Cleveland sports in flux?

It seems that's the case. Two big stories eminate from the home of the Indians and the Browns today.

First, the Indians have decided to part ways with manager Eric Wedge. He will stay on for the last week of the season.

This move should come as absolutlely no surprise. but the timing may be a bit peculiar especially since there is only a week left in the season. Wedge's record so far this year is 64-92. Hard to believe that some considered the Tribe a possible playoff team before the season began and where they are currently residing, 4th in the AL Central and owners of the fifth worst record in baseball.

Wedge is not the only reason the Indians have struggled in '09. Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, and Asdrubal Cabrera have spent have all spent extended time on the DL. Sizemore has been shutdown for the season. Add the woes of the pitching staff, in more than one way. Fausto Carmona has not even come close to his superb '07 performance (19-8, 3.06 ERA). He is currently 4-12 record and an astronomical 6.62 ERA. Let's not forget the big money Cleveland spent on getting Kerry Wood. Wood has only 20 saves and has blown six. I know you got to have a lead in order for Wood to have that stat be higher, but the staff only has 25 total. What does that tell you? Again, we look at the starting pitching.

That's where the Indians did themsleves, and their fans, the biggest disservice. Who has the most quality starts for Cleveland this year? Cliff Lee. Who's next? Carl Pavano. What do Lee and Pavano have in common? They were traded. Between the two, they had 29 quality starts out of the 43 thay started while in Indians uniforms. Lee had 18 on his own.

But I do see a youthful light in the Cleveland Indians future. With a healthy Sizmore to go along with budding stars such as Cabrera, Matt LaPorta, Shin-Soo Choo, Luis Valbuena, and Andy Marte, the Tribe has a lineup that can challange for years down the line. It's just that pitching that needs attention.

Speaking of attention, do you think that Browns head coach Eric Mangini has received enough of it as of late? Or shall I say since the beginning of traning camp? It's almost all revolved around the QB battle between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson.

Today, Mangini announced that Derek Anderson will start this Sunday as the Browns host division rival, the Cincinnati Bengals. That will move Quinn to the #2 spot on the depth chart. This may be a good move as one of Anderson's best games as a Brown occurred against the Bengals in a wild 51-45 shootout at Paul Brown Stadium back in '07. For his career against Cincy, Anderson has won 2 of the 3 games and has posted passing stats of 64 of 105 (61.0%) for 717 yards with 8 TD and 6 INT. Not bad, really. For Anderson to be successful, the ground game must get going against a somewhat underrated and stingy Bengals defense.

Does that same light shine on the Browns like it does for the Indians?

Not really, but the Cavs host the Celtics on October 27th for the season opener.

As the QBs Turn

Here we are only three weeks into the NFL season and we already have two QB changes and another in question. Of the two teams making changes, Tampa Bay and Miami, one is due to ineffectiveness and the other to injury.

Tampa Bay head coach Raheem Morris announced that the Bucs are going to go a different direction at the position. Out is Byron Leftwich. Taking a glance at the stats, it's not a big surprise but the timing is. The Bucs are in a rebuilding mode and Leftwich was thought to be the bridge to get from this process to the Bucs first round pick in this past draft Josh Freeman. Apparently, the construction of that particular bridge was scrapped. A new bridge is being constructed, for now, with Josh Johnson. Morris says that Johnson gives the Bucs more options at the position. The fact that the Bucs performed miserably on offense most likely led to this quick decision. That and an 0-3 start. Within a week, Leftwich goes from starter to third string as Freeman will be the #2 behind Johnson. To think Leftwich left Pittsburgh for this.

Leftwich's stats tell a similar story as well. Of the 33 quarterbacks that have enough attempts to qualify, Leftwich is 27th of 33 QBs in QB rating with a 71.2. The QBs behind Leftwich are the Rams Marc Bulger, Titans Kerry Collins, Browns Brady Quinn, Lions Matthew Stafford, Panthers Jake Delhomme, and Raiders JaMarcus Russell. Leftwich has thrown for 4 TD and 3 INT but had been sacked only 2 times. His completion percentage of 54.2% was fourth worst of the 33 QBs.

Their counterparts to the southeast are in a different bind. Miami Dolphins QB Chad Pennington's season is most likely over, and possibly his career. In a 23-13 loss to the Chargers on Sunday, Pennington suffered yet another shoulder injury, his third of his career. Pennington will seek a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews as Andrews has performed two other procedures to Pennington's shoulder.

The winless Dolphins will go with Chad Henne who is in his second year out of Michigan. In a substitute role against the Chargers, Henne was only 10-19 for 92 yards and a pick. His QB rating was a lowly 44.2. But Henne will get the snaps at practice this week as Miami will play host to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The Dolphins selected Henne in the second round last year and passed on Matt Ryan to select Jake Long with last year's #1 overall pick. That move will be even more scrutinized if Henne cannot produce. Only time can tell us of that.

Here we go again with Browns head coach Eric Mangini and his QB choice. Brady Quinn was pulled at halftime of last week's drubbing at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens. His first half stats: 6-8, 34 yards, 1 INT. Derek Anderson played the second half and was 11-19, 92 yards and 3 INT. How can you compare bad to worse? On one hand, Anderson was more successful passing the ball...for yardage. On the other hand, Quinn only threw one pick. I have a headache just thinking about this...again!

Mangini will most likely announce the starter Wednesday. Whoever it is, he better be ready for the visiting Cincinnati Bengals who are just a fluke play away from being 3-0.

One other QB injury was to the St. Louis Rams Marc Bulger. He sustained a bruised rotator cuff and his status is questionable going into this weeks game against the San Francisco 49ers. If Bulger can't go, former Raven Kyle Boller will most likely get the starting nod.

NFL Sunday Game Recap - Week 3

After yesterday's games, we now have seven undefeated teams and six winless teams (that could be seven after tonight's game). Two teams picked up their first win including the Detroit Lions. You read it right.

The Jets, Vikings, Giants, Ravens, Colts, Saints, and Broncos are all 3-0. Of those teams, the Jets, Saints, and Broncos did not make the playoffs last year. The Rams, Buccaneers, Chiefs, Browns, Dolphins, and Titans all stand at 0-3 and are in danger of missing the playoffs. Both the Titans and Dolphins made last year's playoffs. If the Panthers lose tonight, they also fall into the category of 0-3 teams that made the playoffs last season. Hard to believe the early games prove just as important.

Here's your quick look at yesterday's games:

1. Jacksonville 31 (1-2), Houston 24 (1-2)
Jags RB Maurice Jones-Drew torches league's worst rushing defense as Jags get first win of the season.
Game ball: MJD. 23 carries, 119 yds, 3 TD

2. Jets 24 (3-0), Titans 17 (0-3)
Titans commit four turnovers and Jets QB Sanchez continues to "manage" the game.
Game ball: Jets WR Jericho Cotchery. 8 catches, 108 yds, 1 TD

3. Green Bay 36 (2-1), St. Louis 17 (0-3)
Rams score in double digits for first time in '09 but Packers QB Aaron Rodgers throws 2 TD and runs for another.
Game ball: Rodgers. 13-23, 269 yds, 2 TD, 1 rush TD

4. Detroit 19 (1-2), Washington 14 (1-2)
Don't blame Redskins QB Jason Campbell or WR Santana Moss. They showed up to play.
Game ball: Lions head coach Jim Schwartz. After the Lions broke the 19 straight losses string, he had his team go back out on the field and "mingle" with those fans that attended (about 40,000 attended but very few hung around). And the players enjoyed it.

5. Minnesota 27 (3-0), San Francisco (2-1)
49ers RB Gore leaves early after one rush and Vikes QB Favre strikes late.
Game ball: Favre. Not because of the miracle pass to WR Greg Lewis ( it didn't hurt). He was 24-46, 301 yds, 2 TD

6. New England 26 (2-1), Atlanta 10 (2-1)
Pats show signs of a rushing attack that many thought disappeared.
Game ball: Pats RB Fred Taylor. 21 carries, 105 yds, 1 TD

7. Giants 24 (3-0), Tampa Bay 0 (0-3)
The G-Men totally dominate the Bucs on both sides of the ball
Game ball: Giants D. Held TB to under 100 yds of total offense while pitching the shutout.

8. Baltimore 34 (3-0), Cleveland 3 (0-3)
Mangini pulls QB Quinn at half and Browns O still struggles mightily with Anderson.
Game ball: Ravens QB Joe Flacco. 25-35, 342 yds, 1 TD

9. Philadelphia 34 (2-1), Kansas City  14 (0-3)
Vick returns but has zero impact on Eagles O
Game ball: Eagles QB Kevin Kolb. Sets NFL record as first QB to throw for over 300 yds in 1st two starts: 24-34, 327 yds, 2 TD

10. Chicago 25 (2-1), Seattle 19 (1-2)
Bears QB Cutler leads team on another 4th quarter comeback.
Game ball: Cutler. 21-27, 247 yds, 3 TD

11. New Orleans 27 (3-0), Buffalo 7 (1-2)
T.O held without a reception as Saints discover the run.
Game ball: Saints RB Pierre Thomas. 14 carries, 126 yds, 2 TD

12. Cincinnati 23 (2-1), Pittsburgh 20 (1-2)
Vaunted Steelers D lets another 4th quarter lead get away
Game ball: Bengals QB Carson Palmer. 20-37, 183, 1 TD. Led Bengals to 14 4th quarter points.

