College Football Pre-Season Top 25: Numbers 10-6

By: David Folz

As we continue the countdown to #1 on our pre-season top 25, today we focus on teams at 10-6.  These teams will be in contention all year in their conference and expect at least one team here to contend in the national championship mix.  With that here are the teams from 10-6.

10. Arkansas- The Razorbacks can light up a scoreboard with the best teams in the nation.  The problem is they also get lit up on defense as well.  Enter John L. Smith, who coached defense as well as any coach in the last decade at Michigan State.  Smith comes in due to the Bobby Petrino motorcycle scandal that cost him his job in the off-season.  Tyler Wilson is back for the Razorbacks, whose offense, even with Joe Adams gone, will still be one of the best in the nation.  It will come down to how well the defense improves especially against the run.  If the Hogs do that this year, then when the Tide and LSU come around, the 24 point blowout losses from a year ago will be a thing of the past.  If those issues persist this year too, then expect a lot of the same, win 9 to 11 games, but lose to Alabama and LSU.

9. Florida State- The assumption here is that Florida State will not stay at #9 very long when they roll into the conference season.  The assumption is that with 15 of 22 total starters back that the Seminoles will roll through the ACC.  Well they made those assumptions last year and FSU fell flat, not even winning the Atlantic Division (that went to Clemson.)  The big reason the Seminoles will need and are favored again this year is a top-10 defense last year returns eight starters this year and will again be very strong.  The other reason is when healthy E.J. Manuel can be one of the best QB’s in the nation.  That is a big if however that Manuel is healthy and a reason why if Florida State struggles, he will not be healthy and a rushing attack that was 112^th last year will be just as pitiful this year.  The questions are on the offense this year again, and could be the difference between a national championship and a Gator Bowl berth.

8. Michigan State- They lost Kirk Cousins, their team leader, a year ago and have only five starters on offense a year ago that had five or more starts a year ago, so how are they ranked 8^th this year?  They will have a top-5 defense until the offense gels together.  Le’Veon Bell will be a running back people may not know about early on, but he will be a big role player in the Spartans winning the Legends division.  It will be telling to see how the Spartans handle all the new skill position players on offense, as everyone besides Bell is new.  If the offense gels, the big competition will be Michigan and whoever they face in the Big Ten Championship.

7. Michigan- The Wolverines open this year with the highest expectations since 2007, Lloyd Carr’s last year at Michigan.  The difference here is that this team has both offense and defense, as six starters return offensively and seven on defense.  Denard Robinson is back for Michigan, which needs his experience in many ways to offset that two new starters are on the front line.  The defense does return seven starters, but none on the line, meaning the early season test against Alabama on week one will provide a look at who is on that front line going forward.  You could say that with Alabama that the Wolverines national title hopes also lay within the first weekend of the year.  If they manage to upset the Crimson Tide, then Michigan is in a prime position for being in that spot, lose and they will be competing for a Rose Bowl.

6. Oklahoma- The Sooners will go as far as Landry Jones goes.  That statement should be the outlier of the year for Oklahoma fans because while Jones was at points one of the best quarterbacks, he was also really average after Ryan Broyles tore his knee last year.  This year for Jones, Kenny Stills is back but it’s also a very inexperienced cast afterward.  Eight players will be back on the defense, who welcomes new coordinator Mike Stoops.  The Sooners defense should be much improved, but they will rely on Jones to get them to the Big 12 title this year.

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Fantasy Nightmare: Carolina Panthers backfield

By: Chad Robbins

For years, fantasy football owners have been shat on by their hopes of coming out with a stud running back named either DeAngelo Williams or Jonathan Stewart.  The two backs obviously complement each other well, but that doesn’t really help for fantasy purposes.  The problem with these two is that there might be a diamond in the rough, but you will have to flip a weekly coin to see who’s going to get you some points.  Both rank somewhere between the 25^th and 32^nd RBs in most leagues because of that purpose, and that was with last year’s statistics.

