It’s amazing how time flies. We’re already beginning the 2nd half of our beloved NFL season,  So of course, it’s time to see how your favorite team fared midway through the 2011 season. Only, instead of giving actual grades, I’m breaking them up in categories. Same analysis as ESPN, but better because it’s not so formal. So without further ado…. the midseason report cards.

F*ck It, I’m On One!: Green Bay Packers

The Packers deserve a column of their own. As far as NFL class goes, there’s the Packers and then there’s everyone else. No one is touching them right now and to be honest, I don’t know who will. Aaron Rodgers is playing like he’s possessed right about now. I like Green Bay but the little hater in me says they need to sit their bragging asses down somewhere. No reason why I feel that way, I’m just a little green and tired of seeing them win.

They Are Who We Thought They Were:  Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots

The Steelers started out old and slow, but they’ve finally got the ball rolling. They’ve been on fire the past few weeks, and have picked up from last season, thanks to the emergence of guys like Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders. The Patriots make this list because they’re still a team of concern if they’re on your schedule, but they can’t stop a nose bleed (Bart Scott voice) so unless they figure out to stop good teams, they may be in trouble….

Well I’ll Be John Brown (c/o @DragonflyJonez): Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills

I dedicate this category to my Twitter buddy, who always uses this term at the right time and better than anybody I know. Most of us looked at contenders for 2011 and didn’t think about any of these teams, for a lot of reasons. New players, lockout hangover, inconsistent or not good in years past…. for whatever reason, unless you were a fan of these teams, they simply weren’t on your radar. Well I’ll be John Brown if they aren’t now. The Bengals are 5-2 with a Top 5 defense and have shown success with Andy Dalton and AJ Green. The 49ers changed their coaching staff and brought in Jim Harbaugh and have only lost one game so far, even giving Alex Smith some life. And the Bills, who had every bounce against them in 2010 despite playing hard, are finally getting the ball in their court. The Lions are probably the least bit shocking, since they finished 2010 strong. But it’s the Lions…. you still haven’t forgotten about 0-16 and Matt Stafford gets hurt if you blow on him hard enough. Alas, no bad karma and all teams are doing big things

They’re Good, BUT……..: Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants, San Diego Chargers, Houston Texans, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons 

These teams have a winning record so they’re good based on record but we really have no idea what to expect for the 2nd half of the season. The Ravens have beaten quality opponents in Pittsburgh, Houston and the Jets, but have crapped the pot against teams they should have beaten in Tennessee and Jacksonville…… The Giants are decent, but their schedule the next 6 weeks is beyond brutal and one has to wonder will the injuries they have finally start to catch up….. The Chargers are actually starting out with a winning record for once, but QB Philip Rivers (my boo!) hasn’t looked like the Rivers of old, and fumbled control of the AFC West away last Monday night……. The Texans are good, but losing Mario Williams for the year and Andre Johnson for some time may hurt them in the long run…..The Jets have seemed to regress a little on defense, and Mark Sanchez not getting much help from his run game is an issue…..The Saints WERE in my “They are who we thought they were” column, but they lost to the Rams, The WINLESS ST. LOUIS RAMS, WITHOUT SAM BRADFORD! Yeah, they go down a notch after that one….. The Bucs have youth on their side, but their lopsided loss to San Francisco puts them in this category….. Atlanta always leaves me scratching my head at the end of their games. With all of the offensive weapons they have, I don’t see how they don’t put up 30 points easily, each week. They have some inexperience on defense that holds them to this category.

