Dynasty Football

Captain of the Ship

As those of you who have followed me for a while have come to now, I am a die-hard Buccaneers fan. That has come with its fair share of agonizing seasons and this past season was no exception. With Raheem Morris (below) rounding out the trifecta of fired Florida coaches, the time has come to select a new head coach for the Bay Area.

As the hunt continues, it appears the only record the Bucs’ organization is going to break this season is most coaches interviewed. That’s not exactly what the fans (or the players) want to see but it is nice to see that they are taking this seriously.

I have a few candidates in mind and, while teaming some of these guys up sounds nearly impossible, I think they would be just the kick in the ass the Bucs need to turn it around and become serious contenders. The pieces are all there for the Bucs. When you look at individual positions, it is hard to find a weakness on this team. The problem for the Bucs is that they don’t really seem to comprehend the whole ‘team’ idea of football.

So let’s take a look at a few scenarios I think would complement the Bucs perfectly.

1. Head Coach – Mike Zimmer (left)

     Offensive Coordinator – Tom Clements

            So, Zimmer is currently the Defensive Coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals and there is no doubt about his ability. He’s a great defensive guy who I think would work well with the players (he’s had his hands full of troubled players with the Bungles). But that defensive mindset would leave a glaring hole in our offense, which is why Tom Clements would be the man for the job. Clements is currently the QB coach for Green Bay (yes, he coached Brett Farve and Aaron Rogers). The key to the Bucs offensive struggles was the more than lack-luster performance by Josh Freeman this year. I think bringing in Clements as the OC allows us to be a defensive minded team (which is a good idea with our team being so young) while allowing Clements to focus in on problems with Freeman which infected our offense this year.

2. Head Coach – Mike Zimmer

     Offensive Coordinator – Rob Chudzinski

            Zimmer is picked again here for the reason given above but now I’ve swapped out Clements for Chudzinski. Now this situation is fairly unlikely but man would it be perfect. Chudzinski is currently the OC for the Carolina Panthers so odds are he isn’t going to jump ship for another OC position (especially on a team like the Bucs). But after watching him implement a system that aided in Cam Newton having one of the best statistical rookie seasons for any QB, I can’t help but wonder what he could do with Freeman and the rest of this young Buc offense.

3. Head Coach – Joe Philbin

    Defensive Coordinator – Mike Zimmer

            Philbin is the OC for the Green Bay Packers so he obviously knows how to run an offense which seems to be where the Bucs want to go with their next head coach. Again, this pairing seems like a long shot because Zimmer might not want to jump ship on the Bengals just to take another coordinator position. That being said, I think Philbin could be a great coach for this young offense. Green Bay is also a very young squad and that didn’t seem to slow Philbin down at all. Obviously I’m a big fan of Zimmer, as he has been in all 3 of these scenarios, but I think it is going to be very important for Tampa to emphasize defense if they want to be successful moving forward (just ask Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson).

4. Head Coach – Mike Sherman (right)

    Coordinator – TBD

            Another guy associated with Green Bay has his hat in the ring for this one. Sherman was a head coach for Green Bay a couple years back before going to coach for Texas A&M. He wasn’t exactly stellar at A&M but he’s got a pretty good track record otherwise. He also has ties to the Bucs front office, which is apparently why he is considered the front-runner by most. I’m not terribly excited about the idea of hiring Sherman but they must see something in him that I just can’t yet.

Note: Clements and Chudzinski are both considered prospects for the head-coaching job for the Bucs but I don’t see much of a change in the styles of those guys and Morris. Yes, I think they are actually better coaches and more equipped to handle the team but they seem to thrive as being the friend & coach as opposed to the disciplinarian the Bucs seem to need. 

Playoff Predictions

So my buddies and I threw down some cash and filled out an NFL playoff bracket. Here is what mine looks like. Tell me what you think.

WildCard Playoff:

TEXANS over Bengals

SAINTS over Lions

STEELERS over Broncos

FALCONS over Giants

Divisional Round:

PATRIOTS over Steelers

RAVENS over Texans

PACKERS over Falcons

SAINTS over 49ERS

Conference Championships:

PATRIOTS over Ravens

SAINTS over Packers

SUPER BOWL XLVI:

PATRIOTS over Saints

  Total Points = 24-21        

I wanted to place MVP Aaron Rogers in the Super Bowl for the second straight year but I also want to win my bracket. I don't see Tom Brady having any real trouble reaching the Super Bowl with the team he has around him. And I'll take Brady in a Super Bowl over any QB that has ever lived. I also don't see the Saints or Packers having any difficulty getting to the NFC Conference Championship. There I imagine Brees will just barely edge out Rogers in a surprisingly low scoring affair.

