NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Rosters for 2010 Pro Bowl, to be played Jan. 31 in Miami (asterisk denotes starter):

AFC Offense

Quarterbacks — *Peyton Manning, Indianapolis; Tom Brady, New England; Philip Rivers, San Diego

Running Backs — *Chris Johnson, Tennessee; *Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville; Ray Rice, Baltimore

Fullback — *Le’Ron McClain, Baltimore

Wide Receivers — *Andre Johnson, Houston; *Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis; Brandon Marshall, Denver; Wes Welker, New England

Tight Ends — *Dallas Clark, Indianapolis; Antonio Gates, San Diego

Centers — *Nick Mangold, N.Y. Jets; Jeff Saturday, Indianapolis

Guards — *Alan Faneca, N.Y. Jets; *Logan Mankins, New England; Kris Dielman, San Diego

Tackles — *Ryan Clady, Denver; *Jake Long, Miami; Joe Thomas, Cleveland

AFC Defense

Ends — *Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis; *Robert Mathis, Indianapolis; Mario Williams, Houston

Interior Linemen — *Haloti Ngata, Baltimore; *Vince Wilfork, New England; Casey Hampton, Pittsburgh

Inside-Middle Linebackers — *Ray Lewis, Baltimore; DeMeco Ryans, Houston

Outside Linebackers — *Elvis Dumervil, Denver; *James Harrison, Pittsburgh; Brian Cushing, Houston

Cornerbacks — *Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland; *Darrelle Revis, N.Y. Jets; Champ Bailey, Denver

Strong Safety — *Brian Dawkins, Denver

Free Safeties — *Ed Reed, Baltimore; Jairus Byrd, Buffalo

AFC Specialists

Punter — Shane Lechler, Oakland

Kick Return Specialist — Joshua Cribbs, Cleveland

Placekicker — Nate Kaeding, San Diego

Special Teamer — Kassim Osgood, San Diego

NFC Offense

Quarterbacks — *Drew Brees, New Orleans; Brett Favre, Minnesota; Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay

Running Backs — *Adrian Peterson, Minnesota; Steven Jackson, St. Louis; DeAngelo Williams, Carolina

Fullback — *Leonard Weaver, Philadelphia

Wide Receivers — *Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona; *DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia; Miles Austin, Dallas; Sidney Rice, Minnesota

Tight Ends — *Vernon Davis, San Francisco; Jason Witten, Dallas

Centers — *Andre Gurode, Dallas; Shaun O’Hara, New York Giants

Guards — *Jahri Evans, New Orleans; *Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota; Leonard Davis, Dallas

Tackles — *Bryant McKinnie, Minnesota; *Jason Peters, Philadelphia; Jon Stinchcomb, New Orleans

NFC Defense

Ends — *Jared Allen, Minnesota; *Julius Peppers, Carolina; Trent Cole, Philadelphia

Interior Linemen — *Darnell Dockett, Arizona; *Kevin Williams, Minnesota; Jay Ratliff, Dallas

Inside-Middle Linebackers — *Patrick Willis, San Francisco; Jonathan Vilma, New Orleans

Outside Linebackers — *Lance Briggs, Chicago; *DeMarcus Ware, Dallas; Brian Orakpo, Washington

Cornerbacks — *Asante Samuel, Philadelphia; *Charles Woodson, Green Bay; Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Arizona

Strong Safety — *Adrian Wilson, Arizona

Free Safeties — *Darren Sharper, New Orleans; Nick Collins, Green Bay

NFC Specialists

Punter — Andy Lee, San Francisco

Kick Return Specialist — DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia

Placekicker — David Akers, Philadelphia

Special Teamer — Heath Farwell, Minnesota

Two years ago, the New England Patriots were two and a half minutes away from the NFL’s first ever 19-0 season. This year, the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts were both three games away. Now, the hopes of a team going undefeated have faded yet again, this time with an even worse taste in the mouth of fans.

Colts fans have been irate for the past two days since the team basically decided that the long term health of their team was more important that a record. GM Bill Polian and coach Jim Caldwell decided to sit QB Peyton Manning and a number of other starters, and much to the anger of the Colt fans, the team fell for the first time in 2009.

The Colts have sat players in the past, but at the same time, it’s never come at a point where the team was undefeated with just two games left in the season. It has always come after the team had lost at least one game. Now fans are demanding a refund for having to watch preseason players play in a late-December game.