Add in the Cam Newton factor.  You now have a hybrid quarterback, strong and quick, possessing a cannon for an arm that can eat up to cover-2 or a slow moving CB.  But we are not talking about his arm.  His legs are only part of the nightmare for fantasy owners (unless you have this stud).  In 2011, Newton ran for 706 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns.  14 rushing touchdowns for a QB… If you split those between Williams and Stewart, you wouldn’t be reading this article and I could write about something not as frustrating, like futuristic urinals with no splash effects.

Just when things couldn’t get any worse, this is how the Panthers offseason has panned out.  With Williams having signed a five-year $43 million contract in July 2011, we can finally take a breather on this reverse handcuff running back system.  Stewart would have to get a solid contract from another team and Cam might be able to land a weapon to help out the always solid Steve Smith.  He could go anywhere in the league and I really wouldn’t care because he might actually have some fantasy prevalence. 

This just in: Jonathan Stewart signs to a $36 million deal.  With CAROLINA.  

Makes no sense, right?  Last year, the Panthers went 6-10.  Logically, you would want to improve something to increase your chances for improving your record.  Enter Mike Tolbert.  At 5’9 and 250 lbs or so, you have a human wrecking ball.  Maybe, this plan is starting to come together.  Take away some of the goal line runs by Newton and give them to Tolbert.  Ok.  I get it.  So why keep Stewart?

I guess fantasy owners will just have to pick one and hope that something significant happens in their player’s favor.  Because, like it or not, Williams and Stewart will be together for the next half-decade.  Good luck this year.  Don’t forget to bring your coin to the draft.  Or use a beer cap, it might foreshadow something.  

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NHL Winners & Losers This Off-Season

 

NHL Free Agency Winners and Losers

By: Lauren Burg

Every season teams lose players. That much is inevitable. Many of these teams just hope that they don't lose any key players, stars or leaders of their team. Of course, it isn't always possible to keep these guys because of the money they often demand. Alas, if you do lose one of these players it's bound to hurt. If you lose a player it's likely for them to end up with another team. This essentially means that one teams loss is another teams gain. With free agency now winding down to a snails pace I'm going to give you my 3 winners and losers of the free agency period.

Winners:

 

Carolina Hurricanes

 

Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford went on a huge spending spree this summer, acquiring Jordan Staal from Pittsburgh and Alexander Semin from division rival Washington in just over a months time. Rutherford also acquired Tim Wallace from another division rival, Tampa Bay, and Joe Corvo from Boston. He also made sure to address the Canes future, signing AHL Charlotte goaltender Justin Peters along with AHL forwards Drayson Bowman, Zach Boychuk and Jerome Samson to name a few.

 

In 77 games with Washington last season Semin put up some outstanding numbers, scoring 21 goals, totaling 54 points and putting up an impressive plus-9 rating. He also helps in the Canes' top six forward department, giving new head coach Kirk Muller better defensive forwards to work with. Staal, the brother of Hurricanes captain Eric Staal, also helps to provide Muller with some options on the top 2-3 lines. In 62 games last season with Pittsburgh Staal was often found on the scoresheet, scoring 25 goals and adding 25 assists to total 50 points. He also posted a great plus/minus rating of plus-11.

 

Wallace, in 18 games with Tampa Bay after being acquired mid-season from the New York Islanders, put up three goals, eight points and a decent plus-4 rating. More than that, he gives the Canes a pretty decent third or fourth liner who's capable of producing just enough and also is solid defensively. Corvo, a defenseman, showed he's very good defensively as is expected but can also help out offensively if need be. In 75 games with Boston last season, he scored four goals and added 21 assists to total 25 points. More important, however, was his plus-10 rating because they're numbers that will help the Canes top six forwards flourish by taking the added defensive pressure off of them.

 

Quite honestly, after addressing the team's pressing needs the Canes look to be the early favorites to not only win the Southeast Division but also go deep into the playoffs. That is, if we have a season….