Think I'm dead on or bat shit crazy? Post a comment below and let me know.

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Week Three Top Performers & Projections

Carolina Panthers over the Jacksonville Jaguars

MVP: Cam Newton

Cam Newton’s massive numbers in the yardage category are only to be outdone by the unreal numbers of Tom Brady. I expect Cam to have another huge day against the Jags and finally get a W.

New England Patriots over the Buffalo Bills

MVP: Tom Brady

Just get used to the fact that for every week that the Patriots play I will be selecting Tom Brady as the game’s MVP and 9 times out of 10 I’ll be right.

San Francisco 49ers over the Cincinnati Bengals

MVP: Frank Gore

A pretty disappointing season for Gore so far with weak performances in the first two games, I expect Gore to come out find the endzone a few times against the Bengals. Sidenote: Anyone else think of the Bengals as a prison team more than a professional team?

Cleveland Browns over the Miami Dolphins

MVP: Colt McCoy

I don’t know why but I absolutely love this kid. He’s accurate, he’s smart, and he’s good with his feet. What’s not to like about the sophomore out of Texas?

Detroit Lions over the Minnesota Vikings

MVP: Matthew Stafford

Two weeks and two dominating efforts for Stafford. Now he faces a Minnesota team that just can’t seem to hold it together after blowing a huge lead on Sunday against the Bucs. Start him with confidence.

New Orleans Saints over the Houston Texans

MVP: Drew Brees

In what I assume will be one heck of an offensive shootout, Drew Brees wins out with just a few more weapons in the passing attack than Houston can handle. I also expect another big game for Tate if Foster is sidelined again.

Philidelphia Eagles over the New York Giants

MVP: LeSean McCoy

McCoy has been a fantasy stud the past two weeks and, while Vick has been cleared to play, I would expect Philly to utilize their ground game even more to take the pressure off of their $100 million asset. And when Eli is tossing the rock you can expect a few turnovers which are just what Philly needs to seal the deal.

Tennessee Titans over the Denver Broncos

MVP: Chris Johnson

It’s now or never for CJ2K if he wants to hold off Ringer before Tennessee decides to go to a committee system. CJ hasn’t been able to get it done and he hasn’t exactly been facing the toughest run defenses early. I expect him to finally prove to everyone he was worth that big contract.

New York Jets over the Oakland Raiders

MVP: Mark Sanchez

Sanchez has so many weapons in his offensive system and I expect him to lead the entire team to a big day. Expect this game to be high scoring with the Jets prevailing in the end.

San Diego Chargers over the Kansas City Chiefs

MVP: Philip Rivers

Jamaal Charles going out for the season all but seals the fate of the Chiefs this year. Thomas Jones is too old and Dexter McCluster is too brittle. I expect Rivers to be on the field a lot since the Chiefs will struggle to move the ball and should have plenty of fantasy points for you by the end of the 3^rd quarter.

Baltimore Ravens over the St. Louis Rams

MVP: Joe Flacco

It’s been the Ray Rice show in Baltimore the past few weeks and last week we saw their offense fizzle out in embarrassing fashion. I think Flacco will come back this week with a chip on his shoulder and start lighting it up against the Rams’ secondary.

Green Bay Packers over the Chicago Bears

MVP: Aaron Rogers

Remember that rule I had for Tom Brady always expected to get the MVP award? The same rule applies Rogers. Sidenote: IF Cutler can stay off the ground, I expect him to sling the ball around pretty well too.

Arizona Cardinals over the Seattle Seahawks

MVP: Kevin Kolb

The only week Seattle isn’t going to lose this season is week 6 when they have their bye week.  I expect Kolb to dominate Seattle’s secondary and connect on a few deep balls with Larry Fitzgerald in the process.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the Atlanta Falcons

MVP: Josh Freeman

The Bucs won’t be able to manage a 17 point comeback like they did against Minnesota last week. But I can expect that, down by 4, Freeman improves on his legacy by marching down the field and punching it into the endzone in a close win.

