The Top 20 Best Selling NFL Jerseys As Of Today

Just a few hours ago the list of best selling jerseys were released:

1. Tony Romo Cowboys
2.Tom Brady Patriots
3.Brett Favre Packers
4.Peyton Manning Colts
5. Ladainian Tomlinson Chargers
6.Adrian Peterson Vikings
7.Eli Manning Giants
8.Randy Moss Patriots
9.Brian Urlacher Bears
10.Troy Polamalu Steelers
11.Devin Hester Bears
12.Marion Barber Cowboys
13.Reggie Bush Saints
14.Ben Roethlisberger Steelers
15.Terrell Owens Cowboys
16.Jason Witten Cowboys
17.Brady Quinn Browns
18.Sean Taylor Redskins
19.Brian Westbrook Eagles
20.Bob Sanders Colts

See what happens when you win the Super Bowl? Your Jersey jumps to the #7 spot.
Brady Quinn? He hasn't taken a snap in the league yet.

The 2008 Pro Bowl Will Be Without Their Main Attractions Because Certain Players Decided To Be Sore Losers

A star-studded lineup won't be playing in the Pro Bowl this season.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Randy Moss joined Chargers tight end Antonio Gates and defensive tackle Jamal Williams in deciding on Monday to skip the Feb. 10 game in Honolulu.

Browns quarterback Derek Anderson will replace Brady and Cleveland tight end Kellen Winslow will sub for Gates on the AFC's roster. Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Casey Hampton will take Williams' spot.

Brady

Moss

Cincinnati's Chad Johnson will replace Moss, who caught five passes for 62 yards and a touchdown in New England's 17-14 loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII on Sunday night.

Brady, who was sacked five times by the Giants and pounded throughout the Super Bowl, has been bothered by a tender ankle. There was no official word why Moss wasn't going to play.

I have a guess as to why Brady and Moss aren't going to play....because they are so embarrassed and sore they lost the Super Bowl to the Giants that they are ashamed to show their faces to the public and other players. I don't blame them either in a way. That was the greatest upset in Super Bowl history. Even still, they shouldn't be sore about losing. After all, they were voted in by the fans and to not give the fans what they want for no reason at all as a professional athlete is pretty sour of them. Its kind of babyish to say that because we lost the Super Bowl, now we don't want to play in the Pro Bowl.

Gates is still bothered by the left big toe he dislocated in San Diego's wild-card playoff win over Tennessee on Jan. 6. He was able to play in a divisional playoff win at Indianapolis and the AFC Championship Game loss at New England.

Williams had been bothered by an ankle injury since December.

They join teammate LaDainian Tomlinson in pulling out of the game in Honolulu. Tomlinson reinjured his sprained left knee in the 21-12 loss to the Patriots.

The withdrawals still leave six Chargers in the game.

In a release, the Browns did not provide a reason for Anderson replacing the Patriots star.

With Anderson and Winslow making the trip, the Browns will have six players in the Pro Bowl, the club's most since sending six in 1994.

Johnson will accompany teammate T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who was picked for his first Pro Bowl. It will mark the first time a pair of Bengals receivers reached the Pro Bowl together.

Johnson is coming off a most unhappy season in Cincinnati, where his self-promotion has worn thin on coaches, teammates and fans. He stopped talking to the local media after a columnist suggested the team might be better off without him.

The New York Giants Win The Super Bowl?!?!?!!!

SUPER UPSET !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All season, the talk around the NFL was about whether the Patriots were the greatest team of all time. Turns out they weren't even the best team Sunday. Giants win Super Bowl

The Giants had the perfect answer for the suddenly imperfect Patriots: a big, bad defense and an improbable comeback led by their own Mr. Cool quarterback, Eli Manning. One Manning after the other.

Bill Belichick always talked about his team playing the whole 60 minutes of football. Well, the Giants must have listened to him.

The Patriots were heavily favored, but Eli Manning has put the New York Giants ahead 10-7 in the 4th quarter. However, a wide open pass to Randy Moss caused the Patriots to take the lead 14-10. Could the New York Giants put together a final, successful, comeback game winning drive? If the Giants want to win the Super Bowl, they were going to have to earn it.

After being pressured for most of the game, Tom Brady and the Patriots' offense responded late in the game. Did the Giants have an answer in Arizona?

David Tyree caught one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history on 3rd down to keep the Giants final drive alive.

In one of football's biggest shockers, New York shattered New England's unbeaten season as Manning hit Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard fade with 35 seconds left in the Super Bowl. Sunday's 17-14 win was the Giants' 11th straight on the road, and the first time the Patriots tasted defeat in more than a year.

It was the most bitter of losses, too, because New England (18-1) was one play from winning, but its defense couldn't stop a 12-play, 83-yard drive that featured a spectacular leaping catch by David Tyree, who scored New York's first touchdown. The Giants outplayed the Patriots and fought and clawed hard all game to come away with the victory.

Tom Brady, the league's Most Valuable Player and winner of his first three Super Bowls, was battered all game. He was sacked five times, hurried a dozen more, and at one point wound up on his knees, his hands on his hips following one of many poor throws.

Hardly a familiar position for the record-setting quarterback. And a totally strange outcome for a team that seemed destined for historic glory.

Oddly, it was a loss to the Patriots that sparked New York's stunning run to its third Super Bowl and sixth NFL title. New England won 38-35 in Week 17 as the Patriots became the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to go spotless through the regular season. But by playing hard in a meaningless game for them, the Giants gained something of a swagger.

