AFC West- The Rebuilding Division

Half way through the NFL 2011 Season and the AFC West is all knotted up between three teams and then another just behind the top three. Which means, the last 7 games for these teams are perhaps the most critical.

San Diego Chargers- The San Diego Chargers are perhaps the oddest good team in the NFL today, and the only team in the division that isnt rebuilding per se. Philip Rivers is not playing the way he normally does and the Chargers are suffering for it. But it is not just Rivers, the Chargers seem to collapse whenever they have a chance to wrap up a win. While losing to Green Bay is something that happens, Rivers was keeping up with Rodgers, but two interceptions run back for touchdowns will kill any team. The Chargers need to turn it around if they are going to return to the playoffs.



Philip Rivers needs to turn his game around, to keep the Chargers in this division
(Picture Source: nflsoup.com)



Kansas City Chiefs- The world was ready to throw the Chiefs away in week 3 when the Chiefs had lost their third straight, but the Chiefs turned it around and won four straight before giving Miami their first win. But that is what helps make the division so competitive, the Chiefs are tied for first in the division. Matt Cassel seems to be playing well again as well as Jackie Battle trying to emerge as their starting running back. If the Chiefs can keep their defense playing at the level it did throughout the season in 2010, the Chiefs could see themselves in the playoffs for the second straight year.

Matt Cassel leads a Chiefs offense that has struggled since the loss
of Jamaal Charles. The Chiefs need better play on both offense and defense
to hang around in this division.(Image Source:kffl.com)

Oakland Raiders- Oh the Oakland Raiders, just when you think the Raiders are ready to take the division by storm with a great game manager in Jason Campbell and an elite running back in Darren McFadden, they both go down. Campbell is gone for the season, and Darren McFadden is week to week. Now the Raiders have traded just about what was left of their 2012 draft, for the veteran and retired former Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer. While he has shown flashes of what took the Bengals to the playoffs a few seasons ago, but he has also shown signs of rust. Perhaps when McFadden returns from his injury, that will take pressure off of Palmer to give him more of a relearning curve.

The return of Darren McFadden will be a difference maker of the Raiders
chances to return to the playoffs for the first time since their Super Bowl run
in the 2001/2002 division. (Image Source: articles.sfgate.com)

Denver Broncos- Going from one shaky quarterback to the next, the Broncos are fighting to give themselves a chance to still compete for this division that they havent won since 2005. Whether or not this happens solely depends on the learning curve of 2nd year quarterback Tim Tebow. If Tebow plays well the Broncos have a chance to compete, but when Tebow plays poorly, they look like the 4-12 team from 2010. But the Broncos are finally running the ball effective enough to give Tebow a chance to spread the field. The Broncos are 2-1 under Tebow this season. Von Miller is doing his part on the other side of the ball as well, with a sack in almost every game this season.

Von Miller (58) and Elvis Dumervil (92) bookend a defensive
front that can make a quarterback cringe. Von Miller is making a
statement this season with 6.5 sacks, while Dumervil is starting to return to form
with 1.5 sacks this season. (Image Source:nflmocks.com)

Woot! and the Handclaps @ WTs One Sessions

On Thursday, November 17^th, Woot! and the Handclaps will join two other artists, Allysa Beyer and Ashley Hayes, for West Texas A&M University’s (WTAMU) “One Sessions.”

The One Sessions present opportunities for bands to be audio and video recorded to get their music to the public; while giving the broadcasting students an opportunity to practice their field.

Woot! and the Handclaps are coming off a performance at WTAMU’s Homecoming Concert, where they opened for HelloGoodbye, that has given the band plenty of confidence moving forward.

“Tremendously, because we heard great things about our songs, our performance, and our stage presence,” Tanyon Sann Allison, the lead vocals and rhythm guitarist, said.

“The One Sessions” also help bands like Woot! and the Handclaps achieve short-term goals and perhaps even long-term goals.

“[We hope to get] a good performance to show talent locally, get recognized and make it something permanent,” Allison, who is also a junior in WTAMU’s mass communications program with audio productions major said.

When asked why he likes to perform, Allison said, “Kind of a dream of mine, to perform and have the crowd sing-a-long and like it.”

“The One Sessions” are at 7:00 Thursday November 17^th in the HD Studio in the Fine Arts building. Tyler Sweeny, a broadcast major, explained that the One Sessions spots are full but if a musician is interested there is another in the spring in which scouts are out looking for.

Sweeny, the host of “The One Sessions” said, “The sessions are free and open to the public, but are on a first come first serve basis.”

