On January 20, 2013, the NFC Championship Game (San Fransisco 49ers at the Atlanta Falcons), and the AFC Championship Game (Baltimore Ravens at the New England Patriots) have been played. The NFC and AFC representatives for Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans on February 3, 2013 have been decided.

The two teams going for all the marbles are the San Fransisco 49ers for the NFC, and the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC. We NFL fans will be treated to, or bored by (depending on ones point of view) the “Harbaugh Bowl,” as the 49ers head coach is Jim Harbaugh, and his brother, John Harbaugh, is the head coach for the Ravens.

Aside from this, for two whole weeks, the talking heads at ESPN and NFL Network will be heaping praise on the (thankfully) soon to be retiring MLB Ray Lewis of the Ravens. Fans will be subjected to a two week retirement party for Lewis, and the glorification of Ravens QB Joe Flacco as an “elite” QB, besides the aforementioned hoopla over the Harbaugh brothers and their father, Jack.

In this blog, I will be giving a quick recap of both games, and grading them with the star system (DUD to 5 stars (*****). I will also give a general commentary.

Here it goes.

In the NFC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome, the Falcons jumped to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. However, the 49ers, lead by QB Colin Kaepernick, bounced back with 2 TDs. Matt Ryan, quarterback of the Falcons, didn’t waiver, and also lead his team to score 2 TDs, to keep the Falcons in front 24-14 at the half.

After the half, the 49ers pretty much took over. In the third and fourth quarters, the 49ers offense scored a TD. The Falcons, both offensively and defensively, had no answer in the second half. There was also some strange play calling also. QB Matt Ryan suffered a sprained AC joint as well in the game.

Final Score: 49ers 28 Falcons 24

Rating: **1/2 (2 1/2 Stars) – The game was fine. There were some exciting moments when Kaepernick got the 49ers back in the game. The Falcons and their failure to respond just took some of the life out of the game.

In the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium, the Patriots were held to a field goal in the first quarter, and that ended any scoring in that quarter. The Ravens offense kept running the ball, and had Flacco throwing when necessary. Nevertheless, the Ravens did score a touchdown, and the Patriots scored 10 points, and the Patriots lead at the half by a score of 13-7.

Both defenses looked pretty good at this point, but then the second half came.

In the second half, the Ravens just took over the game, both on offense and defense. The Ravens took off the handcuffs, and let Flacco throw, and Flacco just picked apart the Patriots defense. Flacco had a solid game overall, but that Patriots defense made Flacco look like Joe Montana. I mean, did the Patriots defense know how to make a tackle?

The Ravens defense surely knew how to make a tackle and more. They shut down New England’s offense. New England’s offense had their own problems. They could not take advantage of the good field positions. They could not take advantage of penalties called on the Ravens defense. They had critical drops.

They could only manage 6 points in the second half, and were just beaten by a better team.

Final Score: Ravens 28 Patriots 13

Rating: * (1 Star) This was a terrible game. It was so boring. I wanted to change the channel a few times.

Now, a little commentary on the entire weekend.

Overall, I just thought the games were just average to below average. That being said, it is good to see new QBs going to the Super Bowl. I don’t plan to watch much of the hoopla though.

I want to address some of the silliness that has come from the fallout of the AFC Championship game. It is the legacy of Tom Brady. Seriously? The man’s legacy is pretty secure. He is still a first ballot Hall of Famer. He lead his team to 7 AFC Championships, etc. People questioning it do not make sense.

Besides, it’s not Brady who got worse, it is the team.

Of course, the chorus of “the Patriots have not won anything since Spygate” came up. Let me simplify it for you. Since the team was punished for the incident, why haven’t they stopped winning? They are still winning games in the regular season. They’re still a Super Bowl threat every year. They still win playoff games.

The last two Super Bowls they lost were by a combined margin of 7 points. Why weren’t they absolutely destroyed by the Giants. I AGREE the practice was shady, but the logic about them not winning is faulty.

It is sad to see TE Tony Gonzalez of the Falcons (Chiefs also) retire without getting a shot to be in the Super Bowl. Gonzalez is a great guy off the field, and a great guy on the field. He’s a team player. I really wish the sports media would glorify him, and good players who are good people like him.

Before the Ravens fans, and Ray Lewis apologists jump on me, I believe in redemption. The Bible commands it. I am just saying that it would be nice to see someone like Gonzalez get some attention. That’s all.

That is all I have to say about Championship Sunday.

Right before the Super Bowl, I will have a Super Bowl blog.

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

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

- I’ve said it all season long and I’ll say it one more time since they are the NFC Champions: San Francisco is the most complete team in the NFL this season. Offensively and defensively they get it done. The Niners dealt with a great deal of adversity in the NFC Championship Game and overcame it to comeback & win the game; San Francisco deserves to be playing in Super Bowl 47.

- Heartbreaking loss for the Atlanta Falcons as the game was in their control for a good percentage of it. Silver lining in this is if Atlanta were to win the NFC Championship they may have gone into Super Bowl 47 without Matt Ryan. This season was a step in the right direction for Atlanta and now they can continue building forward for the future. Matt Ryan will eventually lead this team to “the big game.”

