At Least 10 Questions The 2012 NFL Season Answer

At some point this season every team will have
questions to answer, and some will be or more
curiosity to the typical NFL fan then others.
Whether for the fact that people are curious,
or just because some folks just need a good
laugh, here are some that might come up:

1. Many predict the Patriots to go back to
the SuperBowl, but with the window for the
Brady Belichick beginning to close can that
duo really win another one?

2. Is Time Tebow just a flash in the pan or
will he expose Mark Sanchez for the sub average
QB many think he is?

3. Is CJ2k done? The last two years his yards
have taken a nosedive, is this the real Chris
Johnson?

4. Andrew Luck or RGIII? This will take years
to fully be answered, but who will have a better
1st season?

5. Does Phillip Rivers need someone besides Norv
Turner to succeed, or is it Norv Turner that needs
a better GM than A.J. Smith to finally get the job
done in San Diego?

6. Will the new Oakland Raiders look anything like
the Raida's that Al Davis envisioned in his heyday?

7. Will The Philadelphia Eagles take everything that
has happened to them of the past 12 months and parlay
that into team unity and their 1st SuperBowl Title?

8. Are the S.F. 49ers for real, and will their newest
additions help or hurt what they built last year?

9. How good will Drew Brees and the Saints be without
Sean Payton?

10. Will anyone give Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin the
credit they deserve if they don't make the playoffs
this season?

Bonus: Is Elway a genius or did he make a mistake in
getting Peyton Manning and dumping Tim Tebow?

Many more questions, but these are some of the ones
that come to mind. Let me know which ones you have.

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Mark Sanchez Set For Break Out Year, BUT...............

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

Statistical numbers are a funny thing, they can be
either totally descriptive, or totally deceptive,
but the problem is, all players have them, and you
can't use them to prove how good one player is, and
in turn say that they don't mean as much for another.

Folks are quick to tell you that Drew Brees threw for
a record breaking 5,000 plus yards last season, and
that Tom Brady threw for 50 touchdowns in 2007, but
use numbers to say that a guy like Mark Sanchez has
gotten better every year since he entered the league,
and you'll be met by quite a bit of opposition.
Sanchez has been in the league just 3 years, and I
think his former coach at USC Pete Carrol was correct
when he said that he declared himself eligible for
the draft a little too early, but now as he starts
his fourth season with the Jets I think that you can
chalk up his time served so far as on the job training,
and experience that he probably should have gotten a
little more of in college. His numbers don't lie,
Sanchez's TD's have gone from 12 to 17 to 26, his
passing yards from 2,444 to 3,291 to 3,474 and his
passing percentage has also gone up every year, from
53.8% to 54.8% to 56.7%, and those last numbers are
probably the ones experts respect the most. Though
his Int's also went up from his 2nd year to his 3rd
year, it's really his only blemish, even if you admit
that though his QB rating isn't spectacular, it still
went up every year too.

To me these numbers say quite a bit, but they don't
say he's the next__________. Mark Sanchez can be
just fine being Mark Sanchez, problem is, will the
New York Jets let him? One of the best things that
happened to Sanchez this off season is that the Jets
hired Tony Sparano, but they off set that move as far
as Sanchez's success curve is concerned by trading
for Tim Tebow. The Jets can't seem to decide if they
want to sell tickets first and win later, or win first
and sell tickets later. Of course if they did any
true homework, they would realize that winning alone
will sell ALL of your tickets, so the only thing there
should be to worry about is winning. Tim Tebow CAN be
a very good thing for this team, but that's only if
Tony Sparano is allowed to run the offense with Mark
Sanchez in mind first, and gimmicks later. I believe
that Sparano both can and will, and everything he has
said thus far backs that up. Whether or not HC Rex
Ryan follows that doctrine as well or tries to please
owner Woody Johnson by showing off his new toy is
another issue. Mark Sanchez can and is set to have
a real good season this year, but will the Jets allow
it?

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Ranting With Rizzo Podcast For 2-11-12

If miss the show, then there's always the podcast
to help you keep up with you busy schedule and to
free up your weekends. This is a post football
season podcast, and we try and put a bow on things.
Enjoy the show !