13. Denver 23 (3-0), Oakland 3 (1-2)
Raider fans getting restless as Orton constructs another Bronco victory.
Game ball: Broncos DE Elvis Dumervil. 5 tackles, 2 sacks

14. San Diego 23 (2-1), Miami 13 (0-3)
Dolphins QB Pennington hurt as Bolts score 20 points in second half.
Game ball: Chargers S Eric Weddle. 7 tackles (6 solo) and 31 yd INT return for TD in 4th quarter.

15. Indianapolis 31 (3-0), Arizona 10 (1-2)
Colts D hold Cards to 24 yds rushing as Cots also win time of possession battle.
Game ball: Colts QB Peyton Manning. 24-35, 379 yds, 4 TD

In looking forward to tonight's Panthers-Cowboys tilt, the main thing to look for is the Panthers ability to rush the ball. If Carolina has to rely on the arm of QB Jake Delhomme, it doesn't bode well for the Panthers and they would join the ranks of the winless.

NFL Week 3 Preview

The third week of the NFL season is here and with it brings a couple of interesting storylines. Will the Lions finally win? Are the Titans not as good as they showed last season? Will Drew Brees have yet another 300 yards/3 TD performance? Here a quick look at today's and tomorrow night's slate of games.

Green Bay (1-1) @ St. Louis (0-2)

Green Bay: Maybe all the preseason hype on QB Aaron Rodgers got to him last week against the Bengals. Oh, wait. That was Bengals DE Antwan Odom that got to him to the tune of 5 sacks. Thins don't look much better on the O line but the Rams don't have the front seven do threaten Rodgers and the Packers offense. On D, if you stop Rams RB Steven Jackson, you stop the Rams.

St. Louis: Did anyone tell Rams fans that this rebuilding process could take longer than expected? It will. RB Steven Jackson had a good game last week and the Rams could only muster 7 points and take yet another loss. Teams know Jackson is the man so they divert their full attention to him...and it works. The defense was solid in the 9-7 loss to the Redskins in week 2. That's better given the 28 points they gave up in week 1. Find a passing game (and you need receivers) and all will be better.

San Francisco (2-0) @ Minnesota (2-0)

San Fran: RB Frank Gore is prbable with an ankle injury. That's important as Gore is the key to a 49ers win. You don't want QB Shaun Hill to have to be the one to get you a win, but Hill did show a bit of tenacity in week 1 with the last minute drive to guide the Niners to a win. These guys are letting the absence of WR Michael Crabtree hinder them and that is a bad sign for the rest of the league. They're maturing. But San Francisco is doing it on the defensive end, too. The D has allowed only 13 points a game and wins will come about easily when holding the opposition that low.

Minnesota: The 49ers D will be gearing up for RB Adrian Peterson, but that may be a mistake. We've yet to see QB Brett Favre really unload for a game. Maybe the arm's not as sound as we're meant to believe. Favre is the key for the Vikes O today, not Peterson. AD will get his yards. The rest is up to Favre. With Niners RB Frank Gore being the main offensive threat, the Vikings will look to stop him. Gore ran for 207 yards on only 16 carries last week against Seattle before leaving with an ankle injury. The secondary has been a soft spot in the past for Minnesota but this week should prove different.

Atlanta (2-0) @ New England (1-1)

Atlanta: We'll see what the Falcons are made of today. Going to Gillette Stadium is usually a tough task. If the Falcons establish RB Michael Turner early, Atlanta can win. Rain is in the forecast and that favors New England since the Falcons play half of their games indoors at the Georgia Dome. The offense will get a stern test from the New England defense. It's simple on defense: don't let the Pats get a running game. Atlanta is a little weak up the gut and New England will try to exploit that.

New England: A few are questioning QB Tom Brady. Don't. It's a mistake. I don't look for Brady to even come close to duplicating his 2007 season. Coming off his knee injury, Brady will struggle this year. Pats fans can already say "Wait 'til next year" and be right. But it's this year we're playing. The Pats have solid running backs but no one back that would take most of your gameplan. That's where the Patriots can get you on offense. Despite the number of defensive departures and injuries, the Pats D has been good. Good enough to be 2-0.

Washington (1-1) @ Detroit (0-2)

Washington: Both QB Jason Campbell and RB Clinton Portis are banged up. Not a good sign for the Redskins faithful especially since many are saying this is the week the Lions break the string. Don't be too sure to write an L for the Redskins quite yet. While the Redskins only managed 9 points on the Rams D last week, the were able to move the ball. The red zone was their weakness. Just ask former QB Sonny Jurgenson and he'll tell you. WR Santana Moss has a history of big plays against the Lions. Defensively, the Redskins know the Lions have no real threat...except WR Calvin Johnson.

Detroit: If RB Kevin Smith gets over 100 yards, the Lions will stop the slide of the decade. Write it down. If Smith gets his 100, QB Matthew Stafford will have his best game as a pro. The Lions must get the offense going because the defense is extremely nicked. LB Ernie Sims is doubtful, CB Phillip Buchanon, DT Grady Jackson, CB Eric King, and S Marquand Manuel are also on the injury report. I don't totally buy into the hype but the Lions do have a chance.

Tennessee (0-2) @ New York Jets (2-0)

Tennessee: 0-2? Titans fans, you may be looking at 0-3, a legit reality. But the Titans will not forget that it was the Jets that snapped their undefeated roll from a year ago. Could the Titans return the favor? If RB Chris Johnson has anywhere close to a game like he had last week, the Jets are in trouble. Johnson had 3 TD and almost 300 yards of total offense...by himself. It was the defense that allowed 34 points. And Johnson doesn't play defense. Keep the Jets D guessing is a key to a win at the Meadowlands.

Jets: How will the rookie QB Mark Sanchez play this week? There's a possibility of a letdown after the Jets win last week against hated rival New England. The Jets cannot let up now, and head coach Rex Ryan won't let them. The offense could use a little kickstart but will the Titans D allow that? RB Thomas Jones will set the tone for the Jets. The only thing that will stop the Jets this week...themselves.

Cleveland (0-2) @ Baltimore (2-0)

Cleveland: Is QB Brady Quinn the answer? He has to be this week. RB Jamal Lewis, K Phil Dawson, G Rex Hadnot, and G Floyd Womack will not suit up for the game. With Lewis and Dawson, that's most of the Browns offensive production. Who will protect Quinn? In all seriousness, does it matter? The Browns have no offense as they can account for 19 points (1 TD, 4 FG). The other TD was a return by WR Joshua Cribbs. Speaking of Cribbs, maybe integrate him more in the offense? Just a suggestion.

Baltimore: Have the Ravens become an offensive team? After years of relying on the D, LB Ray Lewis must relish the fact that there's an offense now. QB Joe Flacco didn't havve the numbers last week, but he still helped get the W. It was Lewis that stopped Chargers RB Darren Sproles on a 4th-and-2 running play (What was Norv Turner thinking on that?) to preserve a Ravens win. This game looks like a laugher but that's where teams get in trouble. Baltimore must stay focused.

Jacksonville (0-2) @ Houston (1-1)

Jacksonville: For all of you that have RB Maurice Jones-Drew on your fantasy team, this is a dream matchup. The Texans have the worst run defense in the league and look for Pocket Hercules to get the ball moving early and often. QB David Garrard could also have a breakout game as Houston is also weak against the pass. For Garrard to do so, it wil have to be via short and intermediate routes. That plays into his strength as a QB. The once vaunted Jags D isn't what it used to be and head coach Jack Del Rio is a candidate for "first to be let go".

Houston: QB Matt Schaub rebouded from a horrible week 1 performance and lit up the Titans D. That will give the Texans O something to build on. For Texans fans, they hope RB Steve Slaton can get going. You don't want defenses pinning their ears back and going after oft-injured Schaub. Slaton is the key. The Jags don't pose a major offensive threat, but Houston must contain the run and keep Garrard in the pocket.

New York Giants (2-0) @ Tampa Bay (0-2)

Giants: It should be no surprise that QB Eli Manning lead the G-Men on that FG winning drive to win last week. He's slowly building his resume'. WRs Steve Smith and Mario Manningham showed, for one game, that they are reliable, but that's a trend that the Giants need every week. We know they can run. We know they can play defense. It will be consistency in the passing game that takes the Giants far into the playoffs. Stopping Tampa Bay's running game will take the focus off a beat up secondary.

Tampa Bay: Growing pains can be...painful. The Bucs secondary will be the difference in today's game. If they can limit New York's passing attack, Tampa Bay can make a good showing. With a rainy forecast, that favors the home team, Tampa Bay, because they are aware of how the wet conditions affect their home turf. But not so much here as the Bucs had such a large roster turnover from last year. If the Bucs can run, it will set up the pass against a depleted Giants secondary.

Kansas City (0-2) @ Philadelphia (1-1)

KC: I was "troubled" when I heard that head coach Todd Haley said he would bench QB Matt Cassel if the offense struggled. You fired your offensive cordinator before the season even began and now you may sit your $60 million dollar man? I know Haley's an offensive coach, but is this really happening? The Chiefs cannot afford to let this be a distraction. The Saints torched the Eagles for 48 points last week. If the Chiefs can get half that total, they have half a chance.

