Last night's game between the Saints and 49ers was a great MNF game (Baltimore/NY Jets, are you reading this?!). That's what fans expect for a MNF game. Excitement, nail biting and good football. But last's night's game didn't come without injury. Saints RB Reggie Bush is expected to be out at least 6 weeks with a fractured fibula in his right leg.

MRI tests will be done today to confirm the injury. Keep ya head up, Reggie!

-Even being 0-2, I still expect the 49ers to win the division. Alex Smith grew up last night, something we expected to see from him 5 years ago, coming out of the draft. I guess it's better late then never. I added Smith in my Top 20 QB list for 2010, so he better not make a fool out of me!

-Braylon Edwards was arrested for a DWI charge last night. According to the NY Post, here's the skinny:

-In other news, Kurt Warner made his appearance on Dancing With The Stars. He and dance partner Anna Trebunskaya came out swinging, doing the Viennese Waltz to start the season. If Warner can waltz NEARLY as good as he can Walk It Out, than he should be a Top 3 dancer when it's all said and done!

Denver Broncos WR Kenny McKinley was found dead, yesterday afternoon, by a female friend who found him after taking his child with her to run errands. Police believe the McKinley suffered from a self inflicted gunshot wound, thus ending his own life.

The irony of such a tragic event, is McKinley passed away the same day that Broncos CB Champs Bailey, former Broncos S John Lynch and other players attended a fundraiser that honored former CB Darrent Williams, who was killed New Years Day, back in 2007.

In addition to the deaths of McKinley and Williams, the Broncos have also dealt with the death of RB Damien Nash, who collapsed and died at a charity basketball game back in April, 2007... Three months after the Williams murder.

Prayers go to the family of McKinley as well as the Broncos organization. Dealing with suicide is never easy, especially when you think there is something you may have done to save someone's life. And for the players who've been there to see all 3 tragedies, this can't be easy for them to deal with.

Last week, the Most Hated Athletes list was released and the Top 5 of the list was as follows:

So..... I didn't do too well last week, with Week 1 of my picks. What had happened was....................... I over analyze everything. And even though I had a few close ones (like Calvin Johnson getting ROBBED and the Lions losing as a result), almost never counts. Hopefully this will be a better week for your girl. But I can't make any promises. The season is still early so the unexpected victories will be in play. Anyway, here's my Week 2 NFL picks. Wish me luck!

Pittsburgh @ Tennessee (-5) - Vince Young >>> Dennis Dixon, at this point. I like the Titans, but let's not kid ourselves w the point spread. It's still the Steelers, who has a great defense.
Winner: by 3

Miami @ Minnesota (-5.5) -Old man Favre gets some much needed rest and lights up Minnesota up. Miami doesn't impress me at this point.
Winner:


Arizona @ Atlanta (-6.5)- Atlanta gets it right this week.
Winner:

Kansas City @ Cleveland (-2) - I'm gonna jump on the SEC of the NFL, AKA the KC Chiefs. They have a good running game, decent defense and possibly the next Dante Hall of special teams in Dexter McCluster. Sorry Cleveland, I don't believe you, you need more people
Winner:

Baltimore(-2.5) @ Cincinnati- This is a hard pick for me. The Bengals always gives the Ravens matchup problems. Add Terrell Owens to the mix and it may be a long day for my boys on defense. I also can't see Cincy going 0-2. I think it'll be close, but no cigars for my Ravens :(
Winner:

Chicago @ Dallas (-7.5) - I'm not a believer in the Bears, as long as Cutler is there. They almost let a Lions team beat 'em, so do you REALLY think i am picking them to beat the Cowboys?! PSSSSSHHHHH!!
Winner:

Philadelphia (-6) @ Detroit- Mike Vick shows his ass this weekend. I want to pick Detroit, because I want them to not suck anymore. But Matt Stafford being out doesn't help much.
Winner:

Buffalo @ Green Bay (-13)- Bufflao will let CJ Spiller loose. But it won't be enough because the Packers are THAT good.
Winner:

Tampa Bay @ Carolina (-3.5) - Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Wake me when this one is over.
Winner:

Seattle @ Denver (-3.5) - Okay, so Pete Carroll got his 1st NFL since returning to the league. Now he'll get his first loss this Sunday.
Winner:

St. Louis @ Oakland (-3.5) - Oakland, this is your last chance to prove me right, dammitz! I said you were on a major rise this season. But so far you suck major ass. If you lose this weekend I won't be picking you anymore this season. And you know I'm petty, so I mean it
Winner:

