really, really, hard to get into the Hall of Fame as a special teams player. Adam Vinatieri will get in because he had too many big kicks to ignore. It's even harder to get into the Hall of Fame when you're a punte, but Jeff Feagles career numbers are going to be hard to ignore. He currently has 70,000 punting yards, over 10,000 more than the person in second all time. He's a two time Pro Bowler, but I'm not sure how much going to the Pro Bowl matters for a Punter. I can't guarantee he's going to get a Hall of Fame look, but hopefully he does. He deserves a look.

Drew Brees, Quarterback - Doing a little projecting, it's hard to ignore the numbers that Brees is going to put up. He's only 30 years old, so he has at least another five seasons at this level of play, which should be good to easily put Brees over the 40,000 yard mark. Since 2005, Brees has played at a very high level, and his three Pro Bowls and one All Pro selection are likely to grow in the next five years as well. He will need to get his team to the playoffs, but he's very similar to Warren Moon in that his numbers are so good, that it's hard to blame him for any losses his team may have.

The Brady vs Manning Question Redux

The following article was written for Funk Football by Joseph Bellear. It is fully endorsed by the website.

As this decade nears its end, there is little doubt the most controversial question to bring up to an NFL fan is this: Must win game, do you want Tom Brady or Peyton Manning? I realize this topic has been nearly beaten to death, but it seems as if the ignorant party always wins.

Ignorant Party: “ZOMG Peyton sucks, Brady has three rings and Peyton only has one, so Brady is better!”

(Much like prior to the 09 postseason, A-Rod was considered a postseason failure compared to Derek Jeter, despite A-Rod sporting a slightly higher .OPS. Prior to 09, A-Rod registered an .856 OPS compared to Jeter’s .846 OPS.)

Now, as admitted hater of all things Boston (I am a Yankee fan after all), I have an immediate preference towards Peyton. It isn’t exactly a baseless choice, if Peyton continues at his current pace for another five years while putting up his career average statistics; he’ll likely be the greatest quarterback of all-time.

However, despite a Super Bowl title in 2006 and a laundry list of records, there are many arguments against Peyton’s “clutchiness” (yes, it is a made up word). Brady after all has emerged as nearly as prolific as Manning in the regular season thanks to the 2007 acquisition of Randy Moss, he owns three Super Bowl rings and he holds a superior postseason record (14-3) to Manning’s (7-8). But do those numbers tell the whole story?

I can’t think of an interesting or creative segue into cold facts and numbers so I’m not going to bother. So here they are. If you were to ask Tom Brady what style of game he would prefer to play in the postseason, shootout or defensive battle, there’s little doubt in my mind that Brady would pick defensive battle. Why? The Patriot’s defense has held opposing offenses to 17 points or less in 10 of Brady’s 17 playoff games. Brady’s record in those games is a sparkling 9-1. In games where the Patriots allowed more than 17 points, Brady’s record is still very good, but not as immortal at 4-2. But included in that record is when the Patriots allowed 27 or more points, in which Brady is just 2-2.

On the other side of the equation, Peyton has been in 15 playoff games. In those 15 playoff games the Colts have allowed more than 17 points in 10 games, with Peyton sporting just a 2-8 record in those contents. When the Colts allowed 27 or more points, Peyton is 1-2. But when they allowed 17 or less points? Peyton has a 5-0 record.

This should come as no surprise. The cliché in football is that defense wins championships and that is because more often than not, it’s true. Both quarterbacks are basically unbeatable when their defense gives them an above average to great performance.

Another aspect that is often overlooked in this comparison is defensive and special team’s touchdowns. How incredible is it when you see your favorite team run in a pick-6? Maybe there’s a kickoff or punt return for a touchdown. The amount of joy you feel is equivalent to the deflating feeling that the opponent is experiencing at that very moment.

Peyton has enjoyed the benefit of such a momentum boosting moment just once in his postseason career when Kelvin Hayden took a Rex Grossman pass to the end zone in the Super Bowl. By contrast, Brady has seen a combination of seven touchdowns from his defense and special teams.

Does this make Brady any less “clutchy”? Of course not, that would be ludicrous. You can’t hold those touchdowns against Brady, but the fact that Brady has gotten 49 free points from his the rest of team shouldn’t go unrecognized when it comes down to the amount of playoff games and championships that he’s won compared to Peyton who rarely gets that type of support from the rest of his team.