 

 

Minnesota Wild

 

A team that's been just mediocre for what seems like years, the Wild picked a great time to make a huge splash in free agency. They acquired this offseason's top two free agents in former New Jersey Devils captain Zach Parise and former Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Suter, one of the best in the game these days. They also acquired former Ottawa Senators tough guy Zenon Konopka and former San Jose Sharks forward Torrey Mitchell.

 

Parise, after missing nearly all of the 2010-2011 season, was looking to come back strong last season. He did just that, putting up 31 goals and 69 points while playing in all 82 regular season games. Parise also came up big in the Devils' 2012 playoff run, one that ended two wins short of another Stanley Cup, by tallying eight goals and 15 points in 24 games. Suter, meanwhile, was doing what he could to help the Nashville Predators in their Stanley Cup quest. In 79 regular season games Suter put up 46 points and a plus/minus rating of plus-15, both good for second among Predators defensemen. Suter's 2012 postseason was probably less than he expected, as he put up only four points and was a minus-3 in 10 games.

 

Mitchell and Konopka also prove to be good additions because they add some toughness to the Wild lineup. Appearing in 76 regular season games Mitchell tallied 19 points while accruing 29 penalty minutes. Not huge totals but they give him plenty of room for improvement. Konopka, on the other hand, put up five points while accruing 193 penalty minutes in 55 regular season games with the Senators. Obviously, Konopka's not afraid to drop the gloves when need be, something that will only help the Wild.

 

To tell the truth this Wild team has the capability, and now the players, to make some major noise in the Western Conference for years to come. They have a great chance of winning the franchise's first Stanley Cup as well.

 

 

Dallas Stars

 

The Dallas Stars just barely missed the playoffs last season. They then made it their mission to fill last season's few missing pieces by making a fairly big splash during free agency. They did this by acquiring Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney, both veterans with a lot of NHL experience. Another acquisition they made was former Vancouver Canucks forward Aaron Rome. The Stars also made sure to re-sign players they didn't want to lose; guys like Jordie Benn, Mark Fistric, Richard Bachman, Ryan Garbutt and others.

 

Jagr spent many years in the NHL, winning a few Stanley Cups, before spending the 2010-2011 season playing overseas. He returned this past season, signing a one year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. Jagr scored 54 points and put up a respectable plus-5 rating in 73 regular season games last season. Jagr took a step back in the playoffs however, managing only eight points and a minus-5 rating in 11 games. Whitney, on the other hand, never left the NHL, winning a Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 before heading to the Phoenix Coyotes. Whitney led the Coyotes with 77 points and a plus-26 rating while not missing a game last season. He also registered eight power play goals, good for second on the team behind Radim Vrbata.

 

Rome probably doesn't need an introduction as some may remember him for the hit that knocked out Boston Bruins forward Nathan Horton during the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals. He was suspended, probably deservedly so, for the hit but that doesn't mean he's not a good player. He actually put up 10 points while playing in only 43 games last season due to injury. Since that probably doesn't give you much hope let's also look at his 2010-2011 campaign. During that season Rome tallied five points and a plus-one rating in 56 games played. That doesn't tell us a ton except that he can be good defensively. Honestly, with Rome he's got to stay relatively healthy so he can contribute. Then again I think that's the case with any player!

 

With these new additions, along with the re-signings, the Stars should have no problem making it back to the postseason. They also have a good chance of going deep in the playoffs and, though it's a stretch right now, possibly winning Lord Stanley's Cup.

 

 

 

Losers:

 

New Jersey Devils

 

The Devils lost Zach Parise's numbers and leadership, traded defensive prospect Matt Taormina to Tampa Bay and only have Martin Brodeur for another year or two. Yeah, Adam Henrique's a great player and Patrick Elias/Ilya Kovalchuk have leadership capabilities. Kovalchuk also has captain experience, serving as the Atlanta Thrashers captain before being traded to the Devils. However, the numbers Parise puts up when healthy are hard to replace. In non injury-plagued seasons he routinely put up over 30 goals and more than 65 points. Last season, he was the Devils' second highest goal scorer with 31 goals, just behind Kovalchuk's 37.

