MVP means “Most Valuable Player”. This can be determined by knowing that if a certain player was removed from the team, the team would not be very successful. Seeing that the quarterback is the most celebrated position in football, it gives them the advantage in the MVP voting. Peyton Manning, although deserving, will knock out many other well-deserving candidates because he is the field general for his team.

The quarterback can get praise on nearly every play even if all they did was dump the ball off. Lets say Manning dumps the ball off to Addai and Addai makes 4 people miss, and out sprints two other players to score a 71 yard touchdown. Even though Addai did all the work, Manning will get praise and the stats too.

So is the MVP race unfair to people in other positions? From 1957 – 2008, a span of 51 years, the quarterback was chosen MVP 31 times. That is 60% of the time. It gets even worse for players who aren’t a quarterback or a running back. Running backs were chosen 17 times in that same time period. So 94% of the time a quarterback or runningback has been chosen as MVP.

Manning will go ahead and win the MVP award over Jerome Harrison and Adrian Peterson, who by the way led the league in rushing with mediocre quarterback play, which only makes it harder since there are so many 8 men in the box defenses. I’m not saying that Manning shouldn’t win it but it does default to him because of the quarterback position. It is just harder to say that Michael Turner led his team to the playoffs then it is to say Peyton Manning did.

Same goes with the Rookie of the Year award. Chris Johnson, Matt Forte and Steve Slaton have been stellar although, Matt Ryan will probably get the nod. In Chris Johnson’s case most of the attention was on Kerry Collins during the year.

 Although with right reason the quarterback gets most of the praise and most of the blame,  many players miss out on the award just because of a “QB” next to a Peyton Manning as opposed to “RB” next to Adrian Peterson.

Any given preseason, if I ask you, who you think will win MVP this season, you’ll probably throw out some names like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson, or LaDainian Tomlinson. Maybe not those exact players, but you get the idea: the names you pick will always, always, be on offense and they’ll probably line up in the backfield. Before the season starts no one is gutsy enough to say, “Actually, I think Brian Urlacher has a real shot this season.”

I could argue this is because of fantasy football and fans today care more about numbers than in the past, and to some extent perhaps this is true. It’s why most fans look at Trent Edwards and see a player who has thrown for at least 2 touchdowns in just one game this season, rather than a quarterback who has been pretty solid in his second season as a pro. He hit some rough spots but his wins/losses column (7-6) is pretty good, considering the team around him.

But fantasy football isn’t why fans don’t look to defense when picking an MVP. No, this habit goes back to the idea the quarterback is the most important player on the field, and the only time another position should win the award is when his value compensates for the lack of value at quarterback and keeps his team competitive. The only position where you can be certain a player is making this level of impact is running back.

Look at defense. Now, I know a disruptive defensive lineman is important, but is he the most valuable player in the NFL? Can he win football games? This argument is difficult because defenders rarely score touchdowns. They can be part of a unit that prevents opponents from scoring points, but is that the same thing?

Look at Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware. If he tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage three times this weekend in Philadelphia, he’ll break the single season sack record with 23. He’s been pretty doggone disruptive this season, no doubt about it. After all, one can only guess the number of times he’s pressured the quarterback and hurried him into a bad decision or the number of times he drew an extra blocker, freeing up someone else on the defense to sack the quarterback or create a disruption. He forces opposing offensive coordinators to game plan differently, to focus more attention on him. Dallas’s defense has been pretty good this season, ranking 4th against the pass and 8th in total yards allowed, but can one argue he is the league’s most valuable player?

How do we measure the value of an individual player in a game which stresses teamwork? Numbers, usually, but those numbers are dependent on the actions of the players surrounding the star, whether he is on offense or defense. Tom Brady passed for 50 touchdowns last season and certainly deserved the MVP award, but watching games in which he played at least one thing was certainly obvious: his offensive line gave him more than enough time in the pocket.

Players do not make things happen without the support of teammates, not in football. In baseball, sure, it’s possible. In basketball, yeah, there’s no doubt. But in football, players are in sync when things go right and out of sync when things go wrong. A quarterback may pass for 50 touchdowns in a season, but someone caught those passes and others threw blocks to give him an extra split-second to make a decision.