To put those 49 points in perspective, Brady teams average 24 points a game in the postseason offensively, while Manning teams average 23 points a game. But when you subtract the 49 points from Brady’s point total, Brady teams average 21 points a game. Three points, a field goal. It doesn’t sound like much, but consider the fact that six of Brady’s playoff victories have come by three points and you begin to realize how much those extra touchdowns have helped solidify Brady’s place as a postseason icon.

Finally, there’s the cold hard statistics that both quarterbacks have put up in the postseason. Brady has the advantage in some ways with those numbers, buts it’s not as clear cut in favor of Brady as the average Bostonian (or ESPN anchor) would have you believe.

Brady’s postseason numbers read like this, 372 completions, 595 attempts for a 62.5% completion rate. He has thrown for 3954 yards, 26 touchdowns, 12 INTs. His yards per attempt are 6.65 and he has averaged 232.6 yards a game. Those numbers are good for an 88 quarterback rating, which is an archaic but still mainstream accepted way of judging quarterbacks.

Manning stat line lies out like this, 348 completions, 564 attempts for a 61.7% completion rate. He has thrown for 4208 yards, 22 touchdowns, 17 INTs. His yards per attempt are 7.46 and he has thrown for an average of 280.5 yards a game. His numbers are good for an 85 quarterback rating.

Manning’s only sin is that he appears to be more careless with the ball than Brady. But there is a reason for that. As mentioned earlier in this passage, Manning often found himself playing in games where his defense was less than stellar. The result? The Colts have had to chuck the ball around more in games than the Patriots which leads to more chances for interceptions. The YPA difference also highlights the fact that Peyton has had to play a riskier brand of football, throwing a little deeper and taking more chances downfield, whereas Brady has been able to play a little safer due to his more favorable circumstances.

If the Patriots were to somehow miss the playoffs and the Colts played in two playoff games this year, would there any doubt that Manning would have around 40 to 50 more pass attempts than Brady, despite playing the same amount of games? With the way the Colts defense and running game has looked this year that might be a low end estimate on my part.

Simply put, Brady has been able to rely on much better defenses and special teams play than Manning ever has. And when Manning did get the type of defensive support that Brady had enjoyed, is it any surprise that he finally won his Super Bowl? Still, that didn’t stop Manning’s extreme haters from criticizing him for relying on his defense to win games for him. Sound like anyone else we know?

At the end of the day, nothing will convince Manning supporters from choosing Peyton in these arguments and nothing will convince Brady supporters from choosing Peyton in these arguments. It is important to realize football fans, that this argument isn’t nearly as lopsided as you may think.

Ok, We Can Finally Start Talking MVP Race

To me, the NFL is not a sport where you can start discussing the MVP before the end of the season. I know fans of the NBA love to have that debate and crown an MVP before Christmas, but I don't like crowning an NFL MVP before Christmas, let alone the NBA. But we're now 11 weeks in, every team has had their bye week, and it's officially "ok" to start wondering who the MVP of the league is.

And for the seventh time this decade it's likely to be named a quarterback.

As of right now Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Brett Favre lead the MVP voting, with Tom Brady and Philip Rivers seriously in contention. It's going to be a tough situation for voters, given they're not only going to have to judge wins, and numbers, but for once they're going to have to judge just how important each of the five players are to their team.

Manning was given the award in 2008, so there's no judging whether or not the voters will hold that against him in 2009. In 2008 the Patriots won 11 games without Tom Brady, they'll need to win out for Brady to get the MVP this year (unless his numbers are huge). The 2008 Vikings won their division, so the 2009 Vikings will likely need to win home field advantage for Favre to get the MVP award, and then there's still the chance the Adrian Peterson manages to snag a vote or two from him. Brees' numbers are down from 2008 but his teams wins are way up, it'll be hard to ignore him. Rivers is the wild card of the bunch, if the Chargers can somehow earn a first round bye, it'll be really hard to ignore Rivers, no matter what Manning, Brady, Brees, and Favre do. That being said, It will be tough for Rivers to make it to the Pro Bowl this year with Manning, Brady, Palmer, and Roethlisberger all putting up huge numbers in the AFC.

As you can see through week 11 it's a wash.

But let's not forget, at this point last year the Colts were 6-4 and Manning was just entering the MVP discussion that was headed by Adrian Peterson and James Harrison. At the end of the year, Peterson and Harrison pretty much fell out of the discussion, Chad Pennington and Michael Turner entered it, and Peyton Manning won by a mile.

