Well, February 3, 2013, which was Super Bowl Sunday, has come and gone. The NFL 2012/13 season is over. That means it is the beginning of the off-season where trades, releases, and mock drafts begin. It also means that we NFL fans have to wait about six months for the new season to start, so let’s start tuning into hockey, the NBA, or MLB.

For me, I am starting to get Derby Fever. I will be watching all the Kentucky Derby prep races, and waiting patiently for Paynter to make his first start as a four year old. Is it the first Saturday in May yet?

Anyway, back to Super Bowl Sunday, where in the Super Dome in New Orleans, LA, Beyonce performed a half-time show at the Super Bowl, and reunited her former group, Destiny’s Child. During breaks in the game, there were plenty of those Super expensive Super Bowl ads, and, of course, the game itself was played. A new champion was crowned, and it was the Baltimore Ravens.

Since the production of the Super Bowl is such a huge operation with the game, the ads (some people watch the game just for the ads), and the half-time show, I decided to do a blog about the entire experience, writing about the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the entire Super Sunday.

Hopefully, you will enjoy this.

The GOOD:

Concerning the Game: Overcoming a bad start, and nearly letting the game get away from them, the San Fransisco 49ers, lead by QB Colin Kaepernick, made a furious come back in the second half to get within several points of the Ravens.
Some people with the tin foiled hats will say the blackout (more later) helped them, but nonetheless, it was a great comeback, especially for Kaepernick.

Kaepernick, even though he didn’t complete the comeback, has nothing to hang his head about. He is the real deal. He shook off the early jitters, and lead that team down the field for scores. This young man is going to be the future.

Joe Flacco for the Ravens did a wonderful job as QB for the Ravens in the game. He was very much in control in the game.

Jacoby Jones’ 108 Yard Punt return was so awesome. Anquan Boldin was lights out as well, when he made those clutch catches.

Ed Reed and Ray Rice getting rings. They are about the only members of the Ravens with any kind of class.

No more Ray Lewis on the field. Good riddance.

Concerning the Ads: The only commercial I liked was the Budweiser ad. It was the one where the farm hand was feeding the baby Clydesdale, and three years later, the two are reunited. It was so awesome, I cried. Great ad.

I also liked The Rock’s “Got Milk” ad. That was funny and cute.

Concerning the Half Time Show: Beyonce was lights out. No pun intended. Great performance. I really enjoyed her music. She put on a fun, energetic show. Seeing Destiny’s Child up there was real cool too. I also loved the stage settings.

The BAD:

Concerning the Game: The 49ers wasting their timeouts. I know that this is a huge game for Kaepernick, but he has to know when to take a time out, and when not to take a time out.

The 49er’s play calling at the end, when they were trying for the go ahead score. Why didn’t they run the ball a couple of times? That was just a mess.

Seeing Ray Lewis get abused. Oh wow. I could not believe it myself. Some of those 49ers RBs and WRs just went by Lewis as if he wasn’t there. Lewis just could not make the tackles.

Concerning the Ads: The rest of the ads were just stupid. There weren’t any other ads I liked.

Concerning the Half-Time Show: The ripping off Ace Frehley’s (original KISS guitarist) “shooting fire/rockets from the guitar” trick.

The UGLY

Concerning the Game: The black out was bizarre to say the least. I am glad that , at least for me, it didn’t affect the outcome. Let’s face it. BOTH teams had to wait for the power to be restored, so I don’t buy that the Ravens could have lost,etc.

The referees were horrid on both sides. It did seem to me that the replacement refs got into these regular refs’ bodies. Man, were there some terrible calls, and no calls. This one call in question was a defensive holding call near the very end that I think should have been called against the Ravens was not. Nevertheless, the refs just stunk up the place.

People say Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are the worst NFL commentating team. I got that beat. It is Jim Nantz and Phil Simms. Oh dear. These guys were horrible all night long. Simms said about that controversial no call that he got confused everytime he saw it. Simms is supposed to know what is going on in the game he played in for over a decade. What a buffoon.

Jim Nantz just killed me when he said that ever since Ray Lewis announced his retirement, Lewis has had a “ROUGH MONTH” because the media has brought up the Atlanta murder case he was involved in in 2000, and the deer antler charges, etc. My jaw dropped.

What did Nantz expect? Not every person in the media acts like ESPN and kisses Ray’s butt, and forgets that the slaying of those guys never happened.

The duo’s announcing and call of the game was horrendous. They called Joe Flacco “elite” after every throw, it seemed. Very annoying.

No imagination in giving someone else the MVP award. Joe played an awesome game, but I though Anquan Boldin or Jacoby Jones should have gotten it. Why is it (most of the time) the QB?

The automatic crowning of Flacco as elite. Slow down. He has the same amount of rings now as Peyton Manning (who IS elite). Flacco is a very good QB. He had nice stats in the playoffs, and the SB, but whoa a little bit.

Concerning the Ads: Nothing.

Concerning the Half-Time Show: Nothing.

Well, that is my review of Super Bowl Sunday. Congrats to the fans of the Ravens. Enjoy your parade on Tuesday. Your team played a very good game, and deserved to win.