Pittsburgh Steelers over the Indianapolis Colts

MVP: Ben Roethlisberger

I think the Colts may have it in their best interest to enter the Andrew Luck lottery. I expect Big Ben to keep up the chemistry he has with Mike Wallace working for a big day against the Colts.

Dallas Cowboys over the Washington Redskins

MVP: Tony Romo

The man with the punctured lung changed the nation’s perception of him simply by taking the field. And then again by leading the Cowboys to victory in overtime. As one of his teammates said after the game, he’s going to have to do it again to really make us believe and I think that’s exactly what he does. The Iron Lung rides out onto the field and finishes off the victory with a precision pass to the endzone to seal the victory.  

A Look Back at Week 2

Buffalo Bills defeat the Oakland Raiders 38-35

MVP: Fred Jackson

Yes, I gave the MVP award to Jackson for this game purely because of the numbers he put up (117 yards rushing, 2TDs, and 27 receiving yards). But had I have told you that Ryan Fitzpatrick would have 7 touchdowns, 1 interception and a QB rating of 109.6 in the first two weeks you never would have believed me. You have to give credit where credit is due and, I’ll admit it, I’ll be pulling for them next week against the Pats.

Green Bay Packers defeat the Carolina Panthers 30-23

MVP: Cam Newton

This makes it two weeks in a row I’ve picked Cam as my MVP in a game his team lost. But I have my reasons. Apart from the Philidelphia Eagles, the Green Bay Packers are essentially expected to coast into the playoffs and make a serious bid for the Super Bowl yet again. That is exactly what made Cam’s performance so impressive. Cam is now second in passing yards in the league with 854 in two games. Yes, he did give the ball up in the second half like he was allergic to it but he was dictating the game in the first half against the best defense in the National Football League. All I have to say is, until this kid starts acting like a rookie, I see no reason to continue to treat him as one.

Detroit Lions defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 48-3

MVP: Matthew Stafford

A healthy Stafford has proven to be an extremely dangerous one. I wanted to believe in the Lions last year but couldn’t shake my memory of that 0-16 team a few years back. Well, they’ve definitely put those years behind them as they improve to 2-0 in monstrous fashion. Stafford slang the rock for nearly 300 yards and four scores against albeit a weak Chiefs secondary. Quite the day for quite a young team.

Cleveland Browns defeat the Indianapolis Colts 27-19

MVP: Peyton Hillis

I wanted to give the award to Colt McCoy yet again but his 211 yards and one TD just aren’t going to cut it. Hillis looked like he was back in the swing of things for the rushing game against the Colts. 94 yards and two scores was exactly what the Browns needed to push them past the Manning-less (Manning can also be substituted for win) and bring them to 1-1 on the year. In some other division I may even put them as an outside shot at the playoffs, but I don’t see Big Ben or the Ravens D having any part of that.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Minnesota Vikings 24-20

MVP: Josh Freeman

I wanted to put LeGarrette Blount down for MVP because of a 70 yard, two score game in what was essentially his first game of the season but I just have to show Freeman some big time love here. In only his third year in the league, Josh Freeman is considered an excellent 4^th quarter QB. I swear, I watch every game and sometimes I think he lets the other team hang around purely so he can finish them off in dramatic fashion. I realize the Bucs had nearly all of their home games blacked out last year but there has to be a less heart-wrenching way to sell tickets.

New Orleans Saints defeat the Chicago Bears 30-13

MVP: Drew Brees

No surprises here. Rebounding from a tough loss to the Green Bay Packers last week, the Saints stormed back behind Brees’ 270 yards and 3 TDs to improve to 1-1. Until the Bears can learn how to protect Jay Culter for more than like 8 plays, they are going to continue to struggle against any defense.

New York Jets defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 32-3

MVP:  The NYJ Defense

Yes, anytime the opposition is held to just 3 points it is pretty easy to credit the defense with the win. That is especially true when the defense only allows 3 third down conversions on 12 attempts and never allows them into the red zone. That’s quite the sad day for the lonely fan in Jacksonville who purchased NFL red zone to watch all those MJD touchdowns. But come on, they can’t play Tennessee every week.

Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Seattle Seahawks 24-0

MVP: Ben Roethlisberger

I wanted to give this to the Steel Curtain for all of the reasons I just picked the Jets above (plus the fact Seattle didn’t even attempt a field goal) but, after 5 turnovers last week, Big Ben gets this award with a side of redemption. Passing for nearly 300 yards and a touchdown isn’t that impressive against such a weak team but it does mean I don’t have to bench him for McCoy next week in one of my leagues. Cheers to that.