Houston (-3) @ Washington- The Redskins didn't have 1 offensive TD last week. The Texans, however, scored 34 points last week. I'm not saying Houston will have a field day against the Redskins. But I am saying Hall and Rogers are about to learn just who Andre Johnson is.
Winner:

New England (-3) @ NY Jets- The way the Pats played last week, they look like they are on a mission. The way the Jets offense looked last week, they look like they are scurrred (not scared, but scurrred). I'm picking the quiet, confident group. Not the loud, obnoxious one.
Winner:

Jacksonville @ San Diego (-7) - My boo and Co. will right the ship this week. But I still expect the Jaguars to try and spoil the party. It's a shame no one will be able to see it locally, because the game will probably be blacked out.
Winner:

NY Giants @ Indianapolis (-5) - AKA, The Manning Bowl. Eli vs. Peyton... Big Head vs Jug Head. This should be a good one, just like the last time these two rock head brothers met. I expect a good game, but with the same results as last time. Big Bro Manning wins again.... in a good game.
Winner:

MNF: New Orleans (-5.5) @ San Francisco- San Fran looked AWFUL last week. Playing against the world champs on Monday Night might not be the ego booster they need. Basically, I ain't picking 'em!
Winner:

The NFL has finally admitted to being impacted by a struggling economy. NFL attendance has been down, while the TV ratings are up 20% from a year ago. The NFL blames the emergence of HDTV as a reason why people are choosing to watch the game from the comfort of their own home, opposed to attending the games.


Yeah......... okay.

As a frequent game attender, I can tell you that's from from the truth. Ticket prices are sky high. A family of 4 going to a football game is about an average of $360 just for tickets. Add the high concession at the stadium, and we're talking about a possible $500 day, just to see your favorite team play live. In an economy where unemployment is still a big concern, one can't possibly think of going to an NFL as a viable option.

If the NFL wants to avoid this alarming trend, they must lower the tickets prices... at least for now. Allow discount packages to those who are PSL and/or season ticket holders, before releasing their tickets to the public. And for crying out loud, reduce preseason games to 50% and give half of the tickets to community little leagues. As much as I love going to football games, I refuse to spend a % of my salary just for the atmosphere. I could easily enjoy the game in the comfort of my own home.

The fans should be the top priority. Get with the times, the country is struggling. The NFL is a smart business, hopefully they will get it right.

Okay, I know I've already done a Sitcho Azz Down post for the week, but this one warrants another post. Rex Ryan, the lovable, hugable Jets coach (and former Ravens defensive coordinator) is a good guy. He's a good coach and I always wished him the best of luck in Gang Green Land. But sometimes Sexy Rexy doesn't know when to STFU.

Ravens S Ed Reed is currently rehabbing from hip surgery he had earlier in the year. While the Ravens are contemplating on whether or not they should place Reed on the Physically-Unable-To-Perform list (or known better as the PUP List), Ryan seems to have this notion that Reed will play. According to the Baltimore Sun, Rex explains why he thinks Reed will play in the Monday Night opener against the Jets. Here's a tidbit of what he said:

“Somebody asked me about Ed Reed saying, ‘You know Ed Reed hasn’t practiced,’” Ryan said.

“I said, guys, Ed Reed will play this game. Now he might not play the second game, third game or fourth game, whatever, but Ed Reed is going to play this game. I think part of that is a respect thing. He knows how disappointed I would be if he didn’t play. I want to win the game, but I want to play against Ed. I want them at their best and I know they will be.”

Uhhhh... Earth To Rexy: Reed doesn't play for you. He plays for the Baltimore Ravens. Why would he care anymore if he disappoints YOU, and not his current head coach, John Harbaugh?

As far as the respect comment goes, respect shouldn't even be a factor if a player is coming off of surgery. This isn't an ankle sprain... this man was operated on! Reed needs to worry about the best interest of HIM as well as the team that pays him, not some former coordinator that's moved on and will become the enemy come September 13th.

I love Rex Ryan.. but Rex needs to sit his chunky azz down.

ESPN's Monday Night Football crew Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski had a round table session regarding the AFC North and how they will fare this season. Jaws and Gruden pretty much had great things to say about Baltimore and Cincinnati. But when it came to Pittsburgh and Cleveland, only Gruden was a little more optimistic regarding how they will fare in the 2010 season.