Terri Bey currently blogs for CamelClutchBlog.com about Wrestling, NFL, and other sports/pop culture related subjects. Her work has appeared in BleacherReport and for F4WOnline.com. Terri can be found here at Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/TerriBey and at Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/giopontifan

Super Bowl XLVII 47 Baltimore Ravens vs San Francisco 49ers NFL Football Official Game Program

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Let’s take a look back at some of the things that stood out from Super Bowl 47 in my final edition of the 2012-2013 NFL weekly thoughts blog here at the CCB!

- The 2012-2013 NFL season has been a lot of fun to cover this season (with the exception of a “Super Storm” interruption in late-October/early-November) as I looked forward to recapping the games here on the CCB every week. The National Football league once again has proven why it is the very best sport in the world right now after delivering on another exciting Super Bowl finish. I’m already looking forward for September to come back around so I can enjoy Football yet again!

- There are two reasons why San Francisco is not Super Bowl 47 Champions right now. First off you can’t consistently play from behind in a playoff atmosphere. A veteran team like Baltimore won’t let you get back in the game like a younger team such as Atlanta would as we saw in this year’s NFC Championship Game. San Francisco lacked intensity in the entire 1st half and it came back to hurt them in the 2nd half.

Second I believe San Francisco isn’t Super Bowl 47 Champions right now because they just didn’t get it done in the redzone. The 49ers would put together great drives, notably in the 1st half and then stall once they got to the redzone. You cannot be a Champion if you can’t take full advantage of great opportunities. San Francisco did not take advantage of great opportunities and therefore they watched the Ravens celebrate as Super Bowl Champions.

- Baltimore proved to all of us something that I have been harping on for quite sometime now. Momentum wins Championships. The Ravens continue the trend of being the “hottest team” in the playoffs to hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy at season’s end. Congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens on becoming Super Bowl 47 Champions.

We all knew the Ravens were a good defensive unit but we also knew the offensive side of the ball was lacking a bit for Baltimore. Well Joe Flacco and offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell fixed that at the right time in the season and now they are Champions of the National Football League. Say what you will about this team but they deserved it and they earned it. They showed the national stage what it’s like to have the “heart of a champion.”

- Lastly I’d like to finish up my final “weekly NFL thoughts” blog by thanking Eric Gargiulo for giving me the stage yet again to write a weekly NFL blog for the Camel Clutch Blog and to you the reader for enjoying the ride all season long with me. Thank you all for a great NFL season and congrats once again to the Baltimore Ravens on winning Super Bowl 47!

You can listen to Jeff on “The Bower Show” every Monday – Friday from 3pm – 7pm ET on 97.9 ESPN in Hartford, CT. You can listen online at www.979espn.com

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I want to start this blog by saying thank you to my readers for reading my NFL blogs throughout the 2012-13 NFL season. I have enjoyed the NFL season, and I have enjoyed writing about the games, and some of the controversies. I also thank my editor, Eric Gargiulo, for giving me the platform to speak my mind.

Now that I have gotten that out of the way, the NFL 2012-13 season and post-season ends this Sunday on February 3rd. We are finally at the Super Dome in New Orleans, LA. The biggest game, the one game that all 32 teams want to play in and win, the Super Bowl, will be played.

The two teams that are going for the Lombardi trophy are the San Fransisco 49ers for the NFC, and the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC. The two teams are now preparing for the Super Bowl, and are taking part in all of the Super Bowl week hoopla. Of course, the two teams have to deal with peeps wanting SB tickets, and such.

However, for the winning team, it is all worth it, especially when they are holding that Lombardi in their hands, and the confetti is raining on their heads, and QUEEN’s “We Are The Champions” is blaring from the stadium’s speaker system.

In this blog, I will be discussing some of the NFL tidbits that I have been reading about on the Internet, and on ESPN. I then will discuss both teams in the Super Bowl and which team I think will win.

I will start with just a few of the tidbits.

The first one is the big deal over the Harbaugh brothers facing each other. I understand that two brothers never coached against each other in the Super Bowl. I got it. I just think it is a little much. I watch the Super Bowl to hear about the PLAYERS. I don’t care about the coaches all that much, except during the game if they call a bad play. I mean, we had to have their PARENTS have a press conference too?

Let’s examine 49ers WR Randy Moss’s claim that he “is the greatest WR of all time.” I read that, and nearly fell of my chair. Seriously, dude? I guess Moss never heard of a guy named Jerry Rice, who also played for the 49ers and other teams.
Moss tried to defend his comment by saying that Rice had “Two Hall of Fame QBs throwing him the ball.” Wow. Randy.

Earth to Randy Moss. You had all the talent in the world to be better than Rice. However, after that sensation rookie year with the Minnesota Vikings, you got yourself into some off the field trouble. You also developed that, “I play when I want to play.” attitude. Rice never had that attitude, as he always worked his butt off. Besides, Rice’s work speaks for itself.

Oh, Mr. Moss. You had a second chance to save your career WITH a Hall of Fame (once he retires) QB named Tom Brady, but you eventually messed THAT up.

The last tidbit will be short and sweet. Hall of Fame RB Marshall Faulk made comments this week that he will never get over losing SB XXXVI to the Patriots because of Spygate. Mr. Faulk, dude, move on already. Can’t live in the past.

