Things I Noticed: Week 17

It's the final week of the regular season, but there were still teams with plenty to play for entering the week.  Two division titles still needed to be decided and playoff seedings were still up for grabs.

So, for the last time this regular season -

Here are some things I noticed this week:

• New England shutout the Dolphins in a dominant display that builds them some much needed momentum heading into the playoffs.  The win also bumped them up to the #2 seed in the AFC, earning them a first round bye.

• Rob Gronkowski returned from a broken forearm injury that cost him five games, picking up right where he left off.  His playing time may have been limited, but he made the most of it by finding the end zone for the 11th time this season - tied for 4th most in the league.  Given the time he missed, that means he averaged a score per game.  Despite having the game well in hand in the 4th quarter, the Pats made sure to get Gronk some snaps to integrate him back into the offense.
• Reggie Bush appeared openly frustrated as the final seconds ticked away.  Not because his team lost, or because they again failed to make the postseason.  No, his frustrations were about falling 14 yards short of his second straight 1,000 yard rushing season.  He broke an 18 yard run on the Dolphins last play of the game, but wasn't able to break a tackle to extend the run to get him to that milestone.  Glad to see he has his priorities in order.

Things I Noticed: Week 16

With the holidays quickly approaching, this weeks' schedule has been completely rearranged.  There was no ugly Thursday night game between two totally unprepared teams this week.  There are no more Monday Night Football games this season, as rather than have teams play on Christmas Eve, the MNF game was played on Saturday night instead.  The 1:00 slate of games on Sunday afternoon featured 11 games at once!  That all led to a very packed weekend of football to be treated to just before the holiday.

So with that, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a great weekend of football!

Here are some things I noticed this week:

• Atlanta clinched the top seed in the NFC, ensuring that they can rest some of their starters next week and take a week off before their first playoff game.  That's a big change for these Falcons during the Matt Ryan era, because they are used to taking the week off during their first playoff game (oh, come on Atlanta fans, you know it's true!). 


• Matt Ryan was brilliant against the Lions, completing his first 12 passes en route to a 4 TD performance.  Both Roddy White (153 yards, 2 TDs) and Julio Jones (71 yards, 1 TD) came up big, in a rare game where both of Atlanta's elite receivers were able to dominate at the same time.
• The final minutes of the game showed Atlanta's one big weakness - their inability to convert in short yardage situations.  After Detroit turned the ball over on downs at the Atlanta 2 yard line, the Falcons were unable to run out the clock by running the ball forward enough to be able to kneel out the rest of the clock.  Instead, Michael Turner was tackled in the end zone for a safety, which could have given the Lions new life.  Lucky for them, Detroit blew their chance. 
• Down two TDs, the safety would give Detroit the ball back.  A good return, if not for a score then at least for good field position, would at least have given them a chance.  Instead, Stefan Logan made the bizarre decision to give himself up by taking a knee inside his own five yard line.  Even without audio, you could read the words coming out of his coach's mouth on the sideline.  Something along the lines of that being the stupidest play he's ever seen (with a few other choice words thrown in, I'm sure).  He's not wrong - it was an incredibly stupid decision, which forced Detroit to have to try to drive nearly the entire field just to get the first of the two scores they needed with less than two minutes left.  That task, of course, came up short.  Who knows what Logan could possibly have been thinking, but it wasn't even his first mistake of the game.  Earlier he had called for a fair catch on a punt return when there wasn't a defender within 20 yards of him!  For a player who's only value comes on kick returns, if he can't even get that right then what good is he?
• Calvin Johnson set a boatload of records in this game, but the main one was surpassing Jerry Rice for the single season receiving record.  He currently stands at 1,892 yards for the season, meaning 2,000 yards is actually within reach.  At this point it would almost be a surprise if he didn't become the new CJ2K.

• Calvin also set records with 8 straight 100+ yard receiving games and four straight games with double digit catches. 
• The one blemish on Calvin's record setting game is that when Rice set his record, he did it during a playoff hunt, while Calvin's Lions team has been out of the hunt for weeks.  At times, it looked like the Lions were more concerned with getting Calvin the record than they were with winning the game. 

Red Sox off-season review

We're approximately halfway through the off-season, with less than 8 weeks before pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training.  The Hot Stove is beginning to cool off, as most of the top free agents have already been signed.  Many of those freshly signed players will be putting on a Red Sox uniform this spring, as Boston has added more players via free agency than any team, in addition to adding a new manager. 

The Red Sox had plenty of holes to fill on a roster that you might say underachieved last season (ok, understatement of the year).  So you had to expect a massive turnover was due, but given that they avoided the top high priced options on the market, how much have they really improved?

This team lost 93 games last year in a season that spiraled out of control due to injuries and a fractured clubhouse that revolted against former manager Bobby Valentine.  Replacing him with John Farrell, who is well respected by the team's core veterans from his time as the team's pitching coach a few years ago, will go a long way toward improving this team.  While the Red Sox didn't dominate the headlines by chasing marquee names, they did add several useful pieces that will help improve the team.

The rotation will get a boost from the addition of Ryan Dempster.  The veteran pitcher led the NL with a 2.25 ERA in 16 starts with the Cubs last season, before being dealt to Texas as the trade deadline.  After some initial struggles changing leagues (8 runs allowed in 2 of his first 3 starts for the Rangers), Dempster settled down and ended up going 5-0 with a 1.91 ERA over his next 5 starts.  That ugly 5.09 ERA that he posted with the Rangers would look a lot better if you take away those rough starts during the adjustment period to his first time in a new league.  Boston doesn't need Dempster to be the ace that he was in Chicago.  They just need him to be a reliable middle of the rotation starter that can be counted on for a solid 200+ innings, as he's done in 4 of the past 5 seasons.  Using him to replace some of the replacement level pitchers the team was forced to run out there last season is certainly worth a couple extra wins over the course of the season.

Things I Noticed: Week 15

It was a difficult weekend to focus on football in the aftermath of the tragic events in Newtown, CT.  A shooting spree at an elementary school has to be among the most senseless acts of violence imaginable.  The NFL held a moment of silence before each game in honor of the victims, while many teams paid tribute by adding the initials for Shady Hook Elementary School to their helmets.

Is it just me, or have the past several weeks started out talking about some sort of tragic event?  It's been a rough month.  Let's move on to some better news and hope for better days ahead.

Here are some things I noticed this week:

• The Bengals defense forced 5 turnovers in a route over the Eagles, including 4 fumbles (but hey, at least Bryce Brown wasn't responsible for any of them!)

• AJ Green finally found the end zone for the first time in 4 weeks.  I was beginning to worry he had forgotten where it was.  He's now up to 11 TDs this season, which is second in the league.
• The Eagles scored all 13 of their points in the second quarter, which ended up giving them a slight lead at halftime.  The Bengals were shut out in that quarter, but scored twice in each of the other quarters, including 24 second half points.
• Despite owning the NFC's best record, the Falcons seemed like a team in need of making a statement.  They were coming off an ugly loss and had rarely looked dominant this season even when they were winning.  Consider the statement made.  Atlanta gave the Giants their first shutout loss since 1996.  The 34-0 demolition was the worst shutout defeat for a defending Super Bowl champion ever.
• That's great for Atlanta to get a statement win, but we'll start taking them seriously as a Super Bowl contender when they prove they can do it in the postseason.  Matt Ryan is like the mirror image of Eli Manning.  Great regular season stats, but nothing to show for it in the playoffs.
• Matt Ryan was brilliant, throwing 3 TDs and finishing with a Total QBR of 96.2.  It was his third game this season with a QBR of at least 95.0, which ties him with Tom Brady for most in the league.
• I've talked about Julio Jones' home/road splits before, but the young receiver finally had a big game on his home field.  He scored twice to give him his first two TDs of the season at home (he now has 9 total).  His 74 yards brought his total up to only 391 in home games, while he has 1,071 receiving yards on the road this season.
• Just when it seemed Eli Manning had turned his season around, he lays another egg that has him looking like he's back in the same funk he was in about a month ago.  Not only did his team fail to score, but Eli tossed two more INTs, giving him 15 for the season (5th most in the league), compared to only 20 TDs (15th most in the league).  Eli may have proven himself as an elite QB with his postseason accomplishments, but when it comes to the regular season, he has a very inconsistent track record.  His playoff success won't matter much if the Giants can't even get there.  The loss drops them into a three way tie in the NFC East. 
• If the season ended today, the Giants would not qualify for the playoffs.  They still have to play in Baltimore next week before finishing at home against an Eagles team salivating at the chance to play the spoiler role at the end of a lost season (which likely will also be Andy Reid's last game with the Eagles).

