Well Ho, Ho, Ho and a Merry Christmas to all of The Sharks readers and fans. It is shaping up to be a wonderful holiday season in Fantasy Land for The Shark who finds himself in 3 championship games out of his 4 leagues! That’s some serious Cha-Ching boys and girls, apparently The Shark has been very good this year. Hopefully many of you were nice as well and the Fantasy Gods were kind to you too.

If you are following me still this season it is a good chance you need this advice because you’re moving on and probably have a big championship game this week. A long season of hard work and tough decision making has gotten you to the top of the mountain and now it is time to drop your flag,and win it all! I sure hope I helped you to the best of my ability and as the season draws to a close I thank you all for reading.

The finale of Start/Sit for 2012 will be quick and direct. It is hard to imagine many moves that can be made now. It’s just time to go get ‘em, and win with what got you this far. Best of luck, and a Happy Holiday season, also great job on surviving the alleged “End of the world”!

- The Shark

Quarterback

Start

Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints: First half dud turns second half stud, and Romo has been red hot. Use him here.

Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers: My gut tells me that Wilson and his team’s 6-0 home record will continue to stay hot. The first meeting between these 2 was a run-fest, but here should be the running QB showdown.

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions: Ryan has come back sharp the last few weeks from a fantasy stand point and it’s time for the Falcons to start prepping for a playoff win.

Sit

Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. St. Louis Rams: Freeman and his 4 INTs last week are more than enough to make owners sick, not to mention playing a much better defense this week. Try elsewhere.

Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears at Arizona Cardinals: The freefall of the Bears playoffs resemble the freefall of the numbers for QB Jay Cutler. Outside of Brandon Marshall no one is scoring for the Bears.

Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Redskins: It got sloppy again so don’t get risky no matter how bad the Redskins stats are against the pass.

Running Back

Start

Alfred Morris, Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles: He has been killing it the last few weeks, and if it wasn’t for the great rookie QB play, he could be a rookie of the year dark horse. Stay with Morris.

Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos vs. Cleveland Browns: Something strange happened on his way to free agency. It was an average of 20+ fantasy points the last 2 weeks, and the Browns, while improved, are not that tough.

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings at Houston Texans: I know it is very obvious, but some are worried about the Texans defense. Peterson is on a record pace so stick with him no matter who he plays.

Sit

David Wilson, New York Giants at Baltimore Ravens: All the hype from 2 weeks ago kind of imploded last week, and I just don’t trust the Giants offense in general.

San Diego Chargers RBs at New York Jets: Not to be afraid of the match up but no one ever really knows who steps up once Ryan Mathews checks out. Not a time to take this chance.

Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Indianapolis Colts: Colts have improved on defense and Charles has been phased out.

Wide Receiver

Start

Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints: The hottest WR in fantasy football keeps doing it, even with a broken finger. His TDs in 8 straight games rivals the team record held by Terrell Owens, and you can bank on a TD again this week.

Andre Johnson, Houston Texans vs. Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings as a whole are better than expected, but over the second half of the season Andre has been unstoppable. You have to start him here.

Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions vs. Atlanta Falcons: I may not trust his QB much, but that has not stopped Megatron. The great Jerry Rice said this week “I have over 40 records, let Johnson have this one”. Well go ahead and get it for him!

Sit

Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys: The most enigmatic “top” WR in fantasy will have his hands full with a tough secondary. I just don’t trust him anymore.

Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. St Louis Rams: Not that Jackson is not worth starting, it’s just that his QB is on a down slide, so I get scared here.

Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengal defense has been tough lately and the Steelers offense will try and pound them. I can’t expect a lot from Wallace.

Here are some final choices for you! As far as defenses, well you have gotten this far so stick with what got you here. Close the waiver wire and go get it. Best of luck readers!

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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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Let’s take a look back at some of the things that stood out from Week 13 in the National Football League!

- Great win for the Atlanta Falcons in primetime as they improve to 11-1 on the season. I have been very critical of the Falcons ability against good teams all season and they proved in back-to-back weeks they can pull it off. Now they just need to show up come playoff time…

- Say what you will about the New Orleans Saints but they gave it a pretty valiant effort these last couple of weeks. It will take a miracle for them to be playoff bound in 2012 as they get their 7th loss of the season here in Week 13. I wonder if the “Sean Payton magic” will be able to get this team back where they typically are in 2013, obviously if Payton returns.

