Football Wrap: 49ers/Ravens Heading To the Bayou!

I’m bringing it back for old time’s sake. The Return of the Football Wrap to offer some takes on the NFC/AFC title games cause there’s a lot I saw Sunday.

                      

I’ve doubted Joe Flacco for a while. I’ve criticized him as much as anybody. But it’s clear that he’s proved himself. All 5 years of his career has ended with at least one playoff win. He’s been in 3 AFC Title Games and now is in the Super Bowl. He’s called his shot and now he’s backing it up.

What more can you say after outplaying Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in their houses? He's no longer a game manager. Pretty Flacco can win with his arm now and he's starting to live up that nickname I gave him (hat tip to Mos Def)

Even more impressive that the Ravens’ defense shut out New England in the second half.  That was vintage Baltimore – hard hitting, playmaking (3 turnovers) and frustrating a great quarterback. 

Football Wrap: On Eli, Tom and Legacies

Eli Manning has two Super Bowl rings. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. I woke up today and I'm scratching my head at that fact *Cue Schooly D's "What Does It Mean?"*

Fact: Eli has more rings than Peyton. Raise your hand if you saw this coming.

Fact: Peyton's 2nd Super Bowl saw him commit only 1 turnover, a pick-6 that cost him the game. Eli's 2nd Super Bowl? 0 turnovers.

Fact: Eli has beaten the best QB of our era (Tom Brady) 3 times with 4th-quarter scores. He's beaten Brady in two Super Bowls, including this one in Peyton's house. In other words, imagine beating up your big brother's bully/rival at his school while everyone's watching. Awkward much?

Fact: Tom Brady led the Pats on a record-tying 96 yard scoring drive before halftime to take the lead. Eli topped it with an 88-yard scoring drive in the final three minutes. 88 isn't greater than 96 but in this case, it is.

Fact: Eli's WR's have much better hands than Tom Brady's. Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez should be ashamed of themselves. Mario Manningham's catch may not have been as flashy as David Tyree's (nor did Eli have to make that throw as he did 4 yrs ago), but it was just as pivotal in terms of momentum and setting up the drive.

So what does all of that mean? Eli can sing that he's got more rings than big bro and brag that he stared down Tom Brady twice.** In the playoffs, he beat the MVP on the road (Aaron Rodgers) and avenged his loss to the 49ers.

**(A big chunk of the credit goes to his ferocious defense, led by Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck, and that the Patriots' defense choked down the stretch. Remember, they were a missed FG from overtime vs. Baltimore after Joe Flacco drove on them.)


It means that Little Brother's legacy is a strange one. While he's feasted on two Super Bowls, he's also good for famine, as indicated by him losing one-and-done in the playoffs three previous times. I really have no idea how great Eli is because he's wildly inconsistent. For his great fourth-quarter heroics and desire to be seen as elite, he's had his shortcomings too.

Eli and Ben Roethlisberger have two rings since Brady won his last. Let's just leave it at that and praise them both as Top-5 quarterbacks (assuming Peyton doesn't returns back to his greatness and my man Philip Rivers keeps regressing, which I HIGHLY DOUBT). I'm not saying Eli is a better version of Tim Tebow (average QB with 4th Q heroics) but I am saying let's not go crazy and say he's better than Brady/Peyton.

That same logic means Terry Bradshaw is one of the five greatest quarterbacks of all time since he has four rings. And anybody who says Bradshaw is better than John Elway, Dan Marino, Brett Favre is a fool when Bradshaw is barely a Top-15 QB. Same with arguing Joe Namath is better than Marino or Jim Kelly.

What Eli's win means is we should kill the rings is better than argument because this is the classic case where fools will show themselves. Appreciate the moment and realize he has one of the most peculiar career trajectories we've seen in a while.

As for Tom Brady? What does yesterday's loss mean for him. Besides the fact his WR's have shaky hands and that Rob Gronkowski played decently on a bad ankle, he's exactly where Kobe Bryant was 4 years ago.

2008 saw Kobe lose in his 5th Finals appearance. Just like Brady, he tasted success early in his career and struggled to get back to the mountain top despite great individual success. At this point, his reputation was being re-evaluated as he was getting respect as a leader and a player. Yet people felt he wasn't as great because he hadn't won a ring minus Shaq.