Hamilton a risk for Angels outfield

Josh Hamilton may have been the most unique case in the history of free agency.  On the one hand, you have the 2010 AL MVP, who is currently one of the game's most productive hitters.  On the other, you have a player marked with several red flags concerning his history of injuries and substance abuse.  Mix it all together and what is Hamilton really worth?

The LA Angels answered that question by agreeing to a 5 year, $125 million deal with the All-Star outfielder.  He'll join a packed outfield that already includes blossoming super star Mike Trout, masher Mark Trumbo and defensive ace Peter Bourjos (that's without even figuring out what to do with Vernon Wells).  Presumably the team will either test Trumbo at third base or continue to under utilize the talents of Bourjos by forcing him back into a bench role as a defensive replacement.  Or they may try to trade one of them for pitching help to help fill the void of three starters that have departed from their rotation.

Hamilton's MVP season showed his desirable ceiling.  He hit .359/.411/.633, 32 HRs and 100 RBIs with a 8.4 WAR.  While that may represent his peak, his numbers last season (.285/.354/.577, 43 HRs, 128 RBIs, 4.4 WAR) were nothing to scoff at.  He is one of the game's best power hitters, still in the prime years of his career.

Things I Noticed: Week 14

There's only three weeks left in the season, but a few playoff spots are up for grabs and there will still be a fight for seeding and home field advantage down the stretch.

One of the big stories of the week is that Paul Tagliabue overturned the suspensions of four current and former Saints players for their role in the bounty scandal.  The former commissioner was called in to review the appeal of the ruling handed down by current commissioner Roger Goodell.  While it was clear the Saints participated in a performance pool that rewarded key plays, including hard hits that could be worthy of league fines, the case had been "contaminated" by the Saints organization.  Sounds like he is agreeing that they were wrong for what they did, but letting them off on their suspensions by blaming the coaches and the GM instead.
Here are some things I noticed this week:

• Denver won their eighth straight game Thursday night to become the first AFC team to reach 10 wins.  Knowshon Moreno carried a heavy load (32 carries, 119 yards, 1 TD) to help the Broncos maintain their early lead.  Despite playing on the practice squad for the early part of the year, the season ending injury to Willis McGahee opened the door for Moreno to get another chance.  So far it's paying off.
• Now for our weekly update on Peyton Manning's rise through the record books!  Manning joined Brett Favre as the only QB to reach 5,000 career completions.  He also has now won 10 games in a season for a record 12 times.
• Darren McFadden returned to the Raiders backfield after a four game absence.  He ripped off a 36 yard run to open the second half, but gained a total of only 16 yards on his other 10 carries.

• The Cowboys have a winning record for the first time since Week 3, but the win was overshadowed by tragedy.  Early Saturday morning, Cowboys practice squad line backer Jerry Brown was killed in a drunk driving accident.  Teammate Josh Brent was the driver and is currently being held on charges of intoxication manslaughter.
• Despite the off-field distractions the team dealt with, Tony Romo still managed to lead a comeback from a 9 point deficit in the 4th quarter.  He found Dez Bryant in the end zone to make it a one score game.  Then the defense quickly got them the ball back after sacking Andy Dalton (for the 5th time in the game) on a key third down, which led to the game winning field goal drive as time expired.
• Dez Bryant suffered a fractured index finger in the game that clouds his future for the rest of the season. He returned to the game after briefly sitting out to have his finger examined, catching that TD pass after the injury, but it's unclear if he will be able to continue to play through it or require season ending surgery.
• AJ Green is officially in a slump.  Two straight games with under 100 yards and no TDs in three straight games!  He dropped a couple passes, one of which could have gone for a score.  Just an off game for the stud receiver.
• The Bengals appeared to have scored a TD that would have put them up by two scores, but Marvin Jones stepped out of bounds in the back of the end zone before the catch and was flagged for illegal touching.  Jones was clearly pushed out of bounds by a Dallas defender, who should have been flagged for illegal contact, resulting in off-setting penalties.  Instead, the Bengals were backed up five yards and ended up settling for only a field goal in a game they eventually lost by one point.

Worst trades in sports history

Last night Kobe Bryant became the youngest player ever to join the 30,000 point club - a mark reached by only four other players before him.  He's talked about the possibility of retirement after his current contract ends after next season, but by then he's likely to have passed Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) and Michael Jordan (32,292) on the all-time scoring list.  If he decides to extend his career beyond that, you can probably count on him passing Karl Malone (36,928) and making a run at Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's spot at the top of the list (38,387).  Let's not kid ourselves, if Kareem's record is in his sights, there's no way Kobe calls it quits in two years, especially if he's also still chasing that 6th ring.  Either way, when it's all said and done, Kobe is a sure fire Hall of Famer who has established himself as a winner and one of the greatest scorers ever.

An interesting sub-plot of this milestone game is that it came against the team that drafted him.  The Charlotte Hornets drafted Kobe as a high school graduate with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 draft, then immediately shipped him to the Lakers for Vlade Divac.  The veteran center played two solid seasons with the Hornets before moving on to Sacramento, while Kobe developed into one of the game's brightest young stars.  Attendance began to drop drastically, triggering the franchise's eventual move to New Orleans.  Hard to imagine them needing to re-locate if they had Kobe selling out the arena every night.

While trading a productive veteran for an 18 year old rookie comes with plenty of risk, in retrospect it's easy to see that the Lakers committed highway robbery.  This got me thinking about some of the other lopsided deals in sports history. 

In no particular order, here is my list of the other 10 worst trades in sports history.

Things I Noticed: Week 13

Some great football action was overshadowed by tragedy this week, as the events in Kansas City and Cleveland put a sour note over the entire league.

Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher murdered his girlfriend before heading to the team's practice facility, where he committed suicide in the parking lot.  The next morning, a Browns employee was found to have committed suicide at the team's facility in Cleveland.  These type of tragic events are rare in the world of sports, but when they happen it sends shock waves throughout the league.  The odds of this happening in two different cities the same weekend seem astronomically impossible.

In the wake of these tragic events, we try to move on and focus on less depressing story lines. 

Here are some things I noticed this week:

• Atlanta avenged their one loss this season in a re-match against the Saints.  The victory didn't require a lot of heavy lifting from Matt Ryan and the passing game, thanks mostly to their defense forcing 5 turnovers against a sloppy Saints team.  Their running game found plenty of success as well against the league's worst run defense.  The career of Michael Turner was thought to have been put out to pasture long ago, but he looked revitalized against a Saints defense that looked allergic to tackling, as he piled up 83 yards and a score on only 12 carries.  He combined with Jacquizz Rodgers to average a healthy 6.3 yards per carry in the game.

