You probably won your league playoff game with this team:

 QB - Tarvaris Jackson – 163 Yds, 4 TDs, 0 INTs

RB - Dominic Rhodes – 86 Rush Yds, 2 TDs, 4 Rec, 30 Yds

RB - Tashard Choice – 91 Rush Yds, 1 TD, 4 Rec, 52 Yds

WR - Dennis Northcutt – 5 Rec, 127 Yds, 1 TD

WR - Antonio Bryant –8 Rec, 108 Yds, 1 TD

TE - David Martin – 2 Rec, 66 Yds, 1 TD 

You probably lost your league playoff game with this team 

QB - Eli Manning – 191 Yds, 0 TDs, 2 INTs

RB - Marion Barber – 2 Rush Yds, 2 Rec, 24 Yds, 0 TDs

RB - LenDale White – 26 Rush Yds, 0 TDs

WR - Anquan Boldin – 6 Rec, 34 Yds, 0 TDs, 1 FL

WR - T.J. Houshmandzadeh – 3 Rec, 19 Yds, 0 TDs

TE - Tony Scheffler – 0 Rec, 0 Yds  

Just like how the 71’ Dolphins are always brought back to protect their undefeated season when a current team gets close to breaking the record the Lions might be the same in protecting their winless season. 10 years from now, the Bengals might be 0-15 and we will have Sportscenter specials and will bring back Calvin Johnson. Johnson will state how there is no way the Bengals will share the title that the Lions will hold forever and that is being the only team to be winless in an entire season.

Take that Mercury Morris.

Tavaris Jackson scored a touchdown on Sunday for every 4.25 attempts. Before that it was a touchdown every 34.2 attempts. He had 4 touchdowns, and Adrian Peterson had 0. Talk about stealing the show.

If I was a playoff team in the NFC, I would be hoping to meet Arizona, and in the AFC I hope that I go up against the Broncos.

The tough call in the Steelers game makes you wonder how we have gone so long without replay. It is almost like wondering how we lived without cell phones. I wonder how many blown calls were made undetected before replay was implemented. All I know is I do not want to be a ref.

I believe that the Titan’s loss had more to do with how hot the Texans have been playing than the Titans just giving up a game. The Texans are improving drastically and their offense is starting to become very scary.

Jeff Fisher stated that the wind was a factor, in his decision to go for it on 4^th and 3 instead of kicking the field goal while being down 12 – 13. Although I don’t think a fade down the sideline is a good decision either.

Could Leon Washington and Darren Sproles be starting backs for a NFL team? They have tremendous talent.

What an amazing finish in the Chargers and Chiefs game. First the Chargers are going to lose, then they are going to win, now they might lose, but then they end up winning. Did you catch all of that? Santa came early when the Chiefs gift wrapped the win, with a missed field goal that would’ve put them up for good.

Talk about gifts, J.P. Losman was King Santa Clause if there was such a thing. With the Bills holding a 3 point lead, he dropped back to pass for some odd reason and fumbled the ball. The Jets went to take it into the end zone. The Bills got it back twice after that with Losman throwing some picks to end the game. Remember the article about drafting the worst players for the best score, Losman is the waiver pick up of the week.

Lets take a look at the possible running back candidates for the Pro Bowl. First the AFC is clear. Thomas Jones, Steve Slaton and Chris Johnson should be in. Amazing that 2 rookies top the list. Now who is the alternate……..Ladanian Tomlinson…Yuck. Yes, he is actually 4^th in the AFC in rushing yards, with nobody in the rearview mirror. MJD could make a good argument, but how LT is that high nobody knows.

The NFC running back situation is stacked. Adrian Peterson and Michael Turner may be a lock for the Pro Bowl, but after that it becomes unclear. How about DeAngelo Williams who has exploded as of late, or it has to be Clinton Portis who was a MVP candidate. You can not count out the trusty Westbrook or even Brandon Jacobs.

It is going to be hard for people to give LT a chance in next year’s draft. Sure one season will not negate his legacy but we only remember what people have done for us lately and LT has dropped faster than the stock market.

