Week Sixteen

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I woke up this morning to the great news that finally Drew Brees has broken a long standing NFL record.  Drew Brees is probably one of the most genuinely kind and most respected players in the game today and so I’m extremely happy he has broken Dan Marino’s single season passing yds total.

Drew Brees now has a total of 5087YDS breaking the record of 5084YDS previously set and still has one game to play to increase that record.  It was a double achievement for Brees and the Saints as with the victory last night over the Falcons, the Saints have now clinched the NFC South.

http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/videos/drew-brees-breaks-passing-record/

It was also a great week for my Bills as we won our first game in eight by beating the Broncos and destroying Tebow.  The Bills defence was awesome as they managed to pick Tebow off 4 times with two going back to the house.  Our defence also managed 3 sacks and a forced fumble which Denver managed to recover.

I was so happy that we won this week as it puts me in a positive mood for our game against the Patriots on Sunday for which I am pleased to say that I will be a part of the crowd at Gillette Stadium!  With that I mind I would like to apologise in advance that next week’s blog will be slightly delayed until Thursday when I am back from New York.

The Bills result this week means that the race for the AFC West title will go right to the wire with the Broncos and Raiders on the same record of 8 – 7.  This week with their loss to the Lions it is safe to say the Chargers won’t be making the post season despite my bold prediction last week.

2^nd Down

Let’s now catch up on all of the results from the week 16 action:-

Houston 16 vs 19 Indianapolis

Cleveland 14 vs 20 Baltimore

Denver 14 vs 40 Buffalo

Tampa Bay 16 vs 48 Carolina

Arizona 16 vs 23 Cincinnati

Oakland 16 vs 13 Kansas City

Miami 24 vs 27 New England

New York Giants 29 vs 14 New York Jets

St Louis 0 vs 27 Pittsburgh

Jacksonville 17 vs 23 Tennessee

Minnesota 33 vs 26 Washington

San Diego 10 vs 38 Detroit

Philadelphia 20 vs 7 Dallas

San Francisco 19 vs 17 Seattle

Chicago 21 vs 35 Green Bay

Atlanta 16 vs 45 New Orleans

As usual this week there was another couple of upsets, not quite on the scale of Kansas City last week but upsets none the less.

The Colts managed to beat their division rivals the Texans who have dipped in form slightly lately and is worrying for their playoff outlook.  We also saw the Vikings upsetting the Redskins this week.  I’m sure there are a lot of Redskins fans that are calling for Shanahan’s head but I heard this week that it takes at 3 years before you will start to see major improvements under a new regime.  I say just remember the start to the season you had like us Bills and think positive that next year will be your year and the long awaited Redskins vs Bills Superbowl.  It will happen, trust me ;)

3^rd Down

Let us move swiftly onto my weekly Q & A with EJ!

EJ - Will the Bills fire their head coach and if so, who would you want to hire?

Adri – I really hope that we don’t fire Coach Gailey this year.  I think just like football over here if you want to be successful for a long period then it is a case of getting the right head coach and letting him develop a squad of players that can see us to future success for years to come.  A prime example of this on this side of the pond is Sir Alex Ferguson.  Sir Alex took over as Manager of Manchester United in 1986 but only the football faithful and hardcore fans would know that he was nearly sacked by them in 1990 after not winning any silverware in his first few years at the club.  I have no doubt that they would have been nowhere near as successful without him as manager.  Since the dark early days Sir Alex has gone on to win 12 Premier League titles, 5 FA Cups, 4 League Cups and 2 Champions League’s (European Cups).  Head Coaches like managers need time and so sacking them after two seasons in my opinion gets you nowhere!

 

EJ - Thoughts on the fumblerooski that the panthers pulled off against Houston? Brilliant or cheap?

Adri – Well my friend I have watched the video of this play several times now and I have not once since the ball hit the deck so I think calling it a fumblerooski is a little harsh.  In my eyes it should be known as Carolina’s trick play against the Texans.  We all know that the NFL is all about out foxing your opponents and the Panthers certainly did that and foxing the fans and commentators was just an added bonus.  I totally praise the coordinators for that call!

EJ -  Most exciting/memorable play of the season up to this point?

