Lions make “Tebowing” an art form

If Tebow/Suh is ultimate battle of Good & Evil, Evil will prevail

By all media accounts, Denver Broncos’ new starting QB Tim Tebow is the favorite son of the Son of God.  Since his days as a Florida Gator journalists and broadcasters have practically knocked each other over to anoint him as the second coming of Christ despite the only marginal talents he displays on the field. The most famous and egregious example came from FOX announcer Thom Brennaman who spewed this most nauseating tribute during the 2009 BCS National Championship: “If you’re fortunate enough to spend five minutes or 20 minutes around Tim Tebow, your life is better for it.”

By contrast, Lions’ imposing DT Ndamukong Suh has begun to get the reputation of being the NFL’s dirtiest player.  Whether or not that characterization is just, this Sunday’s Broncos/Lions matchup could be billed as the ultimate battle of Good vs. Evil.

In his first NFL start against Miami last week, Tebow proved both his critics and proponents right by looking like anything but a professional quarterback, yet he found a way to win.  Tebow went an abismal 13 for 27 for a mere 131 yards, but he was able to lead the Broncos to two TDs in the final 2:44 to tie the game and eventually win on a long field goal in overtime.

Strict analysis of his tangible abilities prove Tebow is not up to the challenge of being an NFL quarterback.  However, his disciples point to his intangibles as what sets him apart as he always seems to find a way to win.  So the Tebow debate remains unsettled after last week’s performance, but that will change tomorrow when the Lions and the demonized Suh come to Mile High.

Suh has been fined $42,500 over his first two seasons for varying degrees of questionable hits and general nastiness. Last week, Suh was even accused of taunting Atlanta’s Matt Ryan as the QB writhed in pain after his own lineman rolled up on his ankle.  A few Falcons whined to the media afterwards claiming Suh mockingly called out, “Get the cart!”  But perhaps he knew Ryan was embellishing a bit because he was able to make a miraculously quick recovery and was back on the field just two plays later.

Regardless, the notion that Suh is too nasty for pro football is laughable.  Does anyone think like Jack Lambert, “Mean” Joe Greene or Dick Butkus would have any issues with his play? Anyone who thinks Suh needs to take it down a notch needs to look at the past and realize he is emulating the greats in the sport’s history.

For the first time Tebow will face a truly menacing defensive line led by Suh that should cause plenty of turnovers and dispel the messianic Tebow myth.  If anyone wants to characterize this Sunday’s Bronco/Lions game as a battle of Good vs. Evil, go ahead. Is Suh evil? Yes he is. Get used to it.

PV’s Upset Specials Week 8

Another 3-1 week last week puts my record for the year at 6-2 straight up and 7-1 against the spread. Against the spread is what we’re going to talk about this week as I only have two straight up upsets this week, but have two against the spread.

Cowboys over the Eagles (-3.5) – Cowboys will win this one without the use of the spread since they’ve found a running game. I know DeMarco Murray ran for 253 yards against a terrible Rams team, but 253 against the Rams translates to 100 yards against a decent team. The Eagles defense has been manhandled this season by larger more physical team like the Cowboys, Dez Bryant should be able to feast all day long. Cowboys by at least a touchdown.

Seahawks over the Bengals (-2.5) – The Seahawks have a way of playing just well enough against team they are evenly matched up with and they are pretty evenly matched with the Seahawks. Seahawks win a close one.

Dolphins over the Giants (-9.5) – This is a spread pick, although this game has upset written all over it I believe the Giants will win by seven. Dolphins definitely cover the 9.5 points.

Jaguars over the Texans (-9.5) – Again, we have a case here where this game will be much closer than the 9.5 points. Jack Del Rio will have his team ready to play and keep the Texans running game in check. When the Texans get one-dimensional they tend to lose games, but they will able to win a close one against the Jags.

PV’s Upset Specials Week 7

If you’re reading this then you may know that I was 3-1 last week straight up and 4-0 against the spread. If you did a $20 four team parlay with my picks you won about $400, so congrats. I picking on some of the same teams this week, but it’s the tough part of the schedule for teams.

Jets over the Chargers (-1.5) – The Jets are getting their swagger back and they will paste Philip Rivers and the Chargers coming off the bye week. The Chargers defense has enough holes that will allow Mark Sanchez and the Jets’ offense to have a good day. The Jets defense will create at least three turnovers in this one. Jets by 10.

Buccaneers over the Bears (-0.5) – This is basically a pick ’em, but with the Bears as favorites the Bucs will win this one by at least a touchdown. Their defense will confuse Jay Cutler and will stymie the Bears running game. I’d also be surprised if Devon Hester gets a return in this one.