No, numbers alone do not justify an MVP. Intangible qualities, those things we have no certain way of measuring, such as leadership and tenacity and coolness under pressure, do. There are times a player may not put up the numbers of his peers, but he can rally his teammates around him and push them to give everything they have and just a little bit more. He is a valuable player.

Records are broken as a result of an alignment of the stars and a dash of luck for good measure. Teams winning games and performing beyond expectations or realistic boundaries; teams playing better than they look on paper; this is where we should look to find the MVP. Forget the stars that turn our fantasy teams into juggernauts; let’s instead look to the players who turn their teams into winners, even against the odds.

A lot of college football fans will tell you the BCS is terrible, unfair, and the goofiest invention sports could create. They’ll point to the 65-team college basketball bracket, praise March Madness, and tell you a playoff system is the way to go.

But too often overlooked is the NFL’s playoff system and its flaws. As much as I love the NFL, it’s hardly perfect, and one of the league’s most glaring issues is a postseason system rewarding teams that do well enough to win their respective division, while telling other teams with better records, tough luck but maybe next year.

After this weekend, either the Denver Broncos or San Diego Chargers will make the postseason with fewer than ten wins. If the Chargers win, they’ll have eight. Now, neither of these two teams has shown it is a legitimate playoff team. Yet one will host a playoff game the first week of the postseason because it was the “best” team in a bad division.

Is this fair? Shouldn’t we be bothered by the fact another team with a better record and a better shot at winning in the postseason will not be afforded an opportunity because it was in a more competitive division?

In the NFC, too, we can look at the Cardinals in the NFC South. They have an 8-7 record and the division is wrapped up. They were taken to the woodshed this past weekend and thrashed, 47-7, by the New England Patriots, who may not make the postseason but have a better overall record this season. The Cardinals have the 9th best record in the NFC, but they’ll be one of six teams playing in January.

In the BCS, a late season blowout like the one Arizona received would no doubt take them out of any sort of consideration. But not in the NFL. In the NFL, they played well enough to make the postseason because the 2nd best team in their division has six wins. In any other division in the NFC, the Cardinals have, at most, the 3rd best record. In the East and South they’re tied for dead last.

Or consider this final glitch. The Indianapolis Colts could win this weekend and wind up with a 12-4 (.750) record, and they’ll still play their first game on the road. But if the Chargers can beat the erratic Broncos, they’ll finish 8-8 (.500) and play their first game at home. If nothing else, shouldn’t a team with four more wins be rewarded with home field advantage?

Perhaps the BCS isn’t a perfect system, but neither is the NFL’s playoffs. In the NFL, the regular season is important, but its important is dependent on the division. Some teams can afford to lose half their games and still find themselves in the playoffs with the same opportunity as a team that won 75 percent of its games. Others will scrap for 10 or 11 wins and wind up snubbed because they can’t win their division or finish with the second best record among non-division winners.

Where’s the fairness? Where’s the reward for teams who proved they can win down the stretch? It’s nowhere to be found in the NFL, so perhaps, rather than focus on adding more regular season games (terrible idea) the NFL can instead opt to adjust its all too flawed postseason system. It certainly needs a tune up.

These players had high hopes coming into the season and you were likely to draft at least on of them. Here is a recap of the most disappointing players in fantasy.

Derek Anderson – Anderson was the whole reason why Brady Quinn was sitting on the bench last year and the beginning of this year. Anderson broke out last year with 3,787 yards and and 32 total touchdowns. This year has all he has done is create headaches. He has started 9 games before being pulled in favor of Quinn, and only has 9 touchdowns to compliment his 8 interceptions.

Ladainian Tomlinson – Tomlinson can take the crown for being the biggest fantasy bust. Just this past week he broke 1,000 yards rushing, after 15 games. He has struggled against bad defenses, such as the Chiefs and Broncos, gaining no more that 78 yards. He is posting a career low 3.6 yards per carry. This would be ok if we knew Tomlinson was a mediocre back but he isn’t. I wonder how many people are going to pass on him in next year’s draft.

