Monthly Archives: December 2013

Final Power Rankings for NFL Regular Season

Heading into the final week of the NFL season, we’re turning PFPod’s Power Rankings into our playoff predictor. We’ll start picking playoff winners and losers next week. This week, we just rank the 12 teams we know or believe are headed to the postseason.

Think of PFPod’s Rankings as the half-breed love-child of traditional “Power Rankings” and the NFL playoff format: from Best to Worst, we rank the 8 Division Leaders and 2 Wild Card Contenders from each conference. Our Top 12 rankings give you all the fun of a college poll AND a meaningful outlook on the NFL playoff picture!

Top 4: Bye-week bound Divisional Leaders

1. Denver Broncos. (12-3). Peyton Manning looks to follow up last week’s record-breaking 51st TD of the season with the 266 passing yards needed to break Drew Brees’ single-season record. With home-field advantage still up in the air heading into Sunday’s late afternoon games, Denver actually need Manning at the helm until the outcome is certain.

2. Seattle Seahawks. (12-3). Seattle’s Super Bowl prospects look much cloudier after suffering a home loss to Arizona. While the Seahawks’ defense did its part by snagging four interceptions from Carson Palmer, Russell Wilson and the Seattle offense could only muster 10 points and a woeful 192 yards. Watch this week’s game to see if the Rams’ defense can repeat Arizona’s success in containing Wilson’s passing and rushing yardage.

3. New England Patriots. (11-4). LaGarrette Blount had 16 carries for 76 yards and 2 TDs against the Ravens. In case you were wondering, Corey Dillon averaged 18 -24 carries during the Pats’ last postseason run to the Lombardi Trophy, and gained at least 73 yards #BelichickBringsBackTheRunGame #CoreyDillon4ProHOF

4. Carolina Panthers. (11-4). I’d like to speculate on the Panthers’ postseason chances, but there’s no point before they play at Atlanta on Sunday. A first-round bye is not a “gimme” for Carolina.

Best of the Rest: NFL Power Rankings 5-12

5. San Francisco 49ers. (11-4). The 49ers are the only wild card team with a serious shot to make their conference’s championship game.

6. Cincinnati Bengals. (10-5). The AFC North Champions will host the Ravens in this week’s fiercest head-to-head matchup. While Baltimore prays to clinch a wild card berth, the Bengals will be hoping for a win on Sunday (and a Patriots’ loss). Cincinnati desperately wants a first-round bye, something they haven’t experienced since their 1988 Super Bowl run.

7. Philadelphia Eagles. (9-6). The NFL had anticipated a classic Vick v. Romo season finale in the NFC East. Let’s see if the Foles-Orton bout delivers anything remotely close to Must-See TV.

8. Indianapolis Colts. (10-5). Indianapolis proved naysayers wrong with a road win at Kansas City last week. I’ll admit it: Andrew Luck just might win his first playoff game this year.

9. New Orleans Saints. (10-5). New Orleans need a Carolina loss next week to have a shot at the Super Bowl. Simply put, the Saints suck too hard on the road to win four in a row during the postseason.

10. Kansas City Chiefs. (11-4). The AFC’s best Wild Card contender couldn’t even beat the AFC’s weakest divisional leader at Arrowhead last week. Who are they gonna beat on the road in the playoffs? Andy Reid better dig deep in the playbook. And he better start looking for another QB to lead his squad in 2014.

11. San Diego Chargers. (8-7). Yes, we got the Chargers sneaking into the last AFC Wild Card. Prediction: Ravens lose to the Bengals, and the Jets defense blow the Dolphins’ O-line away on the road to victory. BTW, We’re kinda pissed that the Cardinals can’t steal the AFC’s second Wild Card spot. Let’s see if Tampa Bay can upset the Saints and open the door for Bruce Arians’ team to make the NFC playoffs.

12. Green Bay Packers. (7-7-1). Who wants to win the NFC North? If it’s Aaron Rodgers, then maybe the rest of us will pay attention.

Tony Romo’s Back–Papa’s Football Podcast Week 17

Haha, just kidding…we recorded right before this little gem was announced. We do give you a great analysis of the playoff picture heading into the final week of the season, though. That has to count for something!