So you really can't clearly judge an MVP situation in week 11 unless a player is having a ridiculous season and his team is winning like Manning 04, Alexander 05, Tomlinson 06, and Brady 07, still 04 had Jamal Lewis, 05 had Peyton Manning, 06 had Drew Brees, and 07 had Randy Moss to make it a debate at this point in the season.

Personally who do I think is the MVP through week 11? It's hard to say. Since 2003 Peyton Manning has finished out of the top 3 in MVP voting only once (2007 when he played perhaps his best season) so the odds are in favor that it will be hard to stop Manning from getting his league record 4th MVP award. The only things stopping him are a late season collapse, a rise in turnovers, or the media really falling in love with Brett Favre.

But for the moment the MVP depth chart is 1. Manning, 2. Brees, 3. Favre, 4. Brady 5. Rivers.

You can almost guarantee that will change between now and the first week of January.

Top 10 Quarterbacks in the NFL Right Now

Right now is a great moment for NFL Quarterbacks. After a beginning of the decade that saw powerhouse defenses shake passing offenses down, and running backs take the steam away from QB's, the Quarterback has once again taken over as the flashiest batch of players in the NFL.

There's no doubt that a large part of the success of the leagues passing game right now has to do with the rule changes that came in the middle of the decade, but whether we agree with those or not, there are still a lot of talented QB's in the league right now; there's a reason the 00's have produced more first round QB's than any decade in league history.

This is a list of the ten best QB's in the NFL right now. It's not a power ranking of who did the best last week, or who has been doing the best this season, it's a list of who the ten best quarterbacks in the NFL are.

This list discounts no one. It's not like the NBA where we write off KG and Tim Duncan because they're older and supplant them with Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul in the Top 5. Kurt Warner and Brett Favre remain on this list, in great stature, because at this point in time they still win, perform, and show up more than the bulk of quarterbacks in the league.

Obviously Peyton Manning is number one, and the rest of the list mathematically sorts itself out after that.

Before I bore you, let me present you with the list;

The Ten Best Quarterbacks in the NFL

10. Carson Palmer - When healthy, Carson Palmer is a quarterbacking machine, and the only Pac-10 quarterback to develop this decade (sorry Matt Leinart, Kyle Boeller, Ryan Leaf, and Cade McNown). Although the Bengals have only been to the playoffs once since they drafted Palmer, he has proven leadership in what has probably been the most tumultuous locker room in league history (all the arrests). This season Palmer has the Bengals poised for another playoff run, and if things continue to work this way for Palmer he'll only be moving closer and close to elite status in the NFL.

09. Donovan McNabb - Although Donovan is dropping down the list faster than anyone, I don't think anyone should worry too much. Like Warner, McNabb has tools that can translate to any team in the NFL, and he can make any team in the NFL better, and that's what has made him so great. This decade only he and Tom Brady have been to five AFC Championship games, and only he has finished all five games (though I wouldn't exactly attribute health as a McNabb strong point). Just last year McNabb took the Eagles on a great run back to the NFC championship game that almost ended in a comeback equal to that of the 2006 AFC Championship game. Because he's been so good for so long people question how much McNabb has left in his tank, but the answer is a lot; barring another serious injury to his legs, McNabb will be a great QB in the league well into the next decade.

08. Philip Rivers - Although he's entering his late twenties, Rivers is still judged as a young quarterback and rightfully so. Although he's infamously a member of the same draft class as Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger, he has been given time to grow while those two were asked to be champions immediately in their careers. Thus far, Rivers has been the most successful quarterback in Chargers history, and he could be on his way to supplanting Dan Fouts as the greatest Chargers QB of all time, but lets not get ahead of ourselves. At times he's displayed toughness, and he's shown the ability to go head to head with the top tier. The only issue with Rivers is that he may be too emotional. Whereas Eli and Roethlisberger always keep their heads on their shoulders, Rivers sometimes gets caught up in his own dilemma too much, sometimes leading to unnecessary fights and penalties. There is no doubt that Rivers has the tools to become a champion, it's just a matter of wrapping his head around the concept of adulthood in the NFL.