• Drew Brees was just brutal, throwing away a career high 5 INTs and failing to find the end zone.  That snapped a record 54 game streak of games with at least one TD pass.  Brees was uncharacteristically off target on several throws and seemed to be desperately forcing the ball on most of those turnovers, but the lack of a TD wasn't completely his fault.  Lance Moore dropped an easy one in the end zone and a scoring catch by Darren Sproles was called back for a penalty on Jimmy Graham, who was a little too eager to start blocking and started before the pass was even thrown.  It was an ugly game for Brees, but he deserved better. 
• The bright side of Brees' streak being over - Tom Brady is now the current leader in consecutive games with a TD pass, with a chance to surpass Brees' record by next season if he keeps it up.  New England fans really needed a new superficial streak to root for after Rajon Rondo's assist streak unceremoniously ended with his ejection from Wednesday night's Celtics game.
• In addition to the turnovers, Brees was surprisingly off his game when it came to clock management at the end of the half.  With time winding down and no time outs left, Brees dumped the ball off to Sproles for a short gain a few yards shy of the end zone.  As the clock ticked away, the Saints found themselves without enough time to spike it and run another play, forcing them to retreat to the locker room empty handed.  Brees is smart enough to know he can't throw the ball in that situation unless he knows the receiver will either get in the end zone or out of bounds, but Sproles had little chance of doing either on that play.  He would have been better off throwing the ball away to give themselves another shot, or at least get a field goal out of the drive.  Any type of score to end the half would have given them more momentum and made the game closer down the stretch, which may have prevented Brees from forcing passes that ended up being picked off.
• Take away their miserable first month, when the Saints were recovering from the bounty scandal and adjusting to an interim-interim coach, they really haven't been playing much worse than the Falcons this season.  Their only losses since their 0-4 start heading into this game were to playoff locks (Denver, San Francisco) and they were crushing inferior teams.  Atlanta on the other hand has kept winning, but by the slimmest of margins.  Their 11-1 record blows everyone else away, but entering this week their +78 point differential was only the 7th best mark in the league.  The difference between these teams - Matt Ryan can throw 5 INTs and his team will still find a way to squeak out a victory, but when Drew Brees does it, the Saints are sunk.
• This game was tough for those trying to lock up playoff spots in their fantasy football leagues.  Brees may have killed a lot of owners dreams with his abysmal performance (3 fantasy points, really??), but Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Roddy White, and Jimmy Graham were all quiet from a statistical standpoint. 
• Is there something about these Thursday night games that saps the performance of these elite players?  Aside from the Thanksgiving games, when is the last Thursday night game when a sure fire fantasy starter put up big numbers?  There's been a couple this season (Doug Martin in Week 8 comes to mind), but for the most part, playing on Thursday has been a drain on fantasy potential.  A lot of these games have been ugly.  Maybe there's something to the notion that teams need more than a few days to recover from their last game, so these weekly Thursday night games might not be such a great idea after all.  Unless, you know, you're the commissioner and only care about making more money for the league. 

Stern Punishment

NBA Commissioner David Stern followed through with "substantial sanctions" against the San Antonio Spurs in the form of a $250K fine for their decision to rest key players in a nationally televised game against Miami last night.  Does Stern make a valid point in defense of angry fans (not to mention TNT - the station broadcasting the game) who were deprived of seeing star players they tuned in, or even paid good money, to see?  Did the Spurs make the right decision by benching their best players?  Or is this just the frosting on the cake to a larger issue facing the league?

First of all, let's just say that Stern's punishment is a wild overreaction that has no precedent.  This is hardly the first time that a team has rested healthy players - in fact, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has a track record of doing this (just look to last season, when he did the same thing in a blow out loss to Portland).  Anyone that follows the Spurs (admittedly a disgracefully small sample size) should not be surprised that Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green skipped this game, which was the Spurs fourth game in five nights at the end of a six game road trip.  A marquee match up against the defending champions in Miami is one fans likely marked their calenders for, but Popovich marked this game on his calender back in July when the schedule came out as a game he planned to punt.  With an important game against division rival Memphis looming this weekend, the Spurs decided it was to their benefit to send their aging stars home early to prepare for that game instead of putting them through a grueling stretch of schedule that would have left them exhausted.

Things I Noticed: Week 12

Thanksgiving is always one of my favorite holidays.  A day filled with three of my favorite "F" words - food, family and football!  This week kicked off with a three game slate on Thursday, which included the traditional games in Detroit and Dallas.  Why these two cities continue to host games on Thanksgiving, even when their teams are bad, is anyone's guess, but I suppose you can't go against tradition on a holiday like this.

Bye weeks are over, so every team is in action this week.

Here are some things I noticed this week:

• Bill Belichick picked up his 200th career coaching victory as the Patriots embarrassed the Jets on Thursday night.  After a scoreless first quarter, the Pats began to dominate by putting up 35 unanswered points in the second quarter. 
• 21 of those points came in the span of under a minute of game time.  The offense scored quickly with a pass to Shane Vereen that he took 83 yards to the end zone.  On the next drive the Jets coughed up a fumble that was returned for a TD and they then fumbled the ensuing kick-off, which was run back for another score.  The Jets buried themselves before halftime.
• Julian Edelman had another big game, returning that fumbled kick-off for a score and later adding a 56 yard TD reception before exiting with a head injury.  Given the vacant expression on his face as he wobbled off the field, it looked like he may have suffered a concussion, so I suppose we can forgive him for fumbling on the play given that he likely had no idea what was going on at the time.
• The Jets may have managed over 400 yards of total offense, but it almost all came in garbage time in the second half when the game was never close.  They were barely on pace for even half of that by halftime.  New York turned the ball over 5 times, four of which Steve Gregory had a hand in - one INT, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
• Frustrated Jets fans booed loudly as they watched this disaster unfold.  Many of them chanted for Tim Tebow to take over for Sanchez.  The way things were going, Mark Sanchez may have joined them in hoping for Tebow to take over.
• As if things couldn't get any worse for the Jets, now even Fireman Ed is bailing on them.  The Jets number one fan, best known for leading the J-E-T-S cheer, has decided to hang up his helmet after leaving the blow out loss early.

Things I Noticed: Week 11

It was an exciting week that saw 8 one score games, with three of them going to overtime.  Some wild finishes and historic performances made for a compelling weekend of NFL action.

Bye Weeks: Tennessee, Minnesota, New York Giants, Seattle

Here are some things I noticed this week:

• Buffalo entered the week ranked 31st in yards allowed and last in the league in points allowed (31.6), which is a travesty considering how much they invested in their defense this season.  This week they finally started to look like the defense they expected after all those off-season acquisitions by holding the Dolphins to 184 total yards and equaling a season best by giving up only 14 points.  Three sacks and three turnovers went a long way to limiting what Miami was able to do offensively.
• Special teams played a key role in the game as well.  After Buffalo's defense held Miami to an opening drive three and out, Leodis McKelvin returned the punt 79 yards for a score to put the Bills on the board early.  They later added to their lead with a field goal following a Miami turnover, but Marcus Thigpen then returned the ensuing kick-off for a TD to get the Dolphins back in the game.
• After getting benched for a costly fumble last week, Reggie Bush appears to have fallen out of favor with the Dolphins as Daniel Thomas once again led the team in carries.  Not that Thomas did any better.  The two somehow combined for only 53 yards against a Bills defense ranked 31st in the league that gives up a staggering 153.3 yards per game (a number that looked even worse before they shut down the Dolphins running game). 
• Has the Bills defense turned a corner or has the Dolphins offense declined?  Miami looked like a sleeper team that could find themselves in the Wild Card race, but they've followed a three game win streak with a three game losing streak in which they've failed to score more than 20 points in any of those loses and averaged only 12.3 points per game over that span.
• What was hyped as a renewal of one of the game's best rivalries - with rookie Andrew Luck taking over the role of the departed Peyton Manning - turned out to be a one sided affair, as New England demolished the Colts to the tune of a season high 59 points.
• The Patriots defense has taken it's share of criticism, but Bill Belichick has a history of confusing rookie QBs - even ones as talented as Luck.  The Pats forced four turnovers from the rookie and returned two of them for TDs.  The recently acquired Aqib Talib accounted for one of those scores in an impactful debut with the team.

Things I Noticed: Week 10

Several contending teams lost their starting QB to injury this week, which could drastically alter the landscape the playoff hunt down the stretch if any of them misses extended time.  Last season it appeared Houston would be a top contender to win the AFC, until injuries forced them to use a 3rd string QB, which led to an early playoff exit.  Could the same fate impact a contender this year?
Bye Weeks: Cleveland, Green Bay, Arizona, Washington

Here are some things I noticed this week:

• Andrew Luck struggled early in his rookie season with accuracy, putting him near the bottom of the league in completion percentage (57.5%), but he has vastly improved in recent weeks.  His 18-26 (69.2%) effort this week was his most accurate game of the season thus far.  That mark is high enough to put him in the top 3 in the league if he could perform like that over the course of the entire season, but unfortunately he doesn't get to face the Jaguars every week.
• Luck also added two rushing TDs, giving him 5 for the season.  RGIII gets all the hype for his skills as a running QB, but Luck is right on his tail when it comes to running it in for a score.

