Best in the NFC in 2009?

Best in the NFC in 2009?

We're almost midway through the 2009 NFL football season, and it's time to start speculating a bit. Everyone loves to talk about the playoffs and the Super Bowl, surmising which teams have the best shots at going all the way. The AFC has been very exciting, with the Colts playing their best football in several seasons and the Broncos stunning the football world with some very unexpected wins.

In the NFC, some of the teams with high expectations have been doing as well as expected, namely the New York Giants and the New Orleans Saints. Let's take a look at both of these teams.

The New York Giants are unbeaten through the first 5 weeks of football. They've been extremely strong, despite the losses of Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, and Derrick Ward, all key components to the team's offense last season. Guys like Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, and Ahmad Bradshaw have all stepped it up to another level, and this team has been great.

The New Orleans Saints might very well have the best offense in the NFL, and Drew Brees may very well be the best quarterback in the NFL. He makes magic happen every time he takes the field, and the Saints have been virtually unstoppable since week 1 of the NFL season.

Is there anyone else contending in the NFC? Perhaps the Philadelphia Eagles, and of course, the still unbeaten Minnesota Vikings, led by veteran Brett Favre.

Post Game Analysis - Eagles Vs Raiders

Post Game Analysis - Eagles Vs Raiders

This performance made me sick. The Eagles played absolutely terrible football and deserved to lose this game. They came out flat and did not look like the team we expected to see. There weren't a whole lot of positives in this game, but we'll take a look at some of the positives and negatives from the game with the Raiders.

Positives:

- Brian Westbrook. He had nine catches for 91 yards and six rushes for 50 yards. That's 15 touches for a total of 141 yards. He looked much better than earlier this season and made plays when he got the ball in his hands. The Eagles finally got the screen game going a bit and he typically thrives on these plays.

- DeSean Jackson. After a quiet week last week, he came back and had six receptions for 94 yards including a beautiful 51 yard grab. You know he wasn't going to stay quiet for long and it was nice to see him bounce back and make some plays.

- Brent Celek. He continues to contribute to the offense and be a solid tight end. On the day, he hauled in four catches for 75 yards. He's a hell of a player and I love the way he plays.

- First half defense. I think the defense played pretty well in the first half. They were getting a lot of pressure on the quarterback and making him force balls.

Negatives:

- Donovan McNabb. He had such an impressive performance last week but came out against Oakland and looked horrid. It seemed like he wasn't prepared and made a lot of mistakes that a player of his status shouldn't make. When he called for that timeout when the Eagles didn't have any I was absolutely stunned. His head didn't seem like it was in the game and he can't play like this again if the team is going to have a chance to make a run.

- Tight end coverage. I feel like I have to talk about this every week. The Eagles got lit up by a tight end yet again this week. Zach Miller had six catches for 139 yards including an 89 yard touchdown reception. I don't know what the Eagles have to do to get better at this, but something has to be done.

- Jeremiah Trotter. I love the guy, but I still don't agree with this signing. He has yet to do anything for this team but weigh them down. At the end of the game when the Eagles needed a stop on a third and 10, they hit a running back on a short pass and Trotter showed us all that he can't run. The Raiders picked up the first down and sealed the deal. He simply isn't making plays.

- The run game. Westbrook and LeSean McCoy combined for 11 total rushes. The Eagles ran the ball a total of 14 times, but McNabb was asked to throw the ball 46 times. I just don't get why the Eagles refuse to run the ball. The running backs had 63 yards on those 11 rushes so it wasn't like they weren't getting yards; however, the play calling still is heavily loaded with passing plays.

- Offensive line. They looked terrible. McNabb wasn't getting a whole lot of time to throw the ball and it seemed like they were on their heals all game. King Dunlap was getting worked after he was asked to fill in and the Raiders took advantage. McNabb got sacked six times and this isn't something you want when your quarterback is still dealing with ribs that aren't healthy.

- David Akers. He missed two field goals today and if you add those six points on to the scoreboard, the Eagles win. I think he's past his prime, but I still thought he was a solid kicker. He can't afford to miss field goals like he did today.

The Trophy Nobody Wants

Did you hear the news? The Heisman trophy isn't going to be handed out this year. It's true. The committee met over the weekend and said to hell with it. No one wants it, so we're keeping it in the closet.

You're not really surprised are you? Let's review the top three candidates coming into the season. Defending winner Sam Bradford went down in the first game of the year and then was lost again Saturday when re-injuring his shoulder.

Tim Tebow has had a sub par season and a concussion, although he did play a solid game Saturday when the Gators had to have it or they'd have lost to Arkansas.