John Tomase, the author of that Boston Herald article claiming the Pats filmed the Rams walk-through said the article was incorrect. The Boston Herald apologized for the article. Unfortunately, the facts I just mentioned interfere with the good sob story that Faulk is telling.

The Patriots are not even IN the Super Bowl this year. I am just starting to think this dead issue is being brought up on purpose just to take shots at the Patriots, just for the purpose of trying to discredit them.

Well, that is the end of the tidbits during Super Bowl week. Let’s talk football, and I will give my pick for the Super Bowl.

What: Super Bowl XLVII
Where: Super Dome in New Orleans, LA
When: February 3, 2013 on CBS
Kickoff Time: 6:30pm EST

Teams: San Fransisco 49ers (NFC) vs Baltimore Ravens (AFC)

My Analysis:

NFC Representative: San Fransisco 49ers
Head Coach: Jim Harbaugh
Starting QB: Colin Kaepernick

How they got here: As the #2 seed, they defeated the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Round after their bye week, and then they beat the #1 seed Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta in the NFC Championship Game.

Their Main Storyline: QB Colin Kaepernick leading the team to the Super Bowl after taking over the team from original starter Alex Smith when Smith (who had the highest QB rating in the NFL) got knocked out with a concussion.

AFC Representative: Baltimore Ravens
Head Coach John Harbaugh
Starting QB: Joe Flacco

How they got here: As the #4 seed, they defeated the Indianapolis Colts at home in the Wild Card Game, and went on the road to defeat both the #1 seed Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round Game and the #2 seed New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

Their Main Story lines: Joe Flacco needing to back up his claim that he deserves a 17 million dollar plus contract, and that he is “outplaying Peyton Manning.” Ray Lewis’s retirement party that has been lasting forever, and now hearing about these allegations about his alleged use of deer antlers juice.

Of course, for both teams, we are inundated about the news that the Harbaugh brothers are playing each other.

What the 49ers must do to win:

1. Stay focused, and don’t let the Ravens Defense intimidate you..

What I mean is that the Ravens like to play physical, and they use that to their advantage. The Ravens like to intimidate the receivers by hitting them really hard. If they get 15 yards, it doesn’t matter. If one watched the AFC Championship game, Patriot receivers were dropping balls left and right. Part of it was bad execution, but a lot of it was the fear of being hit. The Ravens try to get inside your head defensively.

2. Run the ball.

Yes, the Ravens are a tough defense. Yes, NT Ngata is getting better. However, the 49ers have a tough runner named Frank Gore. Don’t be afraid to run the ball. The 49ers have to keep that defense honest. Also, in spite of all the praise the Ravens defense is getting, they ARE getting old.

3. Do Not Let Ray Rice or Torrey Smith have a big day, and pressure Flacco.

I am a Rutgers graduate, so I can tell you that Rice is special. Don’t let him have a big day. Keep him contained. Be careful if he is used in passing situations as well. The secondary also needs to keep an eye on WR Torrey Smith. That guy will burn you. Ask Champ Bailey.

As for Flacco, his offensive line has been shuffled, and they have done a lot better protecting him. However, this 49ers defense is no joke. How Justin Smith will play with his injured triceps will be the wild card. However, this 49ers pass rush has the ability to get to Flacco. They will need to get to him, as Flacco does have a great long ball in his arsenal.

What the Ravens must do to win:

1. Contain Colin and the Pistol Offense.

The Ravens defense has to be aware of where Colin Kaepernick is at all times. This is why the pistol offense is hard to stop, as it is hard to tell if Colin is going run it himself, hand off the ball to the RB, drop back and throw, or run, and then throw. Somehow, the Ravens defensive line has to force Colin to be one dimensional, and force him to be a pocket passer. They also need to shut down Michael Crabtree, as he is Colin’s favorite receiver.

2. Special Teams need to be Special.

In the Denver game, special teams let 2 scores happen. One on a punt return, and the other on a kickoff return. Even in the Patriots game, special teams let several big runs happen that gave the Patriots good field position. This can not happen in the Super Bowl. The players have to make a tackle, and stop the runner.

3. Joe Flacco- I’m from Missouri. Show Me.

OK, Joe. You finally lead your team to a Super Bowl appearance. In your five years in the NFL, you have lead your team to the playoffs, and won a playoff game. Congratulations.

You have declared yourself the best QB in the game, and now you and your camp want a 17-20 million dollar a year contract based on your belief that you are “outplaying Peyton Manning.” This blog is getting long as it is, or I’d go off about how you are not in Peyton’s LEAGUE as a QB (or Brady, Rodgers, Big Ben, Brees), but that’s another blog for another day.

Well, Mr. Flacco. As the expression goes, “I’m from Missouri. Show Me.” Let’s see if you can lead this team to the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy, and your first as a SB winning QB. If you do that, then the discussion can begin as to whether you are an “elite” QB, and whether you deserve a huge contract.

So Joe, go out there and lead the team to victory. No stupid interceptions. No fumbling the ball.

My Pick for Super Bowl XLVII:

Well, the coverage I do watch, a lot of it has been focused on Ray Lewis and these Deer Antlers juice allegations. I don’t hear a lot about the game, and who will win and why. I am honestly very disappointed that all the attention that is being focused on Ray Lewis, and his retirement, and the Harbaughs.