- Baltimore is this postseason’s “feel good story” heading into Super Bowl 47. They are peaking at the right time and can carry on the latest tradition in the NFL by being the best team to win it all at the right time. Joe Flacco has really stepped his game up since Jim Caldwell became the offensive coordinator and Baltimore is looking like a dangerous team right now.

- What happened to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game? Tom Brady is supposed to be “lights out” with the lead heading into halftime at home (was 67-0) but that wasn’t the case on Sunday. This is not the way New England wanted to end their season and now you have to wonder whether or not the Patriots “window is closing” heading into the 2013 season.

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

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It’s the final four of the NFL with a spot in Super Bowl 47 on the line. This is what these four teams have worked for all season long and now their dreams can become a reality should they get the big victory this Sunday. We are one step closer to New Orleans and Super Bowl 47 but before we get there we must preview the upcoming AFC & NFC Championship Games for this Sunday:

AFC Championship Game:

(2) New England Patriots vs. (4) Baltimore Ravens

It’s a rematch of the 2011 AFC Championship Game as the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens meet once again at Gillette Stadium with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. This will obviously be Baltimore’s chance to avenge last year’s tough loss to New England and it will be the Patriots chance to prove once again that they “own” the Baltimore Ravens. The Patriots are heavy sports betting favorites on the books. It should be a really good matchup as a trip to the Super Bowl hangs in the balance.

To me, this year’s New England Patriots team is much more “complete” then the team from a year ago. That team went to the Super Bowl and now this team could very well have the same fate should “history repeat itself” with a victory against Baltimore in the AFC Championship Game, again. The Patriots are looking really good in all facets of the game currently as their defense has improved a lot from a year ago and their running game is really putting it together allowing the offense to really spread things out. I’m not sure if this is a Super Bowl winning team just yet, but they are certainly making a really strong case for that title should they advance on Sunday night.

As for the Baltimore Ravens they are clearly (now) this season’s Green Bay Packers of 2010 and New York Giants of 2011. Reason why I say that is because they have “peaked” at just the right time in this season and have proven all the doubters wrong to get to this point. Baltimore looks to avenge their AFC Championship Game loss from last season against the Patriots and looks to defeat this team for the 2^nd time in the 2012 season (Baltimore beat New England in Week 3). This is a team with a ton of emotional momentum heading into Foxboro on Sunday night and I really like how they have rallied under the notion that each game could be the last of their leader, Ray Lewis.

When I think about this game it’s really hard to pick a winner to represent the AFC in New Orleans at Super Bowl 47. Last season I picked the Baltimore Ravens to win as they were my preseason AFC Champion in 2011 and they ended up losing (thanks to a missed field goal from Billy Cundiff) to New England in the AFC Championship Game. This season I am going to take the New England Patriots simply because I believe they have really put it together from last year. They are a better team then they were when they played in Super Bowl 46 and I believe they will once again be crowned AFC Champions for the 2^nd consecutive year in a row.

Prediction: Patriots 30 Ravens 21

NFC Championship Game:

(1) Atlanta Falcons vs. (2) San Francisco 49ers

The NFC was a very tough conference in 2012 and these were without a doubt the two best teams in it. It only makes sense that both of these teams battle it out for the NFC Championship crown and the right to play in Super Bowl 47. Both of these teams have a lot to prove come this Sunday as there are questions on whether or not either team can get it “done” with the right to play in New Orleans on the line. We will get our answer in the Georgia Dome this Sunday afternoon and one team will be left standing with no more questions to plague them in 2012.

All season long I have questioned the ability of this Atlanta Falcons team and whether or not we can consider them “for real.” Unlike prior seasons in Matt Ryan’s career they have proven me wrong in 2012 and deserve the right to be playing for the NFC Championship crown on Sunday afternoon against the 49ers. With the “monkey” off of Matt Ryan’s back (by getting a playoff win), a clear picture to Super Bowl 47 within their grasps, it will be up to their franchise QB to final reach the next level and get Atlanta to the Super Bowl. But before they do such they will have to go through a very tough 49ers team.

Unlike the Atlanta Falcons, I have praised the San Francisco 49ers all season long. I have believed since Week 1 that this is the best fundamentally sound team on both sides of the ball in the National Football League. We already knew that they had a tremendous defense and their offense got better after they handed the “keys” over to then-backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick when Alex Smith went out with an injury. If the San Francisco 49ers want to keep this amazing season going they must get the victory Sunday afternoon against the Falcons on the road.

I believe this NFC Championship Game will be a hard fought game that won’t be decided until the final moments of the 4^th quarter. Both of these teams are extremely good offensively and defensively with either one being a strong contender for the Vince Lombardi trophy should they advance once Sunday is in the books. But for me I need to keep riding what I’ve been saying all season long and that’s the San Francisco 49ers are the best team in Football in all facets of the game. It’s been a long time coming but I like the “red and gold” making a return trip back to the Super Bowl.

Prediction: 49ers 28 Falcons 25

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

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My fellow NFL fans, we are almost there. The Super Bowl in New Orleans on February 3rd is almost here, and there is light at the end of the tunnel. On that day, the NFL will crown a new Super Bowl Champion in Super Bowl XLVII.

That being said, this Sunday, January 20, 2013, besides the date being KISS lead singer/rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley’s 61st birthday, there will be two Conference Championship games to determine the participants in the Super Bowl. One game will determine the AFC representative, and the other will determine the NFC Representative.