Willis McGahee – McGahee was a decent option last year when he rushed for over 1,200 yards. This year he was supposed to be the starter but has been taken over by Le’Ron McCalin and Ray Rice. In two games that he was healthy, he didn’t even see the field. This might be a good thing since he is averaging a career low 3.4 yards per carry. Next….

Reggie Bush – As a running back Reggie Bush does not run the ball effectively. Seeing that his is a RB, that should be his main strength. He only has 404 yards and 2 rushing touchdowns in the 10 games he has played. He is a very good pass catcher but so is Westbrook and at least he gets it done on the ground. If you aren’t in a PPR league, Bush hurts you even more. Once Bush learns that the field is not a dance floor, then he could be effective. Not to mention his continuing injuries could shut down his disco for good.

Braylon Edwards – One thing is certain, Braylon comes to play on Monday Nights. He has had 100 yard games on the three MNF appearances. How about the other Sunday games…..well, not so much. He has only scored 3 touchdowns all season, and this is after he stated that he would score at least 16. It must be cold in Cleveland because Braylon Edward’s hands have been like an ice cube. He has dropped so many passes that you would have got him confused with T.O.

Torry Holt – Holt is usually a viable number 1 option for your team. This year he might have been the number 1 bust on your bench. He had 93 receptions last year and this year he only has totaled 54. There are only two games left! He has come on as of late totaling at least 60 yards in the past two games…..which isn’t saying much. He also had two games where he did not even even muster 10 yards. On a high note, at least he didn’t fumble all season.

Chad Johnson – Chad Ocho Stinko has hurt your fantasy team more than Carson Palmer’s injury. Considering he had almost 1,500 receiving yards last year, you expected big things from the end zone entertainer. It is week 16 and he has only 540 yards, no 100 yard games, and his longest reception has went for a measly 26 yards. Ouch.

Seattle Seahawks Defense – The Seahawks came into this year as a sleeper type defense with talent all over the field. With Lofa Tatupu, Julian Peterson, Marcus Trufant, Patrick Kerney, and Deon Grant they looked prime to do some damage. Well, all they did was hurt themselves with their 31^st ranked pass defense and their 28^th ranking in total yards.

As the regular season wraps up and most people are recovering from their fantasy football season defeat, here is a look at some of the surprises that the NFL offered up this year.

The Tom Brady Injury

When Tom Brady got injured for the season, it cost the Patriots, countless fantasy owners, and the NFL. Tom Brady proves that a single player can affect one teams whole season. Sure Matt Cassel has played well as Brady’s replacement, but the Patriots are not the same. They are not even in the playoffs as of right now, let alone blowing teams out like a game of Madden 08. Not to mention that Brady is like the poster boy for the NFL.

The success of rookie running backs

We all expected Darren McFadden to be successful which didn’t quite pan out, although many other rookie running backs took center stage.

Chris Johnson, Steve Slaton, and Matt Forte are all in the top ten in rushing yards; 6^th, 7^th. And 8^th respectively. This is more yards than Frank Gore, Marion Barber, Brian Westbrook and Ladanian Tomlinson. Jonathan Stewart and Kevin Smith are both in the top 20. Chris Johnson made the Pro Bowl, with Slaton and Forte possibly being snubbed out. On any note the rookie running backs have had a stellar year.

The Emergence of Matt Ryan

No Michael Vick, no Matt Shaub, no problem. With no sure fire candidate in this past year’s draft, the Falcons chose the best available with Matt Ryan and boy were they pleasantly surprised. Matt Ryan has thrown for 3,146 yards and 14 touchdowns through 14 games and has put Atlanta in the position to make the playoffs. He has also vaulted Roddy White, who is having his best year with 1,310 yards receiving and 6 touchdowns.

