Which 1-2 NFL Teams Have a Hope of Reaching the Playoffs?

Oh the perils of your favorite NFL team getting off to a poor start! For every team savoring in their early good fortune this season, there are equal numbers of team feeling quite the opposite; battered and bruised after several losses and unsure of where to turn for hope in the duration of this season. And while I’d be expecting the worst for any team that has started 0-3 (Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers), for those 1-2 teams there is still a small hope of salvaging this season, but they’ll need to pick up their game in a hurry.

While there are some of the typically poor teams currently sitting at 1-2, there are also several usually strong teams who were even involved in the playoffs last year that have gotten off to bad starts. These surprising poor starters include the Green Bay Packers, the San Francisco 49ers, the Indianapolis Colts, the New Orleans Saints, and the Kansas City Chiefs. That’s nearly half of last season’s playoff teams now suffering below .500!

In my mind these are the teams most likely to rescue their seasons. And history actually beckons warmly for several of them, including the Packers and 49ers, who both started 1-2 last year only to resurrect their hopes and make a strong playoff push.

The key ingredient for such teams is in how they finish the season, not how they’ve started it. Football teams are an organic being, as injuries, player development, and unforeseen future obstacles can alter a team’s shape and style immensely over the course of the year. NFL rosters look very different in September than they do in January and it’s the teams that can handle such change effectively that do well in the later months and typically end up claiming a playoff spot. Unquestionably, a great quarterback can also go a long way to leading a team back from a poor start to a potentially championship-winning season.

Each of the 1-2 teams I mentioned carries great starting quarterbacks (including Aaron Rodgers, Colin Kaepernick, Drew Brees, Andrew Luck, and Alex Smith) and this is why they still have hope. Other 1-2 teams that I wouldn’t expect to hear much of a whimper from are the Miami Dolphins, the New York Jets, the Cleveland Browns, the Minnesota Vikings, the Tennessee Titans, the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins, and the St. Louis Rams. These teams look to lack any sort of presence on the field and have been pretty marginable for years. Their poor records are due to simple lack of talent.

But for the better teams, they’ve just not clicked into high gear or have been unfortunate in the couple of key plays that can often decide a game one way or the other. Another thing to realize is that 1-2 is just a single game away from 2-1. A play here and there could have made the difference, and I’m sure you’ll find that most fans of 2-1 teams are more than satisfied with their seasons’ beginnings.

As the NFL season wears on, those slight hiccups or mistaken plays will carry less weight as the true contenders of the league emerge and get their needed wins. While I certainly wouldn’t be expecting a Super Bowl following two early losses for teams like the Packers, Chiefs, Colts, 49ers, or Saints, I think it’s far too early to be writing them off as has-beens or incapable of salvaging the season. In many cases they’ve done it before and these specific teams certainly have the talent capable to make a serious run at their respective divisions. But be careful, with their collective poor starts, I would only suspect 2 or 3 of these teams manage to right the ship and make the playoffs this year…

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5 Crucial Games in Week 2 of the NFL

 The NFL season is hitting full swing once again, and with it comes another exciting batch of football games in the week ahead.  Of course this early in the season, every team still has hope and optimism for what lies ahead, meaning that fans of all the teams can enjoy the sport once again before the crushing realities of the season sink in.  However, most of the contending teams are already known and their games will be a bit more exciting than the games between those desperately hopeful and woeful teams.  Here are 5 must-see matchups in the week ahead:

1.  Washington Redskins vs. Green Bay Packers – Both teams were in the playoffs last year, but both teams also lost in their first game of the season.  The 49ers beat the Packers again, while the intense new offence of the Eagles proved too quick for the Redskins defense.  Will Robert Griffin III be ready this week?  He sure looked rusty against the Eagles.  Whichever team loses this game is going to be in full panic mode after an 0-2 start to the new year.  I feel that Packers, led by the maturity and skill of Aaron Rodgers, will win this one.

2.  New York Jets vs. New England Patriots – Although the Patriots won against the Buffalo Bills led by rookie E.J. Manuel, it was a much tighter game than any Patriots fan would have liked.  Meanwhile, Geno Smith was a hero for the Jets and led a late game-winning drive.  With the Patriots defense not looking that good, could the Jets spring a surprise?  I highly doubt it, and I’m sure Tom Brady and his team will look better at home, but with new receiver Danny Amendola expected to miss this game, Brady is simply running out of offensive weapons.  This game could be quite close, but in the end you would have to be a bit crazy to pick against the Patriots against another rookie in their home opener.

