Posted by Mike Florio on December 14, 2011, 4:48 PM EST
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With NBC, CBS, and FOX each reportedly paying more than $1 billion per year and ESPN reportedly paying nearly $2 billion per year forMonday Night Football and DirecTV paying more than $1 billion per year for NFL Sunday Ticket and Verizon paying a bunch of money for the right to stream games on mobile devices, the NFL will be generating more money than ever for the privilege to televise games. Daniel Kaplan and John Ourand ofSportsBusiness Journal recently estimated that the TV deals could generate acombined $7 billion per year by 2014.
Most of that money will go to the men who play the game.
Posted by Michael David Smith on December 14, 2011, 4:06 PM EST
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We’ve already pointed out that the NFL’s new TV deals give NBC the annual Thanksgiving night game, which has traditionally been the first NFL Network game of each season. But that doesn’t mean NFL Network will have fewer Thursday night games in the future.
In fact, the league’s announcement of the new TV deals hints that NFL Network will actually carry more Thursday Night Football in the future than it does now.
“The agreements also enable the NFL to expand its Thursday night package of games on NFL Network beginning next year,” the league’s press release says.
The number of Thursday night games hasn’t been decided, but it seems highly that the league will give its own network more prime time games. Two Thursdays — Week One and Thanksgiving — are penciled in for NBC, and there might be a couple of other Thursdays on the calendar when the NFL decides to avoid scheduling games (such as going head-to-head with the World Series), but most Thursday nights in 2012 are likely to include NFL games on NFL Network.
Jaguars at Falcons - Over the weekend the Jaguars jumped all over the Bucs, but that will not happen this weekend against a much better Falcons squad. The Falcons will continue their push for the #5 seed this weekend as they handle the Jaguars at home in the dome. Falcons should win easily, as their defense matches up very favorably against the Jags. Falcons roll 27-17.
Saturday Night
Cowboys at Bucs - Dallas has been a mess this year and they are still in the hunt, which goes to show you how much talent they have on their roster. The Cowboys will get their act together for at least one game, as they beat a team that just suffered a 40 burger at the hand of the one the NFL's worst offenses. The Cowboys won't have the chance to blow this one on a late game kick or with a time-management blunder. Cowboys keep the Bucs reeling, 30-13.
Sunday
Bengals at Rams - The Bengals have taken a beating over the last couple weeks as they had a brutal stretch of games against the Steelers twice and the Ravens once. They have a much easier task ahead with their trip to St. Louis. On Monday Night Football this past week you may have hear them mention that the Rams are working with 1/3 of their roster being injured. Yes, that means that over 30% of their players that are playing right now, were not even in training camp or preseason with this team. It is no surprise that they have struggled so much. Even with the injuries, my concerns are more with the long term damage to Sam Bradford. This kid is trying to fight through injuries and play for his team, but he just doesn't look good. He does not look like he has any confidence left at all. I hope for the sake of the franchise that this is not a permanent thing, because he was an extremely talented quarterback when they drafted him. Hopefully he is mentally tough enough to rebound from this abysmal season. Either way, the Bengals will have their way with this team. The Bengals have some injuries, but not enough to derail them. Bengals win 27-13.
Packers at Chiefs - On paper most people would probably think this game would be a joke, but I feel that this game could be closer than most would imagine. The Chiefs interim promotion of Romeo Crennel to head coach could have a positive impact on this club, as he is much more of a player's coach than Todd Haley ever was. Additonally, the Chiefs defense has played good over the past several games. Yes, even in the Jets game where they allowed 37 points. That score was more about their offense's inability to move the ball, than their defense. They actually did a very good job against the Jets, despite the situation that their offense routinely put them in. I expect the Chiefs to put up a fight for at least half of the game. Packers keep the dream alive, 24-17.
Seahawks at Bears - This could be an old fashioned, punch you in the mouth type of game at Soldier Field. The Seahawks have a talented young defense that no one knows about, and they are facing a Bears offense with no one worth talking about. Expect the Bears to stack the box and force Tarvaris Jackson to beat them. Jackson won't have to do too much, because their defense will keep them in this game. Seahawks win a blue collar battle with the Bears, 23-13.
Titans at Colts - This game could lead to some eye popping numbers for Chris Johnson. Indy has allowed the 3rd most rushing yards this season, giving up 144.3 per game. Chris Johnson had a miserable game last week in New Orleans where he finished up with 23 yards on 11 carries. Expect that to change this week, even more so if Jake Locker end up getting the start for an injured Matt Hasselbeck. Titans keep the Colts down and out, 27-10.
Redskins at Giants - Since the Skins finally put Grossman back in, he helped resuscitate that offense and they have scored 19 or more points in four straight games, which is a marked improvement of the previous four game stretch. However, even with the defensive struggles the Giants have, the Skins will still have problems in New York. Eli is playing lights out and has been all year, and he will figure out how to get this team another win as they fight to hang onto the NFC East lead. Giants 27-23.