Tennessee Titans defeat the Baltimore Ravens 26-13

MVP: Kenny Britt

After an impressive and dominant win over the Steelers last week, I don’t think anyone was anticipating an offensive stall against the Titans.  For going for over 130 yards and a score for the second straight week (last week he had two scores), Britt has to be the MVP again. The kid was on pace last year to finish as the number one receiver before he got injured. If this guy can stay healthy all year he may just pick right up where he left off.

Washington Redskins defeat the Arizona Cardinals 22-21

MVP: Rex Grossman

Rex is making me relish the fact that I wrote that article about him before the season started more than any post I’ve ever drafted. Is it getting to extreme to feel that his play on the field is now a personal vendetta against me to prove me wrong? Well hell Rex, I’ll admit it, you’ve won me over. The Redskins are currently the only 2-0 team in the NFC East and Rex’s 291 yards and two touchdowns proved to be enough (oh, and Gano’s FG but he’s a kicker so come on!) to get the win against the birds this Sunday. Hey Rex, you put up 4 TDs against the Cowboys and I may even buy your jersey.

Dallas Cowboys defeat the San Francisco 49ers 27-24 (OT)

MVP: Tony Romo            

It’s hard not to give Miles Austin the award here considering he did have 143 yards and 3 touchdowns but he didn’t have any broken bones so he lost some points in that category. Romo on the other hand actually took that stat box uncontested and that is why he wins out this week. Romo left the game with a fractured rib which meant Kitna had to come in which 9 times out of 10 means your team loses. Well, it took Romo just one play in OT to hit Holley (I didn’t know who he was either) for a 77 yard reception which set up the game ending field goal. So to who I believed to be the softest QB in the league until today, congrats Tony (I’m looking at you now Cassel).

Denver Broncos defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 24-22

MVP: Kyle Orton

Orton may have only thrown for less than 200 yards and two touchdowns and rookie Andy Dalton may have thrown for over 300 yards and two scores as well but I’m still giving it to Orton. Why you ask? Because as long as Orton doesn’t lose the game, Tim Tebow won’t be seeing any playing time at QB. So yes, other guys in this game deserved MVP honors but as long as Orton keeps Teblow of the field he’ll keep getting respect from me.

Houston Texans defeat the Miami Dolphins 23-13

MVP: Daniel Thomas

There were a lot of guys here who had great fantasy days, most of which were on the winning side (Andre Johnson and Ben Tate) but Thomas made a name for himself Sunday. Thomas is a rookie who was thought to have lost his job to Reggie Bush based on the pass happy Miami style of offense. Thomas took 18 carries for over 100 yards while running behind his pads. He seems to be running in a way that fills the void Ronnie Brown left when he skipped town for Philly. For the sake of the Dolphins, I sure hope Thomas can keep this up.

New England Patriots defeat the San Diego Chargers 35-21

MVP: Tom Brady

98% of the time that Tom Brady takes the field he is worthy of MVP honors and Sunday was no exception. The fastest QB to 900 yards in NFL history, Brady followed up week 1’s 500+ yard performance with a 400 yard effort. Wes Welker was responsible for most of the yards in week 1 and, in typical Brady fashion, he shook things up and connected with Deion Branch 8 times for nearly 130 yards. And for those playing in leagues where Gronkowski or Hernandez (despite the injury) are available, try to make some roster room. They will be consistent performers while on the field.

Atlanta Falcons defeat the Philidelphia Eagles 35-31

MVP: Matt Ryan

As I predicted, Matt Ryan wasn’t about to lay down and let another team bury them. While only throwing for 195 yards on 28 attempts, Ryan did manage to find the endzone 4 times against the amazing Philly secondary. Tony Gonzalez made the play of the game with a one-handed toe-tapping catch in the back of the endzone. Those watching also say Michael Turner come alive in what most predict as a down year for Turner with 114 yards on the ground and a score (he also had 32 receiving yards).

New York Giants defeat the St. Louis Rams 28-16

MVP: Danario Alexander

I know what you’re thinking. Who is Danario Alexander? The 2^nd year player from Missouri had only three receptions on Monday night but they were all he needed to record 122 yards and a touchdown against the Giants. Yes, Alexander is one of many to earn MVP honors in a losing effort but he did launch himself out of obscurity and into the spotlight on one of the biggest stages a week 2 game can provide. Just don’t expect Alexander to be getting this award again anytime soon.