Do you agree or disagree? Is this the yeah Flacco becomes the cusp of being elite? Does Cincy repeat as AFCN Champs? Will Pittsburgh be better than last year or decline without Big Ben? Or will Cleveland win more than 6 games?

You decide

I swear, just when you think you've heard it all.......

People can love football too much, apparently. Julious Javone Threatts of Tampa, FL loves it so much, that he decided to pose as a 14 year-old boy and join the Tampa Bay Youth Football League. There's just one problem- Threatts is 21 years old!!!!

According to naplesnews.com, here's how everything went down:

Steve Levinson, president of the football league, said Threatts played for the now defunct West Coast Youth Football Conference last year, trained again during the spring and then joined the Tampa Bay league at the beginning of this season. Levinson said the person he knew as Chad Jordan turned in all the necessary registration paperwork, including a copy of his birth certificate, which officials now realize must have been fake.

McCloud said Threatts told the team that his parents had died in a car accident and he was being raised by an older brother. "It was like a movie," McCloud said.

The coach began to investigate, asking around to see if anyone knew who "Chad" really was.

Finally, he found someone who knew the truth. A friend from Threatt's neighborhood told McCloud that while Threatt's father died in a car accident in St. Petersburg last year, his mother was alive, McCloud said.

McCloud found Threatt's Facebook page, which lists his mother as Debra Miller. It also says Threatts graduated from Leto High School.

Town and Country Packers coach Ray McCloud seems to feel some empathy for the kid... excuse me.. MAN!

"I don't think he was good enough to play semipro or anything. This might sound crazy, but I feel sorry for him ... they say he's a man, but he really acted like a sweet kid. After all the stuff that I found out, he still had me second guessing myself. That's how good he was."

What in the world?? So this GROWN AZZ MAN (who, by-the-way, was on probation for burglary charges) pretended to be a kid just to play football?? There aren't any rec teams in the area he could have played for instead?? Talk about re-living your youth.... this dude took it too far! Now Threatts faces charges of trespassing on school grounds, obstruction by a disguised person and violation of probation, all in the name of playing football.

A lot of us love football as much as the next person. But please don't let football be the reason you go to jail, people. Julious Javone Threatts, go sitcho pressed azz down!

ESPN The Magazine has come up with a nice photo montage of, "Faces Of The Game", a collection of people that make the NFL the great sport that it is today. From agents, to owners and even to flag football leagues in China, the magazine gives us a pictorial view of all the different people that are a part of the NFL structure.

If you haven't seen/heard about it yet, here are a few pics from the magazine:


Dubbed, "The Legend" in the mag, my man Ray Ray has his own street name, and hasn't even retired yet! Kudos to him, who will go down as a legend when it's all said and done.



From administrative intern to commissioner of the NFL, Goodell's pic should be called, "The Disciplinarian". Instead, they make it simple and call him, "The Commish".



"The Reps", of the league, sports agents Tom Condon and Ben Dogra are featured in the article. What.... No Drew Rosenhaus?? Maybe he was busy. "No Comment...."



ESPN has Walt Coleman dubbed as, "The Law" and that's about right. Coleman calls any and every damn penalty on the field! I would have preferred to see Ed Hochuli, because I heart him. They should have changed his name to, "The Hard Ass".


Gay Culverhouse was the Bucs former president, but was diagnosed to be terminally ill with myelofibrosis. Named, "The Crusader", Culverhouse is on a crusade to help retired NFL players with health care. Good for her!

To see the entire collection of photos, check it out here. Very nice, ESPN The Mag!

Ravens LB Terrell Suggs had a very good interview with Baltimore Ravens.com about his career in Baltimore, his contract situation last year and his family. It was a very good read but I must admit, I learned some things in his interview.

On Football Expectations:

Suggs says he doesn't feel like he has to prove himself to anyone and that he has his mind set on one goal. "Dallas, Texas. Lombardi. I've had every individual award you can name, but they only last for the moment. Nobody will ever forget a Super Bowl champion."

This is the type of talk any fan wants to hear from their star player. I'm so glad to hear Suggs has a bigger plan beyond individual accolades. As much as I want my squad to get to Dallas in February, Suggs wants it a little bit more. And he should.



On his $62.5 million dollar deal, making him the highest paid player at his position:

"It wasn't like I was demanding the Ravens, or any team for that fact, to sign me to a big deal. I didn't want to be the highest-paid anything. I just wanted what was fair and that was for the front office to determine."

