NFL Divisional Wrapup - Steelers/Ravens

The first game of Saturday had all the makings of defensive struggle. Steelers and Ravens, what more could be expected, right?

Well, it was that despite the final score of 31-24 with the Steelers advancing. The Steelers overcame a 21-7 halftime deficit to gain a nod in the AFC Championship game.

The defensive struggle part? It really was. The two teams combined for 389 yards of total offense. The problem was on the Ravens side, offensively. They could only muster 126 yards of offense. And don't forget the five total turnovers as well. All led to points.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The game's first turnover came on a bit of a bizarre set of circumstances. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger was being rushed and was hit from behind by Ravens DE Terrell Suggs. The ball hit the ground and evey stopped playing...except DE Cory Redding. Redding scooped up the ball and ran into the endzone. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin challenged the play and was unsuccessful. That left Pittsburgh with no more challenges remaining as Tomlin had already used his first earlier in the quarter.

The second Steelers turnover came at the 10:32 mark of the second quarter. RB Rashard Mendenhall was going into a scrum of linemen when his own teammate, OL Chris Kemoeatu, knocked the ball loose from Mendenhall's arm. On the sixth play following the fumble recovery, the Ravens scored a TD. Ravens 21, Steelers 7. The Ravens converted two turnovers into 14 points.

After halftime, it was time for the tide to turn in the Steelers favor.

AFC Divisional Battle: Ravens/Steelers

What a game to kick off the NFL playoff games tomorrow. You have most likely the hardest hitting rivalry in the league with the Baltimore Ravens traveling to Heinz Field to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

For the season, the teams split their two affairs. The Ravens won the first game in week 4 at Pittsburgh 17-14. That was the last game of Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger's suspension. The Steelers returned the favor in week 13 by beating the Ravens in Baltimore 13-10. Yes, I expect the same type of games as the first two meetings these two teams had during the regular season.

Game Time: 4:30 PM ET
Network: CBS
Announcers: Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
Site: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh

The Steelers get the game at home due to winning the AFC North title and being the #2 seed in the AFC. Will that provide enough for Pittsburgh to advance? We'll see.

When the Steelers have the ball...

	Scoring (Rk)	Total Yds (Rk)	Pass Yds (Rk)	Rush Yds (Rk)
offense	23.4 (12th)	345.3 (14th)	225.1 (14th)	120.2 (11th)
defense	16.9 (3rd)	318.9 (10th)	224.9 (21st)	93.9 (5th)

As I have previously stated, the first time these two teams squared off, Ben Roethlisberger did not play. The Steelers just have a different air about them when he's leading the offense. They seem more confident. They actually are a bit more explosive only because Roethlisberger can take a play that has broken down and achieve positive yardage.

Image: Jeffrey Beall/Flickr

That's created a bit of a change in what was once a primarily rushing team. THey can still pound the ball with Rashard Mendenhall, but now, the Steelers have this ability to throw.

On one side, there's Hines Ward. He's as tested as any receiver in the NFL. For the last couple of seasons, it seems like people want to write him off. All Ward does is go out and compete. Then, you look on the other side and see Mike Wallace.

Wallace had a sensational regular season. He led the Steelers in receptions (60), receiving yards (1,257) , TD receptions (10) and yards per catch (21.0). To say he's a deep threat is an understatement, but Wallace can run with the ball after a catch.

For years, we've heard all the pleasantries about the Ravens defense. And every bit if it is well deserved. The philosophy hasn't changed over the last decade, hit 'em and hit 'em harder. Seems simplistic, but don't be fooled. When your defense can routinely run two certain Hall of Famers out there (Ray Lewis and Ed Reed), you better hope your head is on a swivel. Oh, they have both probably seen every formation this Steelers offense can muster.

If there is one weakness on the Ravens defense, it is defending the pass. Last week against the Chiefs, the Ravens secondary devoured a playoff rookie in Chiefs QB Matt Cassel. Getting pressure on Roethlisberger isn't always a good thing because he is so strong, he can get out of potential sack situations. And there's the added factor of making something out of nothing.