I would like to hear about Torrey Smith, and how he got through the season as his brother passed away earlier this year. How about hearing about some of the 49ers players besides Moss? This game should not be about the crying, Bible flaunting, self promoter Ray Lewis.

I guess that is a good thing. I can make my pick without hearing a lot of the experts.

I would be surprised if this game is a high scoring game. You have two teams with two tough defenses. I mean both offenses can be explosive, but I think the defenses are going to decide this game. I can see this game being a defensive struggle that will put me to sleep. I saw these two teams play against each other, a preview of the Harbaugh Bowl, on Thanksgiving in 2011 on NFL Network, and I turned it off after the first quarter. Bored me silly. If either team gets up to 30 points, it will be a miracle.

I think San Fransisco is the better team, but in my experience of watching this game, it is the hottest team, the team on a roll, that comes up with the Lombardi.

The winner of Super Bowl XLVII is The Baltimore Ravens by a score of 21-13.

Terri Bey currently blogs for CamelClutchBlog.com about Wrestling, NFL, and other sports/pop culture related subjects. Her work has appeared in BleacherReport and for F4WOnline.com. Terri can be found here at Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/TerriBey and at Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/giopontifan

Super Bowl XLVII 47 Baltimore Ravens vs San Francisco 49ers NFL Football Official Game Program

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The final game of the 2012 NFL season is finally upon us as Super Bowl 47 is finally here. Two teams remain as the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers and the AFC Champion Baltimore Ravens will battle it out for the Vince Lombardi trophy this Super Bowl Sunday. Two brothers will make history as for the first time ever it will be an all-Family bowl edition of the greatest sports game of the year. With that being said here is the preview & predictions for Super Bowl 47:

Super Bowl 47:

Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers

In recent years it hasn’t been this difficult to predict who will win the Super Bowl like it has been this year. Both of these teams certainly have their strength’s and weaknesses to make a strong case to be crowned Super Bowl Champions for the 2012 NFL season. Let’s take a look at each team this season before we get to who will be celebrating in New Orleans on Super Bowl Sunday.

The NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers have had a “banner year” in the NFL and have knocked off some of the top teams (New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers to name a few) in the NFL this season. The Niners got those victories in a pretty convincing fashion and rested on what they know best: defense. San Francisco’s defense is one of the best in the league and the old adage of “defense wins championships” certainly rings true to this Niners squad.

San Francisco made a pretty bold move halfway through the season when they switched starting quarterbacks from Alex Smith to Colin Kaepernick when Smith went down with a concussion. The move was highly questioned in the beginning, because you never see a top team make a drastic move such as that, but the Niners proved us wrong and showed us why Kaepernick was the right choice to be the starting QB for this team. Kaepernick has been nothing but extraordinary for San Francisco taking them to the Super Bowl as he has shown the ability to really open up this Niners offense, something Alex Smith just couldn’t do.

Since about Week 1 of this season I praised this team as being the “most complete team in Football” and they proved why on a weekly basis that they deserved that moniker. Defensively they were a solid unit who would shut down any team and now their offense has been able to catch up with their defense as being just as explosive. San Francisco deserved the right to be playing in New Orleans this Sunday for the Vince Lombardi trophy.

As for the AFC Champion Baltimore Ravens it is a season of triumph and tribulations. They dealt with a decent amount of injuries to their defense that made them look inferior to many top AFC teams all season long, their offense was struggling severely and they just didn’t look like a team that should be competing for the Vince Lombardi trophy in February. Throughout the season in my weekly recap blog I criticized the Ravens as being one of the worst 8-2 teams in the league and that it was a miracle they were in first place of the AFC North.

Then the Ravens, like the 49ers, made a pretty drastic move midway through their season when they replaced Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron with former Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell. The move was very gutsy by the Baltimore Ravens coaching staff and proved to be the thing that this team needed to get them over the hump. While Baltimore “limped” into the playoffs, this team quickly became this year’s “momentum driving team.”

In 2010 it was the Green Bay Packers, in 2011 it was the New York Football Giants and in 2012 it is the Baltimore Ravens. What two of those three teams have in common is that they won the Super Bowl that season and allowed their momentum to carry them to the Vince Lombardi trophy. Being the “hottest team” at the “right time” certainly has its perks and the Ravens are hoping to capitalize on just that this Sunday.

These teams are pretty evenly matched in that their defenses are very good. The 49ers are the “new kids on the block” when it comes to top NFL defensive units while the Baltimore Ravens are the “old dogs” who are looking to end this defensive unit era (Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, etc.) on the highest of notes. While the 49ers defense will be amazing for years to come this is the “swan song” for this Baltimore defensive unit and they will put it all on the line in the Superdome. For that reason I am calling it even on the defensive comparisons.

Offensively is where these two teams have their differences. Colin Kaepernick has been very solid in his minimal chances as a starting quarterback in the National Football League. He has certainly made his mistakes but has overcome the adversity to rise back to the top. But while Kaepernick has been good, Joe Flacco has been that much better.

Flacco has had a QB rating of 114.7 throughout the playoffs accumulating 8 TDs, 0 INTs and 853 yards passing in each of the 3 playoff games he has played. These stats in the playoffs are very reminiscent of Aaron Rodgers in 2010 and Eli Manning in 2011, two quarterbacks who led their teams to the Vince Lombardi trophy at season’s end. Joe Flacco has been insane this postseason and the sole reason why the offense has the edge over Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers.