Their growing confidence carried them through playoff victories at Tampa, Dallas and Green Bay, and then past the mightiest opponent of all.

Eli Manning won the MVP, which he deserved. Two TDs in the 4th quarter that lead his team to victory calls for an MVP trophy.

AND A WIDE OPEN PLAXICO BURRESS CATCHES THE GAME WINNING TD CATCH!

AND THE PERFECT SEASON IS PERFECT NO LONGER!!!!!

A WHOLE SEASON OF TORTURE FROM WATCHING THE PATRIOTS WIN WAS WORTH ALL THE JOY AND HAPPINESS I GOT FROM WATCHING BRADY ON THE FLOOR THIS GAME AND THE PATRIOTS LOSE IN THE MOST IMPORTANT GAME THAT MATTERS!

I still can't believe the Pats were beat. Now, the question is will the Pats be remembered as one of the greatest teams ever assembled...or will they be remembered as the team who went 18-0 only to choke in the Super Bowl?

I'm sure Don Shula and the 1972 Dolphins must be dancing for joy as still the only team to complete a perfect season by capping it off with a Super Bowl win.

Interesting how Plaxico Burress made the bold statement of saying the Patriots would score only 17 points. Well, they only scored 14! A season low as a matter of fact.

The ULTIMATE Reason Why The New England Patriots Will Win The Super Bowl

Now I do not promote or condone gambling, but if anyone has read previous posts by me, then they know I believe sports is about making money and that Vegas and sports as a long standing history together.

Again, me nor this site promotes gambling, but I want to report the statements I've heard.

On ESPN Radio online (strictly online radio only) a man from Vegas came into the studio and handed the anchorman a sealed envelope, saying he can open the envelope before or after the Super Bowl. Naturally, human curiosity got the best of him and the anchorman opened the envelope. Voila! The final score, stats, and details of the game were revealed. And this is Vegas people. The medulla oblongata of sports betting where every week they seem to come so very close to nailing the line. Therefore, I'd trust Vegas over any analyst.

New York Giants
Eli Manning: 20-36 / 240 yards / 1 TD / 1 INT
Huge day for NYG Special Teams and
Punt and Kick Returns for around 200 yards.
Burress, Toomer combine for 9 catches for 103 yards.
5-13 on 3rd downs
1 Fumble

New England Patriots
Tom Brady: 25-36 / 306 Yards / 3 TDs / 1 INT / 2 Sacks for -8 Yards
Randy Moss alone 6 catches for 89 Yards

Halftime - New England winning 17-10

Final Score - New England wins 34-20

-Very few penalties
-Close game with NE pulling away at the end
-The public loves what they have been seeing (NYG). The reason why the Patriots have been playing so poorly is because they were playing in poor weather conditions where the Patriots could not do what they were built to do: throw the ball. Now, in Arizona, where the weather is warm and normal wind conditions is present, the NE Patriots will win fine.

Plaxico Burress And The New York Giants Just Sealed Their Own Defeat

I don't have the exact statistics for this year, but I'm willing to bet that every single time a team has guaranteed victory this year, that team was defeated. If there was one instance when a team declared they would win and they proceeded to do so, then please feel free to correct me.

Guaranteeing victory is one thing. Guaranteeing victory against the New England Patriots is just asking to be punched in the mouth. Have we not learned anything from past experiences?

Brady was puzzled by Burress' prediction that the New York Giants would beat the New England Patriots 23-17 in Sunday's Super Bowl. The fact Burress picked the Giants hardly surprised the league's MVP. The score certainly did.

"We're only going to score 17 points?" Brady said Wednesday morning before chuckling. "OK. Is Plax playing defense?

"I wish he had said 45-42 and gave us a little credit for more points."

Considering the Patriots set an NFL record by scoring 589 points, Brady's 50 touchdown passes were the most ever for one season, and Randy Moss broke Jerry Rice's mark with 23 TD catches, was Burress might have been a bit chintzy.

"I know they have confidence. They should have confidence," Brady said. "They are the NFC champions.

"I learned a lesson early in my career: No matter what you say during the week -- and God knows we say a lot this week -- we're going to be focused on going out and winning this game. We're confident, but I don't think we share our thoughts with everybody."

Burress did. And when he showed up 33 minutes late for the Giants' media session Wednesday morning, there was speculation the wide receiver was trying to avoid the spotlight.

Turns out Burress was spending time with his 1-year-old son and family at breakfast, claiming he was unaware so many people wanted to interrogate him about his prediction.

Nor was he aware, he said, that a hefty fine comes with missing a Super Bowl week media session.

"I don't understand what the fuss is about," Burress said, surrounded by at least as many TV cameras, microphones and notepads as Brady was two hours earlier. "Nobody wants to lose.

"All this is entertainment, It's sports and sports are entertainment. So 23-17 is the prediction I made, but the game still has to be played."

Told about Brady's reaction to that score, Burress said he wasn't dissing anyone.

"I'm not taking anything away from what those guys accomplished," he said. "They set all the records you could possibly imagine. They have a great quarterback, the MVP, who threw for a record (50) touchdowns. Randy set a TD record for catches. They had two receivers with over 100 catches.

"The numbers don't lie about what they have done."

Nor do the numbers 23-17 lie about what Burress thinks.

