1. Green Bay Packers (9-0): The Packers keep rolling and are inching closer to perfection after another blowout win over the Vikings  

2. San Francisco 49ers (8-1): They keep winning and have all but clinched their division.  Some rest for Frank Gore appears on the horizon.

 3. New Orleans Saints (7-3): The Saints were fortunate to sneak out of Atlanta with an overtime win and the division lead.

 4. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3): The Steelers get a late bye week to rest up some banged up players.  They look like the team to beat in the AFC.

 5. Chicago Bears (6-3): The Bears continue to improve and impress after handing the Lions a convincing beat down.

 6. New England Patriots (6-3): The Patriots swept the season series with the Jets which might turn out big should they tie.

 7. Houston Texans (7-3): They keep winning despite injuries but it will take a complete team effort to withstand the season ending injury to quarterback Matt Schaub.

 8. Detroit Lions (6-3): The Lions have come back to the rest of the pack and now must deal with an injury to Matthew Stafford.  His health might determine if this is a playoff team or not.

 9. Baltimore Ravens (6-3): A disappointing performance for Baltimore in a game in which Ray Rice only carried the ball 5 times.

 10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-3): The Bengals battled in defeat to the Steelers but still have a chance to prove they belong with 1 more meeting and 2 with the Ravens, the first of which is this weekend.

 11. New York Giants (6-3): The Giants almost engineered another 4th quarter comeback but fell short to the 49ers.  They get a chance to put the final dagger in the Eagles season on Sunday night.

 12. Atlanta Falcons (5-4): The Falcons may have gambled away their playoff chances by going for it on 4th and inches so far into their territory in overtime against the Saints.  They didn’t’ convert and the Saints were gift wrapped the win.

 13. Oakland Raiders (5-4): The Raiders are in sole possession of first in the wild AFC West.  Can Carson Palmer keep up his good play in Minnesota this week?

 14. Dallas Cowboys (5-4): The Cowboys are getting hot at the right time and a lot can be credited to Tony Romo and DeMarco Murray who has busted onto the scene as one of the better running backs in football right now.

 15. New York Jets (5-4): The Jets were swept by the Patriots and now must take on the unorthodox Broncos rushing attack.  This is a game they cannot afford to lose.

 16. Buffalo Bills (5-4): The Bills defense can’t stop anyone right now and the offense has hit a major road block.  Fred Jackson is still leading the league in rushing but he needs more help from Ryan Fitzpatrick and the receivers.

 17. Tennessee Titans (5-4): The Titans might be the most under the radar team in the NFL right now.  They have 5 wins but don’t seem to get much attention.  They might be able to sneak in on the Texans if they struggle without Schaub.

 18. Denver Broncos (4-5): The Broncos are 3-1 in games Tebow starts but its never very pretty.  Tebow completed just 2 passes on 8 attempts and both of their featured running backs are injured.

 19. Kansas City Chiefs (4-5):  The Chiefs have lost 2 straight and now face the Patriots on Monday night.  Tyler Palko might be making his first career start if Cassel can’t go which bodes well for the Patriots.

 20. San Diego Chargers (4-5): The Chargers are in a free fall and now have to go up against the red hot Bears.  A loss here and Norv Turner might lose his job.  They still remain in the division race but need to pick it up.

 21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5): The Buccaneers can’t seem to figure anything out on offense right now and the defense is giving up tons of points.  They seem to have fallen out of the race for the NFC South.

 22. Arizona Cardinals (3-6): The Cardinals are winners of two straight including a big win over the Eagles which may have ended any realistic chances the Eagles had at a playoff spot.

 23. Seattle Seahawks (3-6): The Seahawks played well against the Ravens to pick up the upset win.  They didn’t have to deal with a ground game as the Ravens abandoned it early.

 24. Philadelphia Eagles (3-6): The Eagles are officially the most disappointing team in the NFL this season.  A season with Super Bowl aspirations appears dead.

