DrDallas

Tim Tebow has brought religion to the forefront of this sports conversation, but he isn't the pink elephant that has been in the locker room for the past few decades. Religion and sports have been involved with each other for a long time and the biggest screaming pink elephant question is WHY!? Does Joe Schmoe beg god for his mom to battle cancer and then beg god for his favorite team to win? If Joe Schmoe does that, he may be the biggest loser on the block. How dare he pray for his mom to survive cancer and in the same realm beg for his favorite team to win.

The hypocrisy with religion in sports is amazing. I do recall a young Gators QB wearing John 3:16 as sun guarded tape under his eyes, and we all know that the best place to put a psalm is with our eye guard during a game, throw an interception in the end zone to blow a big game. I then wonder why this same QB didn't point to the sky and thank god that he gave the other team the game. Aren't we supposed to be good to our neighbors? This college QB pointed to the sky every time he did good, so why does he look to the ground after a bad mistake? Is he spiting god? Did god take a commercial break to save a dying child? What happened to the god that was glorified during the touchdown?

I'm not trying to pick on Tebow but there was an article that asks whether Tebow is the face of the NFL. Many players do the same thing. They praise god during good but never point to the sky when times are bad. Does each football game depend on how many players are praying? So when the Saints beat the Lions last week, that must have meant the Saints prayed more or had more players that prayed?  

Let Vegas know that they better take into account that Tom Brady has two kids with two different women while Tebow is a supposed virgin. That should shave at least 2 points off the spread. Because we all know god has everything to do with sports. Do you know why that house burnt down late Monday night? It's because the Monday game went to overtime. 

I am always stunned that religious beliefs and especially prayers are accepted in sports. Religion and sports are like oil and water. A combination that makes no sense at all. I wait for a player to accept that maybe the opposing player earned god's respect more. For instance, can Tebow admit if there is a god that god wanted Kyle Orton to ruin his chances of a playoff game? Or was it god that willed the Chargers to win for Tebow. Do you see the irony? Go is allways in the winning locker room. God is a pretty big jerk who only likes winners in sports, apparently.

Final point. I always preach to never bring work home and never bring home to work. I will never understand why athletes bring home to work and play the preacher role. Hey athlete, you are playing a game. You are getting beyond well paid for what you do. If you are blessed by god than show it by volunteering at the local hospital, shelter, etc. Nobody cares about your faith on the field. You are either good or bad. Showing religion while playing is a disgrace to everybody. If god is watching a game than he/she couldn't be a god at all, only a phony. Lets get rid of religion in sports. It isn't allowed to be discussed in the military career field and it shouldn't be allowed in the lowest form of life, sports. I am a sports fanatic beyond belief, but let's be honest, it is a career that has little meaning to life at the end of the day. If there were no sports, there would be some kind of other entertainment. The reality is that sports and religion have nothing to do with each other. The more religion is intertwined with sports, the bigger disgrace religion becomes.  

Here are my predictions for the playoffs...

WILD CARD
Bengals @ Texans - Two rookie QBs go head to head. Texans QB T.J. Yates has Andre Johnson and a running game with a strong defense while Bengals QB Andy Dalton has a good running game with a variety of WRs to throw and a strong defense. In the end, I think it comes down to experience for both QBs and Andy Dalton has more experience. This will probably be a boring game with many punts, but the Bengals will come out with a vicory. Bengals 16, Texans 13.

Lions @ Saints - Nobody and I mean nobody has much of a shot to win in New Orleans and I doubt a young Lions QB like Matt Stafford can go into the Superdome, loudest of any stadium, and play top notch football. The Lions started the season as the comeback kids, but a comeback in the Superdome would be impossible. The key for the Lions will be starting fast because a slow start will be fatal against a team looking for redemption after an embarrassing loss last year against the Seahawks. Saints start big and the Lions will make the game closer than it really is. Saints 31, Lions 23.


Falcons @ Giants - The tale of two similar seasons which can be described as blah. Giants QB Eli Manning had a career best season and has weapons to throw to, but one of the key elements that won them a super bowl a few years ago is one of the worst in the league, the running game. The Falcons are a dome team that will be exposed to the elements, but lets not forget Falcons QB Matt Ryan is a Boston College alumni. This will be the closest game of the weekend and the Falcons will win it in a stunner. Regular season records aren't a big deal in the playoffs. Eli Manning's record for 4th quarter TDs won't mean a thing in this game. Falcons 24, Giants 23.