Philadelphia: How much will Philly use QB Michael Vick? Who cares, but they say about 10-12 plays. The bigger question is can QB Kevin Kolb take care of the ball? Three picks last week didn't help matters for the Eagles. Eliminate the turnovers and the Eagles offense, despite numerous injuries, can have a good performance. The D shouldn't have it hands near as full as they did last week. The Chiefs don't offer the firepower in either the rushing or passing games.

New Orleans (2-0) @ Buffalo (1-1)

New Orleans: Another week, another defense for QB Drew Brees and his receiving corps to torch. RB Mike Bell is out and RB Pierre Thomas is till a question mark. RB Reggie Bush will be the guy out of the backfield. That makes the offense scarier as far as the passing attack goes since Bush is a better receiver that both Bell and Thomas. Heck, I'd line up 5-wide with Bush as the fifth receiver and let Brees play catch with his receivers. We don't mention the Saints D, and that's how they like it...I think.

Buffalo: Has T.O. blown up yet? It's coming...before week 9, the Bills bye week. How do the Bills stop the Saints? If this game were in December, a foot of snow was on the ground,  and near blizzard conditions, the Bills would have a chance to stop them. But it's late September and the forecast calls for sprinkles...of Saints TDs.

Chicago (1-1) @ Seattle (1-1)

Chicago: QB Jay Cutler got his act together last week and I look for him to do the same this week. The concern for the Bears (and Seahawks D) is RB Matt Forte. He's looked nothing like he did during his excellent rookie season last year. For the Bears to be a legit playoff contender, Forte must return to that form. The Seahawks are among the league's worst rushing defenses. Good news for Forte. No rush and teams will be gunning for Cutler.

Seattle: QB Matthew Hasselbeck will most likely not play and that leaves Seneca Wallace as the Seahawks starter. That should threaten the Bears as Wallace is a dual threat and the Bears don't possess as much team speed on defense. It's defense where Seattle should be concerned. LB Leroy Hill will miss a second straight game with a groin injury and fellow LB Lofa Tatupu is listed as doubtful with a hamstring issue. That leaves the Seahawks middle vulnerable.

Pittsburgh (1-1) @ Cincinnati (1-1)

Pittsburgh: Strange that this is a critical game for the Steelers. It is especially following last week's loss to the Bears. Cincy might be exactly what the doctor ordered for the defending Super Bowl champs. Recently, the Steelers have beaten up on their divisinal foe. The Steelers have a history of running against the Bengals and RBs Willie Parker and Rashard Medenhall must be the offense this week as Pittsburgh has shown no signs of a running game. We know what the D can do.

Cincinnati: Strange that this is a critical game for the Bengals. Wait, I said that about the Steelers, too. But it's more critical for Cincy as they want to establish themselves as a major playoff contender. A win against Pittsburgh will do that but a ket to Cincy's offense, RB Cedric Benson, is listed as probable. Cincinnati must control the game offensively, either rushing or passing, to win this. The matchup to watch Bengals CB Leon Hall against Steelers WRs Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward. Hall is establishing himself as a legit corner and by containing the Steelers WRs will do nothing but help his rep.

Miami (0-2) @ San Diego (1-1)

Miami: The Dolphins are looking at a potential 0-3 start and you know that won't sit right with Bill Parcells...or Tony Sparano. But that threat is real and teh Dolphins must be aware of the Chargers thirst for a win after they threw away a golden oppotunity last week against the Ravens. Miami did every thing to win last Monday night...except score touchdowns. Again, they can't settle for field goals and the Chargers did allow 31 points to Baltimore.

San Diego: The offense is fine...even without LT. RB Darren Sproles looks like he's ready to take over permanently. It's the defense that should have Chargers fans on edge. They escaped teh Black Hole with a win and they almost pulled off a last minute charge last week. The Bolts more be more consistent and win this week. They go the Heinz Field for a date with the Steelers next week. Don't look ahead.

Denver (2-0) @ Oakland (1-1)

Denver: Are the Broncos really 2-0? Hard to believe after the preseason they went through, but it's true. Maybe all the "distractions" brought these guys together. It looks like it. And now they get a divisional rival that's got no identity whatsoever. QB Kyle Orton maintains his ability to take care of teh ball and not turn it over. That will win you a few games in the NFL. Not to rain on Broncos' fans parade, but your boys did play the Browns last week. Just food for thought.

Oakland: Who are these guys? Really, they couldn't run or pass on the Chiefs last week. But maybe that game winning drive led by QB JaMarcus Russell will give the Raiders something to build on. They did almost beat the Chargers and the Broncos aren't as much of a threat offensively. If the Raiders are to win, the offense will be the key. Getting RBs Darren McFadden and Michael Bush going is critical.

Indianapolis (2-0) @ Arizona (1-1)

Indy: The Colts wrote the book on lsong time of possession in the worst way but still winning the game. It was a trick that even Criss Angel was proud of. QB Peyton Manning wil get his share of yards, but it will be the RB combo of Joseph Addai and rookie Donald Brown that will make the difference. The Colts have to keep the Cards offense off the field...just like teams try to do to them.

Arizona: The Cards showed signs of a running game against the Jags last week. But can you keep the Colts offesense off teh field and win? No, and the Dolphins proved it last Monday night. So how can Arizona, or anyone else for that matter, stop the offense of Indy? Get QB Peyton Manning. That's it.

Carolina (0-2) @ Dallas (1-1)

Carolina: The Panthers offense is good enough to concern the Cowboys defense. They have two great RBs with DeAngelo WIlliams and Jonathon Stewart. But everyone in the league knows you beat the Panthers by getting to QB Jake Delhomme and make him throw picks. The Panthers D is banged up with LB Na'il Diggs out and LB Jon Beason healing from a knee injury. That could make for a long night in Jerry Jones' palace.

Dallas: We know how this goes...if QB Tony Romo plays well, the Cowboys will win. If not, then every former Cowboy will come out and question his validity. Being without RB Marion Barber is not as bad as you think. You are a bit more limited running between the tackles, Barber's specialty; however, you are then able to get RB Felix Jones more touches and RB Tashard Choice proved last year he can be a integral player for the Cowboys. Now that they got a game under their belt in their new home, things should go back to normal, if there's such a thing in Dallas, for the Cowboys.

BCS contenders on the lookout

We've already had one top 5 team take a tumble this week with Ole Miss laying an egg on the road against the ol' ball coach and South Carolina. The BCS conferences have some interesting games and matchups that could spell for an exciting Saturday.

Big 10 - The fact that ABC has the Iowa/#5 Penn State game as its prime time game tells you how important this matchup is...for both teams. Both enter the contest with 3-0 records. Iowa escaped with a win against Northern Iowa on the opening weekend and has put that game behind them. The Hawkeyes beat a sound Arizona team last week, 27-17. Penn State has had an easy beginning to its season. You know the Nittany Lions come into this affair with revenge on its mind. Iowa kicked a last second field goal last year to knock Joe Pa and Penn State from the ranks of the unbeatens. And with that, thoughts of playing for a National Championship. Iowa has taken 6 of the last 7 and look to extend that. Penn State has looked a little thin on defense and if the Hawkseyes can get the rush going and get to that level of teh Penn State defense, it will be a long night in Happy Valley.

ACC - It's a bit odd that #11 Virginia Tech is not considered the favorite at home. But, then again, their opponent is the resurging #9 Miami Hurricanes. A rebirth of the Hurricanes and its fans have been brewing this year. Still, it's a strange feeling that the Hokies are a home dog. If Miami can pull off the win, it will go a long way to answering the question if the Canes are back. A win in Blacksburg and every critic should be silent...for a while anyways. Their offense has exploded to the likes of 35.5 points a game and 465 yards a game. QB Jacory Harris has matured quickly and the Canes swagger resemble the Hurricanes of old. Don't get caught up looking only at Miami and forget the Hokies QB, Tyrod Taylor. He's as exciting as QBs can be, but Taylor must avoid mistakes if the Hokies want a win. Look for Beamerball to be factor, as always, when you take on Virginia Tech.

SEC - It will be interesting if #1 Florida can look past the Tennessee game and concentrate on the Kentucky Wildcats. That and a possible swine flu outbreak. Notice I said possible. Flu shots have been given to the Gator team and they may be without LB Brandon Spikes, a key defensive player. The Gators were supposed to ravage the Volunteers last week, but that drubbing didn't occur. Now, Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow, and Gator Nation head north to Lexington. If the past is any indication, this one won't be close (Where have we heard that one before?). Florida has won the last 22 meetings, the last 15 by an average of 28.8 points. It doesn't look good for Rich Brooks and the Wildcats, but don't give up hope UK football fans. You give #1 ranked opponents a tough go of it at Commonwealth Stadium.

Big 12 - No Big 12 conference games this week but there are a couple of compelling matchups with out of conference opponents. Texas Tech will look gain a bit of Big 12 revenge as they invade Robertson Stadium and teh #17 Houston Cougars. Balls will fill the air as these two teams have prolific passing attack and are the nation's top two passing offenses. Houston QB Case Keenum has put his name on the list of Heisman hopefuls by averaging over 360 yards a game while tossing 7 total TD. The Cougars can run, too, averaging 118 yards a game. Houston also leads the nation in scoring. The Red Raiders have the #1 passing attack and are 19th in scoring behind QB Taylor Potts. There'll be a record crowd at soldout Robertson Stadium tonight. Potts and his teammates endured a hostile crowd in Austin last week and played good despite losing 34-24. If there's less than 900 yards of total offense, I'd be a bit shocked.

