Best And Worst Of NFL Week 16

With one week left to go in the regular season, things are starting to really heat up in the NFL playoff picture. Some teams have already clinched playoff spots, like Denver, New England, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Kansas City in the AFC. Also we have Seattle, Carolina and San Fransisco locking up playoff spots i9n the NFC. But this is still leading to some intrigue as to who gets into the playoffs. Can Miami hold down the last AFC playoff spot with Pittsburgh, Baltimore and San Diego breathing down their necks? Can Dallas and Philadelphia really hold on to their division leads and make the playoffs? Can Dallas get in and be a success without their starting quarterback? A lot of those questions will be answered next week. But first things first. There was some great action in the NFL in week 16 to get us where we are right now. Here's what we got for some of the best and worst from week 16 in the NFL.

Best:
Tony Romo, Quarterback Dallas Cowboys
It appears as if this was Romo's last great run with Dallas this season. Just one week after the bigtime collapse against the Packers, the Cowboys quarterback played the hero in Dallas’ 24-23 win over the Redskins. Romo came back from a third quarter pick to orchestrate his 23rd game-winning drive since 2006, rolling out to find DeMarco Murray on a 10-yard touchdown pass on fourth down with 1:06 left in the game. The late-game heroics gave Romo one final game to write his role in this Cowboys season, as Dallas hosts Philadelphia to decide the NFC East champion in Week 17. But there could be the problem. Romo hurt his back late in the game in the win on Sunday, and it was revealed yesterday that Romo's injury could keep him out for the rest of this season. Will that have a big effect on Dallas on Sunday when they play for the NFC East Title? Only time will tell. But if this was Romo's last start of the year, it really isn't all that bad a way to go out.

Worst:
Offensive Line Miami Dolphins
Miami could have locked it up. They had the playoff spot all but set, that was until they stepped on the field to play the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The ongoing problems with the Dolphins offensive line hadn't really affected the team all that much until this week. The Dolphins line was just bad this week, as the Buffalo defense absolutely dismantled the Dolphins front five (and potentially the team’s playoff hopes), generating seven sacks and 10 QB hits in Buffalo’s 19-0 win. For the Dolphins to hang on and pull this out, they have to have a better effort on Sunday when they host the New York Jets with the playoffs on the line.

Best:
Paytion Manning, Quarterback Denver Broncos
It has been talked about and debated about for a long time now. Is Payton Manning one of the greatest quarterbacks ever? His performance this year is certainly making a strong case for it. The future Hall of Famer all but clinched his fifth career MVP award, setting a single-season record for passing touchdowns by throwing his 51st late in the Broncos’ 37-13 win over the Texans. Manning’s 400-yard game also put him over 5000 yards for the first season in his 16-year career as Denver clinched the AFC West and a first-round bye. Not a bad day. Not a bad,or season for that matter, at all.

Worst:
Alex Smith, Quarterback Kansas City Chiefs
We already knew that the Chiefs had locked up a playoff spot, and they were still in the hunt for the division title. They WERE in the hunt for the division title. KC had to beat Indy to keep those hopes alive, but by turning the ball over four times made that almost impossible. Alex Smith was to blame for some of it, as he committed three of those errors in Kansas City’s 23-7 loss, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble in a game that saw him complete 16 of 29 passes for 153 yards and no touchdowns. Smith, who entered the game with a 23 touchdowns and only six interceptions, put up a 41.3 quarterback rating for the contest, his worst mark of the season. The Chiefs are still a playoff team, that is already a given. But the one day Smith has an off performance it costs KC the Division title.

Best:
Thomas Davis, Linebacker Carolina Panthers
There were plenty of great individual performances in Carolina’s 17-13 win over NFC South rival New Orleans, but the Panthers linebacker set an impressive tone early. Davis intercepted a Drew Brees pass late in the second quarter with the Panthers down 6-0. DeAngelo Williams ran for a 43-yard touchdown on the next play, giving the Panthers a 7-6 lead heading into halftime. Davis, who has come back from three ACL surgeries, finished with nine tackles as Carolina took control of the division heading into Week 17. This win pretty much locked up the division title for Carolina, and Davis was a big reason for that happening.