That’s the risk you take when you buy a ticket.

There’s always a chance that the best players may not play, but yes, fans today do have a reason to be upset with the Colts and their GM and coach deciding to take away history before it was decided like it should have been. History doesn’t come every day, and players like Manning and others can be hurt any day, any play.

The Colts fans deserved better, and it was a shame to see what could have been history taken out of their hands. Sure it will all be forgotten if the Colts raise the Lombardi Trophy on the first Sunday of February. But if they don’t, then isn’t it about time that teams realize that sitting players isn’t all it’s cracked up to be?

The Eagles have lost center Jamaal Jackson for the year after he tore his ACL in yesterday's game against the Denver Broncos. This is a tough loss for the Eagles as Jackson has been one of the constants on this offensive line all year. The offensive line has seen many moves and changes since the beginning of the year, but Jackson has always been there to anchor the middle. Nick Cole will take over for Jackson and is a very capable player; however, you hate to see Jackson go down this late in the season.

Jackson is very upset with the injury and has requested that Todd Herremans to go out there and get him a Super Bowl ring. You know it has to kill a guy to play this deep into the season and then not be able to play anymore. However, it is nice to see that Jackson is still upbeat and wants nothing but the best for the team.

It's very easy for me to vent about the horrid performance by the G-Men Sunday. There's a lot of anger, a lot of frustration. And there are a lot of questions. Here are some Thoughts, Giants Panthers style (or, as I said in the title, what happened to the 2009 Giants?)

-There is no excuse for the lack of effort on Sunday. No excuse. This was the biggest game of the year. And the Giants come out like it's a pickup game after Thanksgiving dinner. They come out with no fire. They come out with no passion. The Panthers, on the other hand, had nothing to play for.

Yet, they come out like it's the Super Bowl. I can't explain why the Giants didn't come to play. I don't know if they can. But, they didn't. And, it's been that way for the whole year. Think back to the first Eagles game. The Cardinals game. The Saints game. The Broncos game. We thought this team could be a Super Bowl team. We had high expectations for the team. And you saw, when there is consistent effort, the Giants look awesome. Think of the Redskins game. But, the effort is there. The fire isn't there. And, no team can be successful without a strong effort.

-CAN SOMEONE TACKLE! Jonathan Stewart must've broken at least 50 tackles. Players are going for the ball, not the player. It's an awful display of football.

-Too many mistakes. Manningham fumbles. Hedgecock holding. That first drive seemed to be all the Giants had. And, mistakes screwed it up.

-Look, I don't know what will fix the Giants. Yeah, they need some talent on defense. They need some help on the interior O-Line (I'm talking about you, Rich Seubert). They desperately need secondary depth. That can be had. But, where does the leadership come from? I always think back to the playoff game last year against Philly. You see Brian Dawkins going absolutley nuts, firing the team up. Giants don't have anyone like that. Did you watch the Cowboys game last night? Keith Brooking looked like he was going to have a stroke. The Giants need that. They need an infusion of passion, an infusion of pride, an infusion of determination. That's what they need. The talent part can be fixed. The formation stuff, that can be fixed. The passion can't be fixed. They have to get someone who can provide that. Is that person out there? I don't know. But, the GIants have to find it somewhere.

-What the hell happened to the Giants? They were 5-0, and looked unbeatable. Sure, they were playing the Bucs and Raiders. But, they were dominating them, and that's what good teams do. But, then, the Saints cream them. The Eagles beat up on them. They lose to the Chargers.

They get embarrassed in Denver. This team, in my opinion, is an average team. They can beat up on the bad teams, but they can't beat the good ones. They were lucky to rack up wins against the cupcakes. But, when it meant something, this team didn't show up. Every Giants fan should be angry. Every Giants fan should be upset. Every Giants fan should demand changes. Giants fans were expecting a great team this year. They didn't get it. It's a shame.

First off, let me say that in eight days the season starts anew and that a three or four game winning streak is all they will need to put together a Championship run.

That being said, there are plenty of issues that have come about in the last four weeks that need to be addressed in order for such a post-season run to become reality.

The loss tonight brings to mind two basic themes:  consistency and missed opportunities.

