2010 NFL Playoff Predictions: Minnesota Vikings Are Super Bowl Bound

If you missed our Wild Card preview (which has yet to be determined), go here . The outcome of those four games leads into this article, which dissects the eventual matchups and leads to a Super Bowl winner .

We didn’t really take the time to make a pick for the Super Bowl back in the preseason, so what better time than the present?

Here’s a look at the matchups that should follow the Wild Card round:

 

AFC

Divisional Round

Baltimore Ravens @ Indianapolis Colts

This game came down to the wire the last time these two teams met, and, like several other games the Ravens had and let slip away, Baltimore failed to win.

Still, it’s worth noting that based on competitiveness alone, the Ravens would have had a realistic chance at going 15-1 in 2009, had a few plays (or kicks) gone their way.

It’s hard to go against a Peyton Manning-led offense, especially when Baltimore’s secondary is so vulnerable, but this is where the upsets start. Indy has been the top dog all season, but three straight weeks with their starters not playing a full game will hurt them more than it will help them.

Ray Lewis and the Ravens claimed that they were the team that “no one wanted to see in the playoffs.” They might be right.

Ravens 26, Colts 23

 

Cincinnati Bengals @ San Diego Chargers

We know how these two teams match up, and it’s not likely to be pretty the second time around. Cincy couldn’t even knock off the Chargers with the death of Chris Henry fresh in their minds as motivation.

However, there’s a chance they simply had heavy hearts and that the Bengals’ dedicated rush offense will take it strong to the Chargers’ mediocre rush defense (20th in the league), while San Diego’s 31st ranked rush offense may be put to the test if Cincinnati’s strong pass defense can slow down Phillip Rivers and the pass attack.

While the formula exists for the Bengals to pull an upset, the Chargers are just too hot and Phillip Rivers is just too good.

Chargers 27, Bengals 21

 

AFC Championship

Baltimore Ravens @ San Diego Chargers

Baltimore was one of three teams that sent San Diego to the loss column this season, and while a huge win over the Colts will vault them into a realm of confidence they haven’t been in since their Super Bowl days, the Chargers are too hot, and will likely be out for a little revenge.

The Ravens have the rushing attack to run all over San Diego, but their passing game is a bit too inconsistent to trust against Eric Weddle and a stout Chargers pass defense.

The Chargers’ ground game will likely never get going against the Ravens’ stingy run defense, but Phillip Rivers has a good chance to stay hot against a sketchy Baltimore secondary.

It just wouldn’t be the NFL Playoffs if a Wild Card team didn’t make it this far. Regardless, San Diego survives, and gets to its first Super Bowl in over 15 years.

Chargers 31, Ravens 24

 

NFC

Divisional Round

Arizona Cardinals @ New Orleans Saints

Everyone in Wisconsin believes “without a doubt” that Arizona is done in the first round, but the new-age NFL Playoffs is about advantageous defense and offenses that can stretch the field.

The Cardinals aren’t absent of flaws, but their passing game is way too potent to bet against, especially with their hot playoff run and Super Bowl appearance last season in their favor.

The Saints have dropped three straight, have zero momentum, recently lost Charles Grant, and haven’t experienced a win in four weeks. Unfortunately for all the “Who Dat?” supporters, that drought goes to five.

Cardinals 34, Saints 31

 

Dallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings

Tony Romo and the Cowboys have won three straight, pitched two consecutive shutouts to end the regular season, and after sweeping the Eagles (3-0) by beating them in the first round, they’ll be on top of the world.

However, Brett Favre and the Vikings just got their offensive mojo back, while the Minnesota defense showed signs of life in Week 17, as well.

If Antoine Winfield and Pat Williams are a “full go” after a week of rest, the Vikings’ defense could give Romo fits all day, while stifling the Cowboys seventh ranked rushing attack.

Brett Favre didn’t come all the way back to be one and done in the playoffs.

Vikings 30, Cowboys 17

 

NFC Championship

Arizona Cardinals @ Minnesota Vikings

This game puts the Cardinals into back-to-back NFC Championship games, giving them elite standing as a consistent team and a true Super Bowl threat.

In the first meeting between these two teams, the Cardinals blew the Vikings out of the water after halftime, and Favre and the Vikings looked completely lost.

