What we are talking about:
Eli Manning
Better than his brother?
The L.A. Rams
London game just the start
"St. Elmo's Fire"
Now breaking NFL news
This wasn't a good week for Aaron Rodgers. First, he lost to the Giants in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game. Then, his "discount double check" commercials became the most ill-timed spots since the Jets' Pepsi Max ads. And finally, Miss America Laura Kaeppeler (pictured above moments after Eli's pass landed safely in Hakeem Nicks' hands) said she was waiting for Rodgers to call her. And then once the Packers lost, Kaeppeler said she was just kidding.
Fame, like dames, can be fickle.
The biggest slap in Rodgers' face is Dave Dameshek starting to hedge off his assertion the Packers' quarterback is the greatest quarterback of all-time in Episode 47 of the Dave Dameshek Football Program. Available on iTunes!
So while we wait for this Sunday's conference championship games, let's kick it around. Did the Packers' loss change your feeling on Rodgers? Is he still the best quarterback in the game? Are you still going to take him with the first overall pick in your fantasy draft? Let's talk about it.
With that all out of the way, I am offering you my likes and dislikes for the coming fantasy week and more (mostly more). That's right, Facebook won't give you a dislike button, but I certainly will. And this all will be presented to you in a random, meandering style, which has been glowingly referred to as "teenager on crack chic." Bolded names are my likes and dislikes. My first "like" is my stat man, Bill "Sudsy" Sudell.
Too many disclaimers? You can always check the rankings, but that is a terrible way to waste the final hours of your work week.
My prediction for the Super Bowl is the New York Giants vs. the Baltimore Ravens. I made the call when the playoffs started, and I have no reason to hedge. …
The Playoff Challenge is basically a prediction of the Super Bowl. Play guys who you think are going to win this week so you can at least get double points next week. I've had Eli Manning every week, so I'm looking good if my prediction comes through. The Giants are probably going to win this thing, so I've loaded up with Eli, Hakeem Nicks, Victory Cruz, Ahmad Bradshaw, Ray Rice, and the Ravens' D. I still have Rob Gronkowski, just in case. You can't bench him. ...
Alex Smith won the game for the 49ers. The vaunted defense really let San Francisco down by allowing huge plays to New Orleans, but Smith pulled the team together and won the game with his legs and arm. …
Smith is just one win away from being able to join the select company of "he just wins" quarterbacks, a list which has included some of the worst quarterbacks riding along with good defenses. But again, Smith deserves the credit for the rally against the Saints. …
I often point out Eli loves to blindly heave the ball up to his exceptional receivers. But it really paid off at the end of the first half for the Giants, when Hakeem Nicks made a nice play on the last-second desperation pass. Of course, he's had a lot of practice catching those types of balls. Catching a ball off his facemask should be common to him by now. …
I wonder how much success Smith would have if he had Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham to throw to, and not guys like Teddy Ginn. …
BTW, did you know Smith has seven fourth-quarter comebacks this season? How come he doesn't have the reputation as a winner? As a guy who can rally his team? Giants fans don't want to admit. ...
ImageSo the St. Louis FC is going to play a game in London? Looks like the cessation from Missouri is about to commence. The positive I take from this is now the NFL will only ask the Rose Bowl for seven home dates (I figure they could play the preseason games at the Home Depot Center or better yet, Angel Stadium). As somebody who has lived through such a thing, can you end St. Louis' suffering and make the move right now?
I wonder what my Super Bowl week will be like when the Giants win this week. I'll be in Indianapolis as part of NFL.com Live. Follow the show on Twitter. Being at the Super Bowl will be fun, but it better be good to top my experience at RAW in Anaheim on Monday. …
ImageThe pairing of CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Chris Jericho might have been my favorite tag-team of all-time. If they could have found a way to mix in Stone Cold Steve Austin, I would have considered it a perfect night. Though, Mick Foley made it close. …
ImageI'm bummed I will miss the Royal Rumble traveling to the Super Bowl again this year. A small price to pay, for sure, but it's easily my favorite PPV of the year -- more than Wrestlemania because of the surprise entrants. I'm still predicting Brock Lesnar will show up at the Rumble to set up his program with the Undertaker for Wrestlemania. …
ImageThe first guy to do Brodus Clay's "Funkasaurus" dance in the end zone will be my new favorite player. …
ImageSpeaking of favorites, "Justified" returned on Tuesday. Neal McDonough plays the best bad guy ever. He's always super creepy every time he's on the screen. Has he ever played a good guy? I'm dying to see him matchup with Walter Goggins, which I anticipate happening before the season is over. …
ImageGreat turn by Desmond Harrington as "Ice Pick" Nix. I hope he survived the gunshot. But he should know better than to try Raylon Givens. …
I guess I should put some football back into the mix. If you didn't know, we have mock drafts all over the site. If you would like to check mine, you can find it right here. …
I like Flacco riding the skateboard. What could possibly go wrong? But I'm actually being serious. Quarterbacks need to have a little bit of attitude and disregard in the mold of Jim McMahon. Or like Joey Kane from Eastern State University in the movie "The Program". Kane was at his best when he was riding his motorcycle and pushing the limit. Flacco needs to do some more stuff to at least seem cool. …
ImageFor the record, is "The Program" or "The Chase" Kristy Swanson's best work? Talk about it. ...