The guy across the line of scrimmage this week is no playoff rookie. He owns a pair of Super Bowl rings. I look for the Steelers to maybe find other ways to utilize Wallace and his speed. Bubble screens and a reverse or two may be just the ting to keep that Ravens D line from over committing.

When the Ravens have the ball...

	Scoring (Rk)	Total Yds (Rk)	Pass Yds (Rk)	Rush Yds (Rk)
offense	22.3 (16th)	322.9 (22nd)	208.4 (20th)	114.4 (14th)
defense	14.5 (1st)	276.8 (2nd)	214.1 (12th)	62.8 (1st)

The Ravens are a running offense. That's the mantra we've been hearing for years. It's true, but the NFL universe is waiting for Joe Flacco to bust out. He performed well aslt week against a decent Kansas City defense. I said decent, not great. That's the task for Flacco this week. Can he duplicate that against the Steelers?

For last week, Flacco posted numbers of 25-34, 265 yards and 2 TD in the Ravens 30-7 stomping of the Chiefs. Considering his last couple of playoff games were anything but good, he did manage to instill a bit of self confidence. Plus, knowing what's across the line will only aid him.

Image: Keith Allison/Flickr

And Flacco may have helped TE Todd Heap rediscover the Fountain of Youth. Heap caught a Ravens playoff record 10 balls for 108 yards. Heap will need a similar performance (I'm guessing about 7 catches for 70-80 yards would be good) for The Ravens to open the field up a bit for RB Ray Rice.

The Ravens offense is practically built around Rice. Rice is emerging as one of the top duel threat backs in the NFL. Last week, he only rushed for 57 yards and only caught five passes. That may be a good thing. He didn't have to absorb as much punishment as he will this week. He'll be a bit fresher, but not much. The Ravens are operating on one less day.

Like Heap came through last week, add WR Anquan Boldin to the list this week. If a Flacco to Boldin connection can be established, that means two things. One is Flacco is getting protection. Two is that Boldin is muscling his way through a pretty darn good secondary. The pass is one are where the Steelers can be had if executed properly.

With the week off, S Troy Polamalu received a much needed rest. That spells bad news for the Ravens. But the Steelers are much more the the long locked one. LB James Harrison is one of the elite defenders in the NFL. He can rush the passer, stop the running game and defend the pass. The Ravens will have to know where #98 is at all times.

And do not underestimate the Steelers D line. While the Ravens D line grabs a fair amount of press because of Haloti Ngata, these guys: Ziggy Hood, Chris Hoke, Casey Hampton, and Brett Keisel, know their roles and the reason the linebackers get all the glory. A thankless job, but these four are more than willing to accept that.

Overall, it's always hard to go against the home team in a playoff game. We saw how that worked out last week as the home team only won one of the four games (Seattle). And the Ravens can win in Pittsburgh...but not this week.

The extra time for the Steelers and one less day for the Ravens has me sold.

Ravens Smash Chiefs, Pack Grounds Eagles

With yesterday's games, this upcoming weekend's games are set.

In the first Sunday game, the Baltimore Ravens continue to be road warriors by thumping the upstart Kansas City Chiefs 30-7. You can ask where'd all that offense come from. And the key piece was Ravens QB Joe Flacco.

Despite people still bringing up his poor performance against the New England Patriots (a game the Ravens won, by the way), Flacco asserted himself to the tune of a 23-34, 265 yards and 2 TD performance. A stark contrast to the game in Gillette Stadium last January.

And what about Ravens TE Todd Heap? Just when you think the game may have passed him by a bit, he catches ten balls, a Ravens postseason and personal record, for 108 yards. And don't tell me you saw that coming either. The one receiver we all expected that type of game from was Anquan Boldin.

Most will point out that the Ravens defense forced five turnovers including three Matt Cassel interceptions. Very true, but the fact Baltimore showed an offensive spark against a pretty good defense can build momentum and confidence.

Then you realize the Ravens have to go to Pittsburgh.

Michael Vick's career in Philadelphia is officially in limbo...sort of, or not.

The Green Bay Packers saw to that limiting Vick's effectiveness on the ground. Vick had 8 rushes for 33 yards in the Eagles 21-16 loss. You could say Vick was contained as he did hit the air for 292 yards on 20-36 passing. He also tossed a pick with about a half minute to go to seal the deal for Green Bay.