 25. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6): The Jaguars did what 9 other opponents have done this season; beat the Colts.  Maurice Jones-Drew looked good and the defense continued to play well.

 26. Cleveland Browns (3-6): The Browns lost a tough one to the Rams and don’t have any firepower on offense. 

 27. Washington Redskins (3-6): The Redskins went back to Rex Grossman and the results were the same.  Now they get the rival Cowboys who are playing their best football all season.

 28. Miami Dolphins (2-7): The Dolphins are winners of 2 straight after opening 0-7.  Reggie Bush has been contributing in a positive way over this mini win streak.

 29. Minnesota Vikings (2-7): The Vikings were blown out on Monday night and now host a hungry Raiders team who has a chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

 30. Carolina Panthers (2-7): The Panthers were lackluster in defeat to the Titans.  Still no sign of a ground game to help out Cam .

 31. St. Louis Rams (2-7): The Rams eked out a win over the Browns in what was one of the uglier games of the season.

 32. Indianapolis Colts (0-10): The good news about a bye week is that they can’t lose.  The Colts look like they wont win a game all season.

 Best Game: Saints at Falcons  

There were a lot of good games to choose from this weekend but I picked the Saints and Falcons for a number of reasons. First it went into overtime and was back and forth all day and second it was a division matchup that had first place implications. The Saints escaped Atlanta where they normally do not lose by kicking a field goal in overtime giving them the 26-23 win. Both teams traded field goals in the first quarter. The Falcons added another field goal that was matched by a Jimmy Graham touchdown catch giving the Saints the slim 10-6 lead at halftime. The Falcons answered in the second half by scoring the first point of the half when Jason Snelling turned a short pass into a touchdown. Drew Brees came right back and connected with Robert Meachem for a 33 yard touchdown pass giving the Saints a 17-13 lead heading into the 4th quarter. The Saints would extend their lead to double digits by adding 2 field goals. The Falcons responded shortly after with a touchdown pass narrowing the gap to just 3. The Saints looked as if they kicked a field goal to give them a 6 point lead but were penalized for holding therefore forcing them out of range and having them drop in a punt. The Falcons performed the 2 minute drill to perfection and had a couple of opportunities to try and win the game but settled for a field goal as time expired. The Falcons won the coin toss but were forced to punt. The Saints also punted on their first possession giving the ball back to the Falcons. The Falcons gambled potentially on their season by going for it on 4th and inches from the Saints 30 yard line. They were stopped and a few plays later the Saints kicked the game winning field goal giving them sole possession of first place. It was a very entertaining game and both teams had opportunities to win it in regulation and each had 2 possessions in overtime.  

Fantasy Stud of the Week: Chicago Bears D/ST 

  I have no choice but to award this weeks stud to the Chicago Bears defense and special teams unit. The Bears turned in a monster effort to those owners who risked starting them going up against a high octane Lions offense. The Bears only allowed 13 points but more importantly returned a punt for a touchdown, intercepted 4 passed, two of which were returned for touchdowns. They also recovered 2 fumbles and recorded 2 sacks. The Bears were able to score owners over 30-40 points depending on the format of your league. When you get that many points out of your defense you have a really good chance to win the week. 

Fantasy Dud of the Week: Michael Vick (Philadelphia Eagles)  

Michael Vick once again disappointed in what has been a nightmare season for Vick owners and the Philadelphia Eagles in general. Vick who was mostly picked in the top 5 and sometimes #1 overall threw for only 128 yards with no touchdowns and was intercepted twice. The 79 rushing yards saved his day from being terrible to almost non existent. Now the reports are that he played with broken ribs which will most likely affect him going forward. Vick owners have to come to the realization that he isn’t the guy that they drafted and must look elsewhere in anyone is available.