• Luck's second rushing TD was a short yardage dive from the 1 yard line.  Replays made it difficult to determine if he had actually crossed the line and he may have even briefly lost control of the ball.  Scoring plays can't be challenged by the opposing team because they are supposed to automatically be reviewed.  Jaguars coach Mike Murlarky was furious that the officials didn't even bother to consult the video on what appeared to be a close play.  There probably wasn't enough evidence to overturn the call anyway, but the fact that the officials basically refused to even look at it again is a bunch of malarkey.
• Blaine Gabbert injured his shoulder again and was sidelined the rest of the game.  He was initially ruled as probable to return, but given that Chad Henne outplayed him, there was no reason to rush Gabbert back into the game.  In fact, there's no reason to rush Gabbert back... ever.
• Another injured Jaguar that the team can't wait to get back is Maurice Jones-Drew.  Rashad Jennings continues to be mediocre as his replacement, which  makes us all wonder why he was hyped as a big time sleeper in fantasy football leagues before the season when MJD was holding out with a contract dispute (yup, I was on that bandwagon).  The lesson: never pay too much attention to pre-season performance.

Should the Sox trade Ellsbury?

Following their most disappointing season in decades, the Red Sox are under a lot of pressure this off-season to rebuild a talented, yet flawed, roster.  The team already has several key building blocks established on the roster.  One of those franchise players is Jacoby Ellsbury, but with the talented center fielder entering the last year of his contract, rumors have began to swirl that the team may consider trading him this winter.

The idea may not be as crazy as you might think.  After GM Ben Cherington jettisoned high profile players in Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford at last season's trade deadline - a move that saved the franchise a quarter of a billion dollars in long term salary - it's clear the front office isn't afraid to make bold decisions in their effort to restructure the struggling team.

Ellsbury will be a free agent after this season and with Scott Boras as his agent, you can forget about any chance of an extension being reached before he has the chance to test the market.  That doesn't mean that they won't be able to re-sign him next winter, it just means they'll be forced into a bidding war in order to do it.  There will be no hometown discount.  The front office needs to decide if they are willing to invest in Ellsbury in the long term.  If the answer is no, then exploring trade offers may not be such a bad idea.

Ellsbury broke out in 2011 with a monstrous season in which he was arguably the best all around player in the league and likely would have taken home the MVP award if not for a dominant season from Justin Verlander that resulted in a rare first place finish for a pitcher.  Ellsbury hit .321/.376/.552 with 32 HRs and 39 steals while playing Gold Glove defense at a premier position.  After years of being a spark plug at the top of the line-up who used his blazing speed (career high 70 steals in 2009) to be a game changer, he proved himself to be a well rounded five tool player.  As he entered the prime of his career, Ellsbury appeared to be on the path to being one of the game's best players.

Things I Noticed: Week 9

Every team in the league has now played at least 8 games, meaning we have officially entered the second half of the season.  Goes by quickly, doesn't it? 

This past Thursday afternoon also marked the end of the trade deadline, which of course was relatively quiet because big trades rarely ever happen mid-season in the NFL. 

Bye weeks: St. Louis, New England, NY Jets, San Francisco

Here are some things I noticed this week:

• One notable deadline deal sent Aqib Talib and a 7th round draft pick from Tampa to New England for a 4th round pick.  Talib will help a struggling Patriots secondary, improving on one of the team's few weaknesses.  He is a tall, physical cover corner that the team had been lacking to match up against elite receivers.

• Talib does come with some baggage, as he still has one game left to serve on a suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances.  Talib tested positive for Adderall, which he took without a prescription and without notifying team doctors.  Maybe he does have valid medical reasons for taking the drug and wasn't just using it to get an unfair advantage, but he didn't follow the proper procedure and paid the price for it.  This is the second suspension of his career.  He was suspended one game in 2010 for violating the NFL's personal-conduct policy after an altercation with a cab driver.
• For the Patriots, Talib is a low risk-high reward acquisition.  They gave up only a mid-round draft pick for him and are responsible for paying only a prorated portion of the final year of his contract.  If he plays to his ability without creating a disturbance then he has the talent to drastically improve their pass defense.  If he doesn't pan out then they won't hesitate to cut their losses and move on, but his talent and the team's obvious need make him worth the risk.  Keep in mind that the Pats have a history of getting the most out of players with baggage, including Corey Dillon and Randy Moss.  Let's just hope Talib turns out more like them and less like Albert Haynesworth or Chad Ochocinco.

A letter to Ray Allen

Dear Ray,

In the five years that you wore Celtic green you became an icon and a legend in the eyes of Boston fans.  You won a championship here.  You set the all-time three point record here.  You were a multi-time All-Star here and when you one day go into the Hall of Fame, we here in Boston will remember the good times when we watched the graceful arc of your jump shot.

This is not one of those good times.  You are no longer with us, you are against us.  Your former teammates felt stung by your betrayal when you left for our biggest conference rival in Miami, so their initial reaction was to lash out.  KG says he lost your phone number.  Rondo won't even call you by name, referring to you only as No. 20.  Even Doc stepped in with a few barbs of his own (although they seemed more intended to protect his young point guard against criticism initiated by you).  Fair or unfair, they said their piece, now they've moved on.  It's time that you did the same.

There's no need to continue to defend your decision to take your talents to South Beach.  No need to bring up issues from years ago.  Here's the bottom line - you felt disrespected by the Celtics for a variety of reasons, so you joined their biggest rival out of spite.  Like a scorned teenage girl trying to make her ex jealous by having a fling with the high school quarterback.  That's how your comments have come across lately, because let's face it - Miami, of all teams, does not offer you the best option to meet the needs you felt weren't being met here.  You picked them because you knew it would hurt us the most.

Things I Noticed: Week 8

About a third of the league has played 8 games now, which means we're already at about the halfway point of the season.  At this point we have a pretty decent idea about each team's identity, but just about every division finds itself in a tight race.  Well, except for the two South divisions.  Atlanta and Houston can feel pretty safe about printing those division title banners already, but for everyone else, there's still a long road ahead.
Bye Weeks: Buffalo, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Houston

Here are some things I noticed this week:

• Tampa Bay may have saved it's season behind a career day from Doug Martin.  The rookie RB rushed for 135 yards and a TD, while also catching 3 passes for 79 yards and another score.  Martin's explosiveness was on display on his 64 yard catch and run for a score early in the second half, as well as a 41 yard rush early in the game that helped the Bucs get into position to score first.
• Adrian Peterson had a big day as well, including a 64 yard TD run, but his second quarter fumble helped set up a quick score for the Bucs that turned the tide in their favor.  Peterson struggled holding on to the ball early in his career, fumbling 19 times in his first three seasons (losing 12 of them).  He recovered to get those issues under control in recent years, losing a total of only 1 fumble over the past two seasons, but has already fumbled twice this season.
• The Vikings got off to a surprising 5-2 start, but their run may be at an end.  They travel to Seattle next week and then face a beatable Lions teams at home before their bye.  Even if they manage a split of those two games, their post-bye schedule is brutal, including facing the Bears and Packers twice and a road trip to Houston.  They've certainly improved, but finishing with a winning record seems a bit too optimistic.

Why the Thunder traded James Harden

Last week in my NBA Preview I ranked the Oklahoma City Thunder as the top team in the West.  Looks like I posted that article a bit too early.  In the wake of the surprising deal that shipped James Harden to Houston, the Western Conference is now much more wide open.

Why did the Thunder seemingly take a step back when they were on the brink of winning a title?  Money.  That's the simplest explanation, so we'll start with that.  The Thunder had until midnight on Halloween to lock up Harden with an extension or he would be eligible for restricted free agency after this season.  After Harden turned down their offer of $55.5 million over 4 years - $4.5 million short of the max they are allowed - the Thunder looked for alternatives.  While that extra million or so per season doesn't seem like much in the grand scheme of things, the restrictions in the new CBA agreement make it a much more difficult pill to swallow.  Keeping Harden would have pushed the payroll over $100 million when factoring in luxury tax fees.  That's fine if you're a team like the Lakers that make more than that annually before ever selling a ticket thanks to their new TV deal, but a small market team like OKC, which makes only about $15 million a year off it's local TV contract, can't afford that kind of luxury.  Few teams can.  Outside of New York, LA and Miami, you don't see too many teams with three max contract players, let alone four.