 

Losing a guy like Parise would be difficult for any team to overcome. However, with Brodeur still aging, Henrique still very young and Kovalchuk's streakiness it might be completely devastating to a team that struggles to score goals as it is.

 

 

Nashville Predators

 

The Preds lost one of their top defensemen in Ryan Suter to Minnesota. Last season, Suter was the Preds' 2nd highest scoring defenseman with 46 points and a plus-15 rating in 78 games. The only Preds defenseman with a higher point total than Suter was Shea Weber with 49 points. The Preds also had to pay up just to keep Weber, something that might end up costing them in the future.

 

Another player the Preds lost was backup goaltender Anders Lindback to Tampa Bay. Obviously, they still have Pekka Rinne. If Rinne were to get injured though the Preds have no proven NHL caliber goalie behind him. With Lindback, they at least knew they had someone who had proven he could put up decent numbers.

 

With these losses the Preds might still be OK next season. In the near future, however, the team could pay for the moves they made this offseason.

 

 

Philadelphia Flyers

 

The Flyers lost one of their top shut-down defenseman in Matt Carle, one of their top forwards in Jaromir Jagr and didn't upgrade their goaltending. They also aren't sure about the status of captain Chris Pronger who was sidelined much of last season with a concussion.

 

Carle, who signed as a free agent with Tampa Bay, put up 38 points and a plus-4 rating while suiting up in every game last season. Meanwhile, Jagr signed as a free agent with the Dallas Stars. Appearing in 73 games with the Flyers last season Jagr put up 54 points and a plus-5 rating. Pronger only played 13 games before being sidelined but still managed to put up 12 points and a plus-1 rating.

 

If that weren't bad enough the Flyers received news in early August that defenseman Andrej Meszaros tore his right achilles tendon while working out in his home country of Slovakia and is out indefinitely. Meszaros tallied 25 points with a plus-6 rating in 62 games last season.

 

Losing key players, whether to injury or free agency, always hurts. However, if you combine that with the Flyers past goaltending woes, the fact they lost one of their top point producers in Jagr and their recent string of bad luck you've got a recipe for disaster.

 

 

 

 

 

 

*All free agent signings were found here: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=636656

 

*All New Jersey Devils stats were found here: http://devils.nhl.com/club/stats.htm

 

*All Nashville Predators stats were found here: http://predators.nhl.com/club/stats.htm

 

*All Philadelphia Flyers stats were found here: http://flyers.nhl.com/club/stats.htm

 

*The Andrej Meszaros news was found here: http://flyers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=639314

 

*Alexander Semin's stats can be found here: http://capitals.nhl.com/club/stats.htm

 

*Jordan Staal's stats can be found here: http://penguins.nhl.com/club/stats.htm?location=/stats2

 

*Aaron Rome's stats can be found here: http://canucks.nhl.com/club/stats.htm

 

**Feel free to contact me, Lauren, on Twitter @TBLightning491 or Daily Shootout, @DailyShootout. **

 

 

 

 

 

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Stick a fork in the Red Sox: they're done!

Written by Fantasy Furnace

The Boston Red Sox ‘fall from grace’ has been extended for a third consecutive year; only this year will end up being the worst of the three. Bad decisions, poor leadership, complacency, and irresponsible signings, have all played a part in the storied franchise’s demise.

After losing to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim back in 2009 in a 3-0 ALDS sweep, the Red sox have been in some what of a free fall ever since with 3rd place finishes in the A.L. East over the next two years. And this season, sitting in 4th place with a 59-62 record, 12.5 games out of first place with just 40 more to play, they have entered baseball’s abyss which could conceivably see them finish in the 5th spot for the first time in 19 years; 1993, the year that Butch Hobson was their manager and their best player was Danny Darwin…

Ex-G.M. Theo Epstein had been responsible for some pretty bad signings since coming to the Red Sox; Mike Cameron, Matt Clement, Julio Lugo, J.D. Drew, and one of his worst, John Lackey. However in the off-season of 2004 he did make one move that was instrumental in turning the team around and ending the famous ‘Curse’ that had been hanging over the team ever since Babe Ruth was traded to the hated Yankees in 1918. And that was the signing of a quiet, non-assuming, relatively unknown manager, Terry Francona. In his seven years at the helm, Francona took the Sox to the Post Season 5 times, winning two World Series in the process.