For more information contact Tyler Sweeny at tksweeney1@buffs.wtamu.edu.

Week 3 Preview

Going into Week 3 in the NFL there are seven 2-0 teams and seven 0-2 teams in the NFL and there are also eight divisional matchups this week. The last two weeks have shown to be very offense heavy, one has to wonder, will this week finally show to have some defense? Here are your top stories going into each week three matchups and some brash predictions:

The noon games:

New England Patriots (2-0) at Buffalo Bills (2-0)- Who would of thought that this would be of the marquee matchups this weekend. Everyone has heard of Tom Brady's hot start to the season. 940 yards and 7 TDs to start the season off makes Brady the early MVP candidate, but his Buffalo Bill counterpart cannot be overlooked. Ryan Fitzpatrick has 472 yards and also has 7 TDs. This game has the makings of an air-it-out contest that Brady usually has with Peyton Manning. History is on the Patriots side though. The Bills have not beat the Patriots since Sept. 7, 2003; and Brady is 17-1 against the Bills. But the Patriots weak secondary gives the Bills hope that they can throw the ball enough for Fitzpatrick to keep up with Brady. Brash Predictions-Patriots 35- Bills 42

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) at Carolina Panthers (0-2)- This is going to be the battle of two first round picks when Blaine Gabbert (#10 overall) and the Jaguars get to face Cam Newton (#1 overall) and the Panthers. Newton is second in passing yards only behind Tom Brady with 854 yards. Blaine Gabbert, who showed some promise in the preseason, but was expected to start half-way through the season. The Jaguars looked promising in Week 1, with a win against the Titans. But gave up 32 points against the Jets. The Panthers although winless, have kept both games interesting even though Newton turned the ball over three times on interceptions against the Packers. If Newton can keep from turning the ball over this week, the Panthers can get their first win. Brash Predictions- Jaguars 14- Panthers 28

San Francisco 49ers (1-1) at Cincinatti Bengals (1-1)- Andy Daltons first NFL pass in the preseason was an interception intended for A.J. Green that was underthrown. Andy Dalton's second regular season game had Dalton throwing for 322 yards and two TDs. While Alex Smith has been less than par in his two starts this season throwing for 303 yards over two games. The 49ers special teams has been the story of the team for the last two weeks. Ted Ginn Jr. is trying to reemerge as a return threat. The Bengals will be lucky enough to have Cedric Benson this week before he serves a suspension for actions during the lockout. As long as the Bengals can air it out like they did against the Broncos in Week 2, then they have an opportunity to go 2-1. Brash Predictions- San Francisco 49ers 13-Cincinatti Bengals 21

Miami Dolphins (0-2) at Cleveland Browns (1-1)- There may be some truth to the common belief that the preseason doesn't mean anything. Chad Henne had a rough preseason, while Colt McCoy had a preseason that mirrored that of Aaron Rodgers' preseason of 2010. But in the season, Chad Henne has shown to have some promise and Colt McCoy has been decent at best. Here has been the problem for both teams, they cant seem to finish games. The Dolphins offense has a few more playmakers with Brandon Marshall, Brian Hartline, and Reggie Bush. The Browns could possibly air-it-out against the Dolphins secondary though. Brash Predictions- Dolphins 21- Browns 17

Detroit Lions (2-0) at Minnesota Vikings (0-2)- Donovan McNabb seems to have been a slow learner in the offense of the Vikings. Whereas Matthew Stafford has had time to learn the offense of the Lions, just not the reps having missed most of the games in his young career. But either way, McNabb continues to show promise and should eventually lead the Vikings to victory. History is on the Vikings side, the Lions haven't won in Minnesota in 13 games. The Lions also haven't started the season 3-0 since 1980. But the Lions are playing with heart and are playing serious football. Brash Predictions- Lions 28- Vikings 17

Houston Texans (2-0) at New Orleans Saints (1-1)- Another shootout. Matt Schaub and the Texans are trying to get to the next level and make the playoffs. They have also been asking the question, "Arian who?", while he isnt Arian Foster, Ben Tate has been rushing the ball very well and been allowing Schaub to comfortbaly throw the ball. Drew Brees on the other hand has been playing like he doesn't have a run game. Which could be argued as true because their leading rush is rookie Mark Ingram with 91 yards. This is going to be a game where whichever team has the ball last, maybe going on the game-winning drive. Brash Predictions- Houston Texans 31- New Orlean Saints 35