Due to that reason and the fact that Baltimore has been “red hot” at just the right time is the reason why I am picking the Baltimore Ravens to win Super Bowl 47. They are playing with the very dangerous “house money” and know that “they weren’t supposed to be here” on Super Bowl Sunday. Those are very dangerous cards to be playing with and that’s why I like the Ravens to get the upset over San Francisco in the Super Bowl.

I believe Joe Flacco will carry this team offensively and earn a moment that will be very comparable to the journey Eli Manning has taken in his NFL career. Both of those players have had to prove a lot of people wrong throughout their time in the league and Joe Flacco will be able to put the most ultimate “resume builder” on his career highlight reel to prove why he deserves to be in the conversation with some of the league’s best quarterbacks. Say what you will about the man but I will look forward to seeing one of the league’s all-time greats, Ray Lewis, end his career hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy.

Prediction: Ravens 27 49ers 23

You can listen to Jeff on “The Bower Show” every Monday – Friday from 3pm – 7pm ET on 97.9 ESPN in Hartford, CT. You can listen online at www.979espn.com

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Let’s take a look back at some of the things that stood out from the Divisional Round in the National Football League playoffs!

- I had my doubts about the Baltimore Ravens but it certainly appears that they are “peaking” just at the right time heading into the AFC Championship Game this week. Joe Flacco really stepped up for the offense when the defense needed his help against Denver and is flashing signs of him being a top NFL quarterback. There is still a lot of work to be done but for Flacco to carry the offense the way he did versus Denver will be a career highlight. Now he needs to finally get that AFC Championship Game victory.

- Disappointing “one and done” exit for the #1 seed Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round. I was skeptical about this team based off of their weak schedule at first but eventually hopped on the bandwagon when they were playing flawlessly to end the season. For a team that is supposed to have an amazing defense their secondary failed Denver all game long against Baltimore. It was a tough break for the Broncos and of course Peyton Manning as they had this victory within their grasps.

- In case you had forgotten, the San Francisco 49ers proved once again that they are one of the best all-around NFL teams in the game today. Offensively they have really improved with Colin Kaepernick under center and their defense is always “rock-solid” for them. From an NFC perspective I always felt like this was the team to beat in 2012, as they are a very hard to defeat simply because this team adapts very well to their opponent.

- Another season, another NFC Divisional round exit for the Green Bay Packers in consecutive years. They looked very strong in the 1st half but their defense was unable to make adjustments in the 2nd half to contain Colin Kaepernick and the explosive Niners offense. This team is always on the brink of being considered “Super Bowl contenders” but it appears that in consecutive year’s at-least that their defense just isn’t getting the job done. I’m interested to see how Ted Thompson and the Packers front-office continue to address their defensive issues (and running game issues) in the offseason.

- For a #1 seed the Atlanta Falcons needed this victory pretty badly. Throughout Matt Ryan’s career we have questioned whether or not Ryan can get it done or not. He finally did this past Sunday and got that playoff victory he has been looking for. Now with the playoff victory in his rearview we now will see whether or not the momentum can carry over versus San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game.

- Tremendous season for the Seattle Seahawks this year. They made a lot of people, including yours truly, into believers and have nothing to hang their head on. While they may have not achieved their ultimate goal of being Super Bowl Champions completed, I really like this team heading into next year. I look forward to seeing what Russell Wilson and the Seahawks can do in the 2013 season.

- New England continues to prove that they will be the “old dog” of the AFC until further notice. This team played great on both sides of the ball and they are looking like a more complete team then they were last year, when they made it to the Super Bowl. The Patriots didn’t make mistakes in this game and looked simply flawless against the Texans. They will once again have a chance to play in the Super Bowl next week.

- Another season of disappointment for the Houston Texans as the window of success maybe closing for this team right now. Many of us, including myself, have waited for this team to put it together and make the Super Bowl but they continue to fall short the last two seasons. I really believe a lot of that falls on the shoulders of quarterback Matt Schaub who simply does not look like a “big game” QB in these very important games.

For more NFL talk join Bower, Chris Johnson and myself Monday – Friday throughout the Football season on 97.9 ESPN in Hartford, ESPN 1300 in New Haven and online at 979espn.com!

You can listen to Jeff on “The Bower Show” every Monday – Friday from 3pm – 7pm ET on 97.9 ESPN in Hartford, CT. You can listen online at www.979espn.com

You can follow Jeff on Twitter at www.twitter.com/JeffPeck979ESPN

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For every negative there is a positive. The age old question ” do you want the good news or the bad news? ” Is alive and kicking, especially when it comes to crucial fantasy decisions. Yes I got plenty of heat for telling all of you to go against Cam Newton last week. I honestly thought this Atlanta Falcons team was actually good enough, but instead Newton slammed them, and there in made me look quite awful.

However, I was also the guy getting the big thumbs up for telling all of you to bench Eagles RB Bryce Brown. Brown was man-handled by the Bucs excellent run defense. Sure, I always want to be perfect, but even perfect takes a day off, I mean we all need a day off, right?

