The Final Drive: 2012 Divisional Round posted by Joe Anello

I have to say, I was skeptical that these four games could live up to the hype, especially after last weekend. But I’m happy to say I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. I even gave myself a cushy lead for later poor postseason predictions. But I’ll tell you about that later. Right now it’s time for The Final Drive of the Divisional Round!

I’m not sure I can put into words how freaking EPIC this game was. It was such a fantastic start to the weekend’s action. The Saints came out embarrassingly flat, with three turnovers early, including a horrendous pick over the middle from Drew Brees, who never saw the safety coming. The Niners turned those possessions into points, notching 17 with not even a minute gone by into the second quarter. Brees fought back as you knew he would, finding his big targets Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston on consecutive drives to pull within three at the break. It was hard to say the Niners had the momentum though. I mean, when the other team turns it over four times in a half and you’re only up a field goal? That’s a problem. San Fran’s special teams even got another turnover from Darren Sproles early in the third, but they could only manage to put up a field goal. Eventually that was going to come back to bite them. San Francisco wasn’t even trying to run the ball for the first three quarters, an offensive plan that befuddled me, to say the least. Alex Smith was getting all sorts of pressure from the Saints, who were simply sending more rushers than the Niners had blockers. (Just math, really.)

Giants Win in Lambeau posted by Richard Kagan

NY Giants beat Green Bay on the road, 37-20 in a playoff upset on Sunday.   The Packers looked shaky, out of sync, and confused.  Aaron Rodgers didn't play like he usually does.   I couldn't believe the amount of dropped balls the Packers had.  Wide open passes at times, just dropped.  They never got into their fast paced mode and their defense was "matator D".  The Pack looked ordinary tonight, and the Giants played with precision, heart, and intensity.  The Giants won the game.  This game was the upset of the playoffs so far.

This may not be talked about much, but apparently, the mourning of the death of one of the coach's young son, may have taken a toll. Commentators noted the players were somber before the game, and it appeared that Green Bay came out with energy.  But when the Giants didn't roll over like other opponents, Green Bay got a bit flustered.  Eli Manning looked and played like a top NFL QB, and Rodgers had perhaps his worst game of the season.  Manning had 330 yards and 3 TD's for the game.  The Hail Mary pass caught by Nicks in toward end of first half put Giants up 20-10, and that set the tone, that this would be an uphill battle.  Hats off to the Giants.

Giants Play Like Giants in 1st Half posted by Richard Kagan

I'll tell ya, after seeing Eli Manning throw a prayer to the end zone, and Hakeem Nicks grabbing the ball deep for a TD, the Pack has no defense.  Where is the rush, where are the bruising hits?  Manning has all the time in the world.  He can sort his laundry back there.  No wonder he has over 245 yards passing in the first half.  And, that's a guesstimate.  it could be more.  The Giants lead at the half, 20-10, and a game that Packer fans thought was theirs is suddenly up in the air.

Of course, Aaron Rodgers can throw too.  It may be come down to dueling Qb's.  Like the other NFC game.  In this age, of instant offense, anything can happen.  If New York has a semblance of a pass rush, the Packers could be in for a tough 2nd half.  As it stands, they have no defense, in fact, it appears that is worse than New Orleans' which is saying something.  Manning is carving up the secondary like Swiss Cheese.  We could have an upset brewing.

The Opening Drive: 2012 Divisional Sunday posted by Joe Anello

Saturday’s NFL action started with a barn-burner and ended with a merciless slaughter. Sunday’s slate is going to have a hard time following it up, but that won’t stop me from writing another edition of The Opening Drive!

After putting down the Bengals last week, the Texans stay in the AFC North but get a serious upgrade in competition. T.J. Yates hasn’t exactly been lighting up the scoreboard but he’s gotten by due to a fantastic Houston rushing attack behind a great offensive line that clears holes for Arian Foster. To beat Baltimore though, Yates will need more of those deep throws to Andre Johnson to pull the defense away from the line of scrimmage. The Ravens secondary has grown during the year, but they’re still not totally battle-tested. Baltimore will surely be gearing up to stop the run before all else. That rookie QB is going to have to stand up to a pass rush that includes Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs. Have fun putting up anything more than 13-17 points on that T.J.

As much as Houston’s offense could struggle, so too could the Ravens. Joe Flacco could have a mediocre game or an utterly abysmal one. I can never tell. Against the Texans, he’ll face a defense that can get after the passer and produce takeaways through the air. Jonathan Joseph could lock in on Anquan Boldin, but I’d venture than Boldin is too inside too often to get Joseph on coverage. Joseph may stay on the outside against Torrey Smith or Lee Evans. As always, Baltimore must rely on Ray Rice and the running game in order to control time of possession and keep that aging defense off the field. If Rice can get over 150 total yards, I like the Ravens’ chances.

Joe's 2011 Gameday Recap: Packers 35, Bears 21 posted by Joe Anello

It was closer than it should have been for longer than it should have been, but it ended just as it should have as the Bears lost in Green Bay and ended their hopes for a playoff berth in fitting fashion. Josh McCown mounted a valiant effort, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Aaron Rodgers’ five touchdowns.