New York Giants (1-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (1-1)- Every season one of the most competetive divisions is the NFC East. Who can forget the "Miracle in the Meadowlands II" last season where DeSean Jackson returned a punt for a TD in the waning moments of the second game of the Eagles-Giants rivalry last year? The Giants would like to, and this season Eli Manning has already been booed and it is only Week 2. The big question for the Eagles this season was whether or not Mike Vick could be healthy all 16 games; yet it is Week 2 and he has already been listed as questionable with a concussion suffered last week against the Falcons. The Giants WR corp. is depleted due to injury against a stingy Eagles secondary, but the Giants are going to look to run against a soft Eagles linebacker corp. Brash Predictions: Giants 24- Eagles 35

Denver Broncos (1-1) at Tennesse Titans (1-1)- Remember last season when Orton called the Titans defense dirty? Well he will not say that their dirty this year, but will say that they are a physical football team. The Broncos are hoping to have most of their injured starters back such as: Champ Bailey, DJ Williams, Elvis Dumervil, Knowshon Moreno, and Brandon Lloyd. The Titans on the other hand are still waiting for Chris Johnson to regain his rythm that he lost after holding out almost throughout the entire preseason. Matt Hasselbeck has also picked up where he left off last season when he played an excellent game against the Saints in the playoffs. Brash Predictions: Broncos 24- Titans 21

3:00 Games:

New York Jets (2-0) at Oakland Raiders (1-1)- The Jets seem to have changed their formula and it has worked out pretty well for them this season. Mark Sanchez has been throwing the ball around rather than handing it off to LT or Shonn Greene. While that may have been the case for the first couple weeks, I look for it to eventually change. But they will need a mixture of both this week playing the Raiders who are among the more physical teams in the NFL. Jason Campbell has also played very well but faces a stingy Jets secondary. The Raiders are going to have to mix it up more in order to keep the Jets defense honest. This game is going to be one of the more low scoring games this weekend. Brash Predictions- Jets 14, Raiders 10

Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) at San Diego Chargers (1-1)- Last year in the season opener on Monday Night Football, the Chiefs started their suprising run to win the AFC West with a shocking win over the Chargers. The Chiefs have had another suprising start to the season, except going the other direction. To make matters worse they have lost Eric Berry and Jamaal Charles for the season. The San Diego Chargers on the other hand have had a typical slow start, but they also played the Patriots last week where Tom Brady continued to throw towards his 950 yards. Philip Rivers is continuing to play well ranking third in the league with 713 yards. Brash Predictions- Chiefs 7, Chargers 21

Baltimores Ravens (1-1) at St. Louis Rams (0-2)- The Baltimore Ravens blow out the Steelers one week and then get blown out by the Titans the following week, so who is going to show up against the Rams in St. Louis. Whereas the Rams are looking for their first win, after losing two straight. The Rams are embracing the no huddle offense which could help them wear out the Ravens defense. St. Louis is going to have to get hot early if they want to be able to hang with the Ravens. Brash Predictions- Ravens 21- Rams 10

Green Bay (2-0) at Chicago Bears (1-1)- The Packers haven't missed a step on their offense. Their defense on the other hand hasn't showed the same toughness that they showed last year that took them to the Super Bowl. Their secondary has given up 850 passing yards. Jay Cutler has seen this, and would love to be able to add 300 yards to that number as well. But he is going to have to be able to stay upright first. Cutler wants to get back on the field against Green Bay after being taken out in the NFC Championship Game last season. If Cutler can stay upright, he will be able to lead the Bears to victory. Packers 21- Bears 17

Arizona Cardinals (1-1) at Seattle Seahawks (0-2)- The Cardinals are playing better than they did last year when they finished at the bottom of their division. The Seahawks on the other hand seemed to have taken a step backwards. Kevin Kolb is showing that the Cardinals made a smart move trading for him in the offseason; and even Beanie Wells is living up to his value as a first round pick. Meanwhile, in Seattle the 12th man is going to be calling for Tarvaris Jackson's head if the Seahawks do not finally get a win. Brash Predictions- Cardinals 24- Seahawks 17

Atlanta Falcons (1-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1)- These two preseason playoff prediction teams have people scratching their heads this season. Atlanta has not looked like the best team in the NFC last year. And Tampa Bay has seemed to have lost their spunk from last year. Regardless of who wins, it will be a true step in the right direction and help build momentum, seeing as they both won games last week. Brash Predictions- Falcons 28- Buccaneers 21