Big East - No conference games here either, but the Bulls of South Florida can make a major statement for the Big East as they travel to Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee to take on the Florida State Seminoles. USF is 3-0 and has not had a tough opponent yet (Wofford, Western Kentucky, and Charleston Southern). Also, the Bulls will be playing without QB Matt Grothe for the first time in almost four years. Grothe, a Tallahassee resident, tore his ACL in last week's victory. The offense will be in the hands of redshirt freshman B.J. Daniels. Look for Florida State to utilize their team speed to get after the inexperienced quarterback and disrupt the Bulls offense. The key will be can the Seminoles stop the Bulls rushing game. Florida State QB Christian Ponder should have a say in this game. His completion percentage is over 65% and he's the team's second leading rusher. A dual threat that USF must take into consideration. Florida State is coming off their huge road win at then-#7 ranked BYU. That may play a role in this contest.

Pac 10 - Admit it. You didn't have the Washington Huskies beating USC last week. That win catapulted the Huskies to #24 in the latest poll. Their reward? A road game at Stanford. We'll see how far Steve Sarkisian has taken the Huskies in his first year at the helm. Washington did all it could in the first week of the season to try to pull off an upset of LSU, but fell short, 31-23. This game will be harder than last week, believe it or not. Stanford has emerged victorious in three of the last four meetings. Stanford doesn't throw as much as Washington, but they sure can run, averaging 204.7  yards a game. This matchup is not a good one for the Huskies who look to build upon last week's tremendous upset win. Conversely, a Cardinal win here (Stanford is favored) could vault them into the top 25. A tough task for Washington to say the least.

A few other games to watch:
Big 10 - Illinois @ #13 Ohio State: Illini beat OSU at the Shoe in 2007
ACC - #22 North Carolina @ Georgia Tech: UNC coach Butch Davis looks to keep Tar Heels undefeated
SEC - Arkansas @ #3 Alabama: Can the Tide contain the Hogs passing attack
Big 12 - Southern Mississippi @ #20 Kansas: both are 3-0
Big East - Fresno State @ #14 Cincinnati: The Bulldogs 1-2 record is deceiving
Pac 10 - #6 California @ Oregon: The Golden Bears have USC next week...looking ahead?

Dallas, we have a problem

I don't get it. It was just one loss. Fans will deal with wins and losses of their favorite NFL team every week. Some fans express their displeasure in a variety ways. Some will boo. Some will post on message boards calling out a player and/or coach. Some just let it roll and look to next week's game.

Sometimes, fans react in a way that make you scratch your head. Look at the situation currently unfolding in Dallas. There are two players that are under fire following the Cowboys loss to division rival New York Giants last Sunday night: tackle Flozell Adams and quarterback Tony Romo. The message boards are very active!

Adams has already been fined twice by the league this season. He was fined $5,000 for an unnecessary roughness penalty against Tampa Bay after the Cowboys week 1 win. His wallet lost more dough as he was nicked for another $12,500 following his trip of Giants Justin Tuck. The Cowboys "faithful" is calling him out. It seems that some want Adams out. Here's just a bit of proof from a blog post authored by Todd Archer for dallasnews.com. It's not what Archer writes, but it's the reaction to what he writes that grabbed my attention.

Before Cowboys fans want to pass judgement on Adams, think about this. He's is a five time Pro-Bowler ('03, '04, '06, '07, '08) and was voted All-Pro in '07. With the exception of four games in his rookie season, every game he's suited up for, he's started. That's not a coincidence. It's a pattern, and there's a reason for that pattern. He reliable and dependable. Just food for thought.

And what about all the people calling for Romo's head? In week one, Romo threw for a career high 353 yards and the 'Boys won convincingly. But now after a three pick week against the hated Giants, you want him gone, too? Dallas had the lead late in the game and lost on a last second field goal. Were Romo and Adams on the field when that happened? They were on the sideline.

Now, Hall of Famer and former Cowboy great Tony Dorsett has also taken to the task of calling out Romo. David Moore reacts to Dorsett's diss of Romo on dallasnews.com. I know Romo hasn't won a playoff game and can barely win a December game, but to want him out is a bit harsh and unjustified. He's good, but he's not Aikman. He's good, but he's not Staubach. He's Romo and he can't be Staubach or Aikman.

I'm not piling on Cowboys fans, but one loss doesn't spell doom for your season. You do play in the NFL's toughest division and divisional games may seem to be more at a premium. But don't point your finger at just one or two players. It is a team game. One player doesn't win a game on his own and one player doesn't lose a game on his own. Sure, you'll hear a player say he lost a game due to his lack of execution or poor performance. His teammates should pick him up in that situation and they usually do.

I believe it was Bill Parcells that once said, "Coaches coach and players play". And there's that issue: coaching. Don't even get the Cowboys fans started on that issue.

PGA Player of the Year, FedEx Cup up for grabs this weekend

Golf will crown potentially three different winners this weekend: The TOUR Championship winner, FedEx Cup winner, and Player of the Year. The PGA tour will conclude its "regular" season with the TOUR Championship, the final event in the PGA's "playoffs", from East Lake Golf Club from Atlanta.

The PGA amended its playoff scoring system from the past two years, and the beneficiary is any of the top five players in the FedEx Cup standings. For those five (we'll cover them), it's simple. If you win this week, you win the FedEx Cup. Those five are:

1. Tiger Woods
The fact the Tiger is contending should surprise absolutely no one. He's won six times this year (including the at the BMW Championship at Cog Hill 2 weeks ago) while only entering 16 events.
2. Steve Stricker
Stricker has three victories this season. He'd could still be atop the FedEx Cup standings if not for a final round 77 at the BMW. That poor finish allowed Woods to overtake him in the overall standings.
3. Jim Furyk
Of the top 5 players, Furyk's the only one without a tourney win in 2009. He's made 19 cuts in the 21 tournaments he's entered and his consistency has gotten him to this point. Finishing 2nd last week didn't hurt either. He's a steady as they come and it always a threat to win a tournament.
4. Zach Johnson
Johnson has a couple of wins this year under his belt. He's not the longest hitter on tour, but his short game more than makes up for his lack of length. Pressure is a non issue as he's won a major, The Masters in 2007.
5. Heath Slocum
Heath has one win this year and it couldn't have come at a better time...the first event of the playoffs at the Barclays. The revamped playoff system has benefitted Slocum the most. It will be interesting to see how he performs with the pressure.

There are hundreds of scenarios where the 25 others competing at East Lake can win the Cup, but these five golfers hold their own fate. To check out these scenarios, go here at pgatour.com.

The Player of the Year debate is pretty much a two horse race, Woods and Stricker. Although Tiger leads the tour with 6 wins this year, some feel he must win this week in order to win Player of the Year. I'm not in total agreement. I think as long as Tiger finishes ahead of Stricker, Woods will get the nod. Of course, if Tiger wins, it really is a done deal and all the conversation that goes along with it is dead.

On the other hand, if Stricker pulls out a win this week and Woods struggles, it could be close. Stricker will have won the FedEx Cup and possess 4 wins. Two of those wins will have occurred in the playoffs and Tiger will have been in the field. Stricker will will have more victories in the playoffs (2) than Tiger (1). It could be hard pressed for anyone not to vote for Stricker under those circumstances.

Despite what events transpire at East Lake this weekend, it should create the most excitement outside of the majors.

I'm going totally outside the top 5 for my winner this week. I'm looking at Kenny Perry. He's made the cut in every tournament this year and a win at the TOUR Championship may make up for the disappointment of not winning the Masters. Here's one of those crazy scenarios. Perry can win the FedEx Cup if he wins and Woods finishes fourth or worse, Stricker finishes third or worse, and Furyk finishes third or worse.

Golf just got a bit crazier.

Manning passes Unitas; Colts win with most bizarre stat ever

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning became the Colts all time leader in wins, passing Colts legend Johnny Unitas, with a 27-23 win at Land Shark Stadium last night. Manning now has 119 wins as a Colts QB. It's not the fact that Manning and the Colts got the win that's surprising, it was how they won.

I stated yesterday that if the Dolphins control time of possession and sucessfully run the ball, Miami would win. They did just that...except the winning part. The Dolphins had 239 yards rushing and had a TOP of 45:07...and lost. Huh? This is the first time since 1977 (when tracking TOP became a stat) that a team had a TOP of less than 15 minutes and won. So, history was actually witnessed twice last night. The TOP and Manning passing Johnny U.

One factor in the Colts having such a low TOP was they had two touchdown drives that totalled less than 45 seconds. The first drive of the game was 1 play and covered 80 yards and took a whole 12 seconds. The winning drive was 4 plays and consumed a massive 32 seconds. 5 plays in 44 seconds and 14 points? Scary. Really scary. The longest Colts drive of the night was barely over 4 minutes (4:07 to be exact). The Dolphins shortest drive: 2:23. All the other Dolphin scoring drives were at least 9 plays and over 6:00. They had 5 drives that resulted in scores.

So how did Miami lose? Three of their five drives ended in field goals and you can't settle for field goals and hope to beat Manning and the Colts. Think about this: Even when you keep Manning and the potent Colts offense off the field doesn't guarantee you a win if you don't put the ball in the endzone. Plain and simple.

On passing Unitas as the Colts leader in wins, Manning was his usual humble self. He even indicated he was a bit unsettled being mentioned with the likes of Unitas. You could even see him blush a bit at the comparison. But that's a side a Manning that makes him so refreshing in the "me" world of today's athlete. He receives his fair share of face time with all of his commercials, but it's in a manner which we enjoy. It's not about him. It's about the team. No trash talking tweets. No chest pounding. Just play the game and play it the best you can.

