My NFL Playoff Picks

Colts over Chiefs
Eagles over Saints
Bengals over Chargers
Packers over 49ers

San Diego Chargers Release LaDanian Tomlinson

The San Diego Chargers have released LaDanian Tomlison after nine seasons with the team.

My Divisional Playoff Post

Sorry for the no post yesterday.

Thoughts from yesterday's game:
The Ravens defense enabled the offense to play just good enough to win.
The Arizona Cardinals may make the road their best friend.
The Cardinals defense has stepped up over the last two weeks.

My picks for today's games:
CHARGERS OVER STEELERS Big Ben is coming off a concussion, and San Diego is playing their best football right now.
EAGLES AT GIANTS Toss Up. I will go with the Giants because they're at home.

My NFL Wild Card Weekend Picks

CARDINALS OVER FALCONS
DOLPHINS OVER RAVENS
COLTS OVER CHARGERS
VIKINGS OVER EAGLES

Shawne Merriman Will Forgo Knee Surgery This Season

Shawne Merriman's putting his career on the line for the sake of the San Diego Chargers. Hopefully, the injury doesn't hamper him too much, and hopefully he is able to play the full season without making the injury worse.

Speaking of the NFL:
Next Thurday Night Is Opening Night! The Super Bowl Champion New York Giants Open the season against their NFC East rival Washington Redskins. Watch it on NBC!

The NFL Is Almost Here! I Can't Wait!

Punt Pass And Kick Champion Anna Grant Invited To AFC Championship Game

It should have been one of the proudest moments in Anna Grant's young life.

The 14-year-old won her age group in her division of the annual Punt, Pass and Kick competition, clinching it with her performance during halftime of last week's AFC divisional playoff game at Indianapolis.

When Grant and the other winners were recognized before the fourth quarter of the Colts-San Diego game, she was the only one booed by the fans - mainly because Grant, like the other contestants, was wearing the jersey of her hometown team.

In her case, it was the Patriots, and Colts fans acted predictably, if not classy. After hearing about the incident, Patriots owner Robert Kraft not only invited Grant and her family to the AFC championship game Sunday, but will be at midfield to participate in the pregame coin flip.

"Why should a champion be booed?" Kraft told the Associated Press. "She won an intensive competition. She's supposed to be honored. We will recognize her as the winner on the field. Our fans will know."

Grant, a resident of Stratham, N.H., was prepared for the rude reception she received.

"Before I went down there, my friends said, 'You know, you'll probably get booed,'" she said. "I was kind of waiting for it.

"It really didn't bother me at all. People at the game came up to me afterward and said, 'It's not you. It's your jersey.'"

"In a way, the fact that this young lady was booed is a compliment to the New England Patriots fans because we're relevant," Kraft said. "And, we're good."

Andrew Beck, The Punt, Pass & Kick Champion from Harker Heights, was featured on the local news and had a pretty fun first day back, as he was noticed all over his school,But by far, the story of this event was how Colts fans responded to Anna Grant's jersey.

Take A Look at the news report below, and you can tell she took it in stride. Congrats to her and her family, as they get to see the Patriots Play the Chargers in Sunday's AFC Championship Game.


Your AFC And NFC Championship Game Previews Are Coming Up Tommorow!

Brian Billick Given The Axe In Baltimore

Brian Billick never came close to duplicating the success he enjoyed early in his career as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, and it finally cost him his job.

Billick was fired Monday, less than 24 hours after his team concluded a season of high expectations with a disappointing 5-11 record. His entire staff, including defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, also was dismissed.

The firing was first reported by FOXSports.com's Jay Glazer.

"I believed that it was time for a change, I believed that we have the nucleus of a team that can get back to the Super Bowl, and we felt that in the next five years we had a better chance with a new coach than leaving Brian in that position," said owner Steve Bisciotti, who made the decision after consulting with team president Dick Cass and general manager Ozzie Newsome.

Billick won the 2001 Super Bowl in his second season with the Ravens, but since Bisciotti took over full ownership in 2004, Baltimore was 33-33. That included two losing seasons and only one playoff appearance, a one-and-out performance in 2006.

