| |
2009 NFL Playoff Picture
By Hazen Vennard
November 30, 2009
The 2009 NFL season is more than half way over and we are finally getting a feel for our teams. There have been several surprises so far three games deep into Week 12.
Who would have thought that the Minnesota Vikings would be 9-1 or that the Cincinnati Bengals would be leading the AFC North with a 7-3 record?
How about Vince Young coming off the bench and taking the Tennessee Titans on a four-game winning streak?
After Monday, there are five games left, and teams are giving it their all. Players who are helping their teams the most by positions are:
QB's - Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, who all have over 3,000 yards passing;
RB's - Chris Johnson, Steven Jackson, and Adrian Peterson, who all have over 1,000 yards rushing, except Peterson who is 1 yard shy;
WR's - Reggie Wayne, Randy Moss, and Andre Johnson, who all have over 875 yards;
Defense - Curtis Lofton, Patrick Willis, London Fletcher, who all have over 90 tackles.
The grocery workers - Elvis Dumervil, Jared Allen, and James Harrison, who all have over 10 sacks.
The thieves - Jairus Byrd, Darren Sharper, and Charles Woodson, who all have 7 interceptions or more.
As the season winds down quickly, every team is emptying their tanks trying to get pencil in their names into the playoff pictures.
Only 12 teams get their shot at the Super Bowl, while the rest of the field is sent home packing.
While 12 teams get their shot at the title, only one team can go meet the President of the United States.
I will give you all my predictions on the rest of the season and tell you who will punch their ticket to the playoffs. While the other teams get a little extra time on vacation.
AFC East
Tom Brady will lead the New England Patriots to another playoff, finishing the regular season with a record of 11-5. It looks like the Patriots toughest team will come in week 12 playing on Monday night against the New Orleans Saints.
The Miami Dolphins and their wildcat offense will end up at 8-8, as losing QB Chad Pennington and RB Ronnie Brown definitely hurts the Dolphins chance at making the playoffs. Chad Henne and Ricky Williams hopes to keep their chances alive.
Jets head coach Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez will continue to slump to end the season at 6-10.
Buffalo Bills hope to squeak out one or two more wins, but they will end the season at 4-12.
NFC East
Quarterback Donovan McNabb, WR DeSean Jackson, and the Philadelphia Eagles will make a push and will slide past the struggling the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles will finish the regular season with a record of 11-5 and will win the NFC East.
The struggling Dallas Cowboys will let the Eagles win the East and finish the regular season at a respectable 10-6.
New York Giants, will end their season at 9-7 and RB Brandon Jacobs will continue to stumble and surprisingly be left out of the 2009 playoffs, coming in third in the NFC East.
4-12... that's the record the Washington Redskins will end with and yes, Jim Zorn will be fired.
AFC North
Carson Palmer, one of the leaders of the Cincinnati Bengals, will put the team on his shoulders and WILL take his team to the playoffs. Bengals will end 11-5, the same record that the Pittsburgh Steelers will.
However, Bengals and Steelers will be tied at the end of the season, Bengals beat the Steelers twice in the regular season, so they will take the North.
Running Back Ray Rice and Balitmore Ravens will end on a great note, but will not make the playoffs. They will finish the regular season at 10-6.
The Cleveland Browns will be watching the college football bowl games to see prospects they may draft in April. They will end at a terrible 2-14.
NFC North
Personally, I never would have thought the Minnesota Vikings would be 9-1 at the end of week 11. The Vikings have been one of the most exciting teams to watch this season, thanks to No. 4, Brett Favre.
Favre and Adrian Peterson will continue to bring trouble to defenses and will finish 14-2.
The Green Bay Packers, who will finish 10-6, need to step up their offensive line if they want to do anything in the playoffs.
It looks like QB Jay Cutler wasn't the missing piece the Chicago Bears needed. In a competitive division as the North, the Bears will end at 6-10. Maybe a call to Rex Grossman in the future?... Just Kidding!