I went 14-2 this week on my picks which brings me to a 21-10 total on the year. 
Love what you read or think someone else deserves MVP honors this week? Write me a comment and let me know what you think!

-X

Week Two Top Performers & Projections

Pittsburgh Steelers over the Seattle Seahawks

Top Performer: Ben Roethlisberger responds with a big game after an embarrassing 5 turnover game vs. the Ravens in week 1.

Buffalo Bills over the Oakland Raiders

Top Performer: Don’t expect Ryan Fitzpatrick to help the team put up 41 points again. But he’ll still pick apart the Raiders for a few scores and the win.

Arizona Cardinals over the Washington Redskins

Top Performer: In a high scoring affair, Beanie Wells punches in another score late in the game to take MVP honors in this game.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the Minnesota Vikings

Top Performer: LeGarrette Blount is finally let loose prompting even more apologies by Raheem Morris in his post game press conference.

New York Jets over the Jacksonville Jaguars

Top Performer: The Jets got lucky last week which is exactly why Mark Sanchez asserts himself early and often against the Jags in week 2.

New Orleans Saints over the Chicago Bears

Top Performer: The Saints pick themselves up after a close loss to the Packers and Drew Brees displays his potent passing attack backed by the four-headed rushing monster.

Green Bay Packers over the Carolina Panthers

Top Performer: While Cam Newton did have one hell of a debut, Aaron Rogers and the Packers Def put the new kid back in his place as they go on to easily defeat the Panthers.

Baltimore Ravens over the Tennessee Titans

Top Performer: The Ravens ride the momentum from last week’s huge win over the Steelers as Joe Flacco connects with every guy on the field for a huge day.

Detroit Lions over the Kansas City Chiefs

Top Performer: Matthew Stafford looked strong against the Bucs last week and doesn’t slow down as he puts up big numbers vs. the Chiefs.

Cleveland Browns over the Indianapolis Colts

Top Performer: I expect big things from Colt McCoy this year; especially this week when he faces the hopeless Colts.

Dallas Cowboys over the San Francisco 49ers

Top Performer: If Tony Romo can hold onto the ball, I expect Dez Bryant to make a few Megatron-esque catches for a big day over San Fran.

Denver Broncos over the Cincinnati Bengals

Top Performer: I am praying that Kyle Orton has a big game this week to shut up the now newly crowned ‘Most Annoying Fans in Sports’. I’ve got faith in you Orton. Do whatever you can to keep Baby Jesus from tarnishing the football history in Denver.

New England Patriots over San Diego Chargers

Top Performer: Don’t expect an enormous day from Wes Welker again but you can always expect Tom Brady to go out and be the top offensive guy on the field day in and day out.

Houston Texans over the Miami Dolphins

Top Performer: If Foster is forced to sit yet again, Ben Tate will show why they were stupid for even thinking about playing Derrick Ward ahead of him on the depth chart.

Atlanta Falcons over the Philidelphia Eagles

Top Performer: Relax, the Eagles don’t get shut down here but I don’t see Matty Ice laying on his back for two beat downs in a row. Expect a shootout down the stretch in the Georgia Dome proving Vick was right when he said it’s Matt Ryan’s house now.

New York Giants over the St. Louis Rams

Top Performer: Eli Manning may be a turnover machine but with injury question marks surrounding Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson there will be nearly no chance for St. Louis to post any offense. I expect the running tandem of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs to run through the Rams on Monday night.

Week 1. A Look Back.

Chicago Bears defeat the Atlanta Falcons 30-12

MVP: Matt Forte

I was wrong about Matt Ryan scorching the Windy City. While he did throw for over 300 yards, he failed to find the endzone. Matt Forte had over 150 yards from the line of scrimmage and Cutler’s 312 yards & two TDs were enough to overpower the Falcons.

Houston Texans defeat the Indianapolis Colts 34-7

MVP: Ben Tate

We all knew the Colts would struggle without Peyton but I don’t think anyone expected a total shutdown like we saw yesterday. As I predicted, Ben Tate picked up right where Foster left off as he rushed for 116 yards and a score on 24 carries. Looks like with or without Foster the Texans will have no problem continuing to move the ball downfield.