Ehhhhh……………..: Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans

It’s not that I don’t think these teams are good or can’t be good… it’s just that I couldn’t add them in the “They’re good but” category because they’ve done something not worthy of that category. The Bears’ offensive line blocks like Cutler stole their girl……The Eagles started out slow, and with the “Dream Team” talk prior to the season, expectations were above normal so their 3-4 record is underachieving at best… The Cowboys need a TV time out with the way they’ve played football lately. I thought they’d be better than this at this point. I haven;t totally written them off, tho. They have talent….. The Chiefs started off rough (remember Matt Cassel’s blow up with HC Todd Haley on the sidelines??), but they’ve rebounded well. It’s the AFC West so it’s hard to be impressed just yet…..The Raiders looked like they were gonna have a good season before Jason Campbell went down. Oakland traded their 2012 #1 pick and a conditional pick to Cincy for Carson Palmer, but all Palmer did was stink it up in his debut. He’s not the same QB he was before 2005 and quite frankly, I wonder if Al Davis came back from the dead to make one last WTF personnel decision… Despite Carolina’s record, I’m gonna put them in this column because I seriously believe they try hard each and every week, yet fall short. This team reminds me a lot of Buffalo’s team last season. They hang in there, but can’t get the “W” in the end. I can’t be mad at that. They should be added in my next group but I love their resilience. The Titans are here by default, because they have a good record. But Chris Johnson got paid and told the Titans, “Fcuk your couch”. He’s still holding out but we didn’t know until now. With Kenny Britt going down, that hurt big time for Tennessee. Good thing is, the AFC South could be a 2-man race, and they’re still in it.

“Insert Comment Here”: Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Redskins

Face it- these teams’ style of play are boring and uninspiring more times than not (minus the Vikings the past 2 weeks. But that’s because Ponder now has the keys). Put yourself in my shoes…. What could you possibly say about any of these teams individually that doesn’t sound like the others in this group? Can’t figure it out? Me neither. So feel free to insert your own comment here.

Bad…. Real Bad Michael Jackson: Indianapolis Colts, St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos

I guess this group could be called the “Suck For Luck” lottery, but that’s unoriginal and overused at this point. These 4 teams stink and I’d bet my money on LSU or Alabama if they played any of these teams at this point. Probably the worst team of them all is Indy. Never have I seen a franchise fall so fast from one key player going down. That’s a direct reflection of the GM and ownership and it’s inexcusable. The Rams have some good pieces and aren’t AS bad as Indy (not saying much), but their defense isn’t that good, particularly their secondary (although they did hold NO to one offensive TD in Sunday’s win) and there isn’t a true #1 WR on the team. The Dolphins need a new makeover, period. Not only did you celebrate the FLORIDA GATORS championship in MIAMI HURRICANES-land, you let Tim Tebow beat you in the Final 5 minutes of the same game. Yeah, you suck, Miami…….. Speaking of Tebow, he is getting KILT in the media (yeah, I said it… not killed, but KILT!) on what most of us already knew: Great college player, lots of heart and passion, not going to translate into the NFL. It’s been a while since I’ve seen so much attention lay on one guy like this. Denver officially came into the Top 5 pick race as of Sunday.

The AFC North of course! I blogged last year that Victoria’s Secret were releasing gear for all 32 NFL teams for the 2011 season. The “First Round Picks” of their new line were all teams of the AFC North, which means my Ravens, Steelers, Browns and Bengals. The rest of the teams/divisions were released hour-by-hour via their Facebook page. You will be able to buy these items starting next month.

I’m sooooo excited about this. It’s very hard to find football gear that’s truly sexy, so having more options like the VS Pink line as well as Touch by Alyssa Milano gives us the resources to not only root for our favorite team but look damn good at it! Now all we need is for the lockout to end and football to resume so we can express our fandom fashionably!

This afternoon, former Ravens K Matt Stover will sit at his press conference at The Castle in Owings Mills, MD and tell owner Steve Bisciotti, GM Ozzie Newsome and head coach John Harbaugh that he’s hanging up his cleats after 20 years in the NFL. One of the original Browns that came to Baltimore when the team moved in 1996, Stover played during the Ravens first 13 years before going to the Colts in 2009. And when the show is all over, Stover will walk out of  The Castle a Ravens Legend.

Yeah…. I said it. A LEGEND! I know when you think of the Ravens, you think of guys like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed or even Jonathan Ogden, who retired himself a couple of years ago. But to the fans in Baltimore, Matt Stover goes down as a legend, and it’s without question.

Kickers usually don’t get a lot of fanfare (unless they screw up, then you remember all kinds of things about them), but Stover was special here. He was a class act who carried this team time and time again, most notably during the 2000 Super Bowl season. It’s easy to forget how awful the offense was because the defense was so great, one of the best defensive teams ever. But the 5-game drought without an offensive TD was horrible to watch…. HORRIBLE to witness and gut wrenching to experience. But “Automatic Matt” was there to save the day. While the defense stopped opposing offenses in their tracks, Stover WAS the Ravens offense that year. Without Stover’s leg, the Ravens don’t make it to the Super Bowl.