"Hey, look how much fun everybody is having with it," he said. "It makes national, international headlines. But the game still has to be played."

Further, the following quotes are from the New York Post's website):

As he pulled his car up to the Giants Stadium tunnel to unload his bags, [Plaxico] Burress was asked...a direct question: Are you ready to make history? "You better believe it," the towering Giants receiver said.

And then, as he entered the stadium and turned left toward the Giants locker room, Burress was asked for his prediction. Burress never hesitated, flatly stating "23-17."
He didn't identify the winning team. He didn't have to.

Or better yet:

Next came Michael Strahan...The same question: Are you ready to make history? "Yes sir," said Strahan, who for 15 years has chased the dream of winning the Super Bowl.

"History will be ours."

Here's a quote from Giants chairman Steve Tisch, when asked to predict a winner? (quote from Northjersey.com)

"I'm not going to give you the score...We'll have more points than they do. That's my score."

The bottom line is the Giants just dug their own grave by running their mouths and giving the Patriots fuel for their fire. In Burress' defense, however, he has done amazing in the playoffs thus far, so I guess he has a right to run his mouth a little.

Giants, Patriots Defy Laws, Logic

With the Super Bowl next Sunday also comes the two weeks of intensive media coverage and huge anticipation. The Super Bowl is the ultimate decider of which team has had a successful season. It does not matter how many wins or how many records a team has achieved in a season. All that matters is the Big Game.

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And both Super Bowl contenders know this unsettling fact. Both the New York Giants and New England Patriots know that their seasons mean nothing without a Super Bowl win. This knowledge weighs more heavily on the Patriots, who just finished a stellar 16-0 season with numerous records, accolades, and praises.

_

This is a historic Super Bowl. Will the Patriots be the second undefeated team ever to win one? Will the Giants pull off a monumental upset and undo all the accomplishments of Tom Brady and Co.?

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This is a Super Bowl of the defiant. Both teams defied what was thought to be possible. The Giants this season broke records for wins as an away team. New York also made three huge upsets in the postseason, beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Green Bay Packers. The Giants proved that they are more than underdogs and should not be underestimated. The Giants also defied common sense. Instead of resting their starting players like any other team would in their last game of the season against the Patriots, New York used all of their starters. These defiant Giants have proved to be more dangerous than sports analysts originally anticipated.

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And then there's the Patriots. New England defied all reason and modesty by achieving a perfect regular season with numerous touchdown records to boot. Not many people thought that Peyton Manning's old record would be broken by Tom Brady any time soon. New England defied many people's expectations that "Finally, this is the game they're gonna lose".

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With such two defiant teams playing next week, it is impossible and unwise to bet on who will be victorious. New York might defy reason and expectations once again and spoil a perfectly questionable perfect season.

You Have To Love Bill Belichick And Those Sneaky New England Patriots

Bill Belichick would seriously make a great spy or government official. He just does not give up information and handles the media the way they deserve to be handled: by shutting them up. But he doesn't shut them up by yelling or telling them to shut up. He fields questions in such a clever way that the media is left speechless with no answer except feelings of aggravation and embarrassment. I have come to love watching Bill Belichick interviews just because I find it very clever and comical the way he dodges questions, some of which he has no reason to dodge but does so anyway.

The issue of Tom Brady and his high ankle sprain is just for attention. The New England Patriots love attention. With the public starting to jump on the New York Giants bandwagon, the New England Patriots need that attention back so they are secretly making it seem as if Tom Brady is hurt through his absence at practice. Tom Brady injured for the Super Bowl?! Yes, I'm sure this story is turning some heads.

For the second consecutive day, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady wasn't in the locker room when reporters and cameramen were allowed inside Friday.

During the 45-minute period, several cameramen lingered near Brady's locker, but he didn't show up. Nor was he there for the first 12 minutes of practice that the media were allowed to watch.

Asked if he could say whether Brady would practice later in the day, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said, "Not now. We'll see."

Brady was photographed in New York City on Monday wearing a protective boot on his right foot. He took it off later in the day and hasn't been photographed wearing it since. He reportedly has a minor high ankle sprain that isn't expected to keep him out of the Super Bowl against the New York Giants on Feb. 3.

Brady wasn't seen during the first 15 minutes of Thursday's workout to which media were admitted, nor in the locker room.

As Belichick was asked Friday to compare the current trip to the Super Bowl to the other three the team has played in, vice president of media relations Stacey James said, "Final question."

One reporter tried to squeeze in another, asking if Belichick could say what Brady did or didn't do on Thursday, the Patriots' first day of practice after a three-day break.

"Was that the last question?" Belichick said with a smile, turning toward James.

"That was the last question," James replied.

With that, Belichick walked from the lectern and out of the room.

Even if he is or is not hurt, what do you care? Tom Brady doesn't need to practice and the Super Bowl is still more than a week away anyway. Even other members of the New England Patriots are joking about Tom Brady's "injury." If it was anything of serious concern, don't you think a team hungry to win like the Patriots wouldn't be taking Brady's injury so lightly? Also, the Patriots already proved that they have many other weapons available other than Tom Brady who can get the job done.

My Comments On Current Issues In Football

Ok, as far as the the special boot Tom Brady was wearing, yes he is hurt and yes he probably played hurt in the AFC Championship game. He threw 3 interceptions! For those who know a little about Tom Brady, then you know he does not throw 3 interceptions. He looked sloppy and uncomfortable all night. Therefore, he must have played hurt. There is no other explanation as to why he played so bad. This guy is some cyborg alien sent to dominate football and win everything possible. Of course, he'll recover in time for the Super Bowl.