Panthers at Texans - Just today I saw NFL network do a draft do-over segment regarding this years quarterback class. Torry Holt proceeded to say that he would take TJ Yates second among quarterbacks, behind only Cam Newton. I thought this was absolutely absurd. I do respect that he just threw for 300 yards and helped the Texans squeak out a win against the Bengals. That is no small task, but I would say that we need to see a little more of Mr. Yates before we elevate him to franchise QB status. I do think that he will have another solid game against a soft Panther's defense. Expect the Titans to struggle with Cam Newton, especially in the absence of Wade Philips, but they will still get the W. Texans 24-23 over the Panthers.
Saints at Vikings - The Vikings are starting to get healthy, but they still have a lot of talent that isn't on the field right now. Primarily in that secondary, and Drew Brees will exploit it. This could be a game that helps Brees easily reach Marino's mark by seasons end, as he could easily have a 350 plus yard day. The Vikings should have AP back this weekend, but it won't be close to enough to stop the Saints. Saints 34-23.
Dolphins at Bills - The Bills are losers of 6 straight games, and the Dolphins looked hot lately, until the Eagles beat them this weekend. The Eagles won that game primarily because their defense was dominant forcing 3 turnovers and allowing the Dolphins to convert on only 20% of their 3rd down attempts as well as going 0-3 on 4th down attempts. The Bills defense will not pose the same problems that the Eagles did, and they will not be able to force the takeaways needed. Buffalo continues to skid, and the 'Fins beat them at Orchard Park. 'Fins win 24-17.
Lions at Raiders - The Lions are a team that controls their own destiny so to speak. They are situated in the 6th playoff seed right now with a one game lead on the rest of the pack. If they win out, they are in. If they end up in a tie, they have a good chance of loosing the tie breaker. They still are playing sloppy football, and they need to continue to clean things up. With that being said, getting a handful of healthy players back this week will only help that. Kevin Smith, Chris Houston, Lawrence Jackson, Nick Fairley, and Ndamukong Suh all should return this week. That is not insignificant list of players. The Raiders are dealing with injuries themselves, and none more devastating than the one to Darren McFadden (you could argue Jason Campbell). With McFadden out of the lineup with a Lisfranc injury, they have lost the homerun potential in the running game that made them lethal. Michael Bush is a great back, but he doesn't have deep speed. With the absence of big plays, they have tried to put it all on Carson's shoulders, and he hasn't been able to carry them. This week I expect them to continue putting the ball in the Carson's hands, and it will continue to backfire. Detroit forced 6 turnovers last week against Minnesota, and could be in for at least 3 more this weekend. Detroit wins in Oakland, 34-23.
Browns at Cardinals - The Cards have won 5 of their last 6 games, with their only loss to the Niners. Additionally their last loss prior to that was to the Ravens. This is a team that is playing really well right now, and that should continue as the Browns travel across the country to face them. The Browns will not match up well with the Cardinals as both teams are heading in opposite directions right now. Skelton continues to make a case to be the starter next year. Cardinals win 23-13.
Partiots at Broncos - Can Tebow keep the streak alive this week? Certainly he could, and this match up does pose some challenges for the Patriots, but I am not sure that it will be enough. The Broncos have become the #1 rushing team in the NFL during Tebow's time under center, with a whoping 156.2 yards per game. They Patriots defense overall has been terrible, but let's not forget about all the injuries they have dealt with. Yet their run defense is actually 13th in the league, which is better than expected. Conversely, the Broncos defense has played quite well, getting big plays when they are needed the most. However, I am not convinced it will be enough. It was just two weeks ago that they gave up 32 points to a Christian Ponder and Toby Gerhart led Vikings squad. It was primarily Percy Harvin that did the carvin', but that is a concern. I expect Tom Brady and company, despite their struggles, to still be able to put points on the board against the Broncos team. Patriots win 31-17.
Jets at Eagles - Michael Vick finally returned and his performance, despite the victory, was quite underwhelming. He completed only 15 of 30 passes for 208 yards, with 1 touchdown, one pick and four sacks. Now he was probably rusty and everything, but that was just another uninspiring performance by Vick this year. Don't expect him to play better against this Jet's defense. They may not be great at getting pressure on the QB this year, but they are still playing well right now. The Jet's shoot down the Eagles, 27-23.
Ravens at Chargers - Philip Rivers has been on fire for the last two games, completing over 72% of his passes for 6 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The Chargers scored 38 and 37 points respectively during those games. They will be home to Ravens team that has won four straight games. The Ravens also boast top defensive rankings across the board. Total defense 3rd, Scoring 3rd, Passing 5th, Rushing 2nd. On top of that the Ravens currently have the nastiest pass rush in the NFL, something they have searched for years to find. Terrell Suggs is having his best season as a pro already posting 13 sacks, and he looks like he is just getting warmed up. I expect the Chargers hot streak to come crashing down this week. Ravens keep chasing after the #2 seed, 31-21.
