Two great backs with different styles. Can't pick a better. Emmitt and LT

LaDainian Tarshane Tomlinson (L.T.)

Position: RB
Height: 5-10    Weight: 221 lbs.

Born: June 23, 1979 in Rosebud, TX

High School: University
College: TCU   
Drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the 1st round (5th overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft.

5-time Pro Bowler & 3-time First-Team All-Pro 

Position: RB
Height: 5-10    Weight: 221 lbs.

Born: June 23, 1979 in Rosebud, TX (Age 36.049)
High School: University
College: TCU   
Drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the 1st round (5th overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft.

2001-2009 w/ Chargers
2010-2011 w/ Jets

CAREER RUSHING 4.3 avg.

170

155

3174

13684

145

CAREER RECEIVING

624

4772

7.6

17

*5th All time in rushing yards

*2nd All-time in rushing yards

794 touches18,456 career yards from scrimmage in 170 games

162 touchdowns in 11 seasons. 

2006 & 2003 were his best seasons statistically

348 carries 1,815 yds 5.2 avg. 28tds
56 catches for 508 yds 9.1 avg. 3tds  
404 touches 2,323 yds 5.75 avg  31 tds

313 carries 1,645 yds 5.3 avg. 13 tds
100 catches 725 yds 7.3 avg. 4 tds
413 touches 2,370 yds 5.73 avg. 17 tds

BILLS QBs since the JIM KELLY era

Ryan Fitzpatrick started 52 of a possible 64 games in his four seasons in Buffalo. Threw for 80 tds against 64 picks....

Fred Jackson was the Bills' leading rusher in three of Fitzpatrick's first four seasons. C.J Spiller the other. Top receiving threats were Terrel Owens in his last season and Stevie Johnson; who is the only Bill WR to record three straight 1,000 yd seasons...Ryan Fitzpatrick was efficient at times and appeared to be among the best QB's Buffalo has had in the last 20 years. He will be remembered as an overachieving 7th rounder, who resurrected his journeyman career there.
Adept at game management and improvisation. Well liked in Buffalo.  
Starting record of 20-33 in Buffalo. Played under coaches Dick Jauron, Perry Fewell and Chan Gailey. 

He is still going in 2015, leading the Houston Texans. Had a career best 

95.3 passer rating last season.

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 Drew Bledsoe remains ranked 10th all time in NFL career passing yards. He played 14 years.  

The former NE Patriots #1 pick started all 48 games in three seasons in Buffalo. A heralded free agent in 2002 following 9 seasons in NE, including a SuperBowl trip in 1996 with Bill Parcells,

To his credit, the 2004 squad finished 9-7 despite a 1-5 start, many wins coming in dominant fashion. Bledsoe's big flaw in western NY was a terrible 2003....especially given the talent around him. The line was a problem also. The team finished 6-10 and he produced by far the lowest yards per game total and Qb rating of his career. The 4-time pro bowler was sacked a league high 49 times that year.

Consider his leading backfield mate Travis Henry's numbers in 2002 and 2003:
2002- 325 carries 1,438 yds 4.4 avg. 13 tds
            43 catches 309 yds  1 td   11 fumbles

2003- 331 carries for 1,356 yds 10 tds

		28 catches 158 yds 1 td  7 fumbles

Willis McGahee 2003 stats:

284 carries for 1,128 yds 3.8 avg. 13tds

Eric Moulds' 2000 numbers: 

100 catches

1,287 yds

12.9 avg. 10tds

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FANS thought Doug Flutie should have never been sat for that now infamous "freak loss" to Tennessee in the 1999 wild card playoffs. His record as a starter with Buffalo (from '98-'00)
was an impressive 21-9. The man knew how to command an offense and had an impressive knack for imrovisation; something he displayed at his many other stops in the NFL and the CFL also.
He threw 47 tds against 30 ints for the Bills.

Todd Collins. 7-10 record. 16-19 TD-int ratio.

Buffalo's second round pick (45th overall) in 1995.  Played in Buffalo from 95-97, starting 4 games in two seasons behind an aging Jim Kelly, vying for PT with Alex Van Pelt. To be fair, Collins' QB rating was comparable to Jim Kelly's in his three starts in 1996. Kelly threw for just 14 tds against 19 int's that year, his final season. 

In 1997, his lone as the unquestioned leader of the Bills offense, Collins threw for just 2,300 yds, with 12 touchdowns and 13 picks. The team lost six of the last seven games in Marv Levy's final season.  

A year prior, the future looked bright for Collins' future with the Bills. He played well in his last action of the season with the Bills up by 14 in the 3rd qtr of week 12, against a would be 1-15 Jets team led by Frank Reich. 

Following that game Buffalo, again in Kelly's last season, was positioned at 9-3 and a strong contender for the AFC title. Darick Holmes and Quinn Early were the leading rushers and receivers behind also aging vets Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed. Both HOFs barely eclipsed 1,000 yards. 

Buffalo went on to lose three of four to end the season and lost to the expansion Jaguars in the wildcard round 10-7. This was the last hurrah for the dynasty that appeared in four straight SuperBowls. 

 Collins produced a 69.5 rating at the helm in 1997. The team finished 6-10. 