Steelers @ Broncos - A bruised and battered Steelers team will be entering the new holy land in Mile High. The blue print has been laid for Broncos QB Tim Tebow. A strong bump coverage with a pass rush that contains will make for an easy victory despite the many ailments on the Steelers team. The biggest injury may be on the Broncos defense with S Brian Dawkins unable to play. The Steelers will prove why they are a 12 win team at a 8-8 team's stadium. Steelers 24, Broncos 6.



DIVISIONAL

Bengals @ Patriots - Crazy coaching hot seat situation...Bill Bellichick after losing three straight home playoff games. Don't see it happening here. The Patriots have started very slowly the last few weeks but will put that to rest witha quick start against the rookie led Bengals. Dalton will get a stong dose of the NFL. Even bad defenses can confuse a youngster. Patriots 34, Bengals 17. 

Saints @ 49ers - The Saints will have played 13 of 17 games in domes up until this point and it will be costly. My gut tells me 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh has already prepared for the Saints this past week. The 49ers stellar defense will be enough to suffocate a great indoor offense. The Saints will ahve nobody but themselves to blame after this loss because if they didn't lose to terrible teams like the 2-14 Rams and 4-12 Buccaneers they would have had the #2 seed. Saints live in regret. 49ers 19, Saints 17.


Steelers @ Ravens - Steelers coach will be questioned after allowing an injured QB Ben Roethlisberger play the last two weeks of the regular season when the bye week was not in their control. A hobbled Roethlisberger costs his team a three game sweep by the Ravens. Ravens 24, Steelers 17.

Falcons @ Packers - Can the Falcons pull off what the 2007 Giants and 2010 Packers pulled off? Three straight road games enroute to a Lombardi trophy? Simple answer, no. The Packers take advantage of the bye week and end the Falcons dreams with ease. Packers 30, Falcons 17.


CHAMPIONSHIP

Ravens @ Patriots - A rematch of a humiliating loss last year for the Patriots. The Delaware alumni Ravens QB Joe Flacco will seem all to comfortable playing football in the northeast despite some bad games. Ravens RB Ray Rice will have bigger price tag. Ravens win again in Foxborough and questions about how much time Patriots QB Tom Brady has left will be one of the many topics in the off season. Ravens, 27, Patriots 23.


49ers @ Packers - The 49ers will get a big welcome to the playoffs party from the Packers. The Packers defense will be a different defense like the Colts defense that was never going to stop the run. People will wander if this is the same defense that played during the season. Packers 34, Ravens 21.


SUPER BOWL

Packers vs Ravens - Packers QB Aaron Rodgers will finish off a season Brett Favre could only dream of. Rodgers etches a new legacy in Packers history that is beyond comparison. The Packers next feat will be the first three peat. The Ravens will have finished a season off in great fashion with a super bowl appearance. However, how much longer will future hall of famers LB Ray Lewis and S Ed Reed be around? A great season will end with many questions for the future of the Ravens. Packers 31, Ravens 21.
Aaron Rodgers MVP, first TD of the game Ray Rice.                        

There has been so much uproar over Tim Tebow in the NFL, it has been ridiculous. The main reason is because of how flamboyant he is with his religion. Who cares what his religion is? Religion has nothing to do with sports. People need to evaluate him as a NFL QB and that is it. So here is a real assessment of Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos QB.

There is no question that Tim Tebow has the intangibles to QB in the NFL. However, his skill set as a QB is weak, very weak. As a QB, a quick release is a must and Tebow's mechanics is probably the slowest in the league. It looks even slower than Byron Leftwich's release. Leftwich didn't have the legs that Tebow has, which is truly an asset in today's NFL. However, we all know what eventually happens to a running QB in the NFL. Tebow will receive more hits than any QB has if he keeps playing the same way, and he is a tough guy, no doubt, but injury is inevitable with his style of play. What is the team's back up plan if he is injured? We all have laughed at teams that had scrambling type QBs with pocket passers as back ups, but what about Tebow's situation? Can a team run a Tebow style offense and have a back up plan? A week of practice goes by running Tebow's offense and all of the sudden he is hurt, how does a Brady Quinn come in? How does a team adjust? Tebow has a long way to go to learn the pass plays that are dependable. 