Of course, one of those teams will be “rocking and rolling all night, and partying every day” in the Big Easy after battling each other for the proverbial 60 minutes.
The vanquished team will hit “rock bottom,” as the birthday boy, Paul Stanley would say.

Championship Sunday starts with the (2) San Fransisco 49ers coming into the Georgia Dome to face the (1) Atlanta Falcons for the NFC Conference Championship. The AFC Championship will is played next features last year’s participants, the (4) Baltimore Ravens going up to Foxborough to face the (1) New England Patriots. Both should be awesome games, no matter the winner.

Let’s examine these games a little bit, and like I have been doing, I will give my picks. I have not fared very well this post-season for some reason, but quoting Paul Stanley again, I “got to choose” a team that I think will win.

Here we go.

2012-13 NFC Championship Game
Sunday, January 20,2013, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA.
3:00pm EST
FOX
(2) San Fransisco 49ers vs (1) Atlanta Falcons

Winner is the 2012-13 NFC Champion, and will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, LA.

This game should be a pretty good game. I am still undecided as to who will definitely will win this game. However, I think overall, that this game is more interesting than the later game.

The Falcons finally got the proverbial monkey off their backs with their first playoff win under the Head Coach/QB combination of Mike Smith and Matt Ryan respectively. Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez, arguably the best TE ever, finally won a playoff game. The Falcons, though, nearly coughed up that game against Seattle by letting the Seahawks come back, and even take the lead late.

I know that Matt Ryan has a lot of weapons, and the team has home field advantage. The defense is doing very well, even though John Abraham has been hobbled by a bum ankle. However, the fact they nearly blew the Divisional Round Game gives me pause.

The 49ers have a dynamic, young QB named Colin Kaepernick leading the charge. That young man is going to be a match up nightmare for the Falcons defense. Not only is Kaepernick a threat to run, but he is judicious with the ball, and has great chemistry with WR Michael Crabtree. Colin will also spread the ball around to other receivers such as WR Randy Moss. RB Frank Gore is also a threat.

The 49ers also have a great defense. Justin Smith, who is working through a torn triceps keeps that defense going. Smith’s leadership helps other guys such as Aldon Smith just overpower opposing offenses, much like what happened to Green Bay in the Divisional Round. If the 49ers defense play like they did against Green Bay, Matt Ryan and the Falcons are in for a long day.

My pick: The Falcons strength is their offense, and the 49ers’ strength is their defense. I am going with the old adage, “defense wins championships,” and therefore, my pick is the San Fransisco 49ers.

2012-13 AFC Championship Game
Sunday, January 20,2013, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA.
6:30pm EST
CBS
(4) Baltimore Ravens vs (1) The New England Patriots

Winner is the 2012-13 AFC Champion, and will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, LA.

This game is going to be, as WWE announcer Jim “JR” Ross would call it, a “slobber-knocker.” This is going to be a rematch between last years participants, the Ravens and the Patriots.

Most NFL fans remember in that first AFC Championship Game, the Patriots won 23-20 thanks to then Patriots DB Sterling Moore stripping the ball from the hands of then Ravens WR Lee Evans. If Evans had held on to the ball, it would have surely have been a TD that would have won the game for the Ravens.

Kicker Billy Cundiff, then of the Ravens, missed a chip shot FG at the end of the game that would have tied the game up, and the Ravens went home. The Patriots went on to the Super Bowl where they unfortunately lost to the New York Giants again, thanks to another lucky catch by then Giants WR Mario Manningham (normally Manningham would have dropped that pass).

Well, the two teams meet again on Sunday. Some of the players on the Ravens ran their mouths on Twitter and in the press. Some in the Boston media, and the talking heads on ESPN pretty much conceded the game to the Ravens. There is also the specter of LB Ray Lewis retiring, and the Ravens trying to have him retire a champion ala the 6 Time Pittsburgh Steelers did with RB Jerome Bettis.

There are a lot of dynamics to this game, but the way I see it this:

In the previous week, in the Divisional Round, the Ravens did a great job against Peyton Manning and the Broncos. They shut him down during most of the 2nd half. Keep in mind though that the Ravens, on both defense and special teams, gave up 35 points to the Broncos.

Flacco, even though he did play very well, and in my last blog, I did praise him a lot. However, please keep in mind he can still be inconsistent. There have been times where those huge lobs have gone for TDs, but they have also been INTs. The team also needs to give Ray Rice the ball.

The Ravens defense is aging. Let’s face it. Yes, Ray Lewis is making tackles, but most of them will be 7 yards up the field. Suggs is doing alright, but he has been nicked up. It is possible that the Achilles injury is slowing him down a little. Ed Reed is Ed Reed, but without Webb, the secondary is a bit suspect.

The Patriots defense has really improved, especially from last year. The front line with Vince Wilfork, Chandler Jones, and Rob Ninkovich (who can play anywhere on the field) is awesome. They are hard to penetrate with a run game. The secondary, which has been leaky, has improved when Aqib Talib joined the team, and when the team put Devin McCourty at safety. The defense just has to be aware of Ravens WR Torrey Smith, and WR Anquan Boldin (even though Boldin can disappear in games at times).

