This isn't Super Bowl 2012 Official Blog,This is for Super Bowl Ads and Best Super Bowl Ads,Super Bowl 2012,National Football League,Super Bowl Commercials,Super Bowl Advertising,Super Bowl Information,Super Bowl 2012 Live Stream News
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Odds to Win Super Bowl 2011: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers [+10000 ML] will need some help in order to make it to the playoffs, when they take on the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
If the Buccaneers are able to defeat the Saints they will also need the help of the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants, as they will both need to lose. If the stars are aligned and the Buccaneers can pull it off they would earn their first postseason spot since 2008.
Tampa Bay has already surprised many this season, with young coach Raheem Morris and second-year quarterback Josh Freeman leading the NFL’s youngest team. Last season, Tampa Bay went 3-13 in their first season under Morris. The Bucs now find themselves in contention for one of the two NFC wild-card berths.PNTZCBNPGM3G
Freeman was able to keep his team alive after defeating the Seattle Seahawks 38-15 on Sunday. The 22-year-old threw for 237 yards and a career-best five touchdowns in last week’s game. Freeman had some help from Kellen Winslow and rookie Mike Williams who both caught a two touchdown receptions.
"He's clutch. He's a closer. He's a big-time quarterback, and he's developed into it right in front of our eyes," coach Raheem Morris.
The Seahawks played without quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and lost their seventh game out of their last nine.
But the Bucs next opponent will probably be ready to put up more of a fight. The defending champions have already clinched a playoff spot, but still have the chance to win the No. 1 seed in the NFC, with the help of the Falcons losing to the Panthers. The good news is that Tampa Bay have Freeman, who has a higher passer rating than that of Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
What are you waiting for? Register for our Free Sports Picks Newsletter and get free football picks and NFL Week 17 Predictions delivered to your email every game-day!
The Pro Bowl 2011 is trying a unique experiment again. The date of the Pro Bowl 2011 is a week before the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season. This strategy was Roger Goodell's best effort to make the all-star game relevant and shake up its formula. However, at least one part of it failed instantly, since it was held at the Super Bowl site in Miami, and not in Hawaii. Therefore, the Pro Bowl is returning to its usual home - but will the 2012 game then return to its usual date?
Pretty much every all-star game is deemed useless by the majority of fans. Although being named all-stars is a big honor for players, they don't usually go all out in actually playing the game, since it is ill-advised.
But the Pro Bowl 2011 is the NFL's second attempt to shake things up, by holding it two weeks earlier. This is the only all-star battle held at the end of a season, as it used to be just an anticlimactic epilogue to Super Bowl Sunday. However, they tried something different last year by putting it the week before the championship game.
That decision ensured that the Colts and Saints stars couldn't play, since they had the Super Bowl to get ready for. This year, leading vote-getters Michael Vick and Tom Brady won't be in action if the Eagles and Patriots win their conference titles. In any case, at least a few major icons won't have the chance to play, if they take their teams through January.
At the least, one controversial change has been taken out of the Pro Bowl. After holding last year's contest away from Hawaii, the NFL is returning there this season. Hosting it away from Honolulu was just a temporary experiment - like having it the week before the Super Bowl might be.
There is no word yet on when the 2012 exhibition will be held. Of course, there might not even be a need for one, if the worst fears about a lockout come true. But just in case there is a season next year, they'll need to revisit whether this strategy is a lasting success.
1. The Patriots will beat the Saints in Super Bowl XLV. Tom Brady and the New England offense have too many options to stop in their home stadium in the AFC playoffs. New Orleans has been a forgotten team for most of the year, but its hard-nosed road win over the Falcons in Week 16 showed why it is good enough to return to the big game. Drew Brees can handle the pressure of playing on the road in the postseason. The Patriots-Saints showdown will go down to the final possession with New England winning on a field goal.
2. With the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft, the Carolina Panthers select ... Andrew Luck of Stanford University. SI.com's Peter King reported this week that Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh believes Luck is leaning toward returning to school instead of entering the draft, but the redshirt sophomore quarterback has to consider what remaining in college has meant for other signal-callers. In his own conference, Washington's Jake Locker, a projected early first-round pick last April, came back for his senior season and has seen his draft stock take a hit. Former USC quarterback Matt Leinart fell from being a possible No. 1 to No. 10 because he stayed. Meanwhile, Mark Sanchez left USC early and will be going to the playoffs for the second straight year. But if Luck does stay in school (the deadline for underclassmen to apply for the draft is Jan. 15), look for the Panthers to pick Clemson junior defensive end Da'Quan Bowers. In addition, Auburn quarterback Cam Newton will go in the top 10 and start Week 1 of next season.
3. Labor peace will be reached by the April draft. Everyone is posturing now but no one wants a work stoppage, something the NFL has avoided since 1987. The owners are concerned about the impact of labor uncertainty on sponsors and season-ticket sales, and many players may not be heeding the union's advice to save money in case of a lockout. If the sides can just create more overall money, how they split it won't be as divisive an issue (players get about 60 percent of total revenue in the current CBA). More cash will be made available for veteran players by imposing a salary slotting system for rookies, and owners will generate more revenue by adding two regular-season games. They should be careful about making the rookie cap too restrictive, however, because the UFL could try to seize an opening to lure college talent.
4. The Colts will storm back next season. This has been a rough year for the Colts, who, assuming they even make the playoffs, will be underdogs to return to the Super Bowl. But the fact that Indianapolis has still been dangerous despite all of its injuries -- Peyton Manning looked like he was leading the Colts to victory over the Patriots in the final minutes at Foxboro on Nov. 21 -- tells you about this team's capability when healthy. Once Manning gets everyone back, the Colts will refocus and jump out to one of their typical blistering starts in '11.
5. These five also-rans in 2010 will make the playoffs in 2011.
• Cowboys: Dallas just needs discipline and leadership from the get-go. Interim coach Jason Garrett may not be the ideal coach to lead this team, but he's a lot better than Wade Phillips. Garrett should get the full-time job and help Dallas play up to its potential.
• Vikings: Minnesota has a number of unrestricted free agents -- including wide receiver Sidney Rice and linebacker Chad Greenway -- and must decide if it wants to keep interim coach Leslie Frazier. But the Vikings will have Adrian Peterson -- who is a free agent after the '11 season -- and Percy Harvin will become a star. All they have to do is bring in the right veteran quarterback, like they did two years ago with Brett Favre, and the offense will flourish again.
• Dolphins: After a 1-7 season at home, Miami should consider dismissing Tony Sparano and pursuing Bill Cowher. The Dolphins' defense is already solid and they have some playmakers on offense, but they need a quarterback. They should call the Eagles about Kevin Kolb in the offseason.
• Raiders: Their 5-0 record against the AFC West (with a Week 17 game pending against the Chiefs) is an encouraging sign, and they've drafted some good players in recent years. Now they just have to avoid doing anything stupid in the offseason, like firing Tom Cable even though he helped make them more competitive than they've been since 2002.
• Texans: They're everyone's breakout team each season and they always fail to deliver. Whether the Texans hire a new head coach or bring back Gary Kubiak with a revamped defensive staff, they have many of the ingredients needed to reach the playoffs for the first time. The season-ending injury to All-Pro linebacker DeMeco Ryans in Week 6 killed them this year, and they have to get better in the secondary -- they certainly can't get worse.
6. The Bears will drop off. Chicago, the NFC's likely No. 2 seed in the upcoming playoffs, has a recent history of falling off after fantastic seasons. In 2001, the Bears were 13-3 and slipped to 4-12 the next season. They were 13-3 and reached the Super Bowl in '06, then regressed to 7-9 the following season. Their defensive core is getting older and they may not get as many lucky bounces in '11.
7. The Michael Vick Experience won't be quite as exciting. The Eagles presumably will give Vick the franchise tag or sign him to a long-term deal. At some point, they're going to get very serious about protecting their investment and be much stricter about limiting his downfield running. Coach Andy Reid has noted that defenses are throwing all sorts of looks at Vick already. Give defenses an offseason to plan and adjust their personnel, and you have to expect Vick to take a step back.
8. Brett Favre will take a TV job and officially retire for good ... but at least one team will reach out to him during the next year. Think about the lack of quality quarterbacks around the NFL right now -- at least 10 teams could be looking to start fresh at the position next season. Favre was terrible in his last month with the Jets in 2008, but the Vikings thought he had enough left to contribute and they were right. In a team meeting room somewhere, talent evaluators are going to pore over his footage from 2010 and at least think about calling old No. 4. Remember, Hall of Famer Warren Moon played until he was 44 and Favre is "only" 41. And even if teams don't consider him, the media will drum up something because Favre is good for business.
9. A playoff game will go into overtime and the new rule that requires both teams to have a possession will be a big hit. The main problem with the change now is inconsistency, because coaches have to change the way they approach overtime. The NFL will come up with the easy solution and put the rule in place for the 2011 regular season. The change will make for some long games and the networks won't be thrilled, but fans will be satisfied.
10. Awards predictions for next season.
• MVP: Peyton Manning, QB, Colts. Manning will edge a series of other star QBs, including Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees.
• Offensive Player of the Year: Manning. Anyone who has one player as Offensive Player of the Year and another offensive player at MVP is cheating.
• Defensive Player of the Year: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Lions. Suh is good enough to lift the whole defense in Detroit and should be a candidate for this honor every year moving forward.
• Offensive Rookie of the Year: LaMichael James, RB, Oregon. The one skill we know translates from college to the first year in the NFL is speed. James has plenty of that and will excel if he goes to a team that uses him properly -- provided, of course, that the redshirt sophomore declares for the draft.
• Defensive Rookie of the Year: Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA. Ayers, a junior, could get picked late in the first round and thus join a team with a good defense like the Ravens or Jets. He'll instantly stand out for his ability to rush the passer and drop back in coverage.
• Coach of the Year: Jeff Fisher, team unknown. If he's not with the Titans and doesn't want to try out the broadcasting booth, Fisher will instantly instill toughness in a young team.
• Comeback Player of the Year: Tony Romo, QB, Cowboys. Dallas will play with a lot more discipline from Week 1 next season and Romo will return to Pro Bowl form. Randy Moss will re-sign with the Titans and give Romo a run for his money after Tennessee changes its offensive style.