As far as Ladainian Tomlinson is concerned, he is a disgrace to football. As good as he used to be, Sunday's AFC Championship game just ruined his career. Two weeks ago, as hurt as he claimed to be, he was still willing to run against the Colts. Last week against the Patriots, he was listed as healthy and ready to go. He runs on two drives for very little yardage, goes to the sideline, and bundles himself up in an Eskimoish- Dark Vader type outfit where he stood for the rest of the game. He should have either went to the locker room or went back out there to play. Not just stand there and be useless.

As far as Philip Rivers is concerned, I give him mucho guts for playing the whole game with a Torn ACL. I can't recall many players that can do that. He has more guts than LT. However, IT WAS ALSO VERY STUPID AND SELFISH OF HIM TO PLAY THE WHOLE GAME. Yes, he had guts, but c'mon, he threw 2 interceptions and had a very bad game. The quarterback is the most important position in any sport and if your quarterback isn't 100% healthy you shouldn't start him. Wanting to start and having the ability to start are two very different things that can affect the outcome of a game. Philip Rivers really needs to get over himself.

The Chargers had a very real chance of beating the beatable Patriots if LT would have played and Billy Volek would have started or went in after the first half. With a healthy quarterback and running back, they could have taken advantage of Brady's 3 interceptions, which comes once in a lifetime. The Patriots gave the Chargers every chance to beat them, but the Chargers didn't give the Patriots any reason why they should have won.

Hockey Will Be Without Sidney Crosby For At Least A Month

For more than two periods, the Pittsburgh Penguins witnessed what life without star Sidney Crosby is like....disastrous.

Sidney Crosby, tied for the NHL scoring lead with 63 points, is out indefinitely after sustaining a high ankle sprain in the Penguins' 3-0 loss to the Lightning on Friday. Teammate Marc-Andre Fleury, who has the same injury, has been out since December.

Crosby badly sprained an ankle while ramming into the boards in the first period, and the Andre Roy-led Tampa Bay Lightning took advantage of his absence for a 3-0 victory over the Penguins on Friday night.

Crosby was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain, an injury to the large ligament that connects the two biggest bones in the lower leg, the tibia and fibula. The injury is more serious than the traditional twisted ankle and can sideline an athlete for a month or more.

This is obviously a huge loss. There is no team that can deal with losing the best player in the league. That's the equivalent of Tom Brady not playing in the AFC Championship or Alex Rodriguez injured for three months. Crosby is the heart and leader of the Penguins.

"To see a guy like that go down and not come back, it's tough," Penguins forward Colby Armstrong said. "Guys are going to have to take it upon themselves as a team to fill in. But I don't know if you can fill a spot like that."

To show you how bad the Penguins are without Crosby, just look at this stat. Until now, Crosby had missed only four games to injury during his three-season NHL career. The Penguins' record without him is......0-2-2. In other words, they can't win or attempt to win well without him.

Injury Update: Philip Rivers Has A Partially Torn ACL

Mouthy to a fault, quarterback Philip Rivers made a pronouncement Friday that pleased the San Diego Chargers, despite the coach's sentiments and a report to the contrary:

He's optimistic about playing in the AFC Championship Game.

Rivers returned to the practice field, encouraged his sprained right knee would heal enough for him to go Sunday against the New England Patriots.

However, that was Friday afternoon. Now sources told The San Diego Union-Tribune Rivers had also sustained a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee. Therefore, Chargers coach Norv Turner took a more cautious approach. He listed Rivers as doubtful and said it would be a game-time decision.

Under NFL rules for reporting injuries, someone listed as doubtful has a 25 percent chance of playing that week. Until Friday, teams were required to merely list whether a player practiced -- Rivers did not work out Wednesday or Thursday.

Rivers handled about one-third of the snaps in practice on Friday. He was hurt last weekend in a 28-24 playoff upset of the defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts, and backup Billy Volek led the winning touchdown drive.

Already a two-touchdown underdog against the perfect Patriots, the Chargers are awfully banged up. Antonio Gates was put in the doubtful category still with a dislocated toe.

On a positive note, running back LaDainian Tomlinson said he thought his hyperextended left knee would be OK for him to start. If Billy Volek has to start or see major playing time in Sunday's AFC Championship game, than LT is going to have to step up like never before. Remember the LT who set the all-time record for rushing TDs and ran for crazy numbers continuously game after game. Wherever he went this year, he's going to have to return and play just like that against the Patriots if they have any hope of winning.

I'll say this however. The Patriots have not covered the spread in a long time. Other than the games against the Dolphins and Steelers, the rest of the games involving the Patriots have been relatively within reach. Yet, they still continue to be favored by insane amounts of points. I guess that's because the Patriots can go on a tear at anytime and can score almost every time the ball is in Tom Brady's hands.

As for Bill Belichick and the Patriots. Same story. Patriots coach Bill Belichick said San Diego's injury problems were of little concern to him.

"We get ready for all 53 players every week," he said. "We don't have any control over that."

A classic Belichick response. Tom Brady, whose best games often come in the biggest settings, was typically more composed, joking about a future in Hollywood. In fact, everything is a joke to him.