Surprise Result of the Week: Seahawks defeating the Ravens 

The big surprise of the week was the Seahawks defeating the Ravens. Another big surprise was the game plan that the Ravens decided to go with only giving Ray Rice one of the best rushers in the league 5 carries. First let’s talk about how the Seahawks were able to defeat the Ravens at home. The Seahawks were able to establish a run game against a tough Ravens defense and got on the board quickly leading 10-0 after the first quarter. I don’t think falling behind 10-0 to the Seahawks would warrant a complete renovation of the game plan so they must have thought they could expose the Seahawks in the air because they dropped back and passed a lot more than they should have especially when their quarterback isn’t very accurate. They trailed 19-7 at the half so they were still in it but seemed content throwing on every down. Flacco was just 29-52 and only threw for 255 yards and 1 touchdown. Ray Rice was effective in the pass game but only carrying 5 times has to be a concern for the Ravens offense that isn’t built on throwing. I don’t think they can win games trying to throw 40 or 50 times.

Team that caught my eye: Chicago Bears  

The Chicago Bears continue to impress me on a week to week basis and their defense has especially been the key in their recent hot streak. Matt Forte is playing at an MVP level and is also playing for a new contract. Jay Cutler is limiting the turnovers which help the defense who doesn’t have to be on the field as much and the offensive line is much improved which allows Jay Cutler to take his time and not force anything. The Defense is fast and forces turnovers and their special teams unit is always a threat to return a kick with Devin Hester on the other end. This is a team that is clicking in all phases of the game and could be a legit contender in the NFC.

Monday Night Pick – Vikings at Packers 

On paper this one appears to be an ultimate mismatch especially with the Packers being home. But never count out the Vikings especially in a rivalry game on Monday Night Football. Christian Ponder gets his chance to spring the first upset of his young career. The Packers are clearly the best team in the NFL and are the favorite to win the Super Bowl because of the play of Aaron Rodgers and that high powered offense. Rodgers has his choice of elite receivers all over the field and is cruising along to his first MVP award.  The defense is the one weakness but while they may give up a lot of points they force turnovers and score points. My mind is saying blowout but Chiefs took out the Chargers and the Bears took out the Eagles the last two weeks as underdogs so I think this one might be closer than what most think, especially in the first half. I do think the Packers are too much and will eventually pull away and win by 13 or 14 points. 

  Winner – Packers

1. Green Bay Packers (8-0): The Packers keep rolling and we must start the discussion of a potential undefeated season.  They are the class of the NFL right now and are playing on another level.  

2. San Francisco 49ers (7-1): I keep waiting for them to slip up, but it doesn’t appear like it is going to happen.  A big test with the G-Men looms this weekend.  

3. Baltimore Ravens (6-2): The swept the season series with the Steelers and that will be huge when sorting out the AFC North. Home field advantage is a goal of the Ravens if they want to advance.  

4. Detroit Lions (6-2): The Lions are back after their bye and take on a hot Bears team.  Can the Lions second half match their first half intensity?

 5. New York Giants (6-2): The defense is keeping them in games and Eli Manning is having the best season of his career.  They need to get healthy on offense and get their running game back to what it used to be.

 6. New Orleans Saints (6-3): The Saints are a different team at home but will eventually have to win a road game.  The revolving door at running back has showed promise of late.

 7. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2): The Bengals need to be taken seriously but can take the next step if they are able to beat a Steelers team that will be hungry for a win.

 8. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3): It will be tough to win the division now that they were swept by the Ravens but they need to worry about the Bengals at this point as they are ahead of them and don’t appear to be going away.

 9. Chicago Bears (5-3): Jay Cutler has been playing good football and as a result the Bears are winning games.  The defense is always good and Matt Forte is playing the best football of his career.

 10. Atlanta Falcons (5-3): The Falcons have officially hit their stride and have two dangerous receivers in Roddy White and Julio Jones who is now healthy. 