Brady is somewhat there right now. 3 rings early in his career and now haunted by 2 Super Bowl losses that could easily be wins. Wes Welker catches that first down yesterday, his defensive line sacks Eli Manning 4 yrs ago instead of letting him get away to find David Tyree. He's also grown into a much better QB since 2004 just like Kobe became a much better player after those first 3 rings.

It's been 8 years since he's tasted the fresh Lombardi steel and while he'll go down as one of the 10 best QB's ever, you have to wonder if he knows that he doesn't have much time left to get back there. Will his legacy be defined by early success or late greatness without the rings. I say both because Brady has validated his early success wasn't luck but while he's gotten better, his teammates (and defense) haven't and he knows getting back won't be easier because of it.

He had a stretch going 16-for-16 at one point. A Super Bowl record for consecutive completions. And yet, just like his record-setting drive, it's all for naught.

If this brilliant Dan Wetzel column is any indication, Brady's demeanor afterwards says that he's fully aware of it. He lost a game, lost a chance to enhance his legacy and knows that even though his greatness doesn't change, it's a bit dimmed. He's bested one Manning brother but he knows the other beat him at his own game. Just like Kobe in 2008 - the feeling of wondering what more can you do?

Anybody who says Brady isn't the best QB of our era (respect to Peyton) is foolish. Just like people saying Kobe Bryant isn't the best player of this era (respect to Duncan). But had Kobe not won two more rings, people would look at him differently. Maybe the same way they're looking at Brady now - fast success but can't repeat it at the peak of his playing ability.

Yet I'm not going to be one of those people. Tom Brady's legacy doesn't dramatically change as much as Eli's did. You can't take away his rings, his career just like you can't add anymore to Eli's. It's a mark but a whole body of work must be evaluated when all's said and done.

I guess that's the story of Super Bowl 46. Not the Giants D playing well or Hakeem Nicks continuing his postseason resurgence or Mario Manningham's huge catches. It's two men whose legacies are being re-altered and I'm choosing how I fit to see it.

Football Wrap: Defense Still Dominates in NFL

So what do we know at this point, kiddies? No matter how good your offense is, come playoff time, your defense will be the deciding factor.

How else can you explain the 49ers and Giants still being here? It wasn’t just Alex Smith/Vernon Davis and Eli Manning/Hakeem Nicks. It was more of their defenses doing their part as well.

Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers had two amazing seasons which could either have them share the MVP or finish 1-2 with Rodgers winning. Yet all their throwing was no use to staring at a great defense or watching their defense finally let them down.

Consider the AFC too. Baltimore forced four turnovers on a rookie QB-led offense. And New England? Well, besides Tom Brady being Brady, ask Tim Tebow about that beating he took BEFORE halftime, let alone after.

Even in this offensive era, you still need a team to play great defense. I remember the Greatest Show on Turf being hampered by this 10 years ago. Super Bowl 34, they were up 16-0 and nearly gave the game back. The next two years, their defense let them down despite them trying to beef it up.

We all know what happened to New England in 2007, one of the greatest offenses in NFL history. Couldn’t sack Eli Manning, defend David Tyree or not let Plaxico Burress catch the GW TD wide open. Sometimes you can’t just outshoot teams off the field. Even in this offensive era, you have to have some semblance of a great D. That’s your NFL Truth from last week. On to the tidbits.

- Despite what I just said, give it up to Calvin Johnson, DeMaryius Thomas, Vernon Davis, Jimmy Graham, Darren Sproles and Hakeem Nicks putting up record postseason catching numbers

- So 49ers/Saints for Game of the Year right? What more can you say. A 17-0 lead, a great comeback and a frenzied 4:02 to remember ending with the Catch 3. Vernon Davis crying reminded me of Terrell Owens crying after the Catch 2 although VD played much better than TO did.

- Want some more irony? Alex Smith got his revenge against Drew Brees and the Saints for what they did in Week 2 last year. For those who forgot, Smith led a late scoring drive against the Saints in SF only to watch Brees march down the field and set up a GW FG.

- Goodbye, Tebowmania. This is the postseason. You know? Where Brady shows his true genius. The Broncos getting housed by halftime made it feel even better.