Who Tebow has beaten in the NFL. Has he played the top tier teams in the NFL? No, not at all. Winning in the NFL is great but lets not forget Rex Grossman was a super bowl QB. Tebow and the Broncos are 4-1 with him as a starter and they have only scored more than 20 points in one game, their win against the Raiders. Eddie Royal scored the decisive TD through punt return. Other than that, the Broncos haven't scored more than 20 points. While I hate the Jets, the Jets only had three days to prepare against the new Tebow offense. Somewhat similar to the Wildcat and the Wildcat went extinct pretty quick. Another player that created a stir in the NFL, Michael Vick, had a Tebow type effect in 2010. Teams forgot how to play against Vick and he looked like a diamond in the rough. Now that there is tape against him, he has looked college like. Expectations are the same for Tebow. This new offense will be figured out and easily killed. It will be very curious to see the Denver game plan down by 14 points. Do they change the QB?

NFC EAST

Philadelphia Eagles- 11-5 - Philly improved their secondary,
but still weak in the middle of the defense. Offense still lacks a big target
for Vick. Can Vick and small WRs stay healthy?

Dallas Cowboys- 10-6 – Romo needs to utilize his young
offensive weapons and finish drives in the end zone to counter suspect defense
with newly charged DC Rex Ryan.

Washington Redskins- 7-9 – Redskins inconsistency at QB will
doom them in the end. If Coach Shanahan can trust a QB to manage the game, the
Redskins have a chance.

New York Giants- 7-9- Giants should have learned from the
Cowboys last year and realized that you can’t play that bad in the preseason
and expect a change in the regular season.

NFC NORTH

Green Bay Packers- 14-2- Packers were a 12-14 win team last
year but injuries got in the way. Packers improved dramatically by just getting
healthy. Cheese heads may forget who Favre is by season’s end.

Chicago Bears- 11-5 – Bears start the season off with the
three best teams in the NFC, two at home. A win or two in the first three will
determine their season and will show what this team is made of.

Detroit Lions- 10-6- The playoffs will be early for the
young cubs as the Week 1 and Week 4 match up against the Bucs and Cowboys will
be crucial. Stafford’s health is the big X factor for this team as usual.

Minnesota Vikings- 6-10- Donovan McNabb will feel young
again for the wrong reasons. Great RB, but his receivers will be one of the
league’s worst groups like they were when he was on the Eagles.

NFC SOUTH

New Orleans Saints- 13-3- Veteran team with some hungry
newcomers will wreak havoc in the toughest division in the NFL. Saints have a
chip on shoulder and will refuse to let weak NFL rule make them travel.

Atlanta Falcons- 12-4- Got to admit that Julio Jones is on
every one of my fantasy teams, but I’m not biased. Jones will prove to everyone
why the Falcons traded for him. Ryan has an extra weapon.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 10-6- The young Buccaneers will prove
to everybody that last year’s success was not because of favorable schedule.
Can stud QB Josh Freeman and the young Bucs make the playoffs?

Carolina Panthers- 1-15- Cam Newton is getting paid more
than he did in college, but his success will be dramatically different. Good
games will not be awarded with wins, but moral wins in the NFL pay off well.

NFC WEST

Arizona Cardinals- 8-8- The NFC West is still the worst and
will only slightly improve. QB Kevin Kolb is a big improvement for the West,
but won’t mean much in the NFC playoffs.

St. Louis Rams- 7-9- Things don’t get better or worse for
the Rams but the experience of the season will give Rams hope for years to
come. NFL fans will get to see great RB Steven Jackson in the playoffs in future.

Seattle Seahawks- 4-12- Season ticket holders who call
themselves the best “12^th man” in league will regret buying tickets.
Seahawks will regret not losing more games than winning games.

San Francisco 49ers- 3-13- That won’t be “suck” you are
hearing in the crowd, it will be for Stanford QB Andrew Luck, and 49ers fans
will try to ignore that sick feeling in their gut as Alex Smith looked the
same.

AFC EAST

New England Patriots- 13-3- My hatred for the Patriots won’t
make me ignore their solid winning system led by QB Tom Brady. Will two misfits
(Haynesworth and Johnson) be greater than one? We will see…

New York Jets- 11-5- Defense will prevail once again. The
best thing from the offense will be parolee WR Plaxico Burress won’t shoot
himself during the season. Fans will wish he shoots QB Mark Sanchez.