One question: Where in the hell did Mike McCarthy find James Starks? Another question: How in the hell did this kid rush for 123 yards on 23 carries? For the 2010 season he had 29 carries for 101 yards.

I know at least two people that don't care. One is McCarthy. The other is Packers QB Aaron Rodgers who was the beneficiary of Starks and his legs. This all meant that Rodgers wore a pretty clean jersey and absorbed only two sacks.

Rodgers didn't accumulate a lot of yards through the air (180) and he only threw the ball 27 times. Rodgers didn't need to throw a lot. When he did he was pretty accurate, like 18-27 accurate and a game QB rating of 122.5. Did I fail to mention he tossed 3 TD?

So, next week looks like this:
Saturday:
Ravens/Steelers @ 4:30 PM ET
Packers/Falcons @ 8:00 PM ET
Sunday:
Seahawks/Bears @ 1:00 PM ET
Jets/Patriots @ 4:30 PM ET

Sunday NFL Playoff Games: Ravens/Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs emerged with the AFC crown among many critics.

Baltimore Ravens v. Kansas City Chiefs
Game time: Sunday, Jan. 9 @ 1:00 PM ET
Network: CBS
Announcers: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms

The Chiefs posted a 7-1 at Arrowhead Stadium, a tough place for any opponent to play. Again, among many critics. The Chiefs only home loss came just last week at the hand of the Oakland Raiders, a team that finished 8-8. For those seven home wins, their opponents had a combined record of 42-70 (.375). The only team with a winning record among those seven wins was an opening week win against the San Diego Chargers (9-7).

When the Chiefs have the ball...

	Scoring (Rk)	Total Yds (Rk)	Pass Yds (Rk)	Rush Yds (Rk)
offense	22.9 (14th)	349.7 (12th)	185.5 (30th)	164.2 (1st)
defense	16.9 (3rd)	318.9 (10th)	224.9 (21st)	93.9 (5th)

This really will be the crux of the game, the Chiefs top ranked running attack against the Ravens vaunted run defense. Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles has enjoyed back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons. Bringing in Thomas Jones only helped that matter. Jones saw a reduced role compared to the fact that he was coming off his best season as a pro just last season in New York as a Jet. Still, it's close to being the best 1-2 punch among RBs in the NFL.

Charles is evolving into a complete back.
Image: BabyBell11 via Flickr

And don't fall asleep on Charles as a receiver. The RB on the other sideline (Ray Rice) receives praises for how involved he is in the Ravens passing attack, but Charles is slowly improving in that area as well. For 2010, Charles had 45 catches for 468 yards. Nice average to go along with that.

But departing offensive coordinator Charlie Weis found just enough of a passing attack to keep opposing offenses honest. His goal coming in was to fix the QB. Well, I don't think it's completely fixed, but Weis did mange to get a bit more out of QB Matt Cassel than head coach Todd Haley got out of him in 2009. WR Dwayne Bowe had a tremendous season in leading the NFL with 15 TD catches. And keep this in mind: The Ravens are a tad soft at the corner.

But don't go picking on the Ravens secondary too much. There's this guy named Reed that will make you pay. And the one guy he will have his eyes on is TE Tony Moeaki.

When the Ravens have the ball...

	Scoring (Rk)	Total Yds (Rk)	Pass Yds (Rk)	Rush Yds (Rk)
offense	22.3 (16th)	322.9 (22nd)	208.4 (20th)	114.4 (14th)
defense	20.4 (11th)	330.2 (14th)	219.9 (17th)	110.2 (14th)

One guy will be in the Chiefs defense's crosshairs, RB Ray Rice. Rice led the Ravens in rushing (1,220), was second in receptions (63, only 1 behind team leader Anquan Boldin) and fourth in receiving yards (556). Rice is the oil that makes the machine go. So KC defensive coordinator Romeo Crenell has a simple way of stopping the Ravens, right?

A Flacco air raid would spell
doom for the Chiefs
Image: intothelens4149 via Flickr

Pretty much. The Ravens do go as Rice goes, but don't pay too much attention to him. While Boldin did not have the success this season as he has in the past in Arizona, he can and will bite you. And don't forget the like of Derrick Mason, T.J. Houshmanzadeh and Todd Heap. That means QB Joe Flacco could really be the man on the spot.

