Steelers, Jaguars to Meet in AFC Tussle

Buccaneers Visit High-scoring Broncos

Bucs, Jets New Favre Frontrunners

Now, Packers fans are holding their breath until the Packers trade Brett Favre out of Lambeau. The Packers are refusing to budge, as they keep saying Aaron Rodgers is their starter and Brett Favre is nowhere in their plans. Brett Favre's agent said that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets are the new frontrunners to land Brett Favre.

Jon Gruden loves to have about five to six quarterbacks on his Depth chart, but Favre will not be happy if he is relegated to the fifth or sixth guy on the depth chart. Tampa should play Favre immediately if they land him.

How about the Jets? Last season for them was all about Kellen Clemens, as Chad Pennington was relegated to one of the highest paid backups in the NFL last year. Would Favre join Pennington as a benchwarmer?

The Jets should also play Favre if they land him, but if he goes to the Jets, that may result in another situation like the one in Green Bay.

Whoever lands Favre should play him. If he wants to win for your team, I say: let him. Don't let him sit on the bench.

Warren Sapp Throws In The Towel

Warren Sapp announced his retirement on Thursday, ending the career of one of the best defensive tackles to play in the NFL.

Sapp posted a two word message on his Web site, www.qbkilla.com, announcing his intention: "I'M DONE!" He had told teammates and coaches his plans after the season finale Sunday against San Diego. Sapp told the Contra Costa Times earlier Thursday that he had called Raiders owner Al Davis to give him the official news.

Sapp, 35, was the quintessential "three technique" tackle during his 13-year career, lining up between the guard and tackle and splitting that gap. Few did it better than Sapp, who made seven Pro Bowls, won The Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year award in 1999, and was a key cog in Tampa Bay's Super Bowl winning defense in the 2002 season.

"Every defensive tackle that's drafted in the top five is supposed to be the next (me)," Sapp said earlier this season. "All of them have that tag. ... I've played the game pretty well, so if I'm the standard by which (they'll) be judged, that's tough, because I'd like to relive that guy, too. He's a bad boy. He's dead now. I give you flashes of him every now and then but, nah, that guy was sick."

After having 10 sacks in 2006, Sapp wasn't as successful this season when he finished with only two. He also was part of a Raiders defense that struggled against the run, allowing a league-worst 4.8 yards per carry.

Sapp was no longer the every-down menace he was during his younger days in Tampa, but he could still pick his spots. In his final game against San Diego, Sapp shot through a gap and hit quarterback Philip Rivers' forearm before he could hand the ball off to LaDainian Tomlinson, causing a fumble.

"You get a little older, you can see your weaknesses a little bit more and go about 45-50 plays now," Sapp said late in the season. "But there's still some good gas in the tank and I'm still able to make the plays."

Sapp finished his career with 96 1/2 sacks, the 28th most since the NFL began keeping track of the statistic in 1982. What made that even more remarkable is that Sapp played primarily on the inside at tackle, where sacks are traditionally much harder to come by.

Sapp was considered a coach on the field by the defensive staff on the Raiders and was viewed as a leader by the young players that surrounded him.

"I felt like having him here made me a better football player," Raiders linebacker Kirk Morrison said. "He was the leader of this defense. They say the middle linebacker is supposed to lead, but the guy has been in the league 13 years and he's seen it all. I leaned on him. There's so much more for me to learn from him I don't want him to leave yet."

Sapp began his career in Tampa Bay in 1995, where he helped turn one of the league's perennial losers into Super Bowl champions following the 2002 season. The Buccaneers had only three winning seasons in 19 years before Sapp arrived.

Along with linebacker Derrick Brooks and safety John Lynch, Sapp was a mainstay on the Bucs defense under coach Tony Dungy. The success they had helped make the "Tampa Two" defense a staple around the league and sent Tampa to the postseason five times in six years from 1997-2002.

Sapp became known as much for his sterling play as he did for his entertaining trash talking on the field.

"I can't stop that," Sapp said. "I'm going to do that as loud as I can for as long as I can because it just gets me going. That's the way I play the game. I can't help it."

Sapp starred in college at the University of Miami, where he arrived as a tight end and left as the best defensive player in the country. He slipped to No. 12 in the 1995 draft after testing positive for marijuana at the scouting combine.

That was just one controversy in Sapp's career. In 2002, he nearly ended the career of Packers offensive tackle Chad Clifton with a vicious hit while trying to throw a block after an interception. Then-Packers coach Mike Sherman confronted Sapp on the field after the game, calling it a dirty play.