Billick led the Ravens to a franchise-best 13-3 record in 2006. But Baltimore lost a team-record nine consecutive games this season before ending the skid Sunday with a 27-21 win over Pittsburgh.

Bisciotti said he made the decision to fire Billick hours before kickoff, and carried out the move Monday morning in a meeting at the team's practice facility.

While Brian Billick was fired, at the same time, general manager A.J. Smith received a five-year contract extension Tuesday that will keep him with the team through 2014.

Details weren't announced, but various reports said the extension was worth $11 million.
Smith didn't return phone calls seeking comment.

Team president Dean Spanos was traveling and unavailable for comment, his secretary said.

Smith's previous contract was due to expire following the 2009 season. He was promoted in April 2003 after John Butler died of cancer.

The Chargers have won the AFC West for the third time in four seasons under Smith. They'll try to break a four-game postseason losing streak dating to January 1995 when they host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday in the wild-card round. Two of those playoff losses have come on Smith's watch.

Although it was Butler who drafted star running back LaDainian Tomlinson, Smith has proven to be a strong talent evaluator by drafting star players such as outside linebacker Shawne Merriman, quarterback Philip Rivers and cornerback Antonio Cromartie.

He's also signed undrafted players who developed into Pro Bowlers, most notably tight end Antonio Gates, a three-time All-Pro. Two other free agent pickups, guard Kris Dielman and special teams player Kassim Osgood, have developed into Pro Bowlers.

Smith is probably best known for holding his ground when Eli Manning's representatives told the Chargers just before the 2004 draft that the quarterback wouldn't play for San Diego if it took him with the first overall pick.

Smith drafted Manning anyway, then swapped his rights to the New York Giants for the rights to Rivers, as well as picks he used to take kicker Nate Kaeding later in that draft and Merriman the following year.
Smith also obtained wide receiver Chris Chambers from Miami at this year's trade deadline. The acquisition of Chambers has helped open up the running game.

The Chargers are 50-30 under Smith, but 0-2 in the postseason.

Smith became involved in a front-office soap opera when his relationship with coach Marty Schottenheimer soured to the point that the two men didn't talk to each other.
Schottenheimer was fired by Spanos in February, a month after the top-seeded Chargers fell apart in their playoff opener, a shocking 24-21 loss to the New England Patriots.

The Chargers also lost to the New York Jets in overtime in the 2004 wild-card round, also under Schottenheimer.

Smith hired Norv Turner to replace Schottenheimer. After a stunning 1-3 start, the Chargers head into the playoffs having won six straight and 10 of 12.

NFL Best Plays Of Week Nine!

THE BEST PLAYS OF THE WEEK
At The end of the first half, Ryan Longwell missed a 58 yard field goal attempt. The kick was returned by Antonio Cromartie 109 yards the other way for a touchdown and the longest play in the history of the National Football League. Click on the video to see this incredible play!

That would have been the highlight of the week except...


Adrian Peterson set an NFL Record for rushing yards in a game against the San Diego Chargers. Click on the video to see the highlights of the game and the amazing performance by Adrian Peterson.

The Vikings Beat diwn the Chargers 35-17.

Shaun Rogers returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos! Check Out the stiff Arm Rogers gives to the guy that tried to tackle him!

The Lions beat down the Denver Broncos 49-7.

Your Week Ten NFL Preview is coming up on Saturday!

NFL Week Two Preview

LaDanian Tomlinson and the San Diego Chargers are on the road in Foxboro to square off against the New England Patriots.

UPDATE: THIS BLOG POST WAS UPDATED ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th WITH THE SCORES OF ALL THE SUNDAY GAMES.

Week One of the NFL Season was a welcome (and a much needed) sight for me. Watching NFL Football in front of the Television again was great, and I'll get to do it again this week.

Here's the Week Two Schedule, complete with Analysis and a pick of the winner.