It’s Christmas season and I must admit, the cheeriness of the season is mighty infectious. I was just over at my boy Corey Koehler’s website, Music Goat, listening to some quality off-beat Christmas music and felt inspired to write a post dedicated to the top 16 things I’m thankful for this holiday season. Why 16? Partly because it’s a pretty arbitrary number, and I do love arbitrary numbers, and partly because it’s December 16th.

Without further ado, here are the top 16 things I’m thankful for this holiday season. Feel free to add your own in the comments!

16. Sports Data Hub - It’s made analyzing statistics super easy, thus freeing up more time in my day to visit YouTube, Facebook, and check my Gmail even more often than is necessary. I’m already looking forward to the offseason so I can take full advantage of it for my preseason analysis!

15. NFL Network - Do other pro sports have their own channel? Probably. I guess I really don’t know because, if they do, they just don’t compare with NFL Network. With games during the season and 24/7 football reporting year round, this is the channel for any football fan to watch.

14. Seinfeld - It’s that time of year for stations to begin airing the Festivus episode, one of my all-time favorites. This show is truly standing the test of time and because so many stations carry it, Jerry Seinfeld remains (when I last checked, a couple months ago) the second highest paid actor in the television business, thanks to royalties.

13. Kenny Mayne - Maybe it takes a certain sense of humor to really appreciate SportsCenter’s funniest anchor, but check out some of his clips on ESPN.com and tell me he isn’t the funniest guy in sports. Go ahead, try to convince me.

12. Sports Blogs - I blog. I read blogs. You may do both, too. Either way, blogging has opened the doors for thousands of fans to get their opinions published. It’s great for sports and it’s awesome for anyone with a fantasy football team.

11. Snow - Football in the snow is great. It might be frigid cold in the stands when it’s blizzardous and it might make tailgating hazardous, but there’s something special about a football game played in the snow. The Ice Bowl? Greatest. Game. Ever.

10. Christmas Songs - Nothing gets me in the mood for Christmas like some quality holiday tunes. It puts me in the spirit, as I chug one more glass of eggnog the only time of year it’s acceptable to do so.

9. Madden NFL Football Games - It’s always fun to play a competitive game of Madden football, and it’s great for re-inforcing some player names in my head. Online play is great, but there’s something inexplicably satisfying about doing a victory dance in front of your last opponent.

8. ESPN - The worldwide leader, baby. SportsCenter, Mike and Mike, Kenny Mayne (see number 13), ESPN.com, ESPN 8: The Ocho - plain and simple, ESPN rules. The best personalities in sports tend to gravitate toward the best network, and where would we all be if Mel Kiper didn’t offer his wisdom year in and out on ESPN’s NFL Draft show?

7. YouTube - Whether you need to kill 15 minutes or 3 hours, YouTube is the place to do it. Go watch a baby laugh, see Frank Caliendo do Jim Rome, or watch an “outtake” (see spoof) of The Dark Night. It’s just so darn entertaining!

6. Yahoo.com - In my opinion, Yahoo Fantasy Sports is still the best place to host a fantasy sports league. It’s free, simple, everyone has a Yahoo account, and it’s free.

5. Monster energy drinks - I’m gonna be honest with you: I wouldn’t even be able to function without several solid daily doses of caffeine, and Monster is my favorite way to get it, though Starbucks Doubleshots come in at a very close second.

4. The National Football League - The NFL is hot right now, and for good reason. It’s the best sport to watch on television with a group of friends, especially if they’re in your fantasy football league, and it’s immensely rewarding to go see a live game or tailgate in the parking lot when one is going on. It’s just so … indescribably perfect.

3. Fantasy Football - I just can’t get enough of fantasy football. I love to play it, I love to talk about it, I love to write about it. I’m so glad my brothers got me started several (like years ago. I owe them one for that!

2. Christmas - How could I go an entire list without mentioning my favorite holiday? It’s a day of giving (and receiving!), family, love, and all those other gushy things I typically don’t get the opportunity to write about. It’s the one season each year everyone gets a warm and fuzzy feeling inside and can get away with drinking eggnog (it bore repeating). Plus, we all get the chance to string 1000s of Christmas lights everywhere while everyone with a “green” agenda can just sit and stare. I love Christmas!

