My Top 4 QBs that Have Something to Prove in 2013

1.)    Michael Vick

I had him on this list last year as well, and here he is again… the 2012 season was nothing short of awful for an Eagles team that was stacked with so much talent.  Vick went 3-7 this past season and 7-6 in 2011 the year that he signed a fat contract extension following his surprising 2010 season.  That means he has only played in 23 of 32 games since signing his big deal and his win-loss record is no 10-13 that is inexcusable.  Sure he had a poor offensive line but he was trying way too hard to make plays, he has lost 9 fumbles the past 2 seasons and his touchdown to interception ratio is 30-24.  That means in 23 games he has 33 turnovers that will not get you wins, he is lucky to have won any games in 2012, the three wins he had were by a total of 4 points and the teams he beat had very good chances of being able to win. 

Since Chip Kelly has taken over for Andy Reid he took a 1 year deal and this season he must prove his worth, he first must stay healthy and be better with the ball, he cannot afford to keep taking the risks that he has been.  What worries me most about this situation is if he falters from the start because I do not think Nick Foles will be on the roster due to the fact that he is not the type of quarterback for Chip Kelly’s offense.  Dennis Dixon was signed not too long ago and he played at Oregon while Chip Kelly was the offensive play caller leading me to believe that he will be the second string quarterback.

Prediction: Vick either gets injured in week 3 or 4 or losses his job just short of the midway part of the season.

2.)    Mark Sanchez

Look who is back!  Another poor season for the Jets starter, he only won 4 games, his record as a start in 2012: 4-10 (I don’t count the Jets win over Arizona a win for him because McElroy was the one who came in at the end and won the game).  Since having won his first four playoff games in his first two seasons and reaching the AFC title game those years he has fallen off, his record since 12-18 that is not what a franchise QB should have as a record.  He has also in those two seasons had 52 turnovers, 36 interceptions and 16 lost fumbles, and in those two seasons he has only thrown for 38 touchdowns, 12 in 2012.  That means 36 touchdowns to 52 turnovers that is not what a franchise quarterback should have numbers wise, I don’t see why he was signed to a contract extension following his pathetic 2011 season.  He has had back to back 26 turnover seasons and 2012 was worse because he had 12 passing touchdowns to 26 turnovers meaning that he had twice as many turnovers as he did touchdowns.

Rex Ryan has stated that Sanchez has to earn the right to start in the 2013 season, and I am glad that he has finally decided to make this decision; he really should have done this last season.  However, Tebow and McElroy are not great passers either, but at least Tebow would have been able to run a better ground and pound attack.

Prediction: Sanchez losses out the starting job in the preseason

3.)    Philip Rivers

The only quarterback with more turnovers the past two seasons other than Rivers is Mark Sanchez, which is some pretty bad company considering how Rivers has had success in Sand Diego before the woeful 2011 and 2012 seasons.  It is hard to pinpoint what exactly has caused this to happen, I think Norv Turner does not know how to handle Rivers who is known for being a trash talker and also a hot head which I have been saying for years.  The lack of a run game or any decent pass catchers could be the reason, but I think Rivers is also partial to blame as well.  The game against the Broncos in which he managed to aide in blowing a 24-0 lead in a loss in the 2012 season, it just seemed like week in and week out he was making poor decisions and lost games.

I think with a new regime in place in San Diego he can flourish and post numbers like he once did before, but considering that he has had little success in winning in recent years it could be a while before he turns around if he even does.

His stats over the last two seasons:

2011 27 touchdowns 20 interceptions and 5 lost fumbles

2012 25 touchdowns 16 interceptions 7 lost fumbles

Meaning a  total of 52 touchdowns and 48 total turnovers

Prediction: Chargers go 8-8, still lacking talent to help out Rivers and his decision making has yet to improve

4.)    Tony Romo

Yup, this may come as a surprise to some, but it should not, especially given his performance in the game against the Redskins to determine who would go to the playoffs, all I have to say on that is how the game was lost, on another pathetic Romo interception.  I have heard people blame other aspects on his bad luck this season; well I can tell you one thing I don’t feel bad because with another big game on the line he chocked yet again.

This is not the first time this has happened, same thing happened in the 2011 season when they could have eliminated the Giants from making the playoffs and actually made it themselves, but yet again they came up short.  I am tired of hearing about the “bad luck” this guy has, he does it to himself, and for those that say he gets put in the spots to win games because of his team’s poor play should look at Eli 

Manning. That man has had some pathetic play from his team from time to time but has found a way to win games, hey Romo you see him two times a year… maybe learn from him.