Adri – I have had several memorable moments this year so far which I will share the links to below.  First up is from this weekend.  You will not see this in any other sport and shows the doubters that they need to ‘Sit on it’ in the words of the Fonz!  The play that I am referring to is Jerome Simpsons TD for the Bengals, check out this great show of athleticism, I believe it got a nine out of ten from the commentators due to the East German Judge! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtaDy_Y9kNI

I can also think of a few others that have the WOW factor from Cobb’s kickoff return in the opening game of the season to Dallas Clarks amazing catch against the Bengals.  I’m so happy that a few TE’s made the top 10 from the first half of the season.  Check out this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7lbdlWh8yM

Also check out Deion Sanders top 5 plays from the last two years, watch out for the special treat at the end! http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d8256bc03/Top-5-plays-of-the-last-two-years

Finally for me personally another fine moment was the Bills breaking their seven year losing streak against the Patriots J

EJ - AFC/NFC pro bowl starters if you got to pick?

Adri – OK here are my picks for the pro bowl:-

AFC

QB – Tom Brady

RB – Maurice Jones-Drew

TE – Rob Gronkowski

WR1 – Wes Welker

WR2 – AJ Green

I shall leave the offensive lineman to your capable hands my good man as this is another area I need to brush up on for next year.

NFC

QB – Aaron Rodgers

RB – LeSean McCoy

TE – Jimmy Graham

WR1 – Megatron (Calvin Johnson)

WR2 – Victor Cruz

Again I will leave the offensive lineman for you to pick sir!

My apologies to all the defensive players as I did not have time to include you in the lineup’s this week.

4^th Down

I can’t believe that after all the highs and lows of the lockout we have had this year that we now only have one week of regular season left before the playoffs strike again.  I for one am looking forward to an exciting finish in the NFC East and also the AFC West to see who makes the playoffs and whether or not Baltimore can hold off the Bengals rush to top the AFC North.

As previously mentioned, next week’s edition will be slightly delayed but I will be sure to include some pictures from next week’s Bills vs Patriots Game and some random New York pics for your enjoyment!

Right I am off now to pack my bags and do my final checks before my flight tomorrow but I hope you all have a great new years eve!

I feel guilty that I have not mentioned them much  in my blogs this season and that they were shut out at the weekend and so I will leave you with this picture on the 2011/2012 St Louis Rams:-

‘Thanks for Stopping By’

Week Fifteen

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Now then who would have thought by the end of week 15 no teams would have a zero in their record. Looks like the Colts and Chiefs forgot to read the script this week.
 
The Colts managed to get themselves their first win of the season against what ended being a very poor performing Titans team. Also the Chiefs with their new interim head coach pulled off the biggest upset so far this season by beating the Packers. The Colts are now 1 – 13 and the Packers 13 - 1 and haven't clinched home field advantage yet.

There is never a good time for this but I just want to say that my thoughts and prayers go out to Johnny Knox after his horrific injury this week. I won't be showing any pictures of it but let's just say he was bent double in a tackle and provisional reports are that he underwent surgery on a broken vertebrae bracket yesterday and will hopefully make a full recovery in 3 - 4 months.
 
For the record it was a perfectly legal hit but his body was in the wrong position as he tried to recover his fumble.

On to a brighter note now, The Jets lost which always brings a smile to my face. There is just something about them that makes my blood boil to its very core, maybe its Rex Ryan, maybe its his foot fetish, who knows!

My amazing Bills lost again this week, it is quickly becoming a season to forget for us Bills fans.  Yet another loss this week to another division rival in the Dolphins.  On a plus note we have broken the seven year New England curse and we currently have the 10^th pick in next year’s draft but let’s see if we can get any higher!

More results affecting the playoff picture this week but let’s catch up with them in 4^th Down!

