NFC Playoff Picture

BY EVAN SPORER
EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY AP NEWS


With one more week in the books, the playoffs grow even closer.

And with the 2010-11 postseason quickly approaching, certain teams are vying for position, others are fighting for their playoff lives, and the rest are trying to prove they have what it takes. Where does your team sit?

In a Class of their Own:

Atlanta Falcons

Seems like these Falcons are on a collision course to meet the Patriots in Dallas come February. Like the Pats, the Falcons have played lights out at home, and clinching home field advantage could go a long way for the Falcon’s high-powered offense. 

Matty Ice is coming into his own in his third season in the league, and should get some MVP consideration. His main target, Roddy White, leads the NFC in receiving yards, and the entire league in receptions. Ryan and White’s chemistry is key to the Falcons success. 

Then there’s Michael Turner, who has eclipsed the 1,000 yard plateau after a down season in ‘09, and his ability to run the ball along with backup Jason Snelling has opened up the pass game even more for Ryan. 

So what could cage these Faclons? 

Both of this teams losses have come on the road, outside of the Georgia Dome. Also, this team has been susceptible to the long pass, with a secondary that ranks 25th in the NFL.

Can the Falcons beat the better teams the NFL has to offer? Sure, they have put up big wins against Baltimore, Green Bay, and a big win IN New Orleans. But on the flip side, the team fell flat against Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. 

A Week 16 matchup versus New Orleans should tell us a lot about these Falcons. For now, they sure look like the best the NFC has to offer. 

AFC Playoff Picture

BY IAN TASSO
EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY AP NEWS

The temperatures are dropping - fast.

And that can only mean one thing: playoff football.

With the postseason quickly approaching, certain teams are vying for position, others are fighting for their playoff lives, and the rest are trying to prove they have what it takes. Where does your team sit?

On a whole different level:

New England Patriots:

Not only do they have what it takes, they are what it takes; the prototype for success. Is there one quarterback you'd rather have in a playoff matchup than Tom Brady? And at home, too? Locking up home-field advantage might have been the worst thing for the AFC. Not good news unless you hail from somewhere between Boston and Maine.

Still, there are a few questions. Can they win sloppy? The game against the Browns showed a distinct weakness with this team – if Brady is off, this team sheds a little skin.

Also, second half defense. The past two games, New England has shown they can close out games – but early on this year, they had trouble slamming the door shut. Which Patriots’ defense will we see down the stretch?

In the clear:

Not to be Left Out

BY BEN BARKER
EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY AP NEWS

The Boston Red Sox filled a giant hole in their lineup when the pulled of the Blockbuster deal of the off-season to acquire Adrian Gonzalez.

A-Gon will provide a TON of power from the left side of the plate, and his inside out power stroke will absolutely abuse the Green Monster.

 But even after sticking Gonzalez into the middle of Boston’s star-studded lineup, one question still looms over Beantown. Who the hell is going to play left field?

The Sox have more than a few options; let’s take a look.

1. Magglio Ordonez:

The Red Sox have always like the idea of bringing Magglio Ordonez to Boston, and now they finally have a chance.

The ex-Tiger was a key member of the potential Alex Rodriguez-Manny Ramirez-Nomar Garciaparra trade that fell through back in 2004.

Ordonez has spent the past six seasons in Detroit where he’s had great offense production. While he only played in 84 games last season, he still hit at a clip of .303. In 2007 Ordonez won the batting title with an amazing .363 average.

Of course, the Sox couldn’t expect a season even close to that out of the 37-year-old outfielder, but an incentive filled 2-year deal might be enough to draw Ordonez to a team with a great chance of contending for the World Series.

Jets Have Tools to Take Down Pats

BY JESSE LIEBMAN

EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY AP NEWS

The legendary Bill Parcells once said, “you are what your record says you are.”

And while on the surface that saying might be brain-numbingly obvious, and as empty as Al Davis' heart, Tuna just may have been on to something. As of their Thanksgiving Day performance, the New York Jets boast a record of 9-2, good for first place in the AFC East.

Following last season’s run to the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts, the Jets have been the media darlings of the National Football League. Rex Ryan is always good for a quote (or two), and the team’s antics constantly have even members of the media in stitches. And then there was their appearance on HBO’s Hard Knocks series -- talk about exposure.