As for me and my personal work I managed to get all 4 of my teams into the playoffs. 1 big playoff win already pulled off, and now time to do more damage with 2 big money league playoff games this week. There is no better feeling as an owner then to watch your Stat Tracker explode through the day. Mine started with Adrian Peterson and his 51 yard run at the same exact time Alfred Morris rambled for 29 yards. It’s moments like that when you know a good day is ahead. Some guys like Josh Freeman took a little longer to join in, but all in all a great day for ownership. Heck, without the trophy I have nothing, so stay tuned!

Well this is a biggie for Start/Sit as many of you will have your season come to a close, be it by championship, elimination or just the end. I hope all of you still have faith in The Shark to try and bring it home with a bang! I give it my all, and as I always say, these moves I give to you are the same I would give to myself. Would I steer you wrong? Well, if you were my opponent maybe, yes! Hey, more good news, I made it through this whole article without referring to Jim Mora and his “playoffs?” speech. Aren’t you proud of me! Alright enough fun, let’s get down to business.

Quarterback

Start

Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints: The hot and cold Freeman is back on my start sheet, and heck I need him too. 420 yards and 3 TDs against them earlier this year is a nice point to base it on. The Saints play better at home, but this should be a busy passing day.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: In this same game Brees should bounce back. He was banged up by the Giants defense last week, but the Bucs defense he faces was shredded by Nick Foles and Philly last week, and remain one of the worst pass defenses in the league. Stick with Brees.

Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers at San Diego Chargers: What has 2 thumbs and will never tell you to bench Cam Newton again this year? This guy! Even though it is December in San Diego, which is when the Chargers usually play their best football, it’s still worth starting Newton.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears: The Bears defense looks different without Brian Urlacher, and Rodgers needs to be a leader as his team can pretty much lock up another division title with a win here.

Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens: In the past I used to be worried about Manning against the Ravens, but this year we have a depleted Ravens defense against a red hot Manning. Plus who is sitting him anyway? Not you!

Sit

Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Last weeks struggles reminded me of why I backed off of Romeo, and this week it looks like he may be without his top target Dez Bryant. Pittsburgh can still bring the blitz despite being banged up in the secondary. I advise against it.

Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers: I hate to do this knowing how badly I need Brandon Marshall to be, well himself, but Cutler has been brutal in his last few outings against the Pack. Green Bay is hurting on defense, but they seem to have a thing with handling Cutler, who has 0 TDs in his last 2 against the cheeseheads.

Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks at Buffalo Bills: The December chill of Buffalo, New York tends to change trends in even the hottest of fantasy players. Wilson had a slow week last week, but of course the defense did all the work. Plus this game here has a Marshawn Lynch “remember me Bills” revenge game written all over it. Wilson can handle the team, but most likely won’t be huge here.

Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens vs. Denver Broncos: Despite 3 TDs last week, the Ravens still did a head scratcher and fired Flacco’s play caller in Cam Cameron. How that solves a sinking offense coming into week 15 is beyond me? Enter with caution, or actually don’t enter at all.

Eli Manning, New York Giants at Atlanta Falcons: Manning’s trends has been cold, hot, cold, and now he is hot. I believe it is cold turn, and Atlanta is a tough place for visiting QB. Eli can just ask his brother that. He is too shaky to lock your hopes on.

Running Back

Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks at Buffalo Bills: The Bills not only have a weak run defense, but this guy was the one they let get away. Seattle is on a roll, and so is Lynch. Hey T.O. forget getting that popcorn ready, better get the skittles ready!

Reggie Bush, Miami Dolphins vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: How sick of me to even think it, but last week he took 43 snaps to just 13 for David Thomas. He is also averaging 4.4 yards per carry in his last 4 games. He has improved, and is always an explosion waiting to happen. If you have him and are in a pinch, you have to go with him.

Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders: If Knowshon Moreno’s performance last week taught us anything it’s that the Raiders can be run on almost at will. Charles had a big 80 yard TD run and was red hot until the Chiefs decided they were afraid of not playing Peyton Hillis? It should be a nice week for Charles.

Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings: The possible Steven Jackson farewell tour from St. Louis makes a stop in playoff elimination town. Yes, the Rams are still in a playoff hunt, and a win over the Vikings will better their chances. Also the Vikings did little to slow down the run last week. Jackson can give the Rams one last mighty push, so try it if you need it.

Alfred Morris, Washington Redskins at Cleveland Browns: In the last 3 weeks he has pushed for over 360 yards. While everyone talks Griffin, Luck and Wilson for Rookie Of The Year, everyone ignores a huge rookie campaign by Morris. If Griffin has problems with that injured knee, they will need him more than ever, and that’s big news for his owners.

Sit

Trent Richardson, Cleveland Browns at Washington Redskins: Doing decent, but it takes a lot to get digits from him. His yards per carry is down to 3.1, and it takes 25-30 touches per week to get him to about 15 points. He can get some, but eventually this overload may slow him.

Stevan Ridley, New England Patriots vs. San Francisco 49ers: He has had a nice season, but this defense is quite a challenge. Usually against big time defenses, mastermind Bill Belichick likes to use lots of different looks and packages, maybe to many to promise any Pats RB to have a huge day.

Mikel LeShoure, Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals: He is getting less touches as Joique Bell continues to run well. The Cards are still a decent front 7 on defense so it should be a heavy time share between these 2 backs. Don’t risk it this week.