2nd Down
 
Let's check out the rest of this weeks scores below:-
 
Jacksonville 14 vs 41 Atlanta
Dallas 31 vs 15 Tampa Bay
Miami 30 vs 23 Buffalo
Seattle 38 vs 14 Chicago
Carolina 28 vs 13 Houston
Tennessee 13 vs 27 Indianapolis
Green Bay 14 vs 19 Kansas City
New Orleans 42 vs 20 Minnesota
Washington 23 vs 10 New York Giants

Cincinnati 20 vs 13 St Louis
Detroit 28 vs 27 Oakland
Cleveland 17 vs 20 Arizona
New England 41 vs 23 Denver
New York Jets 19 vs 45 Philadelphia
Baltimore 14 vs 34 San Diego
Pittsburgh 3 vs 20 San Francisco
 
The Monday night game was interesting this week as the 49ers may have found a new way to ice the kicker. If your wondering what I mean, they had two power cuts! One pre game and one in the second quarter.  Although not pre planned obviously, imagine your team are about to kick the game winning field goal and boom goes the power just as it’s snapped!

Unfortunately for Pittsburgh it seems as though this was a bit of an omen as they too had no spark or light to see them on to victory.  I know I have said this already this year but it seems that just when you think you know what is going to happen it doesn’t.

I mean of all the teams the Packers have left to play, who had their money on the Cheifs breaking their perfect season.  It just goes to show that what New England achieved in 2008 was just simply amazing!

3rd Down

My favorite part of the week now as it my weekly Q & A with EJ.  I would love your feedback on this part as well.  If you enjoy it as much as we do we may take it one step further next year with a podcast!!!

EJ - How far into these last regular season games do you let the Packers starters play?

Adri – Well my good friend, this question just got a whole lot easier to answer now didn’t it!  At this point, if they want to secure home field advantage for the playoffs its looks as though the starters need to play through both the remaining games.  Also I am personally not a fan of resting starters too much as it affects their timing and rhythm with each other.  When you think of how well Rodgers reads the game, if that’s a fraction off the defensive backs will eat him up in the playoffs when things get played at double even triple the normal intensity levels!

EJ - Any individual NFL records going to be set this season?

Adri – Well we have already had a few broken already this year and it has been great to see.  From Cam Newton breaking the QB rushing TD record, Gronkowski setting the TD catches by a TE and both still have two games to play.  Also it looks as though Drew Brees will be breaking Marino’s single season passing yardage record in a season.  Brees needs just 400 yards from the last two games to break Marino’s record.  I can’t wait for this to happen personally as I’m stoked Drew Brees will have his name in the record books.  Brees also is tied for the record with Peyton Manning for most consecutive 4000+YD seasons.  Drew Brees is a machine it seems and just like the T1000, unstoppable!

EJ - Do you believe that some NFL teams are playing for a good draft pick, meaning purposely not competing and playing hard to try and get an early first round pick?

Adri – I have to say no to that one my friend.  I think personal and professional pride kicks in at a certain point and no matter how bad you are doing you still don’t like getting beat.  If it turns out to be true then surely this should be as illegal as point shaving for betting purposes.  There is no place for it in the game; the fans pay their money every week to see their team’s leave 100% in effort on the field.  If I ever found out the Bills were doing this, I would walk up to Buddy Nix and Coach Gailey and punch them right in the face!!!

EJ - Lets hear your playoff matchups and superbowl pick!

Adri – OK buddy here goes my reputation with this one:-

AFC Wildcard

Texans (#3) vs New York Jets (#6)Jets Win

San Diego (#4) vs Baltimore (#5) San Diego Win

AFC Divisional

New England (#1) vs New York Jets (#6) New England Win

Pittsburgh (#2) vs San Diego (#4) Pittsburgh Win

AFC Conference

New England (#1) vs Pittsburgh (#2) Pittsburgh Win

As you can see from above I think the Chargers will pull through and win the AFC West as they are coming into form while the others have dropped off this week.  At the moment the NFC looks like it could go anywhere so I will cheat a little and answer their side of the story next week ;)

I do truly hope everyone enjoys this as much as we do my friend.  Can I have three more of your finest for next week please?

4^th Down

OK so onto the results that have sent the playoff picture into yet another tailspin this week.  Although it was expected, the Broncos loss to the Patriots has now opened the door for both the Raiders and Chargers to come through and sneak the AFC West.  As you can see from above, my money is on the Chargers.