Colt McCoy has struggled due to interceptions and last week it was the flu and a badly bruised thumb on his throwing hand that caused his worst passing day in his career.

At least Tebow and McCoy still lead unbeaten teams.

The Notre Dame Jimmy Clausen campaign took a hit when he couldn't lead the Domers to victory over USC. Heisman winners pull those games out.

Anyone wanting to anoint Tony Pike of Cincinnati as the best player in the country, really needs to think twice before they speak up. He's having a nice season, but he'll miss at least the next game with Louisville with an injured arm.

It became sexy to put Ndamukong Suh into the debate after ESPN announcers genuflected over him against Missouri. Outstanding defensive lineman, yes, Heisman winner, no.

Case Keenum is a nice story down at Houston and he's averaging 416 yards a game in the air, but the Cougars already have a trophy with Andre Ware for wicked stats back in the 1989. We don't want to do that again.

Don't even bring up Jacory Harris or Matt Barkley's names. Even with a loss to Colorado last week, KU's Todd Reesing is a far better college QB. He's third in the nation at 330 yards a game in the air and an efficiency rating of 152.6 and I don't think he's the best player in the country.

The Top 5 NFL Wide Receivers in 2009

The Top 5 NFL Wide Receivers in 2009

The wide receiver situation in 2009 has been more interesting than any position. Some unexpected names have achieved great levels of success through the first six weeks of the football season, while other big names continue to struggle week in and week out. Will this trend reverse itself in due time, or have some newer names ushered themselves in as the next big names in pro football? Let's take a look at the top 5 wide receivers thus far.

5. Chad Ochocinco. Call him Ochocinco or call him Johnson, the choice is yours. Whatever it is, 2009 has been a revival year for him, as many people thought he lost his touch after a dismal 2008.

4. Steve Smith (New York Giants). While he leads the NFL in receiving yards, Smith is still a newer name on the scene and doesn't win the respect that some of the bigger names to follow will. This, of course, could change after a few more weeks of great football.

3. Andre Johnson. Last year's leader in receptions and receiving yards is having another tremendous year with the Texans. He could easily win the #2 or #1 spot on this list, as they're all really close in talent and numbers.

2. Reggie Wayne. Peyton Manning has been huge in 2009, and Wayne has been the biggest beneficiary here.

1. Larry Fitzgerald. Last year's playoffs hero is picking up right where he left off - with another exceptional year of football for the Arizona Cardinals.

Brief Introduction of NFL

Brief Introduction of NFL

NFL is short for National Football League. There are totally 32 teams in the League, which are divided into two conferences: American Football Conference (AFC) and National Football Conference ( NFC). Each conference has 16 teams, and these 16 teams are divided into 4 competition areas: East, South, West and North. Thus, each area has 4 teams.

The venue is 100 yards long and 53 yards wide. The slender white line in the playing field is called yard line, which is used to help players, referees and spectators to understand the process of the offensive side forward the ball. The most important part of the venue is probably the end zone; it is the area that the score lines of the both sides extend out 10 yards respectively. This area is the scoring area. When the side who holds the ball forwards the ball to the other side's end zone, they get the score.

NFL's competition rules, both sides send 11 team players respectively, one side is attacking group, and the other side is defensive group. The purpose of the attacking team is to forward the ball to the field of the defensive team as much as possible, trying to get scores by crossing the score line into the end zone. There are two methods of attack, the players run the ball forward (rushing), or air pass (passing).

The goal of the defensive side is try their best to defend the offensive of the attacking side and force the attacking group to lose the ball. If the attacking side earns score or loses the ball, each side should change their role, that is, the former offensive side becomes defensive side and the former defensive side becomes offensive side.

Competition is divided into four sections, each section lasts for 15 minutes, and between the first and second section, the third and forth section there are two minutes for break; between the second and the third section there are 12 minutes for break. If player with the ball hit the other side's scoring area, the team can win 6 points, besides, it has an opportunity of place kick, if the place kick crosses the other side's crossbar, the team can own another 1 score, the other kinds of field goal all win 3 scores; if the player with ball squeezed out of the end line by the defensive side, the defensive side can win 2 points. When the ball carrier knocked down by the defensive side for 4 times and has been unable to move 10 yards forward, then the defensive side begin to kick off.

Do You Support Positivity?

Do You Support Positivity?

The latter part of the name stands for the heartbeat of our city. The former is a reflection of a potential messiah for the hungriest fan base in America. The Browns signify the collective priority of Cleveland fans, LeBron's Cavs define what the cities priority ought to be.