- Genius strategy by the Pats running Aaron Hernandez out of the backfield. That’s a tight end, folks. Poetic justice of him being a factor in running his former college QB off the field.

- Joe Flacco: 4 straight seasons with a playoff win. As much as you want to love Tim Tebow, Joe Flacco just wins ball games. He wins on the road too. Quietly consistent doing his job.

- Yo, Arian Foster was a beast in defeat. Loved how he and Ray Lewis traded jerseys because if there is one person in the league you want respect from, it’s Ray Lewis.

- Eli Manning’s new nickname should be The Bride cause who dishes out revenge better? Tom Brady in the Super Bowl, now Aaron Rodgers. As much as I want the 49ers to win, revenge is a dish Eli serves as well as anybody.

Oh yeah, that pass to Hakeem Nicks before halftime was beautiful/poor D.  That’s how you kill a team’s spirit (and my blog post praising Aaron Rodgers)

Looking ahead to this week, 49ers-Giants – a rematch the game where the 49ers earned national respect shutting down Eli’s last drive. But it reminds me of another famous meeting.

10 years ago, both teams met in the wild card and it was one of the craziest comebacks/collapses I ever saw. Giants were up 38-14 and cruising in the 3^rd and all a sudden, the Niners caught fire quick. They scored 25 points and survived a botched field goal attempt for the win.

It was the last time the 49ers were in the playoffs before this year. Here they are now. Finally better. Finally back to where they used to be in my youth. I’m sure older heads will remember the 1991 NFC title game where the Giants survived a slugfest with them.

Meanwhile, I remember the Pats-Ravens game in 09. The day I realized Ray Rice was a beast and Tom Brady isn’t invincible (even though Denver and Champ Bailey showed me that before). The Ravens thrashed the Patriots in a way I hadn’t seen them look in years. Think they remember that one?

The game could hinge on how Ed Reed is feeling after injuring his foot in the waning moments of last week. It’s hard to stop Rob Gronkowski but can the Patriots stop Ray Rice and force Joe Flacco to beat them?

My picks: 49ers (Can’t go with the Midgets despite Eli swinging his Hattori Hanzo so I go with the miracle worker Jim Harbaugh) and Baltimore.  Harbaugh Bowl Part 2 for all the marbles.

Football Wrap Week 12: The Return of a Urban Legend

So Urban Meyer returneth eh? The man who wanted to spend time with his family, leave college FB for health issues and enjoy his ESPN gig has come back to do it all again for his first love. That’s college for ya.

First things first, I always respected Meyer. He and Pete Carroll are the best coaches of the last decade and Meyer was great at 2 schools in the BCS era. But the lionization of him came with people overshadowing his faults and the fact that if any other coach had that many arrests at one program as he did at Florida, they’d be looked at sideways.

(Case in point, Jimmy Johnson is arguably one of the greatest and smartest football coaches of the last 25 years. Yet people think of The U as a program full of Black thugs and arrogance and remember the Cowboys running wild. Meyer has somehow escaped that. )

That said, he’s going to make Ohio State dominant again, which won’t be that hard. That’s still a top-5 job in college football and he’ll bring some athletes out there.  The Big 10 won’t be as hard as the SEC so he’ll be all good.

But here's the big if - when Ohio State gets NCAA sanctions courtesy of Jim Tressel, Terrelle Pryor and Co., will Meyer will be the perfect coach to boost morale and keep folks happy? And considering he left Florida after his worst season there, he can be considered a front-runner if there ever is one. And what if his health is another factor - if Florida stressed him out, what about being home? Ask Ken Griffey Jr. how returning home to Ohio worked out. 

I hope he stays healthy. The pressure of winning at OSU will be worse than Florida or maybe Florida prepared him well. Either way, it's going to be interesting to see what happens.

NCAA Tidbits

Shoelace vs. Braxton Miller – can’t wait for Round 2 next year. Glad the Big 10 got to see some modern quarterbacking at work. Shoelace is showing that he’s a better passer and I’m excited to see what he’ll do in a bowl game. Congrats to Michigan finally beating Ohio State. 

Only Georgia stands in the way of LSU v. Alabama Round 2. But after seeing Arkansas and Auburn push up daisies this past weekend, it’s clear the SEC is super overrated this year. Just as I predicted.