07. Eli Manning - Say what you want about Eli being a "one game wonder," but last I checked leading his team to the playoffs every year since 2005 would qualify Eli as a five year wonder. In that same time span only his brother Peyton Manning has lead his team to the playoffs each of those seasons (meaning Brady, Favre, Roethlisberger, and McNabb have not). Some would argue that Philip Rivers' numbers are better, or that McNabb has beaten Eli time and time again, but the difference between the three is that Eli is the one with a ring, and he got in a game in which not only did he orchestrate the greatest drive in NFL history (that's right Montana, Elway, and Peyton), but he also won the MVP of. It's easy to pick on Eli because he refused to be a Charger, he doesn't have the charisma of his older brother, and well, he's kind of the Owen Hart of the NFL; but at this point in his career, Eli is in elite company when it comes to 4th quarter aesthetic, and he currently sits just outside of being considered an elite QB in the league.

06. Brett Favre - You can't argue that Brett Favre is still a top 5 QB in the NFL, the proof is in the pudding here. Favre is about to bring his third different franchise to a winning record in three years (07 Packers, 08 Jets, 09 Vikings), a feat that no other QB in NFL history has ever done. What's even more impressive? Favre is doing it an age where Montana, Marino, Elway, Aikman, Young, and Kelly were already retired at. Some question as to whether or not he's stuck around so long to break all sorts of career records, but 2009 has proved that Favre has stuck around because he can still win. A Super Bowl win this year would shut up every member of the media that said he was washed up, and cement Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy's legacy's as goats.

05. Drew Brees - You have to wonder how much of his greatness stems from that chip on his shoulders? I mean, in San Diego he was good, a Pro Bowler even, but it wasn't until he came to New Orleans in 2006 that he became a 4,000 yards a season QB. In 2008 he even became a member of the ultra exclusive 5,000 yards a season club. The real issue with Brees, and it's not entirely his fault, is that in an eight year career he only has one playoff win, and only two playoff appearances. With all due respect that's pretty bad. If we're going to ridicule players like Eli Manning, Donovan McNabb, and Philip Rivers for getting to the playoffs and losing, at some point we need to start looking at Brees, too. All signs point to 2009 as the year that everything is finally coming together for Brees though, his team is in great shape to make a playoff run, and Brees is likely to go to yet another Pro Bowl. I'm sure the QB from Purdue is hoping he'll be starting in the other Bowl game taking place in Miami though.

04. Kurt Warner - In 2006 his career looked over and Kurt Warner was going to go down as nothing more than an NFL trivial pursuit question. Then in 2007 he began a career resurgence that has been nothing short of spectacular. In 2008 Warner reminded us all why he was a 2 time MVP and former Super Bowl MVP when he lead the Arizona Cardinals all the way to Super Bowl XLIII. What Warner has done in turning the losing culture around in Arizona is worthy of all time great status, and it's the second time Warner has turned a franchise around in his career. If you really dissect it, what Kurt Warner has done in his career is nothing short of remarkable, and the way he still plays every single Sunday is absolutely astonishing.Warner is nowhere near a mobile QB, and he has some nagging injuries that you can tell still bother him, but if you need a quarterback for just one game, it'd be hard not to have him on a short list. He's a proven winner, and his arm strength is still in the elite level.

03. Ben Roethlisberger - I think we're still waiting for this guy to come down to Earth. Roethlisberger started his career with a 15-1 record as a rookie, won the Super Bowl in his second season, won the AFC North for a second time in his fourth season, and in his fifth season won his second Super Bowl. If you don't think that's great, then it's time to digest the fact that Roethlisberger has developed into a legitimate passer as well. Roethlisberger is following in the footsteps of Tom Brady in developing from elite game manager, into elite quarterback. He hasn't reached his prime yet either.

02. Tom Brady - He started his NFL career better than any quarterback in NFL history (though Big Ben is rapidly approaching him), and has since continued to help his team win. After suffering a season ending knee injury in 2008, his backup Matt Cassell still took the Patriots to an 11-5 record and put up better numbers than Brady put up in his first seven seasons as a starter raising the question as to how good Tom Brady really is? That's a dumb question because Brady is still a great player, and he's not far from being the best in the game. His 2007 season is without question the best single season performance any quarterback has ever had, and likely ever will have. Like Roethlisberger he's had the benefit of having a very good defense to guide him to championships, when he you need 40 yards to get a game winning field goal, there's no better QB in the NFL than Tom Brady.