But one thing I'll tell people about Peyton Manning. Check out this video.

Sometimes you just can't help yourself. Congrats, Peyton. See you in Canton.

NFL Recap - Week 2

We weren't treated to another bizarre ending in week 2 like we were in week 1, but there were some intriguing games that also produced exciting endings.

1. Atlanta 28 (2-0), Carolina 20 (0-2)
While Panthers QB Jake Delhomme only threw 1 INT, it was Falcons QB Matt Ryan that had the better overall game. Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez is proving to be a great fit in the offense.
Game Ball: Ryan, 21-27, 220 yds, 3 TD

2. Minnesota 27 (2-0), Detroit 13 (0-2)
Vikings QB Brett Favre is finding out quickly that he doesn't need his famous "gunslinger" mentality when you have RB Adrian Peterson. Peterson didn't break the 100 yd. mark. He's averaging less than 100 yds/game against the Lions. Go figure that stat.
Game Ball: Favre, 23-27, 155 yds, 2 TD

3. Cincinnati 31 (1-1), Green Bay 24 (1-1)
The Bengals D never let the Packers O get on track. Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco did get to make his lame version of the Lambeau Leap. But the guys in stripes did have to hold on as the clock expired on the Packs final drive...inside the Bengals 5.
Game Ball: Bengals DE Antwan Odom. He had 5 sacks of Packer QB Aaron Rodgers. That gives Odom 7 total for the season.

4. Arizona 31 (1-1), Jacksonville 17 (0-2)
The Super Bowl runner-up bounces back with a quality offensive show. Cards QB Kurt Warner did not turn the ball over. Jags QB David Garrard had over 300 yds of total offense and continues to fly under the radar as a quality QB.
Game Ball: Cards RB Tim Hightower, 15 attempts, 72 yds, 1 TD. Maybe Arizona is starting to build a running game. If they can, that makes the Cards really scary.

5. Oakland 13 (1-1), Kansas City 10 (0-2)
One of the most heated rivalries in the league didn't produce much excitement until the final 5 minutes. The Chiefs scored with less than 5:00 to go and the Raiders answered about 3:30 later.
Game Ball: Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell, 7-24, 109 yds, 0 TD. His stats were terrible, but he did lead that drive that resulted in RB Darren McFadden's game winning TD.

6. New York Jets 16 (2-0), New England 9 (1-1)
Looks like Jets DB Kerry Rhodes "walked the walk" after wanting to embarass the Pats. He may have gotten a bit in the heads of the Pats. Pats QB Tom Brady never got in a rhythm and it showed. He missed WR Wes Welker as he was without his "go-to" guy.
Game Ball: Jets defense. No sacks but Pats QB Tom Brady completed less than 50% of his passes, 3 red zones trips by New England resulted in only 3 FG and they held Pats WR Randy Moss to only 4 catches for 24 yds.

7. New Orleans 48 (2-0), Philadelphia 22 (1-1)
The Eagles QB Kevin Kolb got his first start and played well (31-51, 391 yds, 2 TD)...except for the 3 INT. But Philly couldn't establish a running game, but with the Saints O scoring like a pinball machine, it's hard to even think about running the ball.
Game Ball: Saints QB Drew Brees, 25-34, 311 yards, 3 TD. He's the reason the Saints keep marching.

8. Houston 34 (1-1), Tennessee 31 (0-2)
The Titans are 0-2? The D may be missing DT Albert Haynesworth more than we're lead to believe. Plus, Titan RB Chris Johnson had a monstrous game (rushing: 16 att, 197 yds, 2 TD; receiving: 9 rec, 87 yds, 1 TD). The offense had a great game, but disappeared in the 4th. Who saw this coming?
Game Ball: Texans QB Matt Schaub, 25-39, 357 yds, 4 TD. Schaub bounced back from a lousy week 1 performance and lead Houston in its come from behind victory.

9. Washington 9 (1-1), St. Louis 7 (0-2)
The Redskins won a game and the Rams finally scored.
Game Ball: Redskins QB Jason Campbell, 23-35, 242 yds. More importantly, Campbell did not commit any turnovers. Maybe this will give him more confidence.

10. Buffalo 33 (1-1), Tampa Bay 20 (0-2)
The Bills should be 2-0, but let's not bring up last week's game. The Bills showed balance with the offense and forced Bucs QB Byron Leftwich into 2 INT.
Game Ball: Bills RB Fred Jackson, 28 att, 163 yds. The question will be what will the Bills do when RB Marshawn Lynch comes off the suspended list.

11. San Francisco 23 (2-0), Seattle 10 (1-1)
Niners RB Frank Gore gashed the Seahawks D until he had to leave early in the 3rd with an injury. Seahawk QB Matt Hasselbeck also left the game and x-rays were negative.
Game Ball: Gore, 16 att, 207 yds, 2 TD. Even after he left the game, the Niners were in complete control of this divisional battle.

12. Chicago 17 (1-1), Pittsburgh 14 (1-1)
Bears QB Jay Cutler outperformed Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger as the Bears get a 44 yard FG from Robbie Gould to beat the defensing Super Bowl champs. What also helped Da Bears was Steelers K Jeff Reed missing a pair of FG.
Game Ball: Cutler, 27-38, 236 yds, 2 TD. No turnovers either.

13. Denver 27 (2-0), Cleveland 6 (0-2)
Wait a minute. The Broncos are 2-0 and lead the AFC West? It's true. Granted it took a fluke play last week and the leagues worst offense this week in order for Denver to get their two wins.
Game Ball: Broncos DE Elvis Dumervil, 7 tackles, 4 sacks. Browns QB Brady Quinn is probably now his friend on Facebook he saw him so much.

14. Baltimore 31 (2-0), San Diego 26 (1-1)
Ravens LB Ray Lewis stoned Bolts RB Darren Sproles on a critcal 4th and 1 inside the Ravens 10 to seal the deal. The Ravens did allow Chargers QB Philip Rivers to throw for 436 yards.
Game Ball: Lewis, 10 tackles, 2 assists, 1 forced fumble. He still proves every week that he's still at the top of his game despite getting "long in the tooth". I really don't buy that either.

15. New York Giants 33 (2-0), Dallas 31 (1-1)
The Giants spoil Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' unveiling of his new palace and get a last second 37 yd FG from K Lawrence Tynes to take the win. Dallas QB Tony Romo was in a giving host by throwing 3 INT.
Game Ball: Giants WRs Mario Manningham and Steve Smith. Each had 10 catches, over 130 yds, and 1 TD. Maybe the questions of who can Eli throw to will subside...for a week anyway.

This evening's game pits Indianapolis (1-0) v. Miami (0-1). If the Colts can halt the Dolphins running game and make QB Chad Pennington try to beat them, Indy should emerge with a victory.

Cubs may be done with Bradley

Like we didn’t see this coming. The Chicago Cubs have suspended outfielder Milton Bradley for the remainder of the season for conduct detrimental to the team.

The source of Bradley’s latest rant is courtesy of an article published in the (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald. In the Bruce Miles article, Bradley had some not-so-flattering remarks about the Cubs organization and those that follow the Cubs.

Bradley was asked if his first (and maybe, last) season in Chicago has been enjoyable. His response was, to say the least, “insightful”

"Not really," he said. "It's just not a positive environment. I need a stable, healthy, enjoyable environment. There's too many people everywhere in your face with a microphone asking the same questions repeatedly. Everything is just bashing you. You got out there and you play harder than anybody on the field and never get credit for it. It's just negativity.

"And you understand why they haven't won in 100 years here, because it's negative. It's what it is."

This has to be one of the most preposterous statements Bradley has ever made. Let’s break it all down.

1. He needs “a stable, healthy, enjoyable environment…”. Milton, I guarantee you I’m not the only one that thinks this. What is so stable about you? You’ve been with seven teams in ten years. How much stability do you have? If it’s taken you this long to “confess'” this, your train left the station long ago.

2. “There's too many people everywhere in your face with a microphone…” Isn’t that part of your chosen profession? You wanted to be a professional athlete and that just goes with the territory. If you don’t want to answer those question, don’t do things that create attention.

3. “You got out there and you play harder than anybody on the field and never get credit for it.” When has that ever happened? I can think of maybe one Cub that you play harder than…and he’s out for the season.

4. "And you understand why they haven't won in 100 years here, because it's negative. It's what it is." It’s negative if you don’t produce. Any current and former Cub will tell you that. That actually happens in almost every fan base. It doesn’t make it right, but, to quote you, Milton, “it’s what it is”.

I actually thought Bradley and Lou would have a chance to mesh and propel the Cubbies back to the postseason and maybe even into the World Series.

Not a Cubs fan but I would love to see them win one before I leave this earth.

NFL Week 2 Preview-the late & night games

In the late and evening games of this week's schedule, there are a handful of interesting matchups.

Tampa Bay (0-1) @ Buffalo (0-1)

Tampa Bay: If the Bucs can run the ball the way they did against Dallas, it could be a long day in Buffalo. But don't overlook QB Byron Leftwich's performance. He threw the ball 41 times and had 276 yards. The offense was not the problem last week. WR Antonio Bryant was unable to practice on Friday and he is listed as doubtful for the game. On the other side of the ball, it's simple. The Bucs D must tighten up against the pass in order to gain a victory.