"With the first pick the 2010 NFL Draft, the Detriot Lions select..." That is what will be heard as the NFL draft kicks off. They finish at 2-14 and will continue to build a team they hope will compete in the north.
AFC South
Is it really any suprise? Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts will have an undefeated season. They will have home field advantage through out the playoffs.
All cylinders are working, and the Colts just need to make sure they protect their players and stay mostly injury free.
Houston Texans, one of the most suprising teams, will finish with an excellent record at 10-6, but sadly will miss the playoffs.
The AFC is strong this year, but in any hopes they make the playoffs they need to play mistake free.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will not have what it takes to make the playoffs. They will end the season below at 7-9 and might be looking for a new quarterback to take snaps in the 2010 season.
Vince Young's streak will end quickly, and finish their year at 5-11. It's nothing to write home about, but maybe Young can bring the Titans back and should be the starter as the 2010 season kicks off.
NFC South
Drew Brees might be a machine, I am not quite sure though.The New Orleans Saints will also have an undefeated season this year as well. They will end 16-0, and have home field advantage through out the playoffs.
The Saints toughest opponent will be the New England Patriots heading into week 12. Once they win that game, it is theirs to lose after that.
The rest of the NFC South will be mediocre. The Atlanta Falcons will be the the only other team with a record over .500. Quarterback Matt Ryan will take the team to 9-7 and will miss the playoffs.
Carolina Panthers will end 5-11, but that is not the worst part about that. They don't even get a first round draft pick, because this April they traded that to the San Francisco 49ers for their second round pick.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will look for great things in QB Josh Freeman next year in 2010 but until then, they will have a top 10 draft pick. They will finish their season at, 3-13.
AFC West
The San Diego Chargers have an easy schedule from here on out. The chargers should win out, and the end season on an excellent 13-3 record.
Quarterback Philip Rivers will lead the team and hope the running game will come along here in the stretch.
Denver Broncos will take second in the AFC West, and will finish with a 11-5 record. The defense will need to be a brick wall to keep the Broncos in the game.
A team that is struggling offensively, look for them to turn it up down the stretch.
I think the Oakland Raiders will impress some people as the last couple weeks end. They will finish 6-10, they will miss the playoffs, and look for Al Davis to make some strange off-season moves.
It seems like anyone can manage the game as they play quarterback for the Patriots, because obviously QB Matt Cassel wasn't the answer.
The Kansas City Chiefs will end 3-13, they will miss the playoffs, and they will have a top 5 pick in the 2010 draft in April.
NFC West
One of San Francisco's finest, linebacker Patrick Willis. The 49ers will make a push for the NFC West and will end up in first place. Their great run defense will help them make it to the playoffs.
The 49ers will end with a record of 9-7 but wait, I have the Arizona Cardinals going 9-7 as well.
However, the 49ers beat the Cardinals in week 1 of the season, and I have the 49ers winning in week 14 on Monday night football.
The Arizona Cardinals will let the 49ers into the playoffs, and be sent home in a disappointing season.
No good news will happen with the Seattle Seahawks or the St. Louis Rams. They will finish with a record of 5-11 and 2-14.
Both teams will look for a new quarterback in the offseason, as QB's Matt Hasselbeck and Marc Bulger just aren't cutting it with their teams.
AFC Playoff Picture
The AFC Division Winners are:
1) Indianapolis Colts
2) San Diego Chargers
3) New England Patriots
4) Cincinnati Bengals
The AFC Wildcard Winners are:
1) Pittsburgh Steelers
2) Denver Broncos
NFC Playoff Picture
NFC Division Winners are:
1) New Orleans Saints
2) Minnesota Vikings
3) Philadelphia Eagles
4) San Francisco 49ers
NFC Wildcard Winners are:
1) Dallas Cowboys
2) Green Bay Packers
Sports Ticket Depot - NFL Super Bowl,
News Archive Index: 2010, 2009, 2008
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class of 2010 semifinalists announced
(The Class of 2010 will be determined at the Selection Committee's annual meeting on Saturday, February 6, in South Florida the day before Super Bowl XLIV.)