Worst:
Matthew Stafford, Quarterback Detroit Lions
Here's a quarterback who's been having a rough last couple of weeks. First off he had a bad performance against the Ravens on Monday Night Football. Now the pressure was on the Lions’ franchise quarterback to pull out a win versus the Giants to save his team’s season (and potentially head coach Jim Schwartz’s job). Up 20-13 late in the fourth quarter, Stafford forced a throw to Joseph Fauria which was intercepted for a touchdown by Will Hill. After a Giants fumble in overtime set the table for a potential game-winning drive for Stafford, the Lions offense went three and out as Josh Brown won the game for New York on a 45-yard field goal the following series. this is a bigtime falling from grace for Stafford and the Lions. Detroit still has a very slim chance to make the playoffs, but they have to play a near perfect ballgame against Minnesota if they hope to make the playoffs

Best:
Daryl Washington, Linebacker Arizona Cardinals
How good was the Arizona defense in their team’s 17-10 win over the Seahawks? The Cardinals became the first team to beat the Seahawks in Seattle since Week 16 in 2011. They did so in spite of Carson Palmer’s four interceptions, holding Russell Wilson to 11 of 27 passes for 108 yards with a touchdown and a pick. The Pro Bowl linebacker was the standout of the Cardinals’ D Sunday, making four tackles, a sack and hitting Wilson three times as Arizona repeatedly kept the Seattle offense off the field.

Worst:
Nick Perry and Don Barclay Lineman Green Bay Packers
A crazy game in Lambeau Field between the Steelers and Packers could have gone any number of ways, but two crucial penalties ended up swinging it for Pittsburgh. Perry’s encroachment penalty on a Shaun Suisham field goal attempt with the game tied at 31 with less than two minutes to play gave the Steelers a new set of downs, setting up a Le’Veon Bell rushing touchdown. After a 70-yard kickoff return allowed the Packers to drive to the Pittsburgh 1 with 20 seconds remaining, the Packers’ tackle Barclay jumped offsides on a running play, forcing a 10 second run off and giving the Packers only one more attempt at a game-tying touchdown, which failed.

Best:
LeGarrette Blunt, Running Back New England Patriots
The Patriots back took on the heft of his team’s running game, rushing 16 times for 76yards and two touchdowns in New England’s 41-7 win over Baltimore. Blount punctuated his second score by mimicking the Ray Lewis dance, which is probably a little too belated of a response to the Ravens’ AFC Championship win last January.

Worst:
Dennis Allen, Head Coach Oakland Raiders
The Raiders coach certainly didn’t help plead his case to save his job Sunday with the Raiders’ 26-13 loss to San Diego. The defeat was bad enough, but the fact that Oakland committed 12 penalties in it certainly doesn’t bode well for the second year coach, as the team dropped to 4-11. Jon Gruden might expect an exploratory call shortly.

So that's what we have for week 16. By this time next week we will have our playoff scenarios set and will be ready to rock on the full launch to the Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium

A Very Merry Christmas

From all of us here at Solly & Steve on Sports to all of you, I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a very happy and healthy holiday season. And in the spirit of Christmas I would like to present the following videos.

First up is a longtime favorite of mine, the 12 Days of Rick Jeanneret:


Next up, and not to be outdone, it's the 12 Days of Mike Lange:


And finally I present the 12 Days of Hockey:


So from all of us to all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a very happy and healthy holiday season!

What's Wrong With The New York Islanders?

It's been a pretty rough go of it for the New York Islanders through the first almost three months of the season. Right now, as we get close to Christmas, the Islanders are 2nd to last in the Eastern Conference, with 9 wins and 25 points. The only other team in the conference that is worse than the Islanders is the Buffalo Sabres, as they have the exact same number of wins, 9, but 4 less overtime games than the Islanders.

Things haven't gone right for the Islanders over the last almost two months, with their last win in regulation coming on November 12th at home vs. the Nashville Predators. Since that win, the Islanders have won only twice in the last 16 games and both of those wins came in shootouts (11/16 vs. DET, 12/10  @ SJ). Sure the Islanders have been dealing with injuries, every hockey team has them to deal with. But there's more to it than that as to why the Islanders have been struggling. And lets start from the goaltending out.

The netminders have been doing OK at best. They aren't good, I'd go so far as to say they have looked average at best this year. Even that has been a bit of a stretch. Evgeni Nabokov had to deal with a groin injury and missed a month, but when he has played, he has looked below par from a season ago. Kevin Poulin hasn't been much better. I mean sure he has shown flashes that he can hang in the big leagues, but he has also shown at times that he doesn't look like a big league goalie. Andres Nilsson has look good in the playing time he has gotten this season. That's the best I can say for the goaltending this year.

