16 Dec 10 San Diego Chargers Kill Denver Broncos Season and Put Their Future in Doubt

Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesDon't look now, but the Broncos are going to be playoff no-shows for the fifth straight year.Forget the holiday season. I'm ready for the end of the season.But alas, we cannot escape our realities. Whatever hope the win against the Chiefs last Sunday brought to the Broncos Reebok New York Jets #6 Mark Sanchez Realtree camo Jersey
was just as quickly doused by the Chargers, who last night enjoyed putting the Broncos in their place as much as ever. For the record, that would be last place in the AFC West.Make excuses for the Broncos if you'd like. If you want to talk about injuries, maybe you didn't notice that the Chargers were without Antonio Gates, Legedu Naanee and Ryan Mathews, to name a few. Perhaps you'd say that the Broncos suffer from inexperience, particularly on the offensive line. While that may be true, what happened to the progress they made last week against the Chiefs?Last but not least, you could say that Kyle Orton can't do it on his own. No offense against Orton, but Phillip Rivers is in the MVP race, possibly even the favorite to win, because he can and does do it on his own and largely has all season.The truth, dear friends, is that the team Josh McDaniels has put together is not a team lacking in desire, but one that is severely lacking in talent. If the Broncos didn't know that until now, the Chargers were more than happy to remind them once again.If it wasn't Darren Sproles and Patrick Crayton burning Brian Dawkins, it was the Chargers' floundering special teams unit making a game changing third down conversion. If it wasn't Shaun Phillips harassing Orton in the backfield, it was Reebok Oakland Raiders #21 Nnamdi Asomugha Realtree camo Jersey
the Chargers' defense stuffing Knowshon Moreno for a minimal gain.I've seen this same movie for five years now, and for every embarrassing loss they suffer to the Chargers, it seems like the Broncos drift farther and farther away from contention. The only difference this time is that the Broncos were already going nowhere before the Chargers even touched them.Josh McDaniels' should be commended for his development of Kyle Orton, but many of his personnel decisions are killing the team. While Tim Tebow and Demaryius Thomas have the potential to be good players, they are doing little to help the Broncos win games now. Many of the picks from last year's draft or some of Shanahan's drafts are either marginally productive or are helping other teams.While there won't be a new head coach in 2011, If the Broncos' continue down the path they are headed it will only end up with McDaniels on the unemployment line, so changes need to be made sooner rather than later.Quarterback play isn't the issue and Orton is one of Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers #86 Hines Ward Realtree camo Jersey
the only players preventing the Broncos from entirely imploding, but if Tebow really is the messiah he's hyped up to be, perhaps he really is McDaniels' only salvation. Or maybe this entire team was doomed from the start.I don't have the answers. If Josh McDaniels doesn't either, he better find them fast.