Your Heisman Finalists in Virgo's Opinion: Robert Griffin III, Trent Richardson, Case Keenum. Hate to say it but Matt Barkley can finish above Andrew Luck too. It doesn’t matter because it’s no bearing on A. Luck’s NFL projections.

Speaking of which, shut up to the folks who saw Luck is overrated. I watched Stanford play several times this year and he still showed why he has great poise, size, IQ, decent speed and an incredible arm. Just because other QB’s have risen up doesn’t mean he’s overrated, it means he’s not head and shoulders above everyone by that much.

He did, however, prove, that coming back one more year means folks will dissect you more and karma will be a witch. See Sam Bradford, Matt Leinart, Jake Locker and the list goes on….

NFL Tidbits

San Diego has lost six in a row. Dallas is playing better in November. The roles have reversed since my teams faced off in 2009 when I said the Chargers are what the Cowboys should aspire to be.

Now it looks like Romo is finishing games better after he led a last minute drive to beat Miami while Phillip Rivers looks handcuffed to protect him from himself. My teams are going in reverse and while I still swear Rivers is hurt, that whole team is mentally stunted. Dallas, on the other hand, looks motivated and hungry and ready to seize the division.

It's strange. But hopefully this will lead to Norv Turner finally getting clipped. 

Houston Texans may be the best snakebit team in the league. Arian Foster, Andre Johnson, Mario Williams and now Matt Schaub have missed several games due to injury. Now Matt Leinart is on the shelf. Go figure.

Don't be upset Jason Avant, I do this to everybody. It's what I do.

Eagles are unraveling worse than the Magic Carpet when Jafar turns it into a ball of yarn in Aladdin. Tom Brady did his surgery and picked them apart like it was bird hunting season.

Props to Stevie Johnson for maturely handling the aftermath of his celebration by owning it. It was a little low but after I saw it, it was pretty funny. However, he didn’t cause his team the game with it compared to him dropping a few passes in the 4^th. But when will folks learn one play in the first half doesn’t affect a game?

Low twos also to Bob Costas and his reaction on Sunday Night Football. Reminds me of Joe Buck going crazy over Randy Moss and his fake mooning. When people defining what’s acceptable celebration, typically they overreact and 1) go off on guys who do it with style, 2) elevate certain players who keep it simple. There’s a place for both.  I’m all for hating guys who go way too overboard but at some point, we need reasonable folks to have enough influence to say lighten up.

You think they're scared of us yet? Nope? Guess we gotta keep winning and scoring with no mercy.

How is Green Bay 11-0 and still under the radar? I don’t think Denver in 1998 has this less pressure when started off 13-0 after winning the Super Bowl. They just keep winning and winning with no weaknesses and if that defense keeps playing well. Look out.

Let me give the kicker some. Shane Lechler of the Raiders had an 80-yard punt that was a thing of beauty. He just boomed it over Devin Hester’s head and Hester looked lost trying to handle it. Great stuff. 

Football Wrap Week 10: Return of the Wrap (and the Ducky Boys/Boise State Blues)

Took a week off from the Wrap due to the Penn State scandal and processing all the information. Everything else felt trivial and even though I had a wrap ready to go, I scrapped it. Starting fresh this week.

Raise your hands if you expected to see Oregon back in the BCS picture. Okay, maybe they weren’t totally dead but I wasn’t exactly ready to ride for them after LSU became the second SEC team to beat them in a calendar year.

But here we are, a month later and guess who’s back? The Ducky Boys after steamrolling Stanford on the road just like they did last year. Back up to No. 4 in the BCS and suddenly the Rose Bowl isn’t the only thing in their picture. I crowned them that nickname last year after they mauled Stanford so I'm bringing it back.

I’m surprised but I shouldn’t be. I should’ve remembered 2 years ago when Oregon lost to Boise State in their season opener and still wound up in the Rose Bowl. Their strength is getting better as the season goes on and wearing down teams with their speed as their offense clicks into gear. The Pac-10 hasn’t been able to stop them and it’s to their credit that they aren’t afraid to play anybody.