Now for the defense. With a combination of them and how average the goalies have been, the Islanders have allowed the 2nd most goals against per game in the league, with the Edmonton Oilers the only club that's worse than them. Lubomir Visnovsky, the Islanders best defenseman, has played in only 8 games, missing time due to a concussion. So the bulk of the work load has fallen onto the shoulders of Travis Hamonic and Andrew MacDonald. They have done an OK job, but that's about it. Don't get me wrong they are good hockey players, but if they were on any solid, contending hockey teams like Chicago or Pittsburgh, those two guys would be a third defense pair not your top pair. The Islanders are using rookies and a bunch of throw away guys from other teams. That really can't happen if the Islanders expect to be a playoff team. The defense has to play better and get better.

Next is the scoring. Sure John Tavares is leading the team in all offensive catagories, that is what you expect from your best player. Tomas Vanek has done pretty well since coming to the Islanders in that trade. Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo have been playing pretty well this year. The rest of the forwards though have been a bit of a disappointment. Think about it, Michael Grabner has 2 goals on the year, both of which were scored in the season opener, and he hasn't scored a goal since. He went 25 games without registering a point before getting an assist last night. Same thing with Josh Bailey who went 12 games without a point before last night. This was a big concern coming into the year on offense, not having the consistent secondary scoring. Sure enough that is what has happened to the team this year.

Finally we come to question the effort and the coaching. More often than not the Islanders haven't played a full 60 minute hockey game. It happened quite a bit at the beginning of the season, but over the last month or so it hasn't been there. The full game effort just hasn't shown up. And coaching isn't much better. i know most of the players like Jack Cappuano, but I'm sorry I think he's a little soft as a coach. He just doesn't show much fire on the bench, and teams at times need the coach to show a little more emotion on the bench, as it will get their players more into the game.

How can the Islanders fix these problems? Well coaching, I can't really explain it at the moment. Scoring, the Islanders just have to play relaxed and get pucks on net. Don't worry about trying to make the perfect play just shoot the puck on goal, it will eventually go in. Defensively, the Islanders need to do a better job of picking up their assignments in their own end. There have been too many times where players from opposing teams have been left open in front of the Islanders net to do with what they will with the puck. The Islanders defense has got to do better at picking a man up.

If the Islanders don't start getting their game together, they they will have another very high draft picki in this years draft.

Best And Worst Of NFL Week 15

Week 15 has come and gone in the NFL and things are looking up in the league. The Playoff picture has gotten a little bit clearer this week, with both New York teams, the Giants and Jets, being eliminated from playoff contention. It's become pretty well known that the NFL has turned into the best reality show on television week in and week out. We saw some interesting things go down among quarterbacks this week too. Matt Flynn, Kellen Clemens, Ryan Tannehill and Matt Cassel beat Tony Romo, Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Nick Foles respectively on Sunday afternoon. Playoff consequences be darned, four of the league’s elite quarterbacks played some of their worst football when it mattered most as Seattle and Carolina proved to be the only elite teams to go out and perform as expected. So with all that in mind, lets take a look at the best and worst from Week 15 in the NFL season.

Best:
Jamaal Charles, Running Back Kansas City Chiefs
Charles went into beast mode this week and in a very big way. Charles helped project his team into the postseason by scoring five touchdowns in Kansas City’s 56-31 win over Oakland. Charles was mostly deadly as a receiver coming out of the backfield, hauling in eight catches for 195 yards and four touchdowns, three of which were over 39 yards. He also gained 20 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. Charles could have tied Gale Sayers’ 48-year-old single-game touchdown record with one more score, but Kansas City ended up giving most of the team’s fourth-quarter carries to rookie Knile Davis. The 195 yards Charles had tied him with DeShaun Jackson for the most yards in a single game this week. So yeah he was in a big time groove.