Fair is fair, and I believe Suggs when he says this. While money is the motive for a lot of people, Suggs was just looking for a contract that treated him fairly.



On the media and fans turning on him, possibly because of his new contract:

"I kind of really found out who was in my corner and who wasn't. Last season was my worst season, but I was going to have that season regardless of whether I had a new deal or not for the simple fact that I was coming off a season that I got hurt and there were a lot of changes."

Sorry Sizzle. That's how it goes, no matter what city you're in. People see $ being thrown your way and lackluster results that follow, and instantly become critical. That's what they will do. But once you're back to your old form, they'll be back again. Trust me.



On life outside of football:


"I'm not just a football player. It's my sport. It's what I chose as an occupation. I'm also a father, someone's fiancé, someone's brother, someone's son. I wear a lot of hats.

"When you're with the family you're stress-free. Once I got away from the negative energy, that's when everything started to come together and I became Terrell again. I became my old self. I definitely feel happier."

WHOA KIMOSABE! I understood everything he said. But I PAUSED when I read the fiance' comment. Could he be possibly engaged to Candace Williams, the girlfriend that tried to sue Suggs for $70 million not long ago???? One has to think so, since he was seen with her recently at the ESPYs along with their 2 children.

If he likes it, I love it. I'm not passing judgment, sometimes things happen. Hopefully they moved on from the ugly events that happened last year. I wish nothing but the best for Suggs, he's a good guy.

This weekend, the NFL had an interesting sequence of events take place .. and it's only preseason. Favre returned, but didn't last long, Tim Cowlishaw made some bold statements and the kickoff of the Gridiron Gals Tour was underway. In case you missed it, here's a quick recap:



I went with my GGals partner Pigskin Loving Lady to the Ravens-Redskins preseason game, and we had a ball! It was the unofficial kickoff of the Gridiron Gals Tour, us going to different stadiums and doing what we do best-enjoy the game of football- while recording our experience. Check out the full video of us by clicking here. (by-the-way, that towel I was wrapped in? Ed Reed's towel that he threw up after the game was over... I'm in lust with it)

Big Ben made his return to the football as he started for the Steelers against the NY Giants. Roethlisberger finished 6-for8 for 76 yards and an INT Pittsburgh's preseason won over the G-Men. The best part about the game was the cat fight between Steelers Ike Taylor and Giants Hakeem Nicks.... they were windmilling everywhere, like two school girls.

I love when players swing on other guys with helmets on, don't you?



A couple of guys got JACKED UP this weekend. First, it was Bengals WR, who took a vicious hit and was woozy afterward against the Philadelphia Eagles.

We know it's only preseason but when that adrenaline gets to rushing, there's nothing you can do to stop that momentum. Shout out to Ocho Cinco for getting up without help.



ESPN's Tim Cowlishaw tweeted some encouraging new for Jets fans over the weekend:


That's great news! Too bad Adam Schefter and Peter King don't seem to agree with this tweet. I dunno about you, but I'd take Schefter word over any other NFL insider. Not sure how Cowlishaw, of all people, would be the one to get such important news. But we'll see how this fares by the end of the week.

And finally... Brett Favre got a nice "Welcome Back" greeting from the San Francisco 49ers last night. Favre played just 4 series, and this was the main reason why:



Old Man Favre went down faster than Hookers At The Point. The Vikings had NO answer for Patrick Willis' stunt up the middle. I'm sure Favre expected a warmer welcome than that. In any event, the 49ers fans (and other fans that are over the Favre drama) were elated.

What's going on in the world of the NFL? I thought being an athlete in the country's most watched sport, making tons of money means you're automatically cool, right?! WRONG! Guys are rocking the ugliest haircuts- voluntary or not- around the league. Let's take a look at some cuts that are NOT hot in the streets:


Guys Who Purposely Mutilated Their Hair




I used to think Tom Brady was sexy as hell, but now he looks like a grown ass Justin Bieber stan. I guess if Gisele likes it, I love it... but I really don't. This haircut SUCKS!




Y'all know I never like to say anything bad about my boo, Philip Rivers. But ummm... he looks like Remy from the movie, "Higher Learning". Not a good look.




Guys Won't Didn't Ask For The Fugly Cuts!




Poor Tim Tebow. The rookie QB got a Statue of Liberty haircut as part of his hazing with the Denver Broncos. Actually, it looks like a halo, to model his Christian roots. Either way, Tebow took his ugly haircut well.