(14-1) Green Bay Packers 35
(7-8) Chicago Bears 21

On the very first drive of the game, Aaron Rodgers made sure his team grabbed a number one seed and never looked back, leading the Packers on a 9-play, 80 yard touchdown drive that ended with a 2 yard slant to Jermichael Finley in to make it 7-0. That drive featured ONE running play and some insanely accurate passing. The Bears couldn’t even hope to keep up, thought their defense held Rodgers in check for most of the first half… until he found James Jones on another slant to put Green Bay up 14-3 at halftime. Despite out-gaining and controlling the time of possession in the first half, Chicago had nearly nothing to show for it.

How did we even get 21 points again? After being used to utter ineptitude for the past four weeks, I have to say seeing anything in the twenties was shocking to me. I credit Mike Martz for calling a simple gameplan that allowed McCown to find his rhythm slowly and without seven-step drops. In a game without much to praise, Kahlil Bell shined thanks to an offensive line that blocked extraordinarily well. I won’t say Bell was outstanding though, as he did fumble twice. Lucky for him the second of those fumbles came at the goal line, where Edwin Williams was alert enough to snag it for Chicago’s first touchdown. A garbage pass to Kellen Davis late accounted for our only other TD. Luckily Robbie Gould made it a slightly more respectable score by hitting three of his four field goals.

Joe's 2011 Gameday Preview: Bears at Packers posted by Joe Anello

Merry Christmas! Did you get everything you wanted this morning? Was Santa kind to you? Well you better hold onto that feeling, because it’s about to get ripped away from you on Sunday Night Football as the “somehow still in the playoff hunt” Chicago Bears head to Green Bay to take on the rival Packers. Yikes. Break out the eggnog as you read this preview… it’ll ease your mood going into the game.

When last these teams met, the Bears had their “full” complement of weaponry. Now they’re without quarterback Jay Cutler, running back Matt Forte and receiver Johnny Knox, not to mention a slew of offensive linemen that are on injured reserve. Instead of the dreadful Caleb Hanie, the recently-signed Josh McCown will get the start tonight in the hopes of sparking some sort (or ANY sort) of offensive output. McCown, who hasn’t started a game since 2007, shouldn’t have much expectations placed on him. I’ve barely seen him throw the ball in those four years since he got action in Detroit, but he won’t get much help tonight. Even beyond Forte and Knox, Marion Barber won’t see the field at all as he re-aggravated his calf injury from earlier in the season. That leaves Kahlil Bell as the starting tailback. I have NO idea where the Bears’ offense is going to come from, and neither do you. That’s not even mentioning Green Bay’s blitzing scheme that’s going to expose Mike Tice’s sub-par offensive tackles. Clay Matthews is going to see McCown in the backfield often. Oh, and if McCown’s injured or REALLY stinks? Caleb Hanie is the back-up. That’s right. Nathan Enderle can’t even make it on the active roster over a guy that will not return next year. High hopes for that “project.” (That was dripping with sarcasm, by the way.)

Give Us a Game posted by Richard Kagan

I'd like to see the Chicago Bears give the Green Bay Packers a game tonight.  I don't know if that is going to happen.

There are too many vulnerable spots for Chicago.  One Josh McCown, is making his first start as a Bear at QB.  Two, Kahlil Bell is making a start and he is practically a rookie.  I think what may keep Chicago in the game is that these two teams are arch-rivals.  The Bears will be fired up.  I hope they will surprise some people tonight.  I think Chicago will play The Pack tough to start, but Green Bay's talent will eventually wear the Bears out. It could be 31-10. 

So far, in the 3rd quarter, the Bears are giving the Pack a real run for their money.  Aaron Rodgers unloaded a beautiful pass for a TD to Jordy Nelson and GB took a 21-10 lead.  But Chicago has kept the ball, run effectively, and McCown has shown he definitely has a better arm than backup Hanie.  McCown hit Earl Bennett on a catch and run to get the Bears to the 1 yard line.  Geez, the Bears actually moved the ball.  Then lineman Edwin Williams saved Bell's bacon when he recovered his fumble at the goal-line and took it in for 6 points.  At least they are making Green Bay sweat.

The Final Drive: Week 15, 2011 posted by Joe Anello

I’m not sure what else you could have wanted from week 15 in the NFL. Two impressive streaks ended, the “Trap of the Week” proved to be true once again and one win never mattered as much as it did for Indianapolis. (And Candlestick Park was sans light… for a few second before auxiliary lighting come on. Not as much drama.) Many a-loser won on this day. Oddsmakers be damned! Get ready for The Final Drive!

Oh Tennessee. How could you? You somehow managed to give their first lowly Colts a victory whilst in the midst of your own playoff hunt. For shame. While it’s nice to get a win (I’m sure), Jim Caldwell should still get effing fired.