The Giants loss to the Redskins this week has also made their job harder as too reach the playoffs they must beat both their division rivals the Cowboys and also the ground sharing rivals the Jets.  Two very hard games for them and it seems as though my mid season warming to them may have cost them this year.  Sometimes I feel like what I say on here is a good as the Madden Cover Curse!

The Madden Cover Curse is totally real isn’t it Peyton Hillis?

After their loss this week the Steelers need to win out and hope that the Ravens lose a game to win the division.  Unfortunately for the Steelers all tie breakers currently land in Baltimore!

Well this is just about wrapping up time for me on another outstanding week of action.  Until next week my friends I hope you all have a great Christmas and enjoy football Saturday this week as most games are being played on Christmas eve!  Oh and I nearly forgot, here is another great Tebowing shot for you to enjoy!

As always ladies and gents ‘Thanks for Stopping By’

Week Fourteen

1st Down

Ben Roethlisberger is how I will be starting off this week.  I have heard him referred to by many names but after Thursday’s heroics I shall be renaming him Bionic Ben! No matter what injury he gets, he always comes back.

For anyone who didn’t see Thursday’s game, Ben was sacked in the first half and turned his ankle under his body.  It looked pretty horrific and when he was being carried off I thought that could be season over.

As always however guess who comes out to start the second half, the Bionic one himself and he carries the Steelers to a narrow victory over the Browns which included a 79YD strike to Antonio Brown.

In other news this week, I managed to pick 14 out of 16 games correctly this week for the first time ever.  A big Cheshire cat smile is currently lighting up my face as I think about it!

We also have a playoff picture which is a bit clearer now thanks to this weeks results which I will go through later and our first coach firings of the season!  Before we take a look at that let’s catch up with the week 14 results.

2nd Down

Cleveland 3 vs 14 Pittsburgh
Indianapolis 10 vs 24 Baltimore
Atlanta 31 vs 23 Carolina
Houston 20 vs 19 Cincinnati
Minnesota 28 vs 34 Detroit
Tampa Bay 14 vs 41 Jacksonville
Philadelphia 26 vs 10 Miami
Kansas City 10 vs 37 New York Jets
New Orleans 22 vs 17 Tennessee
New England 34 vs 27 Washington
San Francisco 19 vs 21 Arizona
Chicago 10 vs 13 Denver
Oakland 16 vs 46 Green Bay
Buffalo 10 vs 37 San Diego
New York Giants 37 vs 34 Dallas
St Louis 13 vs 30 Seattle

I owe this next bit to my good friend Justin as I didn’t mention the Texans last week.  Hopefully this will make up for it sir!

TJ Yates really impressed me this week as when the pressure was on in the last two minutes of their game this week, he managed to keep his head and lead them on the game winning TD drive which see’s them make the playoffs for the first time in their history.  The Texans have won the AFC South with their win over Cincinnati and the Titans losing this week to the Saints.

Two weeks in a row now TJ has come through when called upon and now has the honour of leading his team out in the big games.  The only question is which seed will they be, my money is on number 2 behind the Patriots.

It also pains me to say this but while he keeps finding ways to win, the magician that is Tim Tebow gets his weekly mention along with another great moment of Tebowing from the fans.

3rd Down

On that note it moves me on to my weekly Q & A with EJ:-

EJ - Are the Bears making the right move by not signing Farve or McNabb to help solidify their QB situation?

Adri - I think they are making the right move as we have seen this year with the Colts and Raiders that just because you have experience doesn’t mean you will win games in a new offence.  It takes time to adjust even for veteran QB’s and also the young lad needs to learn.  Without playing time he can’t get that all important experience.

EJ - Are Randy Moss and Terrell Owens ever going to step on the field again?

Adri - I would love to say yes to this question because they are two of the best receivers I’ve watched during my lifetime.  Not only are we losing out on their talent but they are both full of personality and charisma. 

They know how to involve a crowd and how can you not miss TO’s touchdown celebrations.  Sadly as no one has picked up them up this season with the amount of injuries to receivers we have had, I don’t see them coming back :(

EJ - Coach of the year award goes to?

Adri - I think you would be hard pressed not to say that this award goes to Mike McCarthy.  The Packers could have easily rested on their loral's and slid away from the playoff picture this season but here they stand three wins away from greatness and nobody looks like stopping them.