Stover had tons of important kicks during his tenure in Baltimore, but his final heroics came during his final year with the Ravens, in 2008. During the divisional playoff game against the Titans, Stover nailed a 43-yard attempt with 53 seconds remaining, to put the Ravens up 13-10.

That ended up being the final score that sent the Ravens to the AFC Championship game. Many said that Stover had lost his leg that year, but when the time came, he delivered big time.

Stover was an awesome kicker, a great person and the pivotal reason why the Ravens were 2000 Super Bowl Champs. For that, myself and tons of other Ravens fans thank him.

When he walks out of The Castle today, Matt Stover will walk out a Ravens Legend. And THAT, my friends, is a fact.

This past weekend I had the great opportunity to attend this year’s NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. It was an experience that I will never forget for so many reasons. While I took the time to cover the draft from a media perspective, I also walked around and hung out with the fans a little bit as well. Getting a view from different ends of perspective was extremely interesting- so much so that I put my ADHD-based mind to work. Here are my random thoughts from my experience at this weekend’s draft.

-I’ve never been to the actual draft in years past, so I can’t compare whether or not the fan interest has slacked off due to the lockout. But I will say this. The vibe at this year’s draft was electric. I anticipated folks being aloof because everything this offseason has been nothing but legal crap. But fans were everywhere. They still lined up days before the draft and they were all over the place within blocks of Radio City Music Hall. The TV ratings may have went down from last year, but not the fan participation at the actual event.

-NFL Draft Queen. Ever heard of her? Neither did I, until I actually met her. Her dress pretty much tells her entire story. Every year, she comes to the draft and makes signs for the players in attendance. She’s very well known amongst the NFL circle… so much that she decided to give me a newsletter- yes, a NEWSLETTER- about her. Check out the quick interview I have with her.

-Random thought: I still have yet to figure out why Roger Goodell was the big bad villain during draft weekend. Everytime he came to the stage he was booed profusely. But how much power and/or influence does the commissioner have in the lockout situation? Correct me if I’m wrong, but shouldn’t we be turning our anger towards the Al Davis’s, Jerry Jones’s and Dan Snyder’s of the league? After all, the owners are the ones that locked them out, not commissioner Goodell.

-I don’t know where Von Miller and Nick Fairley bought those glasses from, but they need to take them back ASAP. Steve Urkel was NEVER cool, except when he turned to Stefan Urquelle, and even then he lost the glasses. If they actually do need glasses, it’s time to ditch the bi focals and get some contacts.

-Did Jacob The Jeweler have an NFL Draft day special on watches? Because almost every player had a watch on that made me go

That’s how icy they were. Of course, the question of the night was how did they even get a watch like that when they haven’t signed a contract yet. But I’m gonna leave that alone………………………………………………….

-Day One of the draft is all about the politics. The production, the players in attendance, the Hall-Of-Famers, etc is ALL about making the NFL look a certain way. But Day Two of the draft was my favorite day. Much more laid back and fan friendly without the extra BS. Anytime you have Bud Light VIP section in the mezzanine giving out free beer and encouraging drinking contests, you KNOW that it’s night and day between the two days. It was pretty awesome, I must say.

-I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Ryan Mallett is the best pure QB in this year’s draft class. And yes, that includes Cam Newton, who I believe is the better overall athlete, but not the better QB. While Cam has dealt with tons of adversity and was welcomed with boos, he was still chosen #1 overall. Mallett didn’t get scrutinized as loud as Newton, but his draft status was hurt tremendously because of accusation of drug abuse as well as other issues. I will say this- he landed in the perfect situation in New England. He’s on a team that he can learn and grow on, and possibly be the successor of a future HOF in Tom Brady. I hope Mallett kicks every ass of the QB-starved teams that passed on him, when it’s all said and done.

- I don’t know why Atlanta felt the need to give up so much to get Julio Jones, but I hope that it works out for them, because they sold their souls to get it. Most people will agree that the Falcons gave up way too much for a player that wasn’t even a pressing need on their team. What they should have been doing was bolstering up their defense, which was embarrassed against the Packers in the divisional playoff game. Cleveland had an excellent draft, and they have the Falcons to thank for that.