The New Orleans Saints may have won Super Bowl XLIV but they are not the betting favorite in 2011 Super Bowl odds for next season. That honor goes to the Super Bowl runner-up Indianapolis Colts who are 7-1 at online sportsbooks. The Saints are the co-second choice at 9-1 with the San Diego Chargers. While there are three teams with single-digit NFL sports odds, there are some other contenders to win Super Bowl XLV including the New England Patriots who are well respected at 10-1. Two of the most popular teams every season in the NFL are the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. They are each 12-1 in 2011 Super Bowl odds.
If a team has odds of 20-1 or less they are considered a betting contender. There are five teams that fit that criterion. The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers are 14-1; the Philadelphia Eagles are 16-1, while the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets are 20-1. The odds on the Vikings are going to rise or fall depending upon whether or not Brett Favre returns. If he comes back you can expect the Vikings to fall to single-digits. If he decides to retire then Minnesota would probably rise to 20-1 or more. Teams that are considered longshots are those that have odds greater than 20-1. Bet the Colts 7-1 as betting favorites in 2011 Super Bowl odds with a 10% bonus and 110% poker instant bonus.
There are some interesting teams in this group that might have a chance to surprise. The New York Giants could bounce back at 22-1 in 2011 Super Bowl odds. Cincinnati had a nice season in 2009 and they are 28-1. Atlanta and Tennessee have a lot of talent and they are 30-1. Chicago has a new offensive coordinator in Mike Martz and they are somewhat intriguing at 30-1. Houston has an excellent offense led by quarterback Matt Schaub and they are 32-1. The Arizona Cardinals would have been attractive but with Matt Leinart at quarterback they are not going to get much action at 35-1. Bet the Saints 9-1 as betting favorites in 2011 Super Bowl odds with a 10% bonus.
Carolina has a similar problem with no strong quarterback as they are also 35-1 in 2011 Super Bowl odds. Miami has an excellent head coach and could be worth a shot at 35-1. San Francisco and Seattle should not be discounted as they play in a weak division. The 49ers are 35-1 while the Seahawks are 60-1. Denver is not getting much respect at 50-1 while Jacksonville and Washington are not much better at 55-1. Real longshots include the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns at 90-1 and the Detroit Lions, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs at 100-1.
The 2011 Super Bowl is turning into a unifying experience for North Texas mayors. At least 55 of them gathered Monday afternoon for the first meeting of the Super Bowl XLV Council of Mayors. Host committee officials said that such a council was a Super Bowl first and an important way to organize the region for the year's worth of events preceding the game. "Everyone in this room is going to have a piece of this Super Bowl," said Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck.
The game will be played at the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington, but ancillary events will be spread throughout Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties. Bill Lively, president and CEO of the host committee, said the council already has 92 members looking to benefit from the region's first Super Bowl. Denton Mayor Mark Burroughs said that much of the country isn't familiar with his city. But he said the host committee and mayors' council would act as a conduit between Denton and all the opportunities that come with the Super Bowl.
Burroughs said he'd like to target specific groups, such as media support staff, and persuade them to stay in Denton during the Super Bowl. He said a commuter rail line will bring his city closer to the action by 2011. "I'll even take the refs," Burroughs joked to Lively. Monday's meeting was held at the Legends of the Game Museum at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Lively said the next one will probably be scheduled for September in the new Cowboys stadium.
The member mayors will get updates at least every two months and are expected to meet twice a year. Lively said the host committee will benefit by tapping into vast resources, such as thousands of potential volunteers needed for the Super Bowl. He said the committee would also work with the mayors to help organize events to attract some of the estimated 200,000 visitors that come to a Super Bowl. Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert said this regional approach is crucial to a Super Bowl experience that surpasses all previous ones.
"We want to create such a compelling argument to the NFL that they have to come back to North Texas year after year after year," he said. Tony Fay, spokesman for the host committee, said a gathering like this is not common. He said that Dan Petty, president of the North Texas Commission, told him this is probably the largest group of local mayors assembled in decades. Some of the larger cities – Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington and Irving – already know they are home to major events or are hosting teams. But Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief said there are opportunities to spread the wealth.
With just 39 days to Super Bowl XLV in North Texas, the City of Dallas is literally turning up the pressure to try and clean up graffiti so thousands of visitors won't see it. Businesses are now pitching in to help, as police try a renewed effort to crack down on taggers.
The city is getting help from local businesses, like Stripco, that temporarily donated a blaster that uses not sand but something you could brush your teeth with: baking soda. “These little soda crystals hit the surface and they shatter and explode and they pop the paint off," said Bill Connelly of Stripco.
Sherwin Williams donated an anti-graffiti sealer and CPS, security surveillance cameras. It's all part of the city's recently-announced effort to wipe away and crack down on graffiti. “We are looking for those people that I would call a serial tagger. These guys that are constantly marking up portions of the city," said assistant Police Chief Tom Lawrence.
But for all the surfaces marred, police filed 25 cases against taggers this year, up from 20 last year. Catching and prosecuting them is hard. However, police say a tougher state law and better cooperation with the D.A. should result in more cases. Samuel Sales, who daily walks through his Oak Cliff neighborhood, hopes so. “It's going to help the neighborhood once you track down the people who are doing it," he said.
Looking clean for Super Bowl visitors is nice but will the effort fizzle after they're gone? City council member, Delia Jasso, claims it won't. “We are certainly looking at this as a long-term program," said Jasso. If it works, everyone will know by just looking around.
The Houston Texans 2011 Super Bowl odds were at a very long 25/1. This is a team that beat last year’s Super Bowl losers the Indianapolis Colts. Is this a case of the Super Bowl curse setting in or are the Texans this year definitely for real?
It’s never too early to start thinking about Super Bowl odds, especially when the payout would be so lucrative shouldthe Texans pull it off. This perennial .500 regular season finisher, which managed their first winning season last year at 9-7, certainly looked like Super Bowl 2011 contenders on Sunday against the Colts.
Arian Foster, who spent most of last season on the practice squad, ran for a team record 231 yards and scored three touchdowns to carry the Texans to a 34-24 victory over the defending AFC champions on Sunday.
"Coming into the league, you don't know what to expect, especially if you are not heralded and there's not a lot of publicity," Foster said. "You see guys like Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub and the way they carry themselves, and you try to mimic it and make your own personality. I feel privileged to be here."
Foster had the NFL's second-best opening weekend rushing performance since 1933.
“Needless to say, there is reason to be optimistic about the Houston Texans chances this season,” commented Don Shapiro of Gambling911.com.
The Texans will face the Redskins on the road in Week 2. They have been made the -3 road favorite.
It happens every NFL season around this time, but the Pro Bowl selection process once again failed miserably in filling out its' annual rosters. The Green Bay Packers may just be the best example of the failures of this years' selection. While Greg Jennings, Chad Clifton, Clay Matthews, Charles Woodson and Nick Collins made the team, Aaron Rodgers, Tramon Williams, B.J. Raji and Josh Sitton were all left off the Pro Bowl team. To understand how the Pro Bowl process messed up, let's examine each of the Packers' selections and snubs.
Deserving Selections
Truth be told, it would have been a travesty to keep either Jennings or Matthews off the roster. Both Jennings (72 catches, 1,168 yards and 12 TD's) and Matthews (12.5 sacks) clearly deserved their Pro Bowl selections, as they've been the the biggest playmakers for the Packers on their respective sides of the ball. Not all the Packers' selections were quite as convincing, however.
Iffy Picks
Clifton has had some solid performances this season, but by no means has the Packers' left tackle had a Pro Bowl season. He was picked more because of the lack of any viable alternatives than quality of play this year. Woodson was picked mostly because of reputation. He's had a good year, and he's still a good player, but Woodson has taken a backseat to Tramon Williams in the Packers' secondary.
While I have no problem with Woodson getting selected, Williams deserved the spot more than he did. Collins is in a similar situation. He probably got picked because he's been there before, but he lacked the big plays this season that he's known for. In fact, he's probably dropped as many interceptions as he's had this season.
Again, I have no problem with Collins in the Pro Bowl. In a way, I'm glad the Packers' dominance against opposing quarterbacks is being rewarded (Packers lead the NFL in opposing quarterback efficiency), but Earl Thomas and Chris Harris would have been equally good picks.
The Snubs
Aaron Rodgers
This is where the selection process goes wrong. Call me a biased Packers' fan, but how in the world does Aaron Rodgers not get selected to the Pro Bowl? Let's look at who was picked ahead of him. Michael Vick, the NFC starter, was a no-brainer pick—I have zero complaints about him. But when you look at the other two picks—Matt Ryan and Drew Brees—things get a bit confusing.
Look, I understand the Atlanta Falcons have had a great season. Winning 12 games, with a 13th win likely this weekend, is nothing to sneeze about. But Rodgers has flat outplayed Ryan this season at the quarterback position. The numbers back up that argument. Rodgers: 3,693 yards, 27 TD's, 10 INT's, 101.9 rating, 335 yards rushing, 4 TD's
Plus, Ryan has one of the better running attacks in the NFL, while Rodgers has been a one-man show for the Packers for most of the season. Same goes for Brees. The Saints have relied on the Brees much like the Packers have with Rodgers this season, but the numbers again suggest that Rodgers should have been the pick.
"Matty Ice" has been really good for the Falcons, and his calmness in late game situations is admirable. Brees has also done it all for the 11-4 Saints, but his 21 INT's is an important statistic. Rodgers has less than half that amount, and is just as important to his team as Brees is to the Saints.
Rodgers deserved a trip to Hawaii.
Tramon Williams
Williams deserved it as well. I mentioned it above, but there is no conceivable reason why Williams shouldn't be on the Pro Bowl roster. He's evolved into one of the game's best cover corners, and his six interceptions are second in the NFL. Here is where the crime begins. Asante Samuel is a deserving pick, and I have no problem with Woodson, but Deangelo Hall? Just because Hall had six interceptions shouldn't have punched his ticket. Four of those interceptions came in one game against the Chicago Bears.
Thanks a lot Jay Cutler.