The Browns have always and will always be valued the most by the fan base. Yet, the Browns organization consistently leaves an unconditionally-loyal fan base out in the cold. Among the 32 NFL teams, few fail more consistently than ours. Even though the team is on the right path with "ManKokinis" at the helm, another playoff-less season likely awaits. Stop and take two minutes of personal reflection on the Cleveland Browns.

If you are in your mid-20's or younger then honestly consider how many times this team has made you feel good in your lifetime. Were you coherent enough to remember the Steelers lone failure at Cleveland Browns Stadium? Do you recall the Hail Mary to KJ in New Orleans? How about the Monday Night Football massacre that left a Super Bowl champion reeling? These wonderful memories are still overshadowed by an agonizing decade of repeated failures. Even minimal success against the Steelers would serve as enough of a reprieve to excite Brown's fans during these trying times.

The reality, fans of the brown and orange, is that of the three teams in this city this organization is the one that gets a free pass. Fans continue unparalleled support even though a Super Bowl will not be a possibility anytime soon. Does that mean it's not coming for many moons? Not necessarily but it's entirely possible.

For those that only see Cleveland and not Browns, Indians or Cavs: you get it. If winning a championship for any ranks above your preference for one; then we speak the same language. Do the Cavs, the clear third priority in this town, garner the bulk of your attention currently? If you're feeling this thought process then you catch my drift. If not then like Braylon you have dropped the ball.

Cleveland fans have endured agony for the better part of five decades but that is no excuse to be bitter. If the "woe is me attitude," associated with Cleveland is a part of the fabric of your being then I pity you. Like all fans, I get emotional, angry and lose sight of what's important sometimes. That is natural but should not be a commonality for anyone. At the end of the day, I make sure to smile after each disheartening moment. I recognize that the special day will come, and all the crushing playoff blows will make our championship celebration legendary. If you don't believe Cleveland's sweet day is on the horizon, then why even watch?

When to Get Hard on the Youth Football Players

There will come a time at some point while

When to Get Hard on the Youth Football Players

coaching your youth football team's season where it feels like the inmates are starting to run the asylum. This is especially true at the younger ages where the majority of the players have the attention span of an earthworm.

I am always balancing fun versus work during my youth football practices. You want to teach the kids and give them the best football experience you can, but you also want the players to have fun. It never seems to fail, but each year the team will have on practice where they start to stray. I believe that coaching is an extension of parenting and at times, we need to show some "tough love".

I have long been a believer that if the team starts to get out of control and stops listening then "hell night" as I call it is in order. I do not believe in excessive conditioning of your youth football players, on a regular basis but when you need to "reel them in" nothing works as good as some old fashion conditioning.

I have found that once the kids believe your threats, they will listen. I do not believe in making idol threats. Every youth football team I have ever coached has listened well because they understood the consequences if they did not. There is no reason to be dictator or run your team as a military unit,but you must maintain some kind of control over the team.

Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great success for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.

Football Cleats, A Product Review

Football Cleats, A Product Review

When buying football cleats there are quite a few things to consider.

First, why do you want a cleat, well cleats are an important step in your playing equipment - when you are only a weekend warrior. Football cleats provide you superior traction when creating cuts and jumping, but not all football cleats are made equal. Because cleats are made differently for different sports, but also position by position.

Next, let's focus on football cleats and what you need to keep in mind when buying.

Shoe Style

Football cleats come in 3 different shoe styles: high-tops, mid-cut and low-cut. High-tops are just that... High. The shoe extends all the way above the ankle and give extra support for side-to-side movement. Of course what you gain in support you might deliver in maneuverability, so keep that in mind. Mid-cut football cleats don't completely cover the ankle but they do give additional support. This style is used by the skill players: running backs, wide receivers and defensive backs. Low-cut are cut below the ankle and are chosen due to their extreme light weight. They provide great maneuverability, but no longer any real support. If you select a low-cut cleat you need to use ankle braces as well.

Cleat Type

There are two sort of cleats: molded and detachable. The molded cleat is permanently relating to the shoe. This type could be worn on most any type of surface, and can double as a multi-purpose cleat. Detachable cleats are studs that're screwed into the cleat and could be removed if the cleat is worn down or to insert an assorted size or shape of cleat. Typically detachable cleats are only worn on grass. Remember, if you select a detachable cleat you need to purchase the proper cleat accessory to remove the cleat studs.

Football Cleats, A Product Review

When buying football cleats there are quite a few things to consider.

First, why do you want a cleat, well cleats are an important step in your playing equipment - when you are only a weekend warrior. Football cleats provide you superior traction when creating cuts and jumping, but not all football cleats are made equal. Because cleats are made differently for different sports, but also position by position.

Next, let's focus on football cleats and what you need to keep in mind when buying.