Rams vs. Broncos: Sam Bradford on Fire in First Road Win For St. Louis

Justin Edmonds/Getty ImagesTalk about split personalities. Just when I'm ready to write the season off for the St. Louis Rams they turn it around, then blow it again, then turn it around, and now they'll likely blow it again. The Rams lead the NFC West, can you believe that? Their 5-6 record is the same as the Seahawks, but the Rams hold the tiebreaker edge because of a head-to-head win earlier in the season. Seattle will have a shot at redemption down the road in Week 17.Anyways, getting back to the game.The Rams looked down right awful on defense in the first quarter of the 36-33 win. Denver drove the field with ease to open the game, rolling 80 yards on seven plays. The drive went 80 yards on seven plays. Not one single player made a play of Steelers 6 Super Bowl Champions jersey
any significance for the Rams on said drive. Kyle Orton and Knowshown Moreno combined for four plays of 10 yards or more.After Sam Bradford and the Rams went three-and-out on their first drive, Denver drove the field but were only able to kick a field-goal; a field goal that put the Rams in a 10-0 hole before they knew what hit 'em.What happened next completely shocked me. The Rams fought adversity and came back behind the fearless leadership of one very wealthy quarterback in Sam Bradford. Late in the first, Sam drove the Rams 80 yards in just under six minutes. It was masterful, he was 5-6 on the drive--completing passes to five different receivers. So much for needing a Larry Fitzgerald the team. I kid--I kid.How many win does it take to win the NFC West? And no this isn't a joke.How many win does it take to win the NFC West? And no this isn't a joke.61.8%715.8%863.2%917.1%102.2%Total votes: 228The Rams went on a 33-3 tear after they went down 10-0 in the first quarter. Denver was able to stop Steven Jackson from breaking the big one, but weren't as successful with Bradford. The kid threw three touchdowns passes to two tight-ends. Michael Hoomanawanui and Billy Bajema were the recipients of Bradford's career high of three touchdown passes. Since Week 6, Bradford has thrown 11 touchdowns to only one interception. Can you say: ROOKIE OF THE YEAR?Knowing how much the Rams like to blow late leads, I wasn't at all surprised by the fact that Denver turned around it around and went on a 20-3 scoring spree in the fourth quarter. Once again, Steve Spagnuolo and Pat Shurmur went into total shutdown mode with the lead in the final frame. The wonderful stench of their first road win since Week 8 of last season must have overwhelmed the two baboons so much that they almost let it slip away.Aren't you starting to wonder what goes on in their heads when the game is on the line? The Rams predictably turn into Steelers 36 Bettis Jersey
a prevent team on both sides of the ball. And the funny part of it all is that they didn't do either very well. Shurmur turns into a play-calling prude in an attempt to limit opportunities for rookie-Bradford mistakes.Rams' fourth quarter drives:8 plays/ 53 yards/ 4:04 elapsed/ field goalJustin Edmonds/Getty Images3 plays/ 4 yards/ 1:27 elapsed/ punt3 plays/ 3 yards/ :14 elapsed/ punt3 plays/ 4 yards/ 1:29 elapsed/ punt1 play/ -1 yards/ :22 elapsed/ QB kneelTotal: 18 plays/ 63 yards/ 7:36 elapsed/ 3 pointsWhen I realized the following stat, I threw up in my mouth a little bit.Of the 17 total plays, only three were gains of 6 yards or more and thirteen plays went for five yards or less (+1FG).As for the defense? They crapped their prevent pants too. The goal of the prevent is to prevent big plays, not allow seven plays of 10 yards or more in a shade over seven minutes of action when everything is supposed to be kept in the middle of the field. The injury excuse can only hold up for so long before it starts getting old. And let me tell you--it's getting old. Bartell and Atogwe are supposed to be the anchors of the secondary but their lack of consistency is astounding.I'm not sure what the answer is for the secondary at this point. The best thing to hope for down the stretch will be weak passing offenses. If Troy Smith and Kyle Orton can put up 350 yards in the air, what do you think is going to happen if the Rams meet up with Mike Vick or Eli Manning in the playoffs? Vick would make the Rams' look like the Redskins all over again.In the end, it 4 Brett Favre Purple jersey
was a nice win. Bradford had a career game--going over 300 yards passing for the first time in his NFL life. The Rams were able to get their first win on the road. And best of all, thanks to a Seattle loss, they are the new leaders of the NFC West. Like I said, all-in-all it was a good day for the Rams.Next up: at ArizonaThe Rams have a chance to avenge their first loss of the season.Follow me on Twitter: BearConsults + RamsReportQuestions? Comments? Concerns? Share 'em below in the comments section.What did you think of the offensive balance from Pat Shurmur? Can the Rams beat Arizona on the road? Let's discuss! Happy holidays.