That's not the only reason, however. How can you justify giving Hall the nod when he's an intricate part of the NFL's 31st ranked passing defense? In comparison, the Packers are the 5th best in the NFL in that category, and Williams' emergence this season has been a big part of that ranking.
Finally, Williams was fourth in the NFL in pass defensed with 19. Hall was nine spots down that list with 14. Overall, it's criminal that Hall is going to the Pro Bowl and the much-deserving Williams will be at home.
B.J. Raji
There's a solid case for Raji as well. Raji has the fourth most sacks for defensive tackles in the NFL (6.5), and he's been a big part—both literally and figuratively—of the Packers' second ranked scoring defense. That's why I have no clue how Jay Ratliff (3.5 sacks) or Justin Smith (5.5 sacks) were picked ahead of him. I won't doubt that Ratliff had a great season, last year. His performance dropped considerably this season, and the Cowboys' defense as a whole tanked. So how is he a starter in the Pro Bowl?
Smith was a decent choice, but if that final interior lineman spot came down to Raji and Smith, how do you not choose Raji? Obviously, name recognition and popularity factored into that choice.
Josh Sitton
I'm not saying that fans know what they are talking about, but Sitton won the fan vote for the NFC's guard position. By winning that third of the voting, how did Sitton not get in with the coaches and players vote? I understand the selections of Jahri Evans and Chris Snee, but did both guards—Carl Nicks being the other—from the Saints' 27th ranked rushing offense deserve a Pro Bowl spot? I have the least amount of problem with Sitton's snub, but I still think he deserved the spot.
Overall
While Tramon Williams and Aaron Rodgers are first alternatives, and will likely go because of that, there's no reason they shouldn't have been included on the original list. The snubs, and even the Packers' who made the list, highlight how bad the Pro Bowl selection process has become. Maybe some people don't care about the Pro Bowl, but it's still a shame that deserving players won't get a chance at lacing up with the NFL's best.
And they'd probably never admit it, but I can guarantee you the players care.Included in the alternatives are Donald Driver, AJ Hawk, B.J. Raji, and Josh Sitton—all are second alternatives.
There was reason for rejoicing across Raider Nation Tuesday. NFL Pro Bowl rosters were announced, and three Oakland Raiders were named to the AFC roster.
There was reason for bitching and complaining across Raider Nation Tuesday, too. Darren McFadden didn’t make it despite more than 1,600 yards rushing and receiving, Sebastian Janikowski didn’t make it despite tying the Raiders single-season scoring record, and Jacoby Ford didn’t make it despite breaking the Raiders single-season kickoff returns for a touchdown record.
But four of those wrongs can still be righted. Raiders.com announced that McFadden, Janikowski, defensive tackle Tommy Kelly, and tight end Zach Miller were announced as Pro Bowl alternates. Each of them could still make the Pro Bowl roster if one of the primary roster players is injured or withdraws.
With the Super Bowl being played the week before the Super Bowl again this season, larger numbers of players should be expected to withdraw.
Joe Kukura is a freelance writer who is now officially rooting for Baltimore to make the Super Bowl because then three Raiders (McFadden, Janikowski, and Kelly) would be automatically added via Baltimore withdrawals.
One is the loneliest number. The Pro Bowl rosters were released last night, and, assuming there are no Broncos added as replacements, the team will have its fewest representatives since 1988, when punter Mike Horan was the lone Bronco. That team was much better than this one, too: They went 8-8 and finished second in the division. This year... we might get the second pick in the draft.
Brandon Lloyd is currently leading the NFL in receiving yards with 1,375. That's more than double his previous career high, and there's still one game to go. He was a fourth round pick in 2003 by the San Francisco 49ers.
Hard to find a surefire snub this year. You could maybe say Champ Bailey, who after all only had a marginally worse season this year than last, when he was a Pro Bowler. And remember, Kyle Orton had a pretty monstrous statistical year -- over 400 yards against the Colts and four touchdowns against the Chiefs. And, amazingly, it looks more and more like he'll be losing his starting job next year to Tim Tebow.
Nine of 12 playoff berths are clinched and so are four of the eight divisions, but heading into the final week of the regular season there is still very much up for grabs in terms of the NFL playoff picture. We will lay out some NFL Playoff scenarios to paint a clear picture for you.
Things are a little more settled in the AFC where five of the six playoff berths are settled as is the No. 1 overall seed, which belongs to the New England Patriots (13-2). The Patriots have a first-round bye and home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, meaning they can rest their starters Sunday at home against Miami, although Bill Belichick likely will not.
The Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) are also in line for a bye if they can win at Cleveland as six-point favorites on Sunday. Baltimore (11-4) is another contender for that bye. They host Cincinnati as 10-point favorites. However, if the Steelers and Ravens win, the division and the bye goes to Pittsburgh because of a tiebreaker as the Steelers are 4-1 in the division while Baltimore is 3-2. Of the teams who have clinched a playoff spot, the Steelers may have the most to play for this week. If they were to lose they would go from a No. 2 seed to a No. 6 seed in all likelihood.
The Kansas City Chiefs surprised everyone and won the AFC West, and even more surprising is they did it in Week 16. The Chiefs (10-5) can clinch the No. 3 seed with a win or a Colts loss. If the Chiefs lose and Colts win the Chiefs will be seeded fourth. The Chiefs are four-point favorites this week at home against Oakland.
Indianapolis (9-6) can clinch the AFC South with a win or a Jaguars loss. The Colts are favored by 9.5 at home against Tennessee. The Jaguars are the only team in the AFC on the outside looking in that is still mathematically alive. Jacksonville needs to win at Houston as 2.5-point favorites and hope the Colts are upset by the Titans.
The Ravens and Jets have both clinched playoff spots. The Ravens (11-4) look to be the No. 5 seed with a win unless Pittsburgh falls at Cleveland and then the Ravens will win the AFC North. The Jets (10-5) are almost guaranteed a No. 6 seed. The only way to rise to No. 5 is with a win, a Ravens win and a Steelers loss. The Jets host Buffalo this week.
Much more is uncertain in the NFC, especially after Atlanta’s loss on Monday night. The Falcons (12-3) are still in pretty good shape. Atlanta is favored by 14.5 against the visiting 2-13 Panthers and the Falcons just need to win or hope for a Saints loss to clinch the NFC South and home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs.
The Bears (11-4) have sewed up the NFC North and a first-round bye thanks to Philadelphia’s stunning loss to Minnesota. They have an outside shot at the No. 1 seed but would need both Atlanta and New Orleans to lose in addition to a win at Green Bay. The Eagles (11-4) have won the NFC East and are locked into the No. 3 seed after their loss to Minnesota. They will host the No. 6 seed in the Wild Card round.
In the running joke that is the NFC West, the Rams (7-8) and Seahawks (6-9) will play on Sunday Night Football to determine the division winner and the No. 4 seed in the NFC.
The Saints clinched a playoff berth with their upset win at Atlanta on Monday night. They would need a win at home against Tampa Bay and a monumental upset, Carolina over Atlanta, to win the NFC South. Barring that huge upset it looks like the Saints have the No. 5 seed and a date at either St. Louis or Seattle.
The final Wild Card spot in the NFC is up for grabs between three 9-6 teams, the Packers, Giants and Buccaneers. The Packers have the inside track on that final spot. A Green Bay win at home over Chicago would clinch a No. 6 seed for the Packers and eliminate the Giants and Buccaneers. A Green Bay loss opens the door. If Green Bay loses then New York can win at Washington and be in the playoffs and the Buccaneers need even more help. Tampa has to win at New Orleans and hope both Green Bay and the Giants lose to reach the postseason.
If all the favorites win on Sunday here is how the NFL playoffs will shape up.
AFC
No. 1 New England Patriots
No. 2 Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 3 Kansas City Chiefs
No. 4 Indianapolis Colts
No. 5 Baltimore Ravens
No. 6 New York Jets
NFC
No. 1 Atlanta Falcons
No. 2 Chicago Bears
No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles
No. 4 St. Louis Rams
No. 5 New Orleans Saints
No. 6 Green Bay Packers
Week 17 NFL power rankings are pretty reflective of how the 2011 NFL Playoffs are starting to shape up. At the top of the week 17
NFL power rankings are the New England Patriots once again, as they proved once again they are the team to beat in the AFC.
Our top team in the NFC was the Atlanta Falcons last week, yet they lost to the New Orleans Saints on Monday night football. Still, we think that the early season win the Falcons had over the Saints, combined with their better overall record, still keeps the Falcons above the Saints for now.
There are nine teams that have qualified for the 2011 NFL Playoffs at this time, and those teams all deserve to be in the top slots available in the power rankings. It's hard to imagine that the Seattle Seahawks or St. Louis Rams will jump into the top 12, though, despite the fact that one of these two teams is going to win the NFC West and host a first round game in the 2011 NFC Playoffs. Finishing at .500 (like the Rams could), or even below .500 (like the Seahawks could while winning the division) simply doesn't warrant putting either of these teams into the upper echelon right now.
The team that is going to be dropped the most in these rankings is the San Diego Chargers, who suffered an embarrassing loss to be eliminated from possibly making the NFL Playoffs this season. It just wasn't meant to be, and even though that Chargers team still looks pretty good on paper, the on-field results just aren't living up to any expectations that could get them high up on this list any longer.
The Chargers are going to suffer a similar fate to the New York Jets, who also took another hit in our rankings by losing a game that they should have won in week 16. These Jets are starting to struggle in a time when they should be getting game-ready for the playoffs, but this is the same type of cold streak that they had during the 2009 regular season as well. This isn't a surprise with the roster the Jets have, and shouldn't discount them as one of the primary contenders to possibly make the Super Bowl as the AFC representative.
The Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday night were 14.5 point favorites heading into their game against the Minnesota Vikings. And because the NFL is incredibly unpredictable it's almost predictable that the Vikings turned it around and beat the Eagles by 10 points.
What does this mean for the NFL playoff picture?
First, the Eagles are now locked into the No. 3 seed. They can't move up or down next week which means they're not getting a bye. If they had won, they'd be playing for a first round bye. Now that the bye is officially out of the picture, they can rest their guys in Week 17. So the loss is bad but it's not the worst thing in the world.