 KYLE ORTON 7-5 Record. 19 tds -10 ints

Kyle Orton's leading rusher in 2014 was Fred Jackson, with just 525 yards, Jackson also led the team in receptions, while rookie receiver Sammy Watkins nearly reached 1,000 yards in a spectacular debut. Playing for his 5th team in 9 seasons, Orton threw for 3,018 yards, 18 tds and 10 int's; posting a career best 87.8 rating.

J.P Losman

 

led the team for one season (2006), exactly 10 years after the legendary Jim Kelly made his departure. Losman has the distinction of being an afterthought as a first round pick (22nd overall) in a draft that included Ben Roethlisberger,
Eli Manning and Philip Rivers.

He didnt see the field in his 2004 rookie season, but played frustratingly mediocre, while going 1-7 as a starter and throwing for 8 tds and 8 picks in '05.  To his credit Losman did prove durable in starting all 16 games in his 3rd season. His TD to INT ratio improved from 19-14 and the team finished 7-9.

Third year pro Lee Evans was the lone receiving threat in '06 and put in his best work as a pro with 82 catches for 1,292 yds and 8 tds. The Bills finished 27th in offense and 28th in rushing and passing, respectively. An at then end of his road Peerless Price had just 49 catches and 402 yards, but still was the team's second best options in the passing game.
Over the next five years, Losman went on to win just 2 of 9 starts before retiring with the Dolphins in 2011 at age 30.

KELLY HOLCOMB

had a record of 8-16 in his six yr. career with 4 teams. His best work was done with Buffalo in 2005. That year he started 8 games going 4-4. 

 Kevin Kolb 

Kolb started for two games in place of the injured Donovan McNabb during the 2009 NFL season for the Eagles, and earned NFC Player of the Week honors following his week 3 performance against the Kansas City Chiefs. Following McNabb's trade to the Washington Redskins in April 2010, Kolb became the starting quarterback for the Eagles. However, after suffering a concussion in week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, Kolb was replaced at quarterback by Michael Vick. Vick suffered a rib cartilage injury in week four and Kolb was named the starter. When Vick returned after week eight, Kolb was relegated to a backup role. Kolb was traded to the Arizona Cardinals on July 28, 2011, in exchange for cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round draft pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. 

Kolb agreed to a two-year contract for $13 million with the Bills in 2013. On August 24, Kolb suffered a severe concussion in a preseason game against the Washington Redskins. He was placed on injured reserve on August 30. Kolb was released in March 2014. Never having played a regular season down for Buffalo. Kolb remains retired. 

BILLS QUARTERBACKS going into 2015

MATT CASSEL ...likely starter 2015 

Matt Cassel never started a game at USC. Yet in his second year as a pro he helped lead the 2012 Patriots to an 11-5 finish in the year remembered most for Tom Brady's absence. One of the few teams in league history to miss the playoffs with 11 wins; the year prior they finished 16-0 and the schedule did them no favors.

He brings with him to Buffalo a 96-70 td-int ratio and the following accolades through his 10yr career with the Pats, four seasons leading KC and the last two largely ineffective with Minnesota.

• Pro Bowl (2010)
• AFC Champion (2007)
• 2× AFC Offensive Player of the Week (2008)
• AFC Offensive Player of the Month
  (November 2010)
• FedEx Air Player of the Week (Week 15–2013)
• Back to back 400-yard games (2008)

EJ MANUEL. 6-8 record. 16-12 td-int. ratio. 

Another high round draft pick in the mold of Trent Edwards and JP Losman? Looking more bust than boom in his first two seasons? The jury is still out as Manuel comes into his third season having started just four games a year ago. The talent is there. He remains a huge x-factor. Unpredictable. A 78.3 QB rating so far isn't bad. Not necessarily a big threat in the rushing attack. He should have every opportunity to win the starting job from Matt Cassell in 2015. 

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 <<<<<Chris Simms is on the Bills roster for 2015 and is expected to compete to be the 3rd QB option with Tyrod Taylor, an athletic QB, who has less pro experience. 

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Rob Johnson , the Jaguars in exchange for the Bills' first and fourth round picks in the '98 draft. Johnson was immediately named the starting quarterback after signing a five-year, $25 million contract. First-year Bills' head coach Wade Phillips proclaimed Johnson's arrival as the start of a "new era" for the franchise. This all happened following just 1 start in 3 seasons in expansion Jacksonville. He also started and won the final two preseason games in'97. 

Played in the NFL for parts of 9 seasons with 5 teams.

A member of the Bills for parts of four seasons, ultimately he finished with a 9-17 record there. He will always be remembered as the guy the coaching staff started over Doug Flutie during the height of Flutiemania, in the Music City Miracle against Tennessee in '99. Buffalo's last playoff appearance. 

 A 3rd-round pick for Buffalo, Trent Edwards was to be the QB of the future in Western, NY. From 2007-2009, Edwards posted a mediocre 14-16 record in Buffalo, putting up modest numbers on a team that never could muster any consistency despite showing flashes. He was eventually replaced by a more effective Ryan Fitzpatrick. Trent Edwards started one more game over the next three seasons and was out of the league by 2012.  