What else is there to say about the Patriots offense? ESPN has made a huge deal about Rob Gronkowski’s absence. The team suffered only one loss since his absence. It is sad he broke his arm again, albeit in a different spot, but the team has been able to adjust. When you have Brady, Belichick, and Josh McDaniels running the offense, I think the team is in good hands.

My pick: This will be a close game, I think. I think the Patriots are going to be much more balanced, as they have a running game with Vereen, and Ridley. The Ravens are definitely not going to be intimidated, and Flacco has played well against the Patriots.

However, I do not see the Patriots being afraid of the Ravens either. My pick is the New England Patriots.

So there you have it. I am picking a New England vs 49ers Super Bowl.

Next week I’ll be back with a review.

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

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Before I get started with my first blog of 2013, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I hope that everyone stayed safe when they went out last night celebrating. My wish for Camelclutchblog.com for 2013 is to be better than ever. I also hope that the entire year is much better for everyone than last year.

As every NFL fan knows, the 2012-13 regular season is over. For fans of the 20 teams who missed the playoffs, they are in mourning I am sure. Of course, being a fan of the game, I miss it also. Even though the NFL is a year round soap opera (see the massive “Black Monday” firings of GMs and Coaches), there is nothing like live NFL action, which will still be happening up to the Super Bowl in February.

Throughout the season, the talking heads were pushing which players should receive whatever AP (Associated Press) awards for the end of the year. One of the most debated was Offensive Rookie of the Year which had the commentators pushing either of the top 2 QBs, Robert Griffin III (Washington Redskins), or Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts). A third QB, Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks) came into the picture late.

Of course, the experts also argued over the coveted MVP award. Many pushed Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning (like they do almost every year), Vikings RB Adrian Peterson, and Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. New England Patriots QB Tom Brady got a few mentions also.

Well, I am going to give my readers my winners for the NFL year-end honors, if I had a vote. I will give my winner, and the first runner up in each category, and explain my vote.

Well, time to get serious, so here we go:

NFL Coach of the Year

Winner: Bruce Arians/Chuck Pagano (Indianapolis Colts)

Runner Up: Leslie Frazier (Minnesota Vikings)

This is a no brainer. After hearing the news that Colts Head Coach Chuck Pagano had to undergo treatment for cancer, the organization banded together, and threw their support behind their coach. Players, and cheerleaders shaved their heads.

Their rookie QB Andrew Luck had an excellent season, and WR Reggie Wayne had one of his best seasons. Bruce Arians, the offensive coordinator, moved in as the temporary Head Coach, and did a great job. Coach Pagano returned for the season finale, and the Colts, who were 2-14 last season, are now in the playoffs.

Leslie Frazier deserves a mention for getting the Vikings into the playoffs on the back of MVP candidate, Adrian Peterson, and managing QB Christian Ponder.

NFL Man of the Year

Winner: J. J. Watt ( Houston Texans)

Runner Up: Victor Cruz (New York Giants)

Besides being one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL for the Houston Texans, my pick for the NFL Man of the Year has a huge heart. ESPN did a piece on J.J. Watt and his friendship with the Berry Children from Texas when the three children were orphaned when they and their parents were in a bad accident, and the parents died. He has befriended the kids, and he is like a big brother. I just loved how there are still athletes out there that will take time to help fans.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8734437

 

Victor Cruz gets the runner up award for being a comfort to a family of one of the Newtown, CT victims who was a huge Giants fan, and was buried in a Victor Cruz jersey.

Comeback Player of the Year

Winner: Peyton Manning

Runner Up: Adrian Peterson

The winner and runner up can be interchangeable, honestly. I went with Peyton Manning because he was coming off a fourth neck surgery. Most reports said that he was going to be able to come back. Despite what ESPN’s Ron “Jaws” Jaworski is saying, none of the reports I have read ever said Peyton Manning was told his career was over. Of course, this is ESPN.

The question was how good would Peyton be this year? Well, the proof is in the pudding, and the Broncos finished with a 13-3 record and a #1 seed in the playoffs. That should answer the question.

Yes, I realize that runner up Adrian Peterson entered the season coming off an ACL, but as we saw, Adrian Peterson is not human. Let’s just leave it at that. He tore the ACL on Christmas eve in 2011. Peterson then went on to have the brilliant season he had this year, finishing the season with 2097 yards, 9 yards short of Eric Dickerson’s record. The man is just amazing.

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Winner: Chandler Jones (New England Patriots )

Runner Up: Bobby Wagner (Seattle Seahawks)

Honestly, I wish the media would spend more time on the defensive side of the ball. I nearly forgot about this category as far as the rookies.

Anyway, my DROY goes to the Patriots Chandler Jones. From the first week of the season, he has been a terror. He has missed a couple of games due to an ankle injury, but he is now back.

Bobby Wagner of the Seahawks gets my runner up vote. He is a leader, and a play maker for the team.

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Winner: Robert Griffin, III (Washington Redskins)

Runner Up: Alfred Morris (Washington Redskins)

This was a hard choice for me. We had three OROY candidates who play the QB position lead their teams to the playoffs, and the Washington Redskins had 2 candidates on their team, albeit one made his case a little late in the season.

That being said, and all were worthy, but my pick for OROY is RGIII. He is such a dynamic player. He is a defensive coordinator’s nightmare, because he can run and pass efficiently. I know he played hurt during the last few games, but he still showed his accuracy in passing, and in ball handling skills. I also realize he missed a game, and parts of another, but I feel he is the best candidate.