Falcons over the Lions (-3.5) – This should be a well-played football without an angry handshake at the end. This will be a high scoring affair as the Falcons defense has been able to stop very little, but the difference in this one will the running game of the Falcons. The Falcons will control the clock to keep their porous defense off the field as well as Megatron and Matt Stafford. This game will not be decided by more than three points either way. Falcons by a field goal.

Texans over the Titans (-3.5) – The Texans are getting no respect from the odds makers this week, but they have a superior team to the Titans. The Texans will get the offense back on track this week, and Wade Phillip’s defense will of enough to confuse the Titans and create trouble for Chris Johnson’s running game. Texans by a touchdown.

BONUS:

Colts over Saints (-13.5) – The Colts are not going to win, but they are going to cover the spread. The Colts still have a good defense and the Saints will not win by two touchdowns. That’s a straight up spread pick.

BCS computers become self-aware; spontaneously generate playoff system

It has become so painfully obvious college football needs a playoff system to everyone (except the corrupt cabal of big conference commissioners, of course) that even the computers have rebelled against their masters like HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey [“I’m sorry BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock, I’m afraid I can’t do that.“] and created a de facto Final Four.

The first BCS poll of the year was revealed on Sunday and, much to everyone’s surprise, the computers actually got it right on the first try. LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are truly the top four teams in the county. But even more serendipitous is that LSU vs. Alabama on November 5th and OU vs. OSU on December 3 will create what amounts to a national semi-final.

So let’s look at the BCS Final Four. The seeding doesn’t really mean anything as things stand right now, but LSU is more than qualified to be the nation’s best at 7-0 with victories over four Top 25 teams including a neutral-site victory over my pre-season National Champion pick Oregon and a road win over #16 West Virginia.  Les Miles and crew aren’t afraid to play anyone anywhere and have been justly rewarded for it.

It’s hard for this B1G fan to admit, but the SEC is simply the best conference in college football. Period. One only has to look at the last five National Champions to know it’s true.  And as much as it pains me, Prick Saban’s 7-0 Alabama squad deserves the second slot with thee victories over Top 25 teams.

Oklahoma certainly deserves it’s #3 ranking with the best road win of the year at an incredibly hostile Florida State as well as a convincing blowout win over Red River rival Texas.

Where things get a bit contentious is at the #4 spot. Arguments could be made for Wisconsin, Stanford and most strongly for 7-0 Clemson with three victories over Top 25 teams, but Oklahoma State gets the nod for several reasons.  The Cowboys simply have more quality wins than Wisco and Stanford thus far. Clemson might have the resumé to possibly supplant OSU, but the Tigers suffer by being ranked #8 in the AP, USA Today Coaches’ and Harris polls—two spots behind the Ok. State in each. As for Boise State, a win over a mediocre Georgia team and nothing else to hang it’s hat on just doesn’t cut it.

Of course, the only way this virtual Final Four all works out in the end depends on each of the quartet remaining unbeaten until and after their impending semi-final battles. Even if it does happen, the BCS is still fatally flawed and corrupt.  This lucky break doesn’t change that.

PV’s Upset Specials

I thought it would be more interesting to switch gears from NFL power rankings to PV’s Upset Specials, where I, PV, pick a few upsets in the league every week. Everyone has NFL power rankings; you don’t need me to tell you the Packers are the best team in football. This is far more interesting since you can make fun of me when I’m wrong or even make fun of me now. The Bears and Vikings game is not on the list because who cares, both teams need help!

This weeks upset specials:

49ers over the Lions – Jim Harbaugh has the defense that can slow down the Lions passing game and certainly contain the Lions sporadic running game. While I think the Lions are one of the best and exciting teams in football I think the 49ers are a difficult match-up for the Lions this week.  49ers cover the spread (Lions -4.5) and win game outright by 3.

Eagles over the Redskins – At the beginning of the season the Redskins over the Eagles would have been the upset, now the 1-4 Eagles look to the upset the NFC East leading Redskins (-0.5) this week to hang on to hope. This is a slam-dunk for Philly; they should overmatch the Skins and tighten up the NFC East.

Cowboys over the Patriots – The Cowboys two losses are a combined total of seven points; while both losses can be pinned on Tony Romo for throwing some questionable passes in the second half that lead to interceptions, both wins are also because of Tony Romo. The Cowboys defense will be able to contain the Pats enough, and the iffy Patriots defense will let up a lot against a two week prepared Cowboys. Cowboys are getting no respect this week, as they are 7.5-point underdogs. They will definitely cover and win outright.

Buccaneers over the Saints – My final upset special this week is the Bucs over the Saints. The Bucs will bounce back from a thumping from the 49ers and not allow Drew Brees to pull out another last minute victory this week. The Saints defense is terrible and the Bucs will exploit it. Bucs win by 10 this week, and obviously cover the 4.5-point spread.

