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.

Hey ladies and gents. I hope you’ve all enjoyed your holiday weekend as much as I did. I took the time to go tweetless this weekend (Shameless plug: Follow me on Twitter @theNFLchick). But in doing so, my brain was working non-stop with random thoughts about everything, from football to music to movies. While I could have tweeted my thoughts, I decided to collect them altogether and create a blog post, similar to Peter King’s 10 Things I Think I Think from his MMQB column. Hopefully it’s not TOO all over the place and you can enjoy (and understand) my thoughts.

Happy Birthday Al Davis!

How ironic is it that the Oakland Raiders owner shares the same birthday as America’s Declaration of Independence. While Al’s birth certificate says he turned 82, he looks as old as the 235 year-old document of our freedom from the British Empire. Al’s still here with us, and still running things in Oakland. Happy 235- excuse me-82nd birthday, Mr. Davis. Something tells me Skeletor will see a few more birthdays form now.

I’m On To You, SWV!

As I get older, I translate a lot of music that I listened to growing up, in a way that my immaturity didn’t allow me to before. This weekend, I learned that one of my favorite 90′s groups SWV (or Sisters With Voices) were great singers, but their biggest hits were always about chasing someone else’s man or was on some freaky ish to try and grab/keep one. Think about it…. “So Into You” and “You’re The One” were about men that were unavailable but they wanted to get with them anyway. “Downtown” was about freaky things you had to do to get some of their, “love”, while “Anything” explained that they would do just about anything to keep that [unavailable] man around. I had no idea how naive I was back then, but I’ve seen the light in 2011. I’m piecing the puzzle together. I’m on to you Coco, Taj and Le Le… I’m on to you……….

Transformers Was Great, But…………….

I love summer blockbusters. It’s part of the 19732836826 reasons why summer is one of the best seasons of all. Vacations, sundresses, cookouts and blockbuster movies all play a role into how awesome the summer season is. So when I went to see the 3rd installment of Transformers movie this holiday weekend, I wasn’t let down. It was excellent and definitely worth the $14.50 that was spent ( since when did movie tickets get so high before 6pm? 3-D my a$$!!). There’s just one problem: I’m an analytical maniac when it comes to movies and songs (see above for SWV analysis).

I usually pick out how parts of a movie make ZERO sense if it were a real life scenario. Now I know Transformers is from the old school cartoon (which, I’m proud to say I was an avid fan of the original back in the day. And don’t you dare judge my age), so of course logic goes out the door and this fictional tale is all about action. Aside from the fact that Shia LeBeouf should have died, I dunno…. 2 movies ago, I notice other things that just don’t quiet make sense.

For instance, Rosie Huntington- Whiteley (who portrays Carly, the girlfriend of LeBeouf in the movie) is beautiful without any question. But can someone tell me why was she beautiful the WHOLE DAMN MOVIE? Transformers was extremely messy.. lots of fire and destruction took place, yet Carly’s hair looked as good in the end as it did in the first scene she appeared in, early in the movie. While LeBeouf gets pretty dirty as the movie goes on, she’s still near perfect in the same duration. Her clothes looked clean, her hair was still in tact and oh… she was running full speed in Christian Louboutins for a good part of the movie. Now, I know what those shoes feel like. Man-made shoes are HARD on women’s feet. So you mean to tell me, she felt no need to kick her shoes off at any time once she knew she had to run for her everlasting life? Other than some dust on her cheek, she was almost flawless the entire movie. I know what you’re thinking.. it’s just a movie and you’re doing WAY too much right now… but this is how my brain operates. Pray for me, especially 10+ years down the road……..

The Awesomeness Of The 4th of July

Every year for the 4th, I go to my friend’s house for their annual cookout. At the end of the night, her family gets together and light up the fireworks for their own personal show. It’s become a tradition of sorts. So much, that the neighboring street now does fireworks of their own and the 2 streets have a “Fireworks battle”, going back and forth with who has the best fireworks display.