Shoe Style

Football cleats come in 3 different shoe styles: high-tops, mid-cut and low-cut. High-tops are just that... High. The shoe extends all the way above the ankle and give extra support for side-to-side movement. Of course what you gain in support you might deliver in maneuverability, so keep that in mind. Mid-cut football cleats don't completely cover the ankle but they do give additional support. This style is used by the skill players: running backs, wide receivers and defensive backs. Low-cut are cut below the ankle and are chosen due to their extreme light weight. They provide great maneuverability, but no longer any real support. If you select a low-cut cleat you need to use ankle braces as well.

Cleat Type

There are two sort of cleats: molded and detachable. The molded cleat is permanently relating to the shoe. This type could be worn on most any type of surface, and can double as a multi-purpose cleat. Detachable cleats are studs that're screwed into the cleat and could be removed if the cleat is worn down or to insert an assorted size or shape of cleat. Typically detachable cleats are only worn on grass. Remember, if you select a detachable cleat you need to purchase the proper cleat accessory to remove the cleat studs.

Football Helmet Wall Decals

One of the most exciting additions to the market for football helmet fans is the all decal. These large and dramatic decals are a fantastic way to show your support for your team and make a statement in the room that you are watching the game in.

The decals are incredibly high quality and seem to jump off the wall at you. Even though their size is so large, the detail is exactly what you see on your favorite team's helmet during the game. Whether it is the NFL or college football, you can find one of these large helmet decal for any team.

These helmet decals make are great for the basement game room or kids bedrooms. Along with the helmet, you can get a larger than life decal of your favorite player for that team. Any kid would be lucky to have this in their room

The decals are removable and do not leave a mark on the wall after they are removed. They are heavy duty and do not tear easily when you are moving them from one spot to another. You can have the decal up just for the game and take it down and store it after.

Mini Football Helmets

NFL football and college football continue to grow and are now dominating the sports scene world wide. Probably the most recognizable piece of a football player's equipment has always been the football helmets that they wear with the team logo proudly displayed. The helmets have been an object of desire for sports fans for years and the business of selling those replica helmets has been booming through many dealers on the internet. Whether you want to support your favorite team or want to collect them all can bring the game into your home.

The Mini Football Helmets are a fantastic item for the fan that either can not afford the full size helmet or doesn't have the room. Many places are even offering NFL mini helmets signed by their favorite player and mounted and displayed in a protective cased if the owner desires. The college football mini helmets are offered for all all college football teams teams and are an amazing replica of the helmets you see on the players on Saturday afternoon.

The mini football helmet can be a fantastic Christmas, Father's Day, or Birthday present for collectors and non-collectors alike. They can be added to the existing collection of memorabilia of your favorite teams. We all have a party for that big game. Why not put a mini football helmet on the snack table to really show your support. At tailgate parties you will be the envy of the other tailgaters when you display the actual helmets of the two teams who will be playing.

Post Game Analysis - Eagles Vs Raiders

This performance made me sick. The Eagles played absolutely terrible football and deserved to lose this game. They came out flat and did not look like the team we expected to see. There weren't a whole lot of positives in this game, but we'll take a look at some of the positives and negatives from the game with the Raiders.

Positives:

- Brian Westbrook. He had nine catches for 91 yards and six rushes for 50 yards. That's 15 touches for a total of 141 yards. He looked much better than earlier this season and made plays when he got the ball in his hands. The Eagles finally got the screen game going a bit and he typically thrives on these plays.

- DeSean Jackson. After a quiet week last week, he came back and had six receptions for 94 yards including a beautiful 51 yard grab. You know he wasn't going to stay quiet for long and it was nice to see him bounce back and make some plays.

- Brent Celek. He continues to contribute to the offense and be a solid tight end. On the day, he hauled in four catches for 75 yards. He's a hell of a player and I love the way he plays.

- First half defense. I think the defense played pretty well in the first half. They were getting a lot of pressure on the quarterback and making him force balls.

Negatives:

- Donovan McNabb. He had such an impressive performance last week but came out against Oakland and looked horrid. It seemed like he wasn't prepared and made a lot of mistakes that a player of his status shouldn't make. When he called for that timeout when the Eagles didn't have any I was absolutely stunned. His head didn't seem like it was in the game and he can't play like this again if the team is going to have a chance to make a run.

- Tight end coverage. I feel like I have to talk about this every week. The Eagles got lit up by a tight end yet again this week. Zach Miller had six catches for 139 yards including an 89 yard touchdown reception. I don't know what the Eagles have to do to get better at this, but something has to be done.

- Jeremiah Trotter. I love the guy, but I still don't agree with this signing. He has yet to do anything for this team but weigh them down. At the end of the game when the Eagles needed a stop on a third and 10, they hit a running back on a short pass and Trotter showed us all that he can't run. The Raiders picked up the first down and sealed the deal. He simply isn't making plays.