ALEX VAN PELT 

Played 9 seasons in Buffalo. He started 11 games total, winning 3. 

Buffalo Bills 2015: 5 Questions Heading Into Training Camp

The Buffalo Bills have the most pressing questions surrounding them this season; facing the prospect of stretching their playoff drought to 16 years.

How quickly will Coach Ryan make an impact?

Blue collar gritty town, blue collar eccentric coach... seems like a really great match going into the season. Can Ryan's tough quirky demeanor find favor in a locker room full of fresh faces?
Remember that out the gate, Ryan brought two Jets teams to the AFC championship, led by Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene his main weapons. His defenses drew comparison to those who played under his father in Philadelphia and Chicago a generation ago. Frankly, Ryan led squads have been the only opposition to New England during their historic 15-year run of AFC East and NFL dominance, even knocking them out of the playoffs one year. Now, Ryan has arguably his most talented team to date, on both sides of the ball. He becomes Buffalo's 7th coach since 2000.

Is this they year they make the playoffs?

                                Franchise hero Jim Kelly tells team, "Get the Bills back in the playoffs"

After making the playoffs 10 out of 12 seasons from '88-99, the Bills remain in a historic drought, 15 years and counting. Winning 9 games last season has many believing the franchise to be on the upswing. A 3rd ranked defense a year ago led to Buffalo's first winning season since narrowly missing the playoffs in 2004. I attended the season finale then at Ralph Wilson Stadium, as the Bills lost convincingly to a 14-1 Steelers team that sat its starters (including unbeaten rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger).

The Bills' 2014 season was different, highlighted by a late season run that included an impressive gritty home win over Green Bay and against mighty New England in week 17. An off season of eye brow raising signings on offense undoubtedly has the Buffalo faithful thinking big. New owner Terry Pegula is a fan favorite in the area. There are obvious big shoes to fill following the passing of iconic team founder Ralph Wilson. It can be said that Buffalo surprised some people last season, but with some "experts" arguing the Bills are a top 10 contender, it is doubtful they will sneak up on anyone this season. The AFC is as strong as it has been in years and the AFC as a whole may be improved. The biggest question mark the team faces this season is undoubtedly quarterback play; largely expect to be among the league's worst. Stay tuned.

          BILLS RECORD the last 15 seasons

2014: 9-7 
2012-2013: 6-10
2011: 6-10
2010: 4-12
2009: 6-10
2006-2008: 7-9
2005: 5-11 
2004: 9-7
2003: 6-10
2002: 8-8
2001: 3-13
2000: 8-8

Will the numerous free agent acquisitions on offense pay off?

Mccoy joining the Bills is huge of course, as it is rare that a top offensive free agent lands
in Buffalo. When was the last time a high profile skill position player went to western NY?
Think Drew Bledsoe in 2003.

McCoy joins a long list of really productive Bills RB's over the last decade (Marshawn Lynch, Willis McGahee, Travis Henry). Out is the explosive but inconsistent and injury prone CJ Spiller.

Perhaps the opposite of flashy, the always steady Fred Jackson returns for his 10th season, a rarity for an NFL running back. Quietly, he actually has moved up the Bills all time rushing ranks and now only trails legends OJ Simpson and Thurman Thomas. The league's oldest back a third straight year, it's easy to imagine a scenario in which Jackson excels in a limited role behind the explosive McCoy. 

        RB Fred Jackson returns for a 10th season in 2015. He ranks third in team history in carries, yards and Tds 

The passing game gets a tremendous boost as well with the addition of FB turned TE Charles Clay. Blue collar and durable, it'll be interesting to see how he is utilized in a Bills system which traditionally has had tall plodding blocking TE types. Interestingly, Dustin Keller put up similar numbers in NY under Coach Ryan, as Clay has the past two seasons in Miami. It's not a stretch to think Clay can have the most productive overall season by a TE in team history. Pete Metzelaars' 1993 season (69 rec, 609 yards, 4tds) currently holds that distinction, while the departing Scott Chandler had the most yards with 655 yards in 2013. Clay could be a receiving threat out of the backfield ala Tom Rathman also so look for that. Larry Centers comes to mind when thinking what an ideal season from Clay could look like statistically.

Will Percy Harvin be lining up in the slot or out wide opposite Sammy Watkins? A super interesting and potentially great combination, how and if these two can stay healthy major question marks. Can Harvin having burned out his welcome quickly with two teams already, mesh with the personality that Ryan offers? Hmmm. It could decide how the offense gels.

Guard Richie Incognito made headlines a few seasons ago in the wrong way. However his addition to the Bills team could actually be of as much significance as any skill player. He brings a tenacity and veteran toughness that will certainly be welcomed in western New York. 

Who will man the offense?