Prediction: Cowboys falter again….

Should the Jets Trade Revis?

The New York Jets SHOULD trade Darrell Revis... I know that a team that finished 6-10 needs the best players they can get and keep but I think if the Jets trade him they can build a strong team.  Revis is the best corner in the game (no Sherman you are not better than or even as good as Revis) and is easily one of the best players in today’s game.  The Jets are unsure if he will be around after this upcoming season, by trading him they will get high value and also will save money in cap space to bolster the offense that has been nothing short of atrocious the past 2 seasons.

As much as Revis means to the Jets he has held out before and I would not be surprised if he does again, the Jets need to be careful because yet another hold out could only spell more issues for a team that has been sputtering and having issues in the locker room.  His skills are probably the best since Deion Sanders and that is some impressive company, but regardless of how good he is his asking price may be too much and he could walk away after the 2013 season leaving the Jets high and dry.  The Jets are at serious risk of having him walk away without getting anything back, they could make a trade for some solid picks and maybe some players as well. 

I could really see him going to the 49ers, they could land Alex Smith and possibly a 1st round pick if not a 2^nd rounder as well, this would allow the Jets to land a franchise player, he is much more accurate than the incumbent Mark Sanchez, and he also is not nearly as mistake prone as Mark.  If the Jets could land a QB of Smith’s level it would help mightily, and landing extra picks to draft some offensive play makers as well.  Sanchez is a mediocre QB at best, his play has only become worse, Smith has only become better as time has rolled along.

Lastly his health is also a question, he is recovering from a torn ACL, that is hard to return from and be normal the year following the injury.  This should be another concern for the Jets, as much as the fans may not want to hear this it would be foolish not to even think the Jets would not trade him.

Teams Strengths, Weaknesses and Needs Part 2 of 8 (Picks 5-8)

5 Detroit Lions

Strengths: They were ranked 2^nd overall in passing offense and 3^rd overall in total offense, which comes as a surprise considering the team was ranked 23^rd in the run.  Calvin Johnson is a vital asset, he broke the NFL record for receiving yards with 1,964 yards.  They have had some of the best passing yardage seasons as of late.

Weaknesses: The run game was ranked 23^rd, however the team was 6^th for rushing TDs with 17 so they were able to gain touchdowns on the ground but had a difficult time running the ball.  They were 3^rd in total offense and ranked 2^nd in passing offense.   But they are picking 5^th overall, this team needs some help in the run game.  They also had a -16 turnover difference, you can’t win with that.

Needs: Running back, defensive backs and another receiver that can help Johnson.

6 Cleveland Browns

Strengths: Hard to really say what strengths they have this team is having some growing pains, however Trent Richardson is going to help this team for the future.

Weaknesses: Offensively challenged, they ranked 25^th in the league in total offense, they were 24^th in rush and 19^th in passing and had 12 rushing touchdowns which is tied for 13^th last season.  They had 16 passing touchdowns to 18 interceptions which isn’t great but not truthfully awful, Brandon Weeden had some bright showings.  This team needs a lot of help because playing in the AFC North which features the Bengals, 

Steelers and Ravens who just won the Super Bowl is tough.  Not to mention they only scored around 19 points per game.

Needs: Receivers, without any true number 1 man on the roster they will suffer, they need some help behind Trent Richardson and get a tight end as well.  This team has a lot of work to do.

7 Arizona Cardinals

Strengths: Larry Fitzgerald and their hard hitting defense that is it, they had 22 interceptions on defense which was 2^nd in the NFL, and were tied for 6^th with 11 fumble recoveries, and their defense was 3^rd in total takeaways.

Weaknesses: Offensive line is awful, no matter who was the starting quarterback they were taking a beating.  The quarterbacks were also no good, the team ranked 28^th in passing, and the four starters had totaled for 11 passing touchdowns and 21 interceptions and that is inexcusable.

Needs: First and foremost and offensive line, this team cannot afford to let their starting quarterback for next season take the beating they did in 2012.  They really need a quarterback as well but that should come after building an offensive line because that is one of the key foundations for building a solid team.

8 Buffalo Bills

Strengths: Their run game, they were ranked 6^th in the NFL with 2,217 yards on the ground and did have 12 rushing TDs, it is low however it does mean they can build further off of that.  Between Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller they should be able to run the ball even better next year if they are both healthy, and with a new head coach I hope they run the ball more. 

Weaknesses: Quarterback, you can’t have 17 interceptions and have some of those end the game for your team, they ranked 25^th in passing which won’t get you many wins.  Ryan Fitzpatrick is not the answer for that team, he makes way to many mistakes and it shows.