 11. Buffalo Bills (5-3): The Bills have slipped a little bit but still tied for the lead in the division.  A lackluster offensive output against the Jets has to worry fans. 

 12. New England Patriots (5-3): The Patriots and Tom Brady are suddenly vulnerable.  The offense hasn’t been clicking like it was earlier in the season and the defense has to be a real concern.  They will have their hands full against the Jets this weekend.

 13. Houston Texans (6-3): The Texans keep winning without Andre Johnson thanks to an improved offense and two headed monster running the ball featuring Arian Foster and Ben Tate.  Johnson could play this week which will make the offense that much more dangerous.  

14. New York Jets (5-3): The Jets defense is playing at the level they were expected to and now just need to get the offense clicking and then they become the dangerous team many thought would make the Super Bowl.

 15. Kansas City Chiefs (4-4):  The Chiefs suffered a setback at the hands of the winless Dolphins.  They were fortunate the rest of the division leaders lost but now have a big matchup with division rival Denver .

 16. Oakland Raiders (4-4): The Raiders have lost 2 straight to team they probably should have beaten and now face a critical road test with the Chargers tomorrow night.  A win and they can stay in first, a loss and many will start questioning the Carson Palmer trade.

 17. San Diego Chargers (4-4): The Chargers have struggled but still sit in a tie atop the division.  They gave the Packers all they could handle but came up short.  They need a home win against the Raiders in the worst way.

 18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4): The Buccaneers have a lot of issues stopping the run and now have to prepare for Foster and Tate. They are headed on a downwards trends and a loss may put their postseason hopes in jeopardy.

 19. Dallas Cowboys (4-4): The Cowboys rebounded from a dreadful performance against the Eagles and now sit at .500.  DeMarco Murray has been explosive when given the opportunity.

 20. Tennessee Titans (4-4): The Titans have struggled on offense and Chris Johnson can’t get anything going.  They still sit at .500 but need to start playing more consistent if they plan on challenging the Texans.

 21. Philadelphia Eagles (3-5): Just when you thought the Eagles were ready to take off they lose on Monday night to the Bears and now are in real danger of making the playoffs.  They are running out of chances to turn this thing around and are in must win situations for the next few weeks.

 22. Denver Broncos (3-5): Tim Tebow has Broncos fans on a roller coaster ride.  One week his is dreadful while the next he throws two touchdowns and rushed for over 100 and has them within a game of the division lead. 

 23. Cleveland Browns (3-5): The Browns keep losing running backs to injury and their offense is among the leagues worst.  They have some talent but can’t seem to put it together.

 24. Washington Redskins (3-5): That fast start to the season must seem like years ago for the Redskins as they continue to score points and keep players healthy.  They are losers of 4 straight and appear to be headed towards the basement on the East.

 25. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6): The Jaguars are off of a bye week and are still waiting for Blaine Gabbert to breakout and show why they drafted him with their first round pick.  They have some pieces on offense and the defense will keep them in games.

 26. Minnesota Vikings (2-6): The Vikings are the 9th team to try and beat the Packers but will most likely be the 9th to be unsuccessful.  The game is on Monday night so if they can’t get up for that they are in for a long second half.

 27. Carolina Panthers (2-6): Cam Newton is already one of the most exciting players in the NFL and they keep getting better.  Him and Steve Smith have a good chemistry and they will always play at 100%

 28. Seattle Seahawks (2-6): The Seahawks continue to disappoint in year two of Pete Carrol’s tenure.  They need help everywhere on offense.

 29. Arizona Cardinals (2-6): The Cardinals had an exciting finish to their overtime win over the Rams after Patrick Peterson returned a punt for the game winning score.  That has been one of the only bright spots in a season that hasn’t measured up to expectations.

 30. Miami Dolphins (1-7): The Dolphins picked up their first win of the season in convincing fashion over a hot Chiefs team.  Matt Moore played the best game of his career and will look to make it back to back on Sunday.