However, there’s no arguing that Minnesota is a completely different machine at home (8-0), whereas they’ve had all their trouble on the road (4-4).

Arizona will have no trouble slugging it out and staying in the game with their array of weapons in the passing game, but the Vikings simply don’t give up much on their home field.

That, and Brett Favre has had a passer rating under 100 inside the dome just twice all season.

Vikings 37, Cardinals 24

 

Super Bowl

Minnesota Vikings @ San Diego Chargers

The hottest team in the league will go up against one of the most experienced and most balanced teams in the league.

Brett Favre and Co. could have early troubles against a stingy pass defense, but as long as the passing offense moves the ball, this could actually end up being all about Adrian Peterson.

The Chargers can’t really run the ball on anybody (31st in rush offense), while the Vikings generally stop just about everybody against the run when healthy (2nd in NFL ).

Brett Favre helped Minnesota get here, and he’ll likely still be a big part of the game, but Minnesota’s plan of attack is to set up Adrian Peterson by moving the ball through the air. If that strategy even remotely works, Peterson could have a field day against a very average San Diego run defense.

You can’t count out Phillip Rivers until the very end, however, and considering his team will have pulled off a winning streak of 13 straight games to get to this point, it’ll be hard to bet against the Chargers.

Still, it looks like a real possibility that Minnesota gets its first Super Bowl in five tries.

Vikings 27, Chargers 24

For more NFL news and articles, go here .

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2010 NFL Playoff QB Power Rankings

The debate over who was the best post season quarterback in history will never end. Joe Montana? Bart Starr? Troy Aikman? Tom Brady? Terry Bradshaw? Jim McMahon?

OK, maybe not McMahon…

But now that the college football season is over, we can now focus our attention on the pro game. With the playoffs beginning this weekend, let’s take a look at the power rankings of the remaining quarterbacks as we head into the post season.

Begin Slideshow

The 100 Greatest Wide Receivers in NFL History (Nos. 76-100)

I made this list after extensive research of over 200 NFL wide receivers. I took into account many variables such as stats, super bowls, when the player played, who they played for, and also my own opinion. The stats I focused on were receptions, yards, touchdowns, receptions per game, yards per game, and yards per catch. I ranked all candidates in these categories and then averaged their rankings out. After that I made sure to weigh certain stats heavier than others, for example: receptions seem to be more important than yards per catch, so that category weighed heavier. Comparing the newer generation to the older generation was difficult since the new generation has a much better opportunity to have better stats. I took this into account as well. I started writing this before and even published the first part but the list just seemed wrong to me so I did more research and this is how it ended. Even though I took many facts into account when making this list, I also injected my own opinion, so it is a list that not everyone will agree with.
Hope you enjoy.

Begin Slideshow

Missed It by That Much: NFL Teams Falling Just Shy of the Playoffs

One of the great aspects to this year’s regular season was the number of teams with playoff aspirations late in the season.  Some were pipe dreams cobbled together by distant hope (Miami holding on despite injury), some were late surges that came up short (Tennessee), but several teams were a few bounces away.  Here’s a look at just why they are spending the postseason on the sidelines.

Houston stands as the narrowest miss.  With four 9-7 teams fighting amongst the AFC wildcard, tie-breaking procedure favored the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens over Houston.  The Texans first winning season in history was thought over when they fell to 5-7, but late success coupled with several teams disappointing down the stretch put Houston back in the hunt.

The Texans were led by a high powered passing game that ranked best in the league at 290.9 yards a game.  They put up a solid 24.2 points per game behind quarterback Matt Schaub.  On defense the team ranked 13th, fueled by defensive rookie of the year Brian Cushing and monster defensive end Mario Williams.

Ultimately, the team’s downfall stemmed from playing in the AFC South.  The Texans were 1-5 in a division that boasted a combined 26-14 record (.650 winning percentage) outside their division.  The inability to finish either close game against Indianapolis especially hurt their chances. 

Jacksonville ended the year two games back at .500, but have to be entered into the discussion for holding onto an AFC wildcard slot until the final two weeks of the season. By week 13 the 7-5 Jaguars were a surprise team in a year where many teams had underwhelmed.

The Jaguars held a respectable 3-2 divisional record and an extremely strong 6-2 conference record that gave them good tie-breaking power over other teams if they could maintain.  With games against Miami and Cleveland during the final four, a split in that last quarter would have given them an 8-4 conference record that would have assured not only a playoff berth, but a fifth seed.