- I’m sure many Buffalo Bills fans wondered where this team has been all season long and the funny thing about this Bills team is that they can’t be counted out completely just yet. They are 5-7 on the year and just sit outside the 6th seed in the AFC. Certainly that tells you how weak the AFC truly is this season.

- After two weeks of “Jaguar-Mania” they finally came back to Earth. Sorry Jacksonville, Chad Henne is decent but not your savior. I’m sure Alex Smith will be looking for a job next season…or will he.

- Seattle has been a pretty nice surprise all season long in the NFC. They pick up their 7th win on the season and get another hard fought win against a pretty good team in Chicago. Not a bad year when you beat Green Bay (technically), New England and Chicago in one season.

- I’ve been preaching this belief off-and-on the last couple of weeks: the Chicago Bears aren’t as good as their record shows. Believe me when I say that because they have trouble against good NFL teams. They need to turn that belief around before playoff time gets here.

- Green Bay looked like they were still hung over from the knockout punch they received last week from the Giants in the 1st half and then had shades of the Packers we have been used to the last couple of seasons in the 2nd half. It could be a good sign for Aaron Rodgers and company.

- How is Adrian Peterson not the NFL MVP favorite right now? I know Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have had good seasons but would the Vikings be where they are right now without him? 21 carries for 210 yards, enough said.

- The Colts are having a miracle season right now and if you don’t believe me watch Andrew Luck’s game-winning pass in Detroit. Indianapolis has been the best story in the NFL all season long, amazing stuff.

- Hello, can anyone hear me yet? Fire Jim Schwartz at the end of the season! He literally coached the Detroit Lions out of a win…AGAIN!

- Sure Houston plays in an easy division but they still need to get the easy wins as well. The Texans did just that and got their 11th win of the season. Home-field advantage is getting closer to their grasps.

- I may be in the minority on this one but I really enjoy what I see out of Jake Locker on a weekly basis. I really hope Tennessee continues to believe in the kid, he is definitely poised to potentially surprise his critics with his pla.

- Tough weekend for the Kansas City Chiefs, my thoughts & prayers go out to them, the families involved and of course the 3-month old who was left behind in this selfish tragedy. I know a win won’t completely heal this situation but I hope it was able to take their minds off of it for a little bit.

- The more I watch this team play the more I realize that Ron Rivera just isn’t the right fit there. The Panthers need a coach who will know how to properly utilize Cam Newton, imagine Chip Kelly of Oregon coaching this team next year…

- Whatever the St. Louis Rams do the rest of the NFL needs to follow because they have the ingredient on how to beat the 49ers. Watch both of these games!

- San Francisco loses but that doesn’t change my belief in Colin Kaepernick as the starter for this team. The 49ers still have the best chance in winning when he is on the field.

- New England is the best team in the AFC but suffer from a tough schedule and it’s going to be tougher in the coming weeks as they take on Houston in Week 14 & San Francisco in Week 15. These next two games will be very telling in regards to the Patriots chances come playoff time.

- Seriously Dolphins? You have a chance to make things interesting in the AFC playoff standings and you lose yet again when it matters the most? Granted its New England but c’mon make the AFC interesting!

- The Jets get a win in a historical snoozer. Bench Mark Sanchez, start Tim Tebow (if he’s healthy) and just have Greg McElroy ready to go if Tebow isn’t cutting it. You brought Tebow in there for a reason now just start him at QB!

- How does Larry Fitzgerald wake up every Sunday morning knowing that he is playing for this team and that these Quarterback’s are throwing to him?

- Believe me when I tell you this, the AFC may be a weak conference but the Denver Broncos are going to make the playoff seeds very interesting amongst the division leaders. This could get very fun, very quickly.

- Sadly it’s starting to look like maybe that “glimmer” on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season is starting to wear off. Has been a fun year and I hope they can piece back together for the final weeks of the season.

- Back-to-back wins for the Cleveland Browns…it’s been a while since we could say that.

- Oakland is just plain awful. I’m starting to really wonder if the Raiders will just give Terrelle Pryor a shot to see what he’s got as a NFL QB. What do you have to lose at this point?

- Quietly the Cincinnati Bengals continue to make noise in the NFL as they have won their last 4 games. They sit just outside the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC playoff standings and are a dangerous team with just 4 games to go.