Good luck everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earhole Bowl II immortalized on SI cover

D-LIRIOUS!!!

For the better part of the last 60 years it could be said that the “D” in Detroit football stood for  Depression, Desperation, and Doubt.  But yesterday’s miracle comeback win in Dallas has removed all doubt—the 4-0 Detroit Lions are FOR REAL.

There certainly was plenty of doubt permeating the local Detroit sports watering hole where I met several of my fellow long-suffering, yet hopeful Lions fan buddies as well as my blogging nemesis PV who was, of course, unabashedly decked out in all his Cowboy regalia.  The first half had Pete celebrating like it was 1993 as Dallas could to do no wrong, stifling the Lions offense and shredding their defense to head to the locker room with a seemingly insurmountable 20-3 lead.

Trailing by 24 with 10:30 remaining in the 3rd quarter after punting for the 6th time against a potential playoff team in the massive House that Jerry Built, there was little reason to think the game was salvageable. Things were so bleak that one of our crew even decided to bail. BIG MISTAKE, JON.

Detroit’s dormant defense suddenly stepped up with two pick-sixes that finally gave almost everyone in the bar (besides a suddenly silenced PV) something to cheer about. The defensive assault sparked the offense to 17 unanswered points in the 4th quarter culminatied in the biggest road comeback in team history and sent the bar into honolulu blue hysteria.

But the historical significance of yesterday’s victory doesn’t end there.  Check out these incredible factoids:

• According to Elias Sports Bureau, the Lions are only the 4th road team in NFL history to come back to win from a 24-pt deficit.
• The Lions are the first team in NFL history to register 20+-pt comebacks in consecutive weeks.
• Dating back to last season, the Lions have their first 8-game win streak since 1953-54.
• This is the first 4-0 start in Lions history that includes 3 road wins.
• The 4-0 start is their first since 1980 and only the fifth in team history.
• Their current 5-game road wining streak is the longest in team history.

When put in this perspective, despite all the years of disappointment, it’s hard not to get excited about this team. Any doubt has now turned into delirium in Detroit where sights are set on the very ordinary Chicago Bears (2-2) for the Lions first Monday Night Football appearance in a decade.  Ford Field will be as loud as it’s been since the 2009 NCAA Final Four as the Lions go for their first 5-0 start since 1956.

This weeks power rankings!!!

1 – Green Bay Packers (3-0)
Packers continue to roll and their defense hasn’t even kicked into full gear, yet. Aaron Rogers and company continue to make teams pay with the big play, and running back Ryan Grant had a huge game against he Bears this week.

2 – Detroit Lions (3-0)
The Lions move up a spot as they overcame a 20-0 hole at halftime to the Vikings to win 26-23 in overtime. This was the first time the Lions had won in the Superdome since 1997. The Earhole Bowl II takes place this Sunday at high noon when Smitty’s Lions square off against my Cowboys in Texas. I’m going with ‘Boys because of home field advantage.

3 – Buffalo Bills (3-0) I did not respect the Bills last week and they took 16 points away from me in my confidence pool. I also ignored them in the power rankings, which was stupid on my part. They make a high debut at #3 this week. They seem to be able to hang with anyone, but I’d like to see some better defense. That seems to be a problem with a lot of teams right now, defense.

4 – New England Patriots (2-1)
I’ll tell you why the Patriots are 2-1 instead of 3-0 right now, no running game. Not that they don’t have a running game, but the pass happy Patriots seem non-committed to running the ball consistently. This is part of their offense and it’s sad because they can run the ball they just choose not to. I’m going to sound redundant, but they do have some defensive problems.

5 – New Orleans Saints (2-1)
It took 40 points, but the Saints beat the Texans so they’ll move up a spot this week. Again, the whole game is on the shoulders of the New Orleans offense as they have very little defense. What I did not take into account when I left the Saints out of the playoffs is that defense would be at a premium this season. They might just be able to outscore everyone.

6 – Houston Texans (2-1)
Wade Philips may be back where he should be, a defensive coordinator, but his defense was not very good against the Saints. Still the Texans are good club and should win their division easily. They drop a two spots this week.

7 – Dallas Cowboys (2-1)
The Cowboys make their debut at #7 on the power rankings this week after their second consecutive win lead by a flak jacket wearing Tony Romo throwing to mostly rookie receivers. Romo has elevated his level of play this season and Rob Ryan’s defense is making huge plays in the clutch. This is a winning formula that has a big test this week against the Lions.