Worst:
Tony Romo, Quarterback Dallas Cowboys
Here's a guy whIo just can't seem to get it done when it counts around this time of year. I'm gonna cut Romo a little bit of slack, because the guy is only human and can't do everything. It’s not Romo's fault that his defense couldn’t stop the Packers from scoring on five consecutive second-half possessions or that his team’s playcallers opted to throw the ball on second down while leading with just over two minutes remaining. But ultimately the Cowboys’ $108 million man is the one on the hook for throwing the crucial interception to Sam Shields that allowed the Packers to craft a scoring drive that brought them from a 26-3 halftime deficit to a 37-36 lead with just 1:34 remaining in the game. There was still enough time for Romo to get the Cowboys into field goal range to salvage a win, but he threw another pick, this time to Tramon Williams on the second play of the Cowboys’ final drive to seal the Dallas collapse.

Best:
Ryan Tannehill, Quarterback Miami Dolphins
This guy has shown a great deal of maturity for a 2nd year quarterback. He is a big reason that the Miami Dolphins are still hanging around in the playoff picture in the AFC. And not only that but Tannehill did something not too many can claim. He out-Brady’d Tom Brady, leading a nine-play, 60 yard drive late in the fourth quarter that ended with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Thigpen with 1:15 remaining to give the Dolphins a 24-20 lead over the Patriots. Brady was able to get his team to the Dolphins’ 2 on the next drive before throwing a fourth-down pick with two seconds left to seal the win for Miami and Tannehill, who was 25-37 for 312 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Yes he is a big reason indeed that the Finns are still very much in the hunt.

Worst:
Eli Manning, Quarterback New York Giants
Here's a guy who's having a bad, bad year. The number 10 jersey, “aw shucks” facial expressions and throwing motion resemble the quarterback who won two Super Bowls for the Giants, but Manning’s play this season has been a horrific exhibit that has to make fans at MetLife Stadium wonder if the old Eli is gone for good. Manning threw a career-high five interceptions – three hurled into tight coverage – in the Seahawks’ 23-0 shutout of the Giants. That brings Manning’s season total to a league-leading 25. While you can blame his offensive line and receivers for some of his misfortune, Manning has to be with fellow NFC East quarterback Robert Griffin III in hoping the next two weeks go by as quickly as possible. He has been playing like a rookie, and Manning has been anything but. He has got to get it together for next season, because facts are this year is a lost cause for Big Blue.

Best:
Zack Bowman, Cornerback Chicago Bears
With All-Pro Charles Tillman on injured reserve, the Bears needed the veteran cornerback to step up and he certainly did in Chicago’s 38-31 win over the Browns. Bowman cut in front of tight end Jordan Cameron for a second quarter interception and then grabbed his second pick of the day early in the third quarter, returning it for a 43-yard touchdown to give the Bears their first lead of the game at 17-10. We all know the Bears have a good defense, one of the reasons they are always a threat to contend in the NFC.

Worst:
Mike Shanahan, Head Coach Washington Redskins
If there is any coach that is going to be shown the door at the end of the season, it's Mike Shanahan. Kirk Cousins made his coach’s decision to bench Robert Griffin III look somewhat defensible by throwing for 381 yards and three touchdowns in the Redskins’ 27-26 loss to Atlanta. Not helping the coach potentially keep his job was his team’s sloppy play, which included seven turnovers, and his failed decision to attempt a two-point conversion to win the game with 18 seconds left in the game. In a game of two 3-10 teams, it wasn’t a terrible call, but the execution certainly didn’t make the coach look any better. Neither did his postgame press conference, which Shanahan abruptly walked out of after being asked a question about team information leaking to the media. His time looks to be up in the nations capital.

Best:
Matt Cassel and Matt Asiata, Minnesota Vikings
Here we got a Vikings team that doesn't have too many stars on their ball club. Of course they have the best running back in the game in Adrian Peterson, but he wasn't dressed and in the lineup for the team Sunday. Who needs healthy offensive starters? Minnesota got a combined six touchdowns from Cassel and Asiata, a third-string back who came into the team’s 48-30 win over Philadelphia with three career carries. In what ended up as a serious indictment of the potentially playoff-bound Eagles’ defense, Cassel, who held onto the quarterback job despite Christian Ponder being cleared following a Week 13 concussion, completed 26 of 35 passes for 382 yards, two touchdowns (along with one on the ground) and an interception while Asiata grinded out three touchdowns despite gaining only 51 yards on 30 carries. It wasn’t exactly Adrian Peterson-esque, but the Vikings put enough points on the board to put a potential crimp in Philly’s postseason plans. Even though the Vikings look out of it, they still put up a good performance Sunday.