Oregon hosts USC, ranked No. 18 but somehow not in the BCS Top 25 and their Civil War game with Oregon State. Then there’s the Pac-12 title game vs. Arizona State or UCLA. Arizona State just lost to Washington State so there’s a good chance they could lose to Arizona or Cal. Meanwhile, my Bruins only have to win one to get into the Pac-12 game, which I still can’t fathom.

Anyways, Oregon could face SC, Oregon State or UCLA. Not a strong schedule. Let’s compare to Alabama and Oklahoma State.

OK State’s schedule = Iowa State, home vs. Oklahoma minus Ryan Broyles and a couple others. Blast you, Big 12 for no title game. Cowboys could win out without a problem.

Alabama’s schedule = Georgia Southern and the Iron Bowl with Auburn.  Alabama’s hungry to avenge last year’s Iron Bowl so I like their chances to win out a bit more than OK State.

Of course, the trap could be if Oklahoma wins and leapfrogs everybody. Not to mention if LSU somehow finds a way to lose to Arkansas, which I doubt. But I’m playing it safe and just assuming LSU is straight while 2-4 could be shaken up.

I’m not opposed to rematch games because if a team loses early, they should be able to get another crack at the title. And if the 2 best teams already faced each other, let’s do it again like Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby. Yet my problem is if a team loses in the final month yet somehow leapfrogs teams who win out, even if the game was pretty even.

So Oregon has a tough road back still but it’s not entirely impossible. Now all they need to do is actually win a BCS Bowl Game since Ohio State and Auburn got em....

Quick NCAA Tidbits

1. Boise State – Barely an hour or so after Georgia helped their cause with a win, the Broncos saw déjà vu. Dan Goodale, meet Kyle Brotzman, he’ll be escorting you to your new home in Witness Protection. (To be fair, Boise State’s been shaky all year and I could see where Kellen Moore missed having some help at WR)

Speaking of Deja Vu, I had dang near the same pic of K. Moore on the blog last year after the loss.

2. Kansas State sure loves drama – last week vs. OSU and this week, 4 OT vs. A&M. At least they won this time.

3. Robert Griffin The Great strikes again – a 4^th quarter, 21-point comeback. Not bad for the Baylor legend.

Virgo’s Top 10: 1) LSU, 2) Oklahoma State, 3) Oregon 4) Alabama, 5) Arkansas, 6) Oklahoma, 7) Clemson 8) Stanford, 9) Virginia Tech, 10) Houston

NFL Top 5

1. It can be the Super Bowl, it can be regular season but to paraphrase Chris Berman, nobody….circles the Buffalo Bills like the Dallas Cowboys. How’d that Beat Em Down taste!!!! Only thing Buffalo did right was Nelson giving his touchdown ball to his girlfriend, a Cowboys cheerleader. Dallas stayed winning on and off the field.

Don Juan DeMarco almost looks a lil like Emmitt Smith right here. 

2. San Francisco had their national test and passed it. They stopped Eli Manning on a 4^th quarter drive. One more reason why I have faith in them and Jim Harbaugh is your Coach of the Year. (Speaking of surprises, anybody notice Buffalo and Detroit are coming back to Earth hard?)

3. So what’s more shocking: Kansas City couldn’t beat a Denver team that threw only 8 passes? Or Baltimore airing it out and only letting Ray Rice rush 5 times. Embarrassing and stupid and before you cue the Tim Tebow praise, read Kordell Stewart airing out some truth. 

4. Tom Brady can’t beat Mark Sanchez in the postseason but he can definitely embarrass him in the regular season. But is Rob Gronkowski about to be the NFL’s best tight end now? He’s definitely Top 3 at this point.

5. As somebody pointed out, we haven’t had too many great nationally televised games since that New Orleans-Green Bay opener. Mainly I think because there aren’t more than 6 great teams. Green Bay, San Francisco, New England, Houston, Chicago and New Orleans and maybe Pittsburgh at 7.

If you can tell me the 3^rd best team in the AFC with a straight face, go ahead. Houston’s a sleeper cause they have the best 1-2 RB combo in the league. But everyone else is potentially shaky. The NFC’s definitely top heavy but shaky as well.