Second, the Bears now clinch a first round bye. The Bears will have a first round bye along with the winner of the NFC South, Falcons or Saints.
Third, this may hurt the Giants. The Bears, like the Eagles, now have nothing to play for (except to go from No. 2 to No. 1 seed in the playoffs) in Week 17. The Giants need the Bears to beat the Packers in Week 17 but now the Bears already have their incentive with the first round bye. Will they still play to win? New York hopes so.
The loss hurts the Eagles because, at the very least, it showed they're not invincible as they head into the playoffs. But there are worse scenarios the Eagles could be in right now as they have a free week next week.
Last season, Chris Johnson was a viable NFL MVP candidate. This season, he is a candidon’t.
Fans snubbed Orlando native and Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson from the 2011 Pro Bowl voting. So far this season, Johnson collected 1,325 yards on 296 carries and 11 touchdowns. Johnson, who is in his third NFL season, became just the sixth man in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards last season joining Eric Dickerson, Jamal Lewis, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis and O.J. Simpson.
Chris Johnson was also voted the Associated Press Offensive player of the year over Super Bowl champion quarterback Drew Brees last season.
AFC running backs who did make the cut include Jacksonville Jaguars’ Maurice Jones-Drew, Houston Texans’ Arian Foster and Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles.
Other Pro Bowl roster picks with Central Florida ties: Pittsburgh Steelers and former Florida Gators center Maurkice Pouncey and former UCF and current Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Asante Samuel.
Statistically speaking, Chris Johnson had a slightly better rushing year than Maurice Jones-Drew. He is currently the third leading rusher in the NFL behind Foster and Charles and has six more touchdowns this season than Jones-Drew. However, Jones-Drew was more of a double threat netting 317 receiving yards to Johnson’s 194.
Chris Johnson made a pretty bold statement earlier this year saying he wanted to break Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record. He still had a good, not historic season in 2010, but did his words perhaps hurt him in the Pro Bowl voting?
Too often we concern ourselves with perceived snubs when the Pro Bowl rosters are announced every year. It's a flawed system, one that doesn't always send the most deserving players to Honolulu (or Miami or whatever they play it nowadays). But the Pro Bowl voters -- fans, players and coaches -- nailed it when they selected Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff to his first Pro Bowl.
Cundiff unceremoniously became the Ravens' kicker midway through the 2009 season when Steve Hauschka became the mayor of Shank City. Cundiff was a reliable replacement, but when the team signed Shayne Graham in the offseason, it seemed unlikely that Cundiff would keep the job.
One strong preseason, 24 regular-season field goals and an insane number of touchbacks later, Cundiff is going to the Pro Bowl with one heck of a feel-good story.
“I am humbled, as this is such a great honor,” Cundiff said in a statement. “This is the result of having great teammates and coaches surrounding you. ... I worked my butt off to prove to our coaches that they made the right choice, and hopefully, this gives them a little gratification.”
Ravens coach John Harbaugh, special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg and the rest of the coaching staff definitely made the right choice. I said all along that the Ravens would go with Graham. I shanked that one, but hey, I have never touted myself as an expert on special teams.
In my defense, though, I'm not the only one who didn't see this remarkable season coming -- especially all those touchbacks. Entering the 2010 campaign, Cundiff had recorded just 11 touchbacks in 70 games. He has booted 38 through 15 games and is two touchbacks against the Bengals from tying Mitch Berger's NFL record. Am I the only one who thinks Cundiff's right leg should be tested for performance-enhancing drugs? (I'm kidding, of course. Well, kind of.)
“This is a testament to Billy’s hard work and determination,” Rosburg said in a statement. “Billy has shown incredible perseverance throughout his career, and he has always remained dedicated to becoming a great kicker in the NFL. I believe that the other players in this league not only respect what he has done, but also how he has done it. He never lost faith in himself.”
One more thought: Cundiff has been pretty accurate on field goals this season, putting 24 of his 27 attempts through the uprights. But make no mistake, Cundiff locked down this honor because of his dominance in the field-position game. I think it's pretty cool that voters took notice of that.
So if you are complaining in the lunch room about Sam Koch getting snubbed or how Le'Ron McClain was disrespected, make sure you give voters credit for getting at least one selection right.
Quarterback Drew Brees leads a trio of New Orleans Saints who were named to the NFC Pro Bowl team Tuesday evening.
Brees is one of three quarterbacks on the NFC roster. The others are Atlanta Falcon Matt Ryan and Philadelphia Eagle Michael Vick.
Joing Brees in representing the Saints are Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks, both of whom play at the guard position.
The Falcons placed the most players in the Pro Bowl, with seven selections. The New England Patriots led all NFC teams with six.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady received the most fan votes of all players. Fan voting is one component of the selection process.
Despite their loss to New Orleans on Monday, Atlanta can still finish with the best record in the conference by defeating the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. New Orleans has qualified for the playoffs as at least a Wild Card entry and can still win the NFC South by defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and with an Atlanta loss.
2011 Pro Bowl Rosters are set, and for the most part it appears as though the players that deserved to make it, did. The 2011 Pro Bowl will take place the weekend before the Super Bowl at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. Some of the notables for the 2011 Pro Bowl Rosters are:
The Indianapolis Colts have both of their defensive ends, Dwight Freeney & Robert Mathis starting for the AFC. The Atlanta Falcons had the most Pro Bowl selections with 7 players heading to Hawaii for the NFC team. The New England Patriots have 6 players joining the AFC squad. Four other teams had 5 selections each. The Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will not be sending any players to the Pro Bowl, unless alternates are chosen.
While most of the selections for the Pro Bowl seems to be pretty justified, there were several players that don’t deserve to make it based on this year’s performances. Shaun O’Hara of the NY Giants was selected as a reserve, even though he has only played in 4 games this season.
The teams that make it to the Super Bowl will not be having their players participate in the Pro Bowl, since there is a risk of injury involved. This means that up to 13 of the selected players may not actually participate, and alternates will take their place on the Roster.
Here are the official 2011 Pro Bowl Selections.
The 2011 NFC Pro Bowl Roster:
Quarterbacks:
Michael Vick, Philadelphia (Starter)
Mat Ryan, Atlanta
Drew Brees, New Orleans
Running Backs:
Michael Turner, Atlanta (Starter)
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
Steven Jackson, St. Louis
Fullback:
Ovie Mughelli, Atlanta (Starter)
Wide Receivers:
Roddy White, Atlanta (Starter)
Calvin Johnson, Detroit (Starter)
DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
Greg Jennings, Green Bay
Tight Ends:
Jason Witten, Dallas (Starter)
Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta
Offensive Tackles:
Jason Peters, Philadelphia (Starter)
Jordan Gross, Carolina (Starter)
Chad Clifton, Green Bay
Offensive Guards:
Jahri Evans, New Orleans (Starter)
Chris Snee, NY Giants (Starter)
Carl Nicks, New Orleans
Centers:
Andre Gurode, Dallas (Starter)
Shaun O’Hara, NY Giants
Defensive Ends:
Julius Peppers, Chicago (Starter)
John Abraham, Atlanta (Starter)
Justin Tuck, NY Giants
Defensive Tackles
Ndamukong Suh, Detroit (Starter)
Jay Ratliff, Dallas (Starter
Justin Smith, San Francisco
Outside Linebackers:
Clay Matthews, Green Bay (Starter)
DeMarcus Ware, Dallas (Starter)
Lance Briggs, Chicago
Inside Linebackers:
Patrick Willis, San Francisco (Starter)
Brian Urlacher, Chicago
Cornerbacks:
Asante Samuel, Philadelphia (Starter)
Charles Woodson, Green Bay (Starter)
DeAngelo Hall, Washington
Free Safeties:
Nick Collins, Green Bay (Starter
Antrel Rolle, NY Giants
Strong Safety:
Adrian Wilson, Arizona (Starter)
Special Teams:
Punter – Mat McBriar, Dallas
Placekicker – David Akers, Philadelphia
Kick Returner – Devin Hester, Chicago
Additional Special Teamer – Eric Weems, Atlanta
2011 AFC Pro Bowl Roster:
Quarterbacks:
Tom Brady, New England (Starter)
Philip Rivers, San Diego
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
Running Backs:
Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville (Starter)
Arian Foster, Houston
Jamaal Charles, Kansas City
Fullback:
Vonta Leach, Houston (Starter)
Wide Receivers:
Andre Johnson, Houston (Starter)
Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis (Starter)
Brandon Lloyd, Denver
Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City
Tight Ends:
Antonio Gates, San Diego (Starter)
Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville
Offensive Tackles:
Jake Long, Miami (Starter)
Joe Thomas, Cleveland (Starter)
D’Brickashaw Ferguson, NY Jets
Offensive Guards:
Kris Dielman, San Diego (Starter)
Logan Mankins, New England (Starter)
Brian Waters, Kansas City
Centers:
Nick Mangold, NY Jets (Starter)
Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh
Defensive Ends:
Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis (Starter)
Rovert Mathis, Indianapolis (Starter)
Jason Babin, Tennessee
Defensive Tackles:
Haloti Ngata, Baltimore (Starter)
Vince Wilfork, New England (Starter)
Richard Seymour, Oakland
The Pro Bowl 2011 is trying a unique experiment again. The date of the Pro Bowl 2011 is a week before the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season. This strategy was Roger
Goodell's best effort to make the all-star game relevant and shake up its formula. However, at least one part of it failed instantly, since it was held at the Super Bowl site in Miami, and not in Hawaii. Therefore, the Pro Bowl is returning to its usual home - but will the 2012 game then return to its usual date?
Pretty much every all-star game is deemed useless by the majority of fans. Although being named all-stars is a big honor for players, they don't usually go all out in actually playing the game, since it is ill-advised.
But the Pro Bowl 2011 is the NFL's second attempt to shake things up, by holding it two weeks earlier. This is the only all-star battle held at the end of a season, as it used to be just an anticlimactic epilogue to Super Bowl Sunday. However, they tried something different last year by putting it the week before the championship game.
That decision ensured that the Colts and Saints stars couldn't play, since they had the Super Bowl to get ready for. This year, leading vote-getters Michael Vick and Tom Brady won't be in action if the Eagles and Patriots win their conference titles. In any case, at least a few major icons won't have the chance to play, if they take their teams through January.