November 30, 2009
Four first-year eligible players Tim Brown, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith and Aeneas Williams, are among the 25 semifinalists being considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010.
The Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee chose the 25 semifinalists from the list of 131 preliminary nominees. Also, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has teamed up with Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation's Van Heusen brand and J.C. Penney, Inc. to ask fans, for the first time ever, to voice their choice for whom they think should be included into the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010.
Other than the four first-year eligible nominees, each of the remaining 21 nominees on the Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee’s list of nominees has been a semifinalist at least once prior to this year. The list of 25 includes a coach, Don Coryell, and two contributors, Art Modell and Paul Tagliabue.
--
The complete list of 25 modern-era semifinalists is as follows:
» Cliff Branch, WR – 1972-1985 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
» Tim Brown, WR/KR – 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
» Cris Carter, WR – 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins
» Don Coryell, Coach – 1973-77 St. Louis Cardinals, 1978-1986 San Diego Chargers
» Roger Craig, RB – 1983-1990 San Francisco 49ers, 1991 Los Angeles Raiders, 1992-93 Minnesota Vikings
» Terrell Davis, RB – 1995-2001 Denver Broncos
» Dermontti Dawson, C – 1988-2000 Pittsburgh Steelers
» Richard Dent, DE – 1983-1993, 1995 Chicago Bears, 1994 San Francisco 49ers, 1996 Indianapolis Colts, 1997 Philadelphia Eagles
» Chris Doleman, DE/LB – 1985-1993, 1999 Minnesota Vikings, 1994-95 Atlanta Falcons, 1996-98 San Francisco 49ers
» Kevin Greene, LB/DE – 1985-1992 Los Angeles Rams, 1993-95 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1996, 1998-99 Carolina Panthers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers
» Russ Grimm, G – 1981-1991 Washington Redskins
» Ray Guy, P – 1973-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
» Charles Haley, DE/LB – 1986-1991, 1999 San Francisco 49ers, 1992-96 Dallas Cowboys
» Lester Hayes, CB – 1977-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
» Rickey Jackson, LB – 1981-1993 New Orleans Saints, 1994-95 San Francisco 49ers
» Cortez Kennedy, DT – 1990-2000 Seattle Seahawks
» Art Modell, Owner – 1961-1995 Cleveland Browns, 1996-2003 Baltimore Ravens
» John Randle, DT – 1990-2000 Minnesota Vikings, 2001-03 Seattle Seahawks
» Andre Reed, WR – 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins
» Jerry Rice, WR – 1985-2000 San Francisco 49ers, 2001-04 Oakland Raiders, 2004 Seattle Seahawks
» Shannon Sharpe, TE – 1990-99, 2002-03 Denver Broncos, 2000-01 Baltimore Ravens
» Emmitt Smith, RB – 1990-2002 Dallas Cowboys, 2003-04 Arizona Cardinals
» Paul Tagliabue, Commissioner – 1989-2006 National Football League
» Steve Tasker, Special Teams/WR – 1985-86 Houston Oilers, 1986-1997 Buffalo Bills
» Aeneas Williams, CB/S – 1991-2000 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, 2001-04 St. Louis Rams
--
The list of 25 semifinalists will be reduced by mail ballot to 15 modern-era candidates. That list increases to 17 finalist nominees with the inclusion of the two recommended candidates of the Hall of Fame’s Seniors Committee. The Seniors Committee nominees, who were announced in August, are Dick LeBeau and Floyd Little. LeBeau played 14 seasons (1959-1972) at cornerback for the Detroit Lions. Little, a running back played nine seasons (1967-1975) for the Denver Broncos.
The results of the modern-era reduction vote to 15 finalists will be announced on January 7, 2010.
To be considered for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a nominated player or coach must have been retired at least five years. A contributor, who is a nominee who has made outstanding contributions to pro football in capacities other than playing and coaching, may still be active in his pro football career.