I’m wondering if this has anything to do with the lockout and of course it does. There’s enough evidence to see that certain teams aren’t sharp and the best teams just happen to be able to mask it better than most. Let’s call it lockout parity – parity created by lack of practice and conditioning. We’ll see what happens after a month from now.

Finally some closing words on Penn State, after which I will say no more on here until recapping it in my Year in Review. I was burned out on the coverage because I’ve been discussing this for over a week while some have been on it since Tuesday. But as the details unfolded and things happened, I realized something.

The ultimate danger in this story is that when a brand or entity becomes important, protecting it at all costs trumps common sense. This applies to celebrities as well as sports and we had a failure here of administrative levels only comparable to the SMU pay-for-play scandal and still worse.

For once, a major sports scandal has nothing to do with players and I hope they and the student body persevere yet realize they can be great by rallying around each other and the victims. They can be great by stepping up where older adults did not and I in turn will not judge the whole body by a few idiots who I know litter every college campus.

Joe Paterno’s legacy takes a huge hit yet I won’t demonize him nor have I. He has to live with what he didn’t do enough of for 9 years. Same with Mike McQueary, who will probably be resigning at some point under pressure. Living with guilt sometimes is just as bad as anything criminal, ask Arthur Dimmesdale from my favorite novel.

I’ve been extra sensitive being around my kids lately at Sylvan and church. I look out for them even more now because should something happen to them, I’d risk my career to save them or never forgive myself.

One can hope that the victims of this tragedy will find some closure in Jerry Sandusky’s eventual conviction. One can hope that like Barack Obama said, we all do some soul searching, As more information comes out, I also hope we continue to see good, thorough reporting to make sure something well fleshed out for the record.

Football Wrap Week 6: Ch-Ch-Changes

I'm trying something new this week. I'm going to recap my 5 favorite moments from the NFL and college football in my usual style but also preview 5 things to watch this weekend. That way I can do a little more on here in looking back and forward.

NFL Fab 5

1. Jim Harbaugh - same guy as he was at my alma mater. Passionate, fiery and a winner. Was it excessive? Yes and Jim Schwartz had a right to be upset. But at the same time, it's his style, not a desire to show up.

Speaking of which, it's officially the 90's all over again. The Bills, Raiders, 49ers and Lions are not just good, they are relevant. Yes, I promise this will be discussed more in depth one week. I'm just waiting to see how they develop.

2. Tom Brady vs. My Cowboys. Another comeback win despite him being held in check. It's what he does best. Tony Romo played great but extra credit to our defense playing well most of the game. I didn't like that gutless call going for field goals instead of TD's on the road though.

3. So the Andrew Luck sweepstakes will be between Indianapolis and Miami. They find new ways to lose every week but I think Miami goes 0-16 before Indy. Indy's been fighting close every week since they almost beat the Steelers. Miami just looks like dead fish.

4. Sad to say this. We've seen the end of Donovan McNabb as a starting QB. He was screwed in Washington and tossed out of Philly with no respect. But right now, his talent isn't there anymore. Welcome to the Christian Ponder era.

5. Andy Dalton has a 4-2 record starting for Cincy. But if you dare try to convince me that he's a better QB than Cam Newton, I'll laugh you out of my face. Cincy's D >>>> Carolina's D. Otherwise, Killa's having a better individual season.

NCAA Top 5



1. Trent Richardson. DANG! Best run of the football season. It's one thing to embarrass your opponent by running all over them with 4 TDs but on this 76-yard run, he added insult to injury. THIS is how you make somebody look foolish like playing Madden vs. a child.

2. No LaMichael James? No Darron Thomas for a quarter and a half? No problem for Oregon. Backup QB Bryan Bennett once won a pivotal game as a HS sophomore coming off the bench in Cali and Kenjon Barner/DeAnthony Thomas did what they do best. Oh yeah, nice cameo return by Baby T.I. Cliff Harris.

Your Pac-10 Freshman of the Year race is gonna be between the Black Mamba (Thomas) and Marqise Lee (USC). And who says Cali isn't producing top notch talent anymore.

3. I will not believe in Clemson. I will not believe in Clemson. Sammy Watkins had a grown man day but I will not believe in Clemson. If I keep repeating this, it will make their eventual collapse easier to gloat over. They can't really be this good can they? That comeback win didn't look pretty and gritty did it?