At the least, one controversial change has been taken out of the Pro Bowl. After holding last year's contest away from Hawaii, the NFL is returning there this season. Hosting it away from Honolulu was just a temporary experiment - like having it the week before the Super Bowl might be.
There is no word yet on when the 2012 exhibition will be held. Of course, there might not even be a need for one, if the worst fears about a lockout come true. But just in case there is a season next year, they'll need to revisit whether this strategy is a lasting success.
Super Bowl XLV is just over a month away, but Mars Chocolate North America is already focusing on Super Bowl XLVI, which will be played Feb. 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Mars, in conjunction with Visa, has unveiled its "Celebrate on the Field 2011 Instant Win Game," with a grand prize of four field passes for the NFL's big game in Indianapolis. On board for marketing support are three former Super Bowl heroes: Marshall Faulk, running back for the Super Bowl XXXIV champion St. Louis Rams; Mark Schlereth, offensive guard. a three-time Super Bowl champion as a member of the Washington Redskins (Super Bowl XXVI) and Denver Broncos (Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII); and Rodney Harrison, a two-time Super Bowl champion safety with the New England Patriots (Super Bowl XXXVIII, XXXIX).
"NFL players work their whole lives for the opportunity to experience those few precious moments celebrating a Super Bowl victory," Debra Sandler, chief consumer officer for Mars Chocolate North America, said in a statement. "We are thrilled to afford fans who serve Mars Real Chocolate at their football-viewing parties the exclusive chance to enjoy those special moments of celebration alongside the newest Super Bowl champions. For an NFL fan, what could be more exciting?"
To enter the contest, consumers are being directed to upload the UPC codes from specially marked packages of Mars brands to www.BeOnTheField.com now through Feb. 7, 2011 (the day after Super Bowl XLV). The brands are M&M'S, Snickers, Twix, Milky Way and 3 Musketeers. Among the "thousands of other great prizes" are Visa gift cards and packages of Mars chocolate products. (Full details here.)
In addition to on-package and POP, marketing support is anchored by Internet, including dedicated Facebook pages where Schlereth and Harrison will be conducting live chats with fans of the Snickers and M&M's Facebook Fan Pages.
Mars also will have a presence at Super Bowl XLV where it will be celebrating with the winners of its "Go Nuts At The Super Bowl with Snickers Instant Win Game" and its "Be On The Field" promotion that ran at the end of the 2009 season.
The Mars Chocolate North America brand, which will have air time on Fox during the upcoming Super Bowl, generated a lot of publicity with a TV spot starring Betty White that aired during Super Bowl XLIV, which was atop numerous post-game ad monitors and was also among the top spots of 2010.
According to Marshall Faulk, "Winning a Super Bowl for St. Louis Rams fans everywhere was a huge thrill for me and I'll never forget those few fleeting moments when we had the opportunity to celebrate our amazing accomplishment. This is an experience you can't buy, nor will you ever forget."
Fifth in a series looking back at Super Bowls I-XLIV leading up to Super Bowl XLV, Feb. 6, 2011, at Cowboys Stadium.
Colts 16, Cowboys 13
Jan. 17, 1971, Orange Bowl, Miami
Baltimore's Jim O'Brien kicked a 32-yard field goal with 5 seconds remaining to give the Colts the victory. Colts linebacker Mike Curtis set up the winning field goal with an interception that deflected off the hands of Cowboys running back Dan Reeves. Baltimore's first touchdown also came after a deflection, on a 75-yard pass play from Johnny Unitas to John Mackey. The pass bounced off Colt Ed Hinton's fingertips and then off Cowboys defensive back Mel Renfro's fingers near midfield.
Notable
O'Brien had missed one field goal earlier in the game and had had a point-after attempt blocked.
The Colts won despite committing seven turnovers -- four fumbles and three interceptions. The Cowboys had four turnovers, including three interceptions thrown by Craig Morton.
Unitas was 3 of 9 passing before being injured in the first half. Earl Morrall, his replacement, was 7 for 15 for 145 yards.
Cowboys defensive end Chuck Howley became the first non-quarterback to be selected MVP. He remains the only MVP from a losing team.
This was the first Super Bowl played on an artificial surface.
Scoring summary
Dal - FG Mike Clark 14
Dal - FG Clark 30
Bal - John Mackey 75 pass from Johnny Unitas (kick blocked)
Dal - Duane Thomas 7 pass from Craig Morton (Clark kick)
Hyundai will be among a parking lot filled with auto companies advertising on Fox during Super Bowl XLV. So to help get a fast start on the competition, the car maker will unveil the first TV spot in a planned national multi-media campaign for the Sonata, the brand's first hybrid model, on Dec. 31 during CBS's telecast of college football's Hyundai Sun Bowl.
Hyundai has purchased three 30-second spots on Fox during Super Bowl XLV on Feb, 6, 2011 from Cowboys Stadium. Thirty-second spots for the NFL's big game are going for $2.8-$3 million, per industry analysts. Fountain Valley. Calif.-based Hyundai Motor America's lead agency is its in-house Innocean Worldwide Americas division.
According to Hyundai, the first Sonata Hybrid spot, "Anachronistic City," acknowledges that although the Sonata is not the first hybrid to market, it is the "smart challenger of conventional, early generation hybrids a sophisticated evolution of the technology, wrapped in a more appealing package."
The 30-second spot showcases a variety of inventions that were all innovative in their time, including 1880s-era high wheel bicycles, mid-century typewriters, a blimp, 1980s-era cell phones, a "portable" record turn-table, black-and-white TVs, silent movies a folding camera and even "jiggle belt" exercise machines. The Sonata then appears as the spot makes a point about how all technology evolves.
"Hybrid Sonata capitalizes on the learnings of hybrid models that have come before it, and advances the technology so that it's practical and affordable for a broader consumer audience – not just early adopters," John Krafcik, president and CEO, for Hyundai Motor America, said in a statement. "Like the 2.4-liter direct-injected Sonata and the 2.0-liter Sonata Turbo launched earlier this year, Sonata Hybrid demonstrates Hyundai's unique approach melding innovative technologies and emotional design into products more and more people want to put in their driveways."
Hyundai's title sponsorship of the Sun Bowl, being played in El Paso, Texas, includes eight 30-second spots. In addition to the Hybrid Sonata debut ad, Hyundai said it would include TV spots featuring the two other Sonata powertrains: the standard 2.4-liter gasoline direct injection model and the 2.0-liter turbo model. Hyundai's holiday campaign will continue on the Hyundai Sun Bowl featuring music from singing duo Pomplamoose.
Any commercial with Betty White and Abe Vigoda is a winner in our book no matter what it’s about. In this case, the spunky Golden Girl is playing pickup football with the guys, though she’s struggling. “Man, you’ve been riding me all day,” she says before eating a Snickers bar that not only transforms her into a regular guy but also raises Vigoda from the dead. What, “Fish” is still alive? Twenty-eight years after People Magazine erroneously reported his demise, the answer is yes!
Coca Cola -- The Simpsons
The Simpson and Coke. Perfect together. Who wouldn’t like to see Monty Burns lose all his money? But the goodness of Coke makes for feel-good ending for all. Big props for a Spider-pig cameo on the swings.
Hyundai -- Brett Favre
OK, Hyundai’s commercials are getting better (with as many as they’re running, the odds are at least ONE had to be good). As much as we’re all getting sick of Brett Favre’s indecision every year, obviously he has a sense of humor about. I thought it was funny when he was saying most of the fans are younger than him, and that was before I noticed it was the 2020 MVP award he was winning. I thought he was talking about the current season. Because he’s already old.
TruTV -- Punxatawney Polamalu
Punxsutawney Polamalu. Awesome. So much better than a commercial about his hair. Let’s see PETA complain about THIS one. Unfortunately, there won’t really be six more weeks of football.
FloTV -- Spineless man
We all know this spineless male. Some of us know him all too well. Yeah, watching TV on a little screen can save some male dignity. But good luck getting your girlfriend to allow that.
Bud Light -- Stranded on an island
Passengers from an airplane crash are moping around on a desert island until the beverage cart full of Bud Lights washes up on shore. That’s when the party begins! Maybe the pilot had a few too many before he crashed the plane -- who knows? But the commercial proves that Homer Simpson was right: Beer truly is the cause of -- and solution to -- all of life’s problems.
Kia -- Toys fantasy
A life-sized sock monkey, a robot and a red monster you’ll recognize if you have kids all experience a wild weekend in a Kia. Not sure why this was funny, but it was.
HomeAway.com -- The Griswolds
Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo reprise their roles as quirky parents from the classic “Vacation” movies, except this time they’re exasperated travelers getting screwed by extra hotel charges. The solution, says the ad, is to rent a house. It’s a pretty good spot, but we were hoping Christie Brinkley would make an appearance at the hotel pool. This is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy!
Google -- French love story
Really clever commercial showing only the Google searches of a traveler in Paris as he tries to find the Louvre, then a cafe, then woos a French woman, then finds a job in France, then gets instructions on how to assemble a crib for their child. It shows how Google can help create a happy life instead of being used just for finding naked pictures of celebrities.
Audi -- Green police
Funny. Sure, we all need to be more environmentally conscious. But it’s always funny when stuff like that is taken to the extreme. If a car could allow you to go around real police checkpoints like the one in the commercial, it’d be well worth it. Until that day, I’ll try to avoid a ticket for recycling.
There was a lot of controversy over whether this pro-life ad from Christian group Focus on the Family should have run. Well, if the decision was based solely on quality of the ad, then it shouldn’t have run. Mrs. Tebow mumbled and the ad was just lame.
Doritos -- It's a miracle
A guy pretends to be dead so he can eat Doritos while enclosed in a coffin. Huh? Not funny and really disgusting.
Denny's -- Free Grand Slam
Denny’s used this spot to announce its free Grand Slam breakfast promotion. A warning is issued to egg-layers that this will be “a bad day to be a chicken.” The message may be a little scrambled here, but hey, a free meal is a free meal. Eggs over easy, please.
Bridgestone -- The Choice
Your tires or your life (wife). Super sexy car and a smokin’ hot girl. I guess it really doesn’t need to make sense.