I felt Luck had too many interceptions. Russell came on a little too late, even though he had a remarkable year, and showed the sport that a short QB can succeed..

For me, it’s RGIII.

My runner up is RGIII’s fellow teammate, Alfred Morris. That young man ran angry, and racked up 1613 yards for the season. I thought it was a great job.

Defensive Player of the Year

Winner: J. J. Watt (Houston Texans)

Runner Up: Aldon Smith (San Fransisco 49ers)

I picked Mr. Watt of the Texans because his play this year could qualify him for MVP. He was fantastic. He is one menacing player. He has an amazing ability to jump, thus being a threat to bat the ball down. He had 20.5 sacks this past season. He really is a great defensive end, and I thought he had the best year for a defensive player.

Aldon Smith for the 49ers just missed the mark, even though he had a very good year also. He finished the year with 19.5 sacks.

Offensive Player of the Year

Winner: Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings)

Runner Up: Robert Griffin, III

My picking Peterson to me was a slam dunk. Let’s face it. Peterson is the OPOY because he pretty much is the offense for the Vikings. The man carried this team to the playoffs. Yes, Christian Ponder helped some, but the season was all on Peterson’s back.

Robert Griffin, III was a phenom this year. He is a threat as a runner, and as a passer. I have him as a runner up, because of his being a duel threat as an offensive weapon.

I hope you are enjoying my picks. I am sure I must have created a controversy over one or two picks.

Well, here is my pick for NFL MVP:

Winner: Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings)

Runners Up: Tom Brady (New England Patriots), Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos)

I did a lot of thinking on this, the most important category, the NFL MVP. I realize that this decision is not going to make some people happy, but this is my decision.

My decision to go with Vikings RB Adrian Peterson is because as I have been saying in this blog, Peterson carried this team. Peterson did all this coming off an ACL tear that happened on December 24, 2011. As his position is a running back, an ACL tear is quite devastating. Heck, an ACL is devastating to any athlete, but particularly a running back like Peterson, especially with his style of running. There was legitimate concern as to whether Peterson would start the season on time, or if he would even come back the same.

Well, as we all saw, he not only came back on time, but he came back just as good as if he never got injured. He just missed Eric Dickerson’s record by 9 yards. He is the MVP of the league because the Vikings do not win without him. Percy Harvin, their wide receiver got hurt. QB Christian Ponder is just decent. The Vikings absolutely depend on Adrian Peterson. In my mind, he is the MVP.

Now, to the runner ups. If Adrian Peterson did not have this extraordinary season, I would have picked Tom Brady of the New England Patriots as he once again had an MVP-caliber year, despite injuries to his main weapons on offense, and on defense. Brady also passed Johnny Unitas’ record of most consecutive games with a touchdown pass. All he has to do is catch Saints QB Drew Brees who has the record.

Now, folks are going to wonder why didn’t I listen to the Peyton Manning marks on ESPN, and NFL Network, and pick Manning? Well, I have a mind of my own for one thing. Two, I respect that he’s a great QB, and one of the best ever, but I don’t have to automatically agree with the experts just because he is Peyton Manning.

Now, the reason is that yes, like Adrian Peterson, Manning led his team to the playoffs. Like Peterson, Manning was coming off a serious injury. Like Peterson, Peyton had great numbers (105 passer rating, for example). That is all well and good.

My issue is that last year, the Broncos made the playoffs, with pretty much (give or take a few different ones added this year) the same team this year. Who was the QB? Tim Tebow. Yes, they were 8-8, and this year, they improved 5 games, but with Peyton Manning, it was obvious that they would improve. Sure, the media played up Peyton’s neck, and nerve regeneration, and such. Of course, they are.

Last year, the Vikings, even with Peterson, were a mess, considering they had a broken down McNabb,and it was Leslie Frazier’s first year as head coach, and Christian Ponder took over as QB. However, this year, and here is where Peterson has the upper hand, the Vikings don’t get into the playoffs without Peterson. Period.

What I am trying to say is that Peterson is the 2012 NFL MVP because I feel he was much more valuable to his team than any single player this year.

In closing, I hope that you enjoyed the blog.

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

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Welcome back owners. Here we are back for Week 10 of the NFL season, and wow, what a wild week we had for Week 9. Explosive days by many stars like Doug Martin, Adrian Peterson, Brandon Marshall and yes that Bears defense made some owners numbers boom! However some of us had to be on the losing end of those numbers. How about the days turned in by the Eli Mannings or Jamaal Charles? Well I fell prey to some of it, where in one league my whopping 166 points was still not enough to out do my opponent who posted a cool 173, topped by DeSean Jackson and only his second TD of the year! Hey, it happens.

Well back to the really good news where your good friend, The Shark had a really nice week. I am 3-1 in my 4 leagues and a cool season overall record of 22-14. Now while I am not perfect I am playing strong ball, and am in the top 3 in points in all 4 of those leagues. Yes, you can ignore my information, or you can read it and gain some success. I am here to hand out some recommendations, help you on your journey and try and help you towards a playoff position. It is a dog eat dog world out there friends, so you can’t expect to ask your friends who are in the same league for help now can you?