- 4-8 season = Fire Norv Turner. I wonder if San Diego would consider looking a potential replacement for Phillip Rivers cause I’m not sure if he is the right fit for the Chargers anymore either.

- Wow how lucky was the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13? Great win for them and their playoff chances stay alive. I wonder if we will see a “Big Ben” return next week with the season starting to dwindle down.

- Tough loss for Baltimore as their inconsistency once again rears its ugly head. This team would be so good if they could just get it together. The loss now puts Baltimore as the #3 seed in the AFC and no longer facing a first-round bye, in-fact if the season ended today they would play Pittsburgh again.

- Good win for Dallas on Sunday Night, they still looked inconsistent against a weak Philadelphia Eagles team but a win is a win and they stay alive in the NFC Playoff picture.

- Philadelphia didn’t look terrible in their loss to Dallas on Sunday Night. In fact they looked pretty encouraging as the Eagles were able to make plays offensively, something they needed to see badly with a rookie QB and RB starting for them against the Cowboys. It’s still too little, too late but at least they continue to try and play spoiler in the NFC East.

- Huge win for Washington and now things have gotten very interesting in the NFC East. I have this strange feeling that the Giants may not be the NFC East representative when it’s all said and done.

- The Giants had their chance to capitalize on wins in back-to-back weeks and separate themselves from the NFC East. They failed to do so and now have created yet another typical end of the season for the Eli Manning led New York Giants. This is going to get fun with 4 games to go.

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!

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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Welcome back to the grind. Not too much to say at this point outside of do or die. Week 13 in many leagues is the regular season finale and if not the key game to deciding whether or not you make the playoffs. Let me make it short and sweet for you all. Do not go against what got you there, do not try and pick up all sorts of free agents to plug in and play. Whatever your team is, it is, it’s just that simple. So this week’s edition of Start/Sit is simple advice and the only reaching we do is from what is inside your head. Read and react as needed, there is not much time for mistakes.

Here are the guys I think you should roll with or not, and trust me, if I put these names out there, I am doing it with the players myself. So basically we can all blame me if it fails or all praise me if it takes off! Best of luck everyone!

Quarterback

Start

Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles: A red-hot QB against an ice-cold defense, you do the math. Over the last 2 weeks Romo has gone for 754 yards and 4 TDs. He should be good here at home.

Eli Manning, New York Giants at Washington Redskins: It’s December come kickoff, and that’s Eli’s time to shine. Also the Redskins pass defense is brutal.

Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals at San Diego Chargers: In the last 4 weeks: 10 TDs just 1 INT and 940 yards. He’s a go, and now with Sanu coming on, he’s gaining weapons.

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints: It’s time to put up or shut up for the Falcons. They attempt to avenge their only loss this season in Matty’s house, where they are 5-0 this year. Heck, even if they lose, he should be big here.

Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins vs. New York Giants: If you own RG3 and don’t start RG3, I can’t help you anymore. His last 2 weeks: 8 TDs, 1 INT. The Skins may have their guy at last.

Sit

Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Was uneventful against them a few weeks ago, so why not another clunker? Tell me I’m wrong.

Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Denver Broncos: The Flip-Flop season of Freeman is headed for a flop. Tough game in Denver, and he went for 0 against the Falcons at home. He may not be awful, but not sold on this one just yet.

Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams: 2 TDs last week was nice, but only 231 yards means he is still managing the game, and the Rams, well they are tough at home, and handled business in San Fran a few weeks back.

Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers vs Cincinnati Bengals: Not that the Bengals have a super defense, but the Chargers are pretty much spent. Don’t risk it.

Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots: Bill Belichick knows how to handle rookie QBs. Oh and this is nothing special anyway.

Running Back

Start

CJ Spiller, Buffalo Bills vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: This is the new Jags who are looking better, however it’s the same Spiller. Coach Chan Gailey said he will go 60/40 with Spiller over Jackson, I like those odds.

DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers at Kansas City Chiefs: I know I told you not to reach, but if you own Williams this is the spot for him. Jonathan Stweart is out and the Chiefs are dreadful. It’s a chance, but it could be worth taking it.

Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams: Put up 97 yards and a TD last time against them, and had a big week last week. He’s still the workhorse and still a good fantasy back.