Although there is no set number for any class of enshrinees, the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s current ground rules do stipulate that between four and seven new members will be selected each year. No more than five modern-era nominees can be elected in a given year and a class of six or seven enshrinees can only be achieved if one or both senior nominees are elected.
The Class of 2010 will be determined at the Selection Committee's annual meeting on Saturday, February 6, in South Florida the day before Super Bowl XLIV. The election results will be announced at 5 p.m. ET during a one-hour NFL Network special, live from the Super Bowl media headquarters.
For the first time, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has teamed up with Van Heusen to ask fans to voice their choice for whom they think should be included into the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010. The Van Heusen Fan’s Choice campaign which launched in September, mirrors the Hall of Fame’s selection process and will name the first-ever Fan’s Choice Class live on the NFL Network just prior to the official announcement from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
After the first cut-down and more than 220,000 votes, the Van Heusen Fan’s Choice Top 25 list includes 14 candidates who also appear on the official Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee list including: Cliff Branch, Tim Brown, Cris Carter, Richard Dent, Kevin Greene, Ray Guy, Charles Haley, Lester Hayes, John Randle, Andre Reed, Jerry Rice, Shannon Sharpe, Emmitt Smith, and Steve Tasker.
Others making the Van Heusen Fan’s Choice Top 25 list who didn’t make the official Hall of Fame Selection Committee list include an athletic trainer, Otho Davis; a game official, Jim Tunney; a coach, Tom Flores; as well as former players Steve Atwater, Todd Christensen, Randall Cunningham, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Jim Plunkett, Sterling Sharpe, Phil Simms, and Joe Theismann.
Fans are encouraged to visit www.fanschoice.com daily to vote for their favorites before the next Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee reduction vote to 15 modern-era finalists that will take place in January.
Sports Ticket Depot - NFL Super Bowl,
News Archive Index: 2010, 2009, 2008
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Super Bowl 2010 Minutes
November 30, 2009
Super Bowl 2010 Will Feature The Who In Halftime Show
Legendary rock band The Who will be performing in the Super Bowl 2010 halftime show.
CBS will broadcast the Super Bowl 2010, which will take place on February 7th 2010 in Florida.
The exposure of performing a Super Bowl halftime show is huge. According to the NFL 151 million viewers watch the halftime show last year. Super Bowl XLIV will be broadcasted in 230 countries world-wide.
Super Bowl 2010 Ads Almost Sold Out
In August we reported that Super Bowl 2010 ad sales are off to a slow start. Now the situation has changed completely and according to CNN, CBS will have sold 90% of the available 30 second Super Bowl Ad slots by Thanksgiving.
NBC had to wait to reach the sellout point until January in 2008.
HomeAway Super Bowl 2010 Ad Will Feature Chevy Chase And National Lampoon's
HomeAway Inc. has announced their Super Bowl 2010 commercial. The online vacation rental marketplace is going to feature actors Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo in a National Lampoon's Vacation themed Super Bowl ad. The HomeAway Super Bowl ad could be one of the funniest Super Bowl Ads 2010 based on this setup.
"The Griswolds have always been America’s first family of travel, and the broad popularity of the Vacation movie series still continues today," says Brian Sharples, founder and chief executive officer of HomeAway. "We intend to have a lot of fun with the ad campaign, highlighting the travel mishaps that always seem to follow the Griswold family, while also promoting the value and benefits of vacation rentals as an alternative to hotels."
Super Bowl 2010 Ads Will Have GoDaddy Again
Super Bowl 2010 is still a couple of months away, but controversal Super Bowl Advertiser GoDaddy already announced that they will be back. At the Super Bow 2010 their ads ranked #1 on the TiVo Super Bowl Ads ranking. The economic situation we are living in is no reason for GoDaddy to drop out of Super Bowl. And why should they? Their ads worked on TV and on the Internet extremely well over the last couple of years.