Another streak brought to a necessary conclusion! Honestly, as much as we generally thought the Packers COULD do it, it’s probably better that they didn’t. Injuries to their offensive line killed them yesterday against the Chief pass rush, just one facet of a defense that made it difficult on Aaron Rodgers. Well done Romeo Crennel. Oh yeah, and the Chiefs can somehow still get into the playoffs.

BOOM! You got TRAPPED Eli! This was such an obvious upset to pick, even in a day that ended up with a metric ton of stunning results. How the Giants could come out and lay an egg like this when they had a chance to put some distance in front of the Cowboys is appalling. (And hilarious.)

The Opening Drive: Week 14, 2011 posted by Joe Anello

After the Big Ben-flavored drama on Thursday night, week 14 in the NFL season keeps on trucking in Sunday’s slate of games. While some will take a first glance at most of the games and shrug them off as meaningless, there are some hidden contests that could be much better than fans may expect. Plenty of options for “Trap of the Week.”

Houston’s been running along surprisingly smoothly since the loss of Matt’s Schaub and Leinart. However, T.J. Yates won’t have the home crown behind him as he takes on a desperate Bengal squad this week. I’m not sure the Texans will have enough success on the ground to make up for Andre Johnson’s absence.

Boom. Trap it up. New Orleans is on the road after a pretty convincing whupping of the Lions last week. Tennessee is very quietly eking their way into the AFC playoffs with all-around solid team play. New Orleans may be trying to keep pace with the Niners, but they don’t NEED this game like the Titans do. Drew Brees could have one of his famous “Throw for 345 yards, 3 TD’s and 3 INT’s” days, giving the Saints points, but not a win.

Joe's 2011 Thanksgiving Day Preview posted by Joe Anello

It happens every year. Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, football and food comas. Unfortunately, you’ll want to pay attention to all three games today as they all feature teams with something to prove. It’s time for a breakdown of the holiday’s action!

(10-0) Green Bay Packers at
(7-3) Detroit Lions

Hey, remember when this looked like it could be a match-up between two undefeated teams? …That would have been AWESOME. Despite Detroit’s faltering along the way, this is still shaping up to be a tremendous game, with lots and LOTS of scoring. Green Bay has no need to run the ball and Detroit doesn’t have the ability to run, so expect 40 passes on the day for each quarterback. It’ll be a shoot-out to start the day.

(3-7) Miami Dolphins at
(6-4) Dallas Cowboys

Turkey Day Trap! Miami’s won three in a row and get to play on the road… where they’re actually better off. Dallas is coming off a dramatic but emotionally taxing win over the Redskins in overtime, so they might be taking these formerly 0-7 ‘Phins lightly. It won’t light up the scoreboard as much as our early game, but it could go right down to the wire.

Potential Teams for Running Back Ryan Grant: A Fan's Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

The hype of NFL free agency and NFL draft may have died down but there are still a few quality players available. Ryan Grant, who split carries with James Starks last season for the Green Bay Packers, happens to be one of those few quality players. There are also a few teams who may be smart enough to add him to their backfield as well. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Potential Teams for Running Back Ryan Grant: A Fan'sTake (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

The hype of NFL free agency and NFL draft may have died down but there are still a few quality players available. Ryan Grant, who split carries with James Starks last season for the Green Bay Packers, happens to be one of those few quality players. There are also a few teams who may be smart enough to add him to their backfield as well. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Vegas sportsbooks release NFL spreads for every game through Week 16 (Shutdown Corner)

If you're the type of person who's already interested in the line for the Week 8 game between the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers -- and, let's face it; you're on Shutdown Corner on a Wednesday afternoon four months from the start of the season, so we know the answer -- then you may want to clear the next 20 minutes. Cantor Gaming, a company that runs a number of Las Vegas sportsbooks, has released lines for every NFL game through Week 16 of the 2012 NFL season. Want to bet on the Lions-49ers rematch? Hoping to get on the RGIII bandwagon early? Eager to throw some money on your favorite team to win after their bye week? Desperate to find another way to lose your paycheck in Vegas? You're in luck, my degenerate friends. What do the odds show? Vegas loves the Philadelphia Eagles, has no idea what to do with Peyton Manning's Denver Broncos, wavers on the decimated New Orleans Saints and is fairly certain how Mike Mularkey's first season in Jacksonville is going to go. The season spreads contain few surprises -- the Indianapolis Colts are expected to be bad, the Green Bay Packers are expected to be good -- but are a good way to kill some time during the NFL's May doldrums. A week-by-week selection of the most interesting lines (via Covers.com ): Week 2 Detroit Lions (+3.5) at San Francisco 49ers Week 3 New York Giants (PK) at Carolina Panthers Week 4 New York Giants (+4) at Philadelphia Eagles Week 5 Green Bay Packers (+9.5) at Indianapolis Colts [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Hargrove's declaration says he followed orders (Yahoo! Sports)

[read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Carolina hold off Green Bay rally

Brett Favre shines but cannot prevent the Green Bay Packers suffering their worst NFL start in 17 years. [read full article]

From BBC Sport