It’s pretty awesome (and illegal, since MD doesn’t sell most of the fireworks they had, but that’s not here nor there..), and it makes me appreciate my city a little bit more. If I had one day a year to love living in the city, this is the day. You don’t have to go downtown to see the big show, folks all around the area do their own shows. And in the process of doing that, friends come together, neighbors come together and communities come together. I know I sound preachy and you may not even buy what I’m saying but it’s true. Neighbors who barely speak to each other come out and talk about the fireworks beef and judge on who had the better display (which, by-the-way, my friend’s street lost BAD! The other street must’ve gotten their fireworks straight from the factory because I thought I was at Disney World). It’s a great chance to open lines of communication and getting to know the people you live by. And since going out on the 4th is becoming more and more dangerous, I look forward to kicking it around the neighborhood with my friends each and every year.

Reed vs Polamalu Debate

The NFL Network finally showed their final 10 players for their Top 100 NFL Players of 2011. Ed Reed went ahead of Troy Polamalu by 1 slot, going 5th overall. The ranking opened up a new Reed vs Polamalu debate that we’ve seen over the years. But this is where the debate should stop.

I’ve stated publicly that I’m not a big fan of the list. I believe that some players were ranked too high or too low or shouldn’t have been ranked at all. But one thing I think we need to realize is this: This list was ranked by their colleagues, other NFL players. Fans, analysts and coaches may think they have an idea, but none of us line up against these guys on Sundays. These guys see the players on the field, whether it be through tape or live action. Who better to rank our favorite NFL players than their peers?

I’ve said over and over, the Reed vs Polamalu debate is beyond stupid, mainly because they don’t play the same position and they both do different things for their respected squads. But let me say this: Just because one is more versatile or appears to physically do more than the other, doesn’t mean he’s better. I’ve seen a lot of debate about Troy being better because he does more, which is true. He lines up as a LB or in the defensive backfield. He always seems to be all over the field. But that in no way means that he’s more valuable or better than than Ed Reed. Reed changes the entire gameplan of a QB before he even steps on the field. Throws that QBs would make against other defenses,  now have to be thought about 3 times or more when the Ravens are the opponent with Ed Reed in the lineup. A lot of Reed’s game changing ability starts in the film room, with players try to find ways to play around him. That within itself is just as big as what he actually does on-the-field.

In the end, you could probably flip a coin either way on who should be ranked higher, but both are great players in their own right. Why debate about 2 guys who’s skills are so different they could actually coexist on the same team, if need be? Would you have a debate about a DT vs LB? If not, then the Reed/Polamalu debate is moot. Let it go. I’m talking to YOU, Ravens and Steelers fans!

Manning vs Brady

Final thought, and I’ll make it quick. Brady’s SB wins gets him the #1 spot hands down. He’s worthy of it because he’s pretty good in the QB dept…. damn good actually…. but I’ve seen Belichick win games without Tom Brady.. 10 of them in 2008 to be exact. I’d bet 3 years of my salary that that would NOT happen if Peyton Manning went down with a season ending injury. Manning on the Colts is irreplaceable. I can’t say the same for Brady. But rings talk and SB losses walk, so………………..

If you haven’t heard, former Giants WR Plaxico Burress is about to be a free man tomorrow. And if he can get to any form of his former self, his talents will be requested by a few NFL teams. The biggest question isn’t if he’ll be picked up, it’s WHO will pick him up. ESPN’s Cris Carter has a few ideas of teams he can possibly help out.

Carter also talks about reasons why teams may think twice about him due to his previous work ethic, before going to prison 2 years ago. Personally, I think Plax can go to Oakland, because Al Davis loves bad asses and they could use his services. While Michael Vick has expressed wanting to play with his hometown buddy, I’m not so sure Andy Reid wants to go there. Remember, he had WR issues in the past with Terrell Owens, so Philly may pass on Burress.