 31. St. Louis Rams (1-7): The Rams let one get away from them against the Cardinals and now sit at the bottom of the terrible NFC West. Sam Bradford has been banged up and not the same player he was his rookie season.

 32. Indianapolis Colts (0-9): The Colts are a really bad team without Payton Manning.  Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark who are normally pro bowl caliber players have seen their production dip to the point where they are not reliable in this offense without Manning.

Well with the NBA lockout still lingering what better chance for College Hoops to showcase it’s players this year in what should be one of the more entertaining seasons we have had in a while.  I think there are 4 or 5 great basketball teams and a number of others that can make a deep run in March.  Here is my top 10 and some predictions on who will make the final four and win some of the conference awards come season end.

 1. North Carolina – The Tar Heels are loaded and ready for another National Championship.  They return the core of last seasons elite 8 team and have added some very good freshman.  Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller and John Henson boast a pretty impressive frontcourt and let’s not forget about their point guard Kendall Marshall who is among the best in the country.  James McAdoo and P.J. Hairston are highly regarded freshman who should contribute immediately.

 2. Kentucky – Kentucky may be the only team who can lose lottery pick after lottery pick and still come back just as good or if not better.  Terrance Jones decided to stick around another year and he is a player of the year candidate.  They also add the nations #1 recruiting class that feature #1 ranked recruit Anthony Davis to go along with fellow McDonalds All Americans Marquis Teague, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Kyle Wiltjer.  Kentucky is as deep and talented as any team in the country.

 3. Connecticut – The defending national champs lost their heart in soul in Kemba Walker but have returned a good group from the title team and have added some outstanding pieces.  Jeremy Lamb, Shabazz Nappier, and Roscoe Smith are all sophomores now and will be expected to lead this team if they want to go to back to back final fours.  Alex Oriakhi is the veteran of the group and is a real force inside.  Connecticut got a late commitment out of standout Andre Drummond who is a potential #1 pick in the NBA draft next season.  They also bring in Ryan Boatright and DeAndre Daniels who are highly regarded and expected to contribute right away.

 4. Ohio State – Jared Sullinger is back and ready to take the Buckeyes to the next level after they have been so close the past few seasons.  Sullinger was disappointed when the Buckeyes didn’t reach the final four last season and vowed to come back.  He made good on his promise and is one of the clubhouse leaders for player of the year.  Sullinger has help in William Buford and Aaron Craft returning after playing big factors on the team last season.  They also have a pair of McDonald’s All Americans coming in Shannon Scott and Amir Williams.  Ohio State is the class of the Big 10 this season and will be a factor deep into March

 5. Florida – Florida lost some big time talent from last years elite 8 team but bring back a lot and add some good parts to the mix.  Patric Young is a man amongst boys but can he put it all together this year and dominate like many expected.  Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker return to the backcourt and can score with anyone in the country.  They add Rutgers transfer Mike Rasario who also has the ability the score at will.  I am really excited to see Freshman Brad Beal play as I have heard that he reminds experts of a young Ray Allen.  If he lives up to that reputation the Gators got a real player.

 6. Louisville – Louisville brings back a lot of talent from the team that was upset in the opening round of the NCAA tournament to Morehead State .  Expectation are high for the Cardinals who return Peyton Siva, Rakeem Buckles, Kyle Kuric, Jared Swopshire, and Mike Mara form last seasons team.  They got some bad news when their highly touted freshman Wayne Blackshear suffered an injury and might be forced to miss the season.  I still think they have a good combination of shooting and defense that can make them a player in the Big East.

 7. Syracuse – Syracuse which might be in its last season in the Big East would like to go out with a bang and they have the players to make that happen.  Veterans Kris Joseph, Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche should provide the leadership this team needs to make a deep run.  They have added some great pieces in Rakeem Christmas and Michael Carter-Williams.  Fab Melo had high expectations last season and didn’t pan out but maybe a new year will get him going because if he is good then the Orange was very dangerous.