3.  San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks – This is said to be the monumental struggle in the NFC West, with both teams winning in week 1 after having productive 2012 seasons.  With mighty defenses and exciting quarterbacks, this matchup should be a feast for the eyes and is surely the game of the week.  I still think the 49ers have the edge and that Colin Kaepernick is a better quarterback than Russell Wilson, but the Seahawks at home are a monstrous force, having won all their home games last season.  Hopefully a close game that comes down to the wire, I’m picking the 49ers here.

4.  Denver Broncos vs. New York Giants – Peyton Manning against Eli Manning is always going to be a treat, but while big brother Manning and the Broncos looks to have the best team in the league, the Giants had a pathetic showing in Dallas, stumbling out of the blocks.  Now they’re looking for help from 31-year-old Brandon Jacobs, who hasn’t rushed for 1,000 yards in a season since 2008.  Although the Broncos are the clear favorites and I’m picking them to win, don’t count out the Giants.  They are routinely the team that overcomes the odds and beats the best teams.  However, that usually happens late-season in the playoffs.  The Broncos will win this game.

5.  Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals – While Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers look like a team in decline, the Bengals are on the ups with A.J. Green and Andy Dalton.  However, let’s not get carried away.  The AFC North is as competitive as any division, and both teams came out losers last week.  The Bengals are expecting a big year this season and the pressure is on, while the Steelers are flying real low under the radar.  While neither team looks like real contenders, this game should still be a major battle between heated rivals, and should be quite entertaining.  I’m picking the Bengals because I like cats…

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5 Premature Contenders for Super Bowl XLVIII

Training camp is set to begin for most NFL Football teams in the next week or so, and with it will come the hopes and expectations of Super Bowl glory for the fans of every team.  However, regardless of exciting drafts and big-name free agent signings, the dreams of many NFL teams are largely worthless considering their poor performances and weak rosters.  Here are 5 teams with strong rosters that I foresee having a legitimate shot at winning Super Bowl XLVIII next season:

5.  New York Giants – Beyond the fact that playing a Super Bowl in their home stadium would be ideal, the Giants are the mysterious team that keeps winning titles when no one expects them to.  Built behind a powerful defensive line and quarterback Eli Manning, who simply makes the necessary plays when the team needs him to, the Giants have routinely emerged as contenders with strong playoff runs.  With Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks out wide, this team can move the football too.  The team often grows hot and cold throughout the season, but when they get hot in time for the NFL playoffs, look out!

4.  Houston Texans – The Texans have immense talent all over the field.  Offensively, Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, Andre Johnson, and Owen Daniels ensure that the team scores points.  Defensively, the team has a monstrous defensive end pass-rusher in J.J. Watt, and has added veteran safety Ed Reed, who brings game changing abilities and championship-winning leadership from his Super Bowl victory with the Baltimore Ravens.  Last year, the Texans had a bright year but stuttered in the playoffs.  I expect them to be a stronger force this year.

3.  San Francisco 49ers – Last year’s Super Bowl runners-ups are loaded with talent.  Quarterback Colin Kaepernick is a beast and so are several members on the defense, including Justin Smith, Aldon Smith, and Ahmad Brooks.  The team has brought in several veterans this year including Nnamdi Asomugha, Glenn Dorsey, and Anquan Boldin.  Additionally, Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, and Frank Gore provide serious weapons offensively.  With Kaepernick’s dynamic ability to run and pass, the 49ers have the chance to establish dominance in the NFC and contend for next year’s Super Bowl.

2.  Green Bay Packers – Aaron Rodgers.  He is simply too good.  Yes, the team has seen the departure of Greg Jennings, Charles Woodson, and Donald Driver, but expect Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, and James Jones to take over comfortably.  Additionally, draftees Eddie Lacy and Jonathan Franklin are hoping to add a spark to the Packers’ running game, and this team might become a force offensively that can manage the clock and score points.  With Clay Matthews shouldering the workload on the defense, alongside B.J. Raji and Tramon Williams, the Packers should continue their strong run in this decade.