Buffalo: Losing last week was a heartbreaker. The Bills were up by 11 with about 5 minutes to go and let one get away. You can blame Leodis McKelvin all you want for taking the kickoff out of the endzone with the hands team on the field, but that was only one play. T.O. was right, the offense did miss a couple of oppotunities, but QB Trent Edwards must capitalize on those chances this week. And the rushing game must establish itself. The defense did play well enough for a win, but Tom Brady was able to dash those dreams. I look for the Bills to come out extremely hungry this week.

Seattle (1-0) @ San Francisco (1-0)

Seattle: RB Julius Jones had his best game as a Seahawk...and the offense needed it. I know they beat the Rams 28-0 last week, but getting a rushing game going is critical to this offense. QB Matt Hasselbeck threw 3 TD...and 2 INT. The turnovers must be eliminated this week against another divisional foe. TE John Carlson was Hasselbeck's favorite target and it could be more of the same this week. The D bottled up RB Steven Jackson last week and will try to do the same with RB Frank Gore. If they can, it should be a successful trip to San Francisco.

San Francisco: QB Shaun Hill did lead the 49ers on a drive to win the game last week, but that was really the only drive offense had. If RB Frank Gore can't get it going, it will make for a long afternoon. Gore is the key because I don't see the Niners winning again while posting another poor offensive showing. The D did "limit" the Cards to 259 yards through the air and the Seahawks shouldn't pose as much of a threat passing. It would be nice to say that the Niners stopped the Cards with only 40 yards rushing, but we all know the Cards can't run. The Seahawks may have found a rushing game and that may be the difference.

Pittsburgh (1-0) @ Chicago (0-1)

Pittsburgh: QB Ben Roethlisberger is building himself quite the reputation. That was evident in leading the Steelers on yet another late drive win the game against the Titans. We know Ben will be throwing but the Steelers have to run the ball. 23 carries for 36 yards will not cut it. But we might be seeing an evolution in the Steelers offense. As for the D, S Troy Polamalu is out with a knee injury. That will change the gameplan, but the Bears may face even more angles at which this unit can attack.. Dick LeBeau is a genius at that. The Steelers have had 10 days to prepare. Yipes!

Chicago: We all saw the 4 INT QB Jay Cutler threw against the Packers. One thing he must learn is that he is not Brett Favre and never will be. Once he can set his ego aside, this O unit will produce. Plus, Cutler does not have the same cast around him in Chicago that he had in Denver. RB Matt Forte has to find his stride for the Bears to compete. Good luck with that against the Steelers D. Add the fact that TE Desmond Clark is doubtful with a rib injury. On D, LB Brian Urlacher (wrist) is gone for the season and LB Pisa Tinoisamoa is lisetd as doubtful (knee). This leaves a major void in the LB corps and teh Steelers just may exploit that void with both the rush and the pass.

Cleveland (0-1) @ Denver (1-0)

Cleveland: QB Brady Quinn didn't have a bad game last week, but he didn't have a good one either. Even though RB Jamal Lewis averaged 5.2 yards a rush last week, he only had 11 carries. That must change for the Browns to be successful with both rushing and passing. WR Braylon Edwards was non existant last week, and the Browns can ill-afford another MIA game from him. Can the Browns stop the run? There are thankful that Adrian Peterson isn't on the other side of the ball. He torched the Cleveland D last week. The Broncos don't pose a threat there...or in the passing game. The X-factor is Joshua Cribbs. He took one back last week and he is a game changer.

Denver: Hard to believe the Broncos won last week, huh? Not really if you look at the numbers...never mind. They were beaten in almost every category by the Bungles last week. QB Kyle Orton did have a good game with a 100.7 QB rating, but 87 of his 243 yards came on the "tip drill". The Broncos must know that they can run, but they weren't very good at Cincinnati (20 rushes for 75 yards). The D was the key to last week's win. They held Cincy to only 7 points. They could replicate that this week against the Browns playing at Invesco.

Baltimore (1-0) @ San Diego (1-0)

Baltimore: QB Joe Flacco threw for over 300 yards? You're kidding, right? He had 43 attempts on top of it all. That's not the Ravens offense we're used to seeing, but it had to come as a relief to Ravens fans. Add this to the mix: they rushed for almost 200 yards. I don't know if it was because they played the Chiefs, but having the O perform like that on a consistent basis will relieve pressure on the D. And the D gave up 24 points to the Chiefs? That's not all true. One TD was on a return. That would make it 17 points and the D held KC to under 200 total yards. Same as it ever was.

San Diego: RB LaDainian Tomlinson is out and that may pose a bigger threat to the Ravens D. They must find a way to contain RB Darren Sproles. Even if that's possible (and I don't think it is) QB Philip Rivers has shown he can lead this team but it struggled to put the ball in the endzone against the Raiders last week. The D was dealt a severe blow with NT Jamal Williams being placed on IR. There goes the push from the D line. If the Bolts can't stop  the rush, it will be a gloomy day in San Diego.

NY Giants (1-0) @ Dalls (1-0)

Giants: Does anyone think for a minute the G-man will be in awe of Jerry Jones' new playpen? Hardly. But what may be even more striking is the amount of noise 100,000+ people can make. That makes it imperative that the rushing game dictate the flow of the game. RB Brandon Jacobs must improve on a 2.9/rush from last week. If the Giants can't run, QB Eli Manning could be vunerable to the Cowboys pass rush. And he doesn't want to be looking up at the Mega TV every play.

Dallas: Can QB Tony Romo have the same success he had last week? Most likely, no. Romo had a career game last week at Tampa and if he can be 75% of what he was last week, it should result of another win. But if Dallas is to pull off a win, the Cowboys will have to find a way to make the O more balanced. They did rush for over 100 yards last week and that trens must continue. We all know DeMarcus Ware is a beast...and so does Eli Manning, but the rest of the D is a bit suspect. They had no sacks last week against a good Bucs O line and that includes 0 sacks from Ware.

Indianapolis (1-0) @ Miami (0-1)

Indianapolis: How much will the absence of WR Anthony Gonzalez affect to O? It will seeing as the Colts really don't have a bona fide #3 WR. That role seemed like it actually belonged to TE Dallas Clark because of his talent. Leave all that to QB Peyton Manning. I'm sure he'll figure it out since he's the real offensive cordinator. The Colts got to run better. Averaging 2.3 yards a carry won't cut it and the Dolphins only allowed 2.5 last week. The D must make Chad Pennington beat them by stopping the rush. If they can turn Miami into a pass-first offense, all will be good.

Miami: If the Dolphins are to win, RBs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams will have to tote the rock. One way to beat the Colts is by winning time of possession and a good running attack will do that. The best defense for beating the Colts is a good offense and that means running the ball successfully. But what if you can't? Then two things come into play. One is QB Chad Pennington. He must make correct reads and decisions in the passing game. Pennington can do both. The second is the Dolphins D. They held Michael Turner and the Falcons to only 68 yards rushing. But it's the passing game that should have Dolphins fans a little worried. Matt Ryan didn't light up the scoreboard last week but he did have 2 TD and a 61.1 competion percentage.

There's all your week 2 matchups. If you missed the previews for the early games, you can catch them here. Enjoy the games!

NFL Week 2 Preview-the Early Games

Now that we have the first week of the NFL season under our collective belts, we can exhale. While the first week provided a crazy moment (yes, I live near Cincinnati), week 2 may have even more to offer us.

There are a few excellent matchups this weekend and we will be treated to Jerry Jones' new toy in Texas. Today, let's look at the early games. We'll look at the late and night games (including Monday night) tomorrow.

Carolina (0-1) @ Atlanta (1-0)

Carolina: I don't think the Panthers could have gotten off to a worse start from an offensive standpoint. QB Jake Delhomme is still the guy but for how long. Sure, it's a worry, but the Panthers have a running game that's among the league's best with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart. For the Panthers to even have a chance, they must stick to the run. That and don't turn the ball over, Jake. The D couldn't stop the run last week and he comes Michael Turner. Yipes!

Atlanta: While QB Matt Ryan did have a good game against the Dolphins in week 1, the bigger concern should be why RB Michael Turner had only 65 yards in 22 carries. That may be a byproduct of the Miami defense which is a decent one. The TDs Ryan threw were to a TE and a RB. Getting the WR more involved in the scoring is a necessity. The health of K Jason Elam could be huge in this divisional battle. Elam has a sore hamstring and he missed two FG attempts last week. Get Turner back on track and all is well in the ATL.

New Orleans (1-0) @ Philadephia (1-0)

New Orleans: Drew Brees. Can he be stopped? The Saints will need the rush a little more to help Brees in this one. This is not a defense that you can just sit back and be one dimensional. If RB Pierre Thomas plays, it won't be much. RBs Mike Bell and Reggie Bush will have to step up if New Orleans is to pull off a win. Bell had an outstanding game against the Lions. The Saints ate up the clock last week and that will serve well in Philly. The defense will have play better than it did in week 1. They did allow the Lions 27 points.

Philadelphia: There's still a remote chance QB Donovan McNabb will start...not buying it. Kevin Kolb should see his first start and the Eagles do have Jeff Garcia as a backup since Michael Vick isn't available. What will make this start tough for Kolb is that the game is in Philly. If he struggles, the crowd will want Garcia. Don't be surprised if that comes to light. The Eagles did manage over 180 yards rushing last week and that may relieve some pressure off of Kolb. The defense is a little banged up but this unit always shows up with its lunchpail.