 8. Duke – Duke loses Nolan Smith and #1 pick Kyrie Irving but come back with plenty from a team that won a ton of games last season. Austin Rivers comes in as an elite recruit and has the ability to score and distribute.  Also returning in the backcourt are Andre Dawkins and Seth Curry who are among the better shooters in the country.  Mason and Miles Plumlee are back and also welcome their younger brother Marshall Plumlee.  All three stand over 6’10” and will be forces on the defensive end.

 9. Memphis – Memphis appears ready to be back in the national spotlight after taking a year off with a young roster.  That roster that was loaded with freshman are now sophomores and ready to take Memphis back to the final four. Joe Jackson, Will Barton, Tarik Black, Chris Crawford, and Antonio Barton are all sophomores and ready to breakout.  They also added Adonis Thomas who is a star in the making.  If this team can be disciplined they will win Conference USA and have a real chance to go to the final four.

10. Baylor – The Baylor Bears are ready to stake their claim on the Big 12 by dethroning Kansas .  When Perry Jones decided to stay another season the Bears became instant contenders.  Quincy Acy and J’Mison Morgan make them one of the better frontcourts in the country and they also add McDonals All American Quincy Miller to help in the post.  A.J. Walton is running the show and will have plenty of options to feed down low.  Deuce Bello is another freshman to keep an eye on as his athletic ability makes him a spark plug.

 ACC Player of the Year – Harrison Barnes ( North Carolina )

ACC Freshman of the Year – Austin Rivers (Duke)

 Big East Player of the Year – Ashton Gibbs (Pitt)

Big East Freshman of the Year – Andre Drummond (UCONN)

 Big 10 Player of the Year – Jared Sullinger ( Ohio State )

Big 10 Freshman of the Year – Cody Zeller ( Indiana )

 Big 12 Player of the Year – Perry Jones III (Baylor)

Big 12 Freshman of the Year – LaBryan Nash ( Oklahoma State )

 SEC Player of the Year – Terrance Jones ( Kentucky )

SEC Freshman of the Year – Brad Beal ( Florida )

 Pac-12 Player of the Year – Jorge Gutierrez ( California )

Pac012 Freshman of the Year – Josiah Turner ( Arizona )

 FINAL FOUR

 North Carolina - Winner

Kentucky

Florida

Memphis

 Final Four Sleeper - Gonzaga

Best Game:  New York Giants at New England Patriots

This was a very entertaining game and one that went down until the final seconds.  The Giants were playing without their starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw and #1 receiver Hakeem Nicks and it looked like they were feeling the affects of that early as they failed to put any points on the board in the first half.  Luckily the Giants defense came to play and pressure Brady keeping them to a goose egg at halftime.  It was the first time all season that a score was 0-0 heading into halftime.  The Giants capitalized off of two Patriots turnovers putting up 10 points off of them in the third quarter.  The Patriots countered with a field goal to send it into the 4th quarter.  Very early into the 4th Aaron Hernandez tied the score up and then Gostkowski added another field goal for the Patriots giving them a slim 13-10 lead.  The Giants marched right back down the field when Eli Manning hit Mario Manningham for a 10 yard touchdown pass giving them the lead with a little over 3 minutes to play.  Tom Brady who specializes in the two minute drill carried the offense down the field like he always does and connected with Rob Gronkowski for the go ahead score 20-17.  With only a 1:36 left on the clock Eli Manning picked things up and was able to find holes in the Patriots defense getting them into field goal range.  But that wasn’t enough; the Giants weren’t going to settle for a game tying field goal so they took a shot into the end zone and were rewarded with a pass interference call that put the ball at the 1 yard line.  A gutsy 3rd down call with no timeouts left Eli Manning ran play action and rolled out and found Jake Ballard in the corner of the end zone giving the Giants the lead and that’s how it would stay.  Eli Manning with another magical performance in the closing minutes against the Patriots reminded fans about their remarkable Super Bowl victory just a few seasons ago.  This one certainly was exciting especially the 4th quarter where they each traded haymakers.