01. Peyton Manning - The best Quarterback in the league, and he has a chance to become the greatest of all time. It's scary to think that those years of 2003-2005 were nowhere near his prime. This half of the decade he's silenced his critics about winning the big one, picked up a Super Bowl MVP to go with his three MVP awards, and has earned a reputation as a great "clutch" performer as well. Love him or hate him, we treat Peyton Manning the same way we treat all the greats; Ali, Jordan, Kobe, Gretzky, Tiger, A-Rod: we dissect every single move he makes, and every game he plays is his make or break moment. When his team loses we blame him, when his team wins then they should have won by more... Because they have Peyton Manning. A scary thought is that if Manning wins another Super Bowl this season, he will have equaled John Elway's entire 16 year career in only 11 seasons (50,000 passing yards, 2 Super Bowl championships... Manning will likely have 4 MVPs after this season to Elway's one). Manning has also replaced Elway as the guy whose hands you place the ball in when you're down by six and need 90 (or 28) yards for a score.

So there you have. A majority of the list was easy to create. Initially I wanted to put Brees at #5 but after writing up what Kurt Warner has done since 2007, you can't put Brees ahead of him. Although it's amazing that Brees has turned the culture around in New Orleans, it's even more astonishing that Warner has turned the culture around in Arizona. Also, as mentioned, Brees has only one playoff win since 2006 (and in his career), while Warner helped take the Cardinals to the Super Bowl.

Rivers versus Eli is tough because Rivers has better numbers, but Eli has a Super Bowl. Eli's ring is enough to put him ahead of Rivers at this point in his career, especially since they've each been to the same amount of Pro Bowls, and Eli has yet to miss the playoffs as a full time starter.

Rivers over McNabb was the toughest decision, but this was a list of who is the best NOW, not this decade. There is no doubt in my mind that Donovan McNabb is one of the five or six best quarterbacks of the 00's, and if I had a vote I'd put McNabb in the Hall of Fame when he retires, but right now, one game, i'd take #17 over #5.

Missing the list were Matt Hasselbeck and Matt Ryan who I'd put at numbers 11 and 12. At this point Hasselbeck is on his way down while Ryan is on his way up. Tony Romo needs to make a good playoff run before he can get consideration, while Vince Young needs to get some numbers to along with his commendable winning percentage. Joe Flacco would round out my top 15. Personally, I'm not the biggest Jay Cutler or Aaron Rodgers fan, in part because neither has been to the playoffs, and in part because I consider them "fantasy football players," meaning they put up good numbers, but where are the wins? Both inherited teams that hosted Championship games before they took over, neither team has been back to the playoffs since.

I hope you enjoy the list and I'd love to hear your feedback.

Tom Brady Shouldn't Have Won AFC Player of the Month for October

The NFL recently announced it's player of the month awards for October 2009.

On the NFC side the offensive award went to Packers QB: Aaron Rodgers; on the defensive side the award went to Saints safety Darren Sharper; and on Special Teams the award went to Johnny Knox on Chicago.

Knox had a 28.9 Ret Avg and a TD. I don't mind giving him the award. Sharper had two "pick-six's" this month, so I have little issue with him receiving the award. Although Rodgers had a "so-so" (to be kind) effort against the Vikings on October 5th, and a bye the following week, still Rodgers completed almost 75% of his throws and put up a 123.9 passer rating; so I have no issue with him getting the award as well.

In the AFC the offensive award went to Tom Brady, the defensive award to James Harrison, and the special teams award to Eddie Royal. All three players had great months and I'm sure an honest case could be made for Brady.

Afterall, Brady did put up an astonishing 12 TDs, 1,161 yards, and a 121.7 passer rating; but let's go inside the numbers game by game.

October 4 vs Baltimore 21/32 for 258 yards and 1 TD. Typical Tom Brady numbers (2002-2006), but nothing astonishing. He did what he had to to get his team the much needed win.

October 11 @ Denver 19/33 for 215 yards and 2 TD. Again, typical Tom Brady numbers, but nothing eye popping. More importantly the Patriots and Brady fell to the Broncos, temporarily setting back the teams hopes of getting a first round bye in the playoffs.

October 18 vs Tennessee 29/34 for 380 yards and 6 TD. This was against an awful Titans team, but the numbers were still astounding. Brady should have, and did, win the AFC player of the week award for this game.