Michelob Ultra -- Lance Armstrong
OK, Michelob Ultra is supposed to be beer that’s not as bad for you as other beer. I get that. But it is still beer, right? Are we supposed to accept that Mr. Healthy, Lance Armstrong, one of the most highly conditioned athletes ever, cancer survivor, drinks Michelob Ultra just because it’s the healthy beer alternative? I’m not buying it.
Budweiser -- Clydesdale's new friend
Bud had decided not to use its Clydesdale horses in a Super Bowl ad until an online fan vote urged them to do so. They shouldn’t have bothered. It’s a cheesy spot about a baby Clydesdale growing up with a Longhorn steer. When they’re full grown, the two see each other and the steer knocks down a fence to reach his childhood buddy. It would be poignant if it wasn’t so lame.
Honda -- Accord Crosstour
Squirrels collect a lot of stuff. The Honda Accord Crosstour holds a lot of stuff. That doesn’t convince me to buy one.
Taco Bell -- Barkley fattens up
Take one look at Charles Barkley’s waistline and it’s easy to envision him rolling into the late-night Taco Bell drive-thru and stuffing his face with cheap, fatty Mexican food. Too many of the Super Bowl commercials feature celebrity spokesmen who are clearly there simply to pick up a paycheck, but this is a product the Round Mound of Rebound really seems to believe in.
GoDaddy.com --Too hot for TV
I’m tired of these tease commercials. If you can’t show me what’s worth looking at while I’m watching your commercial, don’t expect me to go to your Web site to watch more of it. I won’t do it, Go Daddy. You can’t make me. No matter how hard you try.
E*Trade -- Baby on the plane
Let me just say this: I want the old E*Trade baby back. This new kid’s OK, but he just can’t hang with the original. It’s like Timothy Dalton trying to hold a candle to Sean Connery’s James Bond. Memo to E*Trade’s ad agency: Get that “Shankapotamus” kid’s agent on the phone. Do whatever it takes.
At the beginning of this NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys were expected to be one of the league's most successful teams. In fact, many even predicted that the 'Boys would play in a "hometown Super Bowl" at the end of the season.
But then the Cowboys started 1-5, lost their starting quarterback Tony Romo and ended up letting go of head coach Wade Phillips.
After these early struggles, the Cowboys seem to be improving, but this team will need to prioritize its needs as we approach the 2011 NFL Draft.
So which positions should come first for the Cowboys?
Offensively, this team is studded with talent, but the Cowboys' offensive line does need some work.
As far as defense goes, expect the 'Boys to invest in talent at defensive end and safety.
With two games left to play, the Baltimore Ravens find themselves in position to lock up at a spot in the 2011 postseason within the division, with their remaining opponents both residences of the AFC North.
The Ravens will end their season at home against the Cincinnati Bengals in two weeks, seven days after a trip to Ohio’s other football home, where they’ll play the Cleveland Browns.
Matchup: Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns
NFL Odds: Baltimore – 3.5
The Browns have dropped consecutive games to two of the worst in the AFC after putting together back-to-back wins.
Cleveland has just five wins this season, but has registered notable victories over the reigning Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints and NFL-leading New England Patriots.
Why To Bet On The Ravens?
Baltimore can at the very least clinch one of the two AFC Wild Card spots if they can sweep the Browns and Bengals, and there remains an outside chance that they can best Pittsburgh for the division.
The Steelers get the Carolina Panthers at home before finishing at Cleveland, so it is unlikely that they will lose another game. Still, with the Jacksonville Jaguars and San Diego Chargers two games back, a win this week will ensure the Ravens play in to the second week of the New Year.
While they are still known for their defense first, Baltimore has found its scoring touch having registered at least 20 points in consecutive wins over the Houston Texans and Saints.
Quarterback Joe Flacco continues to develop in to one of the premier pocket passers in the AFC, while the tandem of Ray Rice and Willis McGahee have averaged 3.9 yards with nine touchdowns combined. Flacco threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns against the Browns earlier in the year.
Why To Bet On The Browns?
Cleveland will have a tough time slowing down the Ravens’ juggernaut offense, but did manage to keep it close in the first meeting of the season, when they fell 24-17 at M&T Bank Stadium.
The Browns actually led that game in the fourth quarter, mainly because of the play of running back Peyton Hillis, who registered 180 combined yards, including a career-high 144 on the ground.
Cleveland’s defense has been good, but the offense has lost its rhythm in the past couple of NFL betting online weeks, likely due to the fact that they had to play three straight games on the road. However, the Browns are playing .500 football at home, and if the Ravens don’t play with urgency Cleveland could take advantage.
How The Game Will Play Out?
The Ravens will have two chances to clinch a spot in the 2011 playoffs, but head coach Jon Harbaugh will have his team playing with urgency in order to keep their chances of clinching a first round bye alive. The Browns kept it close the first time around, but will have difficulty doing so again after returning home from a long road trip.
Widely regarded as the largest sporting event on the American calendar, the Super Bowl has become a great point of interest for secondary ticket sellers all over. Secondary ticket retailer TicketLuck reports that the state of the ticket market for Super Bowl XLV is very vague as the unavailability of tickets directly from the NFL has put all the pressure of making the tickets available on ticker resellers and secondary ticket selling websites.
Secondary ticket selling website TicketLuck has reported alarming figures on the state of the Super Bowl tickets market as the trends are not comparable to any of the previous years. Tickets are reported to be selling at a much higher price than their actual face value of $800. According to figures reported by the website, the average price for a normal ticket to the event is more than $4,000 while prices for All-Day Packages average around $80,000 a pop.
While tickets are usually sold at a higher than face value price on secondary ticket selling websites, Anastasia Lyman from TicketLuck.com exclaimed that, “The prices this year are totally inflated, tickets for last year’s Super Bowl went for around $2,000 each but the current state of the market is alarming”. When asked if she feared that the high prices would drive customers away, Lyman replied, “We are not thinking about that. The Super Bowl has time and again proven to be the greatest show in America and we are sure that people will not give up on the event, especially with the Super Bowl at Cowboys Stadium”. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy seemed to agree with Lyman, “If we could build a stadium for 300,000, we still wouldn't come close to meeting demand,” he said.
One of the main reasons for the inflation of prices in the market is the fact that the tickets are not yet available directly from the NFL. While the NFL has confirmed that they have sold out most of their 5,000 On-Location packages, single tickets are not yet available. This can be attributed to the fact that the NFL distributes its ticket allocation amongst the participating teams and sponsors and only has about 25% of the tickets to sell for itself. Previous market figures indicate that once the tickets become more easily available, the average prices tend to go down. “The only people buying tickets now are the ones who don’t want to risk missing out on the tickets altogether, once the tickets are readily available from primary sources, the average price on the secondary ticket market tends to drop,” said Lyman.
Frank Supovitz, senior vice president of events for the NFL also raised the question of the security of the purchases made from secondary ticket sellers by saying, “What's amusing to me is that we haven't even distributed tickets, yet you will start seeing offers on websites months and months ahead of the Super Bowl.” While this may be a genuine concern for some, Anastasia Lyman from TicketLuck said that, “We make sure all our customers get their tickets as we offer a 100% guarantee and make sure all our tickets are sourced from the most reliable sellers who we have done business with in the past. There is absolutely no chance that a customer would get the bad end of a deal.”
The Super Bowl in Arlington, Texas, is on the 6th of February, 2011 and is expected to be a sold out event as always. While there is no fixed date to when the tickets will go on sale, fans continue to flock to secondary ticket sellers who are already offering tickets to the event. The actual scenario can only be measured once the tickets officially go on sale.
Pizza Hut will be making its first appearance in the Super Bowl, with one spot by Interpublic Group of Cos.' Martin Agency appearing in the first half of the game on Feb. 6, 2011.
The ad buy, which was led by Pizza Hut's VP-advertising Kurt Kane, marks a change of course for the restaurant chain, which has long opted to gain exposure around the big game, but has not actually been in it. Pizza Hut has served as the presenting sponsor on NFL Networks' GameDay Morning program, and has run ads leading up to the event. This year's game airs on Fox.
In the past those spots have included celebrities such as Jessica Simpson and Donald Trump. For the 2010 Super Bowl Pizza Hut used the pre-game to debut work from Martin, which it hired in 2009 after more than two decades working with Omnicom Group's BBDO. That campaign largely promoted a low-price strategy to consumers, touting $10 pizzas.
"In the past we've focused on a specific product on Super Bowl Sunday, so our strategy was to advertise that product pre-game, giving our customers time to order it," said Mr. Kane. "This year, we will be focusing on the brand during the in-game spot with a fully integrated plan. We'll be highlighting the role that the Pizza Hut brand plays in customers' lives beyond the game and throughout the year."
The effort is the latest salvo in the "Pizza Wars" between three U.S.-based mega chains Papa John's, which is the NFL's "official" pizza, and Domino's. Interestingly, Pizza Hut's move into the Super Bowl comes as Taco Bell, a regular Super Bowl advertiser, has yet to announce an appearance this year. Both are owned by Louisville, Ky.-based Yum Brands, which is also the parent of fast-food chains KFC, Long John Silvers and A&W All American Restaurants.
According to Ad Age's DataCenter, Yum ranks as the 39th biggest national advertiser, with U.S. ad spending across all brands at $882.4 million last year. Of that, a little less than a quarter is devoted to marketing Pizza Hut.
The 2011 Super Bowl sold out unusually early and is slated to be largely dominated by car advertisers, many of which sat out past games amidst the recession. Now car makers are making a play to announce new-product offerings; expect to see ads from General Motors, Chrysler, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, Hyundia and Kia. Other regular advertisers returning include brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev, which will have as many as eight spots, and Bridgestone, which is again the halftime sponsor and will have two ads in the game. Along with Pizza Hut, another first-timer this year will be Best Buy.
With the last month of the regular football season underway, NFL teams are quickly preparing for the long journey to the Super Bowl. It seems many companies are doing the same with their social media campaigns, with several brands unveiling new initiatives for the big sporting event.