Ex-Red Sox manager Terry Francona was responsible for leading Boston to their first World Series win in 86 years. Photo: USAToday.com

And then everything started to unravel up in Beantown. The Lackey $82 million signing, turned out to be a bust. In his two years with the club, (’10-’11), he compiled an abysmal 26-23 record and will now miss the entire 2012 season due to Tommy John surgery. This is a pitcher that has won 128 games over his 10 year career and has a 4.10 ERA average over that span. One that never was never worth $82 million! Then there was Josh Beckett and his $68 million contract. Since 2010 he has a 24-23 record to go along with a lifetime ERA of just under 4. Then there’s the highly publicized  Carl Crawford fiasco, a player that the Sox did not need with Jacoby Ellsbury on the roster. His deal was for seven years and cost the Sox an inflated $142 million.

Probably the worst decision that Boston made was the signing of Bobby Valentine. Clearly Terry Francona had ‘lost’ his team due to their complacency and lack of discipline. Who can forget the players enjoying fried chicken and beer while games were being played? It was as if once that monkey was off of Boston’s back and they were able to capture not one but TWO World Series rings, everyone from management on down just relaxed too much and rested on their proverbial laurels. Hard to blame  the players because as with anything in life, success or failure begins with management; whether in large corporations or even the military.

Boston manager Bobby Valentine and the Red Sox were never a good fit from day one. Photo: Sportingbreakdown.com

Valentine, although an able, and knowledgable manager, had previously had success only with the 2000 Mets who he led to the World Series ( and lost) to the Yankees. But even with that success the New York clubhouse was filled with...

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What We Got Out Of Hard Knocks: Miami Dolphins

By: Chad Robbins

Due to the 2011 Lockout and the uncertainty of anything that was the NFL, HBO decided to cancel its Hard Knocks TV series last year. Adding to that factor was that no NFL team wanted to commit to doing the show. 

Who better to follow a show that never was than the 2012 Miami Dolphins?  Full of promise and young talent, the Dolphins will ultimately rise through the ranks of the AFC East and dethrone Tom Brady and the Pats.  The only truth in those sentences was that it is the year 2012. The world may end with Tom Brady on top.  My life cannot get any worse. 

Luckily, the 2012 Dolphins only have a few issues to deal with: offense, defense, special teams, coaching, and the South Florida culture.  Let’s see what HBO wants to look at for each.

Offense

Rewind back to the 2012 NFL Draft.  With the 8^th pick, the Miami Dolphins select Ryan Tannehill, Quarterback, Texas A&M.  Fans only expect him to beat out Matt Moore and David Garrard to start in the opener.  Oh, and to possibly be the spawn of Dan Marino himself.  Take a quick look back at starting QBs for Miami since Marino left: Jay Fiedler, Damon Huard, Ray Lucas, Brian Griese, A.J. Feeley, Sage Rosenfels, Gus Frerotte, Joey Harrington, Daunte Culpepper, Cleo Lemon, Trent Green, John Beck, CHAD PENNINGTON, Chad Henne, Tyler Thigpen, and Matt Moore.  Let’s just throw Pat White in there even though he never started.  Pennington deserved capital letters because he was the only QB that went to the playoffs and fans could stand behind.

But everything will be ok.  Garrard went down in a random “playing in pool with children” injury and is out a month or so.  Matt Moore cracks jokes while he can’t keep his starting job.  Best of all, the #1 searched person from the 2012 NFL Draft is not even a player.  We only got a quick glimpse of a blonde bombshell kissing Tannehill after he was selected.  All Miami fans quickly turned into club bouncers, thinking “well, if she comes with him, I won’t mind watching.”  HBO has no problem showing Lauren Tannehill and Jake Long’s wife, Jackie, whenever the opportunity presents itself.  No one minds. 

