My Steve Smith Blog

The New York Giants became one of 8 NFL teams to start the 2009 season with a 2-0 record after a big win against the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas on Sunday night.

This was a hyped up game in every sense of the word. Between the new stadium in Dallas, the Sunday Night Football status, and the fact that these teams have an enduring rivalry that seems to carry on with each season, this was a game that couldn't be missed.

The Giants were coming off of a week 1 victory against the Redskins at home. While the team was expected to win this game and did win, the team just squeaked by the Redskins with a 6 point (23-7) win.

In Week 2, the Giants gave it everything they had at Dallas. This was a game where one team would score, and the other would answer back with a touchdown or field goal of its own.

Perhaps the most impressive part about this game, aside from Eli Manning's 4th quarter poise, was his use of his wide receivers. The Giants found themselves in a difficult position coming into the season. After losing both Plaxico Burress (to his gun incident) and Amani Toomer (to retirement), the team saw a gaping hole at the wide receiver position.

Young talents like Steve Smith and Mario Manningham did a great job at filling in for the Giants. Manningham scored a big touchdown that gave the team the lead late in the game, and a Lawrence Tynes field goal won the game for the team at the end of regulation.

This was a great battle between the two teams, and their next one should be equally exciting.

Enjoy an awesome New York Giants forum, at RootZoo Sports, home to the best NFL pick 'em online.

The New York Football Giants look to win their second Super Bowl in 3 years in 09'. While the previous Super Bowl win was considered an upset but many - this years Giants will not sneak up on anyone. The Giants have a core of players who can lead them to a Super Bowl appearance again for sure. Eli Manning has experience and the quarterback patience like no other in the league.

The Giants are in the NFC which is up for the taking, while there are a few teams that have opportunities to reach the Super Bowl, no team is head and shoulders above the rest this season. There is much parody in the league and if a team has a bad week and one team plays hard, that team will receive a loss. The Giants must play their game, running the football and Eli Manning distributing the ball all over the field.

The Giants might not have the superstar they once had in WR Plaxico Burress - they do have quality receivers in Kevin Boss and Steve Smith. What would you rather have: One great receiver or three or four good receivers? Many would choose the latter.

Manning is completing well over 60% of his pass attempts and limiting his interceptions. If Manning can keep this up over the course of the season the Giants will be in many ball games. The Giants could either make it to the Super Bowl or be bounced out in the first round, they are very unique. After losing to the Dallas Cowboys in week 2, to a lesser team it would seem in the Dallas Cowboys, it is hard to get a read on how good the Giants can be. The Giants are well coached and should be a factor in the NFC all year.

Continue this conversation at the New York Giants forum at RootZoo, where plenty of fans await you. You'll also find some great NFL polls there too.

The Steelers came into this game looking very questionable as they have been injury prone. Also, their mistakes have added more doubt in the minds of a lot of people.

The Steelers surprised many people when they did a good job of playing defense and keeping the Giants out of the end zone. The Steelers appeared to be on the verge of winning the game.

Mike Tomlin said, "That was the first game I have been involved in that we didn't have a snapper."

Eli Manning completed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Boss with around 3 minutes left in the game to give the Giants their only TD of the game. They had just tied the game a few minutes earlier via a safety.

James Harrison snapped the ball out of the end zone to give New York the two points from the safety. The Giants came from behind to beat Pittsburgh for a 21-14 victory Sunday in a game of two division leaders.

The Steelers had backups all over the field. They tried to make up for Ben Roethlisberger's four interceptions and five sacks by turning two big-play scores into a slim lead they kept when they had a goal-line stand halfway through the last quarter.

The Giants tied the game with just under seven minutes left. Linebacker Harrison was playing center and he snapped the ball over punter Mitch Berger's head.

"Nobody has two long snappers on their team; what you have are emergency snappers," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "James Harrison is regarded as the lead candidate. We got some snaps on the sideline and we felt comfortable. We just weren't able to get it done. That was the first game I have been involved in that we didn't have a snapper."

Giants coach Tom Coughlin knew Pittsburgh was without a snapper, saying, "That's why we brought the pressure. I don't know if it disturbed them, but the snap was high."

"I was nervous about snapping for the first time in a game," Harrison said. "But my feeling was that even if I shot it over his head, we still had a chance to stop them."

John Carney kicked four field goals for New York. He made field goals from 26, 35, 25 and 24 yards out. That shows how many times the Giants got in or near the red zone but couldn't get in the end zone.

"You want situations where they kind of have you in a corner and you have to come out swinging," Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said. "Obviously, we responded pretty well. Guys really understand what it takes to win in situations like this."

Manning finally took advantage of the worn-out Steelers defense by finding Steve Smith for 25 yards.

Brandon Jacobs had an 8-yard run. Plaxico Burress caught an 8 yard pass and then Derrick Ward ran the ball in for 7 yards.

"Things weren't going well at times and it's easy to get frustrated, but we didn't," Manning said. "We hung in there tough and found a way to win. Getting frustrated is not going to fix anything. Sometimes you've got to take the field goals and hope that the defense will keep playing tough."

The Steelers had a streak against NFC teams, having won nine in a row at home against them. Since the Giants won this game at the Steelers, it snapped their nine game home NFC win streak. Ben Roethlisberger had been 13-3 against the NFC.

Writer and editor, Freddie Brister, is a former high school football coach of 25 years. His love of the game of football is reflected in his words and memories of growing up in the South and playing football in the back yard with his brother, cousins and neighborhood friends. His biggest thrill is watching former high school players he has coached play at the college level. His favorite pastime is watching professional football on TV and attending the games in person every chance he gets. Freddie Brister is a huge fan of the NFL and the New York Giants. Check out his New York Giants comforter or his San Diego Chargers Watch

With the Eagles having a bye week, I think it's a good time to take a look into how the other teams in the NFC East are doing so far this season.

New York Giants (3-0)
Next Opponent: Kansas City

I think the Giants are where most people thought they would be right now. They started off with two division games with the Redskins and the Cowboys and only won by a combined eight points. After that, they rolled in Week Three blanking the Bucs 24-0.

Eli Manning has been very good thus far throwing for five touchdowns and only one interception with a quarterback rating of 104.1. He is completing nearly 65% of his passes and has been trying to show the league that he is worth the big money the Giants threw at him this offseason.

The Giants no longer have a three headed monster on the ground, but Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshawn are showing that they're not missing Derrick Ward too much. Bradshaw has 201 rush yards and Jacobs has 196 yards on the ground through three games. These are pretty solid numbers that will continue to be put up behind a solid offensive line.

The big question with the Giants offense this off season was who Manning would throw to. Steve Smith and Mario Manningham have stepped up big time for the offense. Both have over 250 receiving yards and two touchdowns through the first three games.

Despite the shutout last week against a terrible Tampa Bay team, I think the biggest question mark for this team is the defense. There are some key injuries and they showed they are vulnerable to giving up points when they played Dallas.

Dallas Cowboys (2-1)
Next Opponent: Denver

This team has not done anything yet this year to impress me (and I'm not just saying that because I hate them). They gave up 21 points to the Bucs, looked decent against the Giants (but couldn't hold on), and didn't play well at all against a Carolina team that the Eagles trounced Week One. Out of the teams in the NFC East, Dallas is the only one playing a legitimate team this week, traveling to play the 3-0 Broncos in Denver.

Tony Romo has been his same shaky self, showing signs of greatness at times but making the same stupid mistakes he has in the past. His quarterback rating is only 85.2 and his touchdown to interception ratio is 4:3.

The depth the team has at running back is what is keeping them alive. Marion Barber goes down and Felix Jones fills in great. Jones goes down and Tashard Choice fills in great. They just have a stockpile of talented running backs there which makes up for their shaky quarterback.

Roy Williams hasn't shown he's a solid replacement for Terrell Owens but at least you don't get the attitude. He only has eight catches in three games and has found the end zone only once.

Washington Redskins (1-2)
Next Opponent: Tampa Bay

To put it simply, this is not a good football team. Their only win came in an ugly 9-7 win against the Rams who are equally as bad. After this game, they go next week and lose to the Lions. Wow.

Jason Campbell threw for 340 yards against the Lions but could not lead his team to a win. In his other two games, he failed to throw for over 250 yards. He's thrown only three touchdowns in three games while throwing for two interceptions.

Clinton Portis has been held to 183 rushing yards in the first three games and has not found the end zone yet. Behind him, the next leading rusher is Campbell with 65 yards.

Their wide receiving core is still mediocre and they lack that true number one. Santana Moss leads the team with 15 receptions for 219 yards and a touchdown.

Overall, the only team I have worries about the Eagles matching up with is the Giants. However, NFC East games are always battles and I don't think they should take any team lightly. The Eagles are the only team in the division not to play a division game yet, but come Week Seven they rattle off three in a row.

BirdsFan.com - A Philadelphia Eagles blog

The New York Giants started off the 09' season well. While they are one of the favorites to come out of the NFC, it won't be easy by any means. Eli Manning has stepped out of old brother Peyton Manning's shadow with his own Super Bowl ring. The NFC East is one of the most competitive divisions in football and winning it will be an accomplishment without a doubt. The Giants have all the necessary components for a winning football team, good defense, good running game and a Pro Bowl quarterback.

The New York Giants have many talented outlets to choose from - WR Steve Smith, TE Kevin Boss, RB Ahmad Bradshaw, RB Brandon Jacobs, and WR Mario Manningham. When the Giants went on their Super Bowl run of 07' not many expected them to do much once they were in the playoffs. This year could provide the Giants with the same opportunity - many favor the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles ahead of the Giants at this time.

The most important wins will be winning against the division rivals - this is because the NFC East division could possible end in a tie. For example, both the Giants and Eagles finish 11-5 - the tie breaker goes to who won the head to head meetings. Every game is so critical in the NFC East division and the Giants can not fall behind early in the season.