Needs: Bolster the receiving corps and get a new QB, I don’t think Tavaris Jackson can do much if he beats out Fitzpatrick for the starting job.  I think a trade for Alex Smith or Nick Foles would be for the best, Smith has big game experience and he can help the team out.  

Team Strengths, Weaknesses and Needs Part 1 of 8 (Picks 1-4)

1.)Chiefs

                Strengths: Running game, the Chiefs ranked 5^th in the league in rushing, and Jamal Charles ranked 4^th in the league with 1,509 rushing yards, however they struggled scoring touchdowns with only 9 rushing TDs.

                Weaknesses: Passing offense, it ranked 32^nd in the league with only 2,713 yards and only had 9 passing touchdowns to 20 interceptions.  Their offense was atrocious; they only scored 18 touchdowns on the year and averaged a league low 13.2 points a game…

                Needs: Quarterback, if this team had a better QB they would be a much better team, they should also look into drafting some playmakers to play alongside Charles and Dwayne Bowe (assuming he comes back to the Chiefs). 

2.)Jaguars

                Strengths: I really don’t know if they have any… Jones-Drew was hurt for so long that the team was just pitiful on offense and their defense was not that great.

                Weaknesses: Passing still remains an issue for this team, their quarterbacks really are not that great either, Chad Henne had some flashes of great play and then there is Blaine Gabbert who hasn’t played up to what people thought he could have.  However to be fair the team does not have any talent outside of JMD and Justin Blackmon on the offensive side of the ball to help him out, and Marcedes Lewis the Tight End has a lot of talent as well.

                Needs: Quarterback, Receivers, and defense, this team is in need of some serious rebuilding.

3.)Raiders

                Strengths: Passing game in yards was 8^th in the NFL, however the Raiders always seemed to be playing from behind which has a lot to do with this. When their running back Darren McFadden is healthy he can get it done, but the injury bug seems to bite him a lot. They have speedy receivers as well which can be good, however with mediocre quarterbacking play it really does not help much when the playmakers don’t get the ball.  Their special teams have always been good as well, sadly I think it has to do with the fact they can’t score many touchdowns and kick lots of long field goals and punt a lot as well.

                Weaknesses: Running back health is an issue, as mentions Darren McFadden is hurt quite often.  Quarterbacks on the Raiders really are not to great, Carson Palmer is average, Matt Leinart is a big time bust, and  Terrelle Pryor is still young and what he can do is still unknown.  Their secondary was terrible as well..

                Needs: Cornerbacks, Safetys, Receivers, and yes a Quarterback as well.  They could snag Geno Smith if the Chiefs don’t draft him and with the Jaguars sticking to Gabbert for one more year I don’t think Geno would go their either.  

4.)Eagles

Strengths: Talent on the offense, they have plenty of speed and production, between Jeremy Maclin, Desean Jackson and Lesean McCoy there is plenty of potential and also quarterback Michael Vick. 

Weaknesses: Offensive line and their secondary.  The offensive line was absolutely awful last season, Vick got knocked around way too much and it lead to many bone headed plays such as his hero plays when he threw many picks and lost control of the football.  The Eagles need to protect who will be playing quarterback in 2013.

Needs: Offensive line, Cornerback, Safety.  Secondary needs a lot of improvement, especially playing the teams they have to in the NFC East, and protecting their QB is a MUST.

The 2012 NFL Season in Review

The 2012 NFL season was one of the best in recent memory, from comebacks to Rookie stars shining like never before and one of the greatest the game has ever seen going out on top.  Here is what I think showed what this season was about…

Ray Lewis leaves a Champion in his final game- What a storybook ending to one of the greatest NFL careers ever, his charisma is what has brought the Ravens together for 17 years and made fans of all teams respect and root for him.  He played on some bad offense Raven teams led by the likes of Kyle Boller and Troy Smith and had fell short two times of reaching the big game after winning his first ring in 2000.  He finally won his second ring the other night and his leadership brought a team together to make an improbable post season run beating Peyton Manning and Tom Brady on the road.

Harbowl- It was great seeing two greatly talented coaches in the super bowl, and also seeing two brothers go head to head.  I think that as long as they both coach in the NFL every year on Thanksgiving their teams should go head to head.  After all, Thanksgiving is about family…

Comebacks- Adrian Peterson and Peyton Manning had comebacks for the ages, it is hard to really say which one is better because both are so talented at the position they play.  Seeing Peterson break the 2,000 yard mark and Peyton rattle off 11 straight wins to end the regular season were both amazing to witness in one season.