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Mad Stork Sports Podcast 2-8-12

In case you missed the show, here is the podcast of
it from the live show on Wednesday night. Here is
a chance to catch what you may have missed.
The discussion was Giants and Patriots aftermath,
Super Bowl XLVI breakdown and all the chatter about
it since. A little news from around the world of
sports is also included. Enjoy !




Tweet Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

For Manning Family Eli Provides A Little Payback For Peyton

Courtesy BSO
It was never Eli Manning vs Tom Brady, just like it
was never Tom Brady vs Peyton Manning, but you can't
help but see the connection in latest defeat of Brady
that Eli and the NY Giants provided on Super Bowl
Sunday to the "Dynasty" that once was the Patriots.
As I mention in a previous radio show, this isn't like
Mike Piazza facing off against Roger Clemens, there is
no head to head encounter, football is quite different.

Year after year the Brady, Belichick and the Patriots
tortured big brother Peyton Manning in his quest to
win a Championship of his own, but the Patriots always
in some way, shape, or form stood in his way and in the
way of the Indianapolis Colts. By the time Peyton got
his trophy, the Pats had already won three, so though
their was the thrill of victory for Peyton, there were
also far many more tortured nights previous to that.

Now little brother Eli, the lesser talented QB of the
two according to the experts and most of the fans that
follow this great game we call football, had his chance
four years ago at Super Bowl XLII to bring down the well
oiled, undefeated machine that was destined to win once
again, and break a record that had stood nearly four
decades, an undefeated season and a Trophy to go with it.
It was an impossible task, but possible it became.
Now four years later those very same Pats, Brady, and
Belichick had their own chance at redemption just like
all those times Peyton looked for his and finally got it,
except they didn't. Tom, Bill, and even Robert(Kraft)
were once again turned away by Peyton's little brother Eli.
Their would be no redemption on Sunday night for the Pats
with a second chance against the team that ruined perfection
for the them and their fans, but perhaps a little for the
family Manning.

Eli and Tom didn't square off head to head, but Eli did
look like what Brady used to look like and Brady like what
folks thought Eli was, just not quite good enough.
I guarantee you that Eli did not have this in the forefront
of his mind, but in looking back he can, if he wishes to,
consider that he provided Tom Brady and company a little
payback for all the frustration big brother Peyton had to
endure oh so many years ago, and the little brother showed
everyone that even big brothers can use a hand now and then.

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Ranting With Rizzo Podcast For 2-4-12

In case you missed the show prior to the "BIG" game
on Sunday here is the podcast. You get a chance to
see if any of what I said came true, and how close
it was to the truth. Enjoy the show !



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Mad Stork Sports Podcast 2-1-12

The Podcast is here so if you missed the live show
on Wednesday night here is your chance to catch what
you may have missed. The discussion was Giants and
Patriots, comparison talk of Super Bowl and all time
quarterbacks, as well as some odd news from around
the globe in the world of sports. Enjoy !



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Peyton Manning Cleared To Play. Now What?

(AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

It's not my money and it's not my team. Heck I
don't even root for the Colts, but as far as I'm
concerned the answer is pretty easy. Keep Peyton
Manning and either draft Andrew Luck and tell him
to sit back, learn and STFU, or trade the pick for
the giant pirates booty it will probably be worth
to every owner and GM who's drooling over it like
their life depends on it.

Manning is the same guy that took a 5 year $90Mil
extension, when Jim Irsay wanted to give him $100Mil
for the same amount of years. Manning is the reason
the Colts even count as an NFL team. He is one of
the biggest contributing factors as to why the city
of Indianapolis is hosting a such a gigantic event
this week. Peyton Manning has been cleared to play
by the top doctor in the area that has ailed Manning
most, and another Doctor just for good measure.
The Colts went from 10-6 in 2010 with Peyton Manning
to 2-14 in 2011 without him, and the team didn't even
change any major parts.