October 25 vs Tampa Bay in London 23/32 for 308 yards 3 TD's and 2 INT's. Average numbers, a lot of yards, but nothing fantastic. His team won the game, but two interceptions against a hopeless Tampa Bay team seems like a lot.

As you can see, the numbers from the Tennessee game really pad Brady's stats from an otherwise pedestrian month. His numbers (and team performance) were no better than Matt Schaub's to be honest, and Kyle Orton arguably had a more impressive month, guiding his team to wins vs Dallas, New England, and San Diego.

What this also shows us is how QB biased the media is. Were Cedric Benson's 120 yards against Baltimore and 189 against Chicago not enough to warrant the medias attention? Or is he just not on the cover of GQ?

Why not give it to Peyton Manning for the second month? Compared to Brady he had just as many 300 yard games, a +110 QB rating, just as many wins in one fewer game. Manning also didn't lose a game in October like Brady did. I can understand why the media wouldn't give the award to Peyton for this month, considering he's the number one contender for yet another (his fourth) MVP trophy.

Then what about Rashard Mendenhall? He lead the NFL in yards per carry for the month with a stifling 5.4 ypc. Mendenhall also picked up 4 TDs on the ground, and produced over 400 yards for the month as part of the Steelers undefeated October.

I'm not saying the Orton, Schaub, Manning, Mendenhall, or Benson necessarily deserved the award over Brady, I'm just looking at it and wondering why?

As I said early, Tom Brady absolutely deserved the Week 6 Player of the Week award, but when you really dissect the numbers, Brady likely should have been a distant #3 for Player of the Month; in the very least behind Benson.

This Past Sunday I Learned:

This Past Sunday I learned:

Lovie Smith gets his red zone offense from Charlie Weis.

The New Orleans Saints are for real. This team has a real shot to get home field throughout the NFC playoffs.

That the Seahawks aren't that good; in fact they're actually really bad. With or without Matt Hasselbeck.

The Ravens really need this bye week. It'll be tough for them to go over .500 anyway.

Yes, the Tennessee Titans are the worst team in the AFC, right now.

I was wrong about the Philadelphia Eagles being the best team in the NFC.

As I suspected, the Bengals aren't ready to be a contender.

When the Giants are playing from behind they look old. When they're ahead they look the best team in the league. Chances are they're somewhere in between (like the Patriots?).

The snow really doesn't effect Tom Brady (no tuck rule jokes please), he's the best bad weather QB the NFL has seen this side of Favre... and a lot better than Mark Sanchez.

Matt Cassell isn't as bad as I thought he was, but not nearly as good as everyone else said he was going to be.

Jim Zorn was calling the offensive plays the past two seasons in Washington. Although this was not news to me, the fact that Washington had an offense was.

Despite a win, the Carolina Panthers are a very average team. Did the Buc's really shut Steve Smith down? Maybe I was wrong about calling him the best wide receiver in the NFL. Ouch.

The Houston Texans can win road games against quality opponents.

and most importantly....

The Minnesota Vikings have what it takes to beat any team in the NFL at home.

Once Again the New England Patriots Show No Class

No one really considers the New England Patriots a classy organization. Their owner is a crook. Their coach is a known cheater; both on his wife and on the game in which he coaches. Their quarterback is openly arrogant, and has the sportsmanship of a six year old crybaby. And the team has featured such class acts as Randy Moss, Rodney Harrison, and Corey Dillon this decade.

This is the franchise that got caught cheating and got away with it. The coach who walked off the field before the game could end. The QB who refused to shake his opponents hand after an AFC Championship loss. These are the New England Patriots.

So it should come as no surprise that the Patriots; who were heavily favored coming into Sunday's game against the Titans would kick a team when they're down.

At halftime the score in 45-0. This includes a touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Wes Welker with under twenty seconds on the clock... in the snow... when your QB got his knee destroyed last year. When you're up by 38.

Totally unnecessary. Who cares if the team sits all of it's starters in the second half. This is the NFL not the BCS. There's no style points in the NFL. At the end of this game you'll still be 4-2 and in 2nd place in your division.

But I hope the Patriots feel good about themselves after this. After all it's been a rough couple of years for the people of Boston, MA. The city has only won six major sports titles since 2001. Sure three of them are forever tainted, but still. Hopefully a win like this fills those open hearts in the Bay state.

