Who’s The MVP?

The season is ending and the time has come to give out the awards. The most prestigious of these awards is the MVP. And this year, the award comes down to two quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. Some are yelling that Drew Brees should win it. Some are yelling Aaron Rodgers should. In my opinion, two key statistics make the decision easy. It’s Aaron Rodgers who is the MVP.

The first set of numbers is wins. Drew Brees had 13 wins this year. A lot of people will say that all this was because of Drew Brees. Well, that suggestion isn’t exactly accurate. Brees and the Saints, despite their explosiveness, were a team that could run the football as well. Darren Sproles, Mark Ingram, Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas combined for 2013 yards as a whole. Rodgers, on the other hand, sported a 15-1 record, while not having anywhere near the amount of ground support from Ryan Grant and James Starks that Brees had from his foursome(1137 yards). That alone makes Rodgers and his 15-1 record even that more impressive.
Advantage: Rodgers

My next set of numbers is interception-to-turnover ratio. There’s no doubt that Drew Brees had an outstanding year. He eclipsed Dan Marino’s passing yardage record in a season(5476 yards) and he also threw a career-high 46 TD passes. Brees obviously threw the ball a lot to get those numbers. And with throwing a lot, that means interceptions will happen. Brees also had 14 interceptions this year. Let’s compare what Brees did this year to what Rodgers did. Rodgers passed for less yards(4643) and TDs(45) but he also threw only 6 interceptions all year. Looking at Rodgers’ touchdown-to-interception numbers and combining these numbers with the fact that Rodgers didn’t have a running game make his stats look even better.
Advantage: Rodgers.

To me, winning and not hurting your team are the biggest things that lead to making you a valuable piece. Rodgers hurt his team less and he was surgeon-like while he shredded teams on his way to leading the Packers to a 15-1 record. Brees had a great season, but give credit where credit is due. Rodgers was masterful this year.

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TEM’s Divisional Playoff Weekend Preview: New Orleans Saints vs San Francisco 49ers

There are great offenses. There are great defenses. And then you have the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers. These two teams have been the standard bearers for the NFL offensively and defensively respectively. And now they meet in the divisional round of the playoffs in the city by the bay.

QB Drew Brees has been out of this world this year. And he carried that over with his 33/43, 466 yard and 3 TD performance against the Detroit Lions. But for those that watched the game, the Saints didn’t really start going until they got some big plays via the run and short dump pass to RB Pierre Thomas. Thomas, along with jitterbug RB Darren Sproles, have the unenviable task on taking on the best run defense in football. The 49ers have allowed only 2 rushing TDs this year to go along with only allowing a league-best 77.3 rushing yards per game. As we all know, the Saints like to put the ball in the air, but the running game will play a role if the Saints are to win. Another key thing to watch in this game will be the pressure on Drew Brees. DE Justin Smith will be key in producing pressure in Brees’ face. The pressure up the middle seems to affect Brees more than pressure coming from the outside. If Smith, DE Ray McDonald and crew clog the middle and make their presence felt, then Brees, who is barely six foot tall, will not have the throwing lanes he needs to be successful. The final key of the game is the presence of 49ers LBs Navarro Bowman and Patrick Willis. These two guys, along with safeties Donte Whitner and Dashon Goldson, will be key in taking away Brees’ best weapons, TE Jimmy Graham and RB Darren Sproles. The more San Francisco can limit these guys, the more they enhance their chances. If these two get going, it could be a long day for the Niners.

QB Alex Smith has had his best season ever as a professional. But even with that, many folks doubt he can produce in a pressure-filled situation. The time is now if he is to prove the doubters wrong, but not in the way that most would think. Smith must continue to get the 49ers offense in the correct sets and plays against a Saints defense that can be vulnerable. The Saints have been opportunistic, but they cannot be as opportunistic if you play smart and take care of the football. RB Frank Gore had another productive season (282 carries, 1211 yards, 8 TDs). And he will again be counted on to be the focus of the offense. Gore must make the Saints pay for being pretty porous in run defense. The more effective the 49ers are on the ground, the less possessions Bress has to wreak havoc on the field. Another key matchup will be the Saints DBs vs Michael Crabtree and the 49ers passing game. Crabtree, along with the presence of TE Vernon Davis, have been giving teams fits when the Niners pass. He must continue his strong play down the stretch to give Smith a big-time threat down the field. Saints S Malcolm Jenkins will more than likely draw the assignment of keeping Davis in check. If Jenkins allows Davis to stretch the Saints defense, that makes the 49ers even that much more dangerous. Also, if S Roman Harper is caught covering anyone, the Niners must look to take advantage of him. Harper’s more trouble rushing the passer(7.5 sacks) than in the passing game. Lastly, WR/PR/KR Ted Ginn must be paid attention to. He could take it the distance every time he touches the ball.