If money is not the issue, and Irsay says it's not,
the answer is beyond clear. Take into account that
this year there will be a rookie salary cap, so
instead of having to pay Manning his $28Mil bonus,
and a rookie another $18Mil or so, to ride the bench,
the hit will be much less, and you can use that $10Mil
that Peyton didn't want to take from you to see how he
does. If he doesn't work out and you are in love with
Andrew Luck and draft him, he will have spent a full
season learning from one of the best QB's the game has
ever seen, be ready to take over. The would show a
little loyalty, and payback someone who deserves it.
Also keep in mind that you can probably trade the pick,
get a huge return, and still draft a QB just in case
there are any further issues, and yes you can probably
trade into a spot to get RG III, who I would much rather
have anyway.

The Andrew Luck media machine is no different than the
next hot quarterback parade that happens EVERY year.
Looking back in retrospect you might think that these
names are bad examples to use here, but I assure you
that at the time these guys were ready to get drafted,
someone had them up on the board as CANNOT MISS picks.
Akili Smith, Tim Couch, JaMarcus Russell, David Carr,
David Klingler, Joey Harrington, Andre Ware, Rick Mirer,
Heath Shuler, Ryan Leaf, sorry couldn't help myself.
Do any of those names ring a bell? Well I'm afraid
the list will only get longer every year, and I'm sorry
to have to throw this out there but, Tom Brady was a
6th round pick, Joe Montana was 3rd round pick, Roger
Staubach was a 10th round pick and Aaron Rodgers was
picked twenty three spots after Alex Smith.

I can't see how this is an issue, I just can't

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Manning, Rodgers, Brady & Montana

Getty Images

Aaron Rodgers: There is an expression that goes something
like this: "he's getting too big for his britches", and
you can probably apply that to Aaron Rodgers who's gotta
still be feeling the effects of looking like Brett Favre
against the Giants in a home playoff loss at Lambeau.
I am all for making the Pro Bowl a better game, but when
you hear Rodgers say: "I was a little bit disappointed.
I felt like some of the guys on the NFC side embarrassed
themselves....", it makes you wonder if maybe his helmet
is on a little too tight. Loosen up Aaron.

Peyton Manning: Bart Hubbuch of the NY Post tweeted this
earlier: "Peyton Manning made no guarantees last week
about his health, then says this week that he expects to
be cleared. What changed in six days?", and I have to
agree, that is an excellent question, what changed?
You can find Burt at @NYPost_Hubbuch. I'm sure that this
off season will be a little more atomic than just Andrew
Luck, and RG III

Tom Brady & Joe Montana: Monte Poole of the Oakland Tribune
wrote a column and makes a case for Tom Brady being better
than Joe Montana. You buy it? He bring up great points,
but it seems almost sacrilege. Even though he makes a great
point at times I still feel like I would want Joe over Tom
if the chips were on the line. How about you?


Tweet Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

Ranting With Rizzo Podcast For 1-21-12

In case you missed the Pre-Championship weekend
talk, and why I picked who I picked here's the
podcast for that and more. Enjoy !



Tweet Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

Time To Give Eli Manning His Due

AP Photo

I couldn't help but notice how many NFL analysts
and announcers were almost going out of there way
to proclaim Eli Manning as an Elite quarterback
yesterday. By that I don't mean that they were
saying he was a "GREAT" quarterback, I mean they were
all making it a point to use the word "ELITE".

To me this was a clear indication that the fact that
many of you, and even some of them didn't believe he
deserved that title, was a thought that was out there.
The ESPN Twitter feed even Tweeted this after the game:

Eli Manning’s Career Playoff Victims: Aaron Rodgers,
Matt Ryan, Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Tony Romo, Jeff Garcia

You can't help but notice that, that is quite the list,
and that "if" he wins the Super Bowl again this season
this he will either add Joe Flacco to that list or double
up on Tom Brady, and the latter is even more impressive.
For those of you who for years have been of the school
that Peyton is so much better than Eli, and I was one of
you, I will go on record as saying that is has reached the
point that Peyton is still better, but by very, little.
Thing is "if" he does go on to win that Super Bowl, he
will have two titles, and be two for two, whereas Peyton
will have just one, and be one for two.