Buffalo Bills beat the Kansas City Chiefs 41-7

MVP: Ryan Fitzpatrick

Kudos to whoever expected an upset like this but I didn’t see this one coming at all. Kansas City was shut down on all fronts except rushing the ball. They averaged about 6 yards per carry but didn’t have time to run the ball effectively as they trailed all game long. Ryan Fitzpatrick was the big performer on the day eclipsing 200 yards through the air and connecting in the endzone 4 times.

Cincinnati Bengals defeat the Cleveland Browns 27-17

MVP: Colt McCoy

The 2011 opening day Toilet Bowl match actually had some great displays of talent yesterday. While Benson may have rushed for over 120 yards and a score, Colt McCoy was my star of the game. Entering his sophomore campaign, I was impressed by Colt’s accuracy and presence in the pocket. He broke the 200 yard mark and found the endzone twice. That is, as long as we disregard that attempt where the ball magically floated out of his hands. Oh, and that self-pass off number 91 for a 5 yard-loss. Not so impressive there.

Baltimore Ravens defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 35-7

MVP: Ray Rice

Ben Roethlisberger has looked like Superman up against the Ravens Defense for quite a while now. That all ended yesterday. Big Ben was responsible for 5 turnovers yesterday (3 interceptions and two fumbles) and was sacked 4 times (3 by Terrell Suggs). While Flacco did toss for over 200 yards and 3 TDs, my game’s MVP goes to the man I was mocked for selecting number one overall a few weeks ago, Ray Rice. The little guy notched over 150 yards from the line and found the endzone twice.

Philadelphia Eagles defeat the St. Louis Rams 31-13

MVP: Michael Vick

What is there to say about Michael Vick that hasn’t already been said? “That boy can play some football. He can play left, he can play right, don't make no difference. He can block, tackle, score the touch down, snap the ball, and kick the extra point. Hell, the boy will fill up the Gatorade cooler, walk the dog, and paint your back porch. I'm telling ya, the boy can plain outplay football. Ohhh, AND he can PASS!” Oh wait, that’s Booby Miles. Anyway, it may not have been his best passing day (yardage wise) but he did throw for two touchdowns and didn’t give up an interception. He also used his legs extremely effectively, scampering for 97 yards on 11 attempts.

Detroit Lions defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-20

MVP: Calvin Johnson

I was close in my prediction about the play of Josh Freeman. He is only in his 3^rd year and already considered the kind of QB who can lead his team down the field AND win the game in the dying seconds of the 4^th quarter. Unfortunately for my squad here, they fell short to the Lions yet again. And while Stafford did carve up the secondary for 300+ yards and three scores, my MVP is Megatron. While racking up 88 yards on the day, Calvin snagged two touchdowns and displayed unreal athleticism. His ability to outleap defenders and attack the ball when thrown his way is absolutely uncanny.

Jacksonville Jaguars defeat the Tennessee Titans 16-14

MVP: Kenny Britt

CJ2K really made me look like a fool yesterday. Don’t get me wrong, I passed on him in every draft I had this year because I always fear the post-contract flop that we have all seen so many times, but I did predict him to be the only talent worth watching in this game. And, while you might not read my blog, I think that little tidbit is exactly what motivated Kenny Britt to scorch the Jags for nearly 140 yards and two TDs on only 5 receptions. It may have been in a losing effort but fantasy owners know, that’s one hell of a day.

San Diego Chargers defeat the Minnesota Vikings 24-17

MVP: Philip Rivers

Rivers made it pretty clear from the very first drive that the game was going to go as I predicted. With McNabb struggling (7 completions and less than 40 yards) there was little the Vikings could do to keep themselves in it. While Harvin did manage to take a return 103 yards to the house, Philip Rivers’ passing attack was far too potent for the Vikings to stop. Throwing for 335 yards and two touchdowns, Rivers showed exactly why he’s put in the conversation with Brees, Manning, and Brady as elite gunslingers year in and year out (Now if only he could get that ring everyone is talking about).