Worst:
Santonio Holmes, Wide Receiver New York Jets
For once, this Jet player isn't Geno Smith. In fact it's the teams best receiver Santonio Holmes. Homes called out the Panthers secondary as the Carolina defense’s “weakest link” earlier in the week. If that’s the case, Holmes must not be a very strong receiver as he exited the Jets’ 30-20 loss with just two catches for 14 yards. In addition to the receiver’s meager numbers, Carolina cornerback Captain Munnerlyn jumped a slant pass intended for Holmes and took it back for a 41-yard touchdown nearly halfway through the fourth quarter. Jets quarterback Geno Smith attempted to throw three passes Holmes’ way on the following series, with all of them falling incomplete. Yeah Santonio good job there buddy. If you gonna run your mouth like that, at least have a good enough game to back it up, which you sure as hell didn't do. Thanks for making an ass out of yourself.

Best:
Justin Tucker, Kicker Baltimore Ravens
Thanks to his clutch kick near the end of regulation, the Ravens were able to eliminate the Jets from Playoff contention. Tucker hit a franchise record 61 yard Field Goal near the end of regulation to give the Ravens a 18-16 win over the Detroit Lions. During the game, Tucker became the first NFL kicker to kick a field goal in the 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, and 60's in the same game. Tucker's 61 yard field goal also set the NFL record for longest field goal in a domed stadium. Yeah he was in a groove on Monday Night Football.

Worst:
Garrett Hartley, Kicker New Orleans Saints
Trailing by 11 with 1:51 left in the game against St. Louis, the Saints would have needed to recover an onsides kick and score a touchdown with a two-point conversion to force overtime after a kicking a 26-yard chip shot field goal on 4th and 4. The easy part ended up being too complicated for Hartley, who sailed the attempt wide left, essentially sealing his team’s upset loss.

Best And Worst Of NFL Week 14

We are getting closer and closer to playoff time in the NFL, as Week 14 has come and gone. Week 14 brought us plenty of drama and excitement, plus throw in the weather conditions in Philadelphia, Green Bay and Chicago. There was plenty of good games to feast on this week. Minnesota and Baltimore exchanged five touchdowns in their final 125 seconds. In Philadelphia, the weather conditions prevented two teams from scoring any kicking points for the first time in 56 years but didn’t stop LeSean McCoy from breaking a team milestone that stood for 64 years. Across the country in Denver, kicker Matt Prater booted the longest kick in NFL history.

The latest installment in the NFC West rivalry between the Seahawks and 49ers was decided with nine seconds left on the clock and there were only 31 remaining when Tom Brady threw a game-winning touchdown pass to Danny Amendola against the Browns. Had Cleveland kicker Billy Cundiff put a little more leg into a 58-yard field goal attempt 30 seconds later, that wouldn’t have been enough. And let’s not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers’ failed attempt to recreate the Music City Miracle against the Dolphins at Heinz Field. They didn’t quite pull it off, but it was an incredible effort.

While Rob Gronkowski, Adrian Peterson, Wes Welker and Tyrann Mathieu all left the field with what could be significant injuries, it was hard not to take in Sunday’s NFL action and not be fully entertained. So with all of that going down, here's what we got for some of the best and worst from this week's action in the NFL

Best:
LeSean McCoy, Running Back Philadelphia Eagles
He has been the best back in all of football this year not named Adrian Peterson. McCoy is one of the big reasons that Philly has been able to take over the lead in the NFC East. Nothing, not the Lions or blizzard-like conditions, would be able to stop the Eagles’ star running back on Sunday. McCoy eclipsed the team’s single-game rushing record with a 217-yard performance. McCoy broke two long touchdown runs (57 and 40 yards) and compiled 166 second half rushing yards as Philadelphia maintained at least a tie for first place in the NFC East with a 34-20 win. McCoy was able to beat the elements and the Lions defense to have a breakout kind of day.