NBA Preview

There is no lockout this year keeping frustrated hoops fans waiting.  No compressed schedule, no teams frantically struggling to put their rosters and rotations together at the last minute.  The NBA season has returned in full force with a more traditional schedule that will start at the time we expect it.

After an off-season that saw several big name stars find new homes, the landscape of the league has been slightly altered.  With that in mind, let's take a look at the teams and predict how they will finish in their respective conferences.

Eastern Conference

1.  Miami Heat

The King finally got his ring - even if it did come in a shortened season.  The defending champs are the favorite to defend their throne at the top of the East.  LeBron James is still the league's best player and Miami's offense reached new levels when they went small ball with LeBron at power forward, moving Chris Bosh to center.  Neither star particularly likes playing out of position, but using that line-up removes the offensively inept Joel Anthony from the starting unit.  It took them a year to get it right, but LeBron and his side-kick D-Wade have figured out how to share the ball, making them the league's most dangerous tandem.  The Heat have knock down shooters for their stars to kick it back out to for open shots and have now added the league's all-time best 3-point shooter in Ray Allen.  The bench is still thin, but not as much so as in the previous two years.  An injury to any of their big three would still be devastating, but as long as they stay relatively healthy, the Heat will be tough to beat.

2.  Boston Celtics
Rather than re-build this off-season, the Celtics re-loaded.  Kevin Garnett was re-signed to a more team friendly deal to anchor the starting unit.  Once their defensive leader was back in the fold it enabled the team to build towards making another title run.  The departure of Ray Allen breaks up the vaunted big three, but Jason Terry takes his place on the roster and at this stage of their careers, he may be an even better fit.  He's more comfortable coming off the bench than Ray was and he can provide instant offense to a second unit that seemed incapable of scoring at times last season.  The Celtics defense reached nearly historic levels once Avery Bradley was inserted alongside the starters and he'll continue to help as one of the league's best young perimeter defenders once he returns from double shoulder surgery.  In the meantime the team can turn to Courtney Lee to fill that void.  The return of Jeff Green strengthens the second unit and will allow veterans Paul Pierce and KG to get some extra rest to keep them fresh for a lengthy playoff run.  Rookies don't often get much playing time for Doc Rivers, but Jared Sullinger may force the issue with his play, possibly even pushing for a spot as a starter by season's end.  He gives the team a post presence and some much needed rebounding, particularly on the offensive end where the Celtics were historically awful last season.  This will be the year that the veterans finally allow Rajon Rondo to take control of the team, which should help raise his game to even higher levels.  He's already showing more signs of being a more vocal leader so far, so if that translates into new found confidence in his game (especially his jump shot and free throws) he could be unstoppable.  This may be the deepest this roster has been in the KG era, making it an improvement over the squad that pushed Miami to 7 games in the Eastern Finals last year.  Health will always be a concern with a team that relies so heavily on veteran stars, but they at least now have a talented enough second unit to rely on that they can afford to give their aging stars more rest during the long regular season.  That may cost them some games in the standings, but if this roster can make it to the postseason at full strength, expect them to be battling the Heat in the Eastern Finals once again.

Things I Noticed: Week 7

Is it just me or does it seem like there have been a lot more tightly contested games this year?  11 of the 13 games this week were decided by one score, with many of them coming down to the wire.  Only one of the games can really be considered a blow out and it came in a game featuring two teams that were expected to be the AFC's best.

The league wants parody and that's what they currently have.  Only undefeated Atlanta has more than a 2 game lead in their division, but even the Falcons haven't been steamrolling opponents.  4 of their 6 wins have come in one score games.

The league still has it's fair share of awful teams to occupy the basement of each conference, but the top teams all have flaws.  There are no juggernauts like last year's Packers or the 2007 Patriots.  Atlanta and Houston are the top teams right now, but have they showed enough yet to make us confident that they'll stay at the top?

Bye Weeks: Atlanta, Denver, Kansas City, Miami, Philadelphia, San Diego

Here are some things I noticed this week

• The 49ers won a slugfest over Seattle to take sole possession of the top spot in the NFC West.  Two of the stingiest run defenses in the league each allowed an opposing RB to top 100 yards against them, with Frank Gore and Marshawn Lynch both bouncing back from sub par performances last week.
• San Francisco has rarely allowed an opposing RB to rush for over 100 yards against them at home in the Jim Harbaugh era, but have now allowed it to happen in two straight home games.
• The ending to the game turned out to be a little bizarre.  With Seattle trailing by 7, facing 4th down deep in their own territory with under a minute to play, Russell Wilson connected on a pass to Ben Obomanu right near the first down marker.  Officials marked the ball just short of the first down.  It was close, but on replay I think the ball got just far enough to get the first down, but it didn't matter because not only could they not have challenged the spot (that decision would have to come from the booth with under two minutes left), but a chop block penalty in the end zone resulted in a safety.  Now here is where it starts to get weird.  Harbaugh made the obvious decision to decline the penalty and take the turnover on downs instead.  After a kneel down, the game was over.  Yet the commentators on NFL network (not the best crew to begin with) seemed puzzled why the Niners weren't taking the safety.  Harbaugh was even questioned by the media about his decision after the game, as if it was a controversial choice.  It was the obvious choice!  Had they accepted the penalty they would have gotten the two points to make it a two possession game, but also would have forced Seattle to punt them the ball.  Too many things could go wrong in that situation - a fumbled punt return or a penalty that could give Seattle a first down, for instance.  Why risk it?
• Here's why.  The spread on this game was Niners by 7.5, so by declining the two point safety they didn't cover.  Think that maybe anyone that openly questioned Harbaugh's decision making may have wagered on this game?  It was a gambling disaster, but Harbaugh is trying to win the game.  He made the right choice.

The demise of the Yankees

The New York Yankees earned another trip to the postseason after finishing with the best record in the American League.  After squeezing by a scrappy Baltimore team, the Yankees went on to be swept by the Tigers in the ALCS.  Not only that, but they looked dreadful in doing so, crumbling before our eyes.

The Yankees hit a meager .188 as a team in the postseason.  The team with the second most runs scored in the AL, scoring just shy of 5 runs per game in the regular season, averaged less than half of that in their 9 postseason games.

Having by far the league's highest payroll amounted to nothing as their slumping stars faded away in October.  Robinson Cano may find himself in the MVP race for the regular season, but he had a postseason to forget.  His hit-less streak set a new MLB postseason record and he finished with only 3 hits in 40 at-bats.  He was hardly the only one that failed at the plate this month.

Robinson Cano: .075/.098/.125, 6 K's
Curtis Granderson: .100/.182/.200, 16 K's
Nick Swisher: .161/.235/.233, 10 K's
Russell Martin: .161/.235/.290, 5 K's

Things I Noticed: Week 6

Week 6 was filled with upsets as 9 underdogs pulled off victories.  In my Pick'em league I guessed the correct winner in only 5 of the 14 games, which was about average for the week.  So it's not just a matter of me being terrible at making picks (although that might be part of it).  Mostly it just goes to show that you never can know what to expect in the NFL, when any team can win on any given Sunday.  It's true, they made a movie about it once and everything.

Bye weeks: Chicago, New Orleans, Carolina, Jacksonville

Here are some things I noticed this week:

• Ben Rothlisberger threw for 363 yards to become the Steelers franchise leader in career passing yards, but the effort came in another disappointing road defeat.  Pittsburgh (2-3) has now lost all three of their road games this season, but this one against the lowly Titans was the worst of them.
• Steelers players are dropping like flies.  Rashard Mendenhall left after hurting his Achilles and Ike Redman injured his ankle.  The team only had 7 active offensive linemen for the game, but lost Maurkice Pouncey and Marcus Gilbert during the game.  If they lost any more linemen they would have been forced to use tight ends at the position instead. 
• The turning point in the game came when the Titans blocked a punt, recovering at the 1 yard line, to end the first quarter.  Two plays later they punched the ball into the end zone to take the lead.
• With just over a minute left, Pittsburgh drove to the edge of field goal range.  Looking to get a bit closer they ran the ball up the middle, but were stuffed for a loss of at least a yard.  That forced the Steelers into a long 54 yard field goal.  The kick was on target, but fell just short.  That extra yard may have made the difference.  That left the Titans with a short field and nearly a minute remaining, which proved to be just enough time for them to drive for their own game winning FG.