We've been hearing how good Flacco is, but I have yet to see him have that one standout game where I can emphatically so he's arrived. He's pretty much in the same as Trent Dilfer was when the Ravens won it all a few years back.

How do the Ravens score? They're not exactly a scoreboard busting offense, but the Chiefs defense can be had if Baltimore can simply maintain balance between the rush and the pass and utilize the clock to their full advantage. That will mean a lot of Rice. You do dance with the one that brought ya!

And here's another aspect to consider. The Chiefs offense isn't explosive either. Put together long touchdown scoring drives. If the Ravens O can do that, I see no reason why they don't leave Arrowhead as the winners.

AFC North Primer

Last season the Cincinnati Bengals surprised everyone by taking this division with a perfect 6-0 record. While I don't expect that in 2010, it should still be hotly contested.

A welcome sight for Ravens fans...and Joe
Flacco.

Baltimore Ravens
2009 Record: 9-7, 2nd in division
Head coach: John Harbaugh
Key Additions: WR Anquan Boldin, WR Donte' Stallworth, DE Cory Redding, CB Walt Harris, K Shayne Graham
Key Losses: DE Dwan Edwards, CB Samari Rolle

1. How will this defense hold up?
With all the injuries (again) in the secondary, you would think not very well. The Ravens will come at you in any situation, but with an extremely thin secondary, you have to wonder if there will be a slight adjustment. LB Ray Lewis is still Ray Lewis and don't let his age fool you (35). He's still a force. The one guy the Ravens must have healthy is S Ed Reed and that is a huge question mark. Reed is the quarterback of the secondary. His skills and instincts are the best there is at the position. Yes, Steelers fans. Better than Polamalu.

2. Is Joe Flacco going to improve even more?
Just by trading for Boldin makes Flacco better...a lot. Throw in the stable of tight ends (Todd Heap, rookies Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta) and RB Ray Rice and Flacco has everything around him. The only question will be the O-line and that is solid, too.

3. Can The Ravens make a run at the AFC title?
No doubt about it. Their schedule is a tough one, though. I see four games that they will be highly favored in (2 v. Cleveland, Tampa Bay and Buffalo). They travel to play the New York Jets, New England Patriots (revenge game for Pats), Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers (always a tough place to play). They also host the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints.

The Ravens are the sexy pick to win this division.

Will the tandem of Ochocinco and T.O.
make the Bengals more pass oriented?

Cincinnati Bengals
2009 Record: 10-6, 1st in division
Head coach: Marvin Lewis
Key Additions: WR Terrell Owens, WR Antonio Bryant, S Gibril Wilson, K Mike Nugent, K Dave Rayner
Key Losses: K Shayne Graham, RB Larry Johnson, WR Laverneous Coles

1. Can this team function with all the "personalities" on the roster?
Ochocinco, T.O., Pacman. They can and it will be up to Marvin Lewis to corral all that. So far, Adam Jones (he doesn't want to be called Pacman anymore and I don't blame him) has been stellar on the attitude front. He realizes this is his last gasp at football. I look for him to give CB Morgan Trent a run as the 3rd corner. Chad and T.O. will be fine. I bristled when I heard Skip Bayless on ESPN's First Take say that the Bengals (most notably Carson Palmer) created a monster in that Palmer targeted Owens so much during the game last night because he's lost confidence in Ochocinco. Not buying that one bit. We all know Bayless has it out for both Chad and T.O.

2. Can the defense duplicate what they accomplished in 2009?
They can and I believe they will. DE Antwaan Odom is back. They drafted DE Carlos Dunlap. The linebackers are outstanding (Dhani Jones, Ray Maualuga and Keith Rivers) and Cincinnati has arguably the best set of corners in the league in Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph. What's not to like?

3. Repeat as division champs?
Possibly, but we all know when you win your division, your schedule for the next season is tough. Cincy has both Super Bowl teams on their schedule and they have the usual home-and-home games against the Ravens and Steelers. Starting the season on the road at New England is no picnic either. 10-6 may repeat, but it will be a much harder fought 10-6 than last year.

