Match Play

A look at three of the week's best match-ups

Written by: MJK

Dallas Cowboys (8-3) versus New York Giants (6-5)

Both of these teams have been a bit of a façade this season.  The Cowboys come in with an 8-3 record and sit atop the NFC East standings.  They have looked strong in spurts but what once was a high-octane offense has seemed to slow to a crawl for the past month or so. Running back Marion Barber has not been the dominant physical presence that he has been in years past, and while Felix Jones and Tashard Choice bring a little electricity to the air nothing has really panned out on the ground as the team I am sure had hoped.  Wide Receiver miles Austin has shown flashes of the type of talent he can be,  but both he and Roy Williams are far from consistent on a game to game basis as neither of them have yet to produce against some of the leagues top secondary’s.  Even last week when Austin went off against the Oakland Raiders, he was covered by the smaller Chris Johnson rather than all pro Nnamdi Asomugha more times than not.

 The Giants on the other hand started off the season very strong and but now have lost 5 of 6 and are now reeling to hang onto any glimpse of hope for a playoff push.  This is a huge game for them.  Their secondary has been depleted all season long and more recently they have lost linebacker Antonio Pierce for an extended amount of time. Still, good teams find ways to win and the defensive replacements have not done a good job of holding the opposition in check.  Eli Manning continues to be bothered by a sore heel but has played relatively well considering.

If the Giants expect to win this game they will need to find ways to neutralize Dallas’ elite pass rush and pound the rock with Brandon Jacobs and company, something that has not been done with any effectiveness for a number of weeks. For the Cowboys it is simple. Play to their abilities. They are the better team in this game and if all else holds true than they should have no problem sending the Giants further into a tailspin.

Ray Rice, RB, Bal. versus Green Bay Packers run defense

The Packers have been a top 5 defense against the run all season long and will look to slow down one of this seasons breakout players in Ray Rice.  Rice is an all purpose yard machine, much like in the mold of a Maurice Jones-Drew. He has totaled over a 100 yards from scrimmage in all but two games this season and has compiled an astounding 61 receptions.  The complete package.  The Packers have played much better of late, riding on the coattails of an impressive shutout of the Cowboys a few weeks back. Still, they will be without Aaron Kampman and Al Harris in this game and will set back a defense known for its run support fixtures.  The rest of the defense has stepped what relatively well, but if any back can gash a defense it is Rice and his versatility. 

Tennessee Titans (5-6) versus Indianapolis Colts (12-0)

The Colts have staged impressive late game victory after impressive late game victory and one has to think it will catch up with them at some point. The team has needed to come back from fourth quarter deficits in their last five games. Either way they have gotten the job done until this point and will look to continue their win streak in whatever way possible.  The Titans on the other hand have won five straight on the back of quarterback Vince Young.  Along with Young, head coach Jeff Fisher has rallied the defensive troops as the unit has played much more inspired ball the past few weeks. They have still been giving up points, which is worrisome against this Indy team, but they have been playing with much more intensity and that can go a very long way.  I would still look for Peyton Manning to shred this secondary but if Vince Young can keep the game close as the Colts have been known to let teams do, the end result could be a very humbling one for Manning and the Colts.

The Real Mccoy

Why Mccoy should win the Heisman

Written by: D. Wash

This year's Heisman race isn't cut and dry like many of the races in the past. Instead of one clear front runner, we now have a handful of stars that can all make a solid case for the award of the nations best college football player.

Florida quarterback and media darling Tim Tebow is always mentioned in Heisman discussions, but avid college football fans know that he shouldn’t be one of the front runners. No, the frontrunners should consist of Mark Ingram (RB, Alabama) , Toby Gerhart (RB, Stanford) , and Colt Mccoy (QB, Texas).

All three have numbers that impress, but in my mind Colt Mccoy is the only logical choice for the award. Overcoming the pro-QB bias is no small feat and it’s true that Gerhart and Ingram have definitely earned their spots in the Heisman discussion, but they don't deserve the Heisman nearly as much as Colt Mccoy does.

Ingram's team's success hasn't been based on his production, but rather a dominant SEC defense. He has also been rendered ineffective in a few games this year, which is something that shouldn’t happen to a Heisman candidate. Ingram may still be able to earn himself the trophy, but he'll need to single handedly beat Florida in the SEC title game, something that I doubt will happen. Toby Gerhart is the leader of his team and one of the few reasons Stanford has been successful this year, but it is difficult for a player from a team with a few losses to win a Heisman. Unlike Ingram and Mccoy, Gerhart doesn't have another opportunity to impress the Heisman voters, so while the other two stars pad their resume, Gerhart will just be watching and wondering whether he did enough.