With the NFL Lockout STILL going on, we may not know his whereabouts for a while. So until the players and owners can come to an agreement, we’ll be playing the guessing game until free agency actually opens up.

Welcome home, Plax! (I’m a day early, so what!) Now go and get in football shape and get a job!

We all know the NFL Lockout is alive and kicking. Lately, we’ve heard nothing but negative stories regarding NFL players and what they’re doing with their down time. Anytime you hear Mike Vrabel getting arrested, you know there’s a problem. But there are players who have done good things for their communities, organizations and/or the world with their time. Here are a few guys who’ve been in a charitable mood and in the news for good this offseason.

Ravens S Haruki Nakamura

The backup safety of Japanese descent organized an event at Ripken Stadium in MD, which helped raised money for the relief efforts of the recent earthquake/tsunami disaster in Japan. Nakamura, along with Ed Reed, Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, Chris Carr, Brandon McKinney and former Raven Qadry Ismail raised $60,000 that went to the Red Cross International Relief Fund.

Bears QB Jay Cutler

I’ve never been a fan of Cutler on-the-field or from a personality perspective. But Cutler has a good reputation of helping others and this offseason is no different. Cutler along with girlfriend Kristen Cavallari traveled to Kenya on a two-week trip last month with a non-profit group called OneKid, OneWorld. The town of Wamba had been without water for over 2 months. Cutler indicated that $300 lasts a few months for the town.

Redskins’ Lorenzo Alexander

The multi tasking Redskins player will lead Ride to Provide which Alexander’s ACES Foundation sponsors to primarily benefit orphans and impoverished women and children in Africa. This is the second year he’s hosted this event. The first year raised nearly $10,000.

“It takes more than just one person to make positive changes. That’s why it’s all about bringing the community together to help people, which is very important to me.”

Free agent CB Nnamdi Asomugha

The Raiders former first round draft pick and free agent held his 5th Annual Asomugha Foundation Gala in Los Angeles last month.

Asomugha created the foundation to provide a positive impact on the disadvantaged youth in the U.S. and the underprivileged orphans and widows in Africa.

Cowboys LB Bradie James

The handsome starter for the Dallas Cowboys created Foundation 56, which was started in honor of his mother who died of breast cancer in 2001. The foundation has raised more than $100,000 in the fight against the disease. Free mammograms and other screenings are the focus of the foundation.

Before I get into the hot topics of the week, I want to thank the NFL owners and NFLPA for extending the CBA for 24 hours, as they feverishly try to work out a new deal. While I’m well aware that 24 hours isn’t a lot of time and that a lockout still may occur, the fact that they extended it gave me a small glimpse of hope. I even danced a jig when I heard the good news.

This blogger/fan that I am is praying that they get this done and that there’s football without interruptions or replacements. We want football in 2011 and beyond!

Bob Sanders has found a new home out west, as he signs a 1-year deal with the San Diego Chargers. The 2007 Defensive Player of the Year was released by the Colts last month, mainly due to his inability to stay healthy. Good luck to Sanders, hopefully he can play a full year of football. Us ladies sure would like to see your name come across our screen. I get double the treat, since my boo Philip Rivers is on the squad as well…

In other news….. Jeremy Shockey signed with the lowly Carolina Panthers. Oh…………………………………

Word on the street is former Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell’s Oakland home is in jeopardy for foreclosure. Apparently, Mr. Russell owes about $195K and if he doesn’t pay it, it’s put back in the market.

We all know the Raiders threw Russell a dumb amount of money, so I doubt he’s broke. Surely buying Coogi sweaters, purple drank and fugly chains couldn’t have taken all of his $30 million plus he’s received so far. My guess is his mind frame was since he no longer plays for Oakland, he said screw that house and decided not to pay for it any longer. But why do that and mess up your credit?  Whoever his financial advisor is (if he even has one), isn’t advising him of much. Don’t be a dummy, get rid of the house and move on. Ignorance is bliss……………..