EJ - Being a die hard Bills fan, do you like what you see in Spiller? When Jackson returns off the IR, do you see Spiller having a larger role in the offense?

Adri - Spiller is a great raw talent for sure and unfortunately he is suffering the same issues that Reggie Bush did at the Saints.  He is a great return specialist and lighting fast but is he an every down back is the question.  He proved last week he is more than capable of carrying a large portion of the load but he will not be 1st choice while Jackson is in town!

Personally I would to see him and Jackson in the same sets with one lining up as a receiver and mixing up which one.  Go for the run with spiller in the backfield and pass when its Jackson in the backfield sometimes to mix it up and keep opponents guessing.

Unfortunately for that to work we need to hire some pro bowl calibre offensive linemen as this is where we struggle big time at the moment.

EJ - A little college football flare....Do you agree with the Heismann winner?

Adri - I have to be honest my friend, my knowledge of college football is currently little to none which I hope to change next year.  With that said I can’t really answer this one but would love to know your thoughts?  Also how come it only seems to go to offensive players, when was the last time a defensive player won it?

4th Down

OK so onto the playoff picture.  This week two more teams guaranteed themselves a place in the post season with Houston winning the AFC South and also New Orleans locking up at least a wild card spot.

Denver now have a game over Oakland in the race for AFC West and with Tebow mania in full swing they may sneak that division.

By the end of this weeks action most of the playoff teams could be locked in leaving a fight for the last wild card spot and the races for the NFC East and AFC West to go down to the wire!

With three weeks left of the season we also saw our first two firings off the season in Miami and Kansas.  I’m a bit confused by this, not so much that they got fired but the timing off it.  I mean they both appoint a coordinator as interim head coach until the end of the season before getting someone else in the off season.  Why not just wait until the end of the season and do both your hiring and firing at the same time.

People will no doubt say they do this to see if they have a potential head coach on their staff but with just three games to impress, a depleted squad through injuries and an unmotivated team just how much can you get from this anyway?

So that just about wraps it up for this week.  Don’t forget to check out the Top 5 Catches from this week  http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/09000d5d824f9652/Week-14-Top-five-catches and if you need some hooey and applesauce in your life be sure to check out Dave Damesheks podcast and the weekly shame report http://davedameshek.nfl.com/

As always peeps I hope you’ve enjoyed my weekly spin and ‘Thanks for Stopping By’

Week Thirteen

1st Down

Let me start this week by saying I don't know whether its due to the lockout or not but this season has already had so many ups, downs, twists and turns its untrue!  I also know it has kept me hooked and makes me stay up late every Thursday night and glued to the TV every Sunday!

Where to start this week is the question and I think the answer is Chicago. The Bears are starting to head in the same direction as the Colts. Without Cutler they have lost their last two games and have now possibly lost Matt Forte for the season as well. I hate to say it but it looks like there will be no post season football for Daa Bears this year.

Also in the news again this week, the Broncos train keeps picking up speed towards play-off station. Tebow did it again and has a craze sweeping the nation known as Tebowing!  People all over the USA are finding places to do a bit of Tebowing!

My beloved Bills can't even buy a win it seems at the moment. I will always #billieve but it looks like this season is done. We have improved on last years record and I hope we can carry over the positives into next season.

Before we move onto the rest of this weeks action, please check out some of my favourite weekly watches and pod casts below:-

For The Shame Report and an awesome podcast, please check our http://davedameshek.nfl.com/
Also don't forget to check out the Top 5 Catches from Week 13 http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/09000d5d824c1ce8/Week-13-Top-5-catches
Finally for some great articles and features please check out http://www.untilkickoff.com/

2nd Down

Here is all the results from Week 13 :-

Philadelphia 14 vs 31 Seattle
Tennessee 23 vs 17 Buffalo
Kansas City 10 vs 3 Chicago
Atlanta 10 vs 17 Houston
Oakland 14 vs 34 Miami
Cincinnati 7 vs 35 Pittsburgh
Carolina 38 vs 19 Tampa Bay
New York Jets 34 vs 19 Washington
Denver 35 vs 32 Minnesota
Indianapolis 24 vs 31 New England
Baltimore 24 vs 10 Cleveland
Dallas 13 vs 19 Arizona
Green Bay 38 vs 35 New York Giants
St Louis 0 vs 26 San Francisco
Detroit 17 vs 31 New Orleans
San Diego 38 vs 14 Jacksonville

With these results and the outlook in Chicago, the play-off race in the NFC just got a lot more interesting I think. Suddenly it is not guaranteed that the NFC North will have three teams moving into the post season and at this rate may just end up with the division winners there!