Consistency

• Brett Favre was 26 of 40 for 321 yards and 2 touchdowns with no picks.  His game started out pretty pedestrian, throwing multiple errant passes and losing a fumble when he should have had a little more awareness.  He also tried to throw a pass to right guard Anthony Herrera which resulted in a 10 yard intentional grounding penalty.  His fourth quarter heroics seemingly willed the Vikings to a potential victory, but he was also lucky to not have multiple throws picked off.  Consistency is key.
• The offensive line was frustrating today with their inconsistency.  At times they were opening big holes for the running backs and fiercely protecting Favre.  On other occasions they looked completely overmatched by the Bears hodge-podge defense.
• Adrian Peterson was having one of his best weeks this year before his overtime and game-losing fumble.  He had 94 yards and 2 touchdowns on 24 rushing attempts, as well as 3 catches for 43 yards.  His fumble, however, is just another example of an inconsistency that this team needs to tighten up.
• Bernard Berrian led the team with 58 receiving yards, but dropped a potential touchdown pass in the open field.
• Special Teams was all over the map in this game.  They gave up a giant return that set up a touchdown for the Bears and they allowed an extra point to be blocked that would have been the difference in the game.  On the other hand, Percy Harvin provided some fun returns and Jamarca Sanford had a superb hit on punt coverage.
• Cedric Griffin had the lone interception for the Vikings on a very heads up play and also made a number of solid tackles, but he was also burned on multiple passes including two touchdowns.
• It is nice to have Antoine Winfield back but his performance tonight was incredibly spotty… and that's being nice.  He got burned on the game-losing touchdown, which was just the last of many poor plays for 'Toine.
• Ben Leber was all over the field making tackles and had a pair of defended passes which continued what has been a stellar season for him.  The negative aspect here is that Leber's two defended passes each could have very easily been intercepted.  This falls under the category of missed opportunities.
• Jared Allen also missed opportunities tonight, as he faced a single blocker almost all evening.  He registered two tackles and no sacks despite the favorable matchup.  Also, where is the rest of the defensive line at?
• Jasper Brinkley had a better game this week, and registered 6 tackles.  His coverage skills leave a lot to be desired, however.
• The play-calling was improved over last week, but there was still plenty of head-scratchers.  Unwillingness to blitz on defense and stubborness on offense may very well end up being this team's downfall.

So there you have it.  The Vikes have lost control of the #2 seed due to nothing more than inconsistencies and missed opportunities across the board.

With one final game left for the Buffalo Bills in a disappointing 2009 campaign, the focus now shifts to one of the most important offseasons in Bills history. The first step came back in November with the firing off Dick Jauron after the team's pathetic 42-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

There are sure to be many, many more steps along the path to rebuilding. If you're feeling a sense of hopelessness about this team, you're probably not alone. It's unknown how long a complete turnaround could take (let's hope it's somewhat faster than evolution), but a few teams have shown the Bills that it can happen rather quickly and unexpectedly if done properly.

Take for instance the Bills opponent last Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons were a complete mess in 2007, on the field and in the public eye. The franchise quarterback, Michael Vick, was embroiled in dog fighting allegations and was later sentenced to 23 months in prison. Head coach Bobby Petrino resigned a day after his team was blown out by New Orleans 34-14 on Monday Night Football and shockingly was introduced as the head football coach at Arkansas that same day. Petrino didn't even bother to tell his players face to face that he was resigning; he left a note in each locker of his players telling them he was leaving.

So the star quarterback went to jail, the head coach went running back to college football and the Falcons were left with a public relations disaster to clean up. There was no face of the franchise. There were more questions than the Falcons had answers for. But in the offseason, Atlanta underwent a tremendous makeover. The Falcons found a new general manager in Thomas Dimitroff, who was responsible for spearheading the overhaul. His tasks were simple: find a new head coach, find a new quarterback and make the Falcons relevant again following their disastrous 4-12 mark in 2007.

Dimitroff hired Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Smith. Smith took the Falcons from the outhouse to the penthouse in just one year, producing an 11-5 mark in 2008. Smith was named AP NFL Coach of the Year, taking the Falcons on a seven-win swing from 2007. What's more impressive about Smith is he didn't the luxury of a Peyton Manning or Drew Brees. He did it with a rookie quarterback and first time starting running back.

Atlanta drafted quarterback Matt Ryan third overall in the draft in 2008 and become the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Ryan was the first quarterback since Peyton Manning in 1998 to throw for 3,000 yards in a season. Ryan threw for 3, 440 yards and 17 touchdowns, while finding instant chemistry with receiver Roddy White. White enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2008, posting career marks in receptions (88), receiving yards (1,382) and touchdowns (7).