- The run game. Westbrook and LeSean McCoy combined for 11 total rushes. The Eagles ran the ball a total of 14 times, but McNabb was asked to throw the ball 46 times. I just don't get why the Eagles refuse to run the ball. The running backs had 63 yards on those 11 rushes so it wasn't like they weren't getting yards; however, the play calling still is heavily loaded with passing plays.

- Offensive line. They looked terrible. McNabb wasn't getting a whole lot of time to throw the ball and it seemed like they were on their heals all game. King Dunlap was getting worked after he was asked to fill in and the Raiders took advantage. McNabb got sacked six times and this isn't something you want when your quarterback is still dealing with ribs that aren't healthy.

Will the Eagles Make a Trade?

The trade deadline is tomorrow at 4 PM and there is now being speculation as to whether the Eagles will get involved and make some sort of move. When asked about it, Andy Reid said, "We are keeping our eyes open. We are looking."

But are the Eagles really going to make a move here? We know that Michael Vick more than likely won't stick around after this season, but are they ready to deal him right now? The guy hasn't proved anything to anybody, so what type of trade value does he really have? There is an article on MyFoxPhilly talking about five possible players the Eagles could trade for. All the players listed are linebackers (minus TO, sweet joke Fox). However, I don't really see any of them being a good fit. Barrett Ruud is a great player but he is a young MLB and the Eagles don't need a long term solution. The Stewart Bradley injury was so big and we're still hurting from it.

All the other linebackers mentioned are playing in 3-4 defenses where they are currently. It's sad how we've gone through so many options as a solution for the MLB position and just can't find anyone to step up. I thought Omar Gaither was starting to look good but now it seems as though his health might be a problem. Maybe Jeremiah Trotter will come around but what I've seen from him so far, I'd rather not even see him dress.

The Trophy Nobody Wants

Did you hear the news? The Heisman trophy isn't going to be handed out this year. It's true. The committee met over the weekend and said to hell with it. No one wants it, so we're keeping it in the closet.

You're not really surprised are you? Let's review the top three candidates coming into the season. Defending winner Sam Bradford went down in the first game of the year and then was lost again Saturday when re-injuring his shoulder.

Tim Tebow has had a sub par season and a concussion, although he did play a solid game Saturday when the Gators had to have it or they'd have lost to Arkansas.

Colt McCoy has struggled due to interceptions and last week it was the flu and a badly bruised thumb on his throwing hand that caused his worst passing day in his career.

At least Tebow and McCoy still lead unbeaten teams.

The Notre Dame Jimmy Clausen campaign took a hit when he couldn't lead the Domers to victory over USC. Heisman winners pull those games out.

Anyone wanting to anoint Tony Pike of Cincinnati as the best player in the country, really needs to think twice before they speak up. He's having a nice season, but he'll miss at least the next game with Louisville with an injured arm.

It became sexy to put Ndamukong Suh into the debate after ESPN announcers genuflected over him against Missouri. Outstanding defensive lineman, yes, Heisman winner, no.

Case Keenum is a nice story down at Houston and he's averaging 416 yards a game in the air, but the Cougars already have a trophy with Andre Ware for wicked stats back in the 1989. We don't want to do that again.

Don't even bring up Jacory Harris or Matt Barkley's names. Even with a loss to Colorado last week, KU's Todd Reesing is a far better college QB. He's third in the nation at 330 yards a game in the air and an efficiency rating of 152.6 and I don't think he's the best player in the country.

After a 246 yard rushing performance against South Carolina, Alabama's Mark Ingram get's his name in the conversation because there are no other running backs that are stepping up. He's averaging 129 yards a game on the ground.

But right now, in this media hype driven world, Tebow is in the lead by default. The trophy is sitting there waiting for someone to actually claim it. Maybe they'll start this weekend.

College Football - Alabama

There was only one real upset in college football's 8th week of play as 12 of the 20 top-ranked teams put on their muscle shirts and showed what they have, a sure sign that teams have begun to stabilize for their last 4 games.

Only 21st-ranked Texas Tech was caught flat-footed at home by unranked Texas A&M, 52-30. The Red Raiders (now 5-3) were favored by 22 and lost by 22, a 44-point negative swing that sent Texas Tech reeling. The Texas A&M Aggies meant business, piling up a 38-22 lead after 3 quarters, and then outscoring the Red Raiders 14-8 in the 4th quarter.