Looking at the Miami backfield is another story.  Reggie Bush was a strong player in his sixth NFL season by breaking 1,000 yards rushing. He enjoys joking and doing whatever it takes to stay healthy.  No word really on any of the other RBs (Daniel Thomas, Steve Slaton, & Lamar Miller). 

With the departure of Brandon Marshall, it will be a shit-show to see who will be catching balls in Miami.    The unproven talents of Brian Hartline, Davone Bess, and Anthony Fasano, face off against the young kids; Marlon Moore, Roberto Wallace, Legedu Naanee, and few that will earn a name or be cut soon. 

But the Dolphins are too tame for TV.  We need someone with a Spanish last name that means a number.  There is only one man that can fit that description.  Mr. Ochocinco.  For years, this league joker has been clowning around and answering press conference questions with sarcasm and sincerity.  He looks like he may have cleaned up his act, stayed in great shape, changed his last name, and married a true love, but we all know better.

His world was turned upside-down in the amount of time it takes for him to run the 40-yard dash.  An innocent little act like his new wife finding a receipt for condoms not used with her in his trunk, a verbal argument, and an alleged headbutt, gave HBO viewers one of the most memorable sports disaster scenes to date.  After his short stint in jail from the incident, Chad was set up for national TV failure during a meeting with head coach Joe Philbin in his office.

An awkward Johnson strolls into Philbin’s office and sat on the couch like a dead man.  Viewers knew his time was up.  Fans were already aware of the situation and realized it was another Dolphins catastrophe.  I would’ve preferred for Philbin to handle the situation how Johnson might’ve if they were in different places.  Maybe, a knock-knock joke ending with “you’re fired,” could’ve sealed the deal, but Philbin is a respectful man.  He closed the deal with a few simple words and it was over.  The Chad Johnson experiment will have to wait for another time and another team.  Not only did he lose his job and respect, he lost his new wife and their reality show scheduled for VH1 this year. 

I

Defense

As of now, Hard Knocks has mainly focused on the QB battle and Chad Johnson’s quick rise and fall.  Hopeful CB, Vontae Davis, can barely keep up with third string WRs and pretends to “act” like he’s actually keeping up.  Such a joke.

Special Teams

The Dolphins have a great punter with Brandon Fields.  Fans are very proud of the punting game.  He signed a 4-year contract extension for $12 million.  We haven’t seen him yet.  That’s about it.

Coaching

The Tony Sparano era has ended, ironically, by sending him to the New York Jets as an offensive coordinator, to coach Florida’s greatest college football player ever, Tim Tebow.  WTF.  Whatever, back to Hard Knocks.  New head coach Joe Philbin was the offensive coordinator behind the explosive Green Bay attack from 2007-2011 before taking the Miami gig.  He looks like he means business but we will have to see where takes things from here.  His troubled past from the loss of his son was apparent when his friend Andy Reid also lost his son.  Everyone is giving him a chance. 

Possibly one of the best moments so far on Hard Knocks this year; a players meeting paused for the viewing of the cheerleaders’ video debut of “Call Me Maybe.”  You have to check out the video.

All in all, I would say that Hard Knocks is representing the Miami Dolphins very well.  It seems like no one really knows what’s going on, players don’t really care, there are no leaders, it’s hot as balls at all time of practice, and gorgeous women are plentiful.  Keep on keeping on HBO.  Oh, and Mr. Philbin, help them win, maybe?

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Eli Manning: What Do the Numbers Say (Part 2)

By: Trisity Miller

            Some time ago my fellow writer Michael Samuels II wrote about how the New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is neither an elite quarterback nor is he a Hall of Fame quarterback. I am a person that lives for a healthy debate, so I am here to disagree with Michael on both aspects of a) being elite and b) being a Hall of Famers.

            Let’s take a look at Eli Manning’s career as a whole. In his 8 years as the “Quarterback of the Future” for the New York Giants, Eli has yet to miss a game. His touchdown to interception ratio is 185-129. At first glance, these aren’t stellar numbers, but in Eli’s case the numbers don’t tell the entire story. Yes, he’s thrown 14+ interceptions in all but two seasons and 20+ in two seasons, but we don’t bring down soon-to-be Hall of Famer Brett Favre for the same thing. His regular season play has been his downfall in most conversations though his play in the postseason carries his legacy. 