Trent Richardson, Cleveland Browns at Oakland Raiders: They are back to being the Raiders of late. No magic on defense and Richardson is a bull.

Beanie Wells, Arizona Cardinals at New York Jets: Jim Hart? Neil Lomax? Me? Can anyone QB for the Cardinals? Probably not, so running is the key, and he had 2 TDs in his return last week.

Sit

Shonn Greene, New York Jets vs. Arizona Cardinals: Not fearing the Cards defense, but fearing a guy averaging 3.8 yards per carry, and lost his goal line touches to Bilal Powell. He hasn’t scored a TD in recent weeks.

Michael Bush, Chicago Bears vs. Seattle Seahawks: Matt Forte’s ankle injury will lead to more carries, but is this the match up you want to test Bush in?

Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Through thick and thin the Bucs still have the league’s best run defense. Moreno was busy last week, but if he stalls against this tough defense, they may try the committee. He did go for 85 yards last week.

Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans: The Texans bring the second best rush defense into this game, and will try and play ball control with the Titans. Also having Locker back at QB means they can cheat in run coverage. He may be decent but not great here.

Ahmad Bradshaw, New York Giants at Washington Redskins: Really don’t get it. He’s the lead back yet just 20 carries over the last 2 weeks, despite averaging 5.7 yards per carry? With that few amount of touches, he becomes a guy you need to get lucky. If you have another option, use it.

Wide Receiver

Start

Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Well look at this, Bryant has found his game. 4 TDs in his last 3 weeks, as well as 23 catches and 370 yards on a whopping 31 targets, that’s some serious juice. He put up 87 yards and a TD against Philly a few weeks back.

Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints: Got them for 7 catches and a 114 yards earlier this season, plus he gets his TDs at home.

Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: TDs in each of the last 2 weeks, and Tampa is brutal against the pass. There will be plenty of targets his way, now he needs to grab them.

Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts at Detroit Lions: He does it every week so use him.

Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears vs. Seattle Seahawks: Question the match up? Not with this guy. However, feel free to sneak in any Viagra joke you may have here.

Sit

Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys: He is healthy, but he is about the only regular Eagle who is, and Dallas will have an eye on him.

Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens: The current QB situation in Pittsburgh speaks for itself.

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals at New York Jets: Can someone please get this guy a QB! Until then, no chances need be taken.

Danny Amendola, St. Louis Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers: Despite popping off for 10 catches and over 100 yards in the last meeting, he is still playing with pain, and is not even certain to go here. Way too risky.

James Jones, Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings: Cobb is the star, Jennings is likely coming back, and they also have Jordy Nelson. It is time for Jones to exit from the targets here.

Defenses I like this week

Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins

Defenses I don’t like

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys

Washington Redskins vs. New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Denver Broncos

Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills

That’s the wrap up for Week 13. Best of luck and I will be back next week.

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Before I get started, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday. I apologize for my absence from this blog. I had recent gall bladder surgery, and I am happy to report that it went well. My recovery is going very well. I think I am ready to write a bit more, and I want to thank my editor, and blog owner, Eric Gargiulo for being such a wonderful, and understanding editor.

Now that I am back, I am ready to comment on where the 2012-13 season is after about three-fourths of the season has now past. This is a somewhat sad time for me. It signals the impending end of the regular season. I also have to realize that the playoffs will make January go by quickly, and after the Super Bowl, no more NFL till training camps in August. Waiting six months will be agony.

This point of the season is also when the experts start talking playoff scenarios. That is the fun part. Many scenarios are a little confusing, but some are pretty simple. It makes every game from Week 13 (which starts Thursday, 11/29/12 with Saints at Atlanta on NFL Network) on more important.

Let’s discuss some of the good, the bad and the ugly at this point in the NFL Season. If this were a horse race, the teams are going around the clubhouse turn. During the last 5 games, teams fighting for playoff position will be set down for the drive, and others will be just positioning for the April Draft.

The Good:

Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning’s Season Coming Off A Fourth Neck Surgery:

I admit that I was never the biggest fan of Peyton, but since my beloved WWE Superstar Edge was forced to retire due to his own neck issues, how can I not root for Peyton to do well? He has uplifted the Broncos to be an overall better team. His playing the QB position has been awesome.

Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson’s Leading the NFL in Rushing Coming Off an ACL Tear:

Much like Peyton Manning, people were wondering when Adrian Peterson tore his ACL in November of 2011, if Peterson would be the same RB as he was. Well, Peterson did more than answer the bell. He is leading the NFL in rushing. Peterson is awesome, to say the least. If Manning and Peterson could somehow share the Comeback Player of the Year Award, that would be sweet.

Tom Brady and The Patriots Force Themselves Into The Conversation As One of The Top Teams In The AFC:

The so called “World Wide Leader,” ESPN, and their talking heads were all over themselves pushing the Texans, and the Ravens as the best teams in the AFC. By their records, those teams should have been pushed, even though the Ravens got away with a few lucky breaks in a few of their wins (Patriots, Cowboys, Steelers).

One team, the defending AFC Champion Patriots were sort of forgotten, and were dismissed due to their close losses early in the season. Lately though, the Patriots have dismantled the Colts, Rams, and ESPN favorite, the Jets, and put the Patriots right back in the discussion of one of the best teams in the AFC.

The Indianapolis Colts Supporting Their Head Coach, Chuck Pagano:

As someone who lost her father to cancer, (RIP) I know all too well how the disease destroys families. This story of the Indianapolis Colts , from top management leaving the light on in Coach Pagano’s office, to the players and cheerleaders shaving their heads is very touching. It is a great story of love, support, and dedication. The team’s record of 7-4, and being on the verge of a playoff spot is nothing short of miraculous.

The Rise Of Young Quarterbacks:

The NFL is seeing an array of young QBs taking over the NFL. From the dynamic Robert Griffin III, to the Colts rookie sensation, Andrew Luck, to the San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick, fans are being treated to the next generation of QBs. I think it is great, as one day, the “old guard” will be retiring, and the NFL will need new blood.

The Bad

The Number of Players Being Caught With PEDs:

This is really a shame. I mean, why do players need to take drugs to enhance their performance? Recently, Patriots DE Jermaine Cunningham, Seahawks CB Richard Sherman, and his teammate, fellow CB Brandon Browner were nailed with four week suspensions for PEDs. Don’t these guys realize that when they take these drugs, and get caught, that they HURT THEIR TEAM? It really makes me mad.

The NFL’s Hypocrisy On Player Safety:

This item could be a blog of it’s own. Anyway, in their match up against the Ravens at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh Steelers WR Emmanuel Sanders was hit in the head/neck area by Ravens S Ed Reed. The referee, at least, felt the hit was in the neck/head area, and threw the flag for the 15 yard penalty. Reed was suspended one game for being a repeat offender over the past three years. ESPN and others had a hissy fit, and Ed Reed appealed. The suspension was overturned, and Reed got a slap on the wrist with a 50,000 dollar fine.

The hypocrisy is that the NFL ruled Reed a “repeat offender.” Well, why then did they reverse their decision? It could not have been because ESPN’s talking heads lost their marbles over the fact that Reed would have lost 430,000 dollars of his salary? It couldn’t have been that Ed Reed is one of the network’s “Golden Children?” “Mike and Mike’s” Mike Greenberg gave the excuse that Reed could not tackle due to the torn labrum. Well, what in the heck is Reed doing playing then?

My point is, if Reed was deemed a “repeat offender,” then he should have been punished like one. The NFL backed down because he was Ed Reed. I shudder to think what would have happened if this had been one of the Steelers, particularly James Harrison. If a suspension was given to Harrison as a repeat offender, one should have been given to Reed also. The heck with what a bunch of crybabies at ESPN say.

The Ugly:

Happy Trails To You:

This is more geared to coaches/GMs that I am SPECULATING that may be fired after the season is over. I mean, from watching them after all these weeks, it appears to me that the respective team owners MAY want to make some changes.

The Carolina Panthers:

When I saw earlier this season that the Panthers fired their GM, I had a feeling that Coach Ron Rivera may be on borrowed time. I had heard that in previous interviews for other teams in the past, he had not interviewed well. However, he was given a shot here. I think, IF he is fired, the team needs an offensive coach to help out Cam Newton. The team may want someone to smooth out Newton’s attitude also. Cam is not used to losing, and his poor attitude needs to be straightened out.