Click here to listen to this episode of Papa’s Football Podcast or hit the “play” button below. And click here to open us in iTunes, where you can subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode as well as rate and comment on the show. No pressure. (Tons of pressure.)

Power Rankings: NFL Week 16 (Playoff Contenders Edition)

With two weeks left in the season, NFL playoff seeding remains a mystery. Six of the eight divisional leaders lost last week, leaving the door open on all four first-round byes. In the AFC Wild Card race, the Raven’s 61-yard game-winning field goal on Monday Night kept the Dolphins and Chargers at bay. Speaking of #MNF, #WhatTheFInHeezy happened to the Lions ?!? Since Detroit took sole possession of first place in the NFC North back in Week 10, the Lions have lost four of their last five. Now that Cutler is back, and Rodgers is on the verge of returning, expect Motown to ask the bankruptcy court to liquidate Matt Stafford’s contract #DetroitShockedCity

Think of PFPod’s Rankings as the half-breed love-child of traditional “Power Rankings” and the NFL playoff format: from Best to Worst, we rank the 8 Division Leaders and 2 Wild Card Contenders from each conference. Our Top 12 rankings give you all the fun of a college poll AND a meaningful outlook on the NFL playoff picture!

Top 4: Bye-week bound Divisional Leaders

1. Seattle Seahawks. (12-2). Seattle’s highly touted defense claimed their first shutout of the season against the Giants last Sunday. It was only the second shutout recorded this entire NFL season — the last one was Carolina’s shellacking of the woeful Giants in Week 3.

2. Denver Broncos. (11-3). Thursday’s terrible loss to San Diego became terrific as soon as Tom Brady’s team dropped their divisional match at Miami. The Broncos get to enjoy three extra days rest before heading to Houston, with their one-game lead for home-field advantage still intact.

3. New England Patriots. (10-4). New England nearly lost the #2 seed on Sunday, but the Bengals bungled their bid for a bye in a pathetic performance at Pittsburgh #ThankAndyDalton

4. Carolina Panthers. (10-4). Cam Newton has been sacked 28 times in 7 road games. Compare that number to the 10 sacks he’s suffered at home in 2013. Our takeaway? Don’t expect the Saints defense to drop Newton for another 5 sacks and 49 negative yards when these teams re-unite at Carolina on Sunday.

Best of the Rest: NFL Power Rankings 5-12

5. Kansas City Chiefs. (11-3). KC’s hopes for the AFC West Title were renewed when San Diego beat Denver last week. The Chargers may have something to say about that in Week 17, however, when San Diego hosts the Chiefs for the regular season finale.

6. San Francisco 49ers. (10-4). Don’t waste your time watching the Niners’ Monday Night matchup with Atlanta #FlexScheduling4MNF

7. New Orleans Saints. (10-4). The Saints have lost four of their last five on the road. If New Orleans can’t beat Carolina this weekend, Saints’ fans should prepare for another sad ending to their Wild Card Weekend.

8. Cincinnati Bengals. (9-5). Despite losing to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati remains in sole possession of first place in the AFC North. However, a loss to Baltimore in Week 17 could cost the Bengals the divisional lead they’ve held since Week 6. #SameOldBungles

9. Baltimore Ravens. (8-6). Nothing says “READY TO REPEAT” like six FGs #YeahRight

10. Philadelphia Eagles. (8-6). I’d like to say the Eagles’ Sunday Night matchup against the Bears matters, but I’m much more interested in watching the Cowboys implode against the Skins on Sunday– aren’t you?

11. Indianapolis Colts. (9-5). Look for an even matchup between Indy’s and KC’s quarterbacks: Andrew Luck’s passing numbers look a lot more like Alex Smith’s than Peyton Manning’s #NotACompliment

12. Chicago Bears. (8-6). If I were a Bears fan, my only fear is the Week 17 matchup with Green Bay. Does anyone believe Detroit can win both of its remaining games?

No NFL Team Wants to Clinch a Playoff / Mack Brown Fired

In the days leading up to Mack Brown’s resignation as Texas’ football coach, ESPN reported daily on Brown’s job status. While daily SportsCenter updates on this story were fair game, the commentary from ESPN’s slate of college football pundits was totally irresponsible. Because ESPN runs the Longhorn Network jointly with UT’s Athletic Department, any SportsCenter commentary on a UT coach’s performance directly affects the value of their company’s joint venture with the University of Texas.