Fantasy Football Week 13 Rankings: The Most In-Depth QB Analysis in the Industry

Week 13 QB Player Rankings1. Aaron Rodgers (vs. SF)If he’s not passing it in, he’s running it in. He’s one of the best QBs in the game, both in real life and in the fantasy world and he rarely lets you down. In fact, he’s only had one game with less than 12 fantasy points this season (against the Jets) and none less than 17.2 at home. The Pack will have to throw it against the Niners, which can only mean good things for Aaron "it out" Rodgers owners this weekend.2. Michael Vick (vs. Hou)You might actually want to Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
consider Vick the 1A this week next to Rodgers. A matchup against the weakest defense in the league could mean another four TD passes and two more rushing for the old jailbird in Week 12, so saddle up this Thursday night…it could be a real fun game to watch.3. Drew Brees (at Cin)Believe it or not, Brees is now tied for the league lead in passing TDs with 23 and is just 48 yards behind Kyle Orton for the NFL's best in that category as well. The guy has been outstanding since his sluggish start, and even though last week was the first time since Week 4 that he threw for less than two TDs, he still made up for it with 352 passing yards on the day.4. Kyle Orton (at KC)It doesn’t really matter if the Donkeys are winning or losing, Orton will put up some pretty awesome fantasy numbers for you no matter the final score. The best part about Orton’s game at this point, however, is that awful Denver defense. The more points they allow (last in the league at 29.4/game), the more points Orton has to get. The Chiefs happen to be the fourth-highest scoring offense in the league…WOOHOO!!!5. Peyton Manning (vs. Dal)Manning should be able to have his way with this Dallas pass D, regardless of which receivers are healthy or not. Over the last six games, the Cowboys have given up an average of 311.5 passing yards and 2.7 TDs to opposing QBs, numbers that Manning shouldn’t have a problem reaching this weekend.6. Philip Rivers (vs. Oak)Rivers could have a field day in this one…or the Chargers could do what they did last week and dominate the game on defense and simply run the clock out with Tolbert the whole game. I’m betting on a slight mixture here, so look for around 250-275 yards and a TD or two. I realize Rivers went off (in a loss) against these same Raiders earlier in the year, but this is a different, smarter San Diego squad now.7. Jay Cutler (at Det)Cutler keeps finding a way to keep him within the good graces of the fantasy overlords. Every time you write him off, he ends up throwing four TDs out of nowhere while showing the discipline enough to be able to handle whatever defenses throw at him. Normally I would say this is the “let-down” game for the cocky kid, but against the Lions, it just can’t happen. In fact, in three games as a Bear, Cutler has averaged 263 yards and 3.3 TDs against these Lions while Chicago has put up almost 35 points a game. Sounds pretty good to me.8. Tom Brady (vs. NYJ)Brady is one of the best big-game players of our generation, so I expect nothing less than a stellar performance out of him in this one. My guess is that he’ll at least surpass the numbers he put up in the first game between these two (248 yards, two TDs).9. Eli Manning (vs. Was)Even after losing his WR1, WR2, WR4 and WR5, Eli found a way to put up his seventh straight multi-TD game last week. The Redskins pass defense is really, really bad, football jerseys
so it wouldn’t surprise me to see his streak continue. Don’t expect a ton of yards though as the Giants may run the ball all day long.10. Mark Sanchez (at NE)Sanchez went for 220 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions in their first meeting back in Week 2, a performance that also happened to be Sanchez’s first three-TD game of his career. New England’s pass D is among the worst in the league, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see about the same stats in this Monday Night showdown.11. Matt Cassel (vs. Den)Cassel is actually becoming somewhat dependable as a fantasy QB, though I’m not sure if it’s because he’s gotten better as a player or because Dwayne Bowe has become a monster. Whatever the case, he now has TD passes in seven straight games with multiple scores in six of them. He also only has four INTs on the year, if that matters in your league.12. Ryan Fitzpatrick (at Min)Fitzy continues to put together some nice fantasy games, and if Stevie J had caught that overtime bomb in the end zone against the Steelers, last week’s line would have looked even better. Playing in a dome against a middling Vikings defense should give Ryan an opportunity to continue the trend this Sunday.13. Joe Flacco (vs. Pit)Flacco has been one of the more consistent fantasy producers in the league lately as he has either put up 300-plus yards or passed for multiple touchdowns in each of his last six games. The only way you’re going to beat the Steelers is through the air, so expect Joe Cool to be tossing the pill around quite a bit this Sunday night.14. David Garrard (at Ten)Garrard is another nice surprise this year in the world of fantasy football, and though he might not win you your week, he’s been doing well enough to keep you afloat if your normal starters went down to injury. He’s thrown for two or more TDs in five of the last seven games, so if you’re up for playing the odds, this won’t be too bad of a week to do so against a middling Tennessee pass defense.15. Matt Schaub (at Phi)If Asante Samuel was going to be out of the lineup again for the Eagles, I’d put Schaub higher than this. That said, Schaub’s best games so far this year have come on the road, so combine that with the likelihood of Philly going up early and you could see Matty tossing the pill all over the place in this game.16. Matt Ryan (at TB)Ryan’s Week 9 performance Cowboys jersey
against the Bucs was good enough for a Falcons victory, but not quite enough to win a week for fantasy owners. Tampa actually has a pretty good pass defense, so with their rush "D" lacking as it is, expect Atlanta to grind this one out on the ground. If the matchup is tight, which it looks like it could be, Ryan might be needed to toss up a touchdown or two.Analysis brought to you bypyromaniac.com.Week 13 rankings for RBs, WRs and TEs.There are no teams with QBs on a bye this week.