Things I Noticed: Week 5

In case you're wondering why everyone is wearing pink, it's not because the players all decided to become fair weather fans of their own teams.  The colors are to promote breast cancer awareness month, which is one of the things the NFL does for a great cause.  They will also auction off NFL gear to help raise money for this cause.

Bye Weeks: Dallas, Detroit, Oakland, Tampa Bay

Here are some things I noticed this week:

• Arizona lost for the first time this season in a game that exposed their offensive line as one of their biggest flaws.  Kevin Kolb was sacked 9 times and Ryan Williams averaged a mere 2.4 yards per carry behind a line that couldn't protect them. 
• Williams injured his shoulder in the game and will require season ending surgery.  He'll join Beanie Wells on the IR list, turning a bad backfield situation into a disaster for Arizona.
• The Rams (3-2) have a winning record for the first time since 2006 and already have surpassed their win total from last season.  Jeff Fisher has done a great job since taking over this young team by turning it around and making them competitive again.
• During the win, the Rams suffered a big loss with an injury to top WR Danny Amendola.  He missed almost all of last season with an elbow injury, worked hard to come back, only to be knocked out again with what looks to be a serious injury.  It's a tough blow for the Rams, who rely on Amendola to be their version of Wes Welker, and lack much WR depth behind him.

• Peyton Manning may be wearing a different uniform these days, but anytime he takes the field against Tom Brady, it's still a classic.  Despite a strong effort from Manning (345 yards, 3 TDs), who continues to look stronger with every passing week, it wasn't enough to overcome the Patriots in Foxboro.
• Denver scored the last 14 points of the game to make the Pats sweat out what was looking like a blow out.  Fourth quarter drives stalled for Denver when Willis McGahee dropped an open pass on 4th down on a play eerily similar to the infamous "4th and 2" play that still haunts New England fans from their 2006 playoff loss to Manning's Colts, then later lost a red zone fumble.
• The Riddler was on his way to another big day (career high 151 yards, 1 TD), but a 4th quarter fumble put Denver in position to get back in the game and may have put Ridley in the doghouse.  It's only his first lost fumble this year, but he does have a history of issues holding on to the ball and the Pats have no shortage of capable backs.
• Shane Vereen scored a short TD on his only carry of the game, while Bolden and Woodhead combined for over 100 yards.  Woodhead wouldn't be the ideal solution as a lead RB, but his conversion on 3rd and 17 was a key moment in the game.  It kept a drive alive that concluded with a TD to put the Pats up by 3 scores.
• The NFL has become a passing league, but the Patriots haven't forgotten the importance of keeping a balanced attack.  For the past several years their offense has been all about the pass, but their seasons have ended too often in heartbreaking losses when they weren't able to rely on their running game to help hold late game leads.  The Patriots rushed for over 200 yards in consecutive games for the first time in the Belichick era.  Tom Brady is still an elite QB capable of shredding defenses, but at age 35, he's going to need some help.  Forcing defenses to respect their running game also opens up play action passing, which is where Brady is at his best.

MLB Season Awards

Fans here in the Boston area may have been under the impression that baseball season ended months ago, when in fact the regular season just closed this week.  The cool chill of October brings with it the excitement of postseason baseball, but before we get there, let's take a look back on the season to predict some awards.

AL MVP:
1. Mike Trout (.326/.399/.564, 30 HR, 129 R, 83 RBI, 49 SB, 10.4 WAR)
2. Miguel Cabrera (.330/.393./.606, 44 HR, 109 R, 139 RBI, 4 SB, 7.2 WAR)
3. Robinson Cano (.313/.379/.550, 33 HR, 105 R, 94 RBI, 3 SB, 7.7 WAR)
4. Josh Hamilton (.285/.354/.577, 43 HR, 103 R, 128 RBI, 7 SB, 4.7 WAR)
5. Justin Verlander (17-8, 2.64 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 9.03 K/9, 6.8 WAR)

This came down to a tight race between the two top contenders, with a wide gap before the rest of the pack.  Earlier this week I outlined why the award should go to Trout, but Cabrera will get a lot of consideration for being the first Triple Crown winner since 1967.

Cano is easily the best player on the division winning Yankees.  His bat helps carry a potent, yet aging lineup and his defense has improved greatly over the years.  Hamilton put up big time power numbers for a playoff team, but his defensive value in CF has declined and he missed time with injury.  Reigning MVP Justin Verlander sneaks on the end of the ballot by remaining the most dominant starter in the game, despite regressing a bit from last year's outstanding season.

Who's the AL MVP?

This year's AL MVP award has essentially come down to a two man race.  On one side you have the first Triple Crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.  On the other you have a rookie phenom that has electrified the league and established himself as the best all around player in the game at only 21 years young.

Compare the stat lines for Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout and you'll find they match up pretty evenly in a lot of categories.

Cabrera: .331 AVG/.394 OBP/.608 SLG, 109 Runs, 44 HR, 139 RBI, 4 SB, WAR 10.3
Trout:    .324 AVG/.397 OBP/.561 SLG, 129 Runs, 30 HR, 83 RBI, 49 SB, WAR 7.3

Their slash lines are very similar, with a slight edge to Cabrera.  Their spot in the lineup, with Trout being a lead off hitter and Cabrera typically in the three hole, factors in their differences in the runs scored and RBI categories.  Each leads the lead in their respective categories.  Cabrera has the edge in power while Trout has a dominant advantage on the base paths.

So who is our MVP?  They are both fantastic hitters, but also very different types of hitters.  Given their individual strengths, you could make a case for either one of them.

Things I Noticed: Week 4

The refs are back!!  After three embarrassing weeks that culminated with one of the biggest officiating travesties in recent memory, it's time to say good-bye to the replacement refs.   Sure, they were good for a few laughs and their incompetence led to more than a few hilarious Facebook posts and parody videos. Then again, they also brought up valid questions about the legitimacy of the league and severely damaged its integrity.   So, glad that's over with!

This week also starts the beginning of bye weeks, with Pittsburgh and Indianapolis getting a rest.

Here are some things I noticed this week:

• After the official word had gone out early Thursday morning that the referee lockout was being lifted, the league scrambled to get a crew of real officials in to Baltimore for the game that night. The officials were welcomed warmly with a standing ovation from fans that had become frustrated with their far from qualified replacements.  The returning heroes are sure to be showered with affection this week - at least until they make a mistake.  
• While we all seem to have learned a valuable lesson about how hard the officials job is and how under appreciated they were, it seems only a matter of time until we go back to complaining about every missed call or questionable decision.  
• If Baltimore is supposed to have this new and improved up tempo offense, why did they have so much trouble scoring against a Cleveland defense missing it's best player?  Joe Flacco was able to take advantage of a Joe Haden-less secondary, but it took them a while to get going.  A scoreless first quarter was concerning and Cleveland managed to hang around until a pick six late in the third quarter sealed the victory.

Things I Noticed: Week 3

A record 20 teams entered Week 3 with a 1-1 record, including the entire AFC East and NFC North divisions.  Teams that end up improving to 2-1 after this week greatly increase their playoff odds over teams that drop to 1-2.  That makes this a big week for a lot of teams, as the league begins to form it's list of contenders.

Here are some things I noticed this week:

• No Ahmad Bradshaw?  No Hakeem Nicks?  No problem for the Giants offense.  Andre Brown (113 rushing yards, 2 TDs) and Ramses Barden (9 catches, 138 yards) made names for themselves by stepping in to fill the void, ensuring Eli's offense didn't miss a beat without their injured starters.