USA Today reports that both Audi and Mercedes-Benz plan to launch extensive social media initiatives for the Super Bowl. The two European automakers will reward users who encourage others to tweet or otherwise promote their respective brands during the Super Bowl.
The goal is to go beyond reaching consumers through the high-cost 30-second SuperBowl spots, but brands also need to be unique. "Most efforts won't be able to stand out amidst the flood of 'Let's Do a Facebook Contest About the Super Bowl' marketing lemmings," social media consultant Jay Baer explained to the source.
For many brands, social media will be a much larger part of their 2011 digital marketing initiatives. According to a recent report from eMarketer, companies are expected to spend upwards of $2.1 billion on social media marketing efforts next year.
Remember back around May and June when we were all going through NFL withdrawal? Remember how excited you got when training camps started and how in love you were with your team finally making the playoffs or winning the Super Bowl? Now, think about how empty you feel now that your team (cough—Cowboys) have won four or five games? The only thing that keeps you going is your love for the game of football and talking about how goofy Shannon Sharpe looks on Sunday mornings. The good teams have differentiated themselves from the pack and everyone is just hanging on at this point. With only two games left in the regular season, I present six potential NFC playoff matchups.
Wild Card Games: Chicago Bears Vs. New York Giants
As of right now, the Giants and Bears both stand at 11-5, with the Bears projected to win their division and the Giants to finish second in the NFC East—this is how we come to this matchup, based off win percentages. The Giants lost a crucial game to the Eagles today at home, and with the way the Bears play at Soldier Field, there is no reason to believe Chicago will move past the Wild Card Round.
St. Louis Rams Vs. New Orleans Saints
Can you believe that the defending Super Bowl Champs may have to travel to St. Louis for a playoff game? Crazy, right? But who thought that the Atlanta Falcons would win the NFC South? Yep, nobody. The Rams are an upstart and their defense is mature enough to hold Brees and the Saints down. Still, it should be fun to watch.
New York Giants Vs. Green Bay Packers
The Packers lost Aaron Rodgers last week against the Lions and had to go with greenhorn Matt Flynn. Their next two games after tonight are beasts of matchups, as they face the Giants next week and the Bears in Week 17. A record of 9-7 would almost be a miracle for this group. Next week’s game against New York may just be a potential Wild Card matchup.
Atlanta Falcons Vs. San Francisco 49ers
For this game to happen, the NFL has to decide playoff games based on defensive matchups, and the Falcons have to fall all the way to the fifth seed. The 49ers have the Rams next and the Cardinals to end the year. Who knows, maybe they’ll actually go on a two-game win streak.
Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick continues to be the 2011 Pro Super Bowl voting leader with 981,687 votes according to a release from the NFL. Vick led the Pro Super Bowl voting last week, as well, with 729,838 votes.
The top five includes the same names as last week but New England Patriots QB Tom Brady has passed Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning for second place in total votes. Brady has 947,194 votes this after sitting at 623,074 last week. Manning enters this week with 806,025 votes after he was at 691,146 votes last week.
Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson is in fourth place followed by Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees, San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers, Houston Texans RB Arian Foster, Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan and Jacksonville Jaguars QB David Garrard. (Seriously, Garrard in the top 10?).
Falling out of the top 10 from last week is Chargers TE Antonio Gates and Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson.
These numbers are the leaders in the fan-voting which, along with the coaches and players, counts as one-third of the Pro Bowl process. Voting concludes on Dec. 20 and the winners will be announce the following week. Players and coaches cast their ballots on Dec. 22-23.
Dare to dream. That's our message to those willing to take a shot on betting Super Bowl 45 futures! Imagine those who bet on the New York Jets last season to win the Super Bowl, prior to the season starting. They received 50/1 odds, which means if they were smart, they locked in a huge profit by hedging a bit as their team made it all the way to the AFC Championship game. Super Bowl 45 will be played in Arlington Texas, February 6th, 2011. Below, we are going to present the current, updated odds to win Super Bowl XLV. It's always interesting to take an early look at the Super Bowl odds for several reasons. One being, it's always fun to look back as the season goes on, to see how far off some of these odds were. The other reason of course, is to find some value with some of these NFL teams so we can cash in!
Over the last decade, the NFL has become a league where you can go from worst to first in just one year, such as the aforementioned New York Jets. Of course, they didn't win the Super Bowl, but it shows you what's possible. The trick is to find a few teams that are likely to surprise. If you can find a team now at odds of 20-1 or better, and be lucky enough to get that team into the playoffs, you can profit without having to have that team actually win Super Bowl 45. You can hedge that wager once the playoffs begin, if it looks like your long shot has no chance to go all the way. Do your homework. There's more information available on these teams than ever before. Analyze each teams draft. Look at their schedules. Look for teams that were on the brink a year ago and look ready to finally break through. Look for reasons to discard some of the favorites.
Some teams are going to continue to get public support. As long as Peyton Manning is still kicking in Indy, the Colts will get pre season money bet on them to win the Super Bowl. They have current odds of 7/1 to win it all at Sportsbook.com which makes them the favorites to win Super Bowl XLV. Right behind the Colts might be a bit of a surprise as the Dallas Cowboys are 2nd favorites at odds of 8/1. I guess folks still aren't giving up on Tony Romo despite his inability to win when it counts. Super Bowl Futures bettors are also still hanging on to the New England Patriots. Each year the Pats are listed among the top 3 in terms of odds to win the Super Bowl but the Pats look like a stock on the decline. Looking for a long shot? The Bengals won the AFC North last year before losing to the Jets in the Playoffs. They are listed at current odds of 50/1 to win Super Bowl 45. Or how about the Arizona Cardinals fall from grace? They won the NFC West but now find themselves at odds of 75/1 to win Super 45. Not much faith in Matt Leinart huh?
The important point to stress once again is that you don't need your team to win the Super Bowl in order to cash in. All you need to do is get close. If you can do that, it opens up a world of possibilities to guarantee yourself a profit by hedging your bets at the appropriate time. Here are the current odds to win the Super Bowl 45, courtesy of Sportsbook.com, the Largest Sportsbook in the world. But shop around, have a look at our Top Rated Sportsbooks as well, it always pays to shop for the best odds!
SUPER 45 ODDS
+1000 = 10/1 odds
Indianapolis Colts +700
Dallas Cowboys +800
New England Patriots +1000
New Orleans Saints +1000
San Diego Chargers +1000
New York Jets +1000
Baltimore Ravens +1000
Green Bay Packers +1000
Minnesota Vikings +1200
Pittsburgh Steelers +1800
New York Giants +2000
San Francisco 49ers +2000
Atlanta Falcons +2000
Philadelphia Eagles +2000
Miami Dolphins +3000
Chicago Bears +3000
Houston Texans +4000
Tennessee Titans +4000
Washington Redskins +4000
Cincinnati Bengals +5000
Carolina Panthers +5000
Denver Broncos +6000
Kansas City Chiefs +6000
Seattle Seahawks +7500
Arizona Cardinals +7500
St Louis Rams +10000
Detroit Lions +10000
Oakland Raiders +10000
Cleveland Browns +10000
Tampa Bay Buccanneers +10000
Jacksonville Jaguars +10000
Buffalo Bills +10000
With the Baltimore Ravens unceremoniously handing the Houston Texans yet another gut wrenching defeat on Monday Night football, 14 weeks are in the books of the 2010-11 NFL season. A number of teams have stepped up to the plate to show their worthy of your Super Bowl 45 picks, and we’re about to take a closer look at the prospective teams that could possibly be the last team standing come February 6th.
The AFC North was expected to be a two-team race the whole way through, and both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens have held up their ends of the bargain. That said; only one of those two actually has a shot at winning it all in this writer’s opinion.
That being Big Ben and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coach Mike Tomlin’s squad only has three losses on the year, and one of those came when Roethlisberger was suspended at the beginning of the year. It most recently returned the favor of a last second home loss to the Ravens in that aforementioned loss by going into Baltimore and stealing one in the closing seconds of the rivals Week 13 rematch.
While both teams rank out eerily similar, the Steelers look to be better Super Bowl 45 picks due to the fact that their defense has been way more consistent over the course of the season.
For example, just look at how Baltimore allowed the Houston Texans to storm back from a 28-7 deficit with multiple 90+ yard drives to tie the game up and send it into overtime. Though the Ravens were bailed out with a game winning pick-six in the extra session, the stop unit was flat out gassed in the later stages of the game; certainly not the mark of a proposed Super Bowl Champion.
A pair of 11-2 teams look to be your best bets for Super Bowl 45 picks with both the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons taking care of business just about every passing week. Since shockingly falling to the Browns in Cleveland 34-14 back in Week 9, Tom Brady and company have gone on to win each of their last five games by the aggregate score of 196-88!
The offense looks to be unstoppable right now, and though the defense doesn’t rank out very high, it’s only conceded a total of 10 points the last two weeks, and the young defense looks to seemingly be gaining confidence every time it takes to the pro gridiron.
As for Atlanta, Matty ‘Ice’ Ryan and the Falcons have kicked booty and taken names all season long. The only losses on its resume came in an overtime defeat to the aforementioned Steelers way back in Week 1, and a loss in the City of Brotherly Love that saw Kevin Kolb put forth one of the best efforts of a quarterback this season (23/29 for 326 yards and 3 TDs).
Save for those two defeats, the Falcons certainly look to be worthy of your Super Bowl 45 picks simply due to the fact that the road to Cowboys Stadium in the NFC will more than likely go through the Georgia Dome where the Falcons are a rock solid 6-0 SU & 4-2 ATS on the year.
The NFL Playoff scenarios are becoming much clearer for the top teams in each conference, but the wildcard spots are still pretty much up for grabs in the NFC. The Steelers and Falcons were the only teams to clinch this weekend. The Eagles virtually locked up the NFC East, which the Bears can also do with a win tonight.
Let’s start with the NFC where the Falcons, Bears, & Eagles are the top three seeds. The Bears hold a head to head tiebreaker over the Eagles, so Philly would need to finish a game ahead of the Bears to secure a #2 seed. The leader of the NFC worst is the Rams by default. Every team in the division lost weekend and they assured themselves of not having a single team with a winning record. With two weeks to go, it seems very likely that the winner of this division will be at best 7-9. The Rams and Seahawks play each other in the final week of the season, which will likely decide the #4 seed in the NFC.