                                      From l. to r.; QBs Jeff Tuel, Tyrod Taylor, Matt Cassel & EJ Manuel 

With the offense fully loaded, it ultimately will come down to line play, and how well EJ Manuel progresses. I don't think anyone is viewing a Matt Cassel-led attack as ideal, as he comes to Buffalo as the latest in the long line of journey men QBs and disappointing draft picks in Western, NY.
It is believed Manuel will be given every opportunity to take the leading role, but recent history (his and the franchise's)
suggest Cassel will likely win out. He is in the mold of solid, heady QB's Ryan Fitzpatrick and Kyle Orton who over the last five seasons have been the lone highlights in a revolving door for signal callers there.
Given the pieces in place, it is likely the offense may be in better hands under the likes of Cassel, in terms of game management and minimizing mistakes. He is tough and has been fairly durable but is by no means considered elite. Remember Ryan almost two Super Bowls with Mark Sanchez, so hey, you never know. The super athletic project Tyrod Taylor and inexperience Matt Simms round out the depth chart for now.

Will the Bills defense remain elite?

All-time great front four? l. to r.: Hughes, K. Williams, Dareus and M. Williams have combined for a whopping 80.5 sacks the last two seasons.

Heading into the season, it is hard to imagine this unit taking a step back following back to back seasons of dominant play. The front four are all pro bowlers and all made the NFL's top 100 players list. Ends Mario Williams and Jerry Hughes for a combined 47 sacks the last two seasons. That is an eye popping amount period, yet even more impressive considering tackles Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams have tallied 33.5 sacks from the interior!
That's 80.5 sacks from four players, over two seasons. Right.
Backing up the line is an unheralded group of backers that are even more nameless given the departure of Kiko Alonzo. Youngsters Nigel Bradham and Preston Brown remain relative unknowns who played admirably to many observers last season. Manny Lawson is a veteran combo end/backer who figures to rotate prominently again.

In the secondary, keep a watch on starting CB and 8 yr Leodis McKelvin who ended 2014 on IR. Stephen Gilmore has been really good his first three seasons and is described as an aggressive hitter, and disciplined cover man. Duke Williams and Aaron Williams are back as the starting safeties. Both are athletic and solid tacklers, while Duke has just one pick in two seasons; Aaron Williams had four picks two seasons ago, proving he an be a playmaker.

Its also hard to see the Bills defense improving on their performance of the past two seasons, but something similar may be enough to get them to the playoffs this season. A lot will depend on the further development of a young secondary and linebacking core. 

Week 7 Thoughts and Predictions

AFC EAST                                       Net Points
1. New York Jets 5-1                         58
2. New England Patriots 5-1           41
3. Miami Dolphins 3-3                    -24
4. Buffalo Bills 0-6                           -77
*Buffalo has allowed 30 or more points in 5 straight games. A franchise first.

*The Patriots are rolling and WR Deion Branch played better than Randy Moss had been thus far. No one seems to think they will slip anytime soon. Tom Brady and company seem to be on a mission to get that fourth ring and join the ranks of history’s truly great dynasties. They will have their hands full of course but they quickly overhauled their defense and are stocked with quickly improving young linebackers and defensive backs.

*The 5-1 Jets have Green Bay this week before traveling to Detroit and Cleveland. The consensus pick to reach the Super Bowl this year has done little to disappoint. They tasted success coming within a game last year and it will be fun to watch their Monday night showdown with the Patriots on Dec. 6^th. Most likely the game will go a long way in deciding who wins the division.

AFC NORTH                                   Net Points
1. Pittsburgh Steelers 5-1              55

2.  Baltimore Ravens 5-2               20
3. Cincinnati Bengals 2-4              -9
4. Cleveland Browns 2-5                                -24

*Bengals WR Terrell Owens is fourth in the league in receiving yards. All of the Bengals losses have been close and against good teams. They play in a rugged division where even the worst team is solid this season (Cleveland). They are certainly a solid team but like many others, have a brutal schedule coming up and at 2-4 it looks bleak. Left on the schedule are these playoff contenders: Dolphins, Steelers (twice), Colts, Jets, Saints, Chargers and Ravens. That’s 8 out of 10 games against top contenders.  

*The referee’s decision to give the ball back to Pittsburgh which helped their win over Miami was very bad. It was another absolutely ridiculous call in a season surprisingly full of them. There was of course that call that cost Detroit in week one, and that end-zone interception the Bills had against Baltimore last week just before the half was another example. It was called an incomplete pass because his foot landed on the guy’s leg instead of on the ground. Baltimore scored on the next play. The rules committee is going to have a busy offseason.

AFC SOUTH                                       Net Points
1. Tennessee Titans 5-2                                 82
2. Houston Texans 4-2                   -14
3. Indianapolis Colts 4-2                38
4. Jacksonville Jaguars 3-4           -79
*Look at Peyton Manning’s numbers through 6 games: a 67.3 completion percentage, 13 tds and 2 ints. He is the league’s only four-time MVP and playing his way into consideration for another despite injuries shaking up his receiving core. Remarkable.

*That 200-plus yards and 3 TD’s second-year WR Kenny Britt put up against Philadelphia with Kerry Collins starting, shows the Titans are capable of scoring with more than just Chris Johnson.  