Living in Boston, it’s not rocket science to see that the New England Patriots have entrenched themselves as the toast of the town.

The numbers speak for themselves. Three Super Bowls in a four-year span. Four appearances in the big dance in the past decade. If we flash forward to the present, New England has put up more than respectable numbers this year, carrying an identical win-loss record as New York.

Patriots fans -- and while we’re at it, a lot of the media -- will be inclined to remind outsiders that New England’s record is identical to the Jets; even going so far as to imply that Rex Ryan’s team has gotten by on dumb luck.

Let’s face it: the Jets are not a perfect team; then again, no one else is either.

An Early Christmas Present for Red Sox Nation

BY IAN TASSO

EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY AP NEWS

Few things wake me up at 10-o’clock in the morning on a Saturday. 

A text message from my father that reads “OMG Gonzalez to Sox” is one of those things.

Few notes here. One, the fact that this message was the only thing in my inbox on a Saturday morning is nothing short of good news. This means no felonies were committed last night. Or at least nothing big. Or nothing big that I was directly involved with.

Two, I was in my own bed. That might not mean much to most people, but to a college student, given the alternatives -- my own couch, someone else’s couch, my floor, someone else’s floor, the sidewalk, or not at all -- this is quite a moral victory.

And lastly, at 10am, a sentence like “OMG Gonzalez to Sox” can be enough to ensure heart-failure. Or at the very least, an immediate return to unconsciousness. My dad should realize these things and hold off on texts like that until at least past noon.

Alas, the old man had not, and now I was stuck in a pickle.

More than anything, I was shocked for multiple reasons. First off, my eyes were actually open at 10:00 in the morning, and that doesn’t happen too often. Second, I had both my socks on - which may not sound like much to you, but that’s usually the first indication that I didn’t have to run away from anything the night before. Third, my dad had just used “OMG” in a text - pretty hilarious in and of itself. And lastly, Adrian Gonzalez might actually be headed to Boston.

After a minute of weighing my options, I then closed my eyes and went back to sleep. That’s a lot of pressure to deal with at ten in the morning. I’d handle those questions at a much more comfortable wake up time. Like noon. Or 12:30.

Or 1:30.

So here’s what I got for you. Adrian Gonzalez is 99% headed to Boston, barring a failed physical -- or a “Sturm,” as I like to call it -- and this is what it all means:

Who is he?

A former number one overall pick in 2000 by the Florida Marlins, Gonzalez was plucked right out of high school - along with a $3 million signing bonus -- making him the first infield position player taken first overall since Alex Rodriguez in 1993.

Week 7; NHL Power Rankings

BY JESSE LIEBMAN

EDITORLAL. PHOTOS BY AP NEWS

Stove Heating Up for Sox

BY BEN BARKER
EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY AP NEWS

With Victor Martinez heading for Detroit, the Boston Red Sox are turning up the heat on their pursuit of free agent outfielder Carl Crawford.

Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein and Manager Terry Francona met with Crawford and his agent earlier this week in Houston, Texas. It seems as though Boston has become more serious about turning every Sox fan’s dream into a reality.

Crawford will be seeking a deal in the 6-7 year range worth just around 120 million dollars. Just last off-season, Matt Holliday raked in a 7-year 120 million dollar contract from the Cardinals. Crawford is considered at least equally as talented as Holliday, and his contract will most likely be for similar figures.

The Red Sox are publicly against giving out contracts exceeding 4 years, and rightfully so. The last three deals that the Sox have shelled out for 5 years or more have been to JD Drew, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and John Lackey. Crawford, however, may prove to be worth the risk.

Even with the Crawford talks heating up, the Red Sox aren’t forgetting about Jayson Werth.

Just days after meeting with Crawford in Houston, Epstein and Francona met with Werth and super-agent Scott Boras in Chicago. It has been almost assumed that the Sox would end up with Werth for the start of the 2011 season, and this is just another step in that direction.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have been rumored front runners in the Crawford sweepstakes, and if they drive the price too high for Boston’s liking, the Sox could end up with an outfield of Werth, Ellsbury, and Drew. Werth would prove to be a cheaper fix for the Sox, and his power from the right side would fill the void left by potential ex-Sox Adrian Beltre and now Detroit Tiger, Victor Martinez.