-The media can ask the world’s dumbest questions sometimes. In the interview room, the best questions of the night came from a little kid with a Jets yamaka on his head.

I’m not sure if that’s cute, or just embarrassing. We, as media, need to do a better job.

-Twitter is a great way to keep up with the latest news in real time, but sometimes it can really kill the suspense and excitement of things. There used to be a time when people sat on the edge of their seats waiting for who would be the next pick of the draft and liking the suspense that came along with it. But if you were on Twitter this year, you knew who was gonna be drafted well before the commish even came out to announce it. It took the element of surprise away. With so many analysts and reporters trying to give the scoop first, they reported everything before we could even have a chance to digest the last pick. It was so annoying that I eventually logged off just to get back into it. I love Twitter and all of the good that comes with it, but that was one time I wished I wasn’t on it.

-If you are a huge NFL fan, I think you should go to the Draft at least once in your life. Sports is the one thing that people of every background can relate to and congregate together for. It’s definitely something that unifies everyone with that same common interest. With the players red carpet outside, to seeing your favorite analysts sitting on their platforms at work,  is something that you can enjoy, especially if you are a college football fan. To be able to talk amongst other fans of other teams about what their squad can do to get ready for a playoff/super bowl run or even a chance at getting to .500 is one that you can enjoy.  If you’re a casual fan you may as well turn around because this isn’t for you.This event is only for the diehards and stans, and it’s something you’ll appreciate the most.

If you’d like to see the visuals from my Draft Weekend experience, please go to my Facebook Fan Page to check them out!

There was a time when Kansas City Chiefs kick returner Dante Hall was one of the most exciting players in the NFL. A guy known for his playmaking ability on special teams, Hall was the, “X-Factor” for the Chiefs every time he touched the field. Some say that Hall paved the way for guys like  Joshua Cribbs and Devin Hester. Guys who weren’t known for doing a great deal on offense until they excelled with their special teams duty. Careers like Hall, Hester and Cribbs are all in jeopardy, thanks to the NFL Competition Committee’s new proposal.

Although the NFL is currently going through the lockout, business is being handled as usual. Last week, the competition committee submitted a proposal that will change the advantage in kickoffs, moving the kickoff up to the 35-yard line and allowing touchbacks to start at the 25-yard line. The reason they are asking for the changes are to limit the injuries during kickoffs. While I understand the idea of trying to protect the players on the field, I think this is an awful change for many reasons.

It’s no secret the NFL is an offense-driven league. Rules have been implemented and enforced over the years to give offenses the advantage on the field. But giving them 5 more yards closer to the end zone shouldn’t be one more gift. Last year, the NFL enforced helmet hits from defenders and fined them at all-time high amounts. This is yet another swipe against teams who rely heavily on their defenses, such as the Steelers, Ravens, Packers and Giants. Now, giving them 5 more yards they already don’t need could cause a firestorm amongst defenders. With a current lockout going on, adding insult to injury is something the NFL should think about at this point. AT some point you have to wonder what’s the point of having a defense on the field at all. The Peyton Manning’s, Tom Brady’s and Drew Brees’ of the league don’t need 5 spotted yards. So why should other QBs not work hard to get it?

Another reason is the value of having a good place kicker, which no longer becomes a viable need. As a Ravens fan, I am totally against this, mainly because the value that Billy Cundiff adds to my team. In 2010, he tied the league record for touchbacks, but the new changes means there is nothing special about his 2010 fete, because it allows average and subpar kickers to have that same success. Giving kickoffs 5 extra yards means Billy Cundiff is no different the others, which means having a durable kicker is being diluted to simply a guy that can put points on the board.

And lastly, the players that I mentioned in the beginning of my post. Without their special teams play, guys like Cribbs, Hall and Hester may not have been able to get other opportunities on the field, which they have been able to do. All three have been Pro Bowlers due to their great special teams play, but if most kickers have the option of kicking touchbacks to those said guys, you that’s exactly what they will do to keep the ball out of their possession.