Instead Jacksonville dropped its last four games in a row, watching five other teams leapfrog over them in the AFC wildcard race to finish last in the AFC South.  Although Jacksonville played close matches against playoff teams (losing by three to Indianapolis and defeating New York) a modest early schedule including St. Louis, Kansas City, Seattle, Buffalo, masked the team’s overall quality, and the final fall sealed the team’s fate.

Denver, like Jacksonville, was a longtime wildcard holder that ended up not even amongst tie-breaker discussion to close the year.  They began the year with a scorching 6-0 record, only to finish the year 8-8 behind a disappointing loss to top ten drafting divisional foe Kansas City.

Denver’s revamped defense started the year hot.  They ended the year ranking a solid seventh in total yards allowed, but the drop-off from early in the year to the final 2-8 skid was significant.  Across the first six games they allowed 66 total points (or 11 points per game).  During the last ten games they gave up 264 points (for 26.4 points per game) that is more than double the points allowed early in the year.

When the defense was stonewalling teams Denver’s middle of the road (15th in the league in total offense) offense was enough to edge Denver over most teams.  When the defense gave way, the Kyle Orton-led Broncos lacked enough firepower to take up the slack.

The final AFC entry into this race, the Pittsburgh Steelers, put up a similar 9-7 record to the current wildcards, but stood behind the other teams in just about every tie breaking scenario.  The defending Super Bowl Champions looked strong early despite injury to star safety Try Polamalu.

They started the year 6-2 in a hotly contested AFC North that saw the upstart Cincinnati Bengals keeping pace.  In a head-to-head matchup to decide who would be the division leader, Cincinnati defeated Pittsburgh 18-12. 

That game would begin a five game losing streak that would be Pittsburgh’s undoing.  Across that streak they fell to Oakland, Kansas City, and Cleveland; three teams that ended the year a combined 14-34.  Beyond the embarrassment of losing to three top ten drafting teams, the losses also contributed to a 2-4 divisional and 6-6 conference record. 

Those two records rated the Steelers towards the bottom of any tie-breaker. To have gained entry into the postseason, Pittsburgh’s only chance would have been a 10-6 record or losses among the other 8-7 teams during the final week.  With Baltimore, New York, and Houston failing to cooperate, Pittsburgh once again will fail to make the playoffs following a Super Bowl victory.

The lone NFC team in this discussion, the Atlanta Falcons, had their hopes dashed much sooner than their AFC counterparts.  Once the New York Giants began their utter collapse Atlanta fell into place as the only real spoiler possibility within the NFC playoff race.

Early season optimism with the Falcons high powered offense leading the way to a 4-1 start quickly faltered as injury and missed opportunities took their toll.  The Falcons two primary cogs, workhorse back Michael Turner and budding star quarterback Matt Ryan missed a combined seven games (eight if you consider Ryan was out after attempting only three passes in Week 12).

The Falcons slipped to 6-7 with their stars out of the lineup before the return of Matt Ryan led to a three game surge to end the year with the team’s first back to back winning seasons.  The achievement was little consolation however to a Falcons deep eyeing a deep playoff run early in the year. 

Each of these teams had their hopes dashed as the year wound to a close.  In the AFC a tight race led each team to believe it might be able to eke out a wildcard berth in the final week.  In the NFC strong seasons by Green Bay and Philadelphia wrecked most team’s hopes of entering the playoffs, but Atlanta managed to turn a season that was potentially one healthy Michael Turner game away from altering their fates.

Every year playoff hopefuls strive and fail, but in this 2009 NFL season, many of these missed  by the smallest of margins.  As they look back over their season, each has to be wondering “What if?” over the few small changes that could have altered their playoff fates.

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NFL Mock Draft Top Five: Feel Free to Mock

While it’s insane to think its possible to predict an entire NFL draft, it might be within the realm of possibility to figure out the first five picks.

Below is the best estimation of the first five picks of the 2010 NFL draft based upon scouting reports, team needs, coaches’ philosophical styles and gut instinct. Enjoy and feel free to rip me a new one in the comments section. 

 

St. Louis Rams: Ndamukong Suh

While the more traditional route would have the Rams taking a QB, no QB in this draft makes passing on Suh a realistic possibility.