Houston (0-1) @ Tennessee (0-1)

Houston: Did anyone on the offense even show up last week? The Texans scored only seven points...and that was the defense that scored the points. RB Steve Slaton was held to 17 yards in 9 attempts. WR Andre Johnson had 4 catches for only 35 yards. QB Matt Schaub had a QB rating of 55.9. Who in their right mind would figure that this game will be the one that gets Houston back on track? Not me. Plus, you're going to Tennessee? That's scary and Halloween isn't for another month.

Tennessee: The Titans did every thing to beat the Steelers in week 1, but they left Heinz Field with an L. Outside of the final score, the Titans lost the time of possession battle and that's a battle they must win. And they should this week. You may even see the Titans throw the ball a little more that usual. WR Nate Washington will start this week giving QB Kerry Collins a more than viable deep threat. RBs Chris Johnson and LenDale White could both have big games.

Minnesota (1-0) @ Detroit (0-1)

Minnesota: RB Adrian Peterson should have another stellar day. The Saints RB Mike Bell amassed over 100 yards rushing against the Lions D in week 1. QB Brett Favre didn't need to throw for a lot of yards in week 1, AD was all the offense the Vikes needed. It very well could be like that this week. Cleveland did put up 20 against the Vikings and the Lions could duplicate that. The Vikes aren't all that special on special teams.

Detroit: Remember when I said the Vikes special teams weren't that special? Well, that's one area the Lions are definitely better. WR Dennis Northcutt is still one of the league's better punt returners. Field position will be key if the Lions want to even think about a W. But first, stop Peterson. Good luck with that one. The rushing attack is going to have to improve over last week's 20 carries for 33 yards performance. That will be hard to do against the Vikes front four.

New England (1-0) @ NY Jets (1-0)

New England: QB Tom Brady is not all the way back and don't be fooled into thinking he is. But he is still able to bring his team from behind and win a game. The D took a major shot by losing LB Jarod Mayo for a few weeks. We're used to seeing Belichik just reload but the ammo is getting a bit sparse. Brady did rediscover the TE Benjamin Watson and now has another target/toy. That will make the Pats a bit more dangerous.

Jets: Two questions. First, will rookie QB Mark Sanchez play as well as he did in week 1? Second, how often will Tom Brady throw in S Kerry Rhodes' direction? If Sanchez can match his week 1 performance, the Jets have a chance. But Rhodes saying that he wants to "embarass" the Pats was not a good move. Jets fans better hope he can back up his words or it's going to be a long day at the stadium.

Arizona (0-1) @ Jacksonville (0-1)

Arizona: The Cardinals won every stat against the 49ers last week...except two. QB Kurt Warner threw two picks and the 49ers won the time of possession. That's all. The turnovers were critical because this offense can overcome the TOP deal. But not last week and this week will be tough going to the east coast. It's just a fact that west coast teams have difficulty going to the east coast and winning games.

Jacksonville: The Jags have been news worthy because of the Tim Tebow "alert". Forgot that. Got to get a win. That may happen this week but the Jags couldn't stop Peyton and the Colts passing attack last week and here comes Warner and the best WR crew in the league. Tall order even though it's a home game. The Jags passing attack must show up this week. They had as many yards rushing as passing last week.

Oakland (0-1) @ Kansas City (0-1)

Oakland: The Raiders could have won against the Chargers in week 1. QB JaMarcus Russell will have to play better this week. Where was WR Darrius Heyward-Bey? Nowhere on the stat sheet, but that's actually not a major issue. The Raiders can rush the ball with RBs Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. The defense played well despite the final score. The Chiefs don't pose as much a threat on offense as the Chargers. This is a winnable game for the silver and black.

Kansas City: There are still questions about if QB Matt Cassell will play this week. He's on the injury report as questionable. They will need him as KC managed only 188 yards of total offense last week. They did play the Ravens so that's  understandable. And the Chiefs did put up 24 points. But they gave up 38 and over 500 yards. If Cassell is a go, this week may be a bit different on the O side of the ball.

St. Louis (0-1) @ Washington (0-1)

St. Louis: A disastrous start to Steve Spagnuolo's NFL head coaching debut. The Rams were blanked and could do nothing about it. QB Marc Bulger had a completion percentage under 50% and RB Steven Jackson managed only 67 yards. And Jackson was the bright spot on offense. The defense was gashed by the Seahawks to the tune of 167 rushing yards. Not a Spagnuolo trademark.

Washington: Despite losing by 6 to the Giants last week, the Redskins did have a couple of positives. QB Jason Campbell played good. He threw a pick, but his QB rating was 93.6. No pick, it's well over 100. They also managed 85 yards rushing against the vaunted Giants D. And they get the Rams. RB Clinton Portis should visit triple digits and Campbell should repeat his week 1 performance. There's nothing to suggest the Rams can stop them even with Spagnuolo.

Cincinnati (0-1) @ Green Bay (1-0)

Cincinnati: A freak play "beat" the Bengals last week. Not exactly. That's what everyone saw from the highlights. The truth is the Bengals O was good between the 20s and horrible inside of them. Cincy dominated every stat except for the one that counts. I'm putting this out there: The defense did not lose that game against the Broncos...the offense did. I know it's a team game but the O sputtered once they sniffed field goal range. Was like watching the '08 Bengals O. I'm putting this out there, too: WR Chad Ochocinco needs to just play football.

Green Bay: QB Aaron Rodgers against a very underrated D. This is a matchup to watch. If the Pack can move the ball, they win. If they aren't effective moving the ball, they still have a chance. The D did manage 4 picks last week but Carson Palmer does not turn the ball over like Jay Cutler so Packer fans cannot count on them. The D will also have to deal with RB Cedric Benson who's a bit familiar with Lambeau. The Pack may sport the most improved D in the NFL.

That's the last of the early Sunday games. Tomorrow we'll look at the late, Sunday night, and Monday night games.

NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup is on

NASCAR's version of the playoffs begin this week from the New Hampshire Motor Speedway with the Sylvania 300. Let's take a look at all 12 contenders from the 12th seed to the top seed.

12. Greg Biffle, #16 3M Ford, Roush Fenway Racing - Biffle finished 3rd last year and 2nd in 2005. Although he didn't win a race this season, he has won previously at this week's stop. Biff also sports 5 career top 10 finishes at Loudon. That stat is a little deceiving though. In the last six races at New Hampshire, he does have his win, but no other top 10 finishes with a best finish of 13th. It's critical that this team get off to a good start considering the recent history at this week's location.

11. Juan Pablo Montoya, #42 Target Chevrolet, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing - This is JPM's first go at the Chase. If you listen to Mark Martin (and seriously, who doesn't), this guy's a major sleeper. While this style of format is new to Montoya, being in pressure situations is not. This team could have at least one win this year if not for a speeding penalty in Indy which took the race's most dominant car out of the running. This is not the most successful track the Target team and Montoya. He has never posted a top 10 finish New Hampshire Motor Speedway and he has a 12th as his best finish. He's still a threat and he's as tenacious as they come.

10. Ryan Newman, #39 U.S. Army Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing - Newman's no rookie when it comes to the Chase. He has three 6th place finishes ('02, '03, and '05). Newman has two wins in Loudon and has 3 top 10 finishes (in 7 races) since his last win there in 2005. Overall, Newman has 9 top 10's in 15 total races at this week's stop. Pretty good record at what can be a difficult place. Newman's making the Chase may be a surprise to some but it shouldn't considering his owner (Tony Stewart) is such a fierce competitor. This year has been better thanmost thought it would be, but Newman is an outside shot at best.

9. Carl Edwards, #99 Aflac Ford, Roush Fenway Racing - What? No backflips this year? It's true but hard to believe. Edwards finished in 2nd last year to eventual champion Jimmie Johnson. 2009 hasn't been as kind to Edwards as 2008. New Hampshire hasn't exactly been a bad place for Edwards, but it hasn't been all that good either. Edwards has 2 top 5's (in 10 races) but no other finishes inside the top 10 here. The best news is that Edwards has never had a DNF in Loudon. He's never won in New Hampshire, but his worst finish is 20th. That's a pretty good record.

8. Brian Vickers, #83 Red Bull Toyota, Red Bull Racing Team - Another newcomer. Vickers comes into the Chase as the hottest guy on the circuit. In his last nine races, his worst finish is 12th at Bristol. New Hampshire has not been friendly to Vickers. In his 10 career races, he has a best finish of 5th with an average finish of 20.5. Vickers last two visits to Loudon have resulted in a pair of 35th place finishes. This team cannot afford to duplicate these results this week. The Red Bull team is a major wild card and could either steal the Cup or have a big letdown now that they're in the Chase. Vickers does sport a victory this season at the Carfax 400 in Michigan.

7. Kurt Busch, #2 Miller Lite Dodge, Penske Racing - Kurt took the title back in 2004 as a member of what was then Roush Racing. That was the first season of the playoff format so no need to worry about the experience factor. Busch would like nothing more than to get a second title for himself and at the same time, get a first for team owner Roger Penske. Loudon has been good place for the older Busch. He's posted three victories and 8 top 10s with an average finish of 14.8 in his carrer at New Hampshire. Busch won the Kobalt Tools 500 in Atlanta this year for his only victory. He's a bit under the radar and that makes him doubly dangerous.