EARLY GAMES

ATLANTA AT JACKSONVILLE: 1:00 PM EST

Analysis: The Atlanta Falcons are worrying about how the city of Atlanta will react if the Falcons start off 0-2 in the P.M.V. (Post Michael Vick)Era of their Franchise. Atlanta is worried their will abandon ship if the tean loses to David Garrard and the Jacksonville Jaguars. They had better start trying to come up with some sort of solution, like trying to win games, but that's not going to happen this week either. Jacksonville has a great running attack in Maurice Jones-Drew and has Marcus Stroud, a Pro Bowl Defensive Lineman. Who do the Falcons Have? Joey Harrington, an NFL Journeyman who has failed to make a positive impression on all of the teams he has played for.

JACKSONVILLE OVER ATLANTA.

FINAL SCORE: JACKSONVILLE 26, ATLANTA 3

BUFFALO AT PITTSBURGH: 1:00 PM EST

Analysis: Poor J.P. Losman. Him and his Bills, still reeling over the status of Kevin Everett, have to go into Pittsburgh and take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have their Swagger back after beating the hated Cleveland Browns in Week One.

PITTSBURGH OVER BUFFALO.

FINAL SCORE: PITTSBURGH 26, BUFFALLO 3

CINCINNATTI AT CLEVELAND: 1:00 PM EST

Analysis: Carson Palmer is a much better option at the Quarterback spot than Derek Anderson. The cries for Brady Quinn to start will only get louder after this game.

CINCINNATTI OVER CLEVELAND

FINAL SCORE: CLEVELAND 51, CINCINATTI 45

GREEN BAY AT NEW YORK GIANTS: 1:00 PM EST

Analysis: Something I did not consider possible is actually going to happen. The Green Bay Packers will start the season 2-0. Brett Favre and the Packers will beat the Eli "Manning-less and therefore Meaningless" New York Giants.

GREEN BAY OVER NEW YORK GIANTS

FINAL SCORE: GREEN BAY 35, NEW YORK GIANST 13

HOUSTON AT CAROLINA: 1:00 PM EST

Analysis: "The David Carr Bowl" as I like to call it. Matt Schaub, in one week, has shown more promise for this Houston Texans franchise than David Carr did in Four Years with Houston. Schaub has a quicker release than Carr, and that's going to help him avoid sacks, which will help this Texan team to move down the field with passes to Jacoby Jones and Andre Johnson, who both have chips on their shoulders entering this season. Jake Delhomme looked impressive in the Panthers week one victory in St. Louis, and he's going to need to look impressive again and avoid the sacks of the Houston defensive line of Mario Williams and Amobi Okoye, who both present a lot of upside for this Houston Team. It's a toss up. I go with Carolina, but I won't be suprised if Houston pulls the upset.

CAROLINA OVER HOUSTON.

FINAL SCORE: HOUSTON 34, CAROLINA 21

INDIANAPOLIS AT TENNESEE: 1:00 PM EST

ANALYSIS: Although Tennesee NFL Fans adore Vince Young, Tennesee College Football Fans still adore Peyton Manning. I expect a good contest between these two teams, Vince Young and Chris Brown both looked very good in their Week One Victories, and Tennesee may be able to ride that same formula to success in Week Two. Don't count out Peyton Manning and the Colts. They are the defending World Champions, and they easily could pull the upset and get the win, especially if their defense plays in Week Two like it did in Week One. I'm Torn. I go with Indianapolis because they are the defending Super Bowl. They just need to hope that Rob Bironas doesn't burn them with a game winning 60 yard Field Goal like he had last season.

INDIANAPOLIS OVER TENNESEE

FINAL SCORE: INDIANAPOLIS 22, TENNESEE 20

NEW ORLEANS AT TAMPA BAY: 1:00 PM EST

ANALYSIS: The Saints will rebond from their Week One loss to the Colts, especially since their playing the Buccaneers. Expect Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister to run all over Tampa Bay's horrid defense.

NEW ORLEANS OVER TAMPA BAY.