The Emergence of Tyler Thigpen

With the injuries to Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle the Chiefs had to turn to Tyler Thigpen, who was just a joke up until now. He very well could be the Chiefs quarterback for years to come. Last year, Thigpen played in one game and was 2 for 6, with 41 yards and 1 interception. This year he has 2,097 yards, 15 touchdowns in the 9 games he has started. He also has rushed for 2 touchdowns and even caught a touchdown. Things might be looking up for the 2-win Chiefs.

The Downfall of Ladainian Tomlinson

It has been hard to watch Tomlinson this year. If you drafted Tomlinson in your fantasy draft I am truly sorry. Although LT has struggled with a toe injury, it is hard to imagine that this is the same back that put up 31 total touchdowns in 2006. This year after 14 games, Tomlinson has not eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards and only has 9 total touchdowns. His YPG is tied for a career low at 3.6, something he hasn’t done since his rookie year. Some question his desire to play anymore and some don’t think he can do it anymore. These are strong opinions considering LT is likely to see the Hall of Fame. However, this season has truly been disappointing.

The Eagles tie with the Bengals

This is a double whammy, are we more surprised that the two teams tied, or that McNabb didn’t know that games could end in a tie? This is the first time a game has ended in a tie since 2002, when the Falcons and Steelers ended the game 34-34.  Bonus whammy….the eagles actually tied the 1 win Bengals.

The bad Officiating

This may not be a surprise to some since everyone complains about refs but this year has seen its fair share of blown calls.

Just this past week, the questionable call on the Santonio Holmes’ catch in the endzone that gave the Steelers a win. The original call was that it was not a touchdown. The rules state that a call cannot be reversed unless there is indisputable evidence, which was not the case. The problem with the call is that if it was not reversed, it would have been 4^th and inches and Tomlin would have to choose to go for the win or go to overtime.

How about week 2, when Ed Hochuli’s inadvertent whistle negated the Jay Cutler fumble that would’ve won the game for the Chargers.

Remember the late Troy Polamalu interception that was called back, which cost many gamblers lots of money.

In week 4 Julius Peppers was called for a roughing the passer penalty, which eliminated a Panther interception return for a touchdown. Peppers hit Matt Ryan right at the release of the ball and not late.

There are plenty more surprises, but I’ll let you get back to sulking because your fantasy football season is over.

With three weeks left in the NFL’s regular season, the NFC playoff picture is shaping up to be a heckuva tight race. Eleven teams in the National Football Conference have at least seven wins this season, including all four teams in the East and South divisions, and only three teams have more than eight wins. Put another way, eight teams in the NFC have either seven or eight wins, meaning these final three games carry a great deal of weight.

Let’s take a look at the four divisions individually and project some finishes.

NFC South

Current Standings

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3)

2. Carolina Panthers (9-3)

3. Atlanta Falcons (8-5)

4. New Orleans Saints (7-6)

Without a doubt the NFC South is the tightest race in the NFC. Two games separate the first and last teams, and the final three weeks feature some interesting matchups: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta and Carolina at New Orleans. Each of those games could prove critical, especially because no team has an easy route to the postseason, although it isn’t hard to argue Carolina has the most difficult road to travel, with games against Denver, (at) New York (Giants), and (at) New Orleans. Looking at the individual schedules, I think it’s fair to project Tampa Bay will take the division if it can earn a win next week at Atlanta.

NFC East

Current Standings

1. New York Giants (11-2 - Clinched)

2. Dallas Cowboys (8-5)

3. Philadelphia Eagles (7-5-1)

4. Washington Redskins (7-6)

Though the New York Giants have already clinched a playoff berth and is working to secure homefield advantage throughout, the rest of the division is still scrapping for a Wild Card spot. The Cowboys were red hot before falling to Pittsburgh week 14, leaving the door open for both Philadelphia and Washington. Of the three teams, however, only Philadelphia has a winning streak (2 games) and the slight advantage over Washington, having a tie instead of a loss. Unfortunately, the Eagles also face difficulty weeks 16 and 17, playing both the Cowboys and Redskins. Winning both of those games would ensure second place in the division, but it may take winning all three to have any shot at a Wild Card berth because of the depth of talent in the South.