Suh lives in opponent’s backfields in run or pass plays, as his combination of strength, acceleration, lateral quickness, high motor and violent hands make him virtually unblockable. Suh is the type of player that will not only have impressive stats but will also positively impact that the stats of his teammates.

Chris Long’s sack numbers would increase with the attention Suh demands while at the same time freeing James Laurinaitis in the run game. With Suh on the defensive line and last year’s second overall pick, left tackle Jason Smith, in the fold the Rams will have their line of scrimmage effectively anchored for a decade on both sides of the ball.

Quarterback will continue to be a massive problem and Suh won’t solve that, but the Rams are so horribly lacking in talent that they may not even be ready for developing a young QB.

The last thing the Rams need is a Alex Smith, David Carr, Tim Couch or JaMarcus Russell type situation, and Suh appears to be a new age Reggie White. The Rams should take solace in what the Texans did when they took Mario Williams number one overall and traded for Matt Schaub later.   

Detroit Lions: Eric Berry

It’s rare for a defensive tackle to be taken first overall, it would be a history making precedent for the Lions to take a safety with the second overall pick.

And yet that is exactly how special Tennessee Junior Safety Eric Berry is.

Berry is not just a player, he is a culture changer, as his mere presence can change the outlook and morale a team has entering a game. Yes, they already have one of the league’s premier young safeties in last year’s second round pick Louis Delmas, but that shouldn’t prevent Berry from being the pick.

Delmas and Berry have a chance to be the league’s most talented safety duo since LaRon Landry and the late great Sean Taylor laced em’ up together briefly for the Redskins.

It’s like Berry was created in a science lab. Ed Reed’s ball-hawking, the tackling of Troy Polamalu, Ray Lewis’s leadership and infectious love of the game combined with the ability to lock down the slot as a nickel cornerback in man to man situations and an innate ability to time the blitz when rushing the quarterback.

A Lions defense featuring Berry, Delmas, Ernie Simms, DeAndre Levy and Cliff Avril would be one of the most athletically explosive, versatile and entertaining defenses in the NFL.

Tampa Bay Bucs: Gerald McCoy

When the Bucs traded Gaines Adams to the Bears for a 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft they may have gotten a great deal but they also lost their only worthwhile, young defensive lineman.

With Josh Freeman established as the franchise cornerstone, it is now time for the Bucs to focus on rebuilding their defense. Oklahoma fourth year junior defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has the most explosive first step of any defensive tackle to enter the NFL since the Bears’ Tommie Harris.

McCoy can shoot a gap and reach a QB before he even reaches the end of his three-step drop. Head Coach Raheem Morris may not run a pure cover-2 defense, but his defensive philosophy is not far off. Morris asks his defensive lineman to penetrate instead of plug, which is the perfect role for McCoy. McCoy is talented enough that he may in fact be able to fill the massive shoes Warren Sapp left vacant when he left for the black hole. 

Washington Redskins: Sam Bradford

It will be interesting to see Bradford’s reaction, a member of the Cherokee nation, when a team with a horribly offensive and racist name drafts him.

Bradford has the accuracy, arm, foot speed, athleticism and moxie that new Head Coach Mike Shanahan looks for in a QB. Bradford is coming off shoulder surgery to his throwing arm though and is not guaranteed to be ready for training camp, let alone rookie camp.

Combine Bradford’s inexperience running a pro-style offense, with the Sooners he ran an offense almost exclusively out of the Shotgun, with his injury history, it is obvious Bradford should not play as a rookie.

That should not be a worry though for Shanny, who can always force current Redskins QB Jason Campbell to stay another year. The Redskins will have Bradford learn from the bench for a year while fully healing his shoulder and then Shanny will have him in the Pro Bowl in no time.

Kansas City Chiefs: Rolando McClain

Chiefs’ General Manager Scott Pioli made it evidently clear during last years draft when he reached for LSU’s Lawrence Jackson, that he doesn’t care what outsiders think about his rebuilding the Chiefs.

Hence Rolando McClain, a pick many would consider a massive reach but something that is right up Pioli’s alley.

McClain would instantly become the Chiefs’ leader both emotionally and intellectually while also being an every down player for the Chiefs’ defense. McClain is almost like the Peyton Manning of defense, constantly gesturing, adjusting and intimidating.