The guys in stripes are every bit as legit can be.

McCoy will learn from one of the best team-
mates in Delhomme.

Cleveland Browns
2009 record: 5-11, 4th in division
Head coach: Eric Mangini
Key Additions: QB Jake Delhomme, QB Seneca Wallace, LB Scott Fujita, T Tony Pashos, TE Benjamin Watson, LB Chris Gocong, CB Sheldon Brown
Key Losses: QB Brady Quinn, QB Derek Anderson, RB Jamal Lewis, WR Donte' Stallworth, S Brodney Pool, G Hank Fraley, G Rex Hadnot

1. Any hope for the offense?
Browns fans, there really is hope for your Browns. Granted, it will be a slow process, but I love what Mike Holmgren is doing. He's bringing in guys he knows can play and play at a higher level than Cleveland showed last season. Delhomme may be long in the tooth and he had a rough go of it the last couple of season, but Jake's always been a team guy. That bodes well for future starter Colt McCoy. If Delhomme goes down, there's the experience of Wallace. We know the Browns can run. They were last in the league in passing last year.

2. What's the strongest position on the roster?
I know there's a nice young stable of running backs, but I'm going with the linebackers. I love this group. Fujita, Gocong, David Bowens, Jason Trusnick, Matt Roth, D'Qwell Jackson and Eric Barton. If you're not listed here, you might not make the squad.

3. Will last season's finish lift these guys?
The Browns won their last four games and if not for a play here or there, they could have won 6 of their last 7. A lot of the guys on that roster are gone, so the momentum will not be as great if the roster wasn't overhauled like it was. Still, the Browns know they can compete and that's more than half the battle. If anyone takes these guys lightly, they will be beaten.

Holmgren will build this franchise. Just give him the time.

Ben will sit at least the first four games of
the 2010 season. It could be six.

Pittsburgh Steelers
2009 record: 9-7, 3rd in division
Head coach: Mike Tomlin
Key Additions: S Will Allen, LB Larry Foote, WR Antwaan Randle-El
Key Losses: CB Deshea Townsend, RB Willie Parker

1. How will the Steelers function without Ben Roethlisberger?
With the reception he has received at training camp (fans and teammates), Ben has been forgiven by the locals but is still reviled outside of Steeler Nation. The Steelers will most likely have to rely on a running game that has stumbled since the days of Jerome Bettis and Willie Parker providing that 1-2 punch. Yes, they won the Super Bowl a couple of years ago, but running the ball is no longer a Steeler staple. It has to become a staple again or the Steelers will have a big hole to dig out of. They start the season with Atlanta, at Tennessee, at Tampa Bay and home with Baltimore. Right now, that looks like 1-3...at best.

2. Will the Steelers defense return as a dominant force?
It has to. You can't run on them, but you can pass even with the talented group of linebackers they have. But here's something to keep in mind. In their seven losses in 2009, the Steelers either held a fourth quarter lead or was tied in the fourth in six of those seven games. Enough said.

3. Was it a good move to give head coach Mike Tomlin that extension?
Excellent move. We know the Steelers are the most loyal franchise when it comes to coaches. Despite "falling" to a 9-7 record last year and missing the playoffs after a Super Bowl win, Tomlin is your prototypical Steelers coach. No nonsense. This season will be Tomlin's most telling. Remember when he said Pittsburgh was going to "unleash hell" last year? It never really happened. This year, hell will need to be unleashed to contend with the Ravens and Bengals.

Note: If I owned a team, I'd hire Tomlin in a minute if it took me that long.

Here we go.

1. Baltimore. Schedule is just a tad easier than Cincy's
2. Cincinnati. Could come down to last game of the season in Baltimore.
3. Pittsburgh. No Ben for at least the first four games hurts.
4. Cleveland. Still needs time.

More NFL Playoff Football!

Only the Packers/Cardinals game provided any form of excitement during the NFL's Wild Card Weekend. Maybe we'll be treated to bit more this coming weekend with the Divisional Round. Here's a quick look at the games being played on Saturday.