For all his experience in pressurized settings, the Patriots quarterback suggested he had more trouble nowadays when it came to keeping his adrenaline in check. Brady was reminded that six years ago, right before playing in his first Super Bowl, he took a nap on the locker room floor. Brady wound up as the game's MVP in a win over the St. Louis Rams.

"I think I was naive back in the day," Brady said. "I thought it was easy."

Who are you trying to fool, Brady? Of course its easy when you have a line who protects you for so long you could steal Jessica Simpson from Tony Romo, have your way with her, and still be back in time to throw the ball to the best receiving core in football.

I guess when you have the type of season he had (make that the type of career he had) you can laugh and have a good time in the NFL.

Finally, Something To Slow The New England Patriots Down

Surrounded by controversy and achievement, lovers and haters, and an indestructible team, finally an incident happened that could slow down the team morale.

Has anyone noticed how poorly Randy Moss played last week? That's not a coincidence.

Randy Moss joined the Patriots this season determined to avoid off-field problems. Now he's in the middle of one, just days before Sunday's AFC Championship Game. A temporary restraining order was issued Monday requiring the star wide receiver to stay at least 500 feet from a woman who alleged he committed "battery causing serious injury" to her at her Florida home on Jan. 6.

Moss denied the allegation by Rachelle Washington, which he called "this situation of extortion," and said he was "furious" about it. The restraining order was issued in the Broward County 17th Judicial Circuit of Florida.

A hearing on whether to issue a permanent restraining order is scheduled for 3 p.m. Jan. 28, six days before the Super Bowl.

"I want to make something clear," Moss said. "In my whole entire life of living 30 years, I've never put my hand on one woman, physically or in an angry manner. This is a negative," he said of the latest allegation, "a black cloud hanging over my head, and that's something that I did not want coming into the season. ... Everything I tried to do from getting here early, to make sure I eat the right food, all the way to practicing and playing, I wanted all of that to be A-plus.

Undefeated New England plays the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship Game in Foxborough on Sunday, thanks in part to Moss, who was named to the All-Pro team. During the season he caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns, breaking Jerry Rice's single-season mark of 22.

He had one catch in Saturday night's 31-20 playoff win over Jacksonville, which resorted to double and triple coverage on him.

Randy Moss may be the best wide receiver in football, but he is human like you and me and does have emotions which may effect how he plays. You can't argue with that. However, you can argue the fact that the Patriots and Brady did win 3 Super Bowls without him.

Chargers QB Faces Uncertainty Against Undefeated Pats

San Diego quarterback Phil Rivers was listed as questionable for this weekend's game against the New England Patriots. He suffered a sprained right knee in this past weekend's playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts. "Right now, it's probably questionable in terms of playing in the game, but he's got a chance," coach Norv Turner said Monday. "That will be a day-to-day thing and we'll monitor it as the week goes on." In Sunday's game against the Colts, Rivers completed 14 of 19 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns before being taken out of the game after landing awkwardly when completing a 56 yard screen pass to Darren Sproles. Billy Volek took over after Rivers left the game and led the Chargers to victory.

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The Chargers also had to rely on other backups on Sunday. They had running backs Michael Turner and Darren Sproles play after LaDainian Tomlinson was injured. Tomlinson said he should be able to play in this Sunday's AFC championship game, but the Chargers are nevertheless concerned about their crop of injuries. "I'm concerned," coach Turner said. "I mean, I'm real concerned. We're lucky, or we're fortunate, to have a Darren Sproles, have a Michael Turner, have a Brandon McKinney, but you can only withstand so many hits." Everyone should be concerned about San Diego's failing health. Everyone, that is, except Tom Brady.

The New England Patriots Advance In The Playoffs

This game was in a dead heat going into halftime. Then, I realized the New England Patriots would do what they always do. That is, keep the game relatively close to make the game exciting and keep viewers glued to their screens, but then blow it open in the end.

I want to know what happened to this amazing Jacksonville Jaguars defense I heard about? All of a sudden they decided to not show up? They could not stop the Patriots on any drive. The punter only came out once for the Patriots....and that was in the last minute of the game!

The Jaguars struck first. They answered after the Patriots responded with two touchdowns. However, the give-and-take with Tom Brady & Company finally took a toll on Jacksonville.

David Garrard did all he could to keep his team in the game, but his receivers dropped some key catches that might have possibly made a difference. As for the Jaguars' amazing running game, I'd rather not even mention how terrible it was.

David Garrard kept the Jaguars close, completing 14 of 18 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns through three quarters, including an 8-yard touchdown pass as his knee brushed the tips of the turf while in the grasp of linebacker Mike Vrabel. Garrard also hit Ernest Wilford for a 6-yard TD to make it 14-14 with 7:46 left in the half.

The Jaguars scored on a spectacular opening possession that gave them hope of ending New England's chances to top the 1972 Miami Dolphins, who won all 17 of their games. However, the Jaguars first touchdown was one of controversy.

Garrard found a wide-open Marcedes Lewis for 34 yards on a fourth-and-1 from the Patriots 43. Then, on third-and-goal from the 8, Vrabel wrapped up Garrard and was bringing him down when he flung the ball into the end zone and into the arms of Matt Jones.

Replays showed that Garrard's knee might have been down when he released the ball. But Patriots coach Bill Belichick wasn't quite as quick with his release of the red replay flag: He was running toward the field with his arm cocked, ready to throw it, when the ball was snapped for the extra point.