It is pretty sure that Danica Patrick will again be featured in the GoDaddy Super Bowl
Super Bowl 2010 Ads Sales Started Slow
The Super Bowl XLIV will be held in Florida for the 10th time. CBS has the broadcasting rights this year and according to Portfolio Super Bowl 2010 Ad sales are off to a slow start. Six months until the big game apparently only half the inventory has been sold. The top ad price of $3m for a 30 second spot that NBC asked last year is likely to drop.
Super Bowl 2010 will be the first to be broadcasted only in Digital
Super Bowl XLIV will be held in Florida a record breaking 10th time. The new very 3D logo of Super Bowl 2010 has already been presented. As you remember Super Bowl 2009 was heavy on the 3D stuff in the commercials, not sure if the logo designers got the inspiration from that.
A big change for the next Super Bowl will be the shift to an all digital telecast as the U.S. digital transition just took place on June 12th.
The Stars of Super Bowl Ads and where they are now
The Super Bowl 2009 is now more than a week behind us but there is still interesting coverage of Super Bowl Ads out there.
USA Today published a story about the all-time stars of Super Bowl ads and what they are doing now.
They check in for instance with the kid of the original Mean Joe Greene ad from Super Bowl 1980 and with Joe Greene himself.
3D Chuck Episode Powered by 3ality
3ailty announced that it was the power behind the rather disappointing 3D episode of Chuck earlier this week. The episode was intended to build on the momentum from the Super Bowl the night before and give watchers something to do with those 3D glasses they had for the Super Bowl.
The big problem was that most watchers weren't able to find the 3D glasses and were left with an irritatingly fuzzy image with lots of green fringe around items in the show. I was one of the many who didn’t find glasses locally and very nearly stopped watching the show.
Sexy GoDaddy Super Bowl Ads got some Customers leaving
The sexy GoDaddy Super Bowl Ads apparently have Christian customers leaving the web service provider.
Wired reports about a host service provider that manages sites for Christian churches, some of his customers do not want to have their domains hosted by GoDaddy anymore because of their Super Bowl ads.
Super Bowl 2009 was the most watched Sporting Event on TV
Nielsen Media Research updated the audience numbers for Super Bowl XLIII and now it is official that the Super Bowl 2009 was the most watched sporting event in TV history according to The Variety.
An estimated 98.73 million had watched the Super Bowl and the Super Bowl ads. Of course not all of them sat through the whole game. Still lots of them watched the number #1 Super Bowl 2009 Ad according to TiVo: Go Daddy's Enhanced?.
The Super Bowl 2009 has about 1 million more viewers than the Super Bowl 2008. With an audience close to 100 million it is clear that the Super Bowl ads have been a bargain at $3m. It is even more a bargain if you, like Doritos, get a Super Bowl Ad made by amateurs on the #1 spot according to the USA Today Ad Meter.
Comcast responses to Super Bowl Porn Glitch
As reported some viewers in Tucson, Arizona who were watching the game on Comcast cable's SD feed got exposed to a porn clip during Super Bowl. Comcast has now issued an official statement regarding the incident.
Comcast says that the initial investigation suggests this was an isolated malicious act. There is still no information on how the porn clip got fed into the Comcast SD stream, but an investigation is underway.
The company is of course deeply sorry as the Super Bowl is a family viewing event. Comcast is handing out a $10 credit to any Comcast video customer in Tucson who was impacted.
Sports Ticket Depot - NFL Super Bowl,
News Archive Index: 2010, 2009, 2008
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The 10 biggest NFL draft busts of the decade
By Chris Chase
November 30, 2009
What makes a draft bust? Is draft position alone the determining factor? How much does one have to fail? Could a bust have an otherwise fine career, aside from the massive expectations that accompanied him into the league? What role do injuries play in the whole thing? Does bad luck equal bust?
Ask 100 different people and you'll get 100 different answers, which is why the whole darn discussion is so fun. There are no right answers, hence the following list fraught with contradictions. You'll find complete flops next to guys who could play a decade in the league. The reasoning player X is included might make you say, "well, why not player Y?"