Montell Owens, Jacksonville Jaguars at Miami Dolphins: He did nice work and is the last option the Jags have, but that is no reason to try and get fancy with your season on the line. Only if you are very desperate as the Dolphins play the run well.

Carolina Panthers RB at San Diego Chargers: Is there any backfield I hate more than this one? No! Is there any reason I can find to try them against this decent run defense? No! The end.

Wide Receiver

Start

Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints: When he is on, he is really tough, and looks like a Mack truck out there. Killed the Saints for 7 catches and 216 yards plus a TD last meeting, and this one is a game that is meaning little for both. Expect loads of passing and a nice day for V Jax!

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Giants: Had 11 targets last week, and scored a TD. His WR mate Roddy White is slowed by a knee injury so it is time for Jones to pick up the pace and earn his high draft stature. Yes, he is usually not as big at home, but it’s time to buck that trend. He could break out here.

Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals: After a brutal defeat last week, what makes us think the Cardinals have any desire left? So go with the monster against the weak! Mega is chasing history, so the ball will come his way plenty.

Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Although I am not big on his QB, Austin could stand to be busy if Dez Bryant is in fact out. He did get 10 targets last week and the Cowboys seem to be united by the loss of a teammate. This could be Miles big week here, give it a look.

Danario Alexander, San Diego Chargers vs. Carolina Panthers: This big 6 foot 5 inch target continues to get his looks, and get good work done. He had 2 TDs last week and another 11 targets is great news for D Alex owners. Roll with him.

Sit

Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cincinnati Bengals: Forget the big week he had last week, the Bengals play much better defense than the Bucs. It was nice to see this guy get some glory last week though.

Brandon Lloyd, New England Patriots vs. San Francisco 49ers: What? Did I tell you to sit 2 Patriots this week? Yep but they have so many weapons to choose from. Lloyd owners must have done a dance with his 7 catch, 98 yard and a TD performance last week, but that was the same as his output the previous 3 weeks combined. Minus the TD of course! Don’t be sucked in.

Eric Decker, Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens: Flip a coin. Heads is Thomas, tails is Decker. It’s heads, so go with Thomas I guess. Decker had his best week last week out of his last 4, but still just 1 TD in that time.

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals vs. Detroit Lions: Why? Because it’s easy that is why. If you’re using him, you probably aren’t in the playoffs anyway.

Tight End

As for TEs, if needed you play Jimmy Graham all day. Also roll with Aaron Hernandez, Martellus Bennett and in a sneak the Eagles Clay Harbor in place of Brent Celek.

Defenses I like this week:

Wow, come playoff time, not too many. I mean how many times can you get 41 points out of Seattle? Choose yours to the match up.

Well here we go owners. Remember that my annual award special, The Sharky’s is coming up soon. It has been a great year, and here is hoping for you to grab your glory! Best of luck all!

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Here it is owners. The time has come for the big locker room speeches. A time to reach out to your team, and deep within your emotions and be the very best you can be. Break out the lucky shirt, send the wife and kids to mall, get in your favorite seat and get ready for NFL war! Yes this week will decide plenty for us in fantasy football land. For some it is the playoffs and time to come on strong in a win or go home deal. For some of us it is the last week of the regular season and the difference between a win and a loss can determine if your season goes on.

For me I am in 4 leagues. So far I have secured 2 playoff spots and they begin this week. In 2 other leagues it is a win and I am in scenario. My record is good, my points are excellent, but still need to get past some competitors. Trust me, I am on edge, been playing with the line ups already and as the week comes to a close, I feel the stress of a huge weekend. Yes, the days of this meaning nothing are long gone. We now play for pride, money, trophies, shirts, and other great rewards. Nobody wants to go to the 2013 draft saying “yeah baby second place”. It is your time owners, get to it!

If you are reading this it is obvious you are serious, and are trusting me to help. Believe me there are no names in here or choices made that I wouldn’t do with my own team. I am here for you, to help you get ahead, and I pull for my readers. Also if you have some other ideas to help fellow readers, you can always leave them in our comments section at the bottom of this page. My Fantasy is playoffs, I am so close and need this. I can have the Megan Fox, Kim Kardashian “we have nowhere to sleep tonight and our clothes are all wet” fantasy anytime. For now it’s guys in pads. Yep, I said it. So here we go!

Quarterback

Start

Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Philadelphia Eagles: The makers of Swiss cheese may have a law suit against the Eagles defense. Plenty of holes, plenty! Start any QB you can against the Eagles. Freeman showed some life last week vs. Denver so he should be good to go.

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee Titans: We may soon have to change the name to Andrew Skill, because it looks less and less like luck each week. 4 TDs last week as they pulled out a big comeback win against the Lions has Luck ready to try for a Wild Card spot, and they have a winnable game right here.

Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals: Just look at the last 4 weeks: 9 TDs, 0 INTs and over 1,100 total yards from scrimmage. 19 TDs for the season for a guy many thought would be benched. He also has found a thing called “clutch” If you have bad QB play, this kid is worth a shot, especially at home.

Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings: Again a reach, but help if you need it. The Vikings are good at home, but this is crunch time and you can’t dislike a guy who throws to Brandon Marshall.