But Brady broke it open in the third with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker and a 9-yarder to Benjamin Watson -- his second scoring catch of the game.

Tom Brady completed his first 16 passes and was 23-of-24 for 194 yards and three touchdowns in the first three quarters Saturday night to help the New England Patriots open a 28-17 lead over the Jacksonville Jaguars in their AFC playoff game.

Laurence Maroney ran 15 times for 111 yards and a 1-yard touchdown as the Patriots tried to extend their perfect season with a 17th consecutive victory.

The New England Patriots will play the winner of Sunday's game between San Diego and Indianapolis for the AFC championship and a berth in the Super Bowl. If the Patriots make it to the Feb. 3 NFL title game, they'll have a chance to complete the league's first 19-0 season.

The Many Faces Of Donovan McNabb

First, Donovan McNabb complained that the reason sports fans and analysts were scrutinizing his poor performance was because he's a black quarterback. Now, he insists that the reason for the Eagles' poor performance is because of the lack of playmakers on the team.

Um, hello? You're not exactly the greatest playmaker either, Donovan McNabb. Ever since your first injured season, its a coin toss whether can remain healthy enough to play every year. Also, you hold onto the ball and fumble too much and you try to force plays that aren't there.

This raises an interesting debate. Its a very fine line between receivers and quarterbacks. Who is to blame when something goes wrong? And don't give me that line its a team sport and everyone is responsible. If mistakes happen too frequently by one player, most teams wouldn't hesitate to get rid of that one player holding them back.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb made his desires known with his blog posting on yardbarker.com.

McNabb

"Now that the season is over and we are concentrating on 2008, I hope we are able to secure some playmakers in all three phases of the game," McNabb wrote in his Monday posting. "Maybe some of those playmakers are already on the roster but have struggled with injuries, myself included, that have held us back a little."

Coach Andy Reid had pointed to the team's numerous injuries as one reason why the Eagles finished 8-8 this season. He also said that players should be careful in addressing personnel situations, because the person in the next locker might not take it the right way.

"I haven't heard Donovan talk about that, so I'm not answering it," Reid said during a wrapup news conference on New Year's Eve. "I know, as players, you have to be careful about saying that, because those are your teammates that are being replaced. Most players don't get into that, who really care about their teammates on the other side."

Nice way to handle it Andy Reid. You don't want to break up the team chemistry or create an imbalance in the locker room.

McNabb didn't mention any names of play-makers and difference-makers he'd like to have on his side, but he did direct attention to a certain undefeated team and how it went about its business.

"You can't argue with how the Patriots went outside their locker room and stocked up on playmakers last year. It certainly helped to have Randy Moss, Donte' Stallworth, Wes Welker and Adalius Thomas making plays for them all year," McNabb said in his blog posting.

"I'm surprised that anyone would have a problem with me, or anyone else in the organization, expressing a desire to bring in more quality players," he added. "We were 8-8. There is room for improvement. This is a competitive sport. It's about putting together the best players, the best team, and giving yourself the best chance to win.

Again, what McNabb just said goes back to my debate. Does the quarterback make the receivers or do the receivers make the quarterback? Nobody knew who Reggie Wayne was until Peyton Manning developed him into a skilled receiver. However, Tom Brady, who already won Super Bowls with average receivers, inherited already gifted receivers this year and it looks like nothing can stop them. Would Donovan McNabb be any better if he had a Randy Moss on his team, or would he continue to get injured, force interceptions, and fumble?

OH WAIT! McNabb already had one of the best receivers in the game on his team. Anyone remember Terrell Owens? And we all know how that worked out.

If, McNabb is unhappy on the Eagles, he would make excellent trade bait. Any team would love to scoop this guy up just because of the name he carries and they would probably trade generously for him.

Tom Brady Wins Offensive Player Of The Year. Big Surprise

Was there any doubt? Just like all those wins, the NFL awards keep rolling in for Tom Brady. The league's Most Valuable Player added The Associated Press 2007 Offensive Player of the Year honors to his collection Tuesday, easily outdistancing his main weapon on the unbeaten New England Patriots, Randy Moss.

If Tom Brady played defense, he'd probably win that award too.

Indeed, of the four players who received votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL, three were Patriots. Brady, of course, led the way, just as he did through the first 16-0 regular season in league history.

"We set out a bunch of goals early in the season," Brady said, "and I think I said the best part about playing quarterback here is I just have to do my job, show up every day and work hard just like everybody else. I think my job description is just a bit different than everybody else's, but there's a lot of satisfaction knowing that I can just come out there and worry about myself and expect that everybody else is going to do their job.

"It's been a fun season. There's no doubt about it."

And it's been a rewarding season for Brady, the first New England player to be chosen MVP and now the first Patriot to win Offensive Player of the Year.

HOWEVER.... History will not be on Tom Brady's side this postseason. Only one quarterback (Joe Montana, 1989 49ers) who has won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award has gone on to capture the Super Bowl title in the same season. All the QBs to take the honor since it's 1973 inception are below.

Player	Team	Year
Tom Brady	Patriots	2007
Peyton Manning	Colts	2004
Brett Favre	Packers	1995
Steve Young	49ers	1992
Warren Moon	Oilers	1990
Joe Montana	49ers	1989
Dan Marino	Dolphins	1984
Joe Theismann	Redskins	1983
Dan Fouts	Chargers	1982
Ken Anderson	Bengals	1981
Bert Jones	Colts	1976
Fran Tarkenton	Vikings	1975
Ken Stabler	Raiders	1974

Then again, the New England Patriots have defied and broken all laws this year, so this stat shouldn't really apply to them.