Texas A&M was trounced 62-14 last week by Kansas State and decided to take it out on Texas Tech. The high score was no real surprise; both teams came in as scoring machines-Tech was ranked 2nd nationally at 41 ppg, and A&M was 19th at 33 ppg. A&M piled up 559 yards of offense and Tech 520; the contest was strictly offensive with a combined 1,079 yards of offense. Exciting, but not good football.

One other upset occurred when unranked Clemson hung in and hung on for a 40-37 overtime upset of 8th-ranked Miami (FL) on the Hurricanes' home field. Miami (now 5-2) was favored 5. Kyle Parker threw a 26-yard scoring strike to Jacoby Ford to win the game. It was big deal for Clemson because the Tigers have been toothless for some time. The win was Clemson's first in 9 tries over ranked teams, and its first win over a Top 10 foe in more than 8 years.

Here are the 7 of 12 teams that put on their muscle shirts looking for more BCS poll support by dominating their opponents in away games:

No. 3-ranked Texas (7-0) over Missouri 41-7, 6th-ranked Boise State (7-0) over Hawaii 54-9, 10th-ranked Texas Christian (7-0) over Brigham Young 38-7 (TCU was favored by 2.5 and won by 31), 11th-ranked Georgia Tech (7-1) over Virginia 34-9, 13th-ranked Penn State (7-1) over Michigan 35-10, 14th-ranked Oklahoma State (6-1) over Baylor 34-7, and 25th-ranked Oklahoma (4-3) over 24th-ranked Kansas 35-13 (this was not an upset as the Sooners were favored by 8 an won by 22).

Three other away game victories by ranked teams were less dominating.

No. 2-ranked Florida (7-0) led Mississippi State 16-13 after 3 quarters and then outscored the Bulldogs 13-6 in the final quarter to win 29-19. The victory was Florida's 17th straight, the nation's longest winning streak. Gator Tim Tebow threw two interceptions for touchdowns; Mississippi State's Johnthan Banks ran one back for 100 yards and another for 20 yards.

No. 7-ranked Iowa (8-0) used a last play 7-yard TD pass by Ricky Stanzi to Marvin McNutt to come-from-behind against Michigan State 15-13. The Spartans had successfully defended 3 downs and led 13-9 before the last play. Iowa has now won 12 straight dating back to last season, the second-longest streak in the nation.

The Hawkeyes are becoming a bigger deal nationally because they have won more close games than a pack of termites at a timber feast. Seven of their 8 victories have been by 11 or fewer points, including 1, 2 and 3-point victories over Northern Iowa, Michigan and Arkansas. Last year Iowa lost 4 games by a combined total of 12 points. The Hawkeye defense has 15 interceptions this year and 9 fumble recoveries.

No. 14-ranked Oregon (6-1) got a lot of help from Washington in its 43-19 victory, which might have appeared more dominate than it actually was. The Huskies managed to let a rusher go untouched on a punt attempt that was blocked and resulted in a loose ball in the end zone that Oregon recovered for a TD. While Washington was rushing to get into position for the extra point, the holder ran it in for a 2-point conversion.

Another Husky drive that should have been a touchdown became a field goal, and another Husky drive ended at 2nd-and-goal and Washington could not get it in as Jake Locker threw an interception on 4th down and the Huskies came away with nothing. Oregon would rush for 259 yards and Washington could not stop them.

Here are the 5 of 12 teams that put on their muscle shirts looking for more BCS poll support by dominating their opponents in home games:

No. 5-ranked Cincinnati (7-0) over Louisville 41-10, 9th-ranked Louisiana State (6-1) over Auburn 31-10, 17th-ranked Houston (6-1) over Southern Methodist 38-15 (Houston led 31-3 after 3 quarters), 18th-ranked Ohio State (6-2) over Minnesota 38-7, and 20th-ranked Pittsburgh (7-1) over South Florida 41-14.

Five other home game victories by ranked teams were less dominating.

Least impressive was 1st-ranked Alabama's block of a 44-yard field goal on the last play of the game by the Tide's 350-pound nose guard Terrence Cody to preserve a 12-10 lead and victory over the unranked 3-4 Tennessee Volunteers. The blocked field goal by Cody, now dubbed "Mount Cody", was his second of the game. The Crimson Tide (now 8-0) came into the game ranked No. 1 in total defense; Alabama's offense, which averaged 34 points a game coming in, got all of its points on 4 field goals by Leigh Tiffin, including a 49-yarder and a 50-yarder.