Fantasy Stud of the Week: Vincent Jackson (Chargers) and Julio Jones (Falcons)

I gave two guys this award this week because they both came up with monster games.  Jackson you would expect big numbers from as he is generally regarded as a top 10 wide receiver in fantasy football.  He has battled some injuries this season but he came up big in defeat.  Jackson caught 7 balls for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns.  He managed to equal his total amount of touchdowns for the season to this date with those 3 scores.  Julio Jones has missed the past few weeks with a hamstring injury so owners may have been cautious to put him in their lineup on his return.  If you did you were rewarded.  Jones caught only 3 passes but one of them was a 50 yard touchdown and another was an 80 yard touchdown.  All in all his 3 catches totaled 131 yards to go along with those 2 touchdowns.  They were the rookie out of Alabama ’s first two professional touchdowns.

Fantasy Dud of the Week: Dez Bryant (Cowboys)

Dez Bryant did not participate in the group of wideouts who had big games this weekend.  Bryant did have 76 yards on 4 catches but he fumbled away his biggest reception right as he was going to cross the goal line for a score.  That in itself is worthy of the dud of the week.  He also failed to capitalize on a weak Seahawks secondary and with Miles Austin leaving the game early; he didn’t capitalize on being the #1 target and best deep threat.  The Cowboys ran it well behind DeMarco Murray so that should have opened it up a little bit for Bryant.

Surprise Result of the Week: Dolphins defeating Chiefs

I was surprised that the Dolphins picked up their first win of the season against the red hot Chiefs.  I was even more surprised that this game was play in Kansas City where just less than a week ago the crowd was so electric in their Monday night win over the Chargers.  The Chiefs had won 4 straight after starting off 0-3 and they failed on a chance to take over sole possession of first place in the AFC West.  The Dolphins were dominate behind Matt Moore’s stellar play.  Moore threw for 244 yards and 3 touchdowns and more importantly didn’t turn the football over which the Chiefs had been feasting on during their win streak.  The Chiefs were fortunate the Raiders and Chargers lost so they keep their three way tie, but now they must go out at beat a Broncos team who has confidence behind Tim Tebow after their win in Oakland .

Team that caught my eye: Denver Broncos

The roller coaster that is the Denver Broncos and Tim Tebow era took another turn on Sunday, but this time it was for the better.  Tebow and the Broncos rallied from a 24-14 deficit to 24 unanswered and winning 38-24.  Tebow was very average in the first half only throwing 1 touchdown pass on a 27 connection to Erik Decker.  The second half saw Tebow throw another long touchdown pass this time to Eddie Royal.  Tebow really has some big runs that kept the chains moving.  Tebow managed to throw for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns and ran for 118 yards with no turnovers.  The big plays in the 4th quarter was a 60 touchdown run from Willis McGahee 1 play after Carson Palmer threw an interception and the Eddie Royal punt return that gave them their first lead since 7-3.  With their win over the Raiders and the Chargers and Chiefs losing, they now sit at 3-4 but only 1 game behind the division leaders.  They will get their chance when they take on the Chiefs Sunday.

Monday Night Pick – I think we have a very interesting game tonight.  Two teams who have been playing good football as of late and trying to keep pace with their division leaders.  The Eagles are coming off of their impressive victory over the Cowboys and have now won 2 straight.  A win tonight and they will even their record and be right in the thick of things in the NFC wild card hunt.  The Bears are in one of the toughest divisions in football looking up to both the Lions and Packers but still have 1 game with each opponent.  Matt Forte is the key to the Bears offense and they need to get him going in both the run and pass game.  I like the way the Eagles are playing lately and I think they feed off of the energy at home tonight.  This should be a good close game.