1. Family and Friends - This is the season of friends and family, of love and giving. No matter where we live or what our differences, we can always find a way to get together and have a happy holidays with those in our lives we care most about.

Thank you for reading and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!!!

With the fantasy football playoffs going on for the next 3 to 4 weeks many owners know that this is not the time to lose any of their match-ups. You need your quarterback to produce a “Drew Brees” like 300 yard game, or your running back to produce a “DeAngelo Williams” 4 touchdown performance. The consequences are even greater than the Alabama loss to Florida in the college football world. Alabama winds up playing Utah in their bowl game. No. Your loss is could be much worse. A playoff loss will wind you up moneyless, and hoping that somehow next year everyone will go brain-dead and Adrian Peterson will drop to you at the 9th pick. What a horrible scenario. While you ponder that, check out this week’s notes:

You might have won your fantasy football playoff game with this team

QB - Seneca Wallace – 212 Yds, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 47 Rush Yds, 1 FL
RB - Pierre Thomas – 102 Rush Yds, 1 TD, 1 Rec, 7 Yds, 1 TD
RB - Ryan Grant – 104 Rush Yds, 1 TD, 1 Rec, 8 Yds
WR - Deion Branch – 4 Rec, 88 Yds, 2 TDs
WR - Kevin Walter – 6 Rec, 146 Yds, 1 TD
TE - Visanthe Shiancoe – 5 Rec, 65 Yds, 1 TD

You might have lost your fantasy football playoff game with this team

QB - Tony Romo – 210 Yds, 1 TD, 3 INTs, 1 FL
RB - Clinton Portis – 32 Rush Yds, 3 Rec, 14 Yds, 0 TDs, 1 FL
RB - Marshawn Lynch – 31 Rush Yds, 1 Rec, 4 Yds, 0 TDs
WR - Hines Ward – 1 Rec, 2 Yds, 0 TDs
WR - DeSean Jackson – 0 Rec, 0 Yds, -9 Rush Yds
TE - Chris Cooley – 1 Rec, 12 Yds, 0 TDs

Trivia – Who has the most touchdowns for the Saints: Reggie Bush, Deuce McCalister, or Pierre Thomas?

Yes, Pierre Thomas, with 9 overall. Mercy, beau coup!

Greatest collapse – Bills or Jets?

J.P. Losman is the new Rex Grossman

Next week Baltimore will play Pittsburgh. If it was possible, this score would yield negative points. These two teams are defensive juggernauts.

Dallas’ next three games: Giants, Ravens, Eagles……See you next year…

How important is running back depth in fantasy football. In one league I had Marion Barber, Frank Gore, Matt Forte and Ronnie Brown. In a matter of 2 weeks, I am without Barber and Gore for the playoffs. My strongest part of my team is now my weakest. I kind of feel like the Broncos. They have injuries to Michael Pittman, Selvin Young and Peyton Hillis. Luckily, I don’t think I need to bring on Tatum Bell.

Look at this scenario. The Atlanta Falcons let Matt Shaub go to the Houston Texans. Michael Vick goes to jail for doggie charges. Then they draft Matt Ryan, who has been stellar as current Falcons QB. In the end the Falcons, Texans, and Roddy White all win, Vick and all dogs across America lose.

Welcome back, Deion Branch.

LT is human, but Westbrook is might be super-human. Tomlison has struggled with a toe injury all year and has posted career lows and mediocre play. Meanwhile, Westbrook has had to deal with rib, knee and ankle injuries and maybe arm, wrist, back, foot or any other type of injury that is possible………It doesn’t matter, Westbrook continues to produce. We all thought he was not able to do much in week 14 against the Giants, but he rushes for 131 yards, 1 td and 72 receiving yards and 1 td.

Tavaris Jackson was benched as the starter in favor of Gus Frerotte, but when Frerotte got injured Jackson had his chance to make a difference. We all learned something from last Sunday. You can be a low-quality quarterback, such as Jackson, and still beat the Lions. Ouch.

