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Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Brad Childress gets Brett Favre and quickly ends up with a hefty contract extension. Lovie Smith gets Jay Cutler and finds people wondering if he'll soon be unemployed. Some guys have all the luck. Nevertheless, the Bears enter Sunday's showdown against the Eagles just one game off the wild-card pace, despite losing their past two. And Cutler's old team in Denver has lost three in a row and may be without Kyle Orton against the Chargers this week. One SportsNation blogger thinks Cutler is still the right guy for the Bears, but does his new team or his old team need a win more this week?
- "Cutler has the ability to win games for his team; an ability that was overly praised when Brett Favre was in Green Bay but is now largely overlooked in evaluating today's quarterbacks (for some reason, people have fallen in love with "guys who just know how to win," forgetting that those guys have either rock solid defenses or unstoppable running games). But don't ask me, ask any of the many quarterback-starved teams in the league if they would give up exactly what the Bears gave up to get Cutler to begin with right now." Read afjumpfan23's full post.
The answers: Andorra, Vatican City, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg. The question: What are maps smaller than the coverage that's likely to be allotted to the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions on Sunday? Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic posed their own question on "Mike & Mike In The Morning" on Tuesday, asking listeners for reasons to watch this weekend's clash of the Titanics. Among the responses:
- "At least Bud Adams won't be there."
- "The loser gets Toledo."
- "The game to finally decide the team of the decade -- the 1950s."
The sad thing is that for Browns fans, this might not even be the low point. Their team still has games remaining against the Chiefs and Raiders. At least Buccaneers fans probably still can get Sunday tee times.
- Your rankings: With so many choices, which team deserves to be No. 32?
- Week 11 Pick 'Em: Will it be the Browns or Lions adding to the win column?
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SportsNation would rather have Peyton Manning than Tom Brady dating their sister, but the roles are reversed if a wingman is called for. Maybe it's time to have the quarterback beauty contest settled on the field.
In the other big rivalry game of the week (no, not Chiefs-Raiders), Chad Ochocinco is winning the PR war (and food fight) for the Bengals, but fans favor the Steelers.
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What does Tony Romo have to do to catch a break? Wait, poor choice of words. Romo should be breathing easy these days. Criticized heavily during the Cowboys' slow start -- he had slipped all the way to No. 17 in SportsNation's quarterback rankings as recently as Oct. 12 -- Romo bounced back with three great games in a row. By Monday, he was back up to the cusp of the top 10 at the position in SportsNation's eyes. Enter Roy Williams, who managed the seemingly impossible feat of handing a popularity contest to Terrell Owens.
SportsNation says Romo isn't a leader, but one blogger is ready to follow him to a win against the Eagles.
- "I will believe, for now, that 8 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in the last 3 games is not coincidence or a streak. I will believe that the stench of the T.O. signing and leaving has finally left us. Romo is reaching more receivers -- to include the backs. Romo is tucking and running more than I've probably ever seen him do, and I'll take that & Just don't get hurt & Because our back-up QB is [Jon] Kitna. Why is all of this happening? Because T.O. is not crying for the ball. Because the show that is T.O. is not the looming and ominous cloud hanging over Romo anymore." Read MoAz2213's full post.
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Hidden beneath the layers of Shakespearean drama involved in Brett Favre's return to Lambeau Field to face the boos and settle scores with Ted Thompson, there's a reasonably important division game on tap Sunday in Green Bay. With the Bears skidding and the Lions, well, still the Lions, the Vikings could put the kind of distance normally reserved for month-old Limburger between themselves and the Cheeseheads. SportsNation is picking the visitors to get it done, and one blogger thinks this could be the beginning of the end.
- "The Packers are above average on both sides of the ball. They are a solid team. The defense is giving up only 16 PPG, and only 96 total this season. They're in the top ten in most offensive and defensive categories. Their only losses? Cincinnati and Minnesota. Sounds legit right? Unfortunately not. 3 of 4 wins have come against bottom tier opponents and based on the look of the rest of the schedule, which consists of Minnesota again this week, Dallas, San Francisco, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, another trip to Chicago, and Arizona, doesn't look good. Final Prediction: 7-9 Verdict: Pretender " Read Feldman9000's full post.
Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd have finalized their rosters and hung the bunting for "SportsNation" TV.
Argue the hot topics of the day and vote on the biggest stories from the world of sports. The show airs on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. and midnight ET.
Note: Broadcast voting results as of this afternoon (ET).
Are the Celtics going to win the NBA title?
Boston started well with a win in Cleveland against the Cavs, who have their own title aspirations. Is the first game predictive of the entire season?
Are the Phillies being disrespected heading into the World Series?
Only one of the experts on ESPN.com is picking Philadelphia to win. National sentiment, including in Vegas, favors the Yankees over the defending champs.
Is it time for fans of bad teams to root for better draft positioning?
