The "Big 9" Week 7 Edition

What a crazy crazy week in the NFL. The Redskins, Cowboys and Giants all looked awful. The Falcons and Cardinals come up with huge exciting wins and Cleveland out of no where looks like the Browns of last year. This causes quite a shake up in the big 9.

1 (4) Tennessee Titans 5-0 - Can it really be anyone else at this point? Our top 3 teams from last week all lost to inferior opponents. The Titans remain the lone undefeated team in the NFL. Their schedule also stays weak with a match-up against the Chiefs this week.

2 (1) New York Giants 4-1 - Their defense looked pretty awful last night against the Browns and Eli went back to his old ways of turning the ball over at every opportunity. Still, every tea, has some bumps in the road and the Giants have looked too good over their last 10 games to just collapse.

3 (5) Pittsburgh Steelers 4-1 - The Steelers move up two spots during a bye week. Willie Parker should be back and healthy this week, and the Steelers should have no trouble improving their record to 5-1 against the lowly Bengals.

4 (2) Washington Redskins 4-2 - Of all the games this last week, the one I thought was a certain lock was the Skins over the Rams. However, the Rams looked rejuvenated after a head coaching change and somehow came up with the win. THe Redskins defense is still very good however and they should get in to the playoffs with out too much problem.

5 (NR) Tampa Bay Bucs 4-2 - The Bucs defense looked fantastic on Sunday against what previously had looked like a strong Panthers offense. They look liek the odds-on favorite to win the NFC South, but it won't be easy.

6 (NR) San Diego Chargers 3-3 - The Chargers really could be 6-0 or at least 5-1, they have had some real bad breaks, including one game being taken away that they won fair and square. They still have an uphill battle, but they looked fantastic against the Patriots and I still think they will come away with the AFC West crown.

7 (9) Atlanta Falcons 4-2 - The Falcons-Bears game on Sunday migth have been the best I have seen all year. Matt Ryan looked exceptional, throwing for well over 300 yards and completing a miraculous pass with 6 seconds left to set up the winning FG. The NFC South is wide open and the young Falcons have a real shot.

8 (NR) Arizona Cardinals 4-2 - Another newcomer to the rankings this week. The Cardinals played a great game against the cowboys on Sunday and proved themselves the heavy favorites to win the NFC West. When they get Anquan Boldin back they may have the best receiving core in the league.

9 (3) Dallas Cowboys 4-2 - The cowboys fall 6 spots in this week's rankings, partially because they lost but mostly because Tony Romo will miss the next 3 games with a broken finger. If the Cowboys can win one or two of those games they will still have a shot at the playoffs but things got a whole lot dimmer in one week for Cowboys fans.

Apologies to the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos

AFC Preview

Now that the NFC Preview is up we move on to the AFC. It's been the Patriots' world of late and everyone else was just living in it. Will this be the year things change for good?

AFC East - The Patriots appeared poised to take a step back overall but there is no reason to believe they won't still dominate their division. There is really no one else in the East that has the weapons to challenge them. Favre to the Jets will obviously make for some great T.V. but New York simply doesn't have the talent to go toe to toe with New England no matter how well Favre plays. Buffalo should be improved with stability at the QB position under Trent Edwards but they still don't look like a playoff team. Miami is still a mess. Look for the Pats to take a small step backwards. Their LB core in particular is extremely thin and aging rapidly. And you know every Defensive coordinator in the league had nightmares all off-season of Randy Moss and Wes Welker running wild in their secondary and will devote extra time to finding a way to slow them down.

AFC North - Definitely the most intriguing division in the AFC with all 4 teams having a shot to make some noise. Pittsburgh remains the favorites led by their stellar defense and improved running game, bolstered by the addition of Illinois product, Rashard Mendenhall. He should provide a nice 1-2 punch with Willie Parker that will make Pittsburgh's running game one of the best in the league. The Bengals remain a force offensively but have many questions including the health of Chad Johnson and the ability of Chris Henry to be a key part of the team after his ongoing saga of off field problems. The strongest threat to the Steelers appears to be the much improved Cleveland Browns. Led by breakout QB Derek Anderson the Browns surprised everyone last year by posting a 10-6 record, tied for best in the division. Unfortunately for them they lost tiebreakers to both the Steelers and the Titans and spent the playoffs at home. Perhaps their biggest question is the durability and effectiveness of Jamal Lewis. He was outstanding in his debut season in Cleveland but the depth chart gets thin in a hurry if he goes down.