In 2004, Eli Manning was drafted first overall by the San Diego Chargers. There were 3 other quarterbacks taken in the first around after Manning: Phillip Rivers, 4^th, Ben Roethlisberger, 11^th, and J.P Losman, whom was taken 22^nd. Only Ben Roethlisberger has won a Super Bowl (2) out of this bunch and he played poorly in his first appearance. Outside of Aaron Rodgers, no other quarterback that has been drafted after Eli has even appeared in the Super Browl as the starting quarterback. Eli has won two Super Bowls whilst winning the MVP twice in the game. He’s gone 4-0 in his last two playoff appearances and in each SB appearance has outplayed Tom Brady both times (both included game-winning 4^th quarter touchdown passes from Manning). In the history of the NFL, the only players that have won multiple Super Bowl MVP awards are Brady, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Bart Starr. Montana, Bradshaw and Starr are all in the Hall of Fame and we know that Brady is well on his way. I’d like to also mention that Eli has been very clutch of late. Sixteen fourth quarter touchdowns, which is the most all-time, and eight game winning drives isn’t something that you look over when making Eli’s case.

As critics we often kill players for lackluster regular season play and yes, Eli has had a few seasons that he probably wishes he had back, but as he’s grown so has his game. In the playoffs during his last two runs, which ended in Super Bowl victories, Eli has carried his team in a way that only his older brother Peyton Manning has done once. The relation between Eli and Peyton is somewhat hinders what Eli has done as we’ve, at times, all wanted Eli to be as good as Peyton was aesthetically. He’s not Peyton. He’s not Brady. He may not even be Aaron Rodgers when it is all said and done at the end of his career, but when you say elite you have to mention Eli amongst the Brady’s, Brees, and Rodgers. He could have easily turned out to be Tony Romo, but he’s on a path creating his own legacy and as his career furthers on I feel he will make a definite case as a soon to be Pro Football Hall of Famer. Someone tell Dan Marino, Steve Young and Troy Aikman to scoot over because Eli is coming soon. Will he go above them? No doubt he won’t, but beside them won’t look as bad. 

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Is Your MLB Team Making A Playoff Push: Power Rankings

