Wednesday Morning QB (Week 4)
Last week was one of the turning points in the young 2012 season and for the NFL in general as the next move would make a big difference. After a Monday Night game in Week 3 the NFL and their fans saw one of the most controversial calls in the history of the NFL. The Green Bay Packers lost the game to the Seattle Seahawks on a Hail Mary Touchdown pass that seemed more like a game ending interception. The play launched the NFL fans into a frenzy as they began to focus solely on the replacement referees that made the call. It was the first time that fans united to together against the replacement referees and told the NFL that they needed to get a deal done. It was a tipping point as the NFL had to either end the lockout and get a deal done or continue the lockout and possibly lose fans. The day after the Monday Night game the NFL and NFLRA negotiated until the end of the day. It was a step in the right direction as the NFL and Roger Goodell began climbing back into favour with the fans. By Wednesday a deal had been completed and the NFL referees were back for the Thursday night game. It was the right move by the NFL and whether they wanted to admit it or not the Monday night game was the catalyst. As with most big issues it takes one bad moment to change the attitudes of everyone involved. It’s unfortunate for Packers fans that they were the ones to suffer after the blown call that brought the referees back but it had to be someone. In the bigger picture the NFL took a step back from the ledge as they were very close to falling out of favour with their fans. It was a big decision to begin really working towards a deal before week 4. The NFL has been in this situation all year as the preseason was a rough one for the league and for the face of the league Roger Goodell. Concussion lawsuits, The Bounty Scandal, and the referee lockout all began a troubling trend for the NFL. After years of being the example of how to run a league the NFL finally saw some cracks as fans began to turn on them. They lost the New Orleans fans when the handed out suspensions for the New Orleans Bounty scandal. Then fans came out against the NFL when the rumours surfaced that they had kept the effects of concussions away from their players. Then the replacement referees began to anger fans all over the league as the weeks wore on. It was a rare stumble for the NFL as they began to have more problems than ever and their image began to take a hit. The NFL was no longer the untouchable league that could make money during the offseason. With the Monday Night fiasco taking centre stage last week it was time for the NFL to make a decision and begin to climb out of the hole they had dug themselves in the offseason. The NFL waited too long to react as they had all summer to get a deal done and had three weeks for evidence to show that the replacements were hurting the game. It took too long in the bigger picture but the fact that they noticed that the Monday Night game was the point where they needed to do something, again they will not admit this, shows some positives. The fast reaction to this game is also a good sign as they were determined to get a deal for week 4 for fear of another situation, especially in Green Bay. They got the deal done and despite it being three weeks too late it was still the right step. Now teams and fans can move on to complaining about the regular referees and move on to bigger things. The NFL is another step to the right direction but they still have some work to do to recover their reputation as there are plenty of more issues for them to tackle throughout the season. As the NFL season moves on the owners and Roger Goodell are looking to focus on football and nothing else and ending the referee strike should set right the ship.
Four Quarters
(Four Quick Thoughts on Week 4)
Tebow Mania in the Big Apple?
Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets offence was once again terrible as the preseason drought seemed to return and so the stability of his starting role has come under fire once again and with Tebow on the bench the chants could start any week now
The Importance of a Head Coach
The New Orleans Saints lost head coach Sean Payton for the year after the Bounty Scandal but many assumed they would be fine as their offence remained untouched but after an 0-4 start the tunes are changing as Payton is being seen for the leader his is
A Tough Decision for the Colts
The Indianapolis Colts had to find a new head coach this week but for the worst reason as current head coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with Leukemia and Bruce Arians took over the team with a heavy heart as the Colts move on to win for their coach
Matty Ice proves his worth
Matt Ryan has long been under the radar as one of the best QBs in the league and in week 4 he might have finally stepped out of the shadows after he led a last-minute comeback including a 60 yard pass to lead the Falcons to the comeback win against Carolina
NFL Players of the Week
AFC Players of the Week
AFC Offensive POW:
Tom Brady, QB (New England Patriots)
22/36
340 yds
3 TD
0 INT
AFC Defensive POW:
Donald Butler, LB (San Diego Chargers)
6 tkl
0.5 sck
1 INT
0 FF
1 TD
AFC Special Teams POW:
Matt Prater, K (Denver Broncos)
3/3 FG
53 Lng
4/4 XP
13 pts
NFC Players of the Week
NFC Offensive POW:
Aaron Rodgers, QB (Green Bay Packers)
31/41
319 yds
4 TD
1 INT
NFC Defensive POW:
Patrick Willis, LB (San Francisco 49ers)
10 tkl
0 sck
1 INT
0 FF
NFC Special Teams POW:
Greg Zuerlein, K (St. Louis Rams)
4/4 FG
60 lng
1/1 XP
13 pts
NFL Standings
American Football Conference
AFC East:
1. New England Patriots (.500)
2. New York Jets (.500)
3. Buffalo Bills (.500)
4. Miami Dolphins (.250)
AFC North:
1. Baltimore Ravens (.750)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (.750)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (.333)
4. Cleveland Browns (.000)
AFC South:
1. Houston Texans (1.00)
2. Indianapolis Colts (.333)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (.250)
4. Tennessee Titans (.250)
AFC West:
1. San Diego Chargers (.750)
2. Denver Broncos (.500)
3. Oakland Raiders (.250)
4. Kansas City Chiefs (.250)
National Football Conference:
NFC East:
1. Philadelphia Eagles (.750)
2. Dallas Cowboys (.500)
3. Washington Redskin (.500)
4. New York Giants (.500)
NFC North:
1. Minnesota Vikings (.750)
2. Chicago Bears (.750)
3. Green Bay Packers (.500)
4. Detroit Lions (.250)
NFC South:
1. Atlanta Falcons (1.000)
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (.250)
3. Carolina Panthers (.250)
4. New Orleans Saints (.000)
NFC West:
1. Arizona Cardinals (1.000)
2. San Francisco 49ers (.750)
3. St. Louis Rams (.500)
4. Seattle Seahawks (.500)
Key Scores:
San Francisco 49ers 34 – 0 New York Jets
– The Niners were a team looking to steamroll everyone but in week 3 some doubt emerged after their first loss but they came back strong against the Jets as their defence shutout the Jets leading to yet another QB controversy in New York
Atlanta Falcons 30 – 28 Carolina Panthers
– The Falcons were one of the only teams in the NFL to go into Week 4 undefeated and they almost came out of the week with their first loss if not for Matt Ryan and his 60 yard game saving pass that set up the winning field goal
Washington Redskins 24 – 22 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
– The Redskins got out to an early lead and then let the Bucs climb back into the game and take the lead but rookie QB Robert Griffin lead a last-minute drive down the field where Billy Cundiff hit a winning field goal after going 0-for-3 on the day
Green Bay Packers 28 – 27 New Orleans Saints
– The Packers and Saints both needed this win to recover and for the Packers it seemed like they would be hit with a controversial loss again after a fumble was missed but they held out to send the Saints to 0-4 on the season
Next Week:
Arizona Cardinals vs. St. Louis Rams (October 5th; 8:20 pm EDT)
– The two AFC West rivals are at different spots in the division race as the Cardinals sit on the top undefeated while the Rams are fighting to stay out of the bottom but are on the rise and looking to get the biggest upset of the week
Green Bay Packers vs. Indianapolis Colts (October 7th; 1:00 pm EDT)
– The Packers are looking to string some wins together to get back on track but they will be up against a motivated Colts team who will be looking for a win for their coach Chuck Pagano who was diagnosed with Leukemia this week
Atlanta Falcons vs. Washington Redskins (October 7th; 1:00 pm EDT)
– The Atlanta Falcons are looking to stay undefeated after a close call in week 4 as they take on the Redskins who will look to rookie QB Robert Griffin III to lead them to another win and a big upset
Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots (October 7th; 4:25 pm EDT)
– It is a matchup that many people have been waiting for as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady go throw for throw in the biggest test and measuring stick that Manning has seen since returning to the NFL after an injury that kept him out of the 2011 season
The Sport Addiction 
it is still early and the Jets are sitting at .500 so it might be a bit early for the Tebow chants