Matt Schaub, Houston Texans at New England Patriots: Of late, the Texans seem to be shying away from pounding out to Arian Foster and more air work has been involved. The Patriots love to make teams work, so Schaub should be real busy and can get a few here.

Sit

Carson Palmer, Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos: Yes he does get the yards, but this could be a long night for him if Denver brings it’s A game on defense.

Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons are much better than the Chiefs.

Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers: Rivers shakes his head so many times when walking off the field he looks like a human bobblehead. 1 TD in the last 2 weeks, and now this match up in a real tough place to play. His face let’s you know the deal.

Brady Quinn, Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns: As I said some of you may have bad QB play, however it shouldn’t bring you to this. Don’t be fooled by last week’s numbers, the Browns would love to pound him into the ground.

Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens at Washington Redskins: The Redskins secondary has stepped it up a bit as we saw last Monday night. Flacco however seems to be surviving with a good run game.

Running Back

Start

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings vs. Minnesota Vikings: Don’t look at his 2 fumbles the last time they played look at the over 200 yards he got last week. He is back to being the best in the game, and at home he is even faster, which they will use all day against the Bears. How it works remains to be seen.

CJ Spiller, Buffalo Bills vs. St. Louis Rams: Coach Chan Gailey said “Due to the sloppy conditions I took it easy on Spiller last week”. He took it easy to the tone of 77 yards and a TD? I would love to see what he gets if they work him hard. Start him at all cost.

Mikel LeShoure, Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers: The yardage has not been huge, but he has a TD in 3 straight, catches a few passes, and the Packers showed how bad they can be against the run last week. No Leshoure isn’t Peterson, but I don’t see why he can’t score again and grab about 80 yards. A nice flexer play.

Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders: If you don’t Knowshon then you just don’t Know! He has been playing well since getting thrown back into the starting role, and this should be a nice match up against a weak Oakland defense. He’s averaged 75 yards and 4 catches since being the starter. Go with him.

Ahmad Bradshaw, New York Giants vs. New Orleans Saints: I tried to bash him, but he showed he’s ready for a bigger load with Andre Brown out. He topped 100 yards last week, and now has this awful defense coming into his back yard. It should be a nice day for Bradshaw.

Sit

Beanie Wells, Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks: 2 weeks ago, 2 TDs, last week 22 yards on 15 carries. Yep, Beanie Wells is back!

Reggie Bush, Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers: Reggie has been busier of late, but trying him against the 49ers may not be a great idea.

Green Bay RBs vs. Detroit Lions: There is way to much uncertainty to try any of these guys with so much on the line. And that now includes Ryan Grant.

Bryce Brown, Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: What? Bench the hottest hand in Fantasy? Well by the numbers the Bucs are the top run defense in football, and the Eagles are not that scary at QB. The Bucs will most likely stack the line and dare the Eagles to beat them through the air. You don’t have to listen to this, but it may pay off for you.

Matt Forte, Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings: I would like to think you’re not this desperate. He has done very little over the last few weeks.

Wide Receiver

Start

Josh Gordon, Cleveland Browns vs. Kansas City Chiefs: He has had 21 targets leading to 15 catches in the last 3 weeks, including a TD. This match up smells of “start him”.

Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Jets: Anyone can tell you to start Calvin Johnson, or Brandon Marshall, but how many will tell you to go big with Cecil Shorts? Well, I will! In the last 4 games: 20 catches, 368 yards and 4 TDs. He’s also had a whopping 38 targets. Yep, they like him.

Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys at Cincinnati Bengals: Continues to blow up. He’s had 6 TDs in the last 4 weeks accompanied by 29 catches on 37 targets and a big 475 yards. He makes his owners and those of Tony Romo quite happy. Roll with him.

Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Sure he has only 1 TD in the last 4 weeks with 19 catches, but no one on this defense looks like they will be able to slow him down. He should find the end zone here.

Danny Amendola, St. Louis Rams at Buffalo Bills: Not sure if he will play, but if he does this should be one of those games where he does plenty. The Bills defense isn’t very special, but Danny, when healthy, is.

Sit

Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers: Something strange has come up of late, White has lost his way to the end zone. Just 4 TDs for the season and none in the past 4 weeks, including a very unfriendly 20 yards last week.

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks: Is this the end for Larry in Arizona? Without a good QB it will be. In his last 4 weeks of play he has had 11 catches, 1 TD and under 200 yards. That’s not Larry like, that’s not even a number 4 like.

Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons: Just not the guy to trust with your season on the line.

Stevie Johnson, Buffalo Bills vs. St. Louis Rams: After 3 straight games of 6 catches, he had just 2 last week, despite a TD. The Rams play well at the corners, so it could be a similar tough day for Johnson here.

Justin Blackmon, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Jets: After his awesome 13 catch performance he has had just 6 in his last 2 weeks, including just 1 catch for 9 yards last week. He should see lots of Cromartie here.

Defenses I like:

Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. San Diego Chargers

San Francisco 49ers vs. Miami Dolphins

Defenses I don’t like:

Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

New Orleans Saints at New York Giants

Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons

Here is week 14, a critical and exciting time for Fantasy owners every where. Best of luck to all!

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Fantasy Football for Smart People: How to Dominate Your Draft

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