Sapp was fined $50,000 for bumping an official in 2003 and was fined $75,000 after being ejected following three personal fouls in the second-to-last game of his career against Jacksonville.

Week Seven NFL Preview

Maurice Jones-Drew leads the Jaguars against their undefeated AFC South Rival Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football.

Week Seven of the NFL Season is upon us. Here's a preview of every game with analysis and a pick of the winner.

EARLY GAMES
ARIZONA AT WASHINGTON 1:00 PM EST
This is a great matchup at the running back spot. Edgerrin James for Arizona facing Clinton Portis of the Redskins. Jason Campbell will be the reason Washington wins, as he can light it up on the ground and through the air.
MINNESOTA OVER ARIZONA

ATLANTA AT NEW ORLEANS 1:00 PM EST
The sleeper game of the week. New Orleans has momentum due to their victory last Sunday Night over Seattle. Saints win.
NEW ORLEANS OVER ATLANTA

BALTIMORE AT BUFFALO 1:00 PM EST
This may be Baltimore's toughest game in a while. Buffallo was off last week. Baltimore wins Sunday.
BALIMORE OVER BUFFALO

MINNESOTA AT DALLAS 1:00 PM EST
Adrian Peterson had a career day last week against Chicago. Dallas is coming off a loss to New England. I expecct Dallas to come back hungry after the loss to New England last week. If Dallas can shut down the run, they will win this game.
DALLAS OVER MINNESOTA

NEW ENGLAND AT MIAMI 1:00 PM EST
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only team in NFL History to win every game they played in a season. There has never been a team to lose every game they played in a season. Could Miami be the first team to do this? Could one of their years become syninymous with abseloute greatness (1972) while another becomes synonymous with abseloutely sucking (2007) What a way to remember the 35th aniversary of that 1972 Dolphins team! Miami will not beat New England.
NEW ENGLAND OVER MIAMI

SAN FRANCISCO AT NEW YORK GIANTS 1:00 PM EST
Whenever a Weat Coast Team meets up against a team from the East Coast, the game all of a sudden becomes an "East vs. West Supremacy match." This game will be no different. The loss of Alex Smith hurts San Francisco's chances in this game. New York Giants win this game.
NEW YORK GIANTS OVER SAN FRANCISCO.

TANPA BAY AT DETROIT 1:00 PM EST
Jeff Garcia has been on a tear. you know he wants to win against his former team, the Detroit Lions.
TAMPA BAY OVER DETROIT.

TENNESEE AT HOUSTON 1:00 PM EST
You know Vince Young wants to play in this game. The Texans defense still has nightmares over that game winning 46 yard touchdown run they gave up to him in overtime to win the game for the Titans. Young will cause Houston fans to say yet again: Why didn't we draft Vince Young?
TENNESEE OVER HOUSTON.

LATE GAMES
KANSAS CITY AT OAKLAND 4:05 PM EST
Another sleeper game of the week, and to think, this game is being carried on National Television. Expect Larry Johnson to run all over Oakland's defense.
KANSAS CITY OVER OAKLAND

NEW YORK JETS AT CINCINNATTI 4:05 PM EST
Chad Pennington versus Carson Palmer. Two underacheiving Quartberbacks on two underacheiving teams take the field. Cincinnatti wins thanks to Rudi Johnson, but don't count out Thomas Jones on the Jets.
CINCINNATTI OVER NEW YORK JETS

CHICAGO AT PHILLADELPHIA 4:15 PM EST
When this game is played again in 2009, will Donovan McNabb be wearing a Bears Uniform? If Chicago's defense plays better than they did last week against Minnesota, they will win this game. Brian Urlacher said that in order for the Bears to make the playoffs, the Bears would have to go 8-2. They can take a small step torward that big goal by winning against the Eagles.
CHICAGO OVER PHILLY

ST. LOUIS AT SEATTLE 4:05 PM EST
Seattle is coming off a lost last Sunday Night to the Saints. St. Louis loses again, and it looks like St. Louis and Miami are both gunning for the first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Seattle may still be on the lookout for falling cameras, though.
SEATTLE OVER MIAMI

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

PITTSBURGH AT DENVER 7:15 PM EST
With the loss of Javon Walker for at least six months, Pittsburgh will win. Denver fans can take solace in the fact that their beloved Rockies play in the World Series on Wednesday.
PITTSBURGH OVER DENVER