As Election Day came and went we saw our president re-elected and the country can now go back to normal. All the hype and argument over government can now take a back seat. We are back to Fantasy Football, the time is here as we are into the double digit weeks and the playoffs are coming really soon! I will keep up with the new format and give you 5 recommendations, which is more than my usual 3. Many of my picks had big weeks last week, so let’s see what I got for Week 10. As always good luck, the season is closing in to its end.

Quarterback

Start

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints: In a game that may light up the skies like July 4th, you can expect Ryan to do plenty. He does great indoors and has plenty of weapons. His 17 TDs are 4th best in the league. Big money week expected here.

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars: Although being compared to Peyton Manning is hardly fair for anyone, Luck has been shining of late. In his last 3 weeks he has passed for close to 1,000 yards and has accounted for 5 total TD’s. The Jaguars post a very appealing match up.

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs: The Steelers are finding a groove at the right time and this Monday Night match should favor them plenty. The Chiefs 17 TD passes allowed are the 4th most generous in the NFL, so get Ben out there, and watch offensive coordinator Todd Haley roast his former team.

Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. San Diego Chargers: Until further notice I am going to recommend Freeman. Last 4 weeks? Oh just 11 TDs to just 1 INT. The Chargers allow 238 yards per week and have surrendered 12 TDs. They also play the run decent, so we may not see another Doug Martin super show.

Tom Brady, New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills: I know I hate to go obvious, but this one is too good. After roasting them in Buffalo a few weeks back he now gets them at home. Brady is a constant starter, but you don’t ignore starts this good to print.

Sit

Carson Palmer, Oakland Raiders at Baltimore Ravens: Despite a real nice week by Palmer last week, this is not the place to try him again. The Ravens give up the fewest pass TDs and also have been tough in yards allowed. Also with Darren McFadden out, they lose a top decoy. Scary match here.

Mark Sanchez, New York Jets at Seattle Seahawks: The Hawks are 4-0 at home, and flat out hard to beat there. Head coach Pete Carroll must be extra excited to see his former college QB turned NFL enigma this week. The Jets offense is horrid right now. Aaron Rodgers is a better start and he is on a bye.

Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys: Marcus Vick will be busy again on Twitter this week as he watches a decent Cowboy pass rush face the terrible Eagles offensive line. The Cowboys have done well against the pass allowing just 7 TDs, including holding Matt Ryan to 1 in Atlanta. Get ready Philly boo-birds, you will be busy again this week.

Eli Manning, New York Giants at Cincinnati Bengals: I hate to say it, but Manning has thrown just 2 TDs in 4 weeks! The man who they call the most clutch QB in the league is in trouble, then again find me a November when he isn’t. I know the Bengals aren’t great, but Eli is making me quiver right now.

Matt Cassel, Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers allow just 174 yards per game against the pass, so why trust one of the worst offenses here? You will be better served with guys like Russell Wilson, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Alex Smith, all of which are most likely available.

Running Back

Start

Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens vs. Oakland Raiders: The defense that allowed Doug Martin to scamper for 251 yards last week will now have to face an even better back in Ray Rice. Get your ice packs ready, it could be a long day. The pass offense has been cold lately for the Ravens, so Rice should be real active.

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions: Yes the Lions are improved, but not as much as Peterson is. He usually runs well against them and is coming off of a stellar game last week in which he ran for 182 yards and 2 TDs against a very good Seahawks defense. His nickname is All Day, and you will see that this week.

Reggie Bush, Miami Dolphins vs. Tennessee Titans: The Titans are allowing 4.4 yards per carry, one of the highest totals in the league, and Reggie looked like the Bush of old last week with ankle breaking moves and a nice TD. Come on Dolphins, this guy is your most talented player, use him and stop making me look foolish.

Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers vs. St. Louis Rams: He usually handles them well, and is at home. Gore has had a better year than many expected and is in the top 10 in rushing, and has a whopping 5.5 yards per carry, against a Rams defense that allows 4.6 per. The Rams pass defense is actually decent, so expect some serious ground work here.

Stevan Ridley, New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills: The numbers are terrifying. The Bills are dead last in yards allowed at a crazy 5.7 yards per carry. While Tom Brady should do a lot, expect Ridley to also get his share. The Bills probably couldn’t stop a kicker if he ran the ball right now.

Sit

Ryan Matthews, San Diego Chargers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs remain stingy against the run, and Matthews is watching a bunch of wants was backs steal his carries. He is not near what many of us hoped when grabbing him within the first 3 rounds this year. Tough match up that you should avoid here.

Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins: No, I am not living under a rock, and I saw that Johnson’s has improved greatly over the last 4 weeks. My problem here is 2 things: A) The Dolphins are second best in the NFL with just 3.6 yards per carry allowed and B) For some unknown reason the Titans are going back to Jake Locker at QB. Locker is not Hasselback, so defenses can focus more on the run. Johnson will have a tough road this week.

Matt Forte, Chicago Bears vs. Houston Texans: A bit of a stretch here but numbers say it all. The Texans have not allowed a rushing TD all year and just 84 yards per game. While Forte runs hard and can wear teams down, the Bears may look to throw more, and also share the load with Michael Bush to try and soften this tough defense. It could be a long day for both backs, and many of you may need Forte, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers: I can’t see starting any Chief, even the best Chief. The Steelers defense has improved, and Peyton Hillis is stealing more and more time from Charles. Just not worth it here.

Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots: Despite 14 touches he could only get 36 yards last week, and the Patriots run defense has been tough. This Bills team will need to get more familiar with CJ Spiller if they hope to move forward. Jackson is always a decent option to catch some passes, but he looks to be slowing down of late.

Wide Receiver

Start

Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. San Diego Chargers: You know he is begging for this game here. After years of turmoil and contract nonsense in San Diego, Jackson now gets a crack at his old mates. 4 TDs in the last 4 weeks is not bad either. He will need to be busier than his 4 catches in the last 2 weeks however, but I like his chances.

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints: Jones is the Atlanta Falcons WR luggage because he travels so very well. While Roddy White owns home, Jones does the road. 5 TDs this year, all on the road, and can easily make that number 7 with a pair this week. Next home game however, well that’s Roddy’s turn to shine.

A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals vs. New York Giants: Some teams have that guy you play no matter what, and Green is one of them. Over his last 4 games he has 5 TDs on 24 catches, and is becoming one of the best WR in all the league. Bank on a good game here from him.

Andre Johnson, Houston Texans at Chicago Bears: Rumor has it that Charles Tillman may not play due to the birth of his child, and that means Johnson will face a lesser CB. He has come back, quietly over the last 3 weeks in which we saw him grab 26 passes. He needs to find the end zone more to pay dividends for fantasy, and this may be his week. Running will be tough, so QB Matt Schaub will have to prove he can be a Super Bowl caliper QB here.

Eric Decker, Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers: Once Peyton Manning starts to love a WR, you go with him. He’s got 6 TDs in the last 4 weeks with 22 catches for 261 yards. Decker is now the go to guy for TDs here, and he should be for you too.

Sit

Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers vs. St Louis Rams: Many think he is a guy you roll with now, but this defense plays tough against WRs. Crabtree has never been real consistent and he has too many people to try and compete with for the ball here.

Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions: An ankle injury may force Harvin out of the week 10 game against the Lions, and even if it doesn’t he will be hard to trust.

Danny Amendola, St Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers: Yes he will be back, and he is a guy to go to down the stretch, but not here against a very tough 49ers defense. I know that someone will have to score here, but let Amendola get his legs back before you jump on his bandwagon.

Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles: Although the Eagles have been had of late, Bryant and his bad hip are scary here. He still only has 2 TDs this year and they came in one game. His iffy hands also make him a tough bet here.

Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers: I just figured I would finish the Chiefs hat trick here, go about your business.

Tight End

Start

Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles: Becoming more and more involved and Jimmy Graham roasted this defense last week.

Scott Chandler, Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots: Well the Bills will get some points at least, and Chandler got them for 2 TDs the last meeting.

Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers vs. Denver Broncos: If Cam Newton can remember how to complete some big time passes, this can be his go to guy. The Broncos defense has been decent but struggles against TEs of late. It’s a roll of the dice, but may pay off.

Sit

Dennis Pitta, Baltimore Ravens vs. Oakland Raiders: Remember when Pitta was good, and the Ravens passed a lot? Me either.

Brent Celek, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys: He looks slow and isn’t making big catches right now. Keep him on the bench.

Defenses I like this week:

Baltimore Ravens vs. Oakland Raiders

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles

New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills

San Francisco 49ers vs. St Louis Rams

Defenses I don’t like this week:

San Diego Chargers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers

Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions

New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons

Waiver Wire: With some tough injuries and new faces coming in, here is your chance to grab a nice late season gem. Oh and cheers to the end of the bye week!

Marcel Reece, RB, Oakland Raiders: Although he has not carried the ball this year, he is very active in the passing game, and with Darren McFadden and Mike Goodsen expected to miss this week he is a nice flex play.

Taiwan Jones, RB, Oakland Raiders: Tough call as to who carries the load here, but Jones is the speed to Reece’s bull. He has barely played this season, but this guy may be in line for some playing time soon. What he does with it is any one’s guess.

Chris Ivory, RB, New Orleans Saints: A busy backfield but it lacks super talent. With Darren Sproles out with injury, Ivory finally got his shot and carried 10 times for 48 yards and a TD. He is a back with the best mix of speed, hands and power the Saints have.

Danario Alexander, WR, San Diego Chargers: Any option is needed here. He has more speed than Malcolm Floyd, and showed nice flashes in his first action last week.

Dallas Cowboys Defense: Not sure if they are free in your league, but if they are grab them against a generous Eagles offense.

Well here is Week 10 folks, go out there and make me proud!

I have now joined Twitter, so if you would like to ask any questions or need any advice feel free to reach out to my personal account, @JPshark71.

Fantasy Football Almanac 2012: The Essential Fantasy Football Reference Guide

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Fantasy Football for Smart People: How to Dominate Your Draft

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Let’s take a look back at some of the things that stood out from Week 7 in the National Football League!

- San Francisco edged out the Seahawks in a defensive battle proving that contrary to others beliefs, they are still the team to beat in the NFC West.

- I felt like despite the loss, Seattle proved they could hang with some of the best in the NFC. Seattle could’ve really made this into a game at different points but failed to convert at ample opportunities. It’s definitely a “learning loss” for Russell Wilson and Co.