• People wondered how Victor Cruz managed to go from being undrafted out of UMass to  one of the league's best receivers last season.  Maybe the Giants just happen to be very good at finding diamonds in the rough, enabling them to turn unknown commodities into stars overnight.  Or maybe Cruz's success should be more attributed to Eli and the offensive system then we realized.
• What's happened to the Panthers defense?  After Cam Newton revitalized the offense last season, the team's focus this past off-season was on revamping the defense.  They made some additions through the draft and free agency, but so far it hasn't paid off.  After getting torched by the Giants, they have now given up 383 yards and 26.3 points per game.
• Cam's three INTs certainly helped put the Panthers in a hole, but it was the two kick return fumbles that really buried them.  Joe Adams fumbled away the opening kick-off to start the second half, leading to a quick Giants FG.  Any chance at a comeback was erased when Adams muffed a punt that gave NY the ball back at the Carolina 19 yard line.  The Giants managed to chew up most of the remaining clock before adding another FG. 

Things I Noticed: Week 2

The NFL has added to their schedule of Thursday night games this season.  Last week opened on a Wednesday night, but starting this week, we'll have a Thursday game every week until Week 16.  I'm all in favor of adding football to another day of the week.  It makes the afternoon games on Sunday slightly less hectic to follow, especially during weeks with no byes, while also allowing me to get a head start on this column.  Why shouldn't they do this every week?

Here are some things I noticed this week:

• With Greg Jennings sidelined with an injury, the Packers offense struggled to find a rhythm.  Granted they've played two of the better defenses in the league, but through two weeks, the Packers offense hasn't looked like the powerhouse unit from the past few years.  Instead, it was the defense and special teams that carried them to victory this week.  The defense that ranked dead last in total yards allowed last season gave up only 168 total yards to the Bears, while sacking Jay Cutler 7 times and picking off 4 of his passes.

• Clay Matthews was a beast in this game.  He notched 3.5 sacks in the game and now has as many sacks through 2 games as he had all of last season (6).  
• Green Bay took control with a gutsy special teams play.  Facing 4th and 26 from the Bears 27 yard line, the Packers sent out the FG unit.  Rather than settle for three points, the Packers surprised us all with a fake.  The holder flipped the ball to Tom Crabtree, who ran to the endzone for the score.
• Cutler had a rough night, but it wasn't all his fault.  It didn't help that he spent most of the night running for his life.  He threw 4 INTs, but most of them came on passes he forced due to being hurried by a defense that repeatedly blew past the Bears offensive line.  Earl Bennett shares the blame for one of them for failing to come back to the ball on his route, letting the defender slip in to steal it while he stood and waited for it to come to him.  He also had a ball dropped by Brandon Marshall in the endzone.
• As if things hadn't been bad enough for the Bears, they also lost Matt Forte to injury again.  If it turns out to be a high ankle sprain, the injury could keep him out for a few weeks.

Things I Noticed: Week 1

While the pre-season gave us a small taste of the action, the utterly meaningless games did little to satisfy our football cravings.  Now the regular season has begun.  Now the games actually count.  Now it's finally football season again!

The season kicked off on a Wednesday night (which still seems like an odd night for football, but who are we to complain?) with the defending champion Giants hosting their rival Cowboys.

Here are some things that I noticed this week:

• Last year, two rookie QBs took the league by storm with historical seasons.  This week saw a total of 5 rookie QBs open the season as their team's starter, with mixed results.  Only one of the group was impressive in leading his team to victory.  Two of them were very up and down, but showed some promising signs in defeat, while the other two were just plain awful.
• Get Eli some Advil.  His Giants appear to be suffering from a mind numbing Super Bowl hangover.  After a pre-game celebration of last year's championship season, it all went downhill for the Giants.

• Despite all the stats the broadcast booth could throw at us about how Eli set a league record for 4th quarter TDs last season, how they fawned over how clutch he is and how the Cowboys had a bad habit of late game collapses, it was the Giants that failed to pull out a close game late in the 4th quarter.
• The game started off ugly, with both teams having trouble moving the ball, coupled with some early turnovers.  David Wilson, the Giants first round pick and a popular fantasy football sleeper, fumbled on his second carry of the game and found himself confined to the dog house for the remainder of the game, touching the ball only on special teams for the remainder of the evening.  Given coach Coughlin's distaste for turnovers, especially from young players, it could take some time before Wilson earns his way back into more playing time.  Given that his fumbling problems date back to his college days, his rookie season could become a bust if he doesn't do a better job holding onto the football.
• After that slow start, the Cowboys offense exploded. resulting in impressive performances by Tony Romo (307 yards, 3 TDs) and DeMarcco Murray (131 rushing yards).  Romo's performance is all the more impressive when you consider that two of his top weapons were banged up and questionable to even play in the game.  Miles Austin surprised by not only playing, but playing well (4 catches, 73 yards, 1TD), while Jason Witten served as little more than a decoy (2 catches for a meager 10 yards).
• Who is this Kevin Ogletree?  After winning the 3rd receiver spot in Dallas, he didn't disappoint in the season opener (8 catches, 114 yards, 2 TDs).  Last season, Laurant Robinson had a break out season in this same role that led to the Jaguars ridiculously overpaying him.  Could Ogletree be this year's Robinson?  Given how often the Cowboys' top receiving options tend to find themselves on the injury list, there's a good chance that Ogletree remains involved following his big game.
• One of the game's biggest plays was made after a Romo interception, but the play wasn't made by Michael Boley, who picked off the pass.  It seemed that Boley was about to plow his way into the endzone for a pick six, but Cowboys lineman Tyron Smith made the save with an illegal horse collar tackle that took Boley down at the two yard line.  Despite the vicious tackle, a half the distance to the goal penalty cost his team only one yard.  A fired up Dallas defense was able to hold the Giants to a field goal on a drive that started first and goal at the one yard line!  With the Giants needing two scores to make a comeback late in the 4th quarter, how different could the game have played out if one of those scores needed only to be a field goal instead of a TD?

NFL Preview

It's been a long, painful baseball season here in New England, but nothing can re-energize this region like the start of a fresh football season.  With the first kick-off of the regular season just around the corner, it's time to make some predictions for this upcoming season.

I'll break down the standings for each division, throw in some bold predictions for what we might expect to see this season and cap it off with my predictions for some end of the season awards.

AFC East
1. New England Patriots (13-3)
2. Buffalo Bills (9-7)
3. New York Jets (7-9)
4. Miami Dolphins (3-13)

The Patriots look ready to win their 10th division title in the past 12 years.  After falling just short of another Super Bowl victory last February, the Patriots have reloaded with an even more dangerous core.  Brandon Lloyd led the league in receiving two years ago while playing for Josh McDaniels in Denver.  That was with Kyle Orton throwing him the ball.  Imagine what he can do with Tom Brady throwing to him!  Lloyd gives the Pats the deep threat that can play outside the numbers which this team has missed since the days of Randy Moss.  The Patriots also loaded up on defensive players in the draft, using 6 of their 7 picks on that side of the ball. First round picks Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower look ready to make an immediate impact to improve a defense that ranked 31st in the league last year. 

Buffalo won't pose much of a threat to the Patriots reign, but they are poised to make a jump this year.  The addition of Mario Williams to their defensive line will solidify a fearsome pass rush.  Ryan Fitzpatrick has been inconsistent in his career, but played very well in the first half of last season before injuring his ribs and watching his performance drop steeply.  If he and Fred Jackson can stay healthy, they could be a Wild Card team.  Meanwhile, the Jets are sure to be a circus show this year with a brewing QB controversy thanks to Tim Tebow's popularity.  Things got ugly at the end of last season and they very well could get worse.  Speaking of ugly, Miami finds themselves in the basement of this division.  Maybe throwing rookie QB Ryan Tannehill in as the starter from Day 1 will prove to be beneficial for his development, but it sure isn't likely to help the Dolphins chances to win this year.  It doesn't help that they've left him without any weapons to throw to either.

Red Sox hit the reset button

A Red Sox team that is staggering to the finish line of a horrifically disappointing season broke out the dynamite this weekend by blowing up a huge part of their core.  In one of the biggest blockbuster deals of all time, Boston dealt Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto to the LA Dodgers.  The group included Boston's three highest paid players this season and sheds more than $250 million in long term contracts, even after factoring the cash they will send to LA as part of the deal.