4. The BCS came out this week. No surprises there. It shows up like Kramer so I just roll my eyes and tolerate it for one more year.

5. That said, Boise State's gonna be screwed once again. It'll be the LSU-Bama winner vs. the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State winner unless something happens in the Big 12/SEC title game.

This week's Fab 5 (NFL)

1. Chargers face LaDainian Tomlinson for the first time since he left in free agency. It's not a big deal cause it's  in New York but as I came of age, nobody meant more to San Diego than LT. Yet it's rare than anybody leaves San Diego on good terms.

2. Remember when Packers-Vikings used to be that rivalry game? Yeah, not anymore. Packers go 7-0 easily.

3. Suddenly LSU-Auburn became even more must-see TV. No Spencer Ware or Honey Badger Tyronn Mathieu thanks to a suspension. It's must see TV because I want to see how LSU still finds a way to stomp Auburn. Michael Dyer isn't gonna go off because that LSU D-line is still intact.

4. Wisconsin-Michigan State. 1st off, how in the heck did Wisconsin not play a road game so far? 2nd, we're about to see how good the Badgers are because if they beat Michigan State, they might as well order up tickets to come to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl

5. I'm praying my UCLA Bruins don't get blown out in Arizona on national TV Thursday. And by praying I mean hoping we lose by 20 and keep it respectable against the 2nd best QB in the Pac-10, Nic Foles (You thought I was gonna say Matt Barkley? C'mon son).

And if it matters to fantasy heads, I'm 5-1 in both of my leagues. Bow down.

Football Wrap Week 1 (Killa Cam! Tony Romo!!! Shoelace!!!! oh, and Tom Brady too.)

I think I speak for all football fans by saying thank you to the NFL owners and NFLPA. After a lockout summer, football isn’t just back. It’s come out with a bang. Bang with a opening game shootout, bang with impressive performances and bang with a Monday Night Finale of record setting crazy.

Green Bay and New Orleans. WOW!  Aaron Rodgers still has the swagger of a champion and the hunger of something to prove. Drew Brees left his arm on the field but his O-Line forgot their poker face as Mark Ingram was stuffed on the goal line for the tie.

Not a bad call but they didn’t sell it well. I wouldn’t trust Ingram only because he’s a rookie and this isn’t Tuscaloosa, Alabama, but if you got a big man rumbling – you gotta sell it better. That Packers D is tough and remember, they won minus several key folks.

Oh yeah Randall Cobb, welcome to the NFL with a great return for TD and a long TD catch.  Speaking of which…

Killa Cam!!!  422 passing yards in his debut, 77-yard bomb on his 2nd throw, contributed to all 3 Panthers TD, and nearly led them on a game-tying drive. Raise your hands if you saw this – and I mean his poise, accuracy and pocket presence. Great way to show you can play QB.

No Peyton Manning, No Arian Foster, no problem for Houston. Ben Tate did his best Foster impression from a season ago and it was déjà vu for the Colts. The march to 4-5 wins starts now.

When the Steelers lose, it’s all good. Thank you Baltimore Ravens for getting some revenge for last year’s playoff loss. 7 Turnovers! Matching Big Ben’s jersey is even better. Ed Reed – we’re appreciating greatness at work.

Quiet as kept, though. That Ravens offense could be sneaky good. Keep an eye on Pretty Flacco, Sugar Ray Rice and those wideouts.

Tom Brady:  “This is still my league. Remember that.” The irony of me missing the game yet I remember when Brett Favre had a 99-yd TD pass on MNF. Even if he’s selling Ugg Boots, he’s still a G. Heck, he could sell man purses and perfume and he’d still show you why you respect his G.

All these hamstring/ACL injuries – underrated storyline. Nate Kaeding/Eric Berry/Jon Beason are done for the year and Stephen Jackson hurt his quad. The NFL lockout shortened the preseason and offseason workouts so keep an eye on leg injuries early on.

Now on to my teams. San Diego scared me giving up that long return to Percy Harvin, who literally shook Kaeding into next season. But in the 2^nd half, all credit to our defense keeping McNabb, Peterson and Co. in check. It was an ugly win but it was gritty and resilient.