AFC WEST                                          Net Points
1. Kansas City Chiefs 4-2                38
2. Oakland Raiders 3-4                   14

3. San Diego Chargers 2-5             28
4. Denver Broncos 2-5                    -61

*The Raiders scored more touchdowns against Denver (8), than the Carolina Panthers have all season (7). It's hard to tell if their 59-point explosion is an aberration or a sign of things to come. Oakland hasn’t had a competitive unit together since winning it all in 2002 and have generally been an undisciplined, underperforming bunch. One thing for certain is this team is beginning to form an identity under fiery coach Tom Cable and a surprisingly poised and now healthy Jason Campbell under center. They have an abundance of pure athleticism on both sides of the ball and if San Diego isn’t able to rebound in the next few weeks as they have in recent seasons, the Raiders can make this division a two team race with the Chiefs. Who would have thought just a month ago?

*The Chargers lead the league in offense and defense, and have outscored their opposition by four touchdowns, but are 2-5.

*The Chiefs did it again. They just keep winning. They lead the league in rushing by a whopping 30 yards per game, and Matt Cassell is starting to look like he may be worth some of that huge contract and it isn’t just a product of the Belicheck machine.

NFC EAST                                           Net Points
1.  New York Giants 5-2                  22
2. Washington Redskins 4-3        -3
3. Philadelphia Eagles 4-3            15
4. Dallas Cowboys 1-5                     -15

*The Eagles were beaten in all phases of the game against Tennessee, but there isn’t any reason to panic considering the Titans are really good and have won 10 straight against the NFC. Kevin Kolb didn’t play terrible and one of his three picks can be chalked up to the wind carrying it, but the switch back to the electrifying Michael Vick should certainly be a boost. The Eagles have a bye this week before taking on Indianapolis. The Michael Vick versus Peyton Manning show should be a great exhibition in contrasting QB play, a treat for football aficionados.  
* The Cowboys are 1-5 but could easily be 5-1. Consider that 4-2 Houston (whom they beat a few weeks ago), has a -14 point differential compared to Dallas’ -15. Dallas has really beaten themselves consistently. By now you’ve seen the stat showing that just one team in league history has made the playoffs following a 1-5 start.

*The Giants are starting to really gel. The team the country saw manhandle Dallas for much of the game Monday Night is perhaps the most explosive the Giants have ever assembled. Wide receiver hakim Nicks has quickly matured into a top flight performer and has the athleticism to be truly great. Fellow starting wideout Steve Smith made the Pro Bowl in his second season last year and both players had over 100 yards on Monday. I can’t ever recall a defense knocking five quarterbacks out of games as the G-Men have done this year. That front seven is starting to resemble the unit that ended the Patriots hopes of a perfect season in 2007.  

NFC NORTH                                      Net Points          
1. Chicago Bears 4-3                        12
2. Green Bay Packers 4-3               31
3. Minnesota Vikings 2-4               -5
4. Detroit Lions 1-5                          6

*Should Brett Favre play on a fractured ankle just to extend his unfathomable 291-game (315 including playoffs) streak, which dates back to 1992? Absolutely. Would a healthy Tarvaris Jackson be better suited to lead the team? Absolutely also. It now looks like Favre should have retired after his magical season a year ago, nobody would have blamed him and he is already a folk hero with streets named after him. The Vikings have something of a mess on their hands because his body has taken a real serious beating and is too old (41) to recover quickly. His limping away from the podium following the post game press conference had to be hard for Vikings personnel to watch. Favre, remember didn’t join the team until late in preseason and was coerced to play another season with a $20M contract after team reps retrieved him by jet from his farm in Mississippi.  

*Green Bay’s win over the Vikings needs to be put in perspective. Favre threw 3 int’s and still had the Vikings in position to win in the final seconds. They have OT losses to Washington and Miami. My preseason pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl this year, they have the Jets, Cowboys, Vikings (again) and Atlanta coming up. They end the season @ New England, before hosting the Giants and Bears. Those are 7 very tough games coming up in their next 9. I would expect them to break .500 but will that be enough?  

NFC SOUTH                                       Net Points
1. Atlanta Falcons 5-2                     36
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-2     -30
3. New Orleans Saints 4-3             9
4. Carolina Panthers 1-5                 -55
*The Saints are among the league leaders in offensive output. However, they have given up five touchdowns on defense and special teams in their last two losses.
*Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris said, following his team’s last second win over St. Louis, “We’re the best team in the NFC. Yeah I said it.” His Bucs are 4-2, with wins over the Browns (2-5), Panthers (1-5), Rams (3-4) and Bengals (2-4). Their losses were in blowout fashion to the Steelers and Saints. So we’ll see. Morris is 34 and their starting quarterback is 22 and already has 7 victories dating to last season, 5 coming in the final seconds.

*The Falcons rebounded nicely from a loss at Philadelphia a week ago to hold on for a hard fought win over a game Bengals bunch. The offense is finding its groove and the defense has proven to be solid but not spectacular. Defensive end Kroy Beirmann has really come on this season and by the year’s end should be well recognized. Many people now have the Falcons on the short list to make a run at the title out of the NFC. Of course, the win over New Orleans was huge, but the manner in which they did it (NO kicker missed a chip-shot FG in OT), suggests the Saints are still the team to beat.