Eli Manning has grown up over the last couple of seasons and has become a leader on the field like his old brother - maybe not to the same extent but he is well respectable now. Eli Manning seems to play better on the road then at home, which can be a blessing or a curse, not quite sure. The Giants have the potential, like a few other teams, to make it far into the playoffs if they gain some momentum.

The New York Giants forum at RootZoo is alive and well. Head on over for some free fantasy football, where you earn real cash for winning your league.

In 2007, the New York Giants became SuperBowl champs after beginning the season 0-2. The Giants finished the regular season with a 10-6 record and qualified for the playoffs as a wild card. The Giants punched their ticket to the Superbowl with playoff victories over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, and Green Bay Packers, all on the road.

In the SuperBowl, little brother Eli Manning led the Giants to one of the biggest upsets in SuperBowl history. Tearing himself away from the grasp of several Patriot defenders, Manning completed an unbelievable pass inside the Patriots 20. He then hit Plexico Burris for the winning touchdown in the corner of the end zone with less than a minute to play destroying New England's perfect season.

If the Giants are to repeat as Superbowl champs, they will need to have a better start. Four of the Giants first six games are at home. The difficult stretch of the season will come at the end, when the Giants go on the road for four of their last six games.

Thursday September 4 Washington Redskins @ New York Giants 7 p.m. ET Ticket sale price range ($192-$1,470)

The Giants begin the season against the division rival Redskins. The Redskins finished the 2007 regular season 9-7. The Redskins season ended with a 35-14 wild card playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The Redskins did not have a first round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Ticket sale price range ($192-$1,470)

Sunday September 14 New York Giants @ St. Louis Rams 1 p.m. ET Ticket sale price range ($74-$441)

Game 2 should be a cheap win for the Giants. The Rams finished the 2007 regular season 3-13, which is the worst record since the team moved to St. Louis. The Rams selected defensive tackle Chris Long from Virginia Tech University (son of Hall of Famer Howie Long) with the 2nd pick in the 1st round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Sunday September 21 Cincinnati Bengals @ New York Giants 1 p.m. ET Ticket sale price range ($138-$735)

In week 3, the disorganized Bengals visit Giants Stadium. The Bengals finished the 2007 regular season 7-9, and missed the playoffs. The Bengals players have had lots of problems off the field and star receiver Chad Johnson has asked to be traded. The Bengals selected linebacker Keith Rivers from USC with the 9th pick in the 1st round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Sunday September 28 Bye Week

Sunday October 5 Seattle Seahawks @ New York Giants 1 p.m. ET Ticket sale price range ($138-$686)

In week 5, the Seattle Seahawks come to town. The Seahawks finished the 2007 regular season 9-7. The Seahawks defeated the Redskins 35-15 in the wild card round, and then lost 42-20 to the Packers on a snowy day in Green Bay. The Seahawks selected defensive end Lawrence Jackson from USC with the 28th pick in the 1st round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Monday October 13 New York Giants @ Cleveland Browns 8:30 p.m. ET Ticket sale price range ($94-$613)

The Browns can no longer be discounted, as the Giants should have a Monday night showdown with the much improved Browns. The Browns finished the 2007 regular season 10-6, and missed the playoffs. The Browns did not have a first round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Sunday October 19 San Francisco 49ers @ New York Giants 1 p.m. ET Ticket sale price range ($147-$637)

Week 7 should be another cheap win for the Giants. The 49ers finished the 2007 regular season 5-11, and missed the playoffs. The 49ers selected defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer from The University of North Carolina with the 29th pick in the 1st round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Sunday October 26 New York Giants @ Pittsburgh Steelers 4:15 p.m. ET Ticket sale price range ($127-$826)

Heinz Field is one of the most difficult places in the NFL to win. The Steelers finished the 2007 regular season 10-6. The Steelers season ended with a 31-29 wild card playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Steelers selected running back Rashard Mendenhall from The University of Illinois with the 23rd pick in the 1st round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Sunday November 2 Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants 4:15 p.m. ET Ticket sale price range ($216-$1,029)

The hottest ticket of the year will be for game 8 against the Cowboys. The Cowboys finished the 2007 regular season 13-3. The Cowboys season ended with a devastating 21-17 defeat at the hands of the New York Giants. The Cowboys selected running back Felix Jones from Arkansas with the 22nd pick and cornerback Mike Jenkins from South Florida University in the 1st round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Sunday November 9 New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles 8:15 p.m. ET Ticket sale price range ($166-$837)

The Giants buy a Sunday night game against the Eagles. The Eagles finished the 2007 regular season 8-8, and missed the playoffs. The Eagles did not have a first round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Sunday November 16 Baltimore Ravens @ New York Giants 1 p.m. ET Ticket sale price range ($138-$735)

The Giants look to deal a blow to the only team to beat them in a Superbowl, the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens finished the 2007 regular season 5-11, and missed the playoffs. The Ravens selected quarter back Joe Flacco from The University of Delaware with the 18th pick in the 1st round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Sunday November 23 New York Giants @ Arizona Cardinals 4:15 p.m. ET Ticket sale price range ($58-$637)

The Giants return to University of Phoenix stadium for the first time since Superbowl XLII to face the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals finished the 2007 regular season 8-8, and missed the playoffs. The Ravens selected cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from Tennessee State University with the 16th pick in the 1st round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Sunday November 30 New York Giants @ Washington Redskins 1 p.m. ET Ticket sale price range ($93-$980)

The Giants will try to punch their ticket to an NFC East title with a victory in Washington.

Sunday December 7 Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants 1 p.m. ET Ticket sale price range ($147-$735)

Tickets prices are always high when the Eagles come into Giants Stadium.

Sunday December 14 New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys 8:15 p.m. ET Ticket sale price range ($122-$19,980)

There won't be any cheap tickets for the rematch of last year's playoffs.

Sunday December 21 Carolina Panthers @ New York Giants 1 p.m. ET Ticket sale price range ($113-$735)

The Carolina panthers and star receiver Steve Smith cannot be discounted. The Panthers finished the 2007 regular season 7-9, and missed the playoffs. The Panthers selected running back Jonathan Stewart from The University of Oregon with the 13th pick and offensive tackle Jeff Otah from Pittsburgh in the 1st round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Sunday December 28 New York Giants @ Minnesota Vikings 1 p.m. ET Ticket sale price range ($35-$324)

The Giants finish the regular season against the Vikings who are hoping the price they paid for receiver Bernard Berian was worth it. The Vikings finished the 2007 regular season 8-8, and missed the playoffs. Vikings did not have a first round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Since the Giants are from New York, fans pay a high price to buy tickets in normal seasons. With their team coming off an exciting Superbowl winning performance, Giants fans can expect New York Giants tickets to be expensive this season. Ticket price ranges above are as of the time this article was written.

Justin Diamond is Director of Marketing at Swickets.com. He writes about New York Giants Tickets, Superbowl Tickets and many other topics.

The following rankings are based on a fantasy football player's year to end season value. If a draft or auction were to occur today this is the rank and value we place on the players based on their past performance and predicted future production. The basis for the valuations is a 10 team league starting 1 QB 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE 1 K 1 Defense with a 50% yardage and 50% TD scoring system with no points awarded for receptions. The rankings are updated every Tuesday morning, allowing players to value their teams, analyze player values for trades and plan future moves to get the most return out of your Fantasy Football players.

1 Chris Johnson Titans, RB
The love child of Jar Jar Binks and Whoopi Goldberg keeps racking up points. Great playoff schedule. $43

2 Adrian Peterson
Vikings, RB He has racked up 1519 total yards and 14 tds (tied for rushing TD lead) and apparently can grow lizard skin at will. $38

3 Maurice Jones-Drew
Jaguars, RB What Would Jones Drew? Should bring home some fantasy hardware for teams. $37

4 Ray Rice Ravens, RB
He's a top 5 guy and we get the feeling he's only scratching the surface of his potential....if only he was featured more in their offense. $35

5 Cedric Benson Bengals, RB
With his hips healthy again he should be dancing back to early season form. Almost hung a hundo on the stout Vikes run D. $28

6 Ricky Williams Miami, RB
Ever since Crockett got hurt, Tubs has taken over. Look for Miami Vice solo act Ricky "Tubs" Williams to deliver the goods championship week, against the Texans. $28

7 Steven Jackson Rams, RB

4 TD's on the year is hard to forgive. But, with 2 good playoff matchups he could redeem himself. $25

8 Larry Fitzgerald Cardinals, WR
If old man Warner can keep it together his playoff matchups look incredible..... @DET then home vs STL. Pending results of Monday Night Injury. $25

9 Ryan Grant Packers, RB
Tough 1st playoff game vs PIT. He and Packers are surging though, we are believers. $24

10 DeAngelo Williams Panthers, RB
After last years fantasy playoff run, you gotta have him in your line up. $23

11 Andre Johnson Texans,WR
He and Schaub are clicking... Rams and Dolphins make for a good playoff schedule. $22

12 Thomas Jones Jets, RB
If you seek flashy highlight reel TD replays, go elsewhere, but if you like reliable production, you've come to the right place. $21

13 Aaron Rodgers Packers,QB
Now that he is getting the playground approved 5 banana count from his O-line, he is looking better than ever. Topping the charts in most scoring formats. $21

14 Drew Brees Saints, QB
If you're a Brees owner your rooting for one of two options; Saints try to go undefeated or the start losing.... either scenario keeps him on the field. $20

15 Anquan Boldin Cardinals,WR
This won't be the last time you hear this at this site, the Cardinals fantasy playoff schedule is as good as it gets. $20

16 Randy Moss Patriots, WR
Giving body language like he's starting to check out mentally for the season, on the other hand a strong finish would not surprise us. Tough read. $19