Buffalo Bills- 5-11- Bills will be one of the most exciting
teams to watch all season, but end results will be the same as losing has
become the norm. This is a playoff killing team as I expect upsets.

Miami Dolphins- 4-12- The best thing Reggie Bush brings to
Miami is community support which I commend him for and hope he keeps up on.
Other than that, not much, if anything at all on the field.

AFC NORTH

Pittsburgh Steelers- 12-4- Easiest schedule for defending
AFC champs will get them in the playoffs, but how much further after that? The
league’s most hated team will struggle with loyalty and health.

Baltimore Ravens- 11-5- The Ravens weak off season will come
back to haunt them. Age will be looming on the team as the defensive era’s end
may come to an end before the season’s end.

Cleveland Browns- 6-10- Record won’t reflect great strides
the Browns will have made by season’s end. Record could flip flop on
progression of QB Colt McCoy.

Cincinnati Bengals- 1-15- Record will be reflection of
ownership, management, and coaching. Best thing for the Bengals this season
will be RB Cedrick Benson’s 20 day prison sentence was reduced to 5 days.

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans- 11-5- Texans finally live up to experts
predictions the last five years and make the playoffs. Division win will be scrutinized
because of another team’s player’s health.

Indianapolis Colts- 9-7- My heart bleeds with the news of
Peyton Manning’s health, even as a Cowboys fan. It may be for hatred of Brett
Favre’s only meaningful record. Good guys don’t always win.

Tennessee Titans- 7-9- They paid CJ2K but it won’t mean
much. QB Matt Hassleback is an improvement with a huge health risk. Add that to
WR Kenny Britt’s prison risk, it doesn’t add up too well.

Jacksonville Jaguars- 3-13- Not sure why Coach Jack Del Rio even
stays as coach of this team. Jaguars will need to evaluate rookie QB Blaine
Gabbert to see if they should enter the “Luck” sweepstakes.

AFC WEST

San Diego Chargers- 12-4- QB Philip Rivers will have huge
year and the special teams unit won’t ruin it. Chargers will look for revenge
but a mirror is not allowed on the playing field. Will they make a run?

Kansas City Chiefs- 6-10- Chiefs will come back to life with
first place schedule. QB Matt Cassel has to play beyond himself for this team
to challenge. Fans will still enjoy electric RBs Chiefs offer.

Denver Broncos- 6-10- Broncos defense will again destroy any
hopes of Broncos success. Hall of Fame QB John Elway, will right the sunken
ship ex coach Josh McDaniels sunk. Ship will be repainted by next year.

Oakland Raiders- 5-11- Raiders will still be playoff killing
team late in season instead of playoff competing team. Raiders seemed to have
invade beach with quicksand, AKA Al Davis.

NFL PLAYOFFS

WILCARD

Falcons @ Cardinals- Matty Ice finally wins a playoff game and the Falcons look like a team on the verge like the 2010 Packers. Kevin Kolb gets his feet wet in the playoffs and the Cardinals future will be looking good despite the loss.

Bears @ Eagles- Bears defense knows how to contain Vick and they will do it again. Vick will receive blame for
loss, but small WRs rarely win the big games.

Jets @ Texans- Revis Island looks more like Shutter Island. Andre Johnson plays the
doctor.

Ravens @ Steelers- Ravens steal the show and doesn’t
squander early lead. True NFL fans wil enjoy this match up as it may be the end
of several future hall of famers’ careers.

DIVISION

Bears @ Packers- The Bears will get a chance to avenge their loss to the Packers in last year's Championship game, but Rodgers will prevail once again. A lack of a possession WR will be the top of the Bears list for the offseason. A year too late.

Falcons @ Saints- QB Matt Ryan will be questioned again despite ridding himself of the "one and done" label. The Saints seem like a team destined for another taste of the Lombardi trophy.

Ravens @ Patriots- Revenge game comes through for hungry
Patriots. Ravens playoff failures squawk “evermore”.

Texans @ Chargers- Great battle will result in home playoff
advantage. Rivers elevates status.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Saints @ Packers- The Saints march right into their
kryptonite and that is outdoor weather. Packers wear beach gear in celebration
despite going to Indianapolis.

Chargers @ Patriots- Revenge plays a factor again and people
will start to question Patriots playoff legacy. QB Philip Rivers finally gets a
chance to shine.