Monday Night Football
Steelers at Niners - The Niners play well at home, but their brand of football is not unknown to the Steelers. The Niners play the kind of football that the Steelers have perfected for decades, so they will not be intimidated in any way. Even if the Steelers are without Big Ben and James Harrison, they are still a good match up for the Niners. The Steelers are 2nd in scoring and overall defense as well as 6th against the run, so this game will come down to Alex Smith throwing the ball. Something we already know is outside of the Niner's strengths. Smith will not be able to carry his team this week, even at home. Pittsburgh wins and ugly game on the West Coast, 17-16.
Kansas City radio host Nick Wright is "hearing" that Kyle Orton will start Sunday's game against the Packers.
We knew that interim coach Romeo Crennel was looking to move on from Todd Haley favorite Tyler Palko, but we didn't know that Orton's finger was healthy enough to play. If Orton does indeed end up starting, he'll be a boost for Dwayne Bowe and the entire offense. Under Palko for the last four games, the Chiefs had not topped 10 points.
Peter King of SI.com wrote a small piece on New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning in his Monday Morning Quarterback Column. He mentioned how clutch Manning has been this season and how he’s clearly an elite quarterback.
I was very surprised to see King write that Eli is more clutch then his brother Peyton and that he’s the most clutch quarterback in the NFL.
“In terms of clutch, I’ll take Eli over Peyton — and that’s no knock on Peyton,” wrote King. “It’s the simple recognition that right now, today, I think Eli Manning’s the most clutch quarterback playing. How much more do you need to see? Winning three on the road and then dethroning the 18-0 Pats in the Super Bowl four years ago was the start. This season’s the continuation. There’s no more debate about whether Eli’s elite. He’s put that to rest in Foxboro and Arlington this season.”
I do agree with King that Eli has been the most clutch quarterback in the NFL this season and that’s really due to the fact that the Giants secondary has been very unreliable towards the end of games, which has forced Eli to carry the team on his shoulders.
In the end, week after week the only reason the Giants even have a chance at winning is because of the clutch play of Eli Manning.
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on December 14, 2011, 11:00 AM EST
Reuters
Packers coach Mike McCarthy hasn’t said publicly whether his team will rest players the last few weeks of the season, but the early tea leaves point to the Packers’ truly going for an undefeated record.
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on December 14, 2011, 10:17 AM EST
AP
The Texans have lost their best players to injury throughout the season. Now they are losing their biggest offseason acquisition (by far) for a couple of weeks.
Said Tony Sparano after being fired as coach of the Dolphins, “I can’t say enough about our players — I love and appreciate them all and I value the effort they gave me from the very first moment I walked in the door. They practiced and played hard every day, and always put the success of the team ahead of themselves. It was a joy to work with these special men, and no one can ask for more than what they gave me. For this they will always have my gratitude, and I am proud to have coached them.”
Patriots coach Bill Belichick has a stoic approach to preparing for Tebowmania: “We’ll definitely look at that, how [Tebow] plays in the second half, relative to the first half. How much do they repeat the same thing, how much do they change? How much do they adjust the game plan? We’ll definitely study that, the end-of-the-game sequences.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Mario Manningham played 32 snaps in Week 14 compared to Hakeem Nick's 69 and Victor Cruz's 72.
Manningham is playing through a knee injury, but he's not going to re-enter the starting lineup regardless. Cruz's 1,159 yards are third in the NFL behind only Wes Welker and Steve Smith. Manningham is scheduled for unrestricted free agency in 2012.
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on December 13, 2011, 6:54 PM EST
AP
Philadelphia Daily News columnist John Smallwood wrote a column Tuesday that essentially told Eagles fans that want change to root for the Eagles to lose down the stretch.
I’m fortunate enough to know a few insane Eagles fans. They didn’t need to be told to root against this Eagles team; they were doing it weeks ago.
This makes absolutely no sense to me, but a segment of the Eagles fanbase wants to be put out of their misery. Or wallow in it. Plenty of Eagles fans want Andy Reid gone, so a total meltdown is seen as a good thing.
Posted by Michael David Smith on December 13, 2011, 4:33 PM EST
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Shortly after he was suspended for a game for another helmet-to-helmet hit on another opponent, Steelers linebacker James Harrison told a former teammate that he has no intention of changing the way he plays.
Harrison had a conversation with former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, who said on ESPN’s NFL Live that Harrison told him he’s going to keep playing the way he has always played, despite the league office cracking down on him for his head shot on Browns quarterback Colt McCoy.
“He told me he can’t,” Bettis said when asked if Harrison would change the way he plays.
Peter King of SI.com wrote a small piece