Sunday Night Game

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) at Indianapolis Colts (0-2)- Could this season be any stranger for these two teams. It has been less than ideal for the Colts, and Pittsburgh had a tough loss to Baltimore but bounced back against the Seahawks. Now the Steelers go to Indianapolis in what was a preseason favorite game but now looks to be a nightmare for the Colts. The Colts are hoping that the third times a charm for Kerry Collins, while Pittsburgh wants to begin to build momentum to have a strong season. Brash Predictions- Steelers 28- Colts 14

Monday Night Game:

Washington Redskins (2-0) at Dallas Cowboys (1-1)- The Cowboys are going to wait till 30-mins before the game to decide whether or not they will start Tony Romo. The mystery may be the best thing for the Cowboys going into the game without Miles Austin and perhaps without Felix Jones. But on the good front for the Cowboys, they also get back Terrence Newman as well as Dez Bryant. For Washington, they have been one of the biggest suprises this season because they are now 2-0 while Rex Grossman is playing suprisingly solid with 596 yards. How close of a game this is could easily come down to who is playing QB for the Cowboys. This rivalry will be renewed Monday Night.Brash Predictions- Redskins 24-Cowboys 28

Follow up: Saints at Packers

The Packers and Saints put on a game that the high scoring game that I projected it to be when I predicted it would be 38-35. Although the final score was 42-34 it was a turnover and a goal line stand that put the daggers in the heart of the Saints. Here were some of the things to take away from the game:

1.Turnovers were key: While this game only had one turnover, it was all it took to make the difference in the game. The Saints had a lost fumble at the beginning of their first drive, which the Packers took to the end zone immediately after.

2.Was Sean Payton Making the right call?- Sean Payton has been scrutinized this weekend because of the dive up the middle on the last play of the game. While I cannot offer any other suggestions, everyone at Lambeau knew exactly what the Saints were going to do, Payton should have taken more time to come up with something a little better.

3.Both offenses looked very sharp- As mentioned earlier, there were no turnovers by either offense. Drew Brees threw for 419 yards and Aaron Rodgers threw for 312 yards. Both teams need help running the ball, Saints running for 82 yards and Packers running for 103 yards. But based on how many points they put up, its going to be the arms of Brees and Rodgers that once again carries these teams.

The game was a great way to kick off a season that will be an exciting one. Judging by the game we saw Thursday, we could see the Packers and Saints in the playoffs again.

Back to Football: New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers

On Thursday September 8, 2011, what almost didn't happen (because of the lockout) will finally happen. For the first time in almost seven months, there will be "meaningful" football under the bright lights of national television. The New Orleans Saints are going to travel to Lambeau Field and face the defending Super Bowl Champions the Green Bay Packers. This will be the first time since the NFL started kicking off on Thursday nights that the past two Super Bowl Champions have faced off in Week One on national television. This matchup is looking to be a high-scoring, pass-happy, exciting matchup. Here are the keys for both teams to win the game:

(Drew Brees(left) and Aaron Roders(right) are both critical
to their teams succes, and both are former Super Bowl MVP
Photo Credit http://www.ffspin.com/)

1.Turnovers- Both defensive coordinators, Gregg Williams of New Orleans and Dom Capers of Green Bay, have a tendency to send a very aggressive pass rush at quarterbacks. Green Bay ranked second in the league in 2010 with 24 interceptions. While New Orleans only had 9 interceptions, they also recovered 16 out of 25 forced fumbles. If New Orleans wants to be back in the Super Bowl picture, they need their defense to get back to their '09 form when they had 39 turnovers and played smart on offense.

2.Running Game- New Orleans this offseason traded Reggie Bush to Miami. But they brought in Darren Sproles from San Diego and drafted '09 Heisman Trophy Winner Mark Ingram out of Alabama. While both teams have great quarterbacks, they both need to be able to run the ball more aggressively. Neither team was in the Top 20 of teams running the ball. The Saints are going to be leaning more on Mark Ingram who showed flashes of greatness in the preseason. The Packers are going to have Ryan Grant back, who missed all of last season.

3.Quarterback Play- This is going to be the main difference maker in this game. Both quarterbacks are among the leagues best. Aaron Rodgers hasn't even hit the prime of his career and Drew Brees is in his prime. What makes Rodgers different from Brees is his mobility. Rodgers is in a position where he can succeed just like Drew Brees. Drew Brees is arguably one of the smartest quarterbacks in the league. He picks apart defenses and is nearly always spot on when he throws. He was even able to make the playoffs last year despite having a couple of games where he had 3+ interceptions.

My prediction for this game is 38-35, Green Bay. Between the momentum from the Super Bowl and playing at home for the first time since the end of last season; it is going to be an exciting game.