NFC WEST                                          Net Points
1. Seattle Seahawks 4-2                  13           
2. Arizona Cardinals 3-3                 -62
3. St. Louis Rams 3-4                      -11
4. San Francisco 49ers 1-6             -49

*Seattle has a slim lead in the division but are an average team at best. The fact that they are 4-2 is as good an illustration as any, that the NFC is considerably weaker than the AFC. The Cardinals played another sloppy turnover-filled game and still could have won. The Rams honestly look like they can develop into the best team in the division, and aside from a blowout loss to Detroit, are playing the most consistently week in and week out. Their #1 overall pick in this years draft QB Sam Bradford, can only be expected to get better.   

WEEK 8 Matchups and Predictions

Buffalo (0-6) at Kansas City (4-2) My Pick: Kansas City

Jacksonville (3-4) at Dallas (1-5) My Pick: Dallas

Carolina (1-5) at St. Louis (3-4) My Pick: Carolina

Washington (4-3) at Detroit (1-5) My Pick: Washington

Miami (3-3) at Cincinnati (2-4) My Pick: Miami

Denver (2-5) at San Francisco (1-6) My Pick: San Francisco

Tennessee (5-2) at San Diego (2-5) My Pick: Tennessee

Tampa Bay (4-2) at Arizona (3-4) My Pick: Arizona

Minnesota (2-4) at New England (5-1) My Pick: New England

Seattle (4-2) at Oakland (3-4) My Pick: Oakland

----Games of the Week-------

Green Bay (4-2) at NY Jets (5-1) My Pick: NY Jets

Pittsburgh (5-1) at New Orleans (4-3)  (Sunday night) My Pick: Pittsburgh

Houston (4-2) at Indianapolis (4-2) (Monday Night) My Pick: Indianapolis

NFL Week 5

AFC EAST Power Rankings
1. New York Jets 4-1
2. New England Patriots 3-1
3. Miami Dolphins 2-2
4. Buffalo Bills 0-5

The Jets deservedly are the talk of the division at this point. True indeed that MNF showdown b/w the Jets and Vikings was a star-studded event with so many subplots from Favre vs. Jets, to Moss returning to the Viks, to Ladainian Tomlinson’s resurgence, Moss and Favre finally playing together etc. The sheer talent and athleticism on display had the look and feel of a Super Bowl match up. I kept thinking man for man, these are the two most talented teams in the league. Both teams’ rosters have been built in much the same fashion as a fantasy team on Madden. The most eye popping stat to come out of it has to be the Jets record-tying 4-game streak without a turnover. The Jets are certainly living up to the hype and the scary part is there is no evidence to support them sliding. Fresh into the starting rotations are LB Calvin Pace, WR Santonio Holmes and a rested CB Darrell Revis. Not to mention QB Matt Sanchez is looking very Phil Simms-esque and thus far has yet to throw a pick. At some point he is expected to have a down game but with perhaps the best O-line in the league, a stifling defense and a coaching staff devoted to a conservative quick-strike attack, the sky is the limit.
There is no way to convince most that New England upgraded with Moss’ departure, but they did re-acquire speedy WR Deion Branch from Seattle, and it will help keep defenses honest. Of course the saying is as long as Brady and Belicheck are together this team is a top contender, but the Pats have a tough road ahead in pursuit of a playoff spot this year. Consider over the next month they play host to Baltimore (10/17), Minnesota (10/31) and Indianapolis (11/21). In addition they have road games against San Diego (10/24) and Pittsburgh (11/14). All said, the Patriots will play 5 of the league’s toughest opponents in the next 6 weeks, and they figure to be underdogs vs. all but the Chargers. It will make or break their season.
The Dolphins are hard to figure here. They have Brandon Marshall and a two-headed running attack but the defense is solid, not overpowering. They are capable on any given Sunday of stopping some top offenses, but consistency is going to be key for the young squad. They have losses to NE and NY already, and a brutal six week stretch ahead playing the Packers, Steelers, Bengals, Ravens, Titans and Bears. Most assuredly come Nov. 21^st, either Miami or New England will be on the ropes in the AFC playoff picture.


AFC NORTH
1. Baltimore Ravens 4-1
2. Pittsburgh Steelers 3-1
3. Cincinnati Bengals 2-3
4. Cleveland Browns 1-4

Well, Baltimore’s narrow defeat of Pittsburgh two weeks ago had most observers catapulting them to the top of their lists. Don’t forget this is essentially the same team that reached the AFC Championship two seasons ago with a pair of rookies at head coach and QB. Only the 2010 has considerably more offensive firepower as RB Ray Rice was then at Rutgers, and WR’s Anquan Boldin, Dante Stallworth and TJ Houshmandzadeh were lacing up in other NFL venues. Also remember that when they travel to New England this week, it will be a rematch of last years wild card game, which was easily the Patriots worst playoff performance in the Brady-Belichick era.
The T.Ocho show, as the new VH1 reality show is termed, is not particularly working in Cincinnati. Terrell Owens is playing his you know what off, but of course, it takes a 53-man effort to win in this league. Once again, in another year and for now his 5^th team, T.O. came out publicly questioning the Bengals offensive approach. Last season en route to capturing the AFC North title and returning to the playoffs for the first time in 4 seasons, the Bengals established themselves as a hard nosed team with gritty defense and a strong run game led by rejuvenated Cedric Benson. Of course for years prior they were an air it out team. They seem to be a bit of both at this point and in any case a clear strategically identity is crucial for a top contender. So far this season they rebounded nicely to an opening week loss to NE to defeat Baltimore in a really bruising game 15-10. Then they cruised to a win over winless Carolina before losing two really tight games to underdogs Cleveland and Tampa Bay. The have a bye this week but then it gets really tough as they play Atlanta, Miami, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis in successive weeks, Man for man Cincinnati is really a good team. This next month will tell the story of how they match up with the league’s best.
Big Ben is back in Pittsburgh and it will be interesting to see how well he performs as it will be his first real game action since last December.