AFC South - Arguably the most talented division in football, the AFC South division should go down to the wire. The Colts and Jags should be among the top 3 teams in the AFC this year and in any other division the Titans and even Texans would be contenders. This should however be the year the Jags finally get over the hump. Powered by the best backfield combo in the league of Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor, Jacksonville can take over games with their running game. Their big physical line opens huge holes that Taylor and Jones-Drew are more than capable of shooting through to wreak havoc on opposing defenses. David Garrard showed he was more than capable of leading an offense who's only question might be who is going to catch the ball. Look for a breakout year from second year player John Broussard on one side of the field but to have sustained success the Jags need production from longtime Raider, Jerry Porter and former Viking Troy Williamson who were acquired to stretch the field to open up the running game and take advantage of Garrard's big arm. The Colts won't go down without a fight and should still be a playoff team but after missing the entire off-season and seeing Marvin Harrison continue to get older, Peyton Manning figures to have his work cut out for him. Don't overlook Tennessee, they were a playoff team last year and with electric Vince Young at the helm are always a risk to breakout. If anything AFC South teams may suffer from having to play each other twice.

AFC West - San Diego remains the team to beat out west regardless of Shawne Merriman's status. The All-Pro linebacker is at risk of missing the season due to his ongoing knee problems. For the time being he intends to play but I can't imagine he'll be anywhere close to his normally explosive self if he does take the field. You can't help but wonder what role steroids played in his on-going injury situation after he was suspended for 4 games during the 2006 season for apparent steroid use. San Diego still figures to have plenty of weapons to subdue the rest of the pretenders out west. As long as Ladainian Tomlinson can stay healthy they figure to be players in the race for the AFC crown. Denver remains an enigma with potential to contend for a playoff spot but far more questions than answers. If there is a team out west that might surprise it could be the Raiders. Led by breakout candidate Jamarcus Russell at QB and what should be an effective rushing game with Justin Fargas and 1st round pick Darren McFadden, the Raiders could breakout in a fairly weak division. The Chiefs are happy to have a healthy Larry Johnson back in the fold but have too many other questions to get excited about.

Picks to break out
Jay Cutler QB, Broncos. His weight loss and lack of zip on his passes last year was solved by his diabetes diagnosis and now with proper treatment of his disease is back up to his former playing weight and throwing the ball all over the field with authority in workouts.

Troy Williamson and John Broussard WR's, Jacksonvlle Jaguars. Broussard is a 2nd year player who showed flashes of talent last year but struggled to keep up as a rookie. That should change now with a year under his belt and increased familiarity with the system. Williamson is of course a former first round pick from Minnesota who never seemed to fit into the Vikings offense. Both should get plenty of chances as teams stuff the box to stop the vaunted Jags rushing attack leaving plenty of one on one coverage for the WR.

Picks to break down.
Ladainian Tomlinson RB, Chargers. Entering his 8th season as the starter, Tomlinson has been a workhorse his entire career with well over 300 carries in every season of his career. With Michael Turner now in Atlanta and a lack of quality depth behind him Tomlinson will be asked to do even more this year. Can he hold up?

Marvin Harrison WR, Colts. People have been predicting his demise for going on 5 years now but at 36 one has to wonder how much he has left in the tank.

AFC's Best Offense
It's still New England until someone else proves otherwise. Their defense may be aging but Brady's bunch should still wreak havoc on the offensive side of the field. Even with a season's worth of film to review, teams will still struggle to slow Moss, Welker and Mauroney on a regular basis. It also helps that they get to play 6 games against their lowly division rivals in the AFC East.

AFC's Best Defense
Pittsburgh Steelers. They led the league in total defense last year and there is no reason to think that will change this year as standout safety Troy Polamalu will continue to lead this stellar unit that boasts talent and depth at almost every position.

Bold prediction
Your AFC Superbowl team will be the Jacksonville Jaguars. They will out duel the Colts in the regular season and then wear down an aging Pats defense in the AFC Championship Game with their stellar rushing attack. They have been on the cusp for a few years now but stand poised to take the next step. This should be the year that things fall into place.

NFC Preview

Well its that time of the year again, my favorite time of the year when it comes to sports. Baseball is headed down the stretch run, College Football kicks off this Saturday and the NFL is just around the corner. Here is the Sportfellas NFC preview for 2008. The AFC will be soon to follow.

NFC East- It seems like the Cowboys have been on the brink of being something special for about 5 years now, but one thing or another has prevented them from really doing something big. Last year's 13-3 performance was good enough for the best record in the NFC, but they tripped up against the eventual Super Bowl champion Giants in the wildcard round. The Giants on the other hand looked like a borderline playoff team that somehow ended up doing something special. This year I think things will change. The Cowboys should repeat as division champions and will be the last ones laughing this year. The Giants really weren't all that great to begin with, but now with the losses of pro-bowl DEs Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, they look to be headed towards a postseason full of Tv watching on their couches. The Eagles and Redskins are both talented teams who always have the potential to make some noise, but this year is the Cowboy's year in the East.