I've said this before, and it's always worth repeating:
perception is reality, and since Eli does not come off
as one of the more cerebral players in the league, the
initial impression is that he's dumb, and he has clearly
shown that, that is the furthest thing form the truth.
No matter how much you try and avoid that sort of thinking
we are all guilty of it at some point. I guess that works
the other why too. It's probably why I think that Heisman
Trophy winner RG III is going to be a great pro. he is so
polished and well versed ion front of the camera, that he
leads you to believe that he is bright, in command, and
destined for success.

Anyway you want to slice this, he's earned it. I mentioned
in an earlier piece that I wasn't very impressed with the
breaking of Dan Marino's record by Drew Brees, as much as
I think he's a great Quarterback, because of how much both
Wide receivers and Quarterbacks receive these days as opposed
to when Marino broke the record, and yet in the same breath
I will tell you that he finished 67 yards shy of 5000 yards,
and 543 behind Brees, even though Brees had 68 more passing
attempts than Eli, about two games worth really of you figure
the typical QB throws about 34 passes per game. Just for fun
though, if you take that many attempts and multiply it by his
completion percentage, then Eli would have only finished a
mere 223 yards behind Brees, but that's all just speculation,
and theory. What isn't speculation and theory is that Eli is
still in this thing and Drew and that guy named Tebow are home
getting all healed up for next season. Time to step up, Eli
has more than arrived and Giants fans as well as fans around
the league need to now understand what they have.

Is Breaking The Marino Record Impressive?

NFL.com Illustration

There is no question that the record broken by Drew
Brees for the single season passing yards established
by Dan Marino in 1984 is more than impressive.
However, the one thing that comes to mind when you
look at the fact that it was a broken not once but
twice this year and by 2 different quarterbacks and a
third was with in 40 yards of it is the question that
gets asked quite a bit about Quarterbacks these days:
Are they starting to put skirts on these quarterbacks?

In this particular instance when I say skirts I don't
mean just the fact that you can't hit a quarterback
below the knees, above the shoulders, at a certain time
of a day, but also the fact that cornerbacks can barely
even look at a wide receiver let alone defend them.
Make no mistake about it, What Brees, and Brady did this
year as well what Matthew Stafford almost did is still
very impressive. These are all very good quarterbacks,
but although I will wait before I say that Stafford is
ready to them in the elite status company, and yet it
is still impressive nonetheless.

The old saying goes "records are meant to be broken" and
usually when they are most of us are impressed, that being
said when three, or four guys are in line to break the same
record, you have to ask yourself is there something wrong
here? Has the playing field changed? I for one think it
has, and add another old saying goes on to say "defense wins
championships", and though points are sexy I myself would not
mind seeing a little defense once in awhile. I myself grew
up in an era were bump and run play was very prevalent, so
maybe it's not just time to take the skirts off of some of
these quarterbacks but to take them off of some of these wide
receivers as well. though you don't want see anybody get
seriously hurt or hospitalized, keep in mind that a hard hit
every once in a while is part of the game. I mean it is still
American football, right?


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Elite NFL QB's: Not Such A Long List

Getty Images(3)

Depending on the results you get every Sunday the
chatter is constantly changing for a handful of so
called "Elite" Quarterbacks, but after taking a
close look at the starting QB's at present in the
NFL today, the fact remains that there is NO top
ten. Not if you want elites. If you just want to
round off your list, well that's a different story,
but if you want a list of QB's that you would feel
could win you a game if you needed it, then here
they are, and keep in mind that they are NOT in any
particular order, because the truth is that we all
differ in our point of view, but here's a list that
I doubt anyone could question.

1. Tom Brady
1. Ben Roethlisberger
1. Peyton Manning
1. Philip Rivers*
1. Eli Manning
1. Aaron Rodgers
1. Drew Brees

* No Super Bowl Ring

That's it ! No one else! There isn't a single solitary
name worthy of making this list that isn't already on here.
Wanna feel better that your guy wasn't left out, well below
is a list of honorable mentions, but they are NOT elite.
Cry, moan and groan, all you want, but the fact remains
that if your life was on the line, you wouldn't want any
of these guys slinging the rock for you. You're welcome to
disagree. In case you lost track of all the one's I put
there, remember no particular order, you can have fun doing
that yourself, there are SEVEN on that list, 21.875%

32. Matt Schaub **
32. Carson Palmer **
32. Tony Romo **
32. Michael Vick **
32. Jay Cutler **
32. Matt Ryan **

** Not even a Super Bowl appearance

If you combine both lists, you get a total of 13 QB's or
less than 50% of the league, which means that the rest of
the league is playing with a QB that is clearly less than
all that. Yes, there are a few winning QB's off that list,
but just because your team is winning games, it doesn't
mean you can be depended on when the game is in your hands.