Cowboys offensive lineman Doug Free didn't look too happy with his hazing haircut in 2007. At least Tebow has the halo look. Dude has a half and half...... I'd be mad too.



Flashback Fugly Cut:

Before Chad Ocho Cinco legally changed his name, Chad JOHNSON was a big time fugly cut offender. Rocking this blond mohawk thingy was in his earlier attention whoring stages. He has all the attention he needs now with his Twitter page, iPhone app and reality show. But before he was the bald headed handsome guy, he was..... this:






A reformed fugly haircut wearer he looks like an extra in the movie, "Meteor Man" (if you don't know what movie that is, you didn't miss much, trust me)...... thank God for turnarounds.

In case you missed, former Pats LB and current ESPN Analyst Tedy Bruschi voices his opinion loud and clear about the Vikings: He's lost respect for them.

Bruschi says the way they handled the you-know-who situation was poor (I will not say his name on my blog anymore until he is OFFICIALLY retired). He thinks that players shouldn't have to be begged and wooed by other players to be "in" or "out" of the game. He also says he thinks the Green Bay Packers are now the class of that division, now, whether Favre plays or not.

Former Giants LB Antonio Pierce also chimes in his thoughts, saying that sending players instead of front office guys was risky, in bring you-know-know back onto the team.

While everyone is feeling so happy that he's back, I actually feel bad for Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. Clearly the team doesn't feel that either are a viable option to lead this team to another conference championship. I wonder if either of them thought about pulling a Glen Coffee on the Vikes? That'll show 'em!

I received a lot of feedback from my Rank Em' Running backs post that I did a couple of weeks ago. So I decided to keep the party going.

The one thing that's important in the NFL is the Quarterback position. If your team has any chance of making the playoffs, the QB position is one of the most important pieces needed. Of course, we've seen good teams that had sub par QBs (My 2000 Ravens is one that comes to mind), but you can't consistently win without a durable leader.

I've some up with my list of the top 20 QBs currently in the league. Of course, these are the thoughts and opinions of your girl, The NFL Chick.

1. Drew Brees, Saints- I don't think anyone had as great a year as Drew Brees did in 2009. He lead the league in QB Rating, completion % and TDs. But he also won the biggest prize, Super Bowl MVP in the Saints win over the Colts. With his core group returning for 2010, I don't see why he'll drop off in 2010.

2. Peyton Manning , Colts- We all know as long as Peyton Manning is behind center, he'll always be a Top 3 QB. The 2009 NFL MVP is a true student of the game and no matter who he throws to, he always comes out smelling like roses. I could give you stats all day, but it's no need. Dude is still awesome at what he does, which is picking defenses apart

3. Aaron Rodgers, Packers- I believe this is the year Rodgers breaks the Top 3 QB discussion. While I think Tom Brady will have a very good year, I think Aaron Rodgers will have a slightly better one. Green Bay looks very promising this year and it all starts with Rodgers. Brett who???

4. Tom Brady, Patriots- Tom Brady wasn't the Tom Brady we knew in 2009. But I also have to remind myself that Brady's knee injury can sometimes have a 2 year turnaround. Remember, Wes Welker and Randy Moss is still on this team. As long as they are healthy, he'll be just fine. I expect to see Brady return to the QB we all know and love (or hate)

5. Philip Rivers, Chargers-

Everyone KNOWS how I love Philip so. Vincent Jackson holding out does hurt River's numbers, but Rivers is good enough to make others shine, not the other way around. Malcolm Floyd is a very good WR who will see more reps in VJ's absence. Gates was just re-signed to a new deal and the addition of RB Ryan Mathews via draft helps him big time, since he was missing a run game last year. My boo will be fine, as long as his starting left tackle is on the field.

6. Brett Favre*, Vikings- As you can see, I have an asterisk near Old Man Favre's name. Because as of right now, his 2010 playing status is in limbo. But if he DOES play, then Favre will go back to being "The Man" in Minnesota. Only Favre could have thrown a winning TD pass to Greg Lewis. Right.. I've never heard of him either........

7. Matt Schaub, Texans- The AFC is loaded with good QBs, but Schaub is probably one of the most underrated guys in the game. A top 10 QB in yards, comp % and TDs, Schaub is the reason why I think Houston will give Indy a run for their AFC South title this season. Yes, I know Andre Johnson makes things happen. But he doesn't throw the ball to himself.

8. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers- Say what you want, but Big Ben is the one of the best QBs I've seen within the final 2 mins of a game. I've seen Ben stink it up, only to bring his team to a victory within the last mins (I still have nightmares on the Holmes TD catch in the Ravens-Steelers game in '08). Ben is a gamer, a reason why he's a Top 10 in my book.

9. Tony Romo, Cowboys- People love to hate on Romo, but if you look past the hate, he's a very durable QB. With the addition of Dez Bryant, the Cowboys have arguably one of the best WR corps in the league. Kinda hard for Romo to fail. And I expect him to pass pretty easily this season.

10. Joe Flacco, Ravens-

I promise you this isn't a biased pick. I think Joe Flacco has what it takes to be a top 10 QB and this is the year he does it. He has newly acquired WR Anquan Boldin, Donte Stallworth, along with 2 very good TE draft picks in Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson. Oh, and Ray Rice can catch too! Yeah, I think 2010 can be a good one for Flacco

11. Matt Ryan, Falcons- Matt Ryan's 2nd year wasn't epic, mainly because he was injured during the course of the 2009 season. While some people think that Ryan and Flacco should flip in rankings, I don't. That doesn't mean I don't think highly of Ryan, though. His offense is as good as Flacco's, minus the running backs.

12. Donovan McNabb, Redskins- Some may say McNabb's listed too high, Redskins fans may say McNabb is too low. Whatever the case, I think he will be just fine DC. I would give him a better ranking if I had faith in his WRs. I'm sorry if I don't get excited with the likes of Santana Moss and Joey Galloway. But McNabb will make it work. He's a vet

13. Jay Cutler, Bears- Call me crazy, but I see this as a redemption year for Jay Cutler. I don't think we can question his ability. We've seen Cutler be very good (he threw for 45 TD between 2007 and 2008) and even though he was more bad than good in 2009 (league-high 26 INTs last year), I think Cutler finds some old Broncos form with the addition of OC Mike Martz.

14. Carson Palmer, Bengals- Injuries in the past few years have me wondering where Palmer WOULD be, had he stayed healthy. But even with injuries, Palmer is still a good signal-caller. With the addition of Terrell Owens and the drafting of Jermaine Gresham, the Bengals offense looks like they can be explosive.

15. Eli Manning, Giants-

Although the G-Men went 8-8 last year, Manning quietly had a solid year, throwing 27 TD while completing 62% of his passes. Manning needs his WRs to step up this year big time. But I think Manning reminds people this year that the Giants aren't to be overlooked in the NFC East

16. Chad Henne, Dolphins- Henne has all of the upside in the world. Henne's numbers weren't stellar once he became the starter in '09 (12 TDs, 14 INTs) but let me give you two words: Brandon and Marshall. Henne has shown to be a leader on the football field and I expect that to continue in 2010 with the big upgrade at receiver.

17. Vince Young, Titans- As an athlete, I think Vince Young is great. I'm just not as high on his pure QB skills. Young is a leader on the field, which is definitely important. I do, however, question his leadership off-the-field. We still don't know how Kenny Britt will blossom (even though I think he will be a good receiver in the league), but Young is still Top 20 worthy

18. Kevin Kolb, Eagles- Yes.. I think Kevin Kolb is good enough to be on this list. Let's look past the Reed INT, please. That was 2008!! In the 5 games he played in 2009, Kolb completed nearly 65% of his passes. I understand the potential that Andy Reid sees, and it doesn't hurt that DeSean Jackson is on his sideline with him. Give Kolb a chance, people!

19. Alex Smith, 49ers- In my opinion, Alex Smith has ZERO excuses not to be on my list this year. He has Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis to throw to, not to mention Frank Gore to run the ball. I think this is a turnaround year for the 49ers and it starts at the QB position. This is a playoff team in the making. Smith has this year to prove himself, and I think he will.

20. Jason Campbell, Raiders-

Campbell to the Raiders will be good for all parties involved. Campbell needed a fresh start after a rocky tenure with the Redskins. But the Raiders have a lot of good talent on offense that people don't talk about. I think Zach Miller is one of the most underrated TEs in the league. I also think Louis Murphy is a durable receiver. The verdict on Darrius Heyward-Bey isn't in yet, but he's fast, right?!

Let me know what you think. Who did I miss? Who was ranked too high or low? Share your thoughts and analysis in my comments section.