No. 4-ranked Southern California was lucky to get by the unranked 4-3 Oregon State Beavers. A 63-yard punt return by Damian Williams in the 4th quarter and a late drive that bailed out the USC defense saved the day as the Trojans outlasted the Beavers, 42-36. Southern Cal was ranked 9th in the nation in total defense, but its scoring defense was ranked 41st (the Trojans were giving up 30 points a game). Now you know why USC is beyond lucky to be ranked No. 4 in the country. Think about it, the Trojans gave up 36 points to a 4-3 Oregon State team. The Beavers were the only team to beat USC last year, and they did it at home 27-21.

No. 19-ranked Utah (6-1) went lame in a 23-16 victory over a 4-4 Air Force team. This is not the same Utah team that went 13-0 last year as the only undefeated team in the nation, and then took down Alabama 31-17 in the BCS Sugar Bowl. Utah still must face major opponents in Texas Christian (7-0) and Brigham Young (6-2).

No. 22-ranked West Virginia (6-1) needed a 56-yard touchdown run by Noel Devine in the closing minutes to get by Connecticut, 28-24, and 23rd-ranked South Carolina (6-2) keep a weak 2-6 Vanderbilt team at bay long enough to win 14-10. The 15th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies were idle this week.

Here are two unranked teams still on the move and hoping to get ranked. Central Michigan (now 7-1 and getting more impressive every week) beat Bowling Green 24-10, and Navy (6-2) beat Wake Forest 13-10.

Nebraska, which I publicly identified as a fraud in last week's wrap-up, lost again, this time to Iowa State 9-7 in what sounded like a scrum match. The Idaho Vandals, who had been flying high at 6-1, got crushed by a 4-3 Nevada team, 70-45. Ouch, that was some crash landing; nonetheless, the Vandals are still 6-2 and bowl eligible.

Tell Rudy to crank up that typesetting machine, this wrap-up is finished (just for the record, you have to be at least 65 years old to use the noun typesetting in an article like this; we do it primarily to confuse younger people between downing shots of Jameson).

Top Six Reasons to Be a Bears Fan

1. Chicago
I have lived near Chicago my entire life and my parents grew up in the city. I love going there for daily trips with my family or going to sporting events there. For my money it is the best city in the United States. The lakefront is amazing with the views it provides and the beaches they have are great to go to on a summer day.

2. My Dad
If it wasn't for my Dad being a football fan and a Bears fan I am not sure that I would be one today. When I was younger we would always watch the games together and I loved having something that my dad and I could do together.

3. My Friends
My friends are all Bears fans and I think part of the reason why I am still one today is being able to talk about the Bears with them and watch the games together.

4. Tradition
The tradition that the Bears have is one of the longest in the National Football League. They were there when the league started and many years before it was established. They have had so many great players play for the organization and many memorable coaches through out their history.

5. Walter Payton
Even though Walter Payton was before my time he is still and will always be my favorite player. I have seen documentaries about him and I thought he portrayed the kind of person I wanted to be once I grew up. He also lived in Chicago after he was done playing and believe it or not was the assistant coach at my old high school for the basketball team.

6. I Do Not like the Packers
If you don't like the Packers and you're from Illinois there is really only one team that you can cheer for, and that's the Chicago Bears.

Trade Update

The Bears made a trade today, Friday the 16th, for defensive end Gains Adams from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bears had to give up their second round draft pick in the 2010 draft for Gains which now puts the Bears out of the first two rounds of the draft next year because their first round draft pick was included in the trade for Jay Cutler. Gains Adams is in his 3rd season with the NFL and was the 4th overall draft pick in the 2007 draft by the Buccaneers. Gains played in 37 games with 29 starts in three seasons, recording 124 tackles, 13½ sacks, 13 passes defensed, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

"He's prototypical of what we look for in a defensive end, particularly on the right side," Angelo said Saturday. "When you think of him, the first thing you think of is his athleticism, and obviously you have to have a high level of that to be a pass rusher in this league. We just think that getting back into a scheme that facilitates his traits, given how we feel about our coaches and our defense, makes him a good fit for us."

All the coaches on the Bears seem to be in love with his ability and are very happy with the trade for him. Gains is also happy to be with a winning team coming from Tampa and has a lot of respect for defensive coach Rod Marinelli, which he has only heard great things about. He is signed through 2012 and might be a very good option for the Bears if they can not sign defensive end Adewale Ogunleye and Mark Anderson who both are in the final years of their deals. It is unclear as of now if he will play in this Sunday night game but I will be watching him closely when he does get into the game to see what kind of new talent we added to our team.

How to Deal With Bad Parents on Your Youth Football Team

I used to wonder how some people can be jerks all the time. I have concluded there are just bad people in this world. I assume they live miserable lives, have crappy jobs and are "the glass is half empty" kind of people. These people look to make everyone else miserable and you as the coach of the youth football team become a primary target.