1.  Denver Broncos – The is Peyton Manning’s last stand, and he’s been given all the tools to make a championship run to cap off a remarkable career.  Damaryius Thomas and Eric Decker proved they are great receivers last year with 1,000 seasons, and the team even brought in Wes Welker, a fantastic slot receiver formerly of the New England Patriots.  Last year, the Broncos defense let in fewer points than anyone in the AFC, and they even added cornerback Dominique Rodger-Cromartie to boost their secondary now.  In a weak AFC, the Broncos are the clear favorites to get to Super Bowl XLVIII and potentially win it!

AAA Sports Memorabilia has great autographed collectibles for all of these great NFL teams, along with all the other teams not mentioned.  We hope that your team makes it to the Super Bowl.  Let us know who you think will be there.

The Top 10 NFL Free Agents in 2013 Beginning to Bat Eyes

Reggie Bush Autographed New Orleans Saints 8×10 Photo – Super Bowl XLIV Champion

Predicting who are the top 10 free agents of 2013 in the NFL will be is not an easy task, especially since many of the free agents will be re-signed by their respective teams in the buildup to the free agency period that officially begins on March 12th. One player in particular, Joe Flacco, is surely going to continue playing as a Baltimore Raven following his Super Bowl victory. Several other players are simply too important to be let go too. Therefore, this list is my prediction of the best players available in the NFL who are highly unlikely to stay on board with their current teams:

10. Cliff Avril – Free agency is always full of big money players who will fail to live up to their hype and I think Cliff Avril will be the guy this year. His statistics appear to be that of a premier pass rusher as he has reached about 10 sacks per year in the last 3 seasons. But Avril is rather poor otherwise, so although he will occasionally get to the quarterback, he does little else for the team, which is why the Detroit Lions will let him go. Expect him to sign a big contract but end up disappointing.

9. Reggie Bush – The world was expected of him when he came to the NFL in 2006, but he has largely failed to live up to the hype. Nevertheless, Reggie Bush has actually been a solid player for the Miami Dolphins in the last two seasons, generating around 1,000 rushing yards and scoring 15 touchdowns while averaging well over 4 yards/carry. He still has a few good years left at age 27 and presents a solid, dynamic playmaking type player who makes an impact. Not necessarily a team’s number 1 running back, Reggie Bush would fit nicely in a running back by committee situation but probably wants premier money.

8. Wes Welker – With five 1,000-yard seasons behind him, Wes Welker has been a great player. He routinely catches over 100 balls a season and is a great receiver to move the chains. However at age 31, Welker is also reaching the end of his talents. Teams will also be wary of his success at the New England Patriots, who are known to get the best out of less than stellar players. Will Welker still be a great wide receiver somewhere else without Tom Brady? I believe so and I think someone will benefit with a couple solid years of production with his signing.

7. Dominique Rogers-Cromartie – He never quite produced for the Philadelphia Eagles despite his solid years with the Arizona Cardinals. Very athletic and talented, I feel that Rogers-Cromartie will benefit from a change of scenery. Although he will command a high dollar amount, he will produce if placed within the right defensive scheme. Clearly the faults of the Eagles went beyond him alone, and I think a fortunate team will be happy to have him, though he is hardly going to be a bargain buy at cornerback.

6. Derek Cox – Another intriguing cornerback on the market has 12 career interceptions in just 44 starts with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has had some niggling injuries but has also proven to be effective in guarding receivers and making plays. Less known than some of the other stars in the league, Cox is looking for a huge contract and may find just that given his young age and solid potential as a consistent and impactful cornerback.

5. Greg Jennings – A great wide receiver when healthy, it is worth noting that Jennings has missed a good deal of time over the last two seasons and hasn’t surpassed 1,000 receiving yards since 2010. Nevertheless, when healthy he is a great catcher of the ball with an eye for yards after the catch. Approaching 30, he may be reaching the end of the line, but will still command a decent price from a desperate team. How he fares without Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers tossing him the ball is an entirely different question though.

4. Osi Umenyiora – Some teams may shy away from the 31-year-old pass rusher who only earned 6 sacks last year, but Umenyiora can be a beast and performed remarkably in the playoffs during the New York Giants’ 2011 Super Bowl run, forcing a fumble and earning 3.5 sacks. A true professional, he will cement the end position for a team for several seasons and can make the plays. The Giants don’t have much cap room so he has to go, but I do suspect him to make a small fortune in a few weeks and be a solid starter for whomever he signs with.