Worst:
Jeff Triplette and Dyrol Prioleau, NFL Officials
Every fan in any sport is going to have problems with the refs. We, as sports fans, love to complain about bad calls made by refs. I know everybody remembers the Monday Night game last year with Green Bay and Seattle. This week wasn't so good to the refs either. Referee Jeff Triplette, who came under fire for a botched first down sequence in Week 13’s primetime matchup between the Redskins and Giants, inexplicably reversed a call in the Colts-Bengals game that gave Cincinnati’s Benjarvus Green-Ellis a touchdown run despite him being ruled down on the field (and the replay appearing to show that as the correct call). Prioleau, the field judge in the Browns-Patriots game, flagged Cleveland defensive back Leon McFadden on a very questionable pass interference call in the end zone with 35 seconds left in the game. The Patriots got the ball at the Browns 1-yard line and easily scored a game-winning touchdown. So as you can see, we have evidence to at least support this claims that the refs were having a bad week.

Best:
Jeremy Ross, Detroit Lions
The Lions had a bit of a rough go of it in the snow against the Eagles on Sunday. One of the few bright spots for Detroit was their kick returner, Jeremy Ross. The special teams standout scored two of Detroit’s three touchdowns, returning a punt 58 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter and adding a 98-yard kick return touchdown in the fourth. Ross, who joined the Lions in Week 7, is averaging 33.5 yards per kick return and 19.88 per punt return. He has been a good addition to the Lions, as they hang on to a slim lead in the NFC North, just ahead of the Chicago Bears.

Worst:
Rob Gronkowski, Tight End New England Patriots
You wanna talk about having a rough season, physically. Look no further than Rob Gronkowski of the Patriots. He's been battling injuries all season, playing in only six games. But the injuries have gotten worse for Gronk. It’s going to likely be awhile before the star tight end returns to the field for the Patriots. Gronkowski was carted off the field during New England’s win over Cleveland after suffering a right leg injury on a tackle by Browns safety T.J. Ward. Gronkowski will have an MRI Monday to find out the extent of the damage, but initial fears are that it is a torn ACL. Gronkowski missed the entire preseason and first six games of the 2013 regular season due to back and arm issues. He seems as if he really can't catch a break this year.

Best:
Marlon Brown, Wide Receiver Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens rookie had a good week, he made 7 catches for 92 yards, but was unable to crack the 100 yard receiving day. That's nothing to be ashamed of. Why? The six-foot-five rookie used his wide wingspan to reach out for a Joe Flacco pass and some nimble footwork to come down in bounds at the back of the end zone with just four seconds remaining in Baltimore’s wild 29-26 victory over Minnesota. The winning play capped a scoring flurry that saw five touchdowns in the final 125 seconds of the game. He's last catch turned out to be the biggest catch of the game, helping to keep Baltimore very much alive amd well in the AFC playoff race.

Worst:
Mike Shanahan, Head Coach Washington Redskins
It's been a rough last couple of weeks to be a head coach in the NFL. First Gary Kubiak got fired from his job in Houston. Now it looks as if Shanny could be the next coach on the list, after a brutal Week 14 performance. Shanahan’s team looked absolutely uninspired in their 45-10 drubbing at home versus the Chiefs, who put up 38 first-half points on Washington. There were an estimated 2,000 fans remaining in their seats at FedEx Field when the third quarter began as the defending NFC East champs dropped to 3-10 on the season.

Best:
Matt Prater, Kicker Denver Broncos
I know its rare to see a kicker make this lis, but hey we have to give him his props. The Broncos kicker drilled the longest field goal in NFL history, sending a 64-yard kick sailing through the uprights at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium. The altitude and temperature (around 14 degrees) made for optimal kicking conditions, as Prater broke a record shared by Tom Dempsey, Jason Elam, Sebastian Janikowski and David Akers. Hitting a kick in the NFL is a very tough thing to do, but hitting one from that type of distance is a really tough thing to do.

Worst:
E.J. Manuel, Quarterback Buffalo Bills
In a league that is driven by quarterbacks and the passing game, it seems that rookie QB's are really struggling to adjust to the big leagues and pro football. The Bills rookie quarterback had the worst game of his short career, throwing four interceptions and getting sacked seven times in the Bills’ 27-6 loss to the Buccaneers. Manuel completed 18 of 33 passes for 184 yards and zero touchdowns as Buffalo has now lost five of its past six games.

Best:
Anquan Boldin, Wide Receiver San Fransisco 49ers
This is a big reason why he was picked up to play for the 49ers this year. After only one catch in their first meeting, the 49ers receiver got the best of Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman in San Francisco’s 19-16 win over Seattle. Boldin grabbed six catches for 93 yards and did some trash talking of his own after a 27-yard reception opposite the Pro Bowl defender in the second quarter.