The Titans, Rams and Bucs are winless. Seven others have one or two wins. Miracles happen, but a high draft pick is more likely than a playoff spot.
What is "SportsNation" TV, and how do you make your voice heard? Read about the new ESPN show that features fan opinions with calls, tweets, polls, rankers and more.
Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd will throw seven TD passes during the first 15 minutes of "SportsNation" TV.
Argue the hot topics of the day and vote on the biggest stories from the world of sports. The show airs on ESPN2 at 5 p.m. and midnight ET.
Note: Broadcast voting results as of this afternoon (ET).
What was the bigger story in the Titans-Patriots game?
Were you more surprised by New England's 59-point explosion or by Tennessee not even showing up to play the game in the snow?
Are the Jets a bunch of frauds?
After a 3-0 start, the New York Jets were talking like champions. Three losses later, the D doesn't look as good and Mark Sanchez is playing like a rookie.
Should Dante Wesley be suspended?
Wesley was ejected after he launched himself at Tampa Bay punt returner Clifton Smith, who had signaled for a fair catch.
Who is more to blame for the Redskins' woes?
Have the players in Washington underperformed? Or is management, which stripped Jim Zorn of play calling responsibility, at fault?
What is "SportsNation" TV, and how do you make your voice heard? Read about the new ESPN show that features fan opinions with calls, tweets, polls, rankers and more.
It only took a couple of wins for fans like MSJC36 to accept Josh McDaniels. The other fan bloggers (if you ignore the Broncos' true rivals) are grudgingly coming around, too.
On the spectrum opposite the undefeated, 0-5 despair translated to draft dreams.
Rush Limbaugh's role in a bid for the Rams drew spirited response (click through below if you think there's still something to add to this debate), Terrell Owens trade rumors involved multiple teams and the UFL even got a cursory look from fans.
These are the best NFL fan blogs posted on ESPN.com this week. Click through to respond to win-starved fans or a post about your favorite team.
Week 6 predictions: Jbreaux2 | Feldman9000
“Break up the Broncos. Who would have thought that Josh McDaniels would have the Denver Broncos with a 5-0 record? With all the offseason and preseason drama, it seemed at first that McDaniels was doing a good job at alienating his team.
” -- Goldbrick4
“Don't come in here with your 'we're 5-0, WHHEEEEE, WHHHHOOOOO" record trying to impress. You're 5-0. Good job. The season is still early.
” -- Jack London220
“I understand that Tennessee is 0-5, but putting in Vince Young at this point is more than just hitting the panic button; it's the equivalent of initiating a self-destruct sequence.
” -- afjumpman23
“Of all the undefeated teams, if the Bears were forced to play one of them, I'd hate for them to play the Colts right now. That team is almost impossible to stop.
” -- The Mini Ditkas
Despite the quarterback mystery, quarterback changes, wide receiver moves and lack of wins, there are still Browns fans. GoBrowns29 and our bloggers provide the evidence.
Like fans of the Chiefs, Titans, Panthers, Rams and Buccaneers, they're not happy, but they still love their team (just not the coach, players, GM, owner or other scapegoat).
These are the best NFL fan blogs posted on ESPN.com this week. Click through to respond to win-starved fans or a post about your favorite team.
Week 5 predictions: Venture99 | phyhtheaux | brijay103099
Week 17 predictions: AniD89
“And both axles just broke off of Derek Anderson's bandwagon because the population on it increased by 800 percent.
” -- flight23_14
“At this point I can't help but wonder if there are any of the teams left on the schedule that the Buccaneers can actually beat.
” -- BucsgirlDK
“Then it hit me, like the Jerry Jones scoreboard crashing down on top of me. We (the Chiefs) have become the Raiders.
” -- Sports Page Network
“The Browns have scored 49 points and they have ONLY been outscored by 69 points, while the Rams have been outscored by, a humiliating, 84 points. Wow.
” -- Godlike_82
These are the best NFL fan blogs posted on ESPN.com this week. Click through to respond to a post about your favorite team.
Week 4 predictions: phyhtheaux | Feldman9000 | JayBird 67 | codywin25
“Anyone looking to join the purple bandwagon, sorry no vacancies. The Ravens are for real this year and will not be a THIRD PLACE finisher.
” -- brijay103099
“If you combined the best players of the Browns, Rams, Chiefs and Bucs, you still may not have a team that can contend with the Giants or Ravens. What a sorry mess those 0-3 teams are in.
” -- JDye_espn
“Before too long, and assuming his coach doesn't accidentally eat him, the Mark Sanchez Smoldering Dreaminess is going to overtake the Tom Brady Dimple Dreamtime in national appeal.
” -- Necessary Roghness
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SPORTSNATION GRIDIRON CENTRAL
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Titans No. 23
Bengals No. 4
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No. 1 Drew Brees
No. 7 Ben Roethlisberger
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LSU drops to No. 16
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SN this season: 204-41
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No. 2: Toby Gerhart
No. 6: Kellen Moore
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