With McClain you’re not just getting a player, your getting an extra defensive assistant coach. Though McClain lacks elite speed, he can go sideline to sideline and also possesses the strength and hip explosion to shed blockers at the point of attack. McClain may be a slight reach, but he shouldn’t disappoint Chiefs fans the way Jackson has. 

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Ndamukong Suh Headlines Too Early 2010 NFL Mock Draft

The Journey to the draft is about to begin.

Well, actually, it already has begun for 20 NFL teams. The playoffs begin Saturday, Jan. 9, and will go all the way to Sunday, Feb. 7 when a new champion is crowned.

That being said, we already know the top 20 draft order, except for some coin flips that will determine certain draft positions.

I will also unveil my formula of what I would do if I were the GM, and what I think the team will do.

Let’s not waste any more time and dive right into the (Too) Early 2010 NFL Mock Draft.

 

1. St. Louis Rams

What I would do—Jimmy Clausen, QB Notre Dame

I am not backing down on this pick yet. Does Ndamukong Suh make sense? Of course he does, but the Rams need a face of the franchise, and they need to get Steven Jackson some help. 

What they will do—Suh, DT Nebraska

Can you blame them? No, and if they make this pick I will not chastise them one bit. I just think the need for a quarterback trumps them taking another defensive lineman early.

 

2. Detroit Lions

What I would do— Russell Okung, OT Oklahoma State

The Lions have 120 million reasons to make this pick. It may not be popular or sexy, but Matt Stafford is already struggling with injuries, and getting a potential franchise LT would be a nice start.

What they will do—Gerald McCoy, DT Oklahoma

No Suh, no problem for Detroit. I don’t know why they like Jeff Backus and his eight sacks given up this year, but they do. So apparently, they will go with defense, and wait until Stafford’s arm falls off before they decide to protect him.

 

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

What I would do—Suh

What a fit that would be. Suh is one of the top two or three prospects in the draft, so why do I have him falling to three? Because the other two teams have glaring needs that can be filled with excellent prospects.

What they will do—Eric Berry, S Tennessee

Again, there is nothing wrong with this pick. If he is there, they take him and then needn’t worry about the safety position for the next five to six years. I can’t really see any problems with this working out for them.

 

4. Washington Redskins

What I would do—Berry

Was talking with a buddy of mine the other day, and he was more than disenchanted with the idea of a QB being taken at four. I couldn’t agree more, but hey, I am a writer and not an NFL exec. Berry would be a great QB for the defense that, really, is not that far away from being top five in the league. Does he get them there? Maybe, but if he fell to them there is no way they should pass him up.

What they will do—Sam Bradford, QB Oklahoma

New coach, new QB? Seems to have worked for other teams around the league, and Bradford is the accurate, ball control passer that Mike Shanahan likes.

 

5. Kansas City Chiefs

What I would do—Anthony Davis, OT Rutgers

Davis is already climbing most boards, and while I am not a fan of the so-called board climbers, I do see the ability; especially with all the athleticism he possesses.

What they will do—Okung

I guess it will depend on the week with who is going here. Okung is still the best OT prospect in my eyes, but he was off the board in my draft scenario; so Davis is the pick.

 

6. Seattle Seahawks

What I would do—Bruce Campbell, OT Maryland

Campbell is a bruiser, but more than that, he is a good-looking prospect at a need position for the oft-injured Seattle Seahawks offensive line. On top of that, if they are not intrigued with any of the QB prospects, then they need to find someone to keep Matt Hasselbeck upright.

What they will do—Anthony Davis

Just a better prospect in my eyes than Campbell. Will fill the same need though.

 

7. Cleveland Browns

What I would do—Bradford

Mike Holmgren will surely shake things up, and that means getting a franchise player.  The rest of the AFC North have their franchise passers, and are usually fighting for playoff position as the Browns sit watching. A defensive player crossed my mind, but I think Bradford has the ability to be special.

What they will do—Joe Haden, CB Florida

Nothing wrong with this pick here, just not one I would make. They need help on the defensive side of the ball and Haden should be a shutdown corner; but I just think that a franchise QB is too much to pass up.

 

8. Oakland Raiders

What I would do—Haden

Haden would be a great addition to the Raiders secondary and give them two great CBs.