17 Rashard Mendenhall Steelers, RB
Despite killing owners with his recent performance against CLE, he remains a strong option going forward. $19

18 DeSean Jackson Eagles, WR
Seems to be clear of the concussion. He doesn't get a ton of receptions, but 18.9 yds/catch is tops in the league (of relevant WR's)....and he returns the occasional punt for 6 as well. $19

19 Frank Gore 49ers, RB
What happened to running 3 times and then punting? Obviously, the 49ers are better off with their new pass first offense, but that is not sitting well with Gore owners. $17

20 Jamaal Charles Chiefs, RB
He's been red hot since taking over the starting role. Chiefs are not a high powered an offense, but he is getting it done on his end. $17

21 Brandon Marshall Broncos, WR
Just set the single game NFL reception record (21) and looks to be hitting his stride, rewarding owners who stuck with him. $17

22 Joesph Addai Colts, RB
Quietly having a really nice season. He has pressed the pause button on the Donald Brown era for now. $17

23 LaDainian Tomlinson Chargers, RB
He's been surprisingly consistent since coming back from injury early in the year. $16

24 Wes Welker Patriots, WR
The league leader in Receptions (105) and second in yardage (1158) gives you week in week out consistent production, any TD's are just icing on the cake. $16

25 Vincent Jackson Chargers, WR
Is to San Diego WR's what MadMen is to AMC.....both have made something completely irrelevant worth watching now. $16

26 Kurt Warner Cardinals, QB
The old man has two great matchups to bring home fantasy championships; @DET then home vs STL. $15

27 Miles Austin Cowboys,WR
Blind Melon, The Proclaimers, Chumbawumba and Hanson want to know his secret for multiple hit success. $14

28 Sidney Rice Vikings, WR
Having the prototypical wide receiver 3rd year breakout season. Expecting even bigger things next year. $14

29 Chad Ochocinco Bengals,WR
Typical streaky season for Chad OchoTweets. Faces 10th (SD) and 24th (KC) ranked pass defenses weeks 15 & 16. $14

30 Calvin Johnson Lions, WR
Looking more like a 'second tier' transforming machine to robot action figure of the 80's......Gobot in disguise! $13

31 Pierre Thomas Saints, RB
He plays Suzanne Summers in the Saints aggravating Three's Company sitcom. He is the hottest by far, yet Mike Bell in the role of the butch brunette gets far too much screen time $12

32 Matt Schaub Texans, QB
He has been a house of fire all season. Faces STL (19th) and MIA (22nd) next two weeks. $12

33 Phillip Rivers Chargers, QB
The main reason the Chargers have won 8 straight. Model of consistency; never scored more than 23 or less than 9. $11

34 Tom Brady Patriots, QB
Everyone in the AFC is rooting for a colicky Brady baby to hamper his production. $11

35 Brandon Jacobs Giants, RB
Like B Jacobs....as much as everyone likes the Cool Asian guy with the twirling kicks in Karate Kid, at the All Valley Tourney, maybe it's just time to admit he's not quite as good as we'd like him to be. $11

36 Steve Smith Giants, WR
Nothing too flashy here, just a consistent 75 yds/game and a TD mixed in every few. $10

37 Peyton Manning Colts, QB
Will you get more than 2 quarters of production out of him? If he's playing for the perfect season, we think so. $10

38 Mike Sims-Walker Jaguars, WR
Having a solid year for the Jaguar-Leopards. As long as he's healthy he could finish very strong. $9

39 Vernon Davis 49ers, TE
A monster who probably deserves to be higher. He'll be spending his off-season lobbying for equal treatment of Tight Ends. $9

40 Kevin Smith Lions, RB
Fairly consistent for such a bad offense. Hope for 8 points, anything more is gravy. $8

41 Roddy White Falcons, WR
247 yds and 2 scores in the last 4 games, not setting the world ablaze, but a strong #2 WR. $8

42 Michael Turner Falcons, RB
The Burner......if last year he was fueled by petroleum products......this year he's apparently switched to "easy bake oven" technology. $8

43 Antonio Gates Chargers, TE
Slow start, but coming on strong. He's delivered fantasy championships before, in Gates we trust. $8

44 Reggie Wayne Colts, WR
Hasn't gone over 50 yds in the last three weeks, cutting his owners deep......I'm talking like BJ Penn cutting Diego Sanchez's forehead with a head kick deep. $7

45 Marion Barber Cowboys, RB
716 yds and 4 TD's on the year....he's on the list based on potential, not for past performance. $7

46 Marques Colston Saints, WR
Marques, along with posse; Shonne, Toni, Geoff, and Alicks frequent the island of misfit name spellers. $7

47 Quinton Ganther Redskins, RB
Shined in his first start against the Raiders, now let's see how he does vs an NFL team. $7

48 Fred Jackson Bills, RB
Every other week streak means, bench next week, cash in on championship game pending your options. $7

49 Beanie Wells Cardinals, RB
Received the bulk of the carries in the Monday night game vs SF. If he continues to get the lion's share of the work, he has plenty of upside with the aforementioned AZ playoff schedule. $7

50 Greg Jennings Packers, WR
His reversal of fortune this season rivals only that of an amateur competitive eater; one minute focused and poised for a Coney Island Championship, the next he's got semi-digested wet hot dogs & buns all over his shoes. $7

http://www.FantasyFortunes.com A fantasy football site which does a weekly humor based top 50 ranking of year to end values for players in the nfl.

The New York Giants looked like they were headed back to the postseason in 2009 after a perfect 5-0 start, but things quickly went downhill after that, losing eight of their final ten games to finish the season a very disappointing 8-8. A lot of the blame was put on the defense, and that led to the Giants firing defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan, and replacing him with 2009 Buffalo Bills interim head coach Perry Fewell. The Giants believe they will be back in the mix in the NFC East in 2010, and here is a look at what they will send onto the field on both sides of the ball, plus my prediction on where they finish the season in the NFC East.

Offense: As bad as the Giants were down the stretch in 2009, quarterback Eli Manning put together a career year throwing for 4,021 yards with 27 touchdowns to 14 interceptions, and he is a big reason why this team can turn things around in a hurry.

As good as Manning was in 2009, the Giants would love to be able to run the ball more effectively in 2010. The two-headed monster of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw were slowed down with injuries in 2009, and both are expected to come into the 2010 season healthy and ready to go.

The Giants headed into the 2009 season with a bunch of questions surrounding the receiving corps, but behind the strong arm of Manning, this unit performed way better than anyone expected. Steve Smith emerged as the No.1 weapon on the outside, while rookie Hakeem Nicks and third year pro Mario Manningham both shined in their first season seeing extensive playing time. The Giants also like what they have in young tight end Kevin Boss, who tied for third with five receiving touchdowns in 2009.

The offensive line provided three Pro Bowlers in left tackle David Diehl, right guard Chris Snee, and center Shaun O'Hara, but need more out of left guard Rich Seubert and right tackle Kareem McKenzie for this unit to be an elite group.

Defense: The Giants were unable to put the same pressure on opposing quarterbacks that caught them their Super Bowl win in 2007 and No.1 seed out of the NFC in 2008. A big reason for that was defensive end Justin Tuck spent most of last season dealing with a shoulder injury, and the downfall of end Osi Umenyiora. Mathias Kiwanuka is the projected starter at the other end spot over Umenyiora and first round pick Jason Pierre-Paul.

The Giants took a big blow at linebacker with the loss of middle linebacker Antonio Pierce and strong side linebacker Danny Clark, but the hope is that second year pro Clint Sintim can take over for Clark on the outside, while Jonathan Goff has the early edge to take over in the middle. Michael Boley is slated as the other starting outside linebacker, and the hope is for a much better season after spending most of 2009 battling injuries.

Corey Webster and Terrell Thomas will be the team's starting duo at corner, while strong safety Kenny Phillips will be joined by newcomer Antrel Rolle, who is a big playmaker at the free safety position. Look for this unit to put up much better numbers in 2010 if the front seven can get back to putting pressure on the quarterback.

Prediction - 4th NFC East: Don't get me wrong when I pick the Giants to finish fourth in the NFC East, it doesn't mean I don't think this is a team capable of making the playoffs in 2010. The NFC East is absolutely stacked, and as of right now I think the Giants are just slightly behind the Eagles and Redskins, with the Cowboys the heavy favorites to win this division.

Check out how the rest of the NFL stacks up in my 2010 NFL predictions. If you plan on betting on the NFL this season, be sure to take a look at our live NFL odds page to ensure you the best odds for every game this season.

After an impressive week one NY Giants victory over the Washington Redskins one thing was clear, Plaxico Burress was not missed.

I am not trying to be a hypocrite and act as if I didn't wish as a Giants fan that we had his talented services. After watching Eli manning spread the ball around to his young core of receivers I was not only impressed but felt at ease with this upcoming NFL season and it's potential. Mario Manningham scored a great touchdown where he displayed his big play ability and speed. The rest of the receiving core was solid as well lead by a young veteran in Steve Smith.

When I say that Plaxico will not be missed it pertains to several factors on and off the field. Again his talent is unquestioned. Burress is a very tall and strong wide out that creates all sorts of matchup problems for opponents. He also has the ability to catch any type of ball thrown near his wingspan. Sometimes Eli Manning throws flutter balls other times he will throw a nice spiral, no matter what is thrown Plax had the ability to go and get it high or low. Big Blue fans will always be thankful for his contributions especially during Super Bowl XLII.

With all that being said let us not forget all the baggage that came with this talented player. He was truly lazy not only during practice but sometimes on the field during a game. I watched Plax so many times take a play off when it was clearly not coming to him which would of course tip off opposing players. He was always whining or complaining, not as bad as T.O. but still a distraction. The Giants rewarded Burress with a huge contract extension making him one of the highest payed wide receivers in the game and how does he show his appreciation? By not showing up to practice with an excuse that he had to drop his kid off somewhere. He began last season with much attitude and a sense of entitlement, which I guess came from becoming a mega star after his game winning catch in the Super Bowl. Even with all his talent his previous team the Steelers opted on letting him go to free agency instead of trying to retain his services. They knew what type of player he was and they were not willing to put up with it.