Mccoy is leading a team that is undefeated and near the top of the BCS rankings. Mccoy IS the reason that his team has been so successful this season. Just look at his Thanksgiving day performance. He rushed for a career high 175 yards and was responsible for a total of 5 touchdowns in Texas's win over rival Texas A&M. He's done it again and again this year and there is little doubt in anyone's mind that Mccoy is fully responsible for each and every Texas win. Also, though it technically shouldn't be considered for this year’s award, its hard not to look at Mccoy's total body of work over his college football career. He's been a star at Texas since he stepped onto campus and is now the all time QB leader in career wins in college football. He's put up great performances year after year and has shown that he is one of the greatest college quarterbacks to ever grace the gridiron. The fact remains that Colt Mccoy has been consistently the most excellent player in all of college football and deserves the Heisman Trophy.

One City…Two Teams (and no I'm not talking about New York)

Written by: MJK

Five weeks ago the Tennessee Titans were coming off of their bye week a team searching for answers and above all else, their first victory.   This years rendition of the team made it so easy to forget that in 2008 they went 10-0 before losing their first game and went into the playoffs with the NFL’s best record at 13-3.   Fast forward to 2009.  Seven weeks go by and suddenly this juggernaut of a team from just one season prior sat at the bottom of the AFC South standings with a record of 0-6.  Head coach Jeff Fisher’s job security was suddenly being called into question. Under normal circumstances Fisher’s job security could be best described as bulletproof, one of the best and most tenured coaches the league has today.  The pieces to the puzzle just didn’t fit.  Lots of  questions were being asked about where the finger pointing should begin. 

Had Fisher lost his coaching edge? Did the loss of mammoth defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to free agency really make it so the team could not win a game? Had the rest of the NFL caught up to the Titans ground and pound offensive philosophy? Why was Kerry Collins unable to control and manage the game as he did in 2008? 

While all of these questions are fair and factual in their implications, one thing was definitely for certain…the team needed a spark.  Running back Chris Johnson has been one of the leagues most feared players since coming onto the scene last season, and he was one horse in the stable the team could rely on during its winless stretch to begin this year. He has been the most exciting player in the league this season and his gaudy stats (1396 rushing yards, 10 total TD’s and two games with 200+ yards from scrimmage) are simply jaw dropping.  With five games remaining, he has a decent shot at eclipsing the magical 2000 yard mark. The problem was, he needed a running mate. He got one in Vince Young. 

It is easy to appreciate all that quarterback Kerry Collins did for this team last season, but lets be honest…we are talking about a 37-year old dink and dunk thrower who’s offensive gameplan is relegated to check downs and 8 yard out patterns.  He was the master of game management.  But when his abilities as a game manager began to flounder, change was needed. When the Titans decided to make the change to Vince Young at quarterback, it seemed like it was long over due. Sure he has had his ups and downs (17 picks in 2007, reports of suicidal tendencies and bouts with depression) but the guy has a winning record in the NFL and all the talent in the world.

Since taking over the helm in Tennessee, Young has jumpstarted a team that was in dire need of a swift kick in the ass.  He has led the team to five straight wins and the team has scored 30+ points in 3 out of 5 of those games.  A far cry from the direction the 0-6 version of the team was headed in.  Most importantly, the team now has an outside chance of making the playoffs as a wild card team. This was almost unfathomable 6 weeks ago. There are a lot of exciting duos in the NFL that come to mind, but none possess the same kind of fireworks that Chris Johnson and Vince Young can while on the field together. 

What does all of this mean for VY? Well, obviously he needs to keep winning.  His talent and athleticism has never been in question.  His mental and emotional strength has however. He is riding the high of highs right now, and the true test will come when he faces adversity.  Will he be able to handle the limelight? It is quite apparent that his decision making and accuracy is markedly improved from seasons past, which makes him as dangerous an NFL player as anyone.  If he can harness the intangible of being able to pick himself up when he gets knocked down, the sky is the limit. If these last 5 games are any indication, he is well on his way.

I will never forget watching VY march down the field against USC in the National Championship game in what was probably one of the greatest individual performances in an athletic event I will ever see. So whether it is in college or driving 99-yards and threading the needle on a game winning touchdown pass against the Arizona Cardinals like he did this past weekend in the NFL…football is a better place when VY is at his best.  So when the Titans take the field for the rest of the season do not expect to find the 0-6 team anywhere. Do however, take notice of the new and improved unbeaten product led by Vince Young.