Include MVP In The List Of Tom Brady's Accomplishments This Year

Was their any doubt? Tom Brady rewrote the NFL record book in 2007 and earned all but one MVP vote.

The New England Patriots' record-setting quarterback drew all but one vote Saturday in romping to The Associated Press 2007 NFL MVP award in the same manner his team romped through its schedule, going 16-0. On the way to the first unbeaten regular season since Miami went 14-0 in 1972, Brady put on a performance for the ages.

"I have always been a huge football fan and will always have great respect for the history of this game," Brady said. "I am grateful to all of the voters for any consideration I was given. It is a tremendous honor and I am sure it is one that my family will one day look back on with great pride."

The eight-year veteran who already has won three Super Bowls helped the Patriots tear through the record books by throwing for 50 touchdowns. He beat Peyton Manning's league mark by one, and also threw 23 of those TD passes to Randy Moss, which lifted the receiver past Jerry Rice's record of 22.

New England scored 589 points, another record, as was the Patriots' 75 touchdowns. Brady led the NFL with a 117.2 passer rating -- no, not another record, but close to Manning's 121.1 in 2004. Only one full-time AFC starter, Jacksonville's David Garrard, had fewer than Brady's eight interceptions. And Brady threw 253 more passes than Garrard.

Brady also was tops with a 68.9 completion percentage, and his 4,806 yards were 383 more than runner-up Drew Brees of New Orleans.

The New England Patriots Have Rewritten The History Books

The New England Patriots have completed a perfect season (16-0) in large part thanks to questionable and poor play calling on the side of the New York Giants.

But whatever the reasons are and whatever excuses I can make, the fact of the matter is the Patriots have gone undefeated and the records poured in.

Tom Brady tied a season record for touchdown passes and Randy Moss for touchdown catches when the two combined on a 4-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter against the New York Giants on Saturday night.

It also gave New England a record for most points by a team in a season -- 561.

The play gave Brady 49 TD passes for the season, tying Peyton Manning's 2004 record. Moss now has 22 touchdown catches, tying Jerry Rice, who did it in 12 games during a strike-marred 1987 season.

The play gave the Patriots a 10-7 lead over the Giants and 561 points for the season. The old mark was 556 by the 1998 Vikings.

On the TD pass, Brady turned to his right and threw the ball high to the right corner of the end zone to Moss, who jumped over the Giants' Aaron Ross to bring it in.

But....there was more to come....

Randy Moss received a 65 Yd Pass From Tom Brady followed by a Laurence Maroney run for A two-point conversion. With this TD pass, Brady passed Manning's record for most touchdown passes in a single season and stands alone with 50 touchdowns. In addition, Moss gained his 23rd touchdown pass, making him stand alone in the record books for most touchdown receptions.

More from ESPN:

With one mighty heave, Tom Brady and Randy Moss took care of the record books. Now it's down to business for the unbeaten New England Patriots: stamping themselves as the greatest team in NFL history.

The Patriots completed a perfect if somewhat joyless journey through the regular season Saturday night, finishing with a remarkable 16-0 record following a thrilling 38-35 comeback victory over the New York Giants.

New England became the first NFL team since the 1972 Dolphins to win every game on the schedule, and that one was only 14-0. This victory required a comeback from a 12-point deficit engineered by the brilliant Brady, and smashed the Patriots' league mark for consecutive victories.

Validation of their inexorable march through the season can only come by adding a Super Bowl championship, their fourth of the decade. Do that and there'll be no challenge to their spot at the top.

The statement above raises an interesting debate. If the Patriots should lose in the playoffs, will their perfect season be in vain? Will they be remembered as the greatest team in history or as the team who went undefeated in the regular season, but then lost in the playoffs? Anyway, I'll discuss this in a later article IF they should happen to lose.

A Giant Miracle?

Tonight, history will be made. The undefeated New England Patriots will go against the New York Giants in their quest for a perfect season. The Giants, who have already siezed the wildcard for the playoffs, will most likely rest their starters in preparation for the playoffs. The Patriots, on the other hand, have set their sights on making history. By winning tonight, they will be 16-0, an amazing accomplishment even considering the easiness of their schedule and division. Not only this, but numerous records are threatened by the Patriots. Quarterback Tom Brady is within reach of the touchdown record, currently held by Peyton Manning. Randy Moss and Wes Welker are also close to breaking records. Not only are individual player's records at stake, but the Patriots are close to breaking the record for the most points scored by a team in a season. With all this at stake, it is likely that the Patriots will not rest their starters tonight for the playoff battles ahead. Instead, the Patriots will probably play the hardest that they ever have this season.

Should we expect a blowout then tonight? With the Patriots using all their key starters and the Giants giving theirs a rest, it seems as if New England's perfect season is inevitable. Certainly, the odds are in the Patriots' favor. However, there are some elements for tonight's game that could give the Giants the boost they need to make some history of their own: beating a 15-0 team aspiring for perfection in the last game of the season.