Unless you were under a rock yesterday, then you know by now that football on Sundays have officially made its return. Granted, it's only in preseason form, but it's still football, nonetheless.

Yesterday, the Dallas Cowboys and the Cincinnati Bengals played in the yearly Hall-Of-Fame game in Canton, OH. And even though the starters played no more than 2 series, it was still good to see some type of football on my TV screen. I learned a few things about both teams during that game

People Missed Football... A LOT!
I was sitting at the bar in the Outback restaurant last night, watching the game and eating.... and it was extra crowded in there, more than usual. Tons of folks crowded the area to watch a preseason football game. At one point, the bartender changed the channel to the Red Sox-Yankees game and the bar erupted! As he turned the channel back to football (preseason football, by-the-way), a lady who wanted to watch the baseball game had a BIG tantrum and stormed out of the restaurant. All of the football fans (myself included) clapped and cheered as she made her way to the exit.... did I say all of this was over a PRESEASON football game??? Yeah.. I think people are happy football is back.


The Cowboys Have Depth
The Cowboys backups looked good during yesterday's game, especially on defense. They have some hungry, fast linebackers who are young and could provide depth at a position that has aged a little with the starters. John Kitna is a good backup for Tony Romo, and the RBs looked great. The WRs did a great job with separation. Hell, even Roy Williams decided to catch a ball or two. And let's not forget that Dez Bryant is still on the bench, resting from an ankle sprain. Overall, the Boys have some talent.


The Bengals Backup QB's SUCK!
If I had to choose who would be the butt of all of my awful QB jokes today, between JT O'Sullivan and Jordan Palmer, I'd have to flip a coin. If Carson Palmer goes down, the Bengals season is over!



There is a reason why O'Sullivan is on his 8th team in his 8th season. It's because he's just not that good.... He buckles under any kind of pressure and he throws INTs. To make matters worse, Jordan Palmer (Carson's younger brother) is right behind him. While Jordan throws the ball the same way as his big brother Carson, he definitely doesn't get the same results. Palmer threw 2 bad INTs directly to Cowboys defenders. If I'm Cincy, I'm looking to make a deal for a backup somewhere else. Carson hasn't been the healthiest in the past few years, so this is a major concern.

Carson Palmer May Need Prayer And Aspirin........
if what I saw last night is a staple of what's to come. And no, this isn't about Batman and Robin, AKA T.O. and Ocho Cinco. Palmer's starting offensive line struggled during their 2 series against the Cowboys. ESPN's AFC North blogger James Walker mentioned last week that the Bengals defense was getting a lot of pressure on Palmer in camp, but it continued last night. Palmer was sacked once, and was hurried at LOT.

Memo to the Bengals O-Line: Do you know who your backup QBs are? If you want any kind of special season this year, then I suggest you take care of your bread and butter, which is Carson Palmer. Or else this could be 2008 all over again for you.

In any event, whether it be a scrimmage, preseason game or whatever... I'm just glad football is back on my TV again! The football gods are shining down, and it feels good!

When I originally heard about Victoria's Secret's new NFL line, I was excited! I love Vicki's Secret and I love the NFL, so it's the perfect combination for a girly girl that loves the gridiron, like myself (after all, I AM a Gridiron Gal *wink*). But after looking into the line a little more, I realized that only a selected amount of teams have been picked. The list is, as follows:








Denver Broncos
Chicago Bears
Dallas Cowboys
Minnesota Vikings
New England Patriots
New York Giants
New York Jets
Oakland Raiders
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
San Diego Chargers
Washington Redskins
Carolina Panthers

So of course, I looked at this list with a confused look on my face



Where are my Baltimore Ravens??? Where are the New Orleans Saints??? And I can't believe I'm even asking this... but where are the Indianapolis Colts?
As a regular VS shopper, I feel slighted! And my GGal counterpart, Pigskin Loving Lady feels the same about her Bills not being listed as well. The San Diego Chargers?? The Carolina Panthers??? REALLY?! With the exception of the Cowboys, Redskins and Steelers, I can make a case as to why my team should be listed over the rest of these teams.

I get it. It's about the apparel sales, which ties these teams into being listed. But let's be honest, there are only 32 teams. It's the NFL. I'm having a hard time believing that all 32 teams wouldn't sell their products in their respected markets. The NFL within itself means



The line goes on sale August 10th. For obvious reasons, I won't be buying it. And if I seem to be a bit bitter about it, maybe it's because I am.