I'm super excited about my IFL fantasy draft this weekend because I have the first pick so I'm going to take QB Chris Dixon. I wouldn't even touch Terrell Owens in the IFL fantasy league. …
Having a bye week seems to be a curse in recent years. I was worried about Aaron Rodgers having not thrown a meaningful pass since Week 16, and those fears were proven correct. The Packers are all about feel. There was no reason to sit Rodgers down for the final week. …
I always will wonder if coach Mike McCarthy was worried the Lions would take a few extra liberties with Rodgers, so he took the safe way out. I'm not sure I can fault that thinking. …
The 49ers vs. Patriots wouldn't surprise me in the Super Bowl, either. I liked the 49ers last week, but the Giants have the better offense and better receivers to give them the edge. …
And I say this as somebody who wants the Patriots to go to the Super Bowl and win in Indianapolis. It would put the final dagger in the Peyton Manning vs. Brady argument. It would be over, and there would be nothing Rob Lowe could say to make it right. …
Oh yeah, if you missed this -- we found some fake Rob Lowe tweets which illustrated his lack of NFL knowledge (link). How this makes him different from me, I have no idea, but still. …
St. Louis FC bringing Brian Schottenheimer as offensive coordinator and Gregg Williams to run the defense would have amused me just a few years ago. But seeing how the team's return to Los Angeles is all but certain, this stuff isn't funny anymore. What are
we
you doing, Jeff Fisher? …
ImageThis just in, Judd Nelson is reporting Marty Mornhinweg will be the next coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Although Ally Sheedy is reporting Mornhinweg will be the next coach of the Oakland Raiders. And the blonde bookish gal who beds Rob Lowe in "St. Elmo's Fire" tweeted Mike McCoy will be the new coach of the Dolphins. … a
ImageSadly, Andrew McCarthy is still looking for work. … …
ImageFor the record, "St. Elmo's Fire" is not a sequel of the "Breakfast Club." Although, I first thought "From the Hip" was a sequel to "St. Elmo's Fire," but it's not. …
LaDainian Tomlinson is back criticizing his (soon to be former?) coach Rex Ryan and said the coach should keep his mouth shut. Tomlinson also called Mark Sanchez "pampered" and ripped the chemistry in the team's locker room. And then Tomlinson reminded everybody he's a classy guy. …
It's hard to remember a guy going from one of the class acts in the league to being so lowly regarded without being arrested or having some sort of domestic disturbance. Tomlinson is still the same guy he's always been, but my perception of him is going to be changed going back to the 2006 AFC playoffs when he charged after celebrating Patriots players. …
Imagine how much different the NFL landscape would look if the Chargers had beat the Patriots in 2006. They would have crushed the Colts in the AFC Championship Game and likely have beaten the Bears in the Super Bowl. That would mean Peyton Manning would not have a championship, and Eli would be closing in on No. 2. …
If Eli wins the Super Bowl this season, who would have the better NFL career? This assumes Peyton will never win another Super Bowl, because he won't if he stays with a team which won just two games this season. So who would be the best? Kind of hard to believe Eli is entering this discussion. Of course, he has to win a second Super Bowl. Maybe I should pump the brakes a bit. But it's looking inevitable.
For the record, you can submit your fantasy questions to NFL Fantasy Live, Michael Fabiano or me on Twitter. But realize, NFL Fantasy Live has 37,000 followers, and Fabiano has 40,000. Me? Just 13. See, the odds are better I will answer your question, so hit me up both via Twitter or via Facebook. Also be sure to catch the latest "Dave Dameshek Football Program."