The wildcard contenders in the NFC pretty much all lost. The Saints, Giants, Packers & Buccaneers could have all asserted themselves and didn’t this weekend. The Saints are still in line for the #5 seed at 10-4 and the Giants lead the rest of the pack at 9-5. The Buccaneers blew a game at home to the Lions for their 6th loss and the Packers lost a road game to the Patriots.
The Packers are actually in pretty good position. They’ll get Aaron Rodgers back next week and they host the Giants in Green Bay. If they win that game they pull ahead of the Giants by virtue of the head to head tiebreaker.
In the AFC, the Patriots and Steelers have clinched and the Colts overtook the Jaguars to take the lead in the AFC South. The Chiefs won on the road in St. Louis to keep pace atop the NFC West.
The Ravens got a big win over the Saints this weekend to pull even with the Steelers, who lost to the Jets. They remain behind the Steelers due to tiebreakers, but could still end up taking the AFC North and possibly get a first round bye. The aforementioned Jets stopped their freefall in a big way with a road win in Pittsburgh, which really solidified their shot at a wildcard. The other AFC wildcard seems destined to be the runner up in the AFC North.
If the Colts win out, they win the AFC South. Ditto for the Kansas City Chiefs and the AFC West. The Jaguars and Chargers need those teams to drop a game to have a shot.
The AFC playoff picture is starting to become a little clearer with the Week 15 action. There are plenty of NFL playoff scenarios but these two teams have clinched a spot -- New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Patriots are on track to be the top seed and it looks like the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens are the team to beat in the wildcard race right now.
Here's how the AFC playoff picture is shaping up:
AFC East: The Patriots have this thing wrapped up. They'll be division champs and barring something unexpected they'll be the No. 1 seed in the AFC with homefield advantage throughout. Second place in the AFC East is quite good as well. The 10-4 New York Jets beat the 10-4 Pittsburgh Steelers this week so they're holding tight in the wildcard race.
AFC North: This is getting a little more interesting with the Steelers loss and the Baltimore Ravens victory over the New Orleans Saints. Both are now 10-4 as we enter the final two weeks of the season. Right now, the Steelers hold the tiebreaker and they would win the division if the season ended today. We'll see how these two finish down the stretch but, either way, it looks like they'll both get in whether it be by winning the division or wildcard. The Steelers have already clinched a playoff spot.
AFC South: The Jacksonville Jaguars could have won the division if they beat the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday but they failed to do so and perhaps lost their playoffs hopes. The Colts now control the division and would be the division winner if the season ended today. Jacksonville needs Indy to screw up once down the stretch because the wildcard is unlikely for them.
AFC West: The Kansas City Chiefs stayed one game ahead of the San Diego Chargers as we enter the final stretch. The Chiefs need to win out to secure a playoff bid while the Chargers, who hold most tiebreakers with the Chiefs, need Kansas City to slip up.
Wildcard: The AFC wildcards are coming down to the Jets and Ravens. Right now, the 10-4 Jets and 10-4 Ravens have breathing room on the 8-6 Chargers and Jaguars. If I'm a betting man, I'm going with the Jets and Ravens as your two wildcards.
If the playoffs started today: The No. 1 seed would be the Patriots and the No. 2 seed would be the Steelers and both teams would get a first round bye. The third seed Chiefs would be hosting the Jets and the Colts would host the Ravens.
Super Bowl XLV (45) will commence on February 6th, 2011. It is closing in soon and it’s high time to decide on the best Super Bowl HDTV for 2011 to enjoy the NFL excitement and hear the deafening roar of the crowd for the ultimate Super Bowl experience. HDTV implies High Definition Television, but 3D HDTV technology has been enabled to outright deliver cutting edge “active technology” for visuals not previously matched in a home viewing environment. These TVs facilitate a new level of sports enjoyment that will definitely add zing to any sports enthusiast Super Bowl celebration. If you decide to buy a new HDTV, then proper comparison and evaluation based on brand manufacturer reputation, features, and pricing is imperative. The website of a leading HDTV expert, Wallace Pierce of hdplasmatvreviews dot com has recognized the need to educate consumers with accurate information and unbiased reviews on the best best superbowl 45 XLV lcd led plasma 3d hdtvs 2011 currently available on the market.
In fact because the best Super Bowl HDTV’s are so feature rich and enlist the newest technology, many consumers are unsure of what they should look out for and which technology is the best for them. In these cases, http://www.hdplasmatvreviews.com educates the consumer on what technology fits their viewing environment best, what features suit their personal tastes, and how to completely immerse themselves and their Super Bowl guests in the ultimate HDTV experience. When it strictly comes to what constitutes the best Super Bowl HDTV, Wallace was very impressed with the newer Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and even Mitsubishi plasma, LCD, LED, and 3D HDTV models.
The comprehensive appraisal of these models by hdplasmatvreviews dot com enable the consumer to identify the best Super Bowl tv’s for their own unique home setup. This is something that has been missing in HDTV evaluation before as typically general information is delivered to theconsumer. Wallace examines features such as screen size, width and technology in relation to the home and room environment. He also takes into account the guests who will be viewing the tv from wider angles rather than just those sitting directly in front of the tv. For all the guests who gather to watch Super Bowl 45; picture clarity, color, contrast ratio, efficiency in displaying fast movements, LED backlighting for a rich effect, and internet connectivity can also be very important aspects of what constitutes the label of the “best Super Bowl HDTV”. The consumer demand to have live sports news and statistics delivered to them during and after the game has grown in recent years, while the demand for eye-popping 3D HDTV images has hit an all-time high. The best Super Bowl TV’s even have gaming modes to engage guests with 3D high-resolution video gaming in between the breaks.
Aside from the evaluation of all these exciting features and offerings, hdplasmatvreviews dot com does not ignore the discussion of pricing and how each technology may or may not affect the bottom line. Through his site Wallace provides indispensable information in determining the best Super Bowl XLV LCD, LED, Plasma and 3D HDTV’s in 2011. hdplasmatvreviews dot com also lists the best HDTVs by technology: Plasma TVs, LCD TVs, LED TVs, 3D TV’s and size (typically 26-73 inches). If you are new to the HDTV you can begin by reading the page at the second tab in the navigation “Plasma vs. LCD vs. LED TV”, to gain a firm understanding on the inherent advantages and disadvantages of each HDTV technology. You can then move onward to the next navigation tabs “Best Plasma TV’s”, “Best LCD TV’s”, “Best LED TV’s”, “Best 3D TV’s” to find what specific brands and models are best for each. Each page is also accompanied by a viewing distance chart unique to that specific technology. It is fine to skip these, but Wallace recommends you at least browse through them or bookmark the pages to read later. When you are sure of what you need, you can finally move to the last navigational tab “Best Super Bowl HDTVs 2011″.
The Super Bowl is made for discussions. Before two weeks time (aside from a rumor that some stars were going to play a scrimmage in Miami the weekend before), to the sheer media exposure. Certain storylines are hammered seriously across the course of the entire event.
From Peyton and the Colts' masterful season (and his place in history), to the Saints rising from the ashes, any good horse will be beaten long after death.
But what are a few interesting factoids and trivia bits not flooded into the media gates? Those can often escape from a media attack by their lack of meat for journalists to bite into. Without further adieu, here's a few of the subtler stories regarding the upcoming Super Bowl.
New Orleans wide receivers, for example, have shown a penchant for avoiding the traditionally high jersey numbers for wideouts. Courtney Roby, Robert Meachem, Lance Moore, and Devery Henderson all wear teen numbers. Marquis Colston goes one lower, with a quarterback-esque number 12.
Among those Saints wideouts, Devery Henderson went to LSU without intent to play football. Going to school via a track and field scholarship, he was told by the school to try out for football. The net result was a national championship and an SEC record for touchdowns in a season.
Garrett Hartley, not even on the team as the season started, is used to high-scoring offenses. In high school he once was called on to kick 90 extra points in one season. Paired with 14 field goals, he put the ball through the uprights 104 times in that single year.
Jim Irsay has long been integrated into the Colts team. Some years after his father Bob purchased the team in 1972, Jim worked at the ticket counter. He made good on family-based career advancement by working his way to GM within two years. The Irsay family's initial investment in the Colts: $15 million. The current team worth: a little over $1 billion, or half of what Avatar banked worldwide.
Some coaches are built to coach college. Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier can attest. There's a different mindset that makes managing one set much easier than another. Jim Caldwell appears to have gone the opposite route. While coaching Wake Forest, Caldwell racked up a career 26-63 record. That .292 win percentage has been turned on its head so far in the pros, with his first season currently running at .888 (16-2).
Manning family connections extend beyond the simple Archie-Saints storyline. Peyton Manning has one older brother, Cooper. The 35-year-old eldest Manning sibling was forced to forgo football beyond high school because of a congenital spinal condition. He instead has become a stock trader who, by way of his wife, is best friends with Drew and his wife Brittany Brees.
That same Drew Brees won a Socrates award at Purdue for the top academic collegiate athlete. He also is also unable to accept most drinks bought for him during bourbon street celebrations. His gluten allergy means any grain-based alcohol is off-limits.
Most young head coaches have reached their status by travelling down a coaching-exclusive tree. Saints coach Sean Payton however, is one of the few who can add playing credentials as well. His career began in 1987 with the Chicago Bears. It also ended in 1987 with the Chicago Bears. Payton played in three games with a grand total of 23 attempted passes. His career QB rating was below 30.
While this is in many ways considered the year of the dome (excluding the Super Bowl, seven of the 10 playoff games were played in "domed" or enclosed stadiums, and the "dome" team won all seven) and is guaranteed to be culminated in a dome-team champion, only one team coming from a domed stadium has won an outdoor Super Bowl to date.
That one team? Indianapolis, with its victory in this very same city three years ago. The Saints hope they can be the second. If the regular season was any indicator, the Saints offense should have no difficulty with the outdoor stadium, as they put up 46 against the Dolphins earlier in the year.
And finally, the most talked about part of the Super Bowl—its commercials. This year, a single 30 second spot will cost a total of $3 million dollars for the air time on average.