Worst:
Wes Welker, Wide Receiver Denver Broncos
Much like with Gronk earlier, here's a guy who been battling the injury bug. Unlike Gronk however, Welker has been hit with injuries hard as of late. He started the year off good, managing to stay healthy most of the season. The Broncos receiver suffered his second concussion in four games, leaving Denver’s 51-28 win over Tennessee following a hit to the head by the Titans’ George Wilson. With the Broncos set to play on Thursday night versus the Chargers, it would be wise for the team to exercise caution on such short rest, even if Welker does end up passing the mandated concussion protocol.

What The Signing of Jacoby Ellsbury Means To The New York Yankees

The New York Yankees have already been making some big splashes so far in the offseason. They signed Brian McCann for 5 years and $85 million. This was a great signing for a couple of reasons. McCann was signed at a tad above a reasonable price, but it filled a major hole in the Yankees lineup. But the other big signing by the Yanks I think they overpaid for. They dealt out 7 years and $153 million for outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury. It looks like the Yankees are back to their old spending habits. But this move could hamper the team and bite them in the rear end for a couple of reasons.

First is money. As has been reported in New York the last few days, the Yankees are still in search of two players, Shin-Soo Choo, and the top free agent on the market and their best player last year, second baseman Robinson Cano. The Yankees believe they can sign one or the other, sources said, still have room to pursue at least one free agent starting pitcher and stay within the $189 million luxury-tax threshold. No way that's going to happen. The Yankees overpiad for Ellsbury. If the Yankees really get their way, and grab the players they want, they could spend in excess of $500 million. Now if the Yankees stay close to their word and don't want to spend in excess of $189 million, then they just shot themselves in the foot with this signing.

Now here's the other problem with the Ellsbury signing, at least that I can see. How about his injury problems. Ellsbury's best season was in 2011, when he hit 32 homers and drove in 105 runs, finishing just behind Justin Verlander of the Tigers for AL MVP. But last year, he played over 100 games but only hit 9 homers and drove in 53 runs. He has a history of injury problems, and outside of 2011, when he healthy he not an elite outfielder. Don't get me wrong, Ellsbury is a good outfielder. But good is about it. I wouldn't put him on the same level as say a guy like Mike Trout of the Angels, or former Yankee outfielder Curtis Granderson. Sorry but he isn't worth what the Yankees just paid him.

He could prove me wrong and turn out to be really worth all the money he was just paid, but on paper, right here and now, Ellsbury isn't worth over $100 million. Sorry he's just not.

Best and Worst of NFL's Week 13

Well another week down in the NFL, another step closer to the playoffs. Sunday saw a lot of bigtime performances in the NFL, with ten guys snagging over 100 yards receiving. And lets not forget about the thanksgiving day games either. The Lions rolled over the Packers, Dallas beat up on Oakland and Baltimore got themselves back in the playoff picture with the win over the Steelers. So with all the great things going on around the league in week 13, here's some of the best and worst from the action this past week.

Best:
Adrian Peterson, Running Back Minnesota Vikings
The best running back in the NFL was back at it again this past Sunday. Peterson found a way to fight through a groin injury to average six yards per carry in Minnesota’s 23-20 overtime win over the Bears. Peterson ran for 211 yards on the day, 19 of them coming on a ridiculous fourth quarter scurry in which he powered through four Chicago defenders. That carry gave him 10,000 career rushing yards, making him the third-fastest player in NFL history to reach that mark. If there was any doubt that he is the best running back on the planet right now, they just flew out the window this weekend.

Worst:
Marc Trestman, Head Coach Chicago Bears
The Bears have had an up and down season, currently sitting at 6-6 on the year. They had a chance to go two games above .500 on Sunday but they blew the chance. Why? After the Bears received a second life when Minnesota kicker Blair Walsh’s game-winning field goal in overtime was negated by a penalty, Chicago’s coach opted to try a 47-yard kick on 2nd & 7 rather than run at least one more play to try and get his team closer. Bears kicker Robbie Gould’s attempt sailed wide right and Chicago’s playoff chances took a big hit when Walsh came out and ended the game with a 34-yard kick on the Vikings’ next drive. So yeah the Bears are still in it at 500 but thanks to this blunder by the coaching staff, Chicago's playoff chances may be slipping just a little bit.