The Dallas Cowboys:

That goofy petition to President Obama aside, I do agree with the sentiment of the group that Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones needs to step aside as GM, and let someone else “buy the groceries,” as former Cowboy coach Bill Parcells once said. I am sort of on the fence as to whether Jason Garrett keeps his head coaching job. The Dallas Cowboys have been overrated, in my opinion, for years. They haven’t done anything in over 15 years. I know Jones loves his team, but he can’t interfere in everything.

The Kansas City Chiefs:

This is another disaster area. I don’t know what the Chiefs will do. There are people not happy with Scott Pioli, the current GM. I am sure Head Coach Romeo Crennel will be gone at the end of the season. I am sure KC will be drafting a QB. I would dump Pioli also.

The New York Jets:

Wow. What to do with this dumpster fire. Owner Woody Johnson keeps insisting that the team is “not a circus.” I don’t think it is either, because that would be an insult to circuses. Circuses are well organized, and fun to watch. This team is unorganized, and not fun at all to watch. I mean, this team is the “butt” of all jokes.

Seriously, this team has been so bad this year. I admit that a couple of their big weapons, CB Darrelle Revis, and WR Santonio Holmes wound up on IR, and their bringing in QB Tim Tebow has not worked out as hoped, but something is really wrong.

I don’t see Rex Ryan being fired. I would not fire him. After all, his first two years, the Jets DID go from being an OK team to being one game away from the Super Bowl. Last year, and this year has not gone well, but Ryan has not forgotten how to coach. Of course, this is the same team who fired Eric Mangini who had the Jets at 9-7.

I WOULD fire GM Mike Tannenbaum. He’s the one who largely put the team together.
However, what the Jets do is another thing altogether.

The Philadelphia Eagles:

I had a very sad feeling that this year was not going to be a good year for the Eagles, and especially for Head Coach Andy Reid when Reid’s son Garrett died at the team’s training camp on August 6th of this year. I know that people grieve differently, and some people throw themselves into work, but I just think losing his son had to weigh on him as he coached. Owner Jeffery Lurie’s edict of the team needing to make the playoffs didn’t help the situation, in my opinion.

However, as the injuries to star players like Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, etc piled up, and the defense not being what it should, leading to Defensive Coordinator Juan Castillo’s firing, and his replacement Todd Bowles’ failure to make the defense better, it does look like Andy Reid will be coaching his last year with the team.

What will happen with star QB Michael Vick, I don’t know. As for Reid, if he wants to coach next year, trust me, he won’t be unemployed for very long.

Well, that is my review at the three quarter pole, so to speak. The 32 teams are rounding the far turn. When they hit the stretch, we will have to see who winds up with the Lombardi in February. Like the Kentucky Derby, it is a long stretch, from now (Week 13) until February 2, 2013, but like in horse racing, anything can happen.

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 Week 12 in the National Football League!

- Good win for Houston on Thanksgiving as they need to have these kinds of wins to make them look like a formable contender in the AFC. Houston’s lack-of defense lately is probably a concern right now but not a growing one unless this current trend continues. Obviously if the Texans want to be successful this season it will come from their D.

- Detroit gets their 7th loss of the season and is all but done for the 2012 season as it’s an extremely disappointing season when you look at what they were able to accomplish last season and how talented their roster is. They need to give Stafford another wide receiver option heading into 2013 because this offense is looking completely different without Nate Burleson, clearly their #2 WR target.

- Robert Griffin III put on a Thanksgiving show that I’m sure we will be talking about for sometime. The Redskins are becoming a serious threat in the NFC East at this point in the season and may surprise some teams. Despite the below .500 record don’t count out Washington just yet.

- This was your typical “Tony Romo era” Cowboys loss. Dallas needed this win to put some major pressure on the New York Giants in the NFC East and they failed to do so. The Cowboys are a very frustrating team to watch as they are so inconsistent on a weekly basis.

- New England is the most complete AFC team at the moment right now. They looked good on both sides of the ball (clearly) and I wonder if it will continue on against good AFC opponents, something the Jets are most definitely not.

- The 2012 New York Jets are horrible. That game will go down in the ages as one of the worst Thanksgiving performances of All-Time!

- Chicago gets the win over Minnesota in pretty convincing fashion. It was also a good sign for the Bears as Jay Cutler looked pretty good in his first game back from his concussion two weeks ago.