I was watching ESPN a few months back and Tim Hasselbeck a former Giant back up QB who played with Plax said he was a "disaster", his complete statement was:

"When you're looking at Plaxico Burress, there's no doubt that he can be a dominant receiver at times on Sundays," Hasselbeck said. "We've seen it. But with that being said, I played with the guy. I was in the locker room with him for two years. He's a disaster as a teammate. He's a disaster as a guy that you have to coach.

"And what do I mean by that? If you want to wait for a guy to show up to meetings, if you want to have to beg a guy to run full-speed in practice, if you want a guy that would disappear in games because he doesn't get the ball early -- then look, Plaxico Burress is your guy.

"But if you don't want those distractions, and you don't want to deal with the other headaches that come along with Plaxico Burress, then you better stay away from him."

Those are pretty strong words coming from a former teammate, just that quote alone should give us all some insight on what type of an overall distraction he was for the team.

For people who say that he was being prosecuted for being a celebrity, I say bologna. The minimum sentence in the state of New York is 3 years. He was carrying a loaded unlicensed handgun into a club. He shot himself in the leg but he could have very easily shot someone else and maybe even killed someone by mistake. I have zero sympathy for him, a pampered millionaire who had everything he could possibly want but that was not enough for him. I may be a little bitter due to the fact he probably cost us a chance to repeat as Super Bowl champs in 2008 but even if I put myself in a position of being open minded about the situation I still think he got what he deserved.

He did not want to do any jail time and his comments during the days after the shooting displayed his arrogance. He tried maneuvering his way into a no jail time sentence and wanted a slap on the wrist for his crime, at one point even stating that he would have his lawyer delay everything so that he could make a few millions before the proceedings. He actually thought he would play football and make money while he waited for the trial to start, but the NFL Commissioner was not playing to that tune. Roger Goodell quickly put out a statement informing all teams that Plaxico would be suspended a minimum of 8 weeks if not more if any team signed him.

All leverage was gone after that statement and reality seemed to have set in quickly as Burress took the deal offered by the prosecution on the very last day it would be available and on the table.

So now it is a new season, the drama from the past year is behind us and it is time to look forward. The NY Giants have a great team, the only question mark is the receiving core. It is too early to tell if they will become an elite group but yesterday they displayed the ability to move the chains and even to create a big play here and there. Big Blue has a very good team, strong offensive line, excellent running game, good quarterback and an awesome defense, with some small contributions from our wide outs we should be able to excel and go to the Super Bowl this year.

Carlos Caicedo - Copyright (c) 2009 - Thanks for reading my article on Plaxico Burress. Visit my NY Giants site and get the latest news, videos, pictures and articles on everything Big Blue!

The Patriots went 16-0 during the regular season. Then, they went 2-0 in the playoffs, taking their record to an astonishing 18-0 heading into the Super Bowl. They simply could not be stopped in the regular season. Even when it seemed as if the Patriots were going to suffer defeat, Tom Brady and company always came up with a way to win. So, to stop them short of a Super Bowl Championship was always going to take a monumental effort by the opposing team - a Giant effort if you will.

And that is exactly what we got. Excuse the pun, but New York put up a giant effort on Sunday. No one, myself included, thought that the Giants had any shot of winning the Super Bowl. But they did. This was a modern day David versus Goliath. Like the account in biblical times, Goliath caught one right between the eyes.

Who was David, though? Well, you could argue that the entire Giants team was in some way or other the hero. But in my opinion there were or handful of players who stood out from amongst the crowd - namely Eli Manning. David Tyree, Steve Smith and the whole defensive line.

Eli Manning - Since his debut in the NFL, Eli Manning has seen his fair share of criticism. Besides having his actual performances scrutinized by every "analyst" in the world, Eli Manning has had to deal with the fact that he is Peyton Manning's little brother. "Will he ever be as good as Peyton?" or "Can he survive living in the shadow of his brother?" has come out of the mouth of every football fan alive. During the playoffs, on Sunday especially, Eli Manning proved that he is a fine player. Hopefully now, everyone will stop criticizing Eli and give him a little credit. After all, he did just win a championship.

David Tyree - He cemented his place in Super Bowl lore with that ridiculous part hand, part helmet catch. Seriously, are you kidding me?!? Even if he had dropped every single pass thrown his way before that, David Tyree sitll would have been one of Sunday's heroes.

Steve Smith - Steve Smith put out one of those performances that come in under the radar, without which wins turn into a losses. Apart from the final touchdown, Plaxico Burress had a relatively quiet night. So too did Amani Toomer. So, who did Eli rely on in time of need? Steve Smith. Yes, he did have a horrific blunder in the first quarter when he gifted the Patriots a momentum-turning intereption, literally cradling the ball into the hands of the defender. But aside from that, Steve Smith made big plays when the Giants needed it most. He is going to turn into an elite NFL receiver.

The Giants' D-line - Wow! All I can say is wow! The performances of Strahan, Umeniyora and Tuck were absolutely mind boggling. They sacked Brady 5 times!! Brady had only been sacked 21 times in the 16 regular season games. Apart from the Pats' early-game and late-game drives, the defensive line was all over Brady. When Strahan and company were not sacking Brady, they were hurrying him and hitting him, making it hard to be accurate. Just ask Randy Moss. He was pretty much a non-factor on Sunday because Brady was hurried so often and had to throw short to Welker and Faulk the majority of the time.

No one, I repeat, no one thought the Giants had a chance of beating the mighty Patriots in the Super Bowl. Congratulations to the New York Giants for a game well played.

Nishan Wilde is VP of Sales at RobbinsSports.com, an online resource for Baseball Uniforms, Track Uniforms and Punching Bags

The New York Giants started the 2009 season strong, getting out of the gate 5-0, but they couldn't sustain their early season form. They won just three games the rest of the way to take third in the NFC East. The season was a major letdown after winning 12 games and the NFC East title in 2008. The offense did its part, scoring 25.1 points per game (8th NFL), but a defense that allowed 26.7 points per contest (30th NFL) severely disappointed. The Giants must play much better defense in 2010 if they hope to challenge for an NFC East title.

Offense: Led by Eli Manning, New York put a pretty explosive offensive unit on the field in 2009. Manning threw for 4,021 yards and 27 touchdowns, helping the Giants boast one of the best passing attacks in the NFC.

Pro Bowler Steve Smith joined with Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham to form a very productive receiving unit. The trio combined for 211 catches, 2,832 yards and 18 touchdowns. The Giants also got solid production from tight end Kevin Boss, and Travis Beckum figures to play a bigger role this year.

The Giants became more of a pass-first team last season, but head coach Tom Coughlin prefers to set up the pass with the run, just as he did when the Giants won Super Bowl XLII. As long as Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw can stay healthy, the Giants can get back to running the football behind one of the better lines in the league.

Defense: After the defense gave up 40 or more points in five different games last season, it was time for Bill Sheridan to move on. The organization is very excited about new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and his aggressive scheme. With Fewell calling the defensive signals, we should see New York's pass rush come back to life.

It was New York's ferocious pass rush that did Tom Brady and the Patriots in on Super Bowl Sunday a few short seasons ago. That season, the Giants totaled an impressive 53 sacks. They got after the quarterback again in 2008 with 42 sacks. But last season, New York only tallied 32 quarterback sacks. Fewell is going to do all he can to have New York living in the backfield again. Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck will both be looking for bounce back campaigns, and they'll be aided by first round draft pick Jason Pierre-Paul.

If the pass rush comes back, the pass defense should be rock solid now that safety Antrel Rolle joins a quality defensive backfield.

Prediction: 2nd NFC East - The Dallas Cowboys appear to be ahead of the Giants as we the 2010 season nears, but New York has enough pieces to be right in the mix for an NFC East crown come December. I ultimately have the Giants coming up just short, but this is a team with the potential to do some damage as a Wild Card, just as they did when they won the Super Bowl three years ago. Be sure to check out my 2010 NFL predictions to see which teams I have winning the other seven divisions.

If you want winning NFL picks to beat the NFL odds this fall, then get signed up for one of the premium packages on my site.

Last Sunday, Feb 3rd 2008, BBC 2 featured the Superbowl XLII game from Arizona. Like any great sporting competition, the game taught vital success lessons which apply to ordinary life as well as to sport.

At the start of the program a voice announced: "You have an opportunity to be world champs right now! You can be what you want to be! Alright?

The New England Patriots and The New York Giants both had that opportunity in front of them that evening. No one else will now have the same opportunity but we all still have the opportunity to become world champions in our own worlds. We have the chance to be the best teacher, writer, doctor, builder etc in our own localities if we want to be - if we have the desire to excel.

The Patriots had not been defeated even once in eighteen matches. It is no wonder that they were favourites to win the Superbowl. They had a fine coach in Bill Belichick who had taken his team to their fourth Superbowl in seven years.

Mike Carlson, the American journalist on the BBC team, commented: "He knows American Football inside out. He grew up watching football games while other kids watched cartoons." Successful people are passionate or become passionate about what they do. Just one ounce of passion or desire pumping through their brains can help people start to climb the ladder of excellence and success.

The New York Giants had lost the first two games of the season but they had had several consecutive wins on the road and the scores in their losses had been so close that they had taken belief and momentum from their losing games as well as their winning games.

Sixty year old Tom Coughlin was their head coach. He made a comment about being underdogs on the road and at home all season: "We always have something to prove and there is nothing wrong with that."