AFC SOUTH
1. Houston Texans 3-2
2. Indianapolis Colts 3-2
3. Jacksonville Jaguars 3-2
4. Tennessee Titans 3-2

Whoever wins the Jags-Texans game will be in sole possession of first place. The Jags are playing way beyond anyone’s expectations. I mean, some radio show hosts had them pegged as one of the worst teams in the league the last time I did this post two short weeks ago. Since then they defeated Indy and came back hard to win against a game Buffalo unit. People are saying the Colts don’t look as dominant but the fact is Peyton Manning is having his best season to date. That says a lot considering he is the league’s only 4-time MVP. He still has weapons in the passing game and the team showed against KC that the run game can get gritty if need be with Michigan alum Mike Hart. The defense isn’t especially good against the run but conventional wisdom suggest that since it never really was anyway so what’s the concern? The Colts are in the midst of an unprecedented streak having won at least 12 games in 7 straight seasons. The defending AFC Champs (who remember could and should have finished 16-0 last season) have a young secondary that even without oft-injured S Bob Sanders, plays smart and agile. They also still have the speediest set of DE’s in perhaps NFL history in Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. Don’t count on Indianapolis casually letting the division crown go just yet; though with everyone in the division over .500 after 5 weeks, they have a considerably tougher task than most expected. .


AFC WEST
1. Kansas City Chiefs 3-1
2. San Diego Chargers 2-3
3. Denver Broncos 2-3
4. Oakland Raiders 2-3

KC’s strong effort in Indianapolis proves to me they are a serious contender. Granted, the season is still young, but there is no denying the Chiefs impressive cluster of young athleticism. They passed a huge psychological hurdle in handling San Diego in week 1 and clearly they are playing like they believe they belong with the elite. You can see they are playing with swag and confidence. Not to mention they have a very formidable 1-2 punch with Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones, a combo of runners perhaps unmatched in the league. That alone figures to make them competitive week in and week out.
The Chargers have quietly put up the most points and yardage in the league thus far. Though their record is currently below .500, remember they lost in the final minute in two of those, most recently against Oakland; a team they consistently dominate and had all the motivation on their side.
The Chargers figure to right the ship as they have in years past, most notably two seasons ago when they rebounded from a 4-8 start to finish 8-8, which was good enough to win the division. They carried that momentum all the way to the AFC championship. I have seen nothing to suggest they won’t be right there in the end this season as well. San Diego five weeks in is still the favorite
Not so much for Oakland or Denver. The Broncos are solid but not elite in any way, particularly with their run-by-committee backfield. To date, QB Kyle Orton has played the best football of his career, as has WR Brandon Lloyd. They just don’t have enough talent to contend down the stretch in a loaded conference.


NFC EAST
1. Philadelphia Eagles 3-2
2. Washington Redskins 3-2
3. New York Giants 3-2
4. Dallas Cowboys 1-3

Washington has a veteran core. They are really an old team in many ways. They have a lot of been there, done that to them, with the likes of QB Donovan McNabb (11^th season), LB London Fletcher (12^th); WR Joey Galloway (15^th), D. Linemen Phillip Daniels (14^th) and Vonnie Holliday (12^th), and slow, over the hill RB’s Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson. Even their FB Mike Sellers is a 10 year vet. Beyond that, deep threat WR Santana Moss is in his 9^th year as is DE/LB Andre Carter. Cornerback Phillip Buchanon is in his 8^th year along with DT’s Albert Haynesworth and Ma’ake Kemoeatu. The owner Daniel Snyder has a reputation as a big free agency spender, and in the last decade has created a culture of thrown together units. They have young talent also of course but there is something to be said for chemistry, growing together through struggles and developing unity (Patriots/Colts/Steelers?). This is truly a do or die situation. They could possibly come together as a unit and do something magical. Cornerback DeAngelo Hall said the right things in the press conference after their win over Green Bay (their second OT win of the season), about the team defying doubters. You like to see and hear that competitive fire. The thing about it is the season is 16 weeks long. They have a squad of castoffs really, and keeping that energy through a 16-game season appears to be a daunting task.
For the sake of brevity I will say that the Giants are back. They dusted off Chicago, Tennessee and Houston in successive weeks. They appear to be the strongest, most situated team in the NFC East. Remember the team that stopped the Patriots undefeated season? They are for the most part still together. This group of young Giant receivers is developing into the best in their franchises’ illustrious history. Really. Watch out for the G-men. If Dallas loses this week to Minnesota (the team that knocked them out of last years playoffs in humiliating fashion), which I believe they will, heads will roll come seasons end because 1-4 is too big a whole for them to climb out of and reach the playoffs given their schedule.