Between 2003 – 2007 the Lions have drafted four receivers in Charles Rodgers, Roy Williams, Mike Williams, and Calvin Johnson. With the Lions on their way to their next number 1 pick, please, oh please do not draft Michael Crabtree. Please.

Attention. The Browns have not scored a touchdown in 12 quarters. That is all.

The Patriots barely beat a lowly Seattle team 24 – 21. If this was last year, they would have beat them 56 – 10 and would be going for 80 yard touchdown bombs on 4th and 1, while up by 28 points. How quickly things change, when your most important player is lost for the season.

Ever since the Eagles and Bengals tied last week, everyone is talking about the NFL overtime rules, and if they should be changed. Not to mention the criticizing of Donovan McNabb for not knowing the overtime rules and that a game can end in a tie. If anything people should be criticizing McNabb for tying….against the Bengals, but I digress.

So just for the fun of it here are some ideas that the NFL could consider changing overtime to…….

College overtime –
This one is obvious and has many supporters.

Each team will get a chance from the 25 to score. If the score is still tied, then they both get another chance. After three rounds, teams must go for two after a score. This could make overtimes more exciting, but some might say it takes away the special teams aspect of the game. So…..

Kick return overtime –
This can be done fast and teams can get back home for dinner much faster
Each team gets a chance to return a kick off. The team who returns it the farthest wins. Simple…….. Wait what is that you say? How dare we leave it up to second and third stringers to determine the outcome of a game. So…..
Penetration – This overtime type focuses on offense and defense only and is much quicker than the college overtime.

The ball starts at the 50 yard line. The first team gets x number of plays to get as many yards as they can, or even score a touchdown. If the first team scores a touchdown, the second team takes over at the 50 and has their x number of plays to score, if they do not then they lose.

If the first team does not score the second team will take over and go back the other way from where the other team was stopped.  They would need to get past the 50 to win. So if the first team gets to the 25, the second must get past the 50 (more than 25 yards) to win the game.

Got it?

Modified sudden death overtime -
If you like the current overtime but do not like the coin toss outcome then here might be you solution…
Everything works the same, there still is a coin toss to determine who gets the ball first, although the first series will determine the difference. If the team that gets the ball first scores, the other team will automatically get one possession to score. If the first team does not score on the first possession and punts it away, the overtime works as normal and the first to score from then on wins.
The advantage to this is that the team who gets the ball first does not have a higher chance to win.

This idea eliminates the unfairness of the coin toss, although a tie is still possible.

While you ponder on these ideas, you can leave some comments of your own. I would love to hear your ideas…..

Maybe we can confuse McNabb even more….

• Braylon please stop dropping the ball
• Marques Colston, now you see him, now you don’t
• Who will collapse first: Ford, GM or the Detroit Lions
• I’m starting to think that the Lions might have a better chance at trying to tie the opponent since they cannot get a win
• Delhomme had 98 yards passing against the lowly Lions, but when 2 of your running backs go for over 100 yards rushing, you can’t complain.
• DeAngelo Williams does not want to give up his spot. Jonathan Stewart, you are going to have to take it from him.
• If you had the Steelers defense and were down 5 or less, then you are very angry that the refs called back the Polamalu touchdown at the end of the game.
• The Bills benefited from a very soft schedule at the beginning of the season and made people think they were for real. Lets go back and look at their schedule: Seahawks, Jaguars, Raiders, Rams, Cardinals, Chargers. They beat everyone except the Cardinals and were a deceptive 5-1. Since then they have lost 4 straight.
• The dolphins cupcake schedule comes at the right time, next month they have: St Louis, Buffalo, San Francisco, and Kansas City.
• Note to the Eagles: give Westbrook the ball
• I always think it is amazing how people get down on someone so quick after they have one off day. It’s amazing how Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco can be so effective and praised every week, and then put to the fire after one bad game.
• I see that same thing happening to the 10 – 0 Titans. When they lose their first game, many people will have that “told you so” attitude, like they forgot every good thing the Titans have done this year.
• Tatum Bell has not stolen any of his Bronco teammate’s bags…….yet.
• Peyton Hillis, playing better than former Arkansas teammates, Felix Jones and Darren McFadden.