What they will do—Bruce Campbell

Well, I don’t think the Raiders are interested in any of the QB’s on the board, and with Ryan Mallet not having declared yet, I think they go OT, which is not a bad thing. Campbell would bring toughness and add a nasty streak back to the Silver and Black.

 

9. Buffalo Bills

What I would do-McCoy

Chances of him falling this far are low, but in my eyes, this could happen. Of course that is why I am behind a computer and not in a luxury box watching the game every Sunday. McCoy is the second best DT prospect and he would be a welcome addition to the Bills defensive line.

What they will do—Derrick Morgan, DE Georgia Tech

Morgan is a fringe top 10 prospect. I guess that makes sense why he would be at No. 9 then. Morgan is an intriguing prospect because he has the size and speed that teams love, but with the switch to a 3-4 defense he may fall a little. The Bills, though, would love his ability to hold up against the run and rush the passer, so this may be where he ends up.

 

10. Jacksonville Jaguars

What I would do—Rolando McClain, LB Alabama

McClain is just a guy that gets the job done. He possesses so much talent to go along with his tremendous leadership ability that I don’t see how the Jags pass him up.

What they will do-Tim Tebow, QB Florida

I have fallen into the trap of believing Tebow is going to Jacksonville. I spent a couple of months trying to figure out how this makes sense, at all, and why the Jags would “waste” a pick on a project at QB. Then the last two home games happened and I realized they need to do whatever they can to keep that franchise there, even if it means making a reach at the 10th selection.

Tebow has a following like few others, and in Florida sports history, he is one of the most revered players ever. So even though I don’t agree with it and don’t like it, I will begrudgingly put him there…for now.

 

My early thoughts of WHAT I WOULD DO with the 11-20 picks:

11. Denver Broncos : Terrence Cody, NT Alabama

12. Miami Dolphins: Dan Williams, NT Tennessee

13. San Francisco 49ers: C.J. Spiller, RB Clemson (I will note this one before I get killed by the Niners fans. If they are moving to a more spread formation to suit Alex Smith, then I say get him a back who fits that mold better.)

14. Seattle Seahawks: Derrick Morgan

15. New York Giants: Mike Iupati, OG Idaho

16. Tennessee Titans: Taylor Mays, S USC

17. San Francisco: Trent Williams, OT Oklahoma

18. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB TCU

19. Atlanta Falcons: Donovan Warren, CB Michigan

20. Houston Texans: Earl Thomas, S Texas

A little more in-depth look at 11-20 will come next week.

Thanks for the read.

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NFL’s Big Three Not Looking So Mighty Going into the Playoffs

For the bulk of the 2009 NFL season, the league has been dominated by three teams. 

When Week 13 ended, the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, and Indianapolis Colts were a combined 34-1. 

Other teams flirted with elite status. Denver started 6-0 and the New York Giants charged to a 5-0 start early in the year. Cincinnati fought to enter the conversation with a 7-2 record. Ultimately, each of these teams was an afterthought, fighting for the title of “next best” behind the three juggernauts.

Across the final stretches of the season that notion has changed considerably. 

The Colts, Vikings, and Saints have gone 5-8 since that span. 

The Colts’ two losses are more disheartening than concerning, being that they occurred after the team pulled its core starters for much of the final two games. The Vikings and Saints have some room to worry, however.

New Orleans had little to play for to close the year, but they were still not expecting three consecutive losses to end the regular season. The ballhawking defense of the Saints proved to be fairly mediocre when they couldn’t turn big plays, ending the year ranked 25th overall in yards allowed. That defense will be further tested by the injury to starting defensive end Charles Grant, a major blow to the team’s front line.

On offense, Drew Brees and his battery of receivers can still put a scare into any team they face. The vastly improved running game had suffered from inconsistency to close the year however, reducing the high powered Saints to a one-dimensional offense at times.

With injuries to the defense and trouble with the running game, New Orleans is suddenly looking much closer to the 8-8 team of last year, whose aerial assault could not overcome deficiencies across other aspects of their game. 

In order to succeed, the team will need to reestablish the Mike Bell/Pierre Thomas running attack, and return to the earlier defense that was outscoring some teams’ offenses.

Minnesota was picked by many to be the NFL’s best over the two undefeated teams through much of the year. The array of offensive weapons made the team downright scary while Jared Allen and the Williams wall put up an unstoppable defensive front.