Fantasy Football: Is Peyton Manning Worth Starting Anymore?

Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesPeyton Manning has thrown 11 interceptions in the last three weeks, all games the Indianapolis Colts lost.That statement is strange for two reasons. First of all, Manning has been one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, how could he throw 11 interceptions in cheap nfl jerseys
three games? Also, since when have the Colts had three-game losing streaks?The Colts have been a mess this season, though they are still very much alive in the AFC South. They find themselves just a game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars with four games left on the schedule, including one against the Jags.But, does Peyton Manning have any fantasy value for the rest of this year? Let's take a look at a couple factors playing into the decision to start or sit Manning.InjuriesThe Indianapolis Colts have suffered more than their fair share of injuries on both sides of the ball this season, but the offense has been hurt particularly badly by their losses.First off, nearly everyone who has lined up as tailback for the Colts this year has missed time with injury, including Joseph Addai, Donald Brown and Mike Hart. The Colts are down to playing rookie Javarris James in the backfield.Then, there's the receiving corps. Manning has been without Anthony Gonzalez, Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie for periods of time throughout this year.Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesGarcon has returned and Collie might return soon, but Gonzalez is done for the year.Also done for the year is valuable tight end Dallas Clark. Clark has been Manning's go-to guy since the retirement of nfl jerseys
Marvin Harrison.Manning is down to a receiving corps that features new tight end Jacob Tamme and receiver Blair White.Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon are healthy now, but defenses are able to key on them and make Manning throw to the other receivers.ScheduleThe Colts remaining schedule looks like this: at Tennessee, vs. Jacksonville, at Oakland and vs. Tennessee.I like that schedule for Peyton Manning. The Titans have the 23rd and the Jaguars have the 27th ranked pass defense in the NFL this season.Those teams are going to have problems against Peyton Manning as they have no stars to stop him and force him to throw more interceptions.Start or Sit?Start Manning. He's fine. He'll recover and get the Colts to the playoffs somehow, some way.Will the Colts make the playoffs?Will the Colts make the playoffs?Yes70.4%No24.1%Put in Curtis Painter!5.6%Total votes: 54He'll pick apart his remaining division opponents and put up 300+ yards in every remaining game.He'll start to gel even more with Tamme football jerseys
and White. He'll get Collie back, who was having a very strong year before injury problems hit.He's been thoroughly embarrassed the past two weeks, having four interceptions returned for touchdowns. He'll make smarter decisions and watch even more tape than he already does.Therefore, if Manning is on your bench, you'll end up regretting it.

Pittsburgh Steelers "have to bounce back against 9-4 Jacksonville Jaguars"