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Washington Nationals	1
	On Sunday, Gio Gonzalez won his 16th game of the season, becoming the first National to have that many wins in a single season.
	2	Cincinatti Reds +1	3
	Billy Hamilton Watch: Hamilton now has 143 steals on the year. He is just 2 steals shy of Vince Coleman's minor league record of 145.
	3	New York Yankees +1	4
	Last night was Ichiro's second multi-homer game of the season. This is the  first time in his career that he has had multiple multi-home run games in the same season.
	4	Texas Rangers -2	2
	On Saturday, Joe Nathan achieved his 22nd consecutive save, a club record. His streak ranks 2nd in the majors this year behind Chris Perez of the Indians.
	5	Atlanta Braves	5
	In his first 4 starts for the Braves this year, Kris Medlen has a miniscule 1.05 ERA.
	6	Tampa Bay Rays +3	9
	Tampa Bay's 37 runs scored in last weeks 4 game sweep of the Angels is the most runs ever scored by the Rays in a 4 game series.
	7	Los Angeles Dodgers +7	14
	Chad Billingsley threw 7 scoreless innings against the Braves on Sunday night, allowing him to pick up his career high 6th consecutive win.
	8	Pittsburgh Pirates	8
	Starling Marte was placed on the 15-day DL over the weekend, due to a strained right oblique. Marte has hit .253 in 23 games since his callup.
	9	San Francisco Giants +1	10
	Over his last 2 starts, Ryan Vogelsong has allowed 11 runs, more than he allowed in each of the last 4 months.
	10	Chicago White Sox -4	6
	Adam Dunn hit his 400th career home run on Saturday. It was his major league leading 35th bomb of the season. Dunn and Paul Konerko are the only teammates to hit their 400th career home runs in the same season in major league history.
	11	Oakland Athletics	11
	The A's celebrated the 10 year anniversary of their AL record 20 game winning streak on Saturday. The 2012 A's are on a streak of their own, as the have vaulted themselves into the postseason hunt.
	12	St. Louis Cardinals -5	7
	The Cardinals lost a 19 inning heart breaker on Sunday to the division rival Pirates. Jaime Garcia became the first Cardinals lefty since Rick Ankiel in 2000 to have a 10 strikeout, no walks start.
	13	Baltimore Orioles +2	15
	Despite their -43 run differential, the Orioles continue to hold onto the final Wild Card spot.
	14	Detroit Tigers -1	13
	The Tigers fell to the Indians on Sunday 7-5, after taking an early 5 run lead. The Tigers hadn't lost a game all season in which they led by 3 or more runs until Sunday's loss.
	15	Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim -3	12
	The Halos have lost 13 of their last 18 games, and are in dire need of a rain check. Over the weekend, the Angels were swept at home by the Rays in a 4 game series for the first time in club history.
	16	Arizona Diamondbacks	16
	The D-backs won their 4th straight game on Sunday, as they swept the Astros in Houston. They currently sit just 4.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West.
	17	Boston Red Sox	17
	The Red Sox received more bad news over the weekend, as it was announced that Carl Crawford would be undergoing Tommy John surgery.
	18	Seattle Mariners +3	21
	The Mariners have an AL leading 3 series sweeps since the All-Star break.
	19	New York Mets	19
	In his 5 starts this season, Matt Harvey has recorded 34 strikeouts. That is the 3rd most strikeouts through a players first 5 career starts in Mets history. He trails two stars in Dwight Gooden and Nolan Ryan.
	20	Toronto Blue Jays -2	18
	The Blue Jays offense has been solid this season, ranking 9th in the majors in runs scored, but their pitching has been horrible, as their 4.53 staff ERA ranks 26th.
	21	Philadelphia Phillies +3	24
	The Phillies have won 6 of their last 10, and are no longer in the NL East cellar.
	22	Kansas City Royals +5	27
	Jeremy Guthrie nearly no-hit the White Sox on Sunday, en route to a series sweep. The Royals have won 7 of their last 10 games.
	23	Miami Marlins +2	25
	Giancarlo Stanton's 494 foot home run at Coors field on Friday was the longest home run in the big leagues since 2009.
	24	Milwaukee Brewers -4	20
	Aside from Andrew McCutchen, Ryan Braun may be one of the top MVP candidates. He is currently hitting .305/.383/.594 with 33 home runs and 20 steals.
	25	Cleveland Indians -3	22
	The Indians have lost 18 of their last 22 games. They are 10-26 overall since the All-Star break.
	26	San Diego Padres -3	23
	The Padres received some good news last week, as it was announced that a group led by Ron Fowler and Peter O'Malley had purchased the Padres for close to $800 million.
	27	Minnesota Twins -1	26
	Minnesota went 0-10 with runners in scoring position on Sunday, as they were swept by the Mariners at home for the first time since 2001.
	28	Chicago Cubs	28
	Alfonso Soriano hit his 1000th career RBI over the weekend, and is currently enjoying his best season since 2007, his first with the Cubs. He is hitting .262/.321/.490 with 22 home runs and solid defensive ratings.
	29	Colorado Rockies	29
	There is a strong possibility that Jhoulys Chacin will be returning to the Rockies rotation this week. Chacin had a 7.30 ERA in 5 starts to begin the season, before he went on the DL.
	30	Houston Astros	30
	The firing of manager Brad Mills over the weekend was the likely result of the front office and ownership finding a scapegoat for the Astros horrendous season.

Biggest Jump: Los Angeles Dodgers +7

Biggest Drop: St. Louis Cardinals -5

You can follow Justin Millar on twitter at @justinmillar1, or email him atJustinmillar1@gmail.com. Comment below to join the discussion.

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