SUPER BOWL

PACKERS vs. CHARGERS- Experience trumps inexperience as QB
Aaron Rodgers elevates his status from Favre status to Starr status in Cheese
Head lure. Packers 34, Chargers 24

SEASON AWARDS

MVP- QB Aaron Rodgers- Packers’ Rodgers is no surprise and
Super Bowl status puts him above QB Tom Brady who has similar stats overall at
end of season. Vikings RB Adrian Peterson will have supporters as well.

COACH- Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy will follow his QB and
receive an award he deserved last year with all of the injuries he had to deal
with.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER- WR Andre Johnson, Texans, won’t receive
the proper amount of votes he deserves for MVP, but will be rewarded for
stellar year with OPY.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER- DT Ndamukong Suh, Lions, will be mentioned
in MVP talks but not seriously enough. Young DT will already start “greatest DT”
talks.

ROOKIE- WR Julio Jones , Falcons, will not disappoint the
many draft picks the Falcons used to get him with 1,000 plus and near ten TD
season.

The NFL is proving again why it's America's sport. NFL teams truly do start 0-0 and have a chance of making the playoffs. The short season makes every game count. There is no time to relax during the season and there are always storylines to keep us talking on even the boringest of off days.
Here are my thought from Week 3:
- The Cowboys finally looked good, but they are not off the hook just yet. I still question Garrett's game plan. He has shown in the past that he can put a game together, but quickly reverts to his stupid pass happy play calling. He still needs to manage the run game better. Marion Barber should be the main focus of the run game and if he is running well, should never come off the field.
- I was waiting for one of two things when the referee stuttered his way through offsetting penalties. Either a "wanna get away" Southwest commercial or a "I'm not really a ref, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night" Holiday Inn commercial.
- The young Buccaneers learned a tough lesson against the Steelers. It's a good lesson to learn from.
- Call me crazy, but Coach Tomlin may not have wanted this. It's going to be tough to put a guy like Ben Roethlisberger back on the field after his team has rallied around the back up QBs. Big Ben has put his ego before the team and chemistry could be an issue.
- The Patriots have a lot of scoring to do this season with that swiss cheese defense.
- Jets WR Braylon Edwards should have had his BAC read after his TD. He actually caught the ball. He must have been drunk.
- Ravens WR Donte Stallworth is going to run over a defender before he scores a TD. That was cheap. I know.
- Anquon Boldin looks like the stud he is. Hoowazthat other guy they picked up? Scary win for the Ravens.
- Bengals win, but QB Carson Palmer looks more like Trent Edwards than the franchise guy they had hopes for.
- Coach Mike Singletary fires another OC. Mike Martz looks good in Chicago. Singletary may want to drop his drawers again.
- The Chiefs have some explosive players. The most explosive may be QB Matt Cassell who may blow the season up if he doesn't play better.
- Who's that with the worst QB rating as a starting QB? That's right. Vikings Brett Favre who looks more like the INT record breaker than the TD record breaker so far. That was a bad pass to Percy Harvin who made a great diving play for the TD. I'm not scared to say it.
- Saints Garrett Hartley better mark his calendar for the next job fair in New Orleans. Just ridiculous.
- Drew Brees looked more like Eli Manning than Peyton Manning.
- I'm the carries watch for Titans RB Chris Johnson. It will be tough for him getting 30 plus carries every game.
- I'm not falling for Eagles Michael Vick just yet. I want to see him face a tough defense that has game tapes against him. The Jaguras and Lions (who the Eagles barely beat last week) may not combine for 6 wins this year. I need to see more.
- They make a QB high profile QB change and the Redskins remain the same. Losing to the Rams is inexcusable. No pride still.
- Somebody should tell Albert Haynesworth that he isn't winning anybody over with his pathetic remarks. He made a quote tying his contract to slavery. I don't even think Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton would be dumb enough to defend that garbage.
-- If I'm Dan Snyder, I'm not calling other teams for trades, I'm calling Tony Soprano.
- Raiders Sebastian Janikowski should read my Hartley remarks. Oh wait, he has Al Davis for an owner. His job is secure.
- Only Colts Peyton Manning can bring in a rookie practice squad player and not appear to miss a beat.
- The Chargers special teams is horrible. That's two games they choked in big situations.
- Why would any player in the future consider the Chargers?
- The Packers fans who hated on Ted Thompson can start kissing his feet. He made a great call going with Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers looks to have the ability to equal Bart Starr's super bowl total.