In case you haven’t heard, the Lingerie Football League said they are willing to take over your households on Sundays if the NFL cannot come up to an agreement and in fact, lockout. I’m sure the men have NO problems with seeing scantily clad women run around making hard hits and tackles. But I’m curious to know how the women feel about this?

I’ve watched LFL games before and it’s actually not that bad. But not everyone would be down to watching half-naked women try and fill a void for real football. Let me know what you think ladies… Yay or Nay on LFL replacing NFL on Sundays if there’s a lockout.

Looks like Raiders owner Al Davis took a big swig of Haterade with his Geritol lately. During a session with reporters, Davis talked about his past 4 drafts and dropping the ball (pun intended) with drafting former #1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell:

“I think we’ve been very successful the last four. I think we’re always pretty good. The thing that hurt, is the question someone asked, JaMarcus hurt a great deal. But the ones they wanted to take instead of JaMarcus, Brady Quinn, hasn’t played yet.”

Well we all know how the JaMarcus Project worked out- It didn’t.

In comes the Calvin Johnson talk. The Lions WR was the 2nd overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, behind Russell. Johnson has had a pretty successful career with the Lions. But that wasn’t enough for Skeletor to throw shade at the rising star.

“There was some talk of Calvin Johnson. But you can take a look at Calvin up at Detroit. How many games did they win this year, Detroit, do you know? Six? Yeah. But up until now, Calvin hadn’t done anything for them. He had been eulogized, but he hadn’t made a lot of indelible impression on the won and lost…….”

Wait… what?!?!

Granted, Johnson hasn’t been on the best team during his tenure. But he’s a better pick than Russell every day of the week and 4 times on Sunday. Al Davis is already old, but he’s also senile with those comments. While Russell is trying to resurrect his NFL career since being released by the Raiders, Megatron is going to Pro Bowls. I guess Darrius Heyward-Bey is the next best thing to Johnson, huh?! Yeah, okay……………………….

Happy New Year, boys and girls!!! And then there were 12.  The regular season is over but the playoffs are just beginning. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to see the best of the best (minus the Seahawks) get ready to slug it out to see who’s gonna hold the Lombardi trophy this February. It’s a melancholy feeling, because it’s only about 4 weeks of football left, which immediately makes me sad. But then I have to remind myself that my team is in the dance.

So back to Happy Happy Joy Joy Land I go! It’s also Black Monday and by the looks of the head coaches fired in-season (4 of them, to be exact), I expect a big turnover and flip flopping of coaches to take place this week. So coaches on the chopping block, you better hide your kids, hide your wives and hide your bank accounts.. cause they firing everybody out here!

As a Ravens fan, I’m glad we’re 12-4 and in the playoffs. But I’d be lying if I told you I was confident going into Wild Card Weekend. The football gods gave us a pass and re-routed us to KC instead of Indy, who the Ravens haven’t beaten in a LOOOOOOONG time. But this team scares me. They’ve looked lost at times this season and have played along with their opponent. They took New England all the way to OT but they also did the same with the Buffalo Bills. I have no idea what team will show up come Sunday. But if it’s the team that played yesterday against the Bengals, then my squad is in trouble!!!

Brett Favre says he’s finally done with his career…. I say…..

The Raiders have become the ONLY team since the 1970 merger to sweep their division and NOT make the playoffs. On one side, you know that Oakland has something to build on for 2011 and beyond. On the other side, how can you be so awesome against your own division, but be 2-8 against everybody else? Oakland is on the rise… but they have a ways to go to get there.

Shout out to the Detroit Lions for going into the offseason with a 4-game winning streak. 6-10 is a hell of a lot better than 0-16. Baby steps, Detroit… baby steps.

S/O to the NFC West for the highway robbery of a playoff spot. Your whole division sucks, and your 7-9 NFC West champs in the Seahawks get to host a playoff game. I hope New Orleans beats you into Mortal Kombat submission as a reminder to why the NFL needs to tweak the current playoff system.

S/O to Kerry Collins for passing Johnny Unitas for passing yards all-time (11th). No, I’m serious… He did!