FINAL SCORE: TAMPA BAY 31, NEW ORLEANS 14

SAN FRANCISCO AT ST. LOUIS: 1:00 PM EST

ANALYSIS: Alex Smith and the 49ers were able to rip the heart out of the Arizona Cardinals fans in the final minute of the Monday Night Game. Mrc Bulger and Alex Smith will both come out firing, but both also have solid options on the ground in Steven Jackson and Frank Gore, respectively. I go with St. Louis because they are at home, and because they have more weapons on offense.

ST. LOUIS OVER SAN FRANCISCO.

FINAL SCORE: SAN FRANCISCO 17, ST. LOUIS 16

LATE GAMES

DALLAS AT MIAMI: 4:05 PM EST

ANALYSIS: Tony Romo was firing passes all over the field as the Cowboys beat the Giants on Sunday Night Football. Dallas will start off 2-0, as this young Dallas team will beat the aging veteran Miami Dolphins.

DALLAS OVER MIAMI

FINAL SCORE; DALLAS 37, MIAMI 20

MINNESOTA AT DETROIT: 4:05 PM EST

ANALYSIS: Something Else Is Detroit's Week One Victory over The Raiders prove they are a better team? The Lions are going to have to stop the threat of Tavaris Jackson and Adrian Peterson. I go with Minnesota because they have more upside, although they didn't exactly prove anything with their victory over The Falcons though, either.

MINNESOTA OVER DETROIT.

FINAL SCORE: DETROIT 20, MINNESOTA 17

SEATTLE AT ARIZONA: 4:05 PM EST

ANALYSIS: Arizona fans are still reeling after their Monday Night loss to the 49ers. Guess What? It's not going to get any better for the Cardinals, as they will lose to another Division Rival, the Seattle Seahawks. There is no way Arizona will win the division. All of the pieces just aren't there yet. The 49ers proved it and the Seattle Seahawks will prove it as well with a win on Sunday.

SEATTLE OVER ARIZONA.

FINAL SCORE: ARIZONA 23, ARIZONA 20

KANSAS CITY AT CHICAGO: 4:15 PM EST

ANALYSIS: Chicago Could not rebound from the Touchdown Pass LaDanian Tomlinson threw to Antonio Gates in the Third Quarter to seal the deal for the Chargers. The Bears will rebound against Kasas City, though. Larry Johnson will not find a whole lot of running room against the tough Chicago Bears defense. Kansas City will have to take advantage of any turnovers the Bears commit, meaning they need to score more points.

CHICAGO OVER KANSAS CITY.

FINAL SCORE: CHICAGO 20, KANSAS CITY 10

NEW YORK JETS AT BALTIMORE: 4:15 PM EST

ANALYSIS: Both of these teams may lose their Starting Quarterbacks for this game. The Ravens may have lost Steve McNair for a while as he struggles with his groin, meaning the inconsistent will have to step up. The Jets as well are dealing with an injury to their Quarterback. Chad Pennington tried to sound like he would start Sunday, but instead, Kellen Clemens will take his first NFL Snaps for the New York on Sunday. I go with the Ravens because their defense wins ballgames, including this one. It's only of the offense.

BALTIMORE OVER NEW YORK JETS.

FINAL SCORE: BALTIMORE 20, NEW YORK JETS 13

OAKLAND AT DENVER: 4:15 PM EST

ANALYSIS: The Raiders finally got JaMarcus Russell signed. It's only a matter of time before he starts. In the meantime, Daunte Culpepper is still trying to convince himself that he actually is a good quarterback without Randy Moss. Jay Cutler and the Broncos will win this game.

DENVER OVER OAKLAND

FINAL SCORE: DENVER 23, OAKLAND 20

LATER GAMES


SUNDAY NIGHT: SAN DIEGO AT NEW ENGLAND (THE GAME OF THE WEEK)

ANALYSIS: This is Bill Bellichick's first game since he was fined $500,000 for his team Spying on the New York Jets Last Sunday. Tom Brady and Randy Moss hooked up many times in that game. The Patriot's defense will try to stop the Well Balanced Attack of The Chargers offnesively and defensively, although they do not appear to be as agressive in the Norv Turner era than they were in the Marty Schottenheimer era. New England will win because they are at home, and because their defenese is good enough to stop the Chargers.