I try to keep this blog fair and balanced. I'm honest with my readers and say when I don't like players, teams, or coaches. I've tried to keep my Patriot hating to a minimum. But this is gross. I just hope the Saints return the favor when the Anna Nicole Smith of American sports travels to the Superdome.

P.S the second half is starting and Brady is throwing. Smart move, right? Great example to set for the millions of young kids who are in Pop Warner watching this game.

The Golden Age of the Quarterback

I recently read this article contemplating whether or not this was "the greatest QB era in history?"

If you're going to ask me for a one word answer it'd be "no." Two words "no way." Three words "not a chance." You get where I'm going with this?

Right now the state of the QB position in the NFL looks as good as it's looked all decade. Probable Hall of Famers Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Donovan McNabb, Kurt Warner, and Brett Favre all have their teams playing at .500 or better, while other talented QB's such as Carson Palmer, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan, and Jay Cutler are all looking like QB's who will stick around the league for the next 4 to 5 seasons.

Another positive trait this current QB situation has is a slew of young guns who could potentially develop into top tier talent, QB's such as Chad Henne, Matthew Stafford, Mark Sanchez, Joe Flacco, Aaron Rodgers, Kyle Orton, Tony Romo, and Matt Cassell. And let's not yet write off Jason Campbell, Alex Smith, Matt Leinart, Vince Young, JaMarcus Russell, Kellen Clemens, Chris Simms, Brady Quinn, Trent Edwards, and Brodie Croyle as busts. Odds are at least one of them will turn it around and become a Pro Bowl talent.

And while some QB's like Kerry Collins, Jake Delhomme, and Matt Hasselbeck look like they're on the back 9 (more like 3 to 1) of their careers, they're still names that we'll hear about for a long time, and it's good to see them play.

All of this taken into account, I strongly doubt this will go down as the golden age of the QB; the sole reason being that the decade of the 1990's existed.

At one point in the 1990's, more specifically 1994 (as the article mentions) we were blessed with seeing Dan Marino, John Elway, Warren Moon, Troy Aikman, Steve Young, Brett Favre, and Jimmy Kelly all in their prime, or something near it. Joe Montana was also in the league at the time, though he was nearing his end, but was still a winning QB. That's 7 QB's who were hall of fame bound all playing competitive football at the same time.

Take into account that Drew Bledsoe was beginning his reign as a passing machine, Boomer Esiason was still pretty good, Phil Simms was ending his career (which should have ended in Canton), Dave Krieg was still hauling the ball around, Vinny Testaverde was starting to develop, and Mark Brunnell was was sitting on the bench somewhere behind Brett Favre and you had 14 of what I consider to be (as of this second in time) the 50 greatest QBs of all time all in the same NFL at once. Expand this time frame as a window from 1993 to 1998 and you could easily steak the claim as the mid 1990's as the premiere time for the QB.

How many QB's from today, let's say the window of 2004 to 2009, will be in the Hall of Fame? Well, Manning, Brady, and Favre are certain. McNabb and Warner are likely, that's 5. Throw in Roethlisberger and you have a confident 6. After that there are a lot of potential Hall of Famers; Eli Manning already has a great shot and due to the numbers game he'll probably end up there. Steve McNair, who retired after the 2007 season may have a chance, but the way his life ended will probably overshadow the way he played in the NFL. Drew Brees and Philip Rivers, forever tied at the hip, both have impressive numbers but zero rings. There's a good chance that can eventually change.

(Note: from 1993-1998 there would be 9 Hall of Famers, because you'd have to include Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner who both came into the league in 1998. The means that Manning, Warner, and Favre double count for both era of the mid to late 90's, and the era of the mid to late 00's.)

So how many players from this era will be enshrined in Canton? Who knows? The number may blow the mid 1990's away, but it will likely come up short. Don't forget, there was a time in the mid 1990's when it looked like Bledsoe, Brunnell, and maybe even Neil O'Donnell were on their way to great careers. It's usually hard to make it to Canton, just ask Boomer and Simms.

No matter how many players from this decade make it Canton, I still don't think it would compete with the early 90's. Maybe it's nostalgia, but for me personally, the way that John Elway, Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, Warren Moon, Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, Brett Favre (in the 90's), and Steve Young played signified the way the QB position should be played. The inter-competitive nature between these players helped create the Quarterback Club, and gave Peyton Manning and Drew Brees records to fight with. When John Elway raised the Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl XXXIII, proclaiming the end to the 1998 season, the Golden Age of the QB also came to end.