As for your fumble late in the 4th quarter that would’ve given you the win against Indy…..

S/O to my boo, Philip Rivers.. for just being YOU! You always have a fan in me. I’m just glad we don’t have to play you in the postseason.

If you’re Tampa Bay or the New York Giants and their fans, you’re sick as hell right now…. But at least you ended on a good note, right?!?! I’m not helping am I??? Okay, I’ll shut up now……………

Last night, my Ravens give the game away lost to the Steelers in a bloody, hard hitting battle. It was what everyone expected it would be and more. Great division matchup against two teams built so much alike, from the bottom up. And a great rivalry that doesn’t come with style points, but they come hard fought. Players on both sides found themselves on the sidelines instead of being on the field, but the game must go on. Ben Roethlisberger played with a broken nose, and although he didn’t have a stellar night, he played when it mattered, throwing the TD pass to Isaac Redman with 2:51 remaining in the 4th quarter to give Pittsburgh the go-ahead score. The play came moments after S Troy Polamalu strips Joe Flacco of the ball, untouched. The Ravens had controlled the tempo of the entire game up until that point. It was a game changer and ultimately, a heart breaker for the Ravens in their 13-10loss. If there were any a time that the Denny Green speech was a great way to describe my feelings… now is the time!

I wasn’t mad about it last night, but this morning I woke up and felt sick about it. Sick about the way the game played out… sick about things that could have, should have went different. But alas…… Pittsburgh won, has sole possession of 1st place in the AFC North, and life must go on. But I have to say, it’s a damn hard pill to swallow.

OT: I’ve said this all year long… my Ravens lack killer instinct. Running the ball in the 4th qtr against the #1 rushing defense with a 4 point lead is NOT how you finish teams. Anquan Boldin was brought here to be the answer to the Steelers, and he showed why in the beginning of the game. Feed him the ball, and regularly. The play calling is very questionable. And while I love Cam Cameron, I have to wonder if he’s over-thinking his play calling. Something’s gotta give, though. Championship teams put teams away when they have the chance and right now the Ravens aren’t it.

Can someone find the horse shoe that’s stuck up the Atlanta Falcons organization’s butt? They continue to find ways to win at the end of games. They are lucky as hell… but they are also damn good. Good teams find ways to win and the Falcons have done just that this season.

Could the Rams really win the NFC West? I think so. The 49ers are hot and cold, the Seahawks don’t have an identity and the Cardinals suck (FREE LARRY FITZGERALD!). Out of all the teams in that division, the Rams have been the most consistent and have every opportunity to win the NFC West. It’s a great story considering the Rams have won a total of 6 games the previous 3 years and they’ve already matched that win total this year alone. It’s also a testament of how awful the NFC West is.

The Colts are struggling this year. They just lost their 3rd straight game yesterday, after losing to the Cowboys 38-35 in OT. Peyton Manning has thrown 4 TD and 11 INTs in the last 6 games, which is very un-Manning-like. But the problem is simple- Manning is overcompensating. Overcompensating for all of the weapons his team has lost on both sides of the ball this season. Manning is trying to put his team on his shoulders, but they are so depleted that it’s not working this time around. These aren’t just your regular backups, these guys were working at Walmart the week before they came to Indy. They were never as banged up as they are this season. Manning is still a great QB but he’s not in the position to do what he’s done in years past. Time to look forward to next year, when all are healthy. 2010 isn’t your year, Colts fans.

SMH at you, San Diego……

You’ve NEVER lost in December since my boo Philip Rivers has taken over the team. You were 1 game behind the Chiefs for the AFC West, and you failed to show up and continue your normal December run against the Raiders. The window is slowly closing on your playoff chances.

On the another side…. I have no idea what Raiders team will show up, week after week. Last Sunday, they had 16 rushing yards. Yesterday, they had 251 rushing yards. Who the hell are you guys???? Please let us know what team to look forward to in advance, please and thanks.