NFC North- One of the more interesting divisions in football this year. The big storylines of course are the exit of Brett Favre and the emergence of Adrian Peterson as a premier back. Last year the Packers surprised by racking up 13 wins but will Aaron Rodgers be able to repeat the success of Brett Favre? The Vikings looked poised to become one of the better teams in the NFC. Their rushing game has become the best in the NFL behind a strong line and their defense made huge strides last year. Of course like the Packers and Bears QB play will be a huge question for the Vikings. If Tavaris Jackson can play smart enough to avoid mistakes and let his running game and defense win the game this should be the Vikings division to lose. The Bears lack quality skill players and are battling some injuries as well, they are unlikely to make much noise this season and the Lions.... well they are the Lions.

NFC South- THe Bucs may have been the most surprising division winner last year. They were able to squek by with the division title with only a 9-7 record in a weak division. This year I expect this division to bounce back a bit. The Saints were a big disappointment last year but they have too much talent to let that happen again. Look for Drew Brees and company to win 10 games and take the South this year. The Bucs still have a solid but not great team as well, they will be in the picture in both the division and the wildcard. The Panthers who were among the best teams in the league for a few years have fallen a bit. They got no production out of Steve Smith last year and they have no proven running back. They have a chance to be a solid team but it looks like a 3rd place finish. The Falcons are a non-factor again this year.

NFC West- Quite possibly the weakest division in all of football. The Seahawks have won this division each of the last 4 years. Every year it seems we hear how this will finally be the Cardinals year to break out but so far they have failed every time. The Seahawks have lost some WR depth as well as Shawn Alexander so if the Cardinals can get good QB play from either Warner or Leinart they may be able to come away with this one. I still have to think its more likely the Seahawks win this division for the 5th time in a row. The Rams are a young team that has improved some but they still look to be a year or two away and the 49ers are a mess, going with JT O'Sullivan at QB over struggling former #1 pick Alex Smith.

Picks to break out
Jonathan Stewart RB, Carolina
Stewart will share carries with D'Angelo Williams in the Carolina backfeild to start the season, but there have been great reports out of Panthers camp on Stewart. Every year in the NFL we see a rookie Rb breakout and Stewart is a food possiblity to be that guy this year.

Laurent Robinson WR, Atlanta
Robinson became a starter for the Falcons late in the season and I was very impressed with him. He is expected to be the full-time starter this year in Atlanta opposite Roddy White. Of course Falcons QB Matt Ryan will have to perform for Robinson to put up big numbers, but if so I think he will.

Picks to break down
Marc Bulger QB, St. Louis
Bulger has been the starter for the Rams seemingly forever and has been very consistent. However fir the first time last year we saw signs of him breaking down. One more poor year from Bulger and the otherwise young Rams may choose to draft a QB in the off-season and move on.

Ahman Green RB, Houston
Green has been a consistent performer for a long time and is still listed on depth charts as the Texans starting RB but he is coming off a shaky year and has not looked good this preseason. THe Texans have a couple young RB in Chris Taylor and Steve Slaton that could take over the Texans job if Green struggles again.

NFC's best Offense
New Orleans Saints. Despite their 7-9 record last year the Saints finished 4th in the NFL in total offense. They have a plethora of talent at the skill positions to go along with Drew Brees who had another great year. Expect the Saints to bounce back and put a whole lot of points on the board this season.

NFC's best Defense
Tampa Bay Bucs. The giants lost too much from the defense and pass rush to repeat their defensive performance from last year. The Bucs are solid at all 11 positions and held opponents to under 17 points a game last year. The Cowboys, Packers and Vikings all have talented defensive units as well.

Bold Prediction
The Dallas Cowboys will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1995 season. There is just too much talent in Dallas on both sides of the ball. After blowing playoff opportunities each of the past 2 seasons I expect Romo and company to get it done this year.

Favre to the Bucs? Please God let it be true...

The Tampa Tribune is reporting tonight that Bret Favre is finally headed out of Green Bay and off to the "other" Bay...Tampa Bay. Sports fans everywhere, including The Fellas, are praying fervently that this news turns out to be accurate.

Look, Brett Favre is a Hall of Fame Quarterback who played with guts and tenacity his entire career. But the past month has been an absolute train wreck for him, the Packers and the empty shell formerly known as Aaron Rodgers. Favre has alienated fans and foes alike with his waffling, although we hear a new sponsorship deal with Eggo is in the works so he's got that going for him.

The real loser here is Rodgers. No matter how well he plays, if Favre goes to Tampa and plays well, people will ask all season long: "How much better would Green Bay be if Bret was still there". Rodgers almost has to play at an All-Pro level in his first full season as the starter to be off the hook here. And that's asking a lot of anyone. I just can't see him sticking around in Green Bay after his contract expires.

Ultimately though, I just want it to be over. I'm tired of seeing Favre's face on the front page of every bloody major American sports site 24/7 and I just want him to go away.

Have fun in Tampa, Brett.. You'll look incredible in pewter pants.