As the season came closer and closer to an end, Minnesota looked vulnerable. 

Allen’s impressive sack total (14.5) loses some polish when considering 7.5 of those occurred in the pair of Packers games. Stretching along the other 14 games, Allen has a respectable, but less superhuman, seven sacks.

On offense, the team’s expected powerhouse running game behind Adrian Peterson looked far more ordinary than expected, ranking 13th in the NFL in team yardage, including the span where he averaged below four yards a carry in eight of the final 10 games (his only two big games coming against a league-worst Lions defense and a Giants team that simply gave up to end the year). 

Brett Favre picked up the slack for the team’s running game by putting up MVP-quality numbers across the entire season. The Vikings’ eighth overall passing offense did suffer some setbacks however, with Favre throwing more interceptions across the final five games (four) than in the first 11 (three). 

Favre will have the advantage of playing in a dome, but could still be a threat to force a pass at the wrong time. Even with a strong performance, there are concerns Brad Childress may be too stubborn to allow Favre the room to be the Hall of Fame leader he is.

Indianapolis does not have the obvious decline across their final games like New Orleans or Minnesota. They lost because they invested playing time in Curtis Painter in order to keep Peyton Manning healthy for the playoffs.

They now have a tremendous amount of pressure to succeed. The team is 7-8 in the playoffs during the Manning era, and nothing short of a title will assuage fans who feel they were denied a proper chance at going 16-0 in the regular season.

History may not be on their side either. Currently the Colts are 1-4 in the playoffs when Jim Sorgi closes the regular season. 

One year is a blip, two can be a coincidence, but four quick exits can be considered a trend. Granted, Painter ended the year, not Jim Sorgi, but the Colts are still a team whose playoff resume this decade is somewhat disappointing.

The lone year Indianapolis won the Super Bowl, Manning played the entire regular season trying to fight for higher seeding. The team was never allowed to let off the gas, and consequently scrapped their way to an NFL championship. They have not fared as well when resting starters.

Paired with all of this is a year where half of their 14 wins occurred by way of fourth quarter comebacks. The Colts may have refused to lose across those 14 games, but were by no means steamrolling their opposition every night.

These teams have all maintained their upper echelon status by holding onto first round byes, but after spending the year head and shoulders above all opposition, they are now essentially one of the pack. 

This opening is great for a playoff season where any one of the 12 teams could find itself hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy, but a rude awakening for three giants who had looked to tower above the rest of the league going into the playoffs.

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Peyton Manning DOES NOT Deserve to be NFL MVP, but Brett Favre Does…

All this hype about Peyton Manning winning his NFL record fourth MVP, the fact that the Colts would have gone undefeated had he played the last two games, his seven fourth quarter comebacks—ALL of that is overrated.

There are MANY reasons why Peyton Manning should not win MVP again this season, and they each fall into three categories—Statistical, Opposing Teams, and Other Quarterbacks.

Its All About Statistics

For starters, Peyton Manning did not lead the league in any categories this season, as he finished second in completion percentage and touchdowns behind Drew Brees, another MVP candidate, and finished second in yards behind Matt Schaub.  He also finished eighth in the league YPA. These are not necessarily bad signs.

However, what makes him undeserving is the fact that he is not even in the top five in QB rating and doesn’t even have a rating of 100.  Ben Roethlisberger, who didn’t even MAKE the Pro Bowl roster, has a higher rating than him.  

His 16 interceptions are in the top five in the league, and the only other people who have more than him are Jay Cutler, the three rookie quarterbacks, Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez, Josh Freeman, and Jake Delhomme.  

All of these QBs are known as interception machines. To even be close to the same category as them is just poor play.