- Minnesota needed this win as they are staying neck-and-neck with teams like Tampa Bay & New Orleans for the final Wild Card playoff spots. Vikings are the team on the “outside looking in” when it comes to being competitive though.

- I’ll say it again: Cincinnati is quietly becoming an AFC Playoff contender yet again. Watch out for the Bengals.

- So if you were the Raiders front office would you draft a QB or RB in the 2013 NFL Draft?

- That may be the last win this season for the Browns but it will be considered a successful season by the Cleveland faithful because they beat the Steelers. Week 12 was Cleveland’s Super Bowl win.

- Ya think Pittsburgh misses “Big Ben” yet? Ouch.

- Indianapolis has 7 wins this season and it’s Week 12. Who would’ve thought that to be possible going into this season? Really enjoy watching this Colts team.

- Buffalo, you disappoint me. Please fire Chan Gailey at the end of this season!

- Based on their schedule, the Denver Broncos may have a very good chance at being a #1 or #2 seed in the AFC at the moment. Tough win for the Broncos as the Chiefs did not play like a “bye week” this past Sunday.

- At least Kansas City gave it a good shot…

- Good win for the Dolphins as the #6 seed in the AFC side of the playoffs is basically wide-open at the moment. A 5-6 team like Miami is still in the running with just 5 games to go but I wouldn’t hold my breath that Miami can be that team right now.

- Seattle needed this win as the Wild Card spots are very tight in the heavily competitive NFC playoffs. If the Seahawks want a shot to play in January they need to win games over teams like Miami as they can’t go up against division rivals in the NFC West, such as the 49ers, and think they can still be playoff-bound.

- Atlanta gets that must needed “statement win” over the Tampa Bay Bucs. For the entire season I have felt like the Falcons weren’t looking like a 10-1 team because they didn’t get that “battle tested” victory. While that is no longer the case after Week 12, I still don’t feel like they are strong #1 seed in the NFC yet.

- Tough loss for Tampa who is a borderline NFC playoff team at the moment. How this team responds to the tough loss will be very interesting to watch for the rest of this season.

- How is Chad Henne breathing new life into this Jacksonville offense!? Nice win for the Jaguars as they have played really well the last two weeks.

- The Titans aren’t “lighting the world on-fire” but they certainly should be beating teams like the Jaguars.

- 4th and 29 saved the Ravens first-round bye hopes in Week 12. I still believe the Ravens need to be more consistent when they are on the road especially if they want to catch Houston for home field advantage.

- How did San Diego let that game slip through their grasps? I just don’t know how or why Norv Turner is still coaching this team, extremely disappointing season for the Chargers and it was all summed up in that loss to Baltimore.

- To me the San Francisco 49ers are the best team in the NFL right now and despite that moniker they have a Quarterback controversy on their hands! This is comparable to the “Twilight teams” as people are either on “Team Colin” or “Team Alex.” Personally I am a “Team Colin” guy but feel extremely bad for Alex Smith.

- I’m very interested to see how this loss will affect the Saints momentum for the rest of this season. It’s a veteran team so you’d have to figure they can shake off this loss but when you start 0-4 on the year you never know.

- Nice to see the Rams bounce back after the loss to the Jets in Week 11. I’ve said it many times this season in the blog but I really like what is going in St. Louis. Not sure if Sam Bradford will ever take the step up to be a franchise QB but they are building something good in St. Louis.

- If you are Larry Fitzgerald do you allow this QB situation to happen again for ANOTHER season? Arizona needs to do whatever they can to draft a top QB in the 2013 NFL Draft or make a play for someone (*cough* Kaepernick or Smith *cough*) in the off-season before they lose their franchise WR.

- Great bounce back win for the Giants as there has been much concern lately regarding this team’s performance. Don’t think that will be the case anymore as this is what the Giants needed…a bye week.

- Tough beat down of a loss for the Packers on Sunday Night. Clearly they could not contain the Giants pass rush all game long and how they handle Minnesota in Week 13 will be under a microscope. I wonder how well this team will play once they are completely healthy because they are looking out of rhythm yet again.

- Carolina becomes relevant again for at least one week and Cam Newton won’t emotionally meltdown after a loss during the post-game news conference. Consider that a successful week for the Panthers…for now.

- Just fire Andy Reid already…this is getting embarrassing for the Philadelphia Eagles!

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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