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
INDIANAPOLIS AT JACKSONVILLE (THE GAME OF THE WEEK)
Maurice Jones-Drew leads the Jaguars against their undefeated AFC South Rival Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football. this is Indy's first game since the bye week, and they are hoping to remain undefeated until they meet up with New England next Sunday.
INDIANAPOLIS OVER JACKSONVILLE

The Boston Red Sox defeated the Cleveland Indians 12-2 in Game Six of the 2007 American League Championship Series. J.D. Drew got the ball flying as he hit a grand slam to get the Red Sox off and running 4-0. In the top of of the second inning, Victor Martinez hit a homerun that styed just inside the Pesky Pole for a homerun to make it 4-1. Boston went on to score eight more times in the game compared to Cleveland scoring once for the rest of the game. Game Seven of the American League Championship Series is tommorow at Fenway Park in Boston. Daisuke Mastuzaka pitches for the Red Sox in game Seven, and Jake Westbrook pitches for Cleveland in the final baseball game until Wednesday, when Game One of the World Series gets under way. I feel like picking a winner in Game Seven Tommorow Night. Here's my pick:
BOSTON OVER CLEVELAND.

Enjoy Your Sunday and Enjoy The Games!

NFL Preview: NFC South

Drew Brees and the Saints are Ready to Go Marching In for another NFC South Title.



The Suprise Team for the 2006 Season was the New Orleans Saints. The Saints were revitalized by the Cannon Right Arm of Drew Brees, and by the running of the elusive runner Reggie Bush, whether it was returning kicks and punts or running out of the backfield. The Saints also were able to turn Seventh Round Draft Choice Marques Colston out of Hofstra into the steal of the draft. Tbe Saints are ready for an Offensive Showdown vs the Colts Tommorow Night on NBC. The Saints will win the NFC South Easily, as they have no competition. The Saints have the potential to go to the Super Bowl. These guys aren't The 'Aints anymore.

Prediction: 11-5, 1st Place.

So, how did teams like Carolina, Tampa Bay, and Atlanta going to fare this season? keep Reading.

Carolina Panthers: The Panthers were many people's pick to go to the Super Bowl last season. They didn't even make the playoffs, fizzling out at 8-8. The inconsistent play of jake Delhomme last season, for his sake, has to stop. If it doesn't, expect Carolina to bring in David Carr, who will never take enough Asprin to have relief from all of the headaches he suffers from being repeatedly thrown to the turf time after time in Houston. DeShaun and DeAngelo Williams will be a good 1-2 Punch for Carolina. Jullius Peppers will rack up the sacks. The sudden retirement of Mike Minter will hurt Carolina's Secondary. Carolina has a shot to make the playoffs, but only only if Jake Delhomme looks like the Jake of 2004 which took Carolina to the Super Bowl, not the 2007 Jake, which was almost as consistent as Rex Grossman in Chicago.

Prediction: 9-7, 2nd Place.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: The Tampa Buccaneers are reeling from the loss of Mike Alstott for at least this season. Cato June will help the Baccaneers linebacking. The loss of Simeon Rice hurts Tampa Bay defensively. Chris Simms is still trying to come back from a ruptured spleen. Cadilac Williams may for 1,000 yards this season. Jeff Garcia wass a good option option for Tampa Bay, as he is better than every other Tampa Bay Quarterback. This team won't look like the 2003 Bucs, which means Jon Gruden may be on the way out in Tampa bay.

Prediction: 7-9, 3rd Place.

ATLANTA FALCONS: The Mike Vick situation eliminates Atlanta's Season. Period. They would have finished 7-9 with him. They may not even win three games without him. Joey Harrington has not proved himself on any team he has won the Starting Quarterback job in. Joe Horn is a good veteran receiver, but his numbers will go way down. Jerious Norwood and Jamaal Anderson will be two bright spots on this team, but don't look for any more. Atlanta will finish 2-14 without Mike Vick, and Atlanta will look for another Quarterback, possiblt Brian Brohm of Louisville, so Head Coach Bobby Petrino can institute the Spread Offense, just like he had at Louisville.

Prediction: 2-14, 4th Place.

That Concludes our NFL Previews. To See the NFL Previews by thmselves, click on the Label "NFL Preview" at the end of the post. Opening Day is tommorow! Don't miss it! Colts vs Saints Tommorow Night on NBC!