- Welcome back Chris Johnson to the NFL. I look forward to most Fantasy owners starting him next week and for him to run upwards of 20 yards…for the entire game.

- Whatever happened to that amazing Buffalo Bills defense we were supposed to see this season? Chan Gailey just isn’t the guy for this team and the Bills organization needs to consider hiring a coach that can make this franchise believe they are the winners we know they can be.

- I’d say the New York Football Giants were lucky to beat the Washington Redskins in Week 7 but we know how that goes as the defending Super Bowl Champs play that type of “come-from-behind” victories ALL THE TIME. Good win but definitely foreshadowing into the future of what the NFC East will become.

- What is there to not say about RGIII? Guy is a gamer and going to be a huge thorn in the side of the Giants for years to come.

- New Orleans wins their 2nd game of the season after a call went their way. They don’t look as dominating and I don’t see them as a playoff team still but they are winning games. Thankfully for them they can still turn this around and get better for weeks to come.

- Tampa Bay is a frustrating team. Ton of potential but not completely capitalizing on it yet, at least these losses will help them plan for the future and hopefully learn from it.

- For the 2nd week in a row the Green Bay Packers are looking “normal” and Aaron Rodgers is setting the Fantasy Football world on fire. If they are playing this way without Greg Jennings, I can only imagine how they will play with Greg Jennings.

- The Rams never got going like they did against Arizona back on a Thursday Night game and I have to wonder if Sam Bradford will ever come into his own as a franchise QB still; lots to work on for St. Louis after a frustrating Week 7 loss.

- Congrats to Tony Romo and the Cowboys for avoiding this week’s “Monday Morning quarterback” headlines. This team still doesn’t have what it takes heading into Week 8 and I have to wonder if the relationship between Tony Romo & the Cowboys are coming to an end in the near-to-soon future. It may be time to move on after not playing up to the par Dallas sets them up to be every season.

- Cam Newton has zero confidence right now. Want to watch a Football star look at their career in the mirror with not a single ounce of positivity? Then watch Cam Newton’s post-game press conference after the Week 7 loss to Dallas. Not a good attitude to have for such a young player.

- Sure, we were worried about Houston after their tough Week 6 loss to Green Bay but they bounced back just fine. I really expect them to start pulling away from the rest of the AFC South in the coming weeks.

- Things aren’t looking too bright in Baltimore right now. I was wondering how they would handle all of their depleting injuries to their defense and that answer was not well. Joe Flacco needs to step up and lead this team if he ever wants to be a franchise defining quarterback in the NFL.

- Always great to see the Indianapolis Colts get the win due to everything going on with this organization. Even better news was that head coach Chuck Pagano left the hospital this weekend. Many Football fans are thinking of you right now Coach, stay strong!

- It’s a common trend here on the blog but I still love what Cleveland is doing despite all these losses. They haven’t been blown out like some weaker teams have been and they have stayed pretty competitive. Cleveland is making the right changes with their organization consistently as Mike Holmgren will also be out as President of Football Operations, good things will be coming to Cleveland in the future.

- The Minnesota Vikings are 5-2 heading into Week 7. I’m really intrigued to see how this squad will handle divisional play against Chicago and Green Bay this season. Do I believe them to be a playoff team due to their record? No, but if they are still competitive come Week 12 then I will take them seriously.

- Arizona is back-peddling out of all the good fortune and praise they received for the first 4-5 weeks of the season. I wonder how many jokes are still being made about this Cardinals team with the line: “they are who we thought they were…”

- Oakland comes back and wins the game as they prove they are NOT the worst team in the league. It’s a shame that this great game was on the same time Jets vs. Patriots was…

- Looks like that holdout finally caught up to MJD…Fantasy owners hold your breath (don’t worry I’m one of them in several leagues)!

- At one point it looked like New England was going to drop to 3-4 on the season heading into Week 8. That is something you never thought you’d see at the halfway point of the season during the Brady/Belichick era in New England. They continue to struggle against poor teams which make me wonder how they will handle some of the “elite” in the AFC this season.

- Lets face it; the Jets had low expectations going into Week 7. The fact they nearly beat their division rival would be an accomplishment for most teams but not for a team from New York. Mark Sanchez had his chance and he yet again, literally, dropped the ball.

- In a battle of disappointments the Pittsburgh Steelers get the win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night and while the window may be closing on this team they still have a very good chance to take over the AFC North at the moment. The AFC North is quite the crapshoot right now due in part to the Ravens injuries and despite not necessarily being a strong team, the Pittsburgh Steelers getting divisional wins such as this one will help their cause to at least make the playoffs in 2012.

- Cincy, what happened!? They were looking so good and then this losing streak has really set them back a ways. Clearly there is still a lot of room to grow in Cincinnati before we can put them up there with Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

- The Chicago Bears are starting to turn me into a believer but one that I will precede with caution towards. Their defense is incredibly solid and the best in Football right now, while their offense, at times, can be very inconsistent. If everything clicks together come January this is a team that could very well be representing the NFC in the Super Bowl.

- By far the biggest disappointment in 2012 has to be the Detroit Lions. This team was picked by many to start taking over the NFC North division starting this season and they are failing to live up to those expectations. You know things are getting bad when people are questioning the longevity of your #1 overall draft pick QB, Matthew Stafford.

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

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