6. Jeff Gordon, #24 National Guard Yellow Ribbon/DuPont Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports - Gordon is a four time champ ('95, '97, '98, '01), but he's not won since the current "playoff" system came into play. Gordon rightfully commands respect as a previous champ and everyone should be aware of his track position at all times. Of Gordon's 29 starts at New Hampshire, he holds 16 top 10 finishes. What's really scary is that of the last 5 trips to Loudon, Gordon has 3 runner-up finishes. A legit threat at any time. Gordon's only win this year came at the Samsung 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.

5. Kasey Kahne, #9 Budweiser Dodge, Richard Petty Motorsports - Kahne's been here before, but it's a new feeling for the King, Richard Petty, and long overdue. Kasey finished 8th in the 2006 Chase. In 11 races at New Hampshire, Kahne has 5 top 10s with an average finish of 16.0. Nobody has ever doubted Kahne's talent and now that he's back in the Chase, he's a solid contender to take it all with two wins this year (Sonoma and Atlanta). Knowing that RPM now is catching up to the "big boys", Kahne's confidence is as high as it's ever been. And with that confidence comes a fact that Kahne is a realistic threat.

4. Denny Hamlin, #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing - Hamlin has never received his due as a driver even though his career average finish is 13.8. His stats in seven races in New Hampshire are even better with a win and 5 top 10 finishes for a 8.3 average finish. Hamlin won last week at Richmond for his second victory of the '09 season (the other at Pocono). What's even more surprising is that Hamlin is the only Joe Gibbs Racing entry in the Chase. Teammate Kyle Busch missed by 8 points. Hamlin has all the ability to take it all. And the other teams had better take notice.

3. Jimmie Johnson, #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports - We all know that Johnson is a viable threat. After all, he's won the last three and is looking to make it a record breaking fourth in a row. With Chad Knauss as the crew chief, JJ is even more dangerous because they work as well as any driver/crew chief combo. Even though he enters the Chase as the #3 seed, there's not a lot of talk involving Johnson. That's dangerous. Johnson has 15 races under his belt at Loudon with average finish of 9.9 (10 top 10s) with 2 wins. Jimmie had three wins this year (Martinsville, Dover, and Indy) and he could very well win at least one more before it's all over. Both Matinsville and Dover are stopping points in the Chase.

2. Tony Stewart, #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing - Stewart is a two-time champ (2002, 2005) but this is his first as an owner (Stewart also owns the #39 ride). Stewart's two championships came when he was driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. Stewart is the #2 seed but lead in points during the "regular season". New Hampshire has been kind to Stewart 2 wins and 13 top 10s in 21 races. Smoke's average finish in Loudon is 12.2. His average finish for the season is 9.1. He can win it all again for his third overall and first as an owner. His three wins this year came at Pocono, Daytona, and Watkins Glen.

1. Mark Martin, #5 Carquest/Kellogg's Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports - I highly doubt any NASCAR fan would be upset if Martin took the Cup. He's finshed 2nd in the final standings four times ('90, '94, '98, '02). If there's ever such a thing as an sentimental favorite, it's Martin. Rick Hendrick convinced Martin to come out of "semi-retirement" to drive for him. It could prove to be the best move that either Hendrick or Martin has ever made. Martin won four times in 2009 (Phoenix, Darlington, Michigan, and Chicago). The Chase will pass back through Phoenix so look for Martin to possibly score another victory during the Chase. His history at Loudon has been good as far as average finish (11.1), but Martin has yet to record a victory there.

Can Kiffin sing and cash checks?

I've been wondering about a couple of things. Is it possible that Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin is getting his vocal chords warmed up? And if said vocal chords do get warmed up, does he even know all the words to "Rocky Top"? The answer to both question may be "no" because Kiffin should be getting ready for the drubbing of his coaching career.

And he will have earned that drubbing.

Kiffin announced his arrival and brashness upon his being hired by Tennessee when he made an extreme error in judgement. We've all seen the video. (If you haven't, click here to watch it.) Last December, Tennessee is holding a news conference announcing that Kiffin is the new guy in Knoxville. During his "speech", Kiffin stated that it would be a blast singing "Rocky Top" all night long after they beat Florida...this year! Needless to say, that comment raised some eyebrows in Gainsville.

But Kiffin didn't stop there. He even took the opportunity to make a verbal swipe at Florida's Urban Meyer. Kiffin accused the head Gator of breaking NCAA recruiting rules. After review, Kiffin was in the wrong and he later issued an apology to Meyer. The SEC has something to do with that because Kiffin also received a reprimand for his actions.

Kiffin's main issue should be the location of this Saturday's game. At 3:30 PM, the Volunteers will be in The Swamp. Any road game in the SEC is a tough game, but Kiffin placed his team in the crosshairs by the statements he's made. And he has to live with the results.

Since Meyer has come to Florida, the Gators have reeled off four straight wins in this rivalry. Here are the scores during that four year span.
2005: 16-7 (at FLA)
2006: 21-20
2007: 59-20 (at FLA)
2008: 30-6
Total: 126-53
With the exception of 2006, the Vols have been within a touchdown only once. I look at the last two games because Tim Tebow was the Florida starting quarterback in those games and the combined final score: 89-26. Ouch. You know Tebow will keep those comments in mind. Like the guy needs any more motivation.

And 40 is the magic number. Since 2001, Florida is 40-0 when scoring 40 or more points. Almost scary all those 40's. You know that if Meyer has the oppotunity to run up the score, he will. And I can't say I blame him. He will have just cashed in on a chance to throughly beat a conference rival. That's all.

Kiffin? Will he be able to cash the check he wrote?

Doubt it. That bank wasn't covered in the bailout.

MLB MVP candidates

Outside of winning a World Series, the MVP of each league validates what a player has done for that single season. While there's always going to be a lot of debate on who wins, there is little doubt on that player's place in MLB history.

With that being said, let's look at my take on cadidates from the American League.

Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer appears to be the front runner. Despite the fact that Mauer missed the first month of the season, he's out together one of the greatest statistical years in history. Mauer leads the AL in batting average (.374), on-base percentage (.441), and slugging (.610). A more surprising fact is that Mauer has scored more runs (86) than the Seattle Mariners Ichiro (81), Tampa Bay Rays Carl Crawford (84), and Boston Red Sox Jacoby Ellsbury(80). All those other players are known to score a lot of runs.

Mark Teixeira of the New York Yankees can also be considered. Tex did get off to a slow start, but he's found his groove and has produced for the guys in pinstripes. He leads the AL in RBI (112) and is currently second in HR (35). Tex can win the HR crown due to Rays 1B Carlos Pena (39 HR) being on the shelf for the rest of the season. If he can pass Pena, that will be more for the voters to contemplate when they cast their ballots.

Don't fall asleep on the Detroit Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera. He's been the most productive Tiger and is often overlooked because Detroit as a team gets overlooked. Cabrera currently sits third in batting (.333), fourth in on-base percentage (.404), and fifth in slugging (.552). Cabrera get a bit of a knock because of lack of clutch hits, but fans at Comerica will disagree. At the home of the Tigers, Cabrera is hitting .365. Midwest fans should show him a little love.

The west coast fans will thrust Angels 1B Kendry Morales into the mix. Morales sits in the top ten in four offensive categories: third in slugging (.564), seventh in HR (30) and RBI (98), and eighth in OPS (.914). One fact that voters should remember is the extended period that the Angels were without Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero. Morales was there to pick up the slack and hasn't looked back.

I'm throwing one more in, Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees. I'm not doing it based on the fact that Jeter passed Lou Gehrig for the all-time Yankees hit leader. I'm doing it because of what he brings to the field everyday. Some will ask where are his stats? He's hitting .330 (fourth), 17 HR, 64 RBI and 26 SB ninth). I submit this. In 1995 Cincinnati Reds SS Barry Larkin won the NL MVP with these numbers: .319 BA, 15 HR, 66 RBI and 51 SB. Larkin was the captain of that club and what Larkin meant to the Reds that season is what Jeter is to the Yanks.

I think Yankee voters may get a bit sentimental to Jeter and they could cost Teixeira. I'm kind of in the same boat.
1. Mauer
2. Teixeira
3. Morales
4. Jeter
5. Cabrera

The National League is a bit clearer.

The favorite is St. Louis Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols. Pujols ranks first in seven offensive categories (RBI, BB, slugging, HR, runs, on-base percentage, and OPS). He also second in batting average. All the compliments I gave to Mauer I almost double giving them to Pujols. Unless he totally falls off the baseball map, it's his.

The player looked upon as his main competition is Florida Marlins SS Hanley Ramirez. HanRam leads the NL in batting and is ranked in the top ten in six other stats (third in on-base percentage and OPS, sixth in runs, RBI, stolen bases, and slugging). Ramirez is hitting .377 away from Land Shark Stadium. He's also commited only 9 errors and ranks fourth in SS fielding.

Milwaukee Brewers 1B Prince Fielder should get a bit of attention and is a dark horse. He is currently second in RBI (just one behind Pujols), second in OPS and slugging, third in HR, fourth in BB, fifth in on-base percentage, and seventh in runs scored. When Prince hits a homer, it's always a no-doubter. The Brewers were in a bid for a playoff spot but have faded down the stretch and that may hurt Fielder's chances.

Unless I need surgery, Pujols is the winner.
1. Pujols
2. Ramirez
3. Fielder