People tend tend to look past special teams and the importance of a good one. Plays on special teams are just as important, if not more, than what players on the offense and defense can do. Special teams generate field position, something both the offense and defense rely heavily on once they hit the field. To eliminate players from giving their team that added advantage because touchbacks would be 5 yards easier takes away from great plays, something that the game needs.

I realize the NFL is always looking to make the game better and safer. But there are some things that shouldn’t be touched. The old adage of, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” comes to mind. This is one of them. Taking away a special teamer’s ability to give his team an advantage means the Dante Halls of the world no longer make the cover of magazines. Hopefully the committee shoots this one down. Devin Hester, Joshua Cribbs and others who have used special teams to make a mark surely would agree.

I empathize with the people of Cleveland. The Indians haven’t done a whole lot since Manny Ramirez was on the roster, Bron Bron left the city for South Beach last year and the Browns haven’t been anything to write home about since their reinstatement over 10 years ago. It’s a sad sports city. But now, folks and fans are starting to take things a bit too far.

From allegations that Browns fans assaulted an 8-year-old Jets fan, to this. Browns CB Eric Wright claims that he received death threats…. YES,  DEATH THREATS… from Browns fans last season.

“I went from people expecting me to be a top cornerback in the league to receiving death threats,” Wright said. “It was a lot to deal with.”

Instad of calling the police, however, Wright said he didn’t put much stock into it, and looked at them as empty threats.

“I wasn’t fearing for my life. As serious as a death threat may be, I wasn’t going to let a few bad apples ruin the whole tree.”

With the Cavaliers being as bad as they are this season, I’m sure tensions are sky high and anti-depressants are flying off the shelves. But threatening someone’s life is NOT what’s hot in the streets.

There’s a thin line between passion and violence. I understand that fans just want a winner… SOME kind of winner in their city. But surely death threats aren’t the answer. Maybe it’s not Wright’s fault that folks had high hopes for him. If you want to blame anyone, blame Anquan Boldin, Santonio Holmes,Terrell Owens and the other WRs who just so happened to be better athletes than Wright. The Browns also had high hopes in Tim Couch, Derek Anderson, Kellen Winslow and Kamerion Wimbley, too. Look how that panned out.

Stay classy, Clev…. oh, nevermind!

Browns CB Joe Haden has been a favorite player of mine. Yes I know I’m a Ravens fan, but let me finish. He played his college career at the University of Florida. Most of my readers know I’m a Gators fan (which, by-the-way, we’ll be BACK next year to take over the SEC East). So when I went to the Fab Empire’s website and saw this picture, I was at a loss for words…..

Haden was spotted at Josephine’s Lounge in DC with this God awful creation around his neck. Okay, first off, why?! I mean, I love that he’s repping his Gators. But this chain is about as ugly as it gets. And I can’t imagine how much it weighs. I wonder if it’s heavier than Slick Rick’s plethora of chains.

It looks like he took a page out of the JaMarcus Russell Fugly Chain manual as well as contacted his jeweler.

Guess you aren’t officially in the NFL until you buy a fugly chain, huh?!I hope he put some of that $50 million dollar contract away before freezing his body off with that ice. C’mon Haden, WWTTD?? (What Would Tim Tebow Do)

Too many times have we heard about Cleveland’s fan base in the news. From stealing seats at the old Browns Stadium to starting LeBron James jersey bonfires, the city of Cleveland have had their share of the sports spotlight- and not in a good way. Once again, they’re in the news. This time, though, someone has taken it too far.

An 8 year-old boy wearing a Jets jersey was allegedly attacked by Browns fans, shortly after the Jets beat the Browns in OT, 26-20. The family lives in the Cleveland, but the father of the boy is originally from NY. He and his son are Jets fans.

According to the boy’s mother, this is what happened:

“As [the husband] was walking, holding my son’s hand, a guy from behind tackled him. A drunken Browns fan tackled him and pulled him out of his dad’s hand. He was on the ground crying.

“Calling him a bad word, to my husband and to my son, throwing food at them…..

“He just wanted to get him out of there, out of that environment.”

Browns vice president of media relations Neal Gulkis called the incident unfortunate and disappointing, and said team officials are looking into the situation.

Listen… I know that the city of Cleveland has seen their share of sports heartbreaks over and over again. The Drive, The city losing the team for 3 years, the World Series loss to the Marlins and most recently, losing LeBron to Miami. But putting your hands on an 8-year-old fan of the road team is beyond low.