3. Shonn Greene – Big and strong, Greene has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of the past 2 seasons and also makes for a great pass blocker. His intangibles make him a great free agent buy and the New York Jets are fools to let him go. Only 27 years old, he will be a force for a lucky team with more direction, and could well be on his way to reinvigorating his career at a legitimate NFL contender.

2. Mike Wallace – He catches a lot of balls for good yardage and scores a lot of touchdowns. What more could a team want? One of the fastest players around he will command a ton of money, and he knows it. The Pittsburgh Steelers rarely cave to players demanding big money, so Mike Wallace is set to hit the road and take his talents elsewhere. Although costly, Wallace will definitely make fans happy and score a lot of points for whomever he signs with. He is surely among the best free agent wide receivers available.

1. Jake Long – A capable left tackle, the Miami Dolphins seem to be annoyed with Long’s late-season injuries the past two seasons and his demands for $10 million per year. As the former top draft pick in 2008, Long has the publicity and talent to command this kind of money. Although this year’s draft is filled with great offensive tackles, Long is proven and will be a foundation for whichever team he signs for. Yes he is expensive, but he will be worth the high price with his great play. His injury worries are a definite concern though and make him a bit of a risk.

AAA Sports Memorabilia has well over 100,000 autographed sports memorabilia and non-autographed officially licensed sports memorabilia for all teams.  New items are added daily and if you don’t see what you are looking for, please let us know as we probably have it.

Lawrence Taylor Arrested For Rape

Pro Football Hall of Famer and former 1986 NFL MVP New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor has had many issues during his lifetime including substance abuse, DUI charges, income-tax evasion, and several other minor infractions.   But this morning, LT was arrested and is facing Third Degree Rape and Solicitation charges. 

Police say that LT was arrested for his connection to the rape of a 16-year-old girl (some reports show her as 15 years old) who was delivered to his suburban New York City hotel room against her will.  He will be arraigned later today.  The charged carries a prison term of four years.   

The police also advises that a second man in the case, identified as Rasheed Davis, was also arrested for unlawful imprisonment, assault, and endangering the welfare of a child.  It is reported that Davis had driven the girl to a Holiday Inn and told her she had to have sex with Taylor which she refused.   Prior to, or while en route, Davis had physically assaulted the girl by punching and kicking her.  Taylor allegedly paid the female $300 for her services which was then given to Davis.

Afterwards, the teenage girl sent text messages to her uncle advising what had occurred.  The uncle relayed this information to the police and which time they went to Taylor’s hotel room and arrested him.

Lawrence Taylor reached the Pro Bowl ten times, he was the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1986 and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1981, 1982 and 1986. He recorded 132.5 sacks, which doesn’t include the 9.5 sacks in 1981, when the statistic wasn’t official.

Taylor’s attorneys are obviously indicating that Taylor is innocent.  If criminal charges are filed and he is later found to be guilty, he should be removed from the Hall of Fame as this incident is unacceptable and very disturbing. 

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Pittsburgh Steelers win record 6th Super Bowl

The Pittsburgh Steelers win a record 6th Super Bowl with only seconds left. This had to be one of the most exciting Super Bowls in recent history. This had to be just as good, if not better, then last years come from behind win by the New York Giants and the famous David Tyree helmet catch.

 

It looked as though the Arizona Cardinals were going to be defeated early on, but Kurt Warner and company came back and took the lead with a Larry Fitzgerald 64-yard receiving touchdown with only 2:37 minutes left to play. At one time, they were down 20-7. With this remarkable play, the Cardinals took the lead 23-20. It appeared that this would be the Cardinals first Super Bowl win and risk takers who chose the Cardinals to win, hitting it big on the odds.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals and Kurt Warner, 2:37 minutes was just enough time for the Pittsburgh Steelers offense and Ben Roethlisberger to make their own comeback win. Roethlisberger’s passing numbers were not all that great up to this point, but those numbers just did not matter when it was all said and done. With only 35 seconds left, Santonio Holmes made an extrordinary catch in the endzone to take the lead for one last time. Holmes was deep in the end zone and kept the tip of his toes in the end zone as he fell out.

How different would the ending be if it wasn’t for Kurt Warner’s intercepted pass in the end zone that resulted in the longest play in Super Bowl history. Just before the end of the half, Warner was intercepted by this year’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison, who ran 100 yards for a touchdown. No one could stop Harrison with all the great tackles that were being made.