Tweet Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

Can The 2011 Packers Succeed Where The 2007 Patriots Failed?

I can't believe this question hasn't been asked more
often than it has. After all the Packers are the
defending Super Bowl Champs, and in 2006 the Patriots
weren't. Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers might also be
having as good a year thus far as Brady did in 2007.
Brady threw for 4,800 yards that season, and Rodgers
in on pace for 5,100. Brady threw for 50 TD's and
Rodgers is also on pace for 50 Touchdowns. Brady got
picked off only eight times in 07 while Rodgers is on
pace for only a shade over 5 interceptions for this
entire season.

The question you may ask yourself though is: Will
they go the Peyton Manning, Colts route and sit the
final game or two if it means nothing in the way of
seed or clinching the division, or will they go
after it hard like the Belichick and the Pats did?
The Packers toughest games are three out of their
next four games, where they to Detroit, on a short
week on Thanksgiving night, and then to New York to
visit the Giants on extended rest the week after
that Thursday night tilt. Detroit is no pushover
this season, but they have looked very human and
less than that since losing to the Niners in their
own building, and getting crushed by the Bears just
yesterday. Still it will be one of their very few
tough games remaining. Beyond those two, I would
like to believe that their matchup against the
Raiders might offer them a tough time, but at
Lambeau in December, maybe not. They will face the
Bears and Lions again in the last two weeks, but
both of those games are at home, and we still don't
know whether or not they will care enough to try.

No one in the AFC shows me that they are ready to
dethrone Green Bay should the Packers make it that
far, but it has been a crazy season at times, and
yes "On Any Given Sunday", anything can happen.

After tonight's drubbing of the Vikes the talk should
definitely start to heat up, the only question is:
Will they play along? I think they do, too much
tradition there to not want to add that to the trophy
case as well.



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Andrew Luck Or Peyton Manning?

Back in September I wrote a piece on how if the Colts
are in a position to draft first in the 2012 draft
and select Andrew Luck, they should pass. I said
trade the pick, get Manning a new weapon, and win now.
Now comes news that the Colts are in a bit of a bind,
in that they have to choose to either trade or release
Peyton by pre agreed to date March, or the Colts will
be on the hook for over 30 million dollars, and
Mannings health is not really getting much better.
It's possible that he may get a snap or two in December,
but is that really a good idea?

I stil think that sticking with Manning is the way to go,
if he's as healthy as he needs to be, but to play him in
order to make sure is a bad idea as far as I'm concerned.
He could get further injured, and just as bad, the Colts
might win a game or two. Why risk losing the top spot?
Whether you decide to pick Andrew Luck or not is pretty
much irrelevant here, what matters is that your season
stinks, and your fans deserve a reward. Choose Luck,
and he either gets to be an understudy to one of the
NFL's greatest or he has the same type of first season
Manning did his fist season, a stinker. Don't choose
Luck and trade down, get value, you have to go far,
team s like the Dolphins, and Broncos will be chomping
at the bit to get a shot at colleges golden boy,
either way you can take a team that wasn't so bad just
a year ago and put your team in a spot to compete again.

It's not an easy situation it's true, but there is a sea
of can't miss qb's in the NFL's past that missed, and
Missed pretty bad. Akili Smith, Tim Couch, David Carr,
JaMarcus Russell, Alex Smith, heck Ryan Leaf almost got
chosen ahead of Peyton Manning, do I need to go on?
You can draft a qb later in the first or second round,
pay less, and still wind up with a franchise qb.
Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Brett Farve, when were
those guys drafted? Not number 1! I say let Manning
heal, put him on IR , and don' t go out of your way to
win. I'm not saying lose, but why jeapordize a spot
at truy stregthening your team for a long time?
"Don't SUCK for Luck", make your own luck!


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