NFC North

Current Standings

1. Minnesota Vikings (8-5)
2. Chicago Bears (7-6)
3. Green Bay Packers (5-8)
4. Detroit Lions (0-13)

This race comes down to Chicago vs. Minnesota, and it’s one that should be tight. The NFC North projects sending only the division winner to the postseason. Because both teams have very difficult weeks ahead, the advantage is probably Minnesota’s, especially when considering the Vikings have won three straight and have a temporarytie-breaker, with one more division win than the Bears who play the Packers at home week 16.

NFC West

Current Standings

1. Arizona Cardinals (8-5 - clinched)
2. San Francisco 49ers (5-8)
3. Seattle Seahawks (2-11)
4. St. Louis Rams (2-11)

There isn’t much to say here. The Cardinals have already clinched a berth and the rest of the division is eliminated.

Projections

These are just some projections I’m going to make for the sake of it. Take them with a grain of salt because your guess is as good as mine. Still, here’s what I’m thinking:

Division Winners (and projected seed order)

1. New York

2. Tampa Bay

3. Minnesota

4. Arizona

Wild Card Teams

5. Carolina Panthers

6. Philadelphia Eagles

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.

I love quirky NFL statistics. Geeky, I know, but it’s satisfying to find numbers that not enough fans or mediums are talking about because, well, they just don’t know them yet. Perusing the web for a while, I came across the following nuggets that any fan can appreciate. Some shine a new light on a certain players and others mean absolutely nothing. In any event, I hope you enjoy reading this batch as much I did researching them.

1. Among running backs with at least 40 carries, do you know who is leading the NFL in rush attempts per rushing touchdown? Not LenDale White, who scores once every 10.7 carries. The answer is T.J. Duckett, who has scored 6 touchdowns on 45 carries, or once every 7.5 carries. No one else in the NFL with as many attempts scores at least once per 10 or fewer carries.

2. It’s no wonder Drew Brees has so many passing yards this season. (He’s on pace for just under 5,200.) He’s completed 15 passes this season for at least 40 yards, leading the NFL by quite a margin (closest quarterback has 10). Talk about a big play offense! But that doesn’t mean the Saints’ passing game is the only worth mentioning. When Tony Romo is commanding the Cowboys offense, his passes account for at least 40 yards once every 26.6 attempts; Brees can claim one every 28.3 attempts.

3. Among quarterbacks with at least 10 touchdown passes (there are 22), only one has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns: Minnesota’s Gus Frerotte, who has thrown 11 TDs and 12 INTs. Among quarterbacks with fewer than 10 touchdown passes (there are 10), 4 have thrown more interceptions than touchdowns.

4. Not in the last decade (1999) and just four times in the last forty years has a Bears quarterback started more than half the team’s games and finished the season with a passer rating of at least 80.0. Kyle Orton, who has started 10 games for Chicago this season, has a rating of 88.1.

5. In 1992, Brett Favre’s first season with the Green Bay Packers, Number Four passed for 3,227 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Through 11 games this season, Rodgers has 2,599 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions, pacing himself to pass for nearly 500 more yards, at least 6 more touchdowns, and the same number of interceptions.

6. Last season we all praised David Garrard for being very careful with the football and throwing very few interceptions per pass attempt (one interception per 108 attempts). This season, however, he’s had trouble throwing touchdowns - he’s averaging one touchdown per 40 attempts. And interceptions? He’s averaging one of those for every 45 passes.

7. Brett Favre is 4th in the NFL in passing touchdowns this season, with 20. But that’s not the only familiar list of which he is near the top. He’s also leading the NFL with 13 interceptions thrown this season. Favre has thrown for 20 or more interceptions five times in his career, including a record-setting 29 in 2005.

8. Now this is interesting: Jay Cutler is fourth in the NFL in pass attempts with 404 this season, yet he’s been sacked just 7 times this season, fewer than all but Kerry Collins, who has 310 pass attempts this season. In other words, Cutler has been sacked just once every 58.7 times he stepped back to pass.

9. Randy Moss set an NFL record last season by catching 23 touchdown passes. Needless to say, he led the league in said category. This season, though in the midst of an enormous dropoff, he has 8 touchdown receptions. That’s enough to tie him for second, behind only Anquan Boldin, who has 11.

10. Devery Henderson has 23 receptions this season, which, on the surface, doesn’t seem overly impressive. What is impressive, however, is that 5 of those receptions moved the ball at least 40 yards and 3 were touchdowns. The two players who lead the NFL in receptions of at least 40 yards have six - and they have at least 25 more receptions. It’s also worth noting that teammate Robert Meachem has also played a role in the big-play passing game in New Orleans. 3 of his 8 receptions this season went at least 40 yards and he has 2 touchdowns.

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….

Since the Broncos won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1998-1999, the AFC has largely been responsible for winning the league’s championship games. The Patriots, dubbed the 2000s “dynasty” won three, while the Ravens, Colts, and Steelers have chipped in to win another three. In other words, the AFC has won eight of the past eleven Super Bowls and that has prompted some talking heads to say in recent years that the level of competition and parity has gone down considerably and the AFC is top-heavy.

Is that still true?

This season the AFC’s three preseason favorites all look relatively weak when compared with the NFC’s top bundle. The Patriots are without Tom Brady for the remainder of the season and the team was just destroyed by the Miami Dolphins; the Colts as a whole aren’t looking particularly good with an injured Bob Sanders and Peyton Manning still looking rusty in the pocket; and the San Diego Chargers are 0-2 right now and without Shawn Merriman for the rest of the season.

Compare that with the Dallas Cowboys, who are arguably the most talented team in the NFL; the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants are undefeated at this point (and could push the Chargers to 0-3 tomorrow night); and the Green Bay Packers look very strong, with Aaron Rodgers impressing, nay, wowing, even his greatest critics. Throw into the mix the Arizona Cardinals - a team that has looked solid to this point - the Philadelphia Eagles - with one of the NFL’s best offenses - and the Washington Redskins - one of those black horse teams that sneaks up and bites a favorite - and you have the makings of a conference that, when compared to the AFC, looks more top heavy and dominant this season.

The AFC South, which was predicted to be one of the league’s best divisions, now looks comparitively weak. The Titans lead with a 3-0 record and have looked good this season, but the two favorites, Jacksonville and Indianapolis, have looked anything but. And the Texans, though only 0-2, simply aren’t looking as good as they should.

No, it appears that the AFC’s strongest three teams this season are the Denver Broncos (2-0 at the time of this writing and dominating the New Orleans Saints), Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0 and losing,  7-3, at the time of this writing), and the Titans (3-0, but Kerry Collins is the team’s starting quarterback). The Chargers might too be among the best, a team that has so far lost two games on last second, heart breaking drives, but another early season loss and they might wind up a Wild Card team that will play its postseason on the road. Even the lowly Raiders are ahead of them in the division.

So has the distribution of top-level talent and coaching shifted to the NFC again, after a decade-long run for the AFC? It’s certainly beginning to look that way; in fact, it almost appears that the worst team in the NFC East would be able to defeat 80 percent of the AFC.

Which Conference Won, When? (Try saying that five times fast.)

1970-1980 - AFC (The Pittsburgh Steelers were a dynasty, while the Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins were just unlucky to be in the same conference. Between 1970-1979, the AFC snagged eight Super Bowls and only one NFC team - the Dallas Cowboys - was able to win a Super Bowl.)

1981-1996 - NFC (The NFC won 15 of the possible 16 Super Bowls in this span and sparked two separate dynasties: the 49ers of the 1980s and the Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s. The Raiders, who won in 1982, were the only franchise to win one during the AFC’s drought.)

1997-2006 - AFC (In a ten year span the AFC won 8 Super Bowls, with the Patriots leading the way with three and the Broncos being the only other team with at least two. In fact, seven different teams won a Super Bowl in that span, making those ten years the most diverse in NFL history, and I’m certain the next ten will continue that trend.)