I don’t know what’s more disturbing. The fact that folks put their hands on a child, or that the father did nothing about the situation. Neither parent called the police and opted to leave instead of doing something about it. Ummm, hello… He is EIGHT years old! Either I’m calling the police or I’m going to jail, no one touches my child without some form of action.

At the end of the day, remember that sports are a form of entertainment. People have the right to cheer for whoever they want, whether we like it or not. To be upset about such a shocking lose is one thing, but to lay your hands on a child in frustration is a whole new ball game.

I would tell the city of Cleveland to stay classy but…………………………………………..

Without a doubt, Week 10 of the NFL was probably one of the best weeks in football in a while. Hail Mary passes, record breaking games and unexpected wins flooded our headlines this past weekend.

As you know, I usually give my Ravens first dibs on my blog space. I love my guys in purple and black and they deserve my fandom, but that game was damn near 7 days ago. Good game, but they lost. And as of right now, someone else has earned the floor. His name??? Michael Vick.

Last night, Michael Vick played like he was out of his freaking mind last night, becoming the first player in NFL history with at least 300 yards passing, 50 yards rushing, four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a game. In a day that Donovan McNabb should have had reason to have a great game (He just signed a $78 million contract extension), it was Vick who stole the show. It was a great sight to see, from the first play of scrimmage until the very end. Andy Reid should be thanking the football gods for saving his fat behind, because now he looks like a genius. Even though McNabb was traded in favor of Kolb, Vick has taken full control of this Eagles team and looks like a different QB than the one that played for the Falcons. And to add to the great night, Vick has this to say on Twitter this morning:

So, so true. Oh sweet redemption! Good for you, Vick!

OT: With McNabb’s astronomical contract extension, one has to wonder how much Vick is actually worth?? As of right now, he’s the better QB than McNabb and he will be a free agent this offseason. Philly has a lot to ponder in what to do, since they extended Kolb’s contract. But if they don’t want to pay him, there are tons of other teams that could use Vick’s services right now. And I don’t even want to think about how much Peyton Manning will receive, all thanks to McNabb’s new contract. But Vick and Manning deserve it. The jury is still out on McNabb on whether or not he was worthy of the contract.

I’m loving the way the Browns are playing right now. Granted, they lost to the Jets at the end of OT on Sunday, but they lost to a very good Jets team and held their own thru 5 quarters. No longer a pushover team, the Browns have a lot to build from, for the future.

Dear Buffalo: It’s about damn time! I bet you made a Soul Train line all the way through the tunnel after that game, too!

You should have. You earned that win weeks ago. Congrats to you.

The Bengals are sad…………………………………………….. That’s all I got!

Was anyone else in awe- and shock- like I was when Tom Brady picked the great Steelers defense apart, piece by piece, on Sunday night? I picked the Pats to win the game, but never did I think they would win like that. Brady had 30 completions, 350 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 0 sacks and a passer rating of 117.9. It’s no secret that Brady knows how to win in Heinz Field, winning 4 out of 5 at Heinz Field, but to embarrass a very good team, in similar fashion that Cleveland did to them just the week before, was poetic. This is why you love the NFL. Good teams know how to redeem themselves against a quality opponent.

Can someone explain to me how the Titans allowed the Dolphins to beat them with NO QB’s?? NONE? Did I miss something? Out goes Henne and Pennington, in comes the wildcat. Seven plays, 49 yards and that’s before the 3rd string QB came in.The Titans were hurting on the QB side as well, as Kerry Collins left the game with a calf injury. But Tennessee has Chris Johnson, Randy Moss and Kenny Britt. How they allowed themselves to lose to a team that went through a series of wildcats is a mystery to me.

XP: Chad Pennington, PLEASE retire! Now is the time, please and thanks.

Signed, The NFL and their fans…..

The Cowboys saw… the Cowboys came… and the Cowboys conquered.. in the Meadowlands. Congrats to Dallas and their win over the NY Giants after their controversial firing of Wade Phillips. They played with a purpose and looked good on all sides of the ball, the first complete game I’ve seen of Dallas all season. I just have one question though…. am I the only one that wonders if Jason Garrett set Wade Phillips up??? Just me?? Okay…………………………..