NFC NORTH
1. Chicago Bears 4-1
2. Green Bay Packers 3-2
3. Minnesota Vikings 1-3
4. Detroit Lions 1-4

The Bears came crashing to earth last week in the form of a 9-sack beat down at the hands of the Giants. Its not time to write them off of course, but that week one bad call that negated a late Detroit score looms large. This is a strange season, unusual in that any number of perhaps a dozen teams have been tagged as potential champs. Chicago (believe it or not) was tagged as one of those teams. I feel they should have lost to Detroit and QB Jay Cutler is overrated. They just beat a winless Carolina squad to go to 4-1 and they should be favored against Seattle this week. The week after that they host Minnesota, then travel to Buffalo Nov. 7^th. So looking at the schedule Chicago could/should very well be 6-2 by midseason.
But check their second half schedule: at Dolphins, Eagles, at (revenge-minded) Lions, Patriots, at Vikings on MNF, Jets, and they end the season at Green Bay. The way I see it they can go 3-5 in the second half and make the playoffs in a comparatively weaker NFC. However it develops, the best case scenario is an early playoff exit.
The Lions are showing so much heart that I honestly respect them as a good football team. They should be 2-3 and their 44-6 win over the lowly Rams emphatically illustrates how far they have came in a short time. Remember they won just 3 games the last two seasons. Very similar to the Chiefs in terms of youth and athleticism, I’m not expecting many more wins this year, but they will be the ultimate spoiler down the stretch.

NFC SOUTH
1. Atlanta Falcons 4-1
2. New Orleans Saints 3-2
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-1
4. Carolina Panthers 0-3

The Falcons franchise began in 1966 and until last season had never put together back-to-back winning seasons. They are off to a great this season after impressive wins over Arizona (41-7), and a squeaker over defending champ New Orleans. Their wins over winless San Francisco and one-win Cleveland the last two weeks were by no means easy, and the game winning interception return by DE Kroy Biermann was exactly the kind of play top teams are supposed to make in crunch time.
The Saints are struggling offensively against everyone. No one saw their loss to Arizona coming, and its hard to recall another game in which the winner put up 30 points despite scoring just one offensive touchdown. The Saints stand at 3-2, but would be 4-1 were it not for that chip shot missed FG vs. Atlanta. The mistakes they have made seem easy to correct, but year after we see the defending Super Bowl fail to live up to expectations.
Tampa Bay apparently has a team full of gamers. No one saw them defeating Cincinnati. The poise they displayed down the stretch in the fourth quarter will be a defining moment should this team continue to excel and end up actually competing for a playoff spot; which still no one is anticipating. Still, they have played really well, opened some eyes and appear headed in a great direction as a franchise with QB Josh Freeman under center.

NFC WEST
1. Arizona Cardinals 3-2
2. Seattle Seahawks 2-2
3. St. Louis Rams 2-3
4. San Francisco 49ers 0-5

Two weeks ago I was really firm in my belief that the Cardinals had returned to the bottom half of the league and were for the most part finished as a contender. They had just been destroyed by Atlanta 41-7 and narrowly defeated (24-23) seemingly lowly Oakland, and QB Derek Anderson took most of the blame. Then they were crushed again 41-10 by San Diego. Hence, it was easy to have this take on a franchise who really has had just one ten win season in 30 years. They limped out of weak NFC West into the playoffs at 9-7 before catching fire, during their Super Bowl run of 2008. The thing is once you reach a Super Bowl, the respect you earn last for a couple seasons. That said, they held off some nonbelievers (myself included), with a spectacular defensive effort to defeat defending Champion New Orleans last week. Free agent rookie QB Max Hall did nothing particularly impressive, but they still won. To me that speaks volumes about the makeup and resolve of this roster and staff. They have Seattle and Tampa Bay up next, two teams in similar limbo, struggling to establish themselves as contenders. Arizona is actually second to last in points thus far, so it will be interesting to see if they can find some offensive consistency because you can’t expect to get three Tds every week from defense and special teams.
Seattle ranks near the bottom of nearly every statistical category and before their byte last week were smashed 20-3 by the Rams, a truly no-name team in the midst of a major overhaul. The Rams lost 44-6 to Detroit last week, so now Seattle’s loss looks even worse. They just traded for Buffalo castoff RB Marshawn Lynch to join Justin Forsett in the backfield. So Head coach Pete Carroll has two University of California products to tote the rock. Aging QB Matt Hasselbeck is the team’s second leading rusher with 33 yards so the Lynch acquisition can’t help but be an improvement.
The Seahawks in recent years have acquired and since let go a pretty decent fantasy team worth of WR’s when you consider Nate Burleson, TJ Houshmandzadeh and most recently Deion Branch didn’t work out there. The have a good defense on paper but little else at this point.
San Francisco has to be the best 0-5 team I have ever seen. They have played hard in narrow defeats against Philadelphia, New Orleans and Atlanta, prompting team brass to declare coach Mike Singletary’s job safe. it’s a good thing because they have a strong nucleus on both sides of the ball. I do think QB Alex Smith is a clear bust as a former #1 pick unfortunately.