The Bengals are nominated for making the year’s dumbest move for the 2010 season. With 34 seconds left, the Bengals were ahead of the Saints, 30-27. On 4th and 2 at the Bengals 7-yard line, the Saints opted to look as if they are going for it. I thought it was pretty textbook for what New Orleans was trying to do, have Drew Brees go to the line, and do a hard count to try and get the defender to go offsides. If none else fails, they call a timeout, kick a FG and put the game into overtime. But lookie here, a Bengals defender didn’t get the memo. Offsides was called, new set of downs given, and the Saints score the go-ahead TD to give the Saints the win, 34-30. This is why the Bengals are bad. It’s not the big things, it’s the little things that have the Bengals playing like the Bungles of old.

Memo To Drew Stanton: You need to ask someone to teach you how to Dougie… No I’m serious… your dougie sucks!

On a similar note: What is up with athletes wanting to Dougie? What about doing the Kid N Play, the Roger Rabbit or even the Chicken Noodle Soup?? Okay, scratch the Chicken Noodle Soup part, but you get my point. If you wanna celebrate, do something different or a little more creative.

Brandon Jacobs, welcome back!

I would comment on the 49ers, Broncos, Bills and Redskins… But, why????????????????

The Miami Dolphins came into M&T Bank Stadium yesterday as road warriors and left with a .500, thanks to my Ravens. I told folks, the Ravens have one of the best home records in the league and they had every intention on keeping it that way. The game should have been put away earlier than it was, with the Ravens leaving at LEAST 10 pts on the field, but a win is a win. Being 6-2 with room for improvement isn’t a bad thing, especially in the AFC. But I’ll take a “W” any way possible.

OT: The drama between the Ravens and Dolphins OFF the field was way more interesting than the game itself. Between Derrick Mason spewing ether to Channing Crowder after being called an old man, to Crowder saying that Ravens FB Le’Ron McClain spat in his face while using Anne Frank/Helen Keller  references to make a point was just madness. McClain claims he didn’t spit on him, but after watching the replay it looks like he may have. If that’s the case, than that’s as low as you can get. Being spit on is probably the worst thing that can happen to someone. It’s unacceptable and shouldn’t be tolerated, no matter how much of a jerk Crowder can be.

I know Patriots fans are stunned that they lost to the Browns. But I’m not. Listen, the Browns aren’t a bad team. They just don’t have as much talent as some other teams. But they have good players on both the offensive and defensive lines, a mobile QB in Colt McCoy, a BEAST of a RB in Peyton Hillis and a great all-purpose player in Josh Cribbs. Maybe it’s time to stop sleeping behind the wheel when it comes to the Browns. They have the potential to at LEAST play spoiler for the rest of the season.

OT: This picture.. I couldn’t leave it without adding a caption… Priceless!

Mike Vick is well on his way to being one of the top QBs in this league. The maturation of Vick’s play has been a joy to watch. He’s standing in the pocket, waiting for receivers to get open, allowing the play to unfold without thinking, “Run” when things don’t go his way, right away. It’s a beautiful thing to see a guy redeem himself after all he’s been through. I’m happy for him and for the Eagles.

On the other side, I blame the Colts loss on those Baltimore throwbacks they had on. The football gods were not pleased with the wardrobe selection.

Who is Jacoby Ford? We found out that answer yesterday, as Ford had a coming out party of sorts  in the Raiders 23-20 OT victory over the Chiefs. Ford had 6 receptions for 148 yards, including a HUGE 47-yard catch that led to the winning FG. He also had a 94 yard kickoff-return for a TD.

This is what I love about the NFL. You have guys that are hungry and when they get their shot, they come out and produce. There’s nothing better than saying, “Who the hell is that?” and cheering all at once. It’s the beauty of it all. Congrats to the Raiders, they are playing real good ball right now.

Chicago and NY Jets: You got real lucky! That’s all I have to say about that.