As far as the game, I expect the 49ers to come out throwing before they settle into the running game to break their tendencies offensively. This Saints will come out gunning like they usually do. The difference in this week and last week is they are playing a better defense and a better team than the Lions were. Pace and tempo along with the crowd and the outdoors will be in the 49ers favor. That, along with a big play from Ginn in the return game and some good field goal kicking, will lead the 49ers to a win against the Saints in Monster Park.
Prediction: San Francisco 27, New Orleans 24

TEM’s Wild Card Weekend Preview: Detriot Lions vs New Orleans Saints

There have been boring games, exciting games and games that were just downright ugly all season. Well, this game is sure to be of the entertaining variety. Its put up or shut up time for too offensive teams as the Lions head to the Superdome to take on the lethal New Orleans Saints.

QB Matt Stafford has been incredible this year. That’s in part to him being healthy all year for the first time in his career. And we all got a glimpse of how good he can be when he is healthy( 5038 yards, 41 passing TDs). But no QB can do it by himself and Stafford has had one of the most dominant forces in the NFL at WR at his disposal in WR Calvin “Megatron” Johnson(1681 yards, 16 TDs). The Saints will try to double and even triple team him like they did the last time these two teams matched up in the regular season. The thing that goes against the Lions is their lack of a running game. The Lions running game got so bad that they brought a guy in off the streets (Kevin Smith) to play for them. Smith has been effective, but he hasn’t given the Lions the balance they need. And with the Lions passing a lot, expect Saints S Roman Harper to be blitzing a lot. Harper is pretty much their best guy rushing the passer, as odd as that sounds. He’s tallied 7.5 sacks this season. But for as good as he is in rushing the passer and blitzing, he’s a liability in pass coverage. If I’m the Lions, when Harper isn’t blitzing, I’m throwing right at him. And besides Megatron, the Lions have rookie WR Titus Young and WR Nate Burleson and TE Brandon Pettigrew. If this offense gets rolling, the Saints could have some problems. Another guy that needs to be watched for the Saints in this game is S Malcolm Jenkins. He’s a difference-maker, so expect him to make a big play or two. All the Lions WRs and TEs need to know where Jenkins is because Jenkins punishes people when he gets to them.

Just like the Lions offense can create problems for the Saints, MVP candidate Drew Brees and crew can cause problems for the Lions. Besides Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers, Brees has been the best QB in the NFL this year (5476 yards, 46 passing TDs). Brees will be going up against a Lions defense that was taken to task last weekend by backup QB Matt Flynn and the Green Bay Packers. Expect Brees to tear into this defense from the word go. And the thing that’s so dangerous about the Saints is that they have so many weapons. But of all their weapons, the most important ones are TE Jimmy Graham (1310 yards, 11 TDs) and RB Darren Sproles. Graham and Sproles always seem to make the big plays, so expect a lot of attention to be given to them by Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham and crew. The best plan of attack for the Lions would be to try to get pressure up the middle on Brees and that task falls on DTs Nic Fairley, Ndamakong Suh and Corey Williams. For all that Brees can do, he is only 6 foot tall and needs throwing lanes in order to make his passes and if these guys are in his face, he can’t see where he’s throwing. Another key thing the Lions need to do is stuff the run. If they are able to take that part of the New Orleans offense away, then the pass rush of the Lions can just pin their ears back and attack Brees. The bad thing is they haven’t been good at stopping the run all year.

Expect this game to be a high scoring affair in the beginning. But the longer the game goes on, the more the power of the Saints will take over. Its been a good season Lions, but its time to start the off-season.
Prediction: New Orleans 38, Detroit 24

The Everyday Mailbag- 12/28/11

Basketball season is here! The NBA just cranked up. Sadly, the NFL is gearing down. But in between the excitement for the beginning of a new NBA season and the movement towards the NFL playoffs, there are plenty of questions that arise. Let’s see what the Sports World wants to know!