Best;
Josh Gordon, Wide Receiver Cleveland Browns
We know Josh Gordon had a big week in Week 12 when he had over 200 yards receiving in one game. He showed last Sunday that the first performance was no fluke at all. The Browns’ second-year receiver became the first player in NFL history to have back to back regular season games with over 200 yards receiving. After grabbing 14 catches for 237 yards and a touchdown in Week 12 versus Pittsburgh, Gordon caught ten passes for 261 yards and two TDs (one which went for 95 yards) in Cleveland’s 32-28 loss to Jacksonville. Despite missing the first two games of the season due to suspension, Gordon now ranks second in the NFL in total receiving yards. He has been unbelievable for the Browns the last month or so, making them a much better football team. It wasn't enough for them to be able to beat the Jaguars on Sunday, but he can't do everything himself.

Worst:
Chris Cook and Rhett Ellison, Minnesota Vikings
Both of these guys are thanking their lucky stars the Bears blew the game in Overtime on Sunday. The biggest beneficiaries of Gould’s missed kick were the Vikings’ cornerback and backup tight end, both of whom were responsible for dumb penalties earlier in the game. After getting burned on an incredible 46-yard touchdown catch by Jeffrey, who had a franchise record 249 receiving yards in the Bears’ loss, Cook got up and inadvertently shoved an official, earning an instant ejection. Ellison’s penalty was even more costly, as he was called for a 15-yard facemask while blocking on what would have been a game-winning 39-yard field goal earlier in overtime. The penalty forced Walsh to try a 57-yarder, which he missed, giving the Bears a failed opportunity to win the game. So both guys screwed up, almost costing the Vikings the game in the first place. If the Bears had won in Overtime, then these two guys would have been goat of the week hands down.

Best:
Nick Foles, Quarterback Philadelphia Eagles
Ever since taking over as the starting quarterback for the Eagles, this guy has been great. He is almost single handily getting the Eagles back into the playoff picture in the NFC East. Foles is one touchdown short of Peyton Manning’s NFL record 20 TD passes without an interception to start a season. He had what would have been his first pick of the year nullified when Arizona’s Tyrann Mathieu was called for defensive holding on a pass play that was intercepted by Patrick Peterson. It was one of the only miscues Foles would make in Philadelphia’s 24-21 win as he threw for 237 yards and three touchdowns. The Eagles remain tied for the lead in the NFC East, matching Dallas with a 7-5 mark. Foles has been damn near perfect since taking over as starting QB in Philly. Whats going on with the Eagles is looking a lot like what happened with the 49ers last season with Alex Smith and Colin Capernick.

Worst:
Geno Smith, Quarterback New York Jets
Lets face facts, whoever plays quarterback for the New York Jets just plain sucks. Smith has been playing horrible the last few weeks, as he was benched in the second half of his team’s 23-3 loss to the Dolphins in favor of undrafted free agent Matt Simms. Smith was 4-10 for 29 yards and an interception , his 11th in the past seven games. The loss deals a severe blow to the Jets’ playoff hopes but also gives them an ugly quarterback situation for the second consecutive December. Face facts the Jets aren't going to make the playoffs, and the magic Geno Smith seemed to have in the first half of the season has just plain run out. If the Jets are to have any hope in the future of being a contending team, they need to find a stable QB and some decent targets for him to throw to. Simple as that.

Best:
Eric Decker, Wide Receiver Denver Broncos
Payton Manning returned in a big way on Sunday. Not that he was injured, he just had a bad game against the Patriots in week 12. Payton returned to his dominating form this past week, with Decker being the biggest benifactor of it. The Broncos wideout had only scored three touchdowns this season heading into the Broncos’ 35-28 win at Kansas City. Peyton Manning helped him improve that total, as Decker caught eight balls for 174 yards and a Broncos’ team record four touchdowns. Yeah the Denver offense was in a groove once again this week.

Worst:
Marcus Cooper, Cornerback Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs cornerback did manage to pick off one of the 12 throws Manning sent in Decker’s direction. Unfortunately he was also the one tasked with covering the fourth-year wideout all game, which as mentioned above, didn’t go so well for Kansas City.

With the way things have shaped up the last couple of weeks, things are going to get really interesting the rest of the season heading into the playoffs.

(Thanks to USA Today Sports for help with this story)