The quarter back, Eli Manning, had been criticised heavily until the play offs when he began to shine. However, he had the support of his famous quarter back brother, Peyton Manning and his father, Archie, who had played as quarter back for the New Orleans Saints. Family support is a key factor in success as is the ability to use criticism to motivate you to greater efforts.

Just before the players came out on to the field for Superbowl XLII, videos were shown of players from the Giants and the Patriots describing the success qualities and the mindset which had helped them reach the final.

The video of the Giants was shown first. Key words were resiliency, faith and focus.

"Resiliency, the ability to recover from hardship misfortune or change. Resiliency defines this team. We started 0 and 2. We had team mates go down and we never lost a beat. Some of you doubted us; tried to run us out of town. Yet we never lost our focus or our faith. You can knock us down but, when it matters the most, we deliver the knockout blow. Road Warriors! Road Warriors! Then what did we do? We stopped opponents out ten straight times. Resiliency! We have faced this challenge before. Do you dare count us out again? We are the New York Giants!"

The Patriots' key success words were teamwork, winning and perseverance: "Teamwork: A cooperative effort by the members of a group to achieve a common goal. Teamwork! Teamwork! We added new faces but the chemistry was instant. The bond of this group can never be questioned - can never be broken. Records fell. Records are meant to be broken. That's not what this group, this team, is all about. We are about winning and that's what we did -18 straight times! It wasn't always easy. We were challenged but always persevered. But it's not over yet. There is one final challenge. But it will be met with teamwork because we are the New England Patriots!"

In the regular season, the Patriots had defeated the Giants but the match was so close in a high scoring game that the Giants left the field believing that next time they could win.

One of the greatest motivational 'secrets' is that people need to feel they are making progress as they strive to achieve their goals. If they feel they are 'on a roll' towards their dreams, they will keep working towards them even if they have some setbacks en route.

I tell my martial arts students to take gradings regularly so that they can build momentum towards achieving their blackbelt. They can achieve this by passing nineteen gradings. They can take one every two months, if ready. Each successful grading builds their hope and then their belief that they, too, deserve to be blackbelts and have the ability to achieve that goal.

The momentum of the Giants continued to build throughout the playoffs and carried them to victory in Superbowl XLII. Norman Hallett has come up with a comment about the regular season game when the Giants were beaten by the Patriots. His comment is pure gold and worth studying again and again:

"What it showed me was that you DON'T EVEN HAVE TO WIN to begin building positive momentum. You just have to TRY to win. You have to exert some positive, forward effort to begin momentum. Then you just let momentum build on itself as you continue to exert positive forward motion.
You see, as you TRY (take positive action), you begin instituting positive BELIEF and it's that belief that begins to transform into reality which justifies your positive thoughts and makes you even stronger as you continue to BELIEVE. It starts with a try. So think of some part of your life that you've been stalled in. Take some positive action. Continue the positive action, whether you "win" or not after your initial set of actions, you WILL, over time, win in the end! Try!"

The Giants won the toss, chose to receive and started well. Two passes were completed and then Bradshaw had a good run. The Giants have both thunder and lightning - a power running back in Jacobs and a speed merchant in Bradshaw.

At the end of a ten minute, sixteen play drive. Lawrence Tynes kicked a field goal and got first blood for the Giants 3-0

In the first play of the second quarter, the Patriots had a five minute, twelve play drive with a touch down at the end of it. Laurence Maroney, the Patriots' running back, bounced off Brady and over the line for the touch down. The kick went over and the Patriots took a 3-7 lead.

The Patriots' kicker made the mistake of kicking the ball out of play and Eli Manning could now start his attacking drive for the Giants at the 40 yard line. There was a brilliant catch from Amani Toomer for a 38 yard gain.

Toomer may have performed an illegal handoff to the face mask of a pursuing tackler just before he took the catch. The 'offence' was not flagged. Someone came up with a great line: "You have to play better than a ref refs." In other words, successful people have to be so skilful and excellent in what they do that they can succeed even if life, or the ref, is unfair to them!

David Tyree took a catch but was tackled immediately. No points came to the Giants from this drive but they looked fresher than the Patriots and were more physical and aggressive.

Brady was getting pressured and even sacked by the Giants' defensive unit. A commentator suggested that the Giants looked like they wanted victory more than the Patriots whose body language appeared slow and tired. Success comes to those who have a keen desire to succeed.

The Patriots were leading but were not looking like winners. The Giants were looking like winners but were still down four points.

Nothing much happened in the rest of the second and third quarters apart from some excellent individual plays and great defence from the Giants.
"The Giants are 'winning' 3-7", said Mike Carlson. "They should be in the lead right now."

At the end of the third quarter, the score was the same. It was 3-7 in favour of the Patriots. Excitement and meaning returned to the game in the fourth quarter.

At the start of the fourth quarter, the Giants had a solid drive with some accurate passes by Eli Manning ending in a touchdown to give them a lead of 10-7
Tynes kicked off, after adding a point to the touchdown and Laurence Moroney returned. Tom Brady was not playing as well as normal because of the pressure from the Giants' defence. But he made a completed pass to Randy Moss for 17 yards.

Next, Welker achieved a modest gain. He was tackled well. The Giants looked like they believed they deserved to be in this game and that they had a good opportunity to win it.

The ball was kicked away by the Patriots. The Giants had the momentum but they, too, had to kick the ball away. There were only three points in the game and less than eight minutes left.

The Patriots moved forward with passes to Welker and Moss. Then another pass to Welker moved the ball into Giants' territory. Falk took a catch. Then Welker got the first down picking up eleven yards. Randy Moss got another first down. Kevin Falk then achieved yet another first down.

Brady was now in position to throw into the end zone. He drilled one that was too hard for Moss to catch. Then he threw an incomplete pass to Falk. He kept trying and, eventually, he found Randy Moss wide open in the end zone. Touchdown!

The Patriots led by 10-14 after the kick. Brady had taken a beating but had responded brilliantly in this drive. The Patriots were like a champion boxer who goes down but gets up to finish the fight. Successful people, like Dempsey, get up even when they can't!

Now the Giants needed a touch down to win. They stood 83 yards from the lead, trailing an unbeaten team by four points with only 2 minutes 39 seconds left. Defensive players paced the sideline shouting one-word encouragement: Believe! Believe! Believe!

The much criticized Eli Manning now had an opportunity to be a Superbowl MVP. The Patriots kicked down field. Hixon caught the ball but was hit early by Ray Ventrone. Toomer caught the ball for a first down for the Giants.

Then, Manning threw an incomplete pass. 2 mins 4 seconds left! Then, another incomplete pass! Next, a completed pass to Toomer which was just short of a first down. In the fourth down, Brandon Jacobs barrelled his way through for a first down on the 39 yard line. Power pays!

Crunch time! Manning ran but held on to the ball as his knees touched the ground. He now threw an incomplete pass. The next play was decisive. Manning was almost sacked but he struggled free and passed. David Tyree caught the ball between his right hand and his helmet He landed backwards on top of his tackler Rodney Harrison. 59 seconds left.

Next, Manning was sacked. 51 seconds to go. A commentator said: "This is the Superbowl and the theme is: 'Who wants it more?'"
The next pass was incomplete. 45 seconds left. 3rd down and 11. Steve Smith caught the ball and went out of bounds to stop the clock. 39 seconds left.

The next pass flew into the end zone and was caught by Plaxico Burress who was wide open. He kneeled to pray. The commentators said that the Giants wanted it more! Tynes kicked the ball over. 17-14 to the Giants!

The Patriots could still come back. At 19 seconds, Brady was sacked for the fifth time. Previously, he had been sacked only 21 times all year. But he was still trying to win. He signalled for a time out as he lay on his back on the field.

A long throw went to Randy Moss but the Giants' coverage knocked the ball down. Ten seconds were left. Another desperate pass was knocked down again. Only one second left. The Giants had won! They are the world champions!

Eli Manning has been surrounded by critics for years but now he is surrounded by fans. Burress had played all season on a sprained ankle. Now he was rewarded for all that painful effort by the joy of receiving the winning pass.

Joyful comments abounded from the Giants and their supporters as the reality of their victory sank in:

Woodson: "Nobody gave the Giants a chance. I said they would win verbally but I had doubts in my mind."

Coughlin: "This team never say die."

Eli Manning: "We believed in ourselves all year. We've learned how to deal with adversity and mistakes. We put them behind us."

David Tyree wasn't surprised that he caught the key fourth-quarter pass: "Whenever they call my number, that's my opportunity. Every receiver has to believe he's the best guy out there."

Defensive end, Justin Tuck, said: "In the heat of the game, you really never allow yourself to think you're not going to win it"

For some, it took until the end of the game for hope to become belief, and for belief to turn into the reality that the Giants were World Champions in 2008.

Several gigantic success lessons emerged from this game:

We all have the opportunity to become world champions in our own worlds.

Just one ounce of passion or desire pumping through our brains can help us start to climb the ladder of success. Success comes with the desire to succeed.

Enlist the support of your family or of someone else. Support of some kind is a key factor in success.

Value teamwork - a cooperative effort by the members of a group to achieve a common goal.

Use criticism to motivate you to greater efforts. Don't get run out of town by your doubters. Never lose your focus or faith.

Value resiliency - the ability to recover from hardship, misfortune or change.

Persevere when you are challenged.

Make some progress towards your main goals every day.

You don't have to win to start building positive momentum. You just have to try to win.

As you try by taking positive action towards your goals, you will begin to hope and then believe and your belief will transform your reality.

Get up and take action even when you can't!

Play better than a ref refs!

Believe that you deserve to be a success and that you have the opportunity to be one. Never allow yourself to think you're not going to succeed.

Believe! Believe! Believe! Until your belief becomes reality!

John Watson is an award winning teacher and 5th degree blackbelt martial arts instructor. He has written several ebooks on motivation and success topics. One of these can be found at http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php

You can also find motivational ebooks by authors like Stuart Goldsmith. Check out http://www.motivationtoday.com/the_midas_method.php

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site but please include the resource box above.