And some of the names you don't see might be as surprising as those you do see. For instance, David Carr or Alex Smith on this list, even though their names frequently pop-up on such rankings. Just because they went No. 1 doesn't mean that, outside of a two-month stretch in the spring of the year they were drafted, most people ever thought they'd be great. Those guys were more No. 1 by default; the best looking prospects of a bad class.
But, without further adieu, Shutdown Corner's top 10 draft busts of the 2000s:
10. Mike Williams, WR, Detroit Lions, No. 10, 2005
Sitting out the 2004 college season was bad. Getting drafted by the Lions was worse. After a decent rookie season (29 catches, 350 yards), Williams caught just 14 balls in the NFL. He was cut by the Tennesee Titans in 2007 after failing to get a single reception.
9. Robert Gallery, T, Oakland Raiders, No. 3, 2004
Sports Illustrated called him "the best lineman to come out of college in years". He was supposed to dominate the left tackle position for "10 to 15 years". But he went from that marquee offensive line position to right tackle to left guard, on the Raiders no less. He's an adequate NFL player, but far from the "next Tony Boselli".
8. Courtney Brown, DE, Cleveland Browns, No. 1, 2000
7. LaVar Arrington, LB, Washington Redskins, No. 2, 2000
Two Penn State defenders went with top two picks in the first draft of the decade. Neither have played in the league since 2006
5. Maurice Clarett, RB, Denver Broncos, No. 101, 2005
Not a bust in the traditional sense, but before the goose-getting and the arrests and the jail sentence, it was thought that Maurice Clarett could be a good gamble for the Broncos. His 40 times at the combine were abysmal and he looked puffier than Vince Vaughn in Old School. But Mike Shanahan had made stars of less (Mike Anderson, anyone?).
5. Matt Leinart, QB, Arizona Cardinals, No. 10, 2006
Why Leinart and not Carr or Smith? Leinart was the USC golden boy, the Heisman Trophy winner who became the toast of L.A. and could have been the No. 1 pick in 2005 before coming back and getting his game nitpicked by scouts. Now he's best known for holding a beer bong and backing up the ageless Kurt Warner. Who knows, he may be a star of the 2010s. But for the '00s: bust.
4. Reggie Bush, RB, New Orleans Saints, No. 2, 2006
All of the flaws that are readily apparent in Bush's game today weren't so obvious three years ago. Those who were touting Mario Williams as the No. 1 pick (and there weren't many) did so more because they thought Williams would be great, not because they thought Bush's college dominance wouldn't translate to the pros. Bush is a fine NFL player, but far from the game-changing superstar he was anticipated to be.
3. Peter Warrick, WR, Cincinnati Benglas, No. 4, 2000
This summer, the former Florida State star was playing for the Bloomington Extreme of the Indoor Football League. No word on whether they give discounts at Dillard's.
2. JaMarcus Russell, QB, Oakland Raiders, No. 1, 2007
Earlier this month, Joe Posnanski had the best summation of Russell's professional prospects I've ever seen:
You keep hearing about this "talent" that he has - after all, he was the No. 1 pick in the draft - but best I can tell he can't or won't run, he has no feel in the pocket, he has no idea what an open receiver looks like and he has absolutely no idea where his passes are going. I'm just not sure what his talent is supposed to be. Yes, he's big and he has a strong arm. Big deal. That's not talent, not for an NFL quarterback. To me, that's like saying someone has talent for playing the piano because they have long fingers and like music.
1. Charles Rogers, WR, Detroit Lions, No. 2, 2003
It's always easier to judge a bust in retrospect. We can look back at the failed drug tests in college and the prima donna attitude and say, "he was destined to fail." But that's the thing ... you never know how a guy is going to perform. Randy Moss had problems, but he's on his way to Canton. Charles Rogers had just as much talent, he just couldn't harness it. And it didn't help that he went to the Lions either.
Sports Ticket Depot - NFL Super Bowl,
News Archive Index: 2010, 2009, 2008
|