Buffalo:

NY Giants: I’m sorry I ever doubted you. You are on a mission right now, and you’re playing some of the best football in the league.

The Vikings won, but nothings changed. Childress is still Enemy #1 in Minnesota. He’s getting into fights with his players, he’s lost his locker room and Vikings fans are turning their backs on him. I don’t know how much time Childress has left, but it can’t be long. Lame duck coach is an understatement. He and Wade Phillips are Dead Men Walking.

Speaking of Wade Phillips, it has to be hard to see your team has literally quit on you. A news conference is scheduled at 5pm today, and my guess is Phillips finally gets sent his walking papers. After that 45-7 debacle against Green Bay, I’m sure Wade can’t wait to get out of dodge (or Dallas, in this case). You know it’s bad when Redskins fans can’t even crack jokes on the Cowboys anymore. It’s become pathetic.

Before I go, let me say this. If you don’t think Philip Rivers is a Top 5 QB now, then you’re on that 4Loko drink real heavy. He beat the Texans with a WR core that none of you ever even heard of. Who the hell is Seyi Ajirotutu??? If you go to ESPN right now and look him up, he doesn’t even have a picture next to his name. But all he did was come in, mainly because the Chargers were depleted in WRs, and have 4 receptions for 111 yards and 2 TDs. You don’t have to like Rivers. But you damn sure gotta give him his props. And on that note…… I’m done! *drops mic*

The former #1 pick and Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell teamed up with former NBA standout-turned-life coach John Lucas in an interview with KILT in Houston about where his personal life is currently, substance abuse, his time with the Oakland Raiders and his quest for a second chance. Here’s some excerpts from the interview:

JaMarcus on his personal life:

“Right now it is at a point where I had a few losses in my family, my godmother, two of my uncles and one of my close friends.  All that happened within a year and that kind of took a lot out of me from the beginning of the year and John came through and we sat down and talked.  He’s kind of been through a lot of similar things in his life so that brings us here today.  We have known each other for two months and it’s been like I have been knowing him all of my life now.”

His thoughts on getting over substance abuse and getting treatment:

“Actually that really wasn’t the reason that I came here.  I just so happened to get caught up in a situation where it wasn’t about me.  I was kind of caught up in the middle of it, but that is definitely not why I am here.  He came to find me after he had heard about my uncles passing or whatever.  He wanted to be that guy in my life to help me go from right from wrong.  But it was never really about no substance abuse.”

How he would handle the Oakland Raiders situation differently:

“From day one, training camp.  That is the business side of football and I had to go through that until week two of the season.  The thing is they weren’t negotiating my contract until training camp started.  So it kind of slowed the process, but just by not being there that first training camp I think I missed a lot.”

Whether the pressure to be #1 was reason for his collapse or whether it was the team and offensive system he was in:

“I don’t think I was down, down like that but there is a lot that comes with being number one.  About being a young guy, I was 21-22 when I got drafted, just knowing that this young guy is supposed to be able to take care of everyone on the team because if you look at it as a quarterback, your hand is in everybody’s life, whether it is the receiver, the long snapper, the equipment guy, the owner, the head coach, everybody is on you to do your job right and to come out.  If it doesn’t happen that way then who knows what the offensive coordinator be working on.  These other guys are working and that is kind of how it goes as being a quarterback.”

To read the entire interview, click here.

Last week, Lucas went on Inside The NFL and talked about why he chose to work with Russell in his road to redemption.

Russell vows that he does not want to play in the UFL or any other league besides the NFL. I’m all for 2nd chances in football and even in life. But sometimes you have to work from the bottom on up, to get back to where you want and need to be. The UFL may not be a bad idea for Russell, since no one is ready to take on a guy with his kind of baggage onto their 53-man roster. Hopefully Russell will one day get his wish and get another opportunity. Maybe then, he’ll be a different guy than the one we all know as the “Purple Drank” dude who wore expensive chains and considered a waste of $61 million dollars. Keep ya head up, JaMarcus!