First off, I don't expect Eli Manning to be slowed down at all from the plantar fascists injury that he sustained Sunday against the Chiefs. I believe at worst the Giants may rest him against the Raiders. Eli is a gamer and will be ready for New Orleans in two weeks. The first quarter of the 2009 season for the New York Giants has been quite an unexpected one to most people. The first of the two biggest questions coming into this season were if the Giants receivers could step up and replace Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer. The second was, can Eli Manning carry this offense on his shoulders and I believe both questions have been answered by Eli and the Giants offense.

Eli so far is having another great season. I believe he is having the best of his career thus far. There are still three quarters of the season left. But, if Eli keeps up the pace he is at right now he will be in the discussions for NFL MVP by the end of the season. Lets look at his stats compared to other MVP worthy QB's.

Eli Manning - 63.2 Comp% 1039 Yards 8 TD's 2 INT's 104.1 Rating
Peyton Manning - 70.8 Comp% 1,336 Yards 9 TD's 3 INT's 114.5 Rating
Drew Brees - 67.4 Comp% 1,031 yards 9 TD's 2 INT's 108.4 Rating

Eli Manning's NFL Rankings
* Passing Yards - 8th
* Touchdowns - 3rd Tied
* Completion % - 12th
* QB Rating - 4th

Eli Manning's NFC Rankings
* Passing Yards - 2nd
* Touchdowns - 2nd Tied
* Completion % - 9th
* QB Rating - 3rd

He has been the leader and captain that has taken over when he has needed to. He did it against the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys who both dared Eli to beat them with the pass and he did just that. Eli has teamed up with Steve Smith to help Smith lead the NFL in receiving yards (411), touchdowns (4) and -nfl-mvp.htmlreceptions (34). All I can see is look out as the Giants will get back to playing tougher opponents come week six in New Orleans.

Paul Jackiewicz
New York Giants Blogger - Paul is an expert football analyst. He has been covering and analyzing the New York Giants since 2004.

http://giantsoutsider.blogspot.com/2009/10/eli-manning-2009

The marquee matchup of week 6 will lead off this Sunday's action when the 4-0 New Orleans Saints (-3) emerge from their bye week to host the 5-0 New York football Giants.

Ask any fantasy player who the MVP of their league is and 99 times out of 100 Drew Brees name would come up. The Saints quarterback has single handedly powered New Orleans to contender status throwing for over 1000 yards and 9 touchdowns in their first four games, in which the Saints have won by no less than 14 points. Their latest contest against the NY Jets proved their sprinting out of the gate is no fluke. A team that thrives on its opponent's mistakes, the Saints were able to capitalize on two key turnovers (punctuated by Darren Sharper's 99 yard pick six) by the Jets wunderkind quarterback Mark Sanchez to fuel a 24-10 New Orleans victory. After missing the playoffs the past two seasons based on a mediocre defensive effort, this year's Saints are marching along on pace to run the regular season table with a defense rising to every occasion thrown their way.

Enter the New York Giants. If there is any team in the NFL that could be considered perfect, this team would fit the bill. A smash mouth running game, a shockingly efficient passing game, and a defense ranked number one in total yards allowed to date this season, the Giants are a well oiled machine that appears to be headed to another Super Bowl, only this time sans the underdog status. The most surprising aspect of the Giants this season is the way they have responded to losing former wide receiver, current Rikers Island resident Plaxico Burress, as well as veteran receiver Amani Toomer, two major factors in New York's 2007 Super Bowl success. After a shaky preseason, the remaining wideouts have stepped up in a big way, none bigger than Steve Smith. Not to be confused with the outstanding Panthers receiver of the same name, Steve Smith 2.0 is the real deal. With a league leading 37 receptions this season, Smith is as close to a sure thing as any quarterback could ask for. The Giants will need his productivity to continue in order to come up big in New Orleans.

This is a game that has potential to be one of the best games of the season, and sets up a potential rematch in the upcoming postseason should both teams continue their early success. The only edge I can see either of these teams having is the Saints bye week preparation period. The Giants are not a team that surprises anyone; they lay all their cards on the table week after week and are not a team that will beat themselves. The extra week, coupled with the game being played in the Superdome (one of the last real home field advantages left in sports) may just be the tipping point the Saints need to take down the G-Men. While my heart says New York, my head says New Orleans. Lets go, reverse jinx!

Final: 31-27 New Orleans

Matt Sweet is an up and coming sports journalist who is directly collaborating with http://www.superpredictors.com

Dallas Cowboys
Projected Record: 12-4

Last year the Cowboys won their first postseason game since 1996 by absolutely embarrassing the Eagles. What is more significant is the fact that the Cowboys had just beaten the Eagles handily the week before. Last year Dallas also handed the Superbowl Champion Saints their first loss. Even in two losses against the Giants the Cowboys out gained and to a certain extent outplayed New York. What does all this mean? It means that Cowboys are one of the best teams in the NFC and week in, week out they give themselves a chance to win most games.

Tony Romo appears to have turned the corner and appears ready to ascend to an elite level. Romo has a new target to work with in first round pick Dez Bryant. As for receiver Miles Austin and veteran tight end Jason Witten, all they do is get open and make plays. The running back trio of Jones, Barber, and Choice is formidable and should be effective provided they stay healthy. The offensive line needs Doug Free or Alex Barron to step up and replace left tackle Flozell Adams.

Demarcus Ware is the best player and leader on a Cowboys front seven that maybe the best in the league. Defensive lineman Anthony Spencer and linebackers Brady James and Keith Brooking are solid veterans who always make the routine plays and prevent the spectacular ones. Mike Jenkins is a budding star at corner.

There is optimism this season that the Cowboys could be the first team to play in a Super Bowl in its home stadium. If they stay healthy and pick up where they left off last season, I see no reason to bet against them.

New York Giants
Projected Record: 9-7

The Giants started last season 5-0. Then they met the Saints in week 6 in what was billed to be a possible NFC Championship game preview. Instead it ended up being a preview to the destruction of the Giants season. The Giants were humiliated in that game and preceded to lose 7 of their next 10 games to finish at 8-8.

Last year the Giants struggled rushing the passer which is why they spent their first round pick on Jason Pierre Paul, an exciting freakishly athletic defensive end. He is a bit raw but he will learn from the veterans on the Giants defensive line, Justin Tuck and Osi Uemnoyria who also look to rebound from injuries and regain their form from a couple of season ago. The Giants also signed free agent safety Antrel Rolle to help out a secondary that struggled mightily against the pass. A healthy Kenny Phillips will also help the Giants on defense.

Eli Manning set career highs in yardage and touchdowns last year throwing to a young group of pass catchers led by Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks. They all should get better this year so expect the Giants passing game to continue to be productive. The big question mark is whether or not Brandon Jacobs can regain his bruising form and help the Giants establish a running attack that teams will fear. Without a healthy and productive Jacobs the Giants are only an average offensive team.

The Giants are moving into a new stadium so expectations are high, but then again they play in New York (figuratively speaking) so there is always pressure. Eli Manning and the passing game will continue to improve but, the running game and the defense need to return to form if the Giants want to be playing for something in January.

Washington Redskins
Projected Record: 9-7

Talk about an off season face lift. Head coach Mike Shanahan and quarterback Donovan McNabb headline some of the major acquisitions that the Redskins made during the off season. There were also major changes in management with Vinny Cerrato stepping down and former Buccaneers GM Bruce Allen stepping in.

The Eagles don't think McNabb has much left in the tank after sending him 100 miles south to division rival Washington. Donovan will look to prove the Eagles and the rest of his critics wrong while he throws passes to Santana Moss and Chris Cooley. The Redskins picked up talented tackle Trent Williams in the draft to protect McNabb's back as well as open up holes for running back Clinton Portis.

The 100 million dollar man, Albert Haynesworth, has been balking at the proposition of playing the nose in the 3-4 but has agreed to report to training camp on time. Rocky Mcintosh and Brian Orakpo are both outstanding playmakers on a defense that was formidable at times last season. Laron Landry is the leader in the Redskins secondary. His hard hitting style and aggressive play set the tone for the Redskins defense.

Washington has certainly taken heed to Einsteins perspective on insanity, but will it be enough to make a playoff run? If McNabb stays healthy and Haynesworth plays at the level he is capable I would say yes.

Philadelphia Eagles
Projected Record: 7-9

Donovan Mcnabb. Brian Westbrook. Brian Dawkins. Those are three names that were always associated with Philadelphia's near decade long run of playoff and championship game appearances. The business part of football aside, veteran leadership does not grow on trees. The Eagles may have gotten younger but I don't know if they are better.

The pressure is squarely on Kevin Kolb to produce but the cupboard is not bear. The trio of Desean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Brent Celek gives Kolb plenty of places to go with the football. If you're into weather euphemisms when it comes to describing contrasting running styles Lesean McCoy and Leonard Weaver play the part of lightening and thunder, respectively. Michael Vick returns as the backup and will see action if Kolb struggles or is injured.

Philly got a lot younger and faster on defense. Defensive end Brandon Graham is a young pass rusher who will fit in nicely with the Eagles aggressive schemes. Nathaniel Allen could be the long term replacement for Brian Dawkins at safety. Veterans Trent Cole and Mike Patterson will continue to anchor the Eagles defensive line and corner back Asante Samuel will continue to make life difficult for quarterbacks in the secondary.

Philadelphia has a lot of young talent and there is a lot of upside for this team. If Kolb develops and the young players on the defense start to gel I think Philly could be looking at another run of dominance over the coming years. However, this year Philly's growing pains will keep them out of the postseason.

Frank Turner is the primary contributor for Frank Football. For more season previews, fantasy football news, and game picks visit Frank Football.