Arizona Falcons defeat the Carolina Panthers 28-21

MVP: Cam Newton

If I had told you before the game that Kolb’s 300+ yards and two touchdowns or Steve Smith’s 178 yard, two score day would be overshadowed by the stellar performance of a rookie in a losing effort you probably would have laughed. If I had said it would be Cam Newton, you probably would have stopped reading my blog and gone back to coloring.  It’s not every day a rookie QB starts off his career with a 24-37 422 yard game with two passing touchdowns, a 110+ QB rating, 18 yards on the ground and a score there as well. The kid looked like JaMarcus Russell 2.0 during the preseason but with the way he man-handled the Cards’ secondary all of those concerns have been forgotten. And I think it’s safe to say after the disaster of the career we saw Russell have, most of the nation is rooting for his success.

Washington Redskins defeat the New York Football Giants 28-14

MVP: Rex Grossman

I, like I imagine most of America, was shocked when Grossman started talking about Washington winning the division. I may or may not have uttered the words ‘joke’ or ‘chump’ or what have you. I may or may not have written a blog bashing Rex entitled a “Gross Exaggeration” (clever, huh?). Now calm down because it’s only week one and no one makes it to the playoffs because of the way they played week 1, but I humbly have to give Sexy Rexy this game’s MVP. His 305 yards and two touchdowns are a fairly average performance when compared to the other QBs from around the league but they are more than stats this week. Rex started throwing around the idea that they’re the underdog and they’re a great team a month or two ago and I’ll be damned if he didn’t back it up yesterday. Congrats Rex, but you’re still batshit crazy if you think this rag-tag group can beat out the preseason Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.

San Francisco 49ers defeat the Seattle Seahawks 33-17

MVP: Ted Ginn

For those that left this game early, they really missed quite a show. With about 4 minutes left in the game and down 19-10, Seattle WR Doug Baldwin took a toss from Tavaris Jackson 55 yards to the endzone. Well, on the ensuing kickoff, Ted Ginn, Jr. did what he does best and took that kick all the way to the house. Following a quick 3 & Out by the Seahawks on their next possession, Ginn was back to receive the punt and decided to have lightning strike twice as he danced his way into the endzone. Only 60 seconds had ticked off the play clock in the time it took Teddy to score again. See the returns here: http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2011091110/2011/REG1/seahawks@49ers#menu=highlights&tab=recap

New York Jets defeat the Dallas Cowboys 27-24

MVP: Joe McKnight

There was a lot that went on in this game and while the bare numbers for Mark Sanchez and Tony Romo make them look like MVP candidates (335 yards 2TDs, 342 yards 2 TDs respectively) their play was far from stellar. Costly fumble after costly fumble plagued each team last night. My MVP goes to the man who made what most would consider the play of the game. With about 5 minutes left and down 24-17, Jets’ RB, Joe McKnight, broke through the line on punt defense and got a hand on the ball before it McBriar could get it off. Trufant then picked up the ball and escorted it into the endzone to ultimately tie the game. From there the Jets would go on to put Folk in range for a 50 yard field goal with only about 20 seconds left on the clock. With all the excitement surrounding this game I have nominated it for game of the week!

New England Patriots defeat the Miami Dolphins 38-24

MVP: Tom Brady

A few weeks ago I picked Tom Brady as the best QB of all time. He’s an absolute master on the field. Brady picked the Dolphins’ secondary on his way 500+ yard day and 4 TDs. The way he abuses defenses is probably illegal in some countries and there was no holding back against the Dolphins. The only problem I had here was he completely dwarfed an otherwise very good and very unexpected game from Chad Henne. Henne threw for over 350 yards and a score while rushing for nearly 40 yards. I honestly didn’t expect any offense from Miami and I think it’s fair to say no one was expecting a 500 yard day from Brady. Closing thoughts: Wow.

Oakland Raiders defeat the Denver Broncos 23-20

MVP: Sebastian Janikowski

One of the only Monday Night Football games in history I didn’t want to watch, the game last night was a pretty ugly excuse for a game. It was obvious from the start that these two teams probably have the lowest lack of talent that can be displayed on the field at one time. That is why ‘Seabass’ gets this week’s MVP honors. The man is a legend. His leg looks like someone surgically attached Secretariat thigh right on. Plus he tied the record for the longest field goal ever by knocking it in from 63 yards out. Plus the man was a Seminole and reminds me of the guy on the Replacements. Badass.

My record on the week is 7-8. Not exactly stellar but its only week one and, as we all know, the NFL never pans out the way they should.

Like what you read? Think someone else deserved game of the week or MVP honors? Write me a comment and let me know or email me at FRATasySports@Gmail.com!

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