Kurt Warner won the NFL Man of the Year trophy just before kickout. He almost came out with a superb Super Bowl win and possibly the Super Bowl MVP if the Cardinals could have held on for 2:37 minutes. The media has said that Warner will only make the Hall of Fame if he can win this Super Bowl. We think that Warner is worthy of the Hall of Fame even though he could not win this Super Bowl.

Congratulations to both teams for providing an emotional up and down game for their NFL fans !

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NY Giants Plaxico Burress Shoots Himself at Nightclub

While visiting a nightclub last night, New York Giants Wide Receiver Plaxico Burress was shot accidentally.  Burress was not targeted and shot by someone else, he accidentally shot himself with his own gun.

Burress shot himself in his right thigh and spent the night in a hospital and was released early this morning.  The bullet did not strike any bones or hit any major arteries.

Burress was already expected to miss Sunday’s game due to a hamstring injury he suffered while playing the Baltimore Ravens two weeks ago.

Burress has had a tumultuous season after catching the Super Bowl game winning catch last year.  Burress was suspended for one game against the Seattle Seahawks on October 5 and fined $117,500 for missing a team meeting and failing to notify the team of his absence.  Burress had claimed he had a family emergency.

He had also been fined $45,000 by the NFL for his conduct during the October 19 game against the San Francisco 49ers when he abused an official and tossed a ball into the stands.

After the Super Bowl, Burress signed a 5-year $35 million dollar contract.  He signed this contract just hours before the 2008 season started.  Before he signed he was fined $25,000 for refusing to practice during a mandatory minicamp in June.  He also missed most of training camp due to a sprained ankle.  

Plaxico Burress may now be facing criminal charges such a carrying a weapon without a permit (unless he had a permit to carry concealed) and reckless discharge of a weapon.

Is New York Giants’ Michael Strahan Set To Retire?

Future Hall of Fame New York Giants Defensive End Michael Strahan has yet to report to the team’s training camp. There is speculation that the seven-time Pro Bowler may be thinking about retirement.

There have been reports that Strahan’s agent, Tony Agnone, has told the New York Giants that Strahan is in fact thinking about retiring.

Strahan has had a great career over the last 14 years and he may just be getting tired as he is 35 years of age. During that time he has had 132 1/2 sacks which is the most of any active player. He holds the single season record of 22 1/2 sacks.

Strahan is scheduled to make $4 million this season. He may very well just be holding out and saying he is going to retire in an attempt to get a bigger contract. He did just finish a bitter divorce in which his ex-wife was awarded $15.3 million, along with child support of $18,000 a month for their twin daughters.

Either way, Strahan has had a great career and if he can do it one more year, the Giants will be greatful.

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Tiki Barber Finds New Job!

Retired New York Giants Running Back Tiki Barber has found a new job. He was introduced as a news correspondent for the NBC’s “Today Show” on 02/13/07.

  

 

It has been rumored that Barber will also be replacing Shannon Sharpe on their NFL show. He is also expected to have a role on their Sunday night NFL telecasts.

 

Good luck Tiki!

 

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Barber Prepares for Last Game of Career

At the young age of 31, Tiki Barber prepares for his last NFL game scheduled in beautiful Aloha Stadium in Honolulu on February 10, 2007.

 

Barber will leave the sport on his own terms. He will also get to play for the same team as his brother, Ronde Barber. This time in his life can only be exhilarating.

 

Barber began his “career” when he was 8 years old. He would later become one of the NFL’s greatest running backs. In 2006, Barber joined Marshall Faulk and Marcus Allen as the only NFL players with 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards. He leaves the NFL as the 17th leading rusher with 10,449 yards.

 

During the 2006 season, Barber ran for a total of 1,662 yards which was his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season, and the second highest of his career. At the end of the season, Barber ran for a team record of 234 yards against Washington which earned the Giants their playoff berth.

 

You will probably see Barber during the 2007 season as a broadcaster as this is one of his dreams. He also plans on writing more children books with one targeted at adolescents which is scheduled to be released this year. Barber has stated, “I’m in temporary retirement. I’m not sitting on a hammock for the rest of my life.”

 

Thanks Tiki for the memories and good luck in your future endeavors. Please share your favorite Tiki moments for everyone to enjoy.

 

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