A look back at the 2007 New York Giants can be described as an amazing and magical year for as most analysts thought the New York Giants would be on the home for the playoff and new coach almost a certainty for 2008.

During the offseason the New York Giants lost 4 key veterans in Kawika Mitchell, LB; Michael Strahan, DE; Reggie Torbor, LB; Gibril Wilson, S and countered it by adding veterans David Carr, QB; Danny Clark, LB and Sammy Knight, S

The New York Giants top 4 draft picks during the 2008 NFL draft were: 1 31 Kenny Phillips FS 6-2 208 Miami; 2 63 Terrell Thomas CB 6-1 198 USC; 3 95 Mario Manningham WR 6-0 181 Michigan; 4 123 Bryan Kehl OLB 6-2 242 BYU

Keys and Questions for the New York Giants coming in to the 2008 season:

1. Can Eli Manning continue to grow and flourish in NY

2. 2nd year players in Steve Smith (WR), Kevin Boss (TE) and Ahmad Bradshaw (RB)continue to contribute.

3. Can the secondary grow into a top flight group? Will some of the age show?

4. How will they handle the pressure of being super bowl champs?

Oddsmakers have set the Ny Giants 2008 season

To Win NFC East at New York Giants +250

To Win Superbowl at New York Giants +1700

Prediction for the 2008 NY is to follow the 2007 Super bowl win with an 2008 NFC East divisional title and a 12-4 record. Don't again count the Giants out, with great defensive speed and an ever improving young QB, running back and more the New Yorks Giants have an opportunity to repeat as Super Bowl Champions.

Bang The Book NFL Picks forum, find daily sports betting information, bookmaker reviews and weekly handicapping articles.

The following rankings are based on a fantasy football player's year to end season value. If a draft or auction were to occur today this is the rank and value we place on the players based on their past performance and predicted future production. The basis for the valuations is a 10 team league starting 1 QB 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE 1 K 1 Defense with a 50% yardage and 50% TD scoring system with no points awarded for receptions. The rankings are updated every Tuesday morning, allowing players to value their teams, analyze player values for trades and plan future moves to get the most return out of your Fantasy Football players.

RANK PLAYER DESCRIPTION AUCTION $

1 Chris Johnson Titans, RB

Faster than a speeding Usain Bolt, more powerful than a locomotive, able to jump tall lineman on a 4th down, it's a Falcon it's a Jet, it's Chris Johnson. $44

2 Adrian Peterson Vikings, RB

Despite having some erratic games and fumbling issues, if anyone's going to have a record setting year in '10, it feels like it could be AP. $40

3 Maurice Jones-Drew Jaguars, RB

2009 stats feel like it could be his ceiling, even so, no complaints.....offense remains stable and a repeat performance very likely. $35

4 Ray Rice Ravens, RB

His weekly production is as reliable as Rush Limbaugh's 4th donut of the day. $34

5 Micheal Turner Falcons, RB

The Burner......if in the '08 season he was fueled by petroleum products......he apparently switched to "easy bake oven" technology '09.....he'll get it back on track in '10. $30

6 Frank Gore 49ers, RB

The forecast calls for high weekly averages with spotty nagging injuries all season. $27

7 Steven Jackson Rams, RB

This much potential hasn't been squandered since Matt Damon turned down Famke Jannsen in Rounders. $25

8 Andre Johnson Texans, WR

2009 receiving yards leader by over 200 yds. Potential for even more TD's, but his performance is tied to Schuab staying healthy. $24

9 Larry Fitzgerald Cardinals, WR

If Warner retires, the Cardinals WR's are going to be like Rage Against the Machine trying to go on without Zach de la Rocha. $23

10 Cedric Benson Bears, RB

The question is....does his deal with the devil extend into the 2010 season? Or does he go back to the Cedric we know and hate? $22

11 Ryan Grant Packers, RB

Not the sexiest RB in terms of flash, but he does his job well......oddly the exact opposite can be said of Megan Fox. $21

12 Jamaal Charles Chiefs, RB

The Chiefs miserable team is not doing him any favors, but he is the kind of guy that is going to find a way to get his. $21

13 DeAngelo Williams Panthers,RB

The perks at a time share pitch are all fun and games, but make sure you know what the Panthers are selling before you buy...basically, a full split of two great backs. $21

14 Vincent Jackson Chargers, WR

Is to San Diego WR's what MadMen is to AMC.....both have made something completely irrelevant worth watching now. $20

15 Rashard Mendenhall Steelers,RB

Although we don't expect him to be unbelievable in '10; being the lead RB in PIT guarentee's a certain level of scoring. $19

16 Reggie Wayne Colts, WR

Like Charlize Theron, were not sure what we'll get out of Reggie next; the hottie in The Italian Job or the psycho in Monster that murders your fantasy season. He killed fantasy owners down the stretch of '09. $19

17 Aaron Rodgers Packers,QB

If his offensive line continues to give him the sandlot approved 5 banana count again next year like they did the second half of '09, we expect him to be the top rated fantasy QB again. $19

18 Drew Brees Saints, QB

In each of the past 4 years he's put up a minimum of 4,300 yds and 26 tds. Not too bad of numbers to build a fantasy team around. $19

19 DeSean Jackson Eagles, WR

Despite the fact that is was a turbulent ride with big swings in production....he had the highest average pts/game among Fantasy WR's last year. $19

20 Brandon Marshall Broncos, WR

It seems like every year leading up to Fantasy Drafts/Auctions, there are a lot of questions and reasons not to go after #15...for now we remain very optimistic on his '10 season. $19

21 Peyton Manning Colts, QB

Is he pimping any insurance companies on TV yet? If not he should, because when he's your FF QB, you always feel like your in good hands. $18

22 Miles Austin Cowboys, WR

We found out that his 200 yd game was not a one hit wonder last year....now we're curious if his '09 season was....if it's not, look for Blind Melon, The Proclaimers, Chumbawumba and Hanson to be knocking on his door for advice. $18

23 Randy Moss Patriots, WR

Don't get me wrong, its not that we don't like Moss' '09 numbers, its just we're kind of left with a bad taste in our mouths with how he went out in his last few games. $18

24 Thomas Jones Jets, RB

If you seek flashy highlight reel TD replays, go elsewhere, but if you like reliable production, you've come to the right place...assuming Father Time doesn't finally take him down. $17

25 Ronnie Brown Miami, RB

He's still young and we love him when healthy, but how many times can he bounce back from injury and be his old self. $17

26 Calvin Johnson Lions, WR

Looking more like a 'second tier' transforming action figure of the 80's......Gobot in disguise! $15

27 Beanie Wells Cardinals, RB

The trend at the end of 2009 season was Wells finally started getting the bulk of the carries over Hightower. If that continues into 2010, Wells will post solid numbers. $15

28 Knowshon Moreno Broncos, RB

With just under 1000 yds rushing and 9 total td's in 2009, he didn't exactly blow us away, but it wasn't a disaster either. Entering his second year he'll be counted on more and should deliver. $14

29 Anquan Boldin Cardinals, WR

If it's not too late, someone call Jeff Probst, Boldin would absolutely destroy the competition in an "injury bug" challenge on Survivor. $14

30 Joesph Addai Colts, RB

Addai's only 26...apparently he, Danny Almonte and Greg Oden all get their fake id's from the same place. $13

31 Kevin Smith Lions, RB

If you can talk yourself into a Detroit Lions RB not named Barry Sanders, then by all means. $12

32 Pierre Thomas
Saints, RB

He plays Suzanne Summers in the Saints aggravating Three's Company sitcom. He is the hottest by far, yet Mike Bell in the role of the butch brunette gets far too much screen time $12

33 Tom Brady Patriots, QB

Like DeNiro/Pacino in Godfather II & Heat...Brady/Moss had some incredible highs, lets hope 2010 doesn't turn into a collect the paycheck year and pump out a 'Righteous Kill' type season. $12

34 Sidney Rice Vikings, WR

He'd still be good, but if Favre retires, we're not as bullish on Rice with T Jack or Gus throwing to him. $10

35 Greg Jennings Packers, WR

His reversal of fortune last season rivals only that of an ameteur competitive eater; one minute focused and poised for a Coney Island Championship, the next he's got semi-digested wet hot dogs & buns all over his shoes. $10

36 Roddy White Falcons, WR

Seriously, Mr. White....Mr. Blonde wants to know, "are you going to bark all day little doggie, or are you gonna bite?" $10

37 Steve Smith Carolina, WR

He's still near the front of the plane, it just feels like he's moved from first class to businees class after last year. $10

38 Matt Schaub Texans, QB

The under appreciated girl in high school who you knew was hot and now you're too late to the party. $9

39 Dallas Clark Colts, TE

Dallas International Airport is the nation's 3rd busiest, Dallas Clark is our #1 ranked TE. Suck it airport. $9

40 Antonio Gates Chargers, TE

No signs of SD going back to a run heavy offense with the aging LT-Style Electric Slider (he don't like that call) $9

41 Vernon Davis 49ers, TE

Has all the physical gifts to be in the movie Avatar, he just couldn't learn how to speak Na'Vi. $8

42 Chad Ochocinco Bengals, WR

He's never been a TD machine; it was always the consistent big yards & receptions that made him special, but with declining numbers in those areas, he starts to look more ordinary. $7

43 Phillip Rivers Chargers,QB

Trending well; since 2007 he's increased Yardage and TD totals while reducing INT's every year. $7

44 Owen Daniels Texans, TE

This ranking assumes a full recovery and return to 2009 form, when he was a top TE. $7

45 Matt Forte Bears, RB

The teen equivalent of going from Prom King to Chess Club in one year. High School can be so cruel. $7

46 Jonathon Stewart Panthers, RB

Would love him if he was the workhorse back in this offense, but might have to wait a little while longer for that scenario to play out. $7

47 Marques Colston Saints, WR

That's Marcus with a "Q". Oh, of course it is Mrs. Colston, what a lovely child. $6

48 Steve Smith Giants, WR

A great #2 Fantasy WR that will give you week in week out receptions and yardage. $6

49 Santonio Holmes Steelers, WR

If Santonio Holmes career parallels Larry Holmes career we believe next season could be the Gerry Cooney fight where Holmes really finds his stride. $6

50 Tony Romo Cowboys, QB

Tony Romo does a little too much peacocking to be a true Cowboy. He fell flat in the final game. He has been a bit streaky but with Austin, Witten and Jones their offense looks to be dangerous. $6

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The Carolina Panthers haven't started out their 09' season as well as they hoped for undoubtedly. Nothing has gone according to plan, Jake Delhomme isn't productive, the wide receivers haven't impressed much, the defense isn't what it was before, the whole team is in the dumps. As strong as the NFC South is now with the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, they better start making things happen before they are looking at a 6-10 season.