How petty is Todd Haley for not shaking Josh McDaniels hand? Very petty, but I have to say, I love it. The Broncos-Chiefs rivalry was on life support until the Broncos shellacked the Chiefs, 49-29.

“The Snub” handshake situation makes this even more interesting, and now the AFC West rivalries have some life again. Haley wouldn’t say what was said during their postgame chat, and he later apologized for not shaking his hand (he says his emotions got in his way), but Haley knows damn gooden well he’s not sorry. Don’t be petty AND fake. Be real in your underwear and leave it at that.

By-the-way, welcome back  Chiefs and Texans:

Most would say being 5-2 going into a bye week is a good thing. Maybe that’s true. But as a Ravens fan, I’m very unsettled right now. A defensive team gave up over 500 yards of offense to a winless Bills team. They also blew a 10 point lead that led them to overtime, the 2nd time in a week they have done such. And at crucial times when the offense can put nails in the coffin, they can’t seem to finish them. I truly thought that the Ravens were Super Bowl contenders. But now I have to ask and re-evaluate that thought. Ed Reed came back for the 1st time this season. But with his return came a lot of miscommunication in the secondary, and it was alarming. I’m gonna write some more about my team over at Gridiron Gals. But I’ll take the win. Thank God for bye weeks.

I gotta give credit to the Bills for coming out and playing hard. They looked crisp and very well prepared. The calls on offense were excellent. This team gets paid to win games just like everybody else. Kudos to them for raining on the Ravens parade and making them EARN a win.

P.S.- Pigskin Loving lady and I were in the building, showing love for both of our teams.

We continued the GGals Tour at M&T Bank Stadium. Because… well…… we’re awesome!

I don’t know what everyone else thinks… But methinks Miami was robbed of a fumble yesterday. But methinks also that, that’s not why they lost. They just can’t win at home. Better luck next time, Dolphins fans.

WTF is up with the Saints?? And since when did San Diego Drew start showing up in New Orleans?! With the Falcons playing good ball, the path to repeating doesn’t look good for the Saints right now…..

P.S.- Congrats to Colt McCoy on his first NFL win yesterday. The Browns have been in the thick of most of their games, win or lose. They are a great reminder that the, “Any Given Sunday” motto is very real in the NFL. Never take a team for granted, regardless of their record.

Speaking of San Diego…. Jesus be a Marty Schottenheimer clone! Philip Rivers needs him right now. I’m so sick of seeing the look of pain in my boo’s face.

It’s disheartening and sad. The Chargers are a bad team. Even with Vincent Jackson due to return soon, I just don’t think that’s enough. The Chargers are like the Bad News Bears. They just can’t get it right.

Memo to Rivers:  I’m offering you my service of sympathy and hugs if you need them. You know… in case you’re grieving right now.

Chad Ocho Cinco did the talking… but Roddy White did the walking with 11 receptions, 201 receiving yards and 2 TDs, not to mention a 2-pt conversion catch. Memo to Chad: I told you trash talking wasn’t your problem. At this point, the Bengals need a wing and a football prayer, at a dismal 2-4. Now go runtelldat… HOMEBOY!

Did anybody look at the score of the Raiders-Broncos game and go,

Well, I did! I thought I was watching a college football game. At one point, they were up 38-7 in the 2nd quarter!!! Oakland wasted no time to pounce on Denver and they never looked back. 59-14 means you got your azz whupped! And at home, nonetheless. Even worse, to a team you hate in the Oakland Raiders. Embarrassing….

P.S.- Hello Darren McFadden! Glad to see a flash of your Razorback days finally make it’s way to the NFL.

If I were a betting woman, I’d probably go to BetUS.com and put my money on Jack Del Rio AND Mike Singletary getting the boot at their head coaching positions within the next 2 weeks. Lovie Smith isn’t that far behind them, though…… Pathetic is an understatement.

I told y’all DeAngelo Hall would have a career day on Friday, and I was right. Not that that was hard to predict, being as though Jay Cutler was the QB behind center. But hey, I like being right. GET WIT’ ME!

Can someone tell Favre to sit his old, crippled and simping ass down, please and thanks!!!

NFC West <<<<<<<< all of the other divisions. What a snooze fest!

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