So even if pundits like Paul Finebaum and Stephen A. Smith genuinely believe that Texas should replace Mack Brown with Nick Saban, when they offered this opinion on SportsCenter only hours before Brown was fired, it felt like two spokesmen from ESPN’s corporate offices were telling UT’s Board of Regents why they needed to make a change in the football department. Similarly, any SportCenter report suggesting that Saban should be Texas’ next football coach sounded more like hiring advice than journalistic opinion: Saban, who has won 3 of the last 4 national championships, could impact the net worth of the Longhorn Network faster than any other hire. Not surprisingly, now that Alabama has paid him to stay put, ESPN is predictably “reporting” these days that an NFL A-lister could be the next Longhorn coach…

Simply put, ESPN has a vested economic interest in Texas football’s success. Therefore, no matter how much freedom ESPN gives its talking heads, none of their commentators can EVER have a truly objective opinion about a UT coach’s performance. And that’s why I have to ask: if Finebaum or Smith had been willing to give Mack Brown the benefit of the doubt for one more season, would such an opinion have led SportsCenter producers to select a different naysaying pundit for their final “Fire Mack Brown” segments?

Listen to PFPod for our response to criticisms that Brown failed to recruit the last three Heisman winners. Speaking of RGIII, we also jump on the Redskins’ latest drama, as well as the rest of the games from this past weekend of NFL games.

Click here to listen to this episode of Papa’s Football Podcast or hit the “play” button below. And click here to open us in iTunes, where you can subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode as well as rate and comment on the show. No pressure. (Tons of pressure.)

NFL Power Rankings Week 15

The Top 12 teams in the NFL Playoff Picture all remain the same—it’s their order that’s been jumbled quite a bit since last week’s rankings. Right now the NFC North and AFC Wild Card races are the most exciting in terms of uncertainty—but that’s largely due to inconsistent teams hovering right around .500. Perhaps we’ll see a little more excitement in the top half of the playoff bracket next week: with New England and New Orleans playing in divisional grudge matches this weekend, the Panthers and Bengals might get a chance to snag that #2 seed in their respective conferences… #GetSome

Think of PFPod’s Rankings as the half-breed love-child of traditional “Power Rankings” and the NFL playoff format: from Best to Worst, we rank the 8 Division Leaders and 2 Wild Card Contenders from each conference. Our Top 12 rankings give you all the fun of a college poll AND a meaningful outlook on the NFL playoff picture!

Top 4: Bye-week bound Divisional Leaders

1. Denver Broncos. (11-2). John Fox returned to the sideline for Denver’s miserably cold victory over the Titans last Sunday. Let’s see if his presence will be enough to guide the Broncos through the AFC postseason and into the Super Bowl.

2. Seattle Seahawks. (11-2). Seattle’s woeful 2nd half on offense Sunday resulted in the Seahawks’ second loss of the season. Nevertheless, Pete Carroll’s team remains seemingly invincible at home. New Orleans couldn’t even beat them during the 2010 season, when the 7-9 NFC West champ stiff-armed the Saints in Seattle.

3. New England Patriots. (10-3). Now that Gronk has suffered a season-ending injury, a lot of league observers expect the Pats to run 4 receiver sets to keep Brady and the passing game going. But don’t be surprised if Belichick is planning to revive New England’s power running game– LaGarrett Blount might be closest thing to feature back since Corey Dillon led team to its last Super Bowl win… Hey, it might be a passing league today, but if the Pats can hold onto the #2 seed in the AFC, the path to the Super Bowl will be cold, with a 50% chance of snow…

4. New Orleans Saints. (10-3). After beating the Panthers in New Orleans, the Saints have a chance to lock the division title up in their penultimate game of the regular season. Before facing the Panthers at Carolina in Week 16, however, New Orleans will have to take care of business on the road against Jeff Fisher’s defensive-minded Rams squad.

Best of the Rest: NFL Power Rankings 5-12

5. Cincinnati Bengals. (9-4). There’s a chance the Bengals could score a bye, the chances of which got slimmer when NE pulled off their last-second fatality against Cleveland. What might make things interesting down to the last game of the season is that Cincinnati holds tiebreakers over New England and the Ravens.