Just because some jerk cannot stand his life or job does not give him/her the right to disrespect you, you're coaching staff or your youth football team. These parents are never satisfied. They are critical of everything, from the offense you run to the way you run a practice. You need to have a game plan in place for when one of these jerks try making trouble for you.

Many times, it has nothing to do with you, but the parents have issues with some other kid's parents on the team. Conflicts from another sport start to creep into your youth football team.

First, have a zero tolerance policy for all parents. Make sure at the parent's youth football meeting you set the rules. Let them know what is not allowed at practices and games. Tell them when they can approach you and when it is not a good time. I have had nut jobs make a scene at games or interrupt an entire practice. I always make myself available before and after practice for any questions.

Second, let the parent's know there will be consequences if they do not listen. Do not make threats just tell them the facts. You have to make sure your youth football's administration will back you up. My favorite consequence is playing time for their child. Nothing shuts up the big mouth quicker than this. You again need to check with the youth football administration and if it is Ok sit the player down. Unfortunately, it does come to this with some idiots.

Third, ban them from all football events. If the situation goes beyond sitting their kid, ban them. I have had Dad's watch the youth football game form their car in the parking lot. His choice since he knew he could not bite his tongue.

Fourth, file charges with the local authorities. I have been threatened just one time in 20 plus years but all it takes is one nut job and who knows what will happen. If anyone makes a physical or verbal threat be prepared to involve the authorities.

I know we have covered the really extreme cases but you can expect some parents to challenge you for a variety of reasons. As a head coach of a youth football team, you need to be ready on how to handle this.

Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.

Key to Success - Forget About the Raiders

Sunday's loss to the Raiders was downright embarrassing. We all know that already. The Eagles know that too, and I'm sure they're going to hear about it big time in film this week. However, the best thing they can do is learn from the mistakes they made and then just forget Sunday ever happened.

The Eagles are about to hit the toughest part of their schedule so thy can't have any chips on their shoulders. They need to focus on the Washington Redskins and picking up their first divisional win of the season. Playing in the national spotlight of Monday Night Football, everyone will be expecting the Eagles to bounce back and prove the team that played the Raiders last week isn't the real Eagles. We all saw the flashes of brilliance earlier this year and know the Birds are truly capable of doing some damage. However, there are still going to be nay-sayers, and this is well deserved. This team team is a giant question mark.

With the upcoming schedule the way that it is, the Eagles need complete focus going into every game from here on out. Against the Raiders, it seemed as though no one had their hand in the game. They were sloppy and made stupid mistakes. If they want to be a playoff contender, the Eagles need to do a total 180 from the team that showed up against Oakland. If this doesn't happen, we're in for a long rest of the season and a lot of disappointment.

The Brian Dawkins Workout

Brian Dawkins has never published his workout regimen. But everyone associated with him claims that he works out harder, and with more intensity, than any other NFL player they know. Dawk himself says that he is a beast on the field because of his "controlled fury", and his workouts are designed to support a chart-topping level of intensity.

"I always heard I was too small and wouldn't last playing football. But I matured and worked hard to enable myself to play at the next level." - Brian Dawkins

Since the details of Brian Dawkins' workouts (especially his off-season workout) are not public knowledge, we'll have to resort to generalities based on the hints he's dropped in the past. Here are the sorts of things he concentrates on:

Build a good base of strength

Dawkins is a solid 210 pounds and stands at six feet tall. This is the typical size for an NFL safety.

This sort of musculature, coupled with the athleticism needed to play the game, takes years to develop. It would be a mistake to merely bulk up without regard to athletic prowess, so make sure not to gain too quickly, and focus on athletics, not strength training.

Quickness and side-to-side movement

Speed is essential. While offensive players can sometimes plow straight ahead and rely on brute strength to gain yards, defensive players like Brian Dawkins are reacting instead of acting. Their speed and agility has to be greater than that possessed by running backs and receivers.

Dawkins says that he likes to get in shape during the off season by running obstacle courses. The details of his setup are a closely-guarded secret, but we can imagine that he replicates football skills as closely as possible, while working on his general physical preparedness (GPP). So, don't complain about agility drills just because they're occasionally boring; the Brian Dawkins workout includes them, and so should yours.

Intensity

B-Dawk is also known to work out with martial artists, as a way of ramping up his intensity to extreme levels. Since it's easy to lose focus during hard, grueling workouts, having other intense individuals along for the ride is a good way to psyche up for an effective workout.

Power

For a football player, strength is useless without the ability to apply it explosively. To develop this sort of power, skew your workout style towards the Olympic-style lifts like snatches, clean-and-jerks, etc. You can even do unilateral dumbbell workouts if you're working out at home and don't have an Olympic barbell.