NFC: Arizona @ New Orleans; 4:30 PM ET, FOX (Kenny Albert, Darryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa)

Most will watch: Cards QB Kurt Warner and Saints QB Drew Brees.
How could you not want to watch these two? Warner absolutely lit up the Packers last week. Warner had more TD (5) than incompletions (4). There's no sign of him slowing down one bit. Warner has excellent postseason numbers. There is the rumor that Warner will retire after this season. I look for the Cards to do all they can to postpone that. If you have any doubt that this guy will end up in Canton, you're simply crazy.

But Saints fans believe they have the league MVP as their QB in Brees. Brees was second in the MVP voting and that vote has many in Louisiana up in arms. There's no question that when Brees gets it going, there's not any QB that's better. He has many so weapons at his disposal. That may have been why he didn't win the MVP.

You should also watch: New Orleans at the beginning of the game.
It's been almost a month since the Saints have played a real game. This is not the time for rust to set in. A quick start is paramount even though we know the Saints have the offensive firepower to come from behind, but so does Arizona.

If New Orleans wins the coin toss, you might see them take the ball first. Get that offense on the field early and see how they react. That side of the ball has not actually performed too well as of late.

But don't forget: the Saints ground attack.
The newest three-headed monster of Pierre Thomas, Mike Ball and Reggie Bush has given New Orleans even more cause to be optomistic. The lack of a running game was viewed as a significant weakness with the Saints offense. Not anymore. Establishing the run would open the passing game even more for Brees. A big benefit for the Saints.

One last thing: the crowd.
We know balls will fill the "air" of the Superdome. The indoors atmosphere, in itself, does not favor either team. It will be how much the crowd stays behind their Saints. If the Cardinals can score early and often, the life of the crowd would immensely diminish. Playoff games don't come around New Orleans too much. The crowd must holdfast and make a difference.

Bottom line: Despite being favored, it almost feels like people are doubting the Saints. With all that's been made of their late season swoon, it's hard to believe that the switch can flipped on. But what can we make of a Cards defense that blew a 21-point lead to the Packers? When Aaron Rodgers had to throw, he did so and he did at will. Brees operates the same way. Neither defense can stop the run and neither defense can stop the pass. The Saints can run while The Cardinals struggle with their running game.

Saints 37, Cards 28...both Warner and Brees pass for over 300 yards but the turnover bug bites the Cards.

AFC: Baltimore @ Indianapolis; 8:15 ET, CBS (Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)

Ravens/Browns Wrapup

16   0

So,last night's game was no more exciting than the Eagles-Redskins tilt. In fact, this game had even less happening. But I did manage to take away a thing or two from it.

1. With the exception of two plays, the Browns defense played well. Only a 44 yards pass fom Ravens QB Joe Flacco to WR Derrick Mason and the following Ray Rice TD run were the only plays that the Browns weren't in the game. Especially on Rice's TD run because Cleveland really only had 10 guys on the field. Cleveland held the Ravens almost 75 yards below their average and almost 9 points below their normal scoring.

2. It's a different story on the offensive side of the ball. QB Brady Quinn (left) only had 99 yards passing and the Browns offense only had 160 net yards of total offense. Concerns about Quinn's accuracy and the lack of a downfield passing attack were raised. ESPN's Mike Tirico accurately pointed out that Cleveland does not have the skill position players to possess such an attack. True.

3. Baltimore is once again alive in the playoff picture, but the Ravens are currently on the outside looking in as they currently sit 8th overall in the AFC. That's never a good place to be as a few things need to happen in order to make the postseason. All Baltimore can do is win...and the Ravens have a short week to prepare to host Indianapolis and then Pittsburgh. These next wo games should reveal the real Ravens of '09.

4. The last play of the game could prove to be a horrible memory for Cleveland fans. WR/KR and Pro-Bowler Joshua Cribbs was carted off the field and taken to a local hospital for evalution.

Game ball: Ravens RB Ray Rice - 104 total yards and TD

NFL Week 10 Recap and Ravens/Browns Preview

What a week!! The Bengals pull off the improbable sweep of the Steelers. The Rams push the Saints. Miami gets a FG with 0:14 remaining. Jacksonville does Miami 11 seconds better with a FG with 0:03 left. Green Bay upsets Dallas. A Broncos loss and a Chargers win means a tie in the AFC West. On to the recap...