Here are the top teams in the NFC and with the remaining fixtures it could be the division winners plus one from the NFC South and one from the NFC East completing the line up:-

1. Green Bay
2. San Francisco
3. New Orleans
4. Dallas
5. Chicago
6. Atlanta
7. Detroit
8. New York Giants

3rd Down

You know the drill by now I'm sure, its Q & A time with my good friend EJ:-

EJ - As of week 13, name the play-off seedings for the first round?

Adri - OK so from the AFC here is how I see the standings, 1. New England 2. Houston 3. Baltimore 4. Denver 5. Pittsburgh 6. Cincinnati.

And the NFC will be 1. Green Bay 2. San Francisco 3. New Orleans 4. New York Giants 5. Atlanta 6. Dallas.

EJ - Hate to ask it or even bring his name up as he is getting so much attention, but will Tebow continue winning?

Adri - Its OK buddy I know you hate asking and I also hate saying that he will indeed keep winning and go 3 - 1 in the remaining games only loosing to the Patriots.

EJ - With this years (current) QB rookie class, name the top 3 who will have the greatest careers.

Adri - This is a great question my friend. I think my one and two is the obvious choices of Andy Dalton and Cam Newton. The third place however is more off a challenge as not many others have made much noise this year. To be honest with that said I'm going to leave it at those two as the others will be back-ups at best for most of their careers!

EJ - Is last years (draft class of 2010) TE's the best ever?

Adri - I have too agree with that statement to be honest my friend.  When you look at the likes of Gronkowski, Graham and Hernandez not only did they have good rookie years last season but they have come into their own this year with Gronkowski leading the charge. I mean he almost broke the record for TD's by a TE in a season this week only to be denied by a lateral ruling his last TD a rushing one. He is a beast, that is the best way to describe him.

EJ - If you were in the position to fire one head coach, who would it be and why?

Adri - Well being a Bills fan I would fire Bill Belichick and maybe the Patriots will stop being so dominate lol.

On a serious note I think despite his success that it is time for Andy Reid to move on from the Eagles. Granted they have been extremely successful under his guidance but for a team that good to have not won the Superbowl in this era is a tragedy and perhaps a fresh coach will inspire the troops. Maybe they should try and poach Sean Payton or one of the Harbaugh boys!

4th Down

With week 14 literally just days away, we have entered the win or no play-offs for you stage of the season. With this in mind I want to take a look at a few key match ups this coming week.

First up is the Jets vs Chiefs. This is a must win game for the Jets as if they lose and New England win, the AFC East goes to the Pats. I hear Jets fans saying we still have a chance of a wild card but you are up against Pittsburgh and Cincinnati for that spot and unless either slip up I'm afraid its not going to be your year.

Next up is the Saints vs Titans. The Titans like the Jets need a win to keep up their slim hopes off taking the division title from the Texans or sliding into the last wild card spot. Hasselbeck and Johnson are starting to play to their potential with Johnson having back to back century games but with the Saints this week I don't see them winning.

Also we have the legend that is Eli Manning and the Giants. The Giants face the Cowboys this week and must win to keep their division title aspirations going. The Giants have Bradshaw back so this should be a great game this week. With the added pressure it will also be fun to see which Romo decides to show up on Sunday!

Finally although they are not win or out games, the Lions and Bears need wins desperately this week to keep themselves ahead in the race for the wild card spots. Detroit have the easier of the games against the Vikes whilst the Bears square off against Tebow and the gang.

Its going to be a great finale to the season and I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am.  Remember if you want to comment on anything in the blog, if you have anything you want me to post on the blog or just generally chat NFL, then please tweet me @AdriMallows

Until next time folks, 'Thanks for Stopping By'