The Truth About His Opposing Teams

Many people comment on his fourth quarter comebacks constantly, as the Colts won four straight games by a combined 10 points, an NFL record.  Let’s break down these and the rest of his comeback wins:

Week 2 @ Miami (W 27-23) —Nope, Chad Pennington threw an interception in the end zone as time expired

Week 8 vs. San Fran (W 18-14) —Nope, he didn’t even throw the game winning touchdown, it was the running back, and it came with 14 minutes left in the fourth quarter.  Looks like his defense comes up big again

Week 9 vs. Houston (W 20-17) —Nope, Kris Brown choked as usual.  Yes, Peyton Manning drove them down the field for a winning touchdown, but he didn’t even throw it, and if he hadn’t made a crucial interception late in the first half, they never would have been in that position to narrowly escape with a close win

Week 10 vs. New England (W 35-34) —Nope, the Patriots just choked by going for it on their own 28-yard-line.  When you give the quarterback that two minutes to make a 30 yard drive, of course they’ll score.  If they don’t then they just flat out suck

Week 11 vs. Baltimore (W 17-15) —Nope, the Ravens choked in multiple ways.  First of all, his defense came up big with an interception inside their own 20 yard line. Second, they recovered a fumble on a punt return to seal the narrow win.  Oh yeah, and Peyton Manning threw two picks that could have easily decided the game with a different outcome.

Week 12 vs. Houston (W 35-27) —I can give him credit for this win, he came up big in the fourth quarter with a drive to take the lead at the beginning.  However, he also had help from his defense, who intercepted two passes, one which was returned for a touchdown, and the other which gave them great field position in Houston territory. Manning did throw two interceptions earlier in the game which almost cost them, but I’ll still give him credit for bringing the team back from a 17-0 deficit.

Week 15 vs. Jacksonville (W 35-31) —This one is questionable.  Manning did throw a touchdown to Reggie Wayne midway through the fourth quarter to give them the lead, but once again, it was his defense that stepped up in the clutch and intercepted David Garrard, who had a great game up to that point.

So basically, five out of Manning’s seven “comeback wins” have to do with the other team choking and not Manning’s play in the clutch.

No more comments about how Indy’s defense sucks. If it did, the Colts would have lost almost all of those games. Instead, they made interceptions. I’m sick of hearing people say that Peyton Manning has no help defensively. The facts say otherwise.

Also, Manning only faced two top 10 defenses all season. He faced Tennessee and Jacksonville twice, which had the 27th and 31st ranked pass defense. That’s four easy wins right there.  He also faced Arizona, which had the best run defense at the time, meaning he pretty much had to throw, therefore inflating his stats.

So Who Deserves to be NFL MVP?

If you’re going to say that a quarterback does not deserve something, you better damn well say who does. This is where Brett Favre comes in.

Favre, who is also a three time MVP winner, had unquestionably the best season of his career. He threw 33 TDs and only seven picks. That’s an average of less than one every two games, which is amazing, and is less than half of what Manning threw.

People complain that Favre does not deserve it because he has a large supporting cast. Maybe, but there have been moments in the Vikings season where he has had to come up with big plays.

For example, the last-second touchdown pass against San Francisco in Week Three was probably the most crucial play of the season for the Vikings, as it sent both teams in different directions. If not for that play, the Vikings would have been an up-and-down team, and the 49ers would have probably been contending for a playoff spot.

Instead, it sent the Vikings to a 3-0 start, while the 49ers lost six out of their next 10 games from there. This provided the Vikings the spark they had needed all season, and they rolled to a 10-1 start and eventually, a 12-4 finish and a first round bye in the playoffs.

And who can forget the most memorable Brett Favre moments of the season, where he faced his old team twice?  Not only did he win both times, he amazed, as he threw for seven touchdowns and no picks in both of those games.

Finally, Brett Favre appeared to be out of the race with two games to go.  But during the last six quarters of the season, he revitalized a Vikings offense that had scored only seven points the previous six quarters and threw six touchdowns and no picks en route to earning the Vikings a first round bye in the playoffs.

So there you have it.  Peyton Manning, while good this season, has certainly not been MVP level as people say he has been.

Peyton Manning?  This season?  Overrated?

I think so.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

2010 NFL Mock Draft: Where Will Jevan Snead Land?

Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead declared for the 2010 NFL Draft on Thursday, and this news could change the complexion of an already very fluid draft. This draft isn’t very quarterback-heavy, so adding another QB to the mix could change the plans of several teams. Here’s a mock draft that factors Snead’s decision into the mix.

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2010 NFL Mock Draft: Whose Stock is Rising and Whose is Dropping?

One of the most fun parts of the run-up to April’s NFL Draft is watching the “stock” of prospects as it rise and falls between the end of the college football regular season and the draft. Between bowl games, all-star games, and the NFL Combine, players positions will move up and down the board in a miniature version of Wall Street. Let the fun begin.

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