As Cousin Eddie says in "Vegas Vacation," "I haven't seen a beating like that since someone stuffed a banana down my pants and set a monkey loose." The New England Patriots rode the momentum caused from two big plays largely at the expense of brash Pittsburgh Steelers safety Anthony 4 Brett Favre Purple jersey
Smith all the way to a 34-13 victory in Week 14. But did it really matter? In the big picture, no. Consider that Pittsburgh mauled the Patriots 34-20 at Heinz Field in October 2004, snapping New England's 21-game winning streak. The next January, the Pats fought back to hand the Steelers a 41-27 loss at Foxborough in the AFC championship game. To get that revenge, the Patriots needed to rebound from the loss. They finished 14-2, and they were all but unstoppable en route to their third Super Bowl title. The Steelers (9-4) have three games to play, starting with the AFC's fifth seed, Jacksonville, this weekend. They have a one-game lead over Cleveland in the AFC North title race (two if you include the tiebreaker), and with San Diego trailing by a game for the pivotal third seed in the conference, this is Pittsburgh's biggest contest of the year.The 9-4 Jaguars have a similar makeup as the Steelers; they're tough defensively, and their strong running game is balanced out by an efficient quarterback. David Garrard, who took the job from former first-round draft pick Byron Leftwich in the summer, has only one interception in 10 starts. Going into Week 15, both Garrard (103.3) and the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger (101.4) are top five in the league in passer rating, and each is on pace to have franchise-record-setting seasons for their respective teams. The former AFC Central rivals are familiar with each other, despite the story of the game changing drastically each time they play. This makes for a more compelling game than the media-hyped Week 14 matchup between Pittsburgh and the Patriots. The Steelers cannot afford to lose another game with the charging Browns staying in their rear-view mirror, and the Jaguars want to extend Steelers 43 Polamalu jersey
their winning streak over Pittsburgh to three games. While beating the undefeated Patriots would have gone a long way in terms of building confidence for the Steelers, the key to their regular season is how they fare over these next three weeks, and it starts with the hard-to-beat Jags.Neal Coolong is the author of Die Hard Steel for the Sports Cartel Network, and is a contributor to Steel City Insider.

San Francisco 49ers Alex Smith Tim Rattay Mike Nolan

I have two new mantras. The first: "This is still so much better than Tim Rattay". The second: "This is still so much better than Dennis Erickson". In Alex Smith's debut to the NFL, he showed a number of things that lead me to believe he can have success in the NFL. Despite throwing fourinterceptions, Smith showed poise and confidence each time he stepped into the huddle.Smith has the size, arm, and athletic ability to be a quarterback in this league. He is clearly working at a much slower pace than the speed of the NFL. This of course is not surprising as it is what most rookies have to work the hardest to overcome. That will be no different for Smith, and I expect that as he gets more comfortable with the speed of the game, he will become a legitimate NFL quarterback.Smith puts the ball where it should be when throwing to receivers, and he is not scared by defensive pressure. Both of which were two common complaints with Tim Rattay. Smith could also really benefit from an offensive line that gives 6 Super Bowl Champions jersey black jersey
him at least three seconds to throw the ball.Mike Nolan may not have fully grown into his role as a head coach yet, but he is still so much better than former head coach Dennis Erickson ever was. Nolan has command over his team, and has them disciplined. He had his banged up squad compete for most of the game against one of the league's best teams, even with a rookie quarterback. Slowly, this team is making progress, even if at times it is taking a step backwards before two forwards. I do not agree with every move Nolan has made so far this season, but even still the San Francisco 49ers show far more promise under his guidance than they ever did under Dennis Erickson.

San Francisco 49ers "Injury to Kwame Harris opens door for Joe Staley"

Expectations were high when the San FranciscoDallas Cowboys jersey
49ers selected offensive tackle Kwame Harris with the 26th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. After four tumultuous seasons, the former Stanford star may be on his way out the door. Harris has been unable to participate in the team's OTA' for the last week because of back spasms. Head coach Mike Nolan indicated that Harris should be healthy by Opening Day, however. His injury paved the way for rookie first-round pick Joe Staley to work with the starting unit. "It's helped Staley get more reps and has given us a chance to get a better look at the backups," said Nolan. When asked to rate Staley's performance, Nolan kept it short but sweet. "He's done well."This latest turn of events bode well for the 49ers and their fans. Staley should capitalize on this opportunity and establish himself as the starter at right tackle. The team sacrificed a lot to acquire Staley -- a former Central Michigan standout -- with the 28th overall pick of this year's draft, giving up a 2008 first-rounder and a fourth-round choice in last April's draft to the New England Patriots. This bold draft-day move demonstrates the team's lack of confidence in Harris, whose playing time has reached escalators in his contract that voided the final two years of his deal and increased his 2007 base salary to over $2 million. That's a stroke of good luck for the Niners. The team should try to trade him, if anyone will take him. Harris' trade value declines daily, and the addition of Staley only weakens the 49ers' 2010 pro bowl Vikings 4 Brett Favre jersey
leverage.Any way you slice it, this will likely be Harris' last season in San Francisco. Moving forward, the 49ers should expect Staley to anchor their offensive line for the years to come. The odds are high that his reign will begin sooner than later.