I may hate Mike Tolbert at times because he’s a big lug getting too many carries but he got that win and the game ball. Big ups to Rivers too fooling Minny on those hard counts down the stretch.

(Oh yeah, McNabb is sadly done. I’m getting that feeling I got when I saw Torii Hunter miss a routine pop fly and Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan look old this summer. You hate seeing great players of your youth go out like suckers but it’s not lookin good. 37 yards…….

As for Dallas…..ummm. As for Dallas. How can I put this lightly? It was a great 3 quarters? Ummm Dez Bryant looked good in the 1^st Q…..aww screw it. TONY ROMO ISNT FIT TO WEAR THE COWBOYS UNIFORM.

I’ve defended Romo for years. I defended him in 2009 when I said he quietly had a great 2^nd half of the season and proved it winning a playoff game. I defended losing to Brett Favre in the playoffs because his O-line was shoddy. I defended him saying that I wouldn’t take Eli Manning and his SB ring over him.

But I also said this year was make or break for him. He had to show some growth and he had to win a big game when it counts. I’m standing by him but I also know he’s on the hot seat. Sure enough, the chair got too hot and he went brain dead.

Yeah Tony, watch that replay again. You know you done messed up again, right?

Fumbling near the goal line. STUPID! But throwing to a hurt Dez Bryant covered by Revis Island? BRAIN DEAD!! This dummy right here threw in the direction of Darrelle Revis. OF ALL PEOPLE!!!!

Throw salt in the wound that former Cowboys kicker Nick Folk won the game (and former Trojans RB Joe McKnight blocked the punt that led to a score) and that No. 9 on Romo’s jersey might as well stand for 9 millmeter.

He’s done. No heart in the 4^th Quarter, all slushie and fear. Suddenly, 2^nd place in the NFC East isn’t a guarantee. And I’m looking at Tony like you’re playing for your career right now. You may still have the gifts to be great but your mind is still stuck on the Div. 1-AA level.

SHOELACE!!! I won’t laugh at Notre Dame as much because that was a phenomenal ending. But Shoelace!!! I was mad they tamed him in the pocket because it was foolish yet it paid off. A great throw for the win and just like that, we remember how great he is. 28 4th-quarter points and brought Michigan back from the dead.

UCLA barely beat San Jose State. Are we that desperate that we can’t beat a team by more when we are 21-point favorites. Big ups to Derrick Coleman in the 2^nd half with over 100 rushing yards. I’m worried slightly about Texas but if I know anything, the Bruins are good for birthday presents. My birthday’s on Saturday and I expect them to do what USC couldn’t do 5 years ago. Beat Texas in the Rose Bowl, especially with their mini QB controversy.

As for USC, they still have trouble executing.  They have the offensive weapons and playmakers on defense to make a stand but they still aren’t great. Maybe we’ve been spoiled seeing high level of execution and precision on both sides but something says this team is winning the Pac-12 South not because they’re great, but because their comp is average.

Except for Arizona State that is. What a big win for them!! Pac-12 needed that badly.

Paul Richardson – 286 yards, 2 TD’s for Colorado. They may have lost to Cal in OT but the former No. 3 WR at Gardena Serra HS is about make his name felt in the Pac-12 after being kicked out of UCLA.

*sidenote – I’m gonna start feeling lucky that I covered that 09 Serra team that won state. Robert Woods (USC), Paul Richardson, George Farmer will soon get his chance to shine at USC. Heck, Marqise Lee was just a great defensive back and now he’s getting plays as a true frosh WR at SC.*

News flash. Auburn still is lucky and magical. Toomer’s Corner must have some miracle dust in those oak trees a la Ferngully cause they keep finding ways to win.

Big ups to Alabama. They have a scary D and great running led by future NFL’er Trent Richardson. It could be 09 all over because that QB McCarron looks green and they’re going to win power style.

One more SEC note. Isaiah Crowell for Georgia. Marcus Lattimore for South Carolina. The future of the conference was on display in that classic game and those backs are amazing runners. Even the Freshman FREAK, Jadeveon Clowdey, got him some love with a grown man sack and forced fumble that iced the game for South Carolina.

Still scratching my head that Spurrier had a D-lineman run a fake punt and he actually scored. Ah, the OBC and his trickery.