The Panthers second half of the season schedule is brutal - at New England Patriots, at New York Giants, at New York Jets, and at New Orleans Saints. While the Carolina Panthers weren't the over whelming favorites to win the NFC South, no one expected them to play this badly and unorganized. When teams start out this dreadful, they will struggle the rest of the season to catch up to the leaders in the division.

Can the Panthers turn their season around? Yes they can because they do have the talent to do so. The Panthers need to create more turnovers on defense and give Jake Delhomme more chances to use WR Steve Smith, as of now, Steve Smith isn't even on the radar as one of the best wide receivers in the league. It was just a couple years ago when Steve Smith was a MVP candidate.

If the Panthers expect to compete in the division they must improve on defense or otherwise quarterbacks Drew Brees and Matt Ryan will destroy the Panthers defense.

The Panthers either have had great seasons or terrible seasons - looking back over the course of their history since 1995. Panthers fans hope the 09' season won't be disaster but a season of redemption. Jake Delhomme can not keep throwing interceptions and putting his team in a hole if they hope to win football games.

Talk more about this situation at the Carolina Panthers forum and play some fantasy football at RootZoo.

I could probably write a book (or at least a mini one) with all of the fantasy football surprises of 2009. There have been some great overachievers this season, and I wouldn't be surprised to see many of them stick around for a few years as top fantasy football options. Let's have a quick look at some of the better surprise players of this 2009 fantasy football season thus far. I'm only going to discuss three, but you know as well as I do that there are many more.

1. Steve Smith, New York Giants wide receiver. Did anyone ever think that Steve Smith would be an elite wide receiver through the first several weeks of the 2009 NFL season? Maybe the Steve Smith on the Panthers, but not this guy. People have quickly forgotten that Plaxico Burress was ever a New York Giant, thanks to Steve Smith.

2. Austin Collie, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver. Collie was an unexpected surprise who really only received the playing time he's gotten since Anthony Gonzalez is out for the season with injury. Still, the rookie WR has risen to the occasion, scoring several big TDs and grabbing a bunch of receptions each game.

3. Rashard Mendenhall. There was a great deal of hype surrounding the RB Mendenhall in his rookie season last year, but an injury led to a disappointing year. He's bounced back in a big way in 2009 and has fully taken advantage of the absence of Willie Parker. A new star is born.

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Opening week of the 2010 NFL season has come and gone and it included everything a football fan has come to expect from the National Football League.  There were controversial plays, upsets, teams that had trouble

getting their offenses going, teams that had their defenses picked apart, and teams that started the season out right on track and ready to play.

Let's take a look back at all the games played in week one of the 2010 NFL season.

New Orleans Saints 14 - Minnesota Vikings 9

The Saints defeated the Vikings in one of the most anticipated games of week one.  Drew Brees marched his team down the field for an easy score on their first possession of the game and it looked like it would be a route, but both defenses tightened up from there on out.  In the end, the Saints defense was a little too much for an aging Brett Favre and a Vikings team missing wide receiver Sidney Rice.

Miami Dolphins 15 - Buffalo Bills 10

The Dolphins won a low scoring contest, and did so by scoring nearly every way possible, including a touchdown, extra point, field goal, and safety.  Both offenses were somewhat ineffective as neither starting quarterback, Chad Henne for the Dolphins and Trent Edwards for the Bills, were able to break the 200 yard mark in passing.  Neither team had a 100 yard rusher either.

Chicago Bears 19 - Detroit Lions 14

The Bears and Lions have played a number of times over the years and they kicked off the 2010 season together.  This was a tough battle that ended with a controversial play as the Lions thought they'd scored a go ahead touchdown but the referee's saw it differently.  Jay Cutler of the Bears also starts the season off with a 300 yard game.

Tennessee Titans 38 - Oakland Raiders 13

The Titans jumped out to a 24-6 halftime lead and never looked back.  Chris Johnson had his way with the Oakland defense as he put up 142 yards rushing.  Oakland's Darren McFadden didn't do too badly himself either as he had 150 combined yards.  The Titans added two second half touchdowns and the Raiders scored one in the fourth quarter.

New England Patriots 38 - Cincinnati Bengals 24

The New England Patriots were in complete control of their week one matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, even being ahead 24-3 at halftime.  The Bengals did get some offense going in the second half, but by then it was too little too late.  Carson Palmer finished the day with 345 passing yards and the other big star of the day was Chad Ochocinco who racked up 159 yards receiving.

New York Giants 31 - Carolina Panthers 18

Eli Manning hooked up with Hakeem Nicks for three touchdowns, yes three touchdowns, including one each in the first, second, and third quarters.  The duo took the fourth quarter off, with New York getting a rushing touchdown from Ahmad Bradshaw.  The Panthers got three field goals from the ageless John Kasay and a touchdown pass from the great Steve Smith.

Pittsburgh Steelers 15 - Atlanta Falcons 9

All eyes were on Pittsburgh as they started the season without two time Super Bowl winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.  His replacement, Dennis Dixon, finished with a very respectable 18 completions on 26 attempts for 236 yards.  This was a real defensive battle as neither team's offenses could get started.  At the end of the fourth quarter it was 9-9 and the game ended on a 50 yard touchdown run in overtime by Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17 - Cleveland Browns 14

Both the Buccaneers and the Browns started the game off scoring points and the 14-10 halftime score made it appear that each team was being at least somewhat successful.  The Bucs would shutout the Browns in the second half and would score a late fourth quarter touchdown of their own to take the lead and the win.

Jacksonville Jaguars 24 - Denver Broncos 17

Last season saw the Denver Broncos start out 6-0, but this season it didn't take too long for the team to lodge it's first loss.  This was a very even game that saw Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jaguars miss a 100 yard game by two yards and Denver's Kyle Orton missing a 300 yard game by five yards.  In the end, the Jaguars fourth quarter score put them over the top.

Houston Texans 34 - Indianapolis Colts 24

In what was one of the biggest upsets of the day, Matt Schaub who was the leading passer in the NFL last season, hardly had to throw the ball at all.  Schaub would finish with just 107 yards passing while Peyton Manning would rack up 433.  The difference though was the 231 yards rushing and three touchdowns put up by second year running back Arian Foster of the Texans.

Arizona Cardinals 17 - St. Louis Rams 13

In a quarterback duel between the number one overall draft pick from 2010, Sam Bradford and Derek Anderson who wasn't named the starting quarterback until a short time ago, the Cardinals would come out on top thanks to a fourth quarter touchdown reception by Larry Fitzgerald from Anderson.  Both teams had four turnovers in a game that both coaches probably wished was played a little better.

Green Bay Packers 27 - Philadelphia Eagles 20

The Packers and Eagles battled in a much looked forward to contest that featured a great game by Clay Matthews and the Packers defense and an injury to Eagles starting quarterback Kevin Kolb that saw Michael Vick come in for some significant playing time.  The Eagles mounted a comeback, but it wasn't enough.

Seattle Seahawks 31 - San Francisco 49ers 6

Pete Carroll's first game as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks was a massive success as his team was in control nearly all game long and was never threatened after the first quarter.  The Seahawks defense held 49ers running back to 38 yards on 17 carries which was a large part in stopping them from doing what they wanted to do.

Washington Redskins 13 - Dallas Cowboys 7

In a game that was marred by a serious amount of penalties and mistakes on Dallas' side of the ball, the Redskins ended up holding off a late charge by the Cowboys and giving new quarterback Donovan McNabb his first win in a Washington uniform.

Baltimore Ravens 10 - New York Jets 9

In a game that lacked a lot of offense, not surprisingly from the Jets who are not known as a high scoring team, but somewhat surprising from the Ravens who have a good running game and three very accomplished wide receivers, it came down to the last play of the game.  The Jets defense stymied the Ravens all night long and the Jets offense stymied itself.  LaDainian Tomlinson averaged over five yards a carry on his 11 touches for his new team and wide receiver Anquan Boldin racked up 110 yards receiving for his new team the Ravens.  In the end, the Jets turned it over on downs, unable to get a key first down, and the Ravens simply ran the clock out for the one point victory.

Kansas City Chiefs 21 - San Diego Chargers 14

The Chiefs were victorious in a Monday Night Football game that was at least statistically dominated by the Chargers.  Philip Rivers finished the day just two yards short of a 300 yard game and the Chargers had more first downs, total yards, and time of possession than their opponents.  The pesky Chiefs wouldn't be put away and scored two of their three touchdowns on long plays, the first a 56 yard run by Jamaal Charles and the third a 94 yard punt return for a score by Dexter McCluster.

Interesting and fun football facts can be found about every one of the teams listed above, and even some that no longer play or play in different leagues at IQFB.com. Finding out hard to find information and great football trivia about your favorite team or player can be a lot of fun. You can even look really smart down the road when you throw out a little tidbit of knowledge that no one else knows. IQFB... Get Football Smart.