Rookie quarterbacks- Russell Wilson, RGIII and Andrew luck shined and led their teams to a playoff berth, all three put on a show every Sunday whether it being an electrifying run, a bomb downfield for a score, or a 4^th quarter comeback.  Brandon Weeden and Ryan Tannehill both were sensational at points in the season as was Kirk Cousins who backs up RGIII.  3 or 4 years down the road this class could potentially be the best QB class that the NFL has ever had.

Pistol Offense- This offense has taken the NFL by storm, and nobody does it better than RGIII and Colin Kaepernick who both ran it so well, this may fade out next year, but it really defined what the 2012 season was all about.

Butt-fumble- Probably the worst play in the NFL this season, and also went to show the wild and whacky side of the season as well.  It also summed up the Jets problems, only a play this bad would be fitting for them.

“Tebow-Mania”- Where happened to Tebow Time?!  Poor guy never got a chance, but the Jets fans and fans all over the NFL including myself wanted to see him start and run more plays then the Jets were running him in.  He certainly brought a large amount of attention to the Jets, and really not for good reasons.           

Joe Flacco- Finally reaching the Super Bowl in third attempt to get in, and being successful once he made it, he said he was elite and went out and proved it by winning all 4 playoff games and having 11 touchdowns to 0 interceptions.  Flacco may not always have a pretty game but he gets it done.

AFC West- Broncos were the only team that had promise in that division, and again this year this division was weak, a far cry from most divisions outside of the AFC east

NFC East- A struggle for playoff spots again this year, all but the Eagles were in the hunt and it came down to the final week of the season to see who made it. 

“Fail Mary”- Showing the NFL that yes, indeed the actual refs are needed over the replacements who botched so many calls including this game which Green Bay should have won had it not been for the awful call.

Does this Year's AFC Title Game Affects Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's Legacy?

I do not think that the New England Patriots loss in the AFC title game affected the legacy of the Belichick and Brady combination.  While some may say it does because the Patriots have not won the superbowl since being caught in what was come to be known as "spy gate" I think the opposite.

Since that game they have been 64-15 in the regular season (65-15 if you count that win against the Jets and let us be honest here, I don't think the Jets had a shot there...) so that puts them at a .8125 winning percentage with Brady starting (not the 2008 season is not counted he did not play).  Since that game they have also been 5-5 in the playoffs, counting both losses in their super bowls to the Giants, they have also been 2-1 in the AFC title game.

While one could say that it does not matter the Patriots have been successful since the spy gate that is rather absurd to say because both super bowl losses have come to the same team and the Patriots defense has become soft, and the Patriots never filmed offensive signals.  In fact Brady has had his best seasons since that game including that season when he threw for an NFL record 50 touchdowns, he also ran for 8 more.

The Patriots went 16-0 that regular season and 18-0 all the way to the Superbowl before being stunned by Eli Manning and the New York Giants.  Since that year Brady has still posted career years including a year that saw him throw 36 touchdowns to only 4 interceptions giving him a ratio of 9:1 and his second season of a passer rating of over 110 which is an NFL record.  His TD/INT numbers including 2007 are 187-45 which gives him a ration of just over 4:1 which is difficult to accomplish.

Looking at the Patriots other 3 losses in the playoffs they have 2 to the Ravens including this year and 1 to the New York Jets, The Ravens always play the Patriots hard, and almost beat them in the AFC title game last season and finally beat them this season.  The Jets played the Patriots hard the first two seasons under Rex Ryan and the Pats loss to the Jets happened in the second season under Rex Ryan, and Eli Manning is 3-1 against Brady all time including a 2-0 record in the super bowl.

The point I am making by using that information is that one can simply not say that the Patriots have not been successful since they were caught cheating against the Jets in the 2007 season opener and since there is ZERO evidence that the Pats cheated in any super bowl they have ever played in.

Some may say that this loss against Baltimore has tarnished Brady and Belichick's legacy but I do not think so.  As long as they are together the Patriots will always be a threat to the rest of the league and will be contenders every year, they have been to 4 AFC title games since their last super bowl victory, that is more than any other team in the NFL since the Patriots last won the big game in the 2004-2005 season.

The legacy that will be left behind may be tainted because the Patriots got cheating in the 2007 season, but overall the legacy is 5 super bowl appearances, going 3-2 (3-0 to start), 5-2 in AFC title games (3-1 at home) numerous passing and scoring records and many wins to go along with all their other feats.