The fact that this is the first time in league history that two players with over $100 million left on their contracts have been traded in the same deal goes to show how enormous the impact of this shocking deal has on both teams.  After the Red Sox epic collapse last September was followed by a frustrating season this year that currently has them 9.5 games out of one of the Wild Card spots, it was clear this team was in desperate need of a make over.

The Red Sox clubhouse has been called toxic by many people close to the organization.  Team chemistry is an underrated aspect of the game that this team severely lacks.  The rumor mill has torn the team apart as accusations of a "snitch" in the clubhouse created a witch hunt for the culprit responsible for airing the team's dirty laundry to the media.  The path toward restoring order in the clubhouse began last month when Kevin Youkilis was shipped to Chicago.  That trade was as much about removing an outspoken player who had clashed with several teammates over the years as it was about unloading an expensive veteran to pave way for a spot for Will Middelbrooks in the lineup.

Lakers strike gold in trade for Howard

As a Celtics fan, one of the worst things that could happen is when something good happens to the Lakers.  So as you can imagine, this has been a nightmare.

The long, drawn out saga of Dwight Howard's trade demands finally came to an end with a four team deal that sends the disgruntled super star center to Los Angeles.  Howard can finally be happy now that he's finally gotten his wish to be shipped out of Orlando, while all the teams involved should also be thrilled with their involvement in the deal.  Well, almost everyone.

Let's see how the deal breaks down for each team.

Los Angeles Lakers
Acquired: Dwight Howard, Earl Clark, Chris Duhon
Traded: Andrew Bynum, Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga, 2017 lottery protected 1st round pick

Laker Land must be ecstatic with this deal.  They basically upgraded from Bynum to Howard for the low cost of a future lottery protected draft pick and two throw ins from the end of their bench.  Bynum is a great player, but Howard is on another level.  He's the most dominant big man of this generation and arguably the league's second best player, after LeBron.  He's an elite defender that will protect the rim and help mask the issues of Steve Nash trying to stop quick point guards from getting into the paint.

Best of all, they manged to do the deal without having to give up Pau Gasol.  Earlier this week, when rumors of this proposed trade began to swirl, Gasol was included in the package going to Orlando.  Sacrificing both of their talented big men would be a steep price to pay, but still worth it to acquire Howard.  When all was said and done, Gasol ended up staying put.  The Lakers will now roll out a Big Four of Howard, Kobe, Gasol and Nash.  Try stopping that!  It's an expensive team, with the payroll expected to climb over $100 million this season, but their deep pockets can afford it.  Picking up the contracts of Duhon (owed $7.25 million over the next two seasons) and Clark (expiring deal for about $1.2 million) will just add to their outrageous luxury tax bill, but if Howard helps bring a couple more titles, he'll be well worth the price.

Patriots first glimpse

The Patriots kicked off the pre-season Thursday night with a narrow victory over the Saints.  What would typically be expected to be an old fashioned shoot out between two elite passing offenses, turned out to be a low scoring affair.  That may have been partly due to the fact that the two future Hall of Fame QBs didn't last through the first quarter before relaxing on the bench to become spectators the rest of the way, but when these two teams meet, you tend to expect a score higher than 7-6.

Here are a few things I noticed from our first glimpse of the Patriots this year.

• The first team offense looked a bit sluggish in their limited action.  Tom Brady and his top receivers played less than the full first quarter, completing two drives that failed to put points on the scoreboard. New acquisition Brandon Lloyd is still looking to develop his timing with Brady, as he just missed hauling in catches on his two targets.  They need some work before they become comfortable enough with each other to routinely hit on those routes, but they aren't far off.  Lloyd is clearly comfortable in Josh McDaniels' offense, so it's only a matter of time before they get it right.
• The Tight Ends continue to be a heavy focus in the offense.  Rob Gronkowski appeared to be a half step slow on his first target, but it was great to see him haul in a couple of passes as he continues to work his way back from the ankle injury suffered in last year's postseason.

The Legend of Mike Trout

Every year we hear about hyped prospects that are expected to take the league by storm and become the next big thing.  Often times young players struggle after making their major league debuts, whether it be from failure to make adjustments to big league opponents or from being crushed under the heavy pressure unfairly put upon them.  Other times these youngsters produce just fine, yet fail to live up to people's unrealistic expectations.

Then there are those that exceed even our wildest expectations and become legitimate superstars right from the start.  Mike Trout is one of those players.

Since Trout received his call up to the majors to join the LA Angels on April 28th he has arguably been the best player in baseball.  Think about that for a moment.  A 20 year old rookie may already have become the best hitter in the game!  Check out his insane hitting stats so far this season: .347/.409/.599.  That batting average leads the American League.  He leads the majors in Runs (83) and Steals (33) by fairly comfortable margins and his 6.5 WAR (per FanGraphs) also leads all major league players.  All this despite not even getting called up to the majors until the end of April!  He essentially missed a month of the season and still has managed to lead the league in several major categories. 

MLB Trade Deadline Buyers & Sellers

The MLB trade deadline passed yesterday afternoon with a flurry of last minute deals.  The addition of an extra Wild Card team in each league has kept playoff hopes alive for several teams that in previous years would have been considered out of the race at this point, which may have limited the pool of potential sellers as the deadline approached.  With more of a demand for impact talent than there was to supply, some teams were left without a partner at the trade table.  Those that were able to swing deals for a difference maker for the home stretch may have added the missing pieces to put their team over the top.

Now that the deadline dust has settled, let's look at the teams that were buyers and sellers.

Buyers

LA Angels:

The biggest prize on the trade market this season was Zack Greinke.  He gives the Angels a legitimate ace to join an already loaded rotation, which also includes Jared Weaver, CJ Wilson and Dan Haren.  As a former Cy Young award winner, Greinke is an elite pitcher capable of dominating hitters.  While his current 3.39 ERA may not appear to be anything special in today's pitcher friendly era, his advanced statistics show he is a much better pitcher than that number suggests.  He averages a strikeout per inning and has a FIP of 2.45.  Blame an above average BABIP and poor infield defense from the Brewers for the discrepancy in his ERA and what should be expected based on how well he's pitched.  Greinke is an ace.  With questions about Haren's health and the disappointing season for Ervin Santana, the Angels went out and shored up their rotation with a front line starter that should be worth an extra couple of wins over the remainder of the season.  If Haren can get healthy and pitch to his ability, the Angels should enter the postseason with the most imposing starting rotation in the majors.

Red Sox approach the trade deadline

Here we are, less than a week away from the July 31st trade deadline, where the Boston Red Sox find themselves in the basement of the highly competitive AL East division.  They are a game under .500 (49-50) and 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot.  While that may not appear to be an insurmountable lead, consider that there are currently 7 teams ahead of them in the race.  The Yankees are running away with the division title and have a 10.5 game lead over Boston, so we're past the point of hoping to pull closer in that race.  Remember last season, when this team agonized through a historic September collapse?  They would pretty much have to do the opposite of that over the next two months just to claim a Wild Card spot, which only puts them in position to play a one game playoff for the chance to advance to the ALCS.  As the deadline rapidly approaches, the Red Sox have some tough questions to consider to determine whether they will be buyers or sellers.

The case can be made that a staggering amount of injuries that has plagued the team all season is the culprit for their disappointing season.  Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford both missed most of the season and as soon as they returned, David Ortiz hit the disabled list.  The team has yet to have their full lineup together for a single game all season.  As the team slowly gets it's roster healthy, these additions should prove to be far greater than most additions other teams will trade for this week.  There is still a lot of talent on this team (as there should be with a payroll of nearly $150 million - 4th highest in the majors), so the hope is that in the end, talent wins out.  The roster is littered with underachievers, particularly in the starting rotation, where the drop off in production from aces Jon Lester and Josh Beckett has been baffling.  Despite all the injuries, their offense is still the second highest scoring team in the majors.  If the pitching improves to anywhere near expectations, the team would be in good shape.  The question is, can we expect them to turn it around at this point and is it too late?