8 – San Diego Chargers (2-1)
The Chargers struggled this week against a 0-3, Kansas City Chiefs team. Their offense seemed to be lacking a bit with Antonio Gates out of the line-up and never really seemed in sync. They are notoriously slow starters so I’ll hold them at #8 this week.

9 – Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)
The Steelers were able to overcome a lackluster performance and survive the Colts, 23-20.  Peyton Manning may be out, but the Colts still have a solid defense and should be able to move the ball with the talented support staff that Manning had at his disposal in years past. That’s why the Steelers hold their spot this week in the Top 10.

10 – Carolina Panthers (1-2)
A lot of the Panthers game was played in a monsoon, but they overcome it and won the game under adversity. This was the type of the game this team needed to see if they could handle not scoring at will. They handled it better as they won for the first time this season. The Panthers should move to 2-2 after they beat the Bears. I would just let Cam Newton take control of the game.

Who left the Top 10?

Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
Not sure what’s going on with this team, but they need to work on some things in order to get the team on track.

New York Jets (2-1)
I said it last week, I don’t think the Jets’ defense is very good this season, and Mark Sanchez does not look like he’s matured at all at the QB position.

ILLINI 4-0, Irish back to even, ‘Boys above .500

ILL - INI!!!

Another wild week for my football teams, but they were all winners again. I can breathe easy for another week as everyone’s at least .500 after the past weekend. Then we have the Bears, who, well, are not very good.

Illinois
Let’s start with Illinois, since they’ve started the season 4-0 for the first time since 1951. Conference play begins, so things may change for the Fightin’ Illini in the near future. I’ll enjoy the 23-20 victory over Western Michigan and look forward to beating the Purple Nerds this weekend. You may also know them as the Northwestern Wildcats.

Notre Dame
So much for my bold prediction of the Irish dominating again this week over Pittsburgh, instead they had to overcome turnovers, again to get their second win of the season. Pitt pretty much took receiver, Michael Floyd, out of the game with double coverage, so Tommy Rees did not have his security blanket. Even without Floyd factoring in the game the Irish won 15-12 in a truly boring game. That win moves the Irish to 2-2 on the year.

Dallas Cowboys
So, the Cowboys came limping in to this week with Tony Romo in a flak jacket to protect his ribs and punctured lung, Felix Jones’ shoulder in a sling because its dislocated, Dez Bryant coming in and out the game with leg issues and Miles Austin out with a hamstring. Romo survived four bad snaps by his center, rookie receivers running bad routes, and a so-so running game. The two biggest plays of the game came from Romo, one when the ball was snapped to him prematurely and went 20-yards behind the line of scrimmage before he picked it up and threw a pass for a two-yard gain under duress. The other was the game winning drive when Washington sensing the wide receivers were completely out-of-whack decided to keep sending all-out blitzes daring Romo to throw complete a pass. He did just that when he rolled out, bought time and hit an open Dez Bryant for a first down putting the Cowboys in field goal range. The Cowboys took an 18-16 lead and then the defense sealed the deal when they stripped Rex Grossman of the ball just over 20-seconds to play. The Cowboys took a knee and that was the game. The Cowboys face another undefeated team, my second favorite team to watch this year, the Detroit Lions. The Cowboys defense will have more of a challenge this weekend facing a potent passing attack that includes the best receiver in football, Calvin Johnson. The Cowboys will have to have less mistakes this weekend to beat the Lions, and if they do they’ll beat Detroit 24-21, if not the Lions may massacre the ‘Boys.

Chicago Bears
Is it just me or is Mike Martz trying to get fired? Can you blame him, the Bears still have not provided him with a receiving core worth squat or a QB that will listen. Why do you think the Broncos were so quick to let Cutler go? Because he has issues listening to coaches. In Martz’ offense you either conform to his way or its no way. That really hasn’t worked for Cutler, and he has so little faith in his offensive line that he often gives up on a play too early. Then there’s the flipside to Cutler when he holds the ball for over six seconds and takes a sack. It’s like he has no internal clock. The Bears were no match for the Packers this weekend as the Pack jumped out to a 14-0 lead and didn’t look back. Martz was suppose to be more committed to the run game this week, but they only rushed the ball nine times for 2-yards. Cutler outperformed Matt Forte with three rushes for 9 nine yards. I will admit the Bears did get screwed on a wonderfully designed trick play on a punt. The Packers punted and Devin Hester faked like the ball was coming to him on the near side of the field. Before the Packers knew what hit them Johnny Knox was running free down the far side of the field for a touchdown. The play was called back for a phantom hold back at the twenty. The Bears defense again let up at least 100-yards rushing and was lit up in the secondary as usual. If I were the Panthers this week I would just let Cam Newton throw 50 times, as they will probably win the game. Bears fall to 1-2, staring 1-3 in the face.