6. Kansas City Chiefs. (10-3). Andy Reid might want to consider playing his backups against Indy in Week 16. Why give Chuck Pagano and his team a chance to prepare for their inevitable Wild Card matchup? #HideThatPlaybook

7. San Francisco 49ers. (9-4). Carolina may hold the tiebreaker over San Fran when it comes to Wild Card seeding, but the 49ers earned the more impressive win against a divisional rival last week. At any rate, why should either the Panthers or 49ers care who is the better Wild Card team? Have you seen the NFC East and North “contenders” that would host them in the playoffs?

8. Carolina Panthers. (9-4). The Panthers can still bounce back from Sunday night’s blowout loss to the Saints and, technically, win the NFC South. We just don’t see it happening while Cam Newton is trying to be a pure pocket passer. Like RGIII and pretty much any of the other breed of new quarterback, the guy is better when his legs are a threat.

9. Philadelphia Eagles. (8-5). Yes, the Eagles currently hold the longest winning-streak in the NFC. But Sunday’s snow-covered victory over Detroit was Philly’s first over a team currently holding a playoff spot today. That’s more of a reason to doubt the Lions than believe in the Eagles.

10. Detroit Lions. (7-6). How are the Lions still not a playoff team? While Jay Cutler and Aaron Rodgers sat out with injuries that should have ended the Bears’ and Packers’ playoff hopes, Detroit has been either winning or losing far too closely the past two months outside of their blowout Thanksgiving victory. The Lions have lost 4 of their last five games against non-divisional foes. Don’t assume this team will beat both the Ravens and the Giants.

11. Baltimore Ravens. (7-6). While they’re not out of AFC North title race, the odds of a victory are slim at this point. They’re going to need to edge out the Dolphins and Jets for the AFC’s last wild card.

12. Indianapolis Colts. (8-5). The first team to clinch a division title looks like the worst playoff bound squad right now. Colts’ fans will be lucky to see their team winning their single home game. But who knows? maybe Tashard Choice will become the catalyst for their latest Super Bowl run #JK #BetterLuckNextYear #PunIntended

The Dan Snyder, Mike Shanahan, Kirk Cousins and RG3 Show-Papa’s Football Podcast

Would run a less chaotic ship than Dan Snyder has.

Would run a less chaotic ship than Dan Snyder has.

What is going on with the Washington Redskins right now is maybe the greatest disaster of the Dan Snyder era, and that’s saying something. We analyze what’s going on between Dan Snyder, Mike Shanahan, Kirk Cousins and RG3 and get to the rest of the league’s action in the latest episode of Papa’s Football Podcast. Enjoy.

Click here to listen to this episode of Papa’s Football Podcast or hit the “play” button below. And click here to open us in iTunes, where you can subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode as well as rate and comment on the show. No pressure. (Tons of pressure.)

Power Rankings: NFL Week 14

Buster sits in erotic repose, tongue out for all to see.

Buster sits in erotic repose, tongue out for all to see.

Seattle’s beatdown of the Saints has shaken up the NFC battle for a bye week: for the first time all season, the Saints have dropped out of the NFC’s Top 2 in our Power Rankings. This Sunday Night, Cam Newton & the Black Panthers are looking to make a statement in front of Who Dat Nation #FistsRaised

Think of PFPod’s Rankings as the half-breed love-child of traditional “Power Rankings” and the NFL playoff format: from Best to Worst, we rank the 8 Division Leaders and 2 Wild Card Contenders from each conference. Our Top 12 rankings give you all the fun of a college poll AND a meaningful outlook on the NFL playoff picture!

Top 4: Bye-week bound Divisional Leaders

1. Seattle Seahawks. (11-1). The Seahawks have already earned a playoff berth. A win over San Fran on Sunday would clinch a postseason bye week for Seattle #NextUp #NFCTopSeed

2. Denver Broncos. (10-2). A tough road win at KC has put Denver back in the driver’s seat for home-field advantage. Notwithstanding the Pats’ overtime win against the Broncos, Brady’s Bunch simply can’t be trusted to win at Peyton’s Place during the playoffs.