You probably won your league game with this team:

QB - Tyler Thigpen – 266 Yds, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 26 Rush Yds

RB - Willis McGahee – 112 Rush Yds, 2 TDs, 1 Rec, 9 Yds

RB - Thomas Jones – 149 Rush Yds, 3 TDs

WR - Kevin Walter – 4 Rec, 85 Yds, 1 TD

WR - Mark Bradley – 9 Rec, 81 Yds, 1 TD

TE - Dustin Keller – 6 Rec, 107 Yds, 1 TD

You probably lost your league game with this team:

QB - Jake Delhomme – 72 Yds, 1 TD, 4 INTs

RB - Marshawn Lynch – 46 Rush Yds, 0 TD

RB - Brian Westbrook – 26 Rush Yds, 0 TDs, 3 Rec, 33 Yds

WR - Steve Smith – 1 Rec, 9 Yds, 0 TDs

WR - Bernard Berrian – 0 Rec, 0 Yds

TE - Jeremy Shockey – 2 Rec, 16 Yds, 0 TDs

• The Bears made up their mind and decided to make Collins beat them through the air, by stacking 8 men in the box. Well, Collins did end up beating them through the air with a 289 – 2 touchdown performance. To give the Bears credit they did limit the two backs to just 22 yards rushing.
• Good ole Rex….Devin Hester had his man beat deep and Grossman over threw him. Yes, he managed to overthrow Hester, who had 4.2 speed.
• Titans can run or pass to beat you, dare I say the only way to stop the Titans is to allow Vince Young back in the game………
• This week coming up: Carolina plays Detroit, Philly plays Cincy, New Orleans Plays Kansas City. Just sayin…….
• LT continues to struggle to put up stellar numbers and against a weak defense at that. ( A team that gave up 332 rushing yards against the Titans in week 7) The Chiefs were riddled with injuries but managed to keep LT from having a big day.
• The Broncos had to add Tatum Bell this week, he comes with a lot of baggage, lets just hope none of them are Rudi Johnson’s.
• The Chiefs might have finally found their quarterback for the future. Good thing too, because their other choices were Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard.
• Speaking of the AFC West, only the Raiders can limit a quarterback to 7 of 27, with a 12.3 passer rating, and still lose the game by double-digits.
• The Lions must have thought that if they wore their throwbacks they could somehow forget how horrible they are and win a game with an alternate identity…….Lions are still winless.
• If the Chargers lost the game to the Chiefs on Sunday the standings would have been: San Diego 3 - 6 Kansas City 2 - 7

Here is my weekly blog of the quick notes from the past week. Usually this will be post much earlier in the week.

Here we go……

-          The Titans are not the 2007 Patriots. They do not blow teams out or post amazing video game type numbers. They just win. They win with 2^nd rate receivers and back up quarterback. They also win with a stout defense and a dominant rushing attack.

      -    The Redskins were proof that not turning over the ball will help you win games. 

           Jason Campbell had thrown 0 interceptions up until last week. He threw 2 against

           The Steelers. Oh and it did not help that he was sacked 7 times either.

-         Peyton Hillis played the “Brandon Marshall” role, catching 7 passes for 116 yards. All while Brandon Marshall played the “Peyton Hillis” role, catching 2 passes for only 26 yards. Oh yeah, Peyton Hillis is a fullback…..

-         Braylon, Braylon Braylon…..You catch a nice Jump ball in the end-zone and then go out and beat your defender deep and drop the ball for a sure touchdown. Yuck.

-         Great job Mr Ocho Cinco/Johnson. He caught two touchdowns and torched Mathis for a possible third TD but Fitzpatrick overthrew him by 15 yards.

-         Also, did anyone notice that he handed the ball to the ref after his second touchdown.

-         The Bengals also won their first game of the season against the Jaguars. Look out     

            but the winless Lions play the Jags next week.