NEW ENGLAND OVER SAN DIEGO

FINAL SCORE: NEW ENGLAND 38, SAN DIEGO 14

MONDAY NIGHT

WASHINGTON AT PHILLADELPHIA: 8:30 PM EST

ANALYSIS: Dallas will send a Thank You Card to the winner of this game. Philladelphia is a better team than Washington, so Philladelphia will win this game.

PHILLADELPHIA OVER TAMPA BAY.

This Blog Post will be updated on Tuesday for the Monday Night Score.

Enjoy The Games!

NFL Preview: AFC West

LaDanian Tomlinson was "Mr. Do-It All" for the San Diego Chargers last season, and he will help the Chargers win the AFC West Again.



The San Diego Chargers finsihed the Regular Season 14-2 Last Season and had a two touchdown lead on the New England Patriots before the Chragers gave the game away. Tom Brady led the Patriots back from the fourteen point defecit and knocked the Chargers out of the postseason. The San Diego Chargers then, inexplicably, fired Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer, replacing him with San Francisco 49ers Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner. The Coach may be different, but the Coach's phillosophy and players are the same, meaning San Diego wins the division again and will face New England in the AFC Championship Game (Week 2, Chargers face the Patriots in New England on Sunday Night Football.)The Offense is great as Phillip Rivers is the Quarterback of the most explosive running game in the league. The defense is great as Shawne Merriman was a mosnster last year, and he will help San Diego this year as long as he is on the field. The Special Teams is great as well, as Michael Turner will be fielding kicks and punts, and he has the speed of Devin Hester.

Prediction: 12-4, 1st Place.

So, what are the teams like Denver, Oakland, and Kansas going to do? Keep Reading.

DENVER BRONCOS: Champ Bailey is the meaning of the word "Shutdown Corner." Quarterbacks won't even look to his side of the field because they know he can run back interceptions for touchdowns every time he gets an interception. Travis Henry may keep the Denver tradition alive of a 1,000 yard rusher. Javon Walker is one of the best Wide Receivers in Football. Green Bay is still sorry they traded him away. Jay Cutler is a precision passer and could be ready to lead the "Mile High City" to a Playoff Appearance. The death of Cornerback Darrent Williams and Running Back Darrren Nash are, without question, going to be tough for this team to overcome. Special Teams, outside of Veteran Kicker Jason Elam, is a questionmark.

Prediction: 10-6, 2nd Place

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: The Chiefs have Larry Johnson, and Priest Holmes may be ready to come back late in the season. Tony Gonzalez is going to be the focal point of Damon Huard and the Kansas City Offense. Derrick Johnson is the primary Linebacker, and he may be ready for a Pro Bowl Season.Damon Huard has spent most of his career as a backup, but seemed to flourish last year when called on to take over for Trent Green, and that's why he's the starter, although Brodie Croyle will be the Chiefs Starting QB a few years from now. The trading away of Trent Green is understandable, as he was a questionmark entering the season, but now that he has been traded away, Kansas City has lost that Veteran Leadership. Larry Johnson needs to cut down on the load, or his shelf life in the NFL may keep decreasing.

Prediction: 7-9, 3rd Place.

Oakland Raiders: The Raiders have a new head coach, Lane Kiffin, who comes over from the University of Southern California. Defense has some standouts. Michael Huff could have a good year this season. Dominic Rhodes and Michael Bush could be a good 1-2 Punch.The Raiders Quarterback Issue is their Achilles Heel, whether it is Daunte Culpepper or JaMarcus Russell, they are going to feel the abscence of Randy Moss in the Passing game. The Raiders will finish fourth in this division, as they are just the worst team in the best division of the AFC.

Prediction: 4-12, 4th Place

That Concludes the AFC Preview. The Next NFL Preview will focus on the NFC East. Will Philladelphia win the division if Donovan McNabb is injured again? Will Tony Romo flourish under new Head Coach Wade Phillips? Find Out in the Next NFL Preview.