3. Carolina Panthers. (9-3). After watching Seattle’s defense demolish Drew Brees’ passing attack, Ron Rivera’s squad has also learned the recipe for making mincemeat out of Sean Payton’s offense. We are more curious to see if Cam Newton can repeat Russell Wilson’s success against the Saints’ D.

4. New England Patriots. (9-3). While Pats’ fans are hoping the Broncos will stumble against one of Denver’s four remaining opponents (all of whom are under .500), Bill Belichick is trying to devise a solid game plan to beat the resurgent Ravens in Week 16. Since John Harbaugh took over in Baltimore, Belichick is 3-3 against the Ravens (including postseason), and he has never beaten Harbaugh’s team by more than 6 points.

Best of the Rest: NFL Power Rankings 5-12

5. New Orleans Saints. (9-3). In a copycat league, can the Saints rebound from a horrific 27-point loss at Seattle? We’ll find out when Jeff Fisher and Greg Schiano line their defensive-oriented squads up against New Orleans’ declining corps of wide receivers.

6. Cincinnati Bengals. (8-4). If the Bengals want to prove they have the grit to make it past the Wild Card Round for the first time in Marvin Lewis’ tenure, Cincy has to shut the door on the Steelers and Ravens in their two remaining divisional games. If either of those teams beats Cincy, the 2013 Divisional Title will crack back open for the AFC North’s perennial powerhouses in Bawlmer and the ‘Burgh.

7. Detroit Lions. (7-5). The Lions leaped over the Colts in this week’s Power Rankings based on our projections for the post-season. Indy has looked awful on the road without Reggie Wayne in the lineup, whereas Detroit has the offensive firepower and defensive line to upset New Orleans, Carolina, or even Seattle this postseason.

8. Indianapolis Colts. (8-4). That said, the Colts’ magic number is 1: one victory in December will clinch Jim Irsay his first AFC South title since 2010. Let’s see if Indy can impress the rest of us by winning at least one of their two remaining games against playoff-bound opponents (KC & the Bengals).

9. Kansas City Chiefs. (9-3). We’ve been hard on the Chiefs in these Power Rankings lately, but truth be told, we don’t care if they play Indy or Cincy on Wild Card Weekend. Head-to-head, we think the Chiefs can win on the road against both these AFC pretenders. Just don’t assume KC will finish the season 12-3.

10. San Francisco 49ers. (8-4). With Michael Crabtree back on the field, the 49ers’ passing game becomes much harder for opposing defenses to stymie. Colin Kaepernick looks extremely happy to have Boldin, Crabtree and Davis back on the field together. However, before San Fran can start its 2013 playoff run, look for the Niners to suffer their final loss of the season this Sunday: Seattle has outscored Frisco 71-16 in their last two matchups.

11. Philadelphia Eagles. (7-5). Don’t look now, but the Eagles currently have the third-longest winning streak in the NFC, behind only Carolina and Seattle. Luckily for Philly fans, the Eagles have a date with destiny and Tony Choke-mo in Week 17.

12. Baltimore Ravens. (6-6). The defending Super Bowl Champs return to the Power Rankings for the first time since Week 6. Alas, with their final three games against Detroit, New England, and Cincinnati, Ravens’ fans shouldn’t be surprised if the Steelers or even the Jets (yes you read that right) finish with the same record or better. Come Week 17, The crazy math for three-way tiebreakers may come into play for the 6-seed in the AFC. You might as well bookmark the NFL’s link now: http://www.nfl.com/standings/tiebreakingprocedures

Seattle Seahawks Beat New Orleans Saints–Papa’s Football Podcast Week 14

knowshon-moreno-crying-national-anthem

Just kidding. Or am I? We recorded the episode around noon on Monday so we don’t discuss the Seahawks playing the Saints whatsoever, and I’m uploading this during halftime, so I don’t even know the outcome (though it is looking grim for the good guys). There is plenty we do discuss masterfully if I do say so myself, ranging from the refs blowing it big time with the Redskins on Sunday night to the creepiness that is crying Knowshon Moreno.

Click here to listen to this episode of Papa’s Football Podcast or hit the “play” button below. And click here to open us in iTunes, where you can subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode as well as rate and comment on the show. No pressure. (Tons of pressure.)