The Giants' advantages in tonight's game are small, but together they may prove to be enough to beat New England. Their first advantage is that this historic game will be played at Giants Stadium. As the hometeam, the Giants will have a slight edge over the Patriots. Of course, being a visiting team hasn't stopped the Patriots yet, but this is still an advantage held by New York. The second advantage held by the Giants is the possibility of bad weather. If it rains tonight in New York, Brady will not be effective in passing. He will not be able to make the huge, groundbreaking bombs to his receivers. This will limit Brady to shorter passes thereby giving the Giants the opportunity of containing him. Of course, bad weather affects the Giants' offense as well. However, New York's primary concern in tonight's game should be Brady. Anything that limits Brady will be a huge asset for the Giants, even if it harms their team as well. The third advantage possessed by the Giants is that they have nothing to lose, but the Patriots have so much to lose. The Giants are already in the playoffs. Tonight's game is not a concern for them. They are preparing for their matchup with Tampa Bay. The Patriots are playing for perfection. They are playing for the perfect season as well as the shattering of numerous records. Since the Patriots have so much more to lose than the Giants, there is alot more pressure on them to win. This added pressure could lead to them making some mistakes on the field. One mistake like a dropped pass or an interception has the potential of altering the entire course of the game.

These advantages, although small by themselves, might prove to give New York the edge they need to beat New England. And just imagine what would happen if the Giants do prevail against the Patriots. They will have enormous confidence going into their game with Tampa Bay. They beat the unbeatable Patriots. This confidence boost could be what New York needs to scoot past the playoffs and into the Super Bowl. And also imagine the effect tonight's game would have on New England if they lose. Their confidence would be broken. This could have negative implications for them during the playoffs. Tonight's game, then, has more than just the potential for record-breaking and history-making. It has the potential for determining who will make it to play in the Super Bowl.

Some Comments on the 2008 Pro Bowl Voting

NFC

-It's very nice to see the public give Favre (possibly) another farewell game after the season is over. I agree with voting him in as QB over Tony Romo, especially this year.

-Terrell Owens and Larry Fitzgerald should bring out the best in Favre, who isn't used to throwing to receivers of this caliber.

-The public really loves the new guy Adrian Peterson. Based on his inconsistency, I wouldn't have picked him over Westbrook, who you can always rely on.

-Did anyone not see Al Harris get burned repeatedly when he played the Cowboys. He's terrible. Good thing Terrell Owens is on his side this game. It doesn't matter though, if not T.O, then Randy Moss will exploit Al Harris.

-Watching Devin Hester return kicks is the only exciting aspect of the Bears. There isn't anybody who can do it better.

AFC

-As a Manning fan, I think he is more of a team player who would do a better job managing his team, the time, and get the overall win. However, the Pro Bowl isn't really about who wins. It's not like baseball where a win determines home field advantage. The Pro Bowl is all about flash and showing off. So in that regard, I can see why Brady would be voted the starter. This year, a Brady pass to Randy Moss is more exciting than a Manning pass to Wayne.

-How can you go wrong with the #1 receiver in the league (Moss) and the #1 receiver (Wayne) on the second best team in the league? You can't possibly lose with Moss. He'll push off the defender every time and never get flagged for it.

-How can you go wrong with the #1 tight end in the league (Anotonio Gates)

-LaDainian Tomlinson is becoming more like the LT of last year more and more and if he keeps this up he'll put Adrian Peterson in his place.

-Ed Reed and Bob Sanders is a good duo at safetys. As is Champ Bailey and Asante Samuel at cornerbacks.

The AFC Pro Bowl Team Unleashed

AFC Offense
Pos.	Name	Team
WR	Randy Moss*	New England
WR	Reggie Wayne*	Indianapolis
WR	Braylon Edwards	Cleveland
WR	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	Cincinnati
OT	Matt Light*	New England
OT	Jason Peters*	Buffalo
OT	Jonathan Ogden	Baltimore
OG	Alan Faneca*	Pittsburgh
OG	Logan Mankins*	New England
OG	Kris Dielman	San Diego
C	Jeff Saturday*	Indianapolis
C	Dan Koppen	New England
TE	Antonio Gates*	San Diego
TE	Tony Gonzalez	Kansas City
QB	Tom Brady*	New England
QB	Peyton Manning	Indianapolis
QB	Ben Roethlisberger	Pittsburgh
RB	LaDainian Tomlinson*	San Diego
RB	Joseph Addai	Indianapolis
RB	Willie Parker	Pittsburgh
FB	Lorenzo Neal*	San Diego

AFC Defense
Pos.	Name	Team
DE	Jared Allen*	Kansas City
DE	Kyle Vanden Bosch*	Tennessee
DE	Jason Taylor	Miami
DT	Albert Haynesworth*	Tennessee
DT	Vince Wilfork*	New England
DT	Jamal Williams	San Diego
OLB	James Harrison*	Pittsburgh
OLB	Mike Vrabel*	New England
OLB	Shawne Merriman	San Diego
ILB	DeMeco Ryans*	Houston
ILB	Ray Lewis	Baltimore
CB	Champ Bailey*	Denver
CB	Asante Samuel*	New England
CB	Antonio Cromartie	San Diego
FS	Ed Reed*	Baltimore
SS	Bob Sanders*	Indianapolis
SS	Troy Polamalu	Pittsburgh

AFC Special Teams
Pos.	Name	Team
Punter	Shane Lechler	Oakland
Kicker	Rob Bironas	Tennessee
Kick returner	Josh Cribbs	Cleveland
Special Teamer	Kassim Osgood	San Diego

* = Starter