Q: Do you think 35 bowl games is too many?
-James R., Nashville, TN

A: I do think that 35 bowl games are too many. I believe that going to a bowl game has lost its specialness and that eventually, there may be some bowl games cut. I think that’s only right.

Q: What’s the more impressive record breaking season? Marino in 1984 or Drew Brees in 2011? Obviously the year they set/broke passing records.
-Andrew V., Frederick, MD

A: I think that Marino’s was more impressive. Marino played in an era where DBs could hold and grab and physically assault receivers out there and he still put up numbers. Brees breaking the yardage record is impressive, but the game is built more for the offensive to succeed and succeed he did.

Q: What’s your Pacific Division predictions for NBA?
-Bobby C., Sacramento, CA

A: I think that in the Pacific division, its gonna be interesting. The Clippers are good. The Lakers, even though they are not up to their usual level, are also good. The wildcard in this division is Sacramento. They are talented but young. Now that youth can either help or hinder them. It should be interesting to see which it does. And lastly, the Suns are just bad all the way around. I don’t see them making the playoffs this year. As far as the order of the division this year, I have the Clippers, then the Lakers, then the Kings and bringing up the rear, the Suns.

Q: What should the Jets do with Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez?
-Dallah S., Manhattan, NY

A: I think that the clock is ticking on whether or not Mark Sanchez is the future at QB for the Jets. I think that next year is the make or break point for his career in green and white. Also, Rex Ryan’s act is starting to wear thin on the league. It seems to not have as much of an effect as it did to start his tenure. Maybe its time he did more coaching than talking. I think he’s ok right now, but the tide could turn going into next year. Its quite possible.

Q: Who impressed/ disappointed you in the NBA this weekend?
-Kareem H., Chandler, AZ

A: I think that the Mavs disappointed me this weekend. I knew they would lose, but they looked so listless and disinterested out there on the court. They aren’t the same team as last year and it shows. Two straight home blowouts. The Wizards also were disappointing. When you have a big lead, you have to finish a team. They are young, so hopefully they will learn that. As far as impressive teams, I think the Heat were very impressive. They throttled the Mavs. I also would say the Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony was impressive. He carried the Knicks to the finish line like a star is supposed to do.

Q: ‎​How do u think the T-Wolves will do this year?
-Joey K., Los Angeles, CA

A: I think the Timberwolves will be better this year. With all that being said, they will still miss the playoffs, but I don’t think they will miss the playoffs by much.

Thanks to all who sent questions and remember, if you have sports questions, I have answers.

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Ballers And Wankstas Of The Week- Week 15

We’re in crunch time now in the NFL season and now its time for the men to be separated from the boys. The prime-time players to be separated from the bench setters. Here are this week’s Ballers and Wankstas of the week!

Ballers Of The Week

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints(32/40, 412 yards, 5 TDs)
The New Orleans Saints have been putting in serious work offensively and no one is a better representative of the work that’s been put in than Brees. He’s been a machine in the pocket and has been mowing down the competition. Mr. Marino, your passing record is about to be broken this year.

Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions(9 receptions, 214 yards, 2 TDs)
Megatron and Matt Stafford went to work on the weak Oakland secondary to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Megatron was the main attraction in the comeback. He couldn’t be contained by the Oakland Raiders and was pretty much doing whatever he wanted. Seems like the Calvin Johnson we saw at the beginning of the season has returned.

Reggie Bush, RB, Miami Dolphins(25 carries, 203 yards, 1 TD)
Bush went to Buffalo and had a flashback to the days when he played for USC in college. He was breaking tackles and running away from defenders with ease. If Bush keeps this pace up, he will have his first 1000 yard rushing season of his career.

San Francisco 49ers Defense
The 49ers wouldn’t even let two power outages stop their assault on the Steelers offense. The Niners forced four turnovers and gave Big Ben fits all night long in the pocket. This could be a bad sign for the rest of the NFL if they can perform this well without all-everything linebacker Patrick Willis.

Wankstas Of The Week

Caleb Hanie, QB, Chicago Bears(10/23, 111 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs)
Hanie and his performance should be an example as to why you want to put money into backup quarterbacks. You can’t just put anyone there to play that position, which it seems like the Bears did. And now the Bears are fading fast down the stretch and could possibly miss the playoffs. Lesson learned by the league here.

Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags were missing Thursday night. They may have been there physically, but they weren’t there mentally. I wonder if this is rock bottom for them or if there’s worse to come in the last two week. We shall see.

Tennessee Titans
They came. They saw. They laid an egg. The Titans may as well not even showed up Sunday because they let the Colts run all over them to the tune of 205 yards rushing. Good teams win the games they’re supposed to, but good teams always bounce back. Which one are the Titans?

New York Jets
The Jets must have had the Jet warming at the airport with the effort that they put together. You would think a team that’s vying for a pplayoff spot would have shown more effort than this. Fourty-five points allowed for a team that was supposed to be good defensively is terrible. I guess we had the Jets all wrong this year. Maybe they are overrated.

These are my Ballers and Wankstas of the Week. If you have anymore Ballers and Wankstas of the week to add, feel free to drop a comment!

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Ballers And Wankstas Of The Week- Week 13

The players played. The ballers balled. And some players and coaches just flat-out didn’t get it done. Without further adieu, here are the Ballers and Wankstas of the week!

Ballers Of The Week

Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans (23 carries, 153 yards, 2 TDs)
CJ has started to pick up steam the past few weeks. This is his second big game in a row and he looks like he has that homerun gear back as well. It should be interesting to see what he does against the New Orleans Saints this week.

Ray Rice, RB, Baltimore Ravens (29 carries, 204 yards, 1 TD)
The Ray Rice train was running on all cylinders this past Sunday in Cleveland. When he gets the ball, the Ravens make things happen offensively. Maybe they need to feed him the ball more every game. Just a thought.

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints (26/36, 342 yards, 3 TDs)
Brees was cool as the other side of the pillow Sunday night vs the Lions. He dissected the Lions this past Sunday night and it should be interesting to see what happens this week when he takes on the Tennessee Titans.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks (22 carries, 148 yards, 2 TDs)
Lynch was in beast mode this past week in the NFL. He did any and everything he wanted to do. Maybe he needs to have the Skittles more on the sideline. They have special powers.

Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos (4 receptions, 144 yards, 2 TDs)
Thomas was in rare form against the Vikings. When he came out of Georgia Tech he was considered a beast and he sure looked like that Sunday. The Broncos just keep on rolling.

Wankstas Of The Week

Jason Garrett
For those that don’t know, Jason Garrett is the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys were tied at 13 with the Cardinals and had moved into field goal range and had a chance to kick a field goal to win the game. The snap. The set. The kick is GOOD!! Except we have one problem. Jason Garrett called timeout right before the kick. Garrett’s timeout was effective for the Cardinals and ineffective for his own team as PK Dan Bailey missed the second attempt at the kick and Dallas went on to lose in overtime to the Cardinals. The hits just keep coming from Garrett. Icing your own kicker is at the top of the list of gaffes for him.

St. Louis Rams
How do you go a whole NFL game and don’t score any points? Well, that’s a questions that the Rams have to answer. I know the 49ers defense is stingy, but you’re pros St. Louis! At least give me three points.

Jacksonville Jaguars
For those that didn’t watch, the Jaguars were the co-stars of the Disappearing Acts sequel. The second half was a total shame and even though I expect the Jags to be bad, when they play against the hapless Chargers, they have to give me at least some kind of competitive game.

Vince Young, QB, Philadelphia Eagles (17/29, 208 yards, 1 TD, 4 INTs)
Young’s career may be getting old quick. He hasn’t shown any improvement in reading defenses and he threw some passes that had me asking: “Who is he throwing the ball to?”. Vince, if you want to stay in the NFL, you gotta read a defense better than that.

These are my Ballers and Wankstas of the Week. If you have anyone you feel should have made either list, feel free to drop a comment.

The Everyday Mailbag- 11/29/11

Time after time, week after week, incredible game after incredible game. The passion and excitement of sports flows everyday of the week. And with the passion and excitement come exciting and great questions. Without further adieu, here are the questions the Sports World wants to know!

Q: What are the Raiders chances of making it to the playoffs?
-Lyndelle M., Clarksville, TN

A: Their chances to make the playoffs hinge on their chances to win the division. If they don’t win the division, they won’t make the playoffs and those chances aren’t looking good with the Broncos making a push with Tebow.

Q: Who’s your favorite for the Heisman?
-Kareem H., Nashville, TN

A: My favorite for the Heisman is Trent Richardson. The guy has been Ram tough all year and ran over and through almost all defenses this year. Robert Griffin III is close on his heels though.

Q: ‎​What team will suffer most from the lockout?
-Joey K., Los Angeles, CA

A: ‎​The Nuggets. They have Wilson Chandler and Kenyon Martin stuck in China and have to find replacements as well as they can’t make a run at JR Smith because he’s locked in a deal over there too.

Q: As of right now you do you have in NBA Finals?
-Bobby C., Sacramento, CA

A: I think that if the teams were as they stand right now, I would say it would be the Heat and the Lakers. But with free agency, trades and those things out there, a lot of things can change just that quick. I think that December 9th to the beginning of the season will go a long way to saying who’s the best team to make a run.

Q: When will Tim Tebow finally lose?
-Sam, Highland Park, IL
A: I think that December 11 vs Chicago will be the next time that Tebow loses.

Q: Even though Sanchez won yesterday he is average at best. Will the jets be looking for a QB next year?
-Lee L., Chicago, IL

A: I think that Sanchez had a winning game yesterday. At this point in his career, I believe he should be further along, so I think next year is the make or break year for him as the New York Jets starting QB. And yes, they will be looking around for QBs in the off-season.

Q: Who is the better game managing QB, Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers?
-Robert R., Chicago, I’ll

A: I would go with Aaron Rodgers. But that’s like splitting hairs. You can’t go wrong with either QB. In my opinion though, I just feel that Rodgers is better at this point right now. He’s a little more careful with the ball than Brees at this point.

Thanks for all the questions! And remember, if you have sports questions, I have answers!

#SportsBlogMovement

Ballers And Wankstas Of The Week-Week 7

Boy oh boy! Some good play. Some bad play. And Ballers and Wankstas involved in all! Let me introduce you to my Ballers and Wankstas of the Week!

Ballers Of The Week

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints (31/35, 325 yards, 5 TDs)
Brees’ night against the Colts was just that: a breeze. He did any and everything he wanted to Sunday to the Colts and the bad thing is there was nothing they could do about it.

DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys (25 carries, 253 yards, 1 TD)
Ladies and gentlemen, could this be the newest running back to take over in the Cowboy backfield? Well, early impressions are he is the guy, not Felix Jones. Of course, it was the Rams though. It should be interesting to watch his production as he is given more opportunities.

Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans (25 carries, 115 yards, 2 TDs; 5 receptions, 119 yards, 1 TD)
How many times do you look up and see a RB as the leading receiver in addition to the leading rusher? Not very much. Foster ran hard and also made plays in the passing game. He did any and everything he wanted to versus the Titans defense.

Josh Scobee, Jacksonville Jaguars
Scobee was the offense in Jacksonville’s big win over Baltimore. Scobee hit 4 FG’s including 3 over 50+ yards). Huge win for the Del Rio regime.

Wankstas Of The Week

QBs Carson Palmer and Kyle Boller, Oakland Raiders (15/35, 177 yards, 0 TDs, 6 INTs)
I never thought I would say this, but the Raiders missed Jason Campbell. He may not have been a star, but he didn’t turn the ball over and he just made the simple plays. Palmer and Boller must step up their games up or step out. Period. Another thing. Am I the only one that is trying to figure out how Kyle Boller is still in the NFL?

Baltimore Ravens Offense
The Ravens had 11 first downs, 146 total yards and 2 turnovers in one sad offensive performance against the Jaguars. If they have aspirations of winning a title this year, they can’t lay eggs like this. This play was unacceptable.

Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns
Welcome to the offensively-challenged game. To be honest, I feel both of these teams couldn’t get out of their own way. Cleveland won the game, but they can’t escape the uglyness that was this game. I wonder if fans watched this game with their hand across their face, peaking through the cracks in their hand.

Minnesota DE Brian Robison
For those that don’t know who Brian Robison is, he’s the Minnesota player that kicked Packers OL TJ Lang below the belt in the game Sunday. There’s just certain things you don’t do. And kicking another man in his manhood is a serious no-no in my book. Sad display right there Mr. Robison.

These are my Ballers and Wankstas of the Week. If anyone has a Baller or Wanksta they would like to add, please feel free to drop a comment!

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