-         After the bye, Cincinnati plays Philly, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Indianapolis, and

Washington. Unless those teams somehow get kicked out of the league, there is no way the Bengals will go 7-0 like Marvin Lewis stated. However they do play the Browns and the Chiefs in weeks 16 and 17. The Bengals “thank you” Mr. Commissioner.

-         How in the world did Tampa bay let a quarterback, let alone Tyler Thigpen, run down the field unnoticed for a 37 yard touchdown reception?

-         Raiders – Minus 2 yards at half-time. 0 first downs.

-         Chicago Bears starting quarterback for week 10 – Rex Grossman…….

-         Chicago Bears next opponent: Tennessee Titans…..

-         Cedric Benson had 104 yards and 1 touchdown on Sunday. I can not believe I just wrote that.

-         We get to see this week if Tomlinson is finally recovered and can add to his big performance against the Saints two weeks ago. Well LT you are in luck, you get to play against the lowly Chiefs this week. Fantasy owners rejoice!

-         21 – 43. The combined record of the NFC and AFC West. On top of that, Detroit and Cincinnati are not even in either division.

-         You may have one your league game with this line up:

QB - Gus Frerotte – 182 Yds, 3 TDs, 1 INT

RB - Ray Rice – 154 Rush Yds, 3 Rec, 22 Yds

RB - Peyton Hillis – 0 Rush Yds, 7 Rec, 116 Yds, 1 TD

WR - Michael Jenkins – 2 Rec, 64 Yds, 2 TDs

WR - Koren Robinson – 4 Rec, 105 Yds, 1 TD

TE - Brent Celek – 6 Rec, 131 Yds

-         You probably lost your league game with this line up:

QB - Brett Favre – 201 Yds, 0 TDs, 1 INT

RB - Steven Jackson – 17 Rush Yds, 0 TDs

RB - Joseph Addai – 32 Rush Yds, 0 TDs, 2 Rec, 10 Yds

WR - Brandon Marshall – 2 Rec, 27 Yds, 0 TDs

WR - Plaxico Burress – 3 Rec, 34 Yds, 0 TDs

TE - Jason Witten – 0 Rec, 0 Yds   

- Brandon Marshall came back from suspension and looked great. His “Baby TO” nickname is not far off, catching 18 passes in one game, which rivaled Terrell Owens record of 20 catches in a single game.

- One the other hand, Braylon Edwards might be the new “Baby TO”. He has dropped 5 passes in 2 games. He will have a tough time catching 16 TD passes this season, after stating he will double Michaels Phelps 8 gold medals, with 16 scores.

- Rookie running backs are making statements early in the season. Which one has been more impressive? Take your pick – Matt Forte, Jonathan Stewart, Chris Johnson, Darren McFadden……..

- I don’t think Green Bay is missing Brett Favre

- What team could Darren Sproles start for next year? He amassed 317 total yards, while taking over for LaDainian Tomlinson. Just to think that he was 3rd on the depth chart behind LT and Michael Turner last year.

- Two heartbreaking losses for the Chargers in two weeks. (Referee goof aside), this is not a good start for a team that was likely to make it to the championship.

- I would not count out the Patriots just because they have lost their leader for the season. Although they will be more conservative, Matt Cassel is a decent replacement and if he continues to play mistake free, you will find them in the post season.

- On that note, Matt Cassel is not the next Tom Brady.

- Wow, the Bills are turning some heads. Trent Edwards is playing very well, as is the defense. They could make some noise later in the season.

- Welcome back Santana Moss.

- Greg Jennings, Calvin Johnson and Brandon Marshall could be fighting for the top wide receiver honors this season.

- Fantasy Football advice: Play anybody who is going up against St Louis, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Kansas City.

- The Panthers, so far have beat San Diego and Chicago, two pretty good teams. Although, they can win without Steve Smith, they will be happy to welcome him back in week 3.

- Who did Matt Hasselbeck throw to this week?

- I think that Vince Young’s lack of losing in college might contribute to his current mental state.

Check for next week’s, Note This: