Wednesday Morning QB (NFL Week 9)
The NFL is full of different personalities some loud and in your face and other silent and overlooked. There are players who love to talk whether it is just for the sake of talking or for the added edge it may give them while playing the game. Others just like to let their play do the talking as they say nothing even when provoked but get even with their tough play. The focus of player’s attitudes is what many people focus on but there is another type of attitude. A team is made up of individuals but putting all of these individuals make up a certain attitude for a team. The team can be the Patriots who are the business men of the NFL as they are not about anything more than going out every week to win. Then you have the New York Jets who are the brash and cocky team who are always good for a soundbite and are the antithesis of the Patriots. Of course there is also the Oakland Raiders who have been the bad boy of the league since Al Davis took over. The Raiders, while under Davis, the Raiders were always known as the team that would not back down from anyone and a team that would cheat in the slightest way as to not get caught but still get an advantage. The Raiders have kept this role in check as they are regularly the team that takes in the players that are forgotten and they create a sort of island of misfit toys. Recently the Raiders have been challenged for their title as the bad boys of the NFL with the rise of a once forgotten team. The Detroit Lions are beginning to take the crown for the bad boys of the NFL and there are many reasons for this. The Lions were forgotten up until the last two years with the team continuing to be irrelevant in the NFL. Recently they have been the opposite as the Lions have become a good team slowly but surely. This year they have taken it to the next level as they are in the thick of the hunt for the NFC north and look to make the playoffs this year. The Lions have done this with some key players and these players have become the main reason as to why the Lions are considered the bad boys. The biggest player to make this association has been the Lions 1st round pick in 2010 and rookie of the year in 2010 Ndamukong Suh. This powerful defensive tackle has been considered the dirtiest player in the NFL by his opponents. The label is somewhat subjective however as the poll was given throughout the NFL by 111 players and a lot can go into someone’s decision. This can include the fact the Suh has come into the league and completely dominated everyone across the line from him. Whether or not Suh is a truly dirty player or just able to do little things to get an advantage it still does not change the fact that many will consider him a dirty player. This label is a large part to the new attitude of the Lions but the rest o the team has also done plenty to earn the title. Whether it was the taunting of an injured player in their game against the Atlanta Falcons or the mocking of Tim Tebow when they played Denver Broncos, the Lions have shown the football world that they don’t care. Another key part to this new title is the fact that their city embraces this type of attitude. Detroit is a town that has struggled in the past years with the backbone of the city, manufacturing, moving jobs. Through this difficulty the people of Detroit have become a different type of people who do everything they can to get by and struggle to make a living. The Lions are representing this city well as they are not very flashy but they do everything they can to win games. With the city on board and Suh at the head of the ship the Lion shave seemingly taken the title of the NFL bad boys away from the Raiders. The question now will be can they take this newfound attitude and stave off the push by the Chicago Bears and overcome the play of Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers to take the NFC North and make the playoffs.
With the NFL halfway through the season there is still a chance for any team to make the playoffs. Of course this chance is mathematical as nobody has clinched a playoff spot yet but there are a number of teams that already look to be on their way. The magic number in the NFL to make the playoffs is generally 10 or 11 wins and there are a few teams that are close to that number and some that are very far away. Two NFC teams are close to their magic number with the Green Bay Packers at 8-0 and only three games away from reaching win 11 although they may find it more challenging if they do not fix their defence. The San Francisco 49ers are also close with a 7-1 record only four games from their magic number. The 49ers are not too concerned though as they reside in the NFC West where they could conceivably win one or two more games and still win the division. In the rest of the West all teams will struggle to find a playoff spot especially the St. Louis Rams who are currently 1-7 and would need to win every game in their schedule to have a chance and it would only give them 9 wins. Along with the Rams the Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins, and Cleveland Browns are all close to being eliminated based on their records and the level of play between the rest of the teams in their division. The one team that is even closer to official elimination is the 0-9 Indianapolis Colts who are the only team without a win in the NFL. The Colts are already guaranteed a losing season and will need a massive collapse by the other three teams in the division to win. The Colts are essentially one loss away from being eliminated from contention and are looking like the front runners for the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes and judging by the fans in Indianapolis this past Sunday they already know who their future QB could be after Manning retires.
Standings
American Football Conference:
AFC East:
1. New England Patriots (.625)
2. New York Jets (.625)
3. Buffalo Bills (.625)
4. Miami Dolphins (.125)
AFC North:
1. Cincinnati Bengals (.750)
2. Baltimore Ravens (.750)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (.667)
4. Cleveland Browns (.375)
AFC South:
1. Houston Texans (.667)
2. Tennessee Titans (.500)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (.250)
4. Indianapolis Colts (.000)
AFC West:
1. San Diego Chargers (.500)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (.500)
3. Oakland Raiders (.500)
4. Denver Broncos (.375)
National Football Conference
NFC East:
1. New York Giants (.750)
2. Dallas Cowboys (.500)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (.375)
4. Washington Redskins (.375)
NFC North:
1. Green Bay Packers (1.00)
2. Detroit Lions (.750)
3. Chicago Bears (.625)
4. Minnesota Vikings (.250)
NFC South:
1. New Orleans Saints (.667)
2. Atlanta Falcons (.625)
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (.500)
4. Carolina Panthers (.250)
NFC West:
1. San Francisco 49ers (.875)
2. Seattle Seahawks (.250)
3. Arizona Cardinals (.250)
4. St. Louis Rams (.125)
POW Awards:
American Football Conference:
Matt Moore, QB (AFC Offensive POW)
73.9 cmp%
244 yds
3 TD
0 INT
147.5 rtg
David Harris, LB (AFC Defensive POW)
5 tkl
0 sck
1 Pdef
1 INT
Eddie Royal, PR (AFC Special Teams POW)
1 PR
85 yds
1 TD
National Football Conference:
Aaron Rodgers, QB (NFC Offensive POW)
80.8 cmp%
247 yds
4 TD
0 INT
145.8 rtg
Mathias Kiwanuka, LB (NFC Defensive POW)
12 tkl
0 sck
1 Pdef
1 INT
Patrick Peterson, PR (NFC Special Teams POW)
4 PR
31 avg
1 TD
Key Scores:
Miami Dolphins 31 – 3 Kansas City Chiefs
– The Dolphins got their first win on the season ensuring that they would not enter the record books along with Detroit for the longest losing streak in the NFL
New York Giants 24 – 20 New England Patriots
– In a rematch of Super Bowl XLII where the Giants upset the undefeated Patriots Eli Manning and the G-Men did it again beating Tom Brady and the Patriots
Baltimore Ravens 23 – 20 Pittsburgh Steelers
– A rematch of the opening week the Ravens and Steelers played another close game but the Ravens took the win and the season series setting them up nicely for the playoffs
Chicago Bears 30 – 24 Philadelphia Eagles
– In a very close matchup the Bears continued their resurgence on the season against the Eagles who had their hopes at a second half comeback dashed
Key Week 10 Matchups:
Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers (Nov. 10th; 8:20 pm)
– The Thursday night schedule begins with a matchup of two California teams that are both looking to make a late season push
New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers (Nov. 13th; 4:15 pm)
– The 49ers have faced some tough competition so far and besides their win against the Lions this will be their toughest test against a team that is beginning to play very well
New England Patriots vs. New York Jets (Nov. 13th; 8:20 pm)
– The rivalry continues between the two polar opposites and it will mean even more in the second half as both teams are looking to make headway in a crowded AFC East
Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings (Nov. 14th; 8:30 pm)
– The Monday Nighter will feature a rematch between the two division rivals where Christian Ponder will try to improve on his great debut against the Packers and end their winning streak
The Sport Addiction 