Atlanta (5-4) 19
Carolina (4-5) 28
Panthers defend home field and keep a pulse for playoffs
Game ball: Panther QB Jake Delhomme - no stats to list but one, NO INT!

Tampa Bay (1-8) 23
Miami (4-5) 25
Dolphins overcome Bucs 14 point 4th quarter
Game ball: Dolphins RBs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams - 32 car., 204 yds., TD (combined)

Detroit (1-8) 10
Minnesota (8-1) 27
Vikes shove aside stubborn Lions for second time this season
Game ball: Vikings RB Adrian Peterson - 18 car., 133 yds., 2 TD

Jacksonville (5-4) 24
New York Jets (4-5) 22
Jets 4th quarter comeback falls short
Game ball: Jags RB Maurice Jones-Drew - 24 car., 123 yds., TD

Cincinnati (7-2) 18
Pittsburgh (6-3) 12
Defensive battle goes to Bengals
Game ball: Bengals defense - 226 net yds., 4 sacks

New Orleans (9-0) 28
St. Louis (1-8) 23
Host Rams prove to be a tough opponent for undefeated Saints
Game ball: Saints RB Reggie Bush - 6 car., 83 yds., TD; 2 rec., 15 yds., TD

Buffalo (3-6) 17
Tennessee (3-6) 41
Titans win third in a row behind QB Vince Young...sort of.
Game ball: Titans RB Chris Johnson - 26 car., 132 yds., 2 TD; 9 rec., 100 yds. Can anyone stop this guy?

Denver (6-3) 17
Washington (3-6) 27
Redskins pull off stunner as Broncos drop third in a row
Game ball: Redskins RB Ladell Betts - 26 car., 114 yds., TD

Marshall to land in NYC?

Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall may get his wish yet. Reports have surfaced that the New York Jets are interested in acquiring the disgruntled Bronco. Marshall has loudly claimed he either wants a new contract or a trade.

But are the Jets the best destination for Marshall? Would the Jets seriously want a player that has the off-field baggage that Marshall totes? Would New York City and Marshall be a good mix? Would Marshall be a good fit within the Jets locker room? Could the Jets deal with the behavior Marshall has exhibited lately?

The answer to all of those questions: Simply, no.

Having Marshall in the city that never sleeps is a dangerous mix on so any levels. This is not a knock on NYC. New York has many athletes in all sports that more than live up to their end of the bargain (Jeter and Eli just to name a couple). This is also not a knock on the Jets. They dealt with Favre last season, but Marshall is a different sort of "celebrity".

I have the perfect fit for Marshall...Baltimore. Yes, Baltimore.

From a football standpoint, Marshall is a perfect fit to go along side veteran Derrick Mason. Mason could use the help and distraction (on the field) that Marshall brings. Mason could show Marshall the ropes on being a professional. Mason's veteran presence will only serve to aid Marshall both in his performance and his maturity. But the benefits for Marshall going to the Ravens do not end there.

The Ravens have a strong, veteran presence in the locker room. It all begins with Ray Lewis. Lewis is argueably the most respected player in the NFL. Does anyone think that Lewis would "permit" such behavior (punting a ball instead of handing it to the ballboy, walking while teammates are running, knocking away passes instead of catching them) out of any teammate? Not if Lewis is around. Lewis would hold Marshall accountable for his actions and address the situations on a personal level. It wouldn't be the first time Lewis would be in that position.

Denver still holds all the cards concerning a potential deal for Marshall. If they trade him before or during the season, they may be able to get not only a decent draft pick, they could also get a player that could immediately help them. If the Broncos wait until after the season, they could still garner a first and third round pick solely based on Marshall's talent.

I think the Jets should stay away from Marshall. His antics would only serve as a distraction. Plus, the Jets will be starting a rookie at quarterback in Mark Sanchez. I see that as more of a hinderance to Sanchez's growth. I know head coach Rex Ryan would help there. But would it be worth it to bring this diva into your locker room while you're trying to win a tough division?

Rex, just a piece of advice. Don't let it happen on your watch.