Quick Reaction- Broncos vs. Bills

The Broncos played very well against the Buffalo Bills in the opening game at "Sports Authority Field at Mile High." The underlying story of this game was the Tim Tebow was moved from second string to third string quarterback. The Broncos were good in some things, but still had some concerns at others.

Where they were good:

1. Quarterback play: Kyle Orton played fairly well at 10/13 for 135 yards and a touchdown, while Brady Quinn played fairly well also going 10/16 130 yards a touchdown and a pick. Brandon Lloyd looked in midseason form catching a pass thrown slightly under him and another one slightly behind him. While it is controversial that Tim Tebow is moved to third string, it is pretty understood with how well Brady Quinn is playing, he is wanting to jump start what was a "dead" career. But to think that the Broncos would trade Tim Tebow away is nonsensical. The Broncos would likely ask for either a first round or high second round pick which is alot to ask for a "project player."


(Kyle Orton continues to show why the Broncos
would have been making a mistake trading him
after the lockout. Photo courtesy of nfl.com)

2.Defense plays well for second straight week: The Denver defense is continuing to terrorize quarterbacks in the back field. Much to the delight of the home crowd, Von Miller got his first NFL sack and Elvis Dumervil is looking very healthy after missing all of last season with a pectoral tear. D.J. Williams also had an interception off of a bouncey ball thrown by Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Broncos are definitely looking better than they did last year when they were next to last in the league.

What they didn't do so well:

1.Running offense: What had shown promise in the first preseason against Dallas, didn't show as much promise this week against Buffalo. On 32 rushing attempts, they Broncos only amassed 101 rushing yards. Moreno and McGahee combined for 34 yards on 11 attempts. There is no explanation for why they couldn't run the ball, it is an ongoing issue that needs to be corrected.

2.Defending the Run: The Broncos could not defend the run, which is another issue that continues to poke its head out. The Bills were able to get 126 yards against the Broncos and several of them were runs of six yards or more. Expect the Broncos to constantly be looking at the waiver wires for free agent defensive tackles.

Brett Favre First Ballot Hall-Of-Famer

Is Brett Favre a first-ballot Hall of Famer?

By John Lee                                                                                                                                                           August 8, 2011

It’s that time of year again. About this time every year the infamous "Favre watch" turns on. You know what I’m talking about. It’s the middle of training camp and the first preseason game is coming up. But yet there hasn’t been any talk other than speculation of him going to the Eagles or Dolphins. So it makes one wonder, is he done? Let’s face it; he doesn’t have anything to prove anymore. He took the Vikings to the NFC Championship game in 2009, then threw his 500^th touchdown pass and ended his start streak at 297 in 2010. So the question now becomes, is Brett Favre a first-ballot Hall of Famer. If he is truly done, he, along with Randy Moss (if he is also truly done), will be eligible for the Hall of Fame together before the 2015 season. Let’s weigh the reasons why he is or isn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Why He Is:

Let’s start with his accomplishments. Brett has been the NFL MVP three times in his career, a number untied and only broken by Peyton Manning.  If Brett Favre is finished, he has thrown 508 TDs and 71, 838 yards. He is also the only quarterback to have a victory over every team in the NFL. He has also been selected to 11 Pro Bowls and has a Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl XXXI. Then there is the famous streak of 297 starts, not including playoffs. If Peyton Manning, the only one close, were to tie the record, under the current 16-game format, it would not be until Week 9 of the 2016 NFL season; Peyton would be going on 41 years old. Those are the statistical reasons. Brett made the game fun for people to watch and fun for the other players on the field. You can’t help but to think of Brett Favre and think of the fun he would have in the locker room as well as the fun he had on the field. While he is now ridiculed for his indecisiveness on whether or not he will retire, the fact of the matter is, it’s a show for his love of the game. Brett didn’t want to leave a game that he loved so much.

Why He Isn’t

Also on the reasons for why he is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, he was somewhat annoying with his indecisiveness on retirement. He also holds the record for the most sacks, fumble, and interceptions by a quarterback. Not to mention perhaps his biggest piece of controversy; his scandal with former Jets employee, Jenn Sterger.  Brett did things his way; he wouldn’t listen to the coaches and argued with two or three of them, including Brad Childress and Mike Holmgrem. Brett thought for sure he could fit the ball in a window the size of a rabbit hole. If there was an Achilles heel to the incredible Brett Favre, it was his hard-headedness.

There is no doubt Brett Favre will be a legend in the NFL. He will most likely be inducted into the Hall of Fame, whether it be first-ballot or later. Brett certainly was a quarterback in a league of his own, and that can be both a positive and a negative takeaway from this article.