Former San Diego running back Michael Turner was brought into the fold by Dimitroff. Turner, who served as LaDainian Tomlinson's backup, was thrust out of Tomlinson's shadow and into the starting role in the Falcons backfield. Turner finished second in the league in rushing with 1,699 yards. He had a franchise-best 17 touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl trip and finishing second in the MVP voting.

Miami was a bigger train wreck than Atlanta. The Dolphins went 1-15 in 2007, playing some of their worst football in franchise history under coach Cam Cameron. Miami was in need of a thorough house cleaning, basically starting over from scratch. What would follow in the wake of going 1-15 was improbable and remarkable. The Dolphins hired Bill Parcells as their executive vice president of football operations. Parcells hired former Dallas Cowboys offensive line coach Tony Sparano and drafted Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long with the first overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Parcells also signed former Jets castoff quarterback Chad Pennington.

The Dolphins went 11-5 and were AFC East champions in 2008, a year removed from a one win season and the first pick in the draft. Long quickly established himself as one of the premier young tackles in football. Pennington revitalized his career throwing 19 touchdowns. The Dolphins unleashed the Wildcat formation. Joey Porter, who was signed from Pittsburgh, led the NFL with 16 ½ sacks. It all led to the Dolphins winning their first division title since 2000.

Sparano proved he wasn't just a puppet with Parcells pulling all the strings behind the scenes. He brought back passion, discipline, accountability and respectability to South Beach in just one short season. Miami became just the second team in NFL history to improve their previous season's win total by 10 games. A little luck goes a long way, too. Miami reaped the benefits of New England losing Tom Brady to a season ending knee injury the first game of the season.

Both Atlanta and Miami made the playoffs in 2008. Both teams lost on Wild Card Weekend; the Falcons lost to Arizona and Miami lost to Baltimore. That's hardly the issue here. To go from desperate and depressing seasons one year to division titles and playoff berths the next is truly astonishing. These two teams have established successful blueprints on how to go from rags to riches. Understand that for every Atlanta or Miami there's an antithesis, like Cleveland or Detroit. They haven't figured it out yet despite numerous attempts to right their respective ships.

It may seem improbable, but it's far from impossible. With the right direction, the right hirings and the right personnel, the dark clouds can be pushed away.

Remember those five weeks of losing? Yeah, they still sting, but it’s amazing that heading into week 17 with a five game losing streak still on their resume, that the Steelers have any chance whatsoever to play in the postseason. To me, too much has to happen for this team to make the postseason, as teams like the Jets, Texans and Ravens will play all out, while the teams they are playing very well may not.

With that said, it’s going to be tough to have to write the final chapter on the 2009 season Sunday night. On one hand, I would like to see the team take care of business in Miami and end the year on a three-game win streak and see what happens. Then again, a loss means a .500 season, and that would mean a higher draft pick.

I like you know that a lot has to be done this offseason. More than likely gone are Casey Hampton, Willie Parker, Ryan Clark and from the rumblings going around, the team may cut ties with kicker Jeff Reed, who seems to like to get in a little too much trouble off the field.

With that said, here are some rather obvious things that need to happen as we enter the final week of the season:

1. The 2010 Draft is Critical – The Steelers need desperate help on special teams, which means that they will have to draft players that can step in right away and help on special teams. Too often this season they have put themselves behind the 8-ball with poor tackling and allowing big returns on special teams. This unit must improve as quickly as possible.

2. Troy needs to get back to 100 percent – Even if the team sneaks into the playoffs, I would sit Polamalu for the wild card game the following week. We have seen in the games missed this season just how important Polamalu is, and I think it would be dumb frankly to rush him back. Mind you that I write this before Mike Tomlin says today if Polamalu is expected to play this week, but I think rushing him back at this point would be a bad mistake.

3. Could we Finally Make a Free Agent Splash – Here’s two ways of thinking on this: 1. It’s going to likely be an uncapped year, which means that you can open the pocket books, and 2. the team could have new money coming in with the investors on board, so maybe this could be a year where they do get a player or two they would not normally get. The Steelers will never be a top 10 team in spending, but it would be nice to see what would happen if at least once they spent over what they usually do. Plus, think of it like this – where would the 09 team be if they would have not lost out on CB Bryant McFadden?