Week 12 Fantasy Picks

Well, unlike our gambling picks, we did pretty well with our fantasy picks to some degree.  If you had the depth to bench Gore and Rice, that leaves you a very important running back spot to fill in for today.  Let ATP help you make a playoff push in this critical week 12 matchup.

Must Start

SJ should have a good day!

Cedric Benson, I think the Bengals are starting to feed the ball to Benson as the weather gets colder.  He is the main goal line back and should get an opportunity for a touchdown or 2.  AJ Green should be back this week, which will open up the running lanes for him as well.  I don't expect a ton of yards but maybe around 80 with good potential for scoring.

Steven Jackson, should get a lot of looks today going against the Cardinals.  He should have a big day going over 100 with a score.

Gronkowski, this guy is an automatic, but he should have a field day against these linebackers that are pretty bad in coverage.  Brady will probably look to his interior as there will be no need to challenge on the outside as much.

Mark Sanchez,  I think this guy comes back with a good game today.  He is at home, going against a defense that allows a lot of points, but they also have a lot of interceptions.  So don't be surprised to see a couple of those as well.  Feel safe starting this guy today.

Gambles

Rashard Mendenhall, Look for Mendenhall to get back on track a bit today as he is going against a pretty bad run defense.  The offensive line is always being bandaged up, but I think they will be able to poke some holes tonight for Rashard to get through.  If you need him, start him.

Benjarvus Green-Ellis, this is a gamble as nobody knows what the plan for the running backs are in New England.  If you are desperate, this could be a decent fill in as even if he is not getting a ton of carries, he might gain about 50 yards with the potential for 1 or 2 scores against a bad run defense.

Matt Leinart,  some people really need a quarterback and this could be a great fill today.  He has Arian Foster in the backfield and a health Andre Johnson.  What more could you ask for?  I see a couple of touchdowns for Leinart today.  Normally, I would wait a week and see how he looks, but if you have Palko, Hanie, Grossman or somebody on that level, I would go with Leinart today.

CJ Spiller, if you have him in a ppr league, I would consider him a desperate gamble.  In a regular league, I would much rather see him play a game first and then decide.  He should get at least 4 catches for about 30 yards to go along with his rushing total.  He should be able to get you at least 10 points in a ppr league.

Marshawn Lynch, I think this guy looks a lot better lately, but the Redskins do a good job of stopping the run.   It will be a much easier job when the quarterback is Tarvaris Jackson and you can key on the running game.

Nate Washington,  he is the main threat in Tennessee and I don't see much out of Chris Johnson so the throws will be forced to Washington.

Don't Start

Chris Ogbonnaya, he is going against a very good run defense in Cincy.  I would stay away from this guy today.

Ryan Matthews,  he does not score touchdowns because of Tolbert, which makes it tough to start against  a very good Denver defense.  Could be a gamble in a ppr league.

Dwayne Bowe,  Tyler Palko is still the quarterback with Orton playing a backup role tonight.  Even if Orton comes in, he can not know a ton of the offense to be getting the ball downfield enough to warrant Bowe as a start.

Week 12 Gambling Picks

Hopefully, I can make up for my 1-2 Turkey Day picks, but as I have said before I am fairly conservative and most likely would have done a 3 team tease, which would have worked no matter which teams you picked on Thursday.  So on to the picks and let's see if we can help some green roll in.

Buffalo at NY Jets (-9.5)

I know the Bills have been playing bad and they are missing Fred Jackson, but I can't get behind an almost 10 point spread for a Jets offense that has been playing very poorly.  This could change because they are at home and they have already whipped Buffalo at home, but I am sticking to my guns and think that Buffalo will lose but cover the spread.

Carolina (-4) at Indy

Carolina has not been the model of consistency this year, but they have been able to do something that the Colts rarely do in their losses, which is score a decent amount of points.  I know this is one of the last games that Indy has a chance to win, but I just don't see them putting up enough points to stay with Cam and Crew.  Take Carolina and the points.

NE (-3.5) at Philly

New England has killed me this year from a betting perspective, but Tom Brady vs Vince Young and only 3.5 points is tough to stay away from.    I think Belichick is going to put all of his efforts to stop McCoy and let VY try and beat him without Jeremy Maclin.  Nnamdi  and DRC are both game time decisions, which will hurt Philly.  It is a must win game for Philly, but I don't see it happening today.

Let us hope that these picks can make up for our sub par Thursday.  Good luck!

Turkey Day Fantasy Picks

Oh boy, we are getting to the heart of the fantasy season, where every game counts and everybody is just a small winning streak from backdooring into the playoffs.  Let it begin now with some Turkey Day fantasy picks to give you a nice cushion going into Sunday's games.  Is there anything better than waking up Sunday morning to see that you are already up 52-5?  I didn't think so.  On to the picks.

Must start

Tony Romo, this guy is hot and in the middle of a playoff push.  The Dolphins have a good defense and expect Vontae Davis to cover Dez Bryant a good amount of the day.  The reason I like Romo is because he is going to be throwing a lot as I think Miami will do a good job of keeping DeMarco Murray in check. If the offensive line can keep Romo on his feet, he will be hitting his secondary receivers a good amount and of course he will be throwing a ton to my next guy.

Jason Witten,  this guy is a must start every week so I shouldn't even have him on the list, but I expect a big game out of him as Witten is Romo's blankie.  Enough said.

Rodgers, Stafford, Johnson, Jennings, Nelson,   these are all must start quarterbacks and receivers from the Green Bay and Detroit game.  Enough said.

Vernon Davis , I like the matchup as the 49er running game will have a hard time against a good Baltimore front.  If Ray Lewis doesn't play, I really like Davis as he will find holes that Lewis would usually make sure are filled by somebody on the field.

Gambles

Nate Burleson and Brandon Pettigrew,  I really Burleson in a ppr league this week.  A lot of attention will be cast on Megatron, so Stafford will target Burleson a fair amount. He would be a must start if he wasn't going against Sam Shields and Tramon Williams.  Pettigrew should get some goal line looks, but I like the Packer linebackers in coverage.

Matt Moore, I don't see a lot of running out of the Miami backs, so I expect to see a lot of throwing and this guy has been doing pretty well lately.  If you need a guy, don't be afraid to start him as he should give you a couple of touchdowns one way or the other.


Anthony Fasano,  poor man's Jason Witten.  Matt Moore's security blanket should get a lot of looks today as they will be focusing on Brandon Marshall.

DeMarco Murray,  he is catching the ball a fair amount, so in a ppr league you can feel safe starting him. I don't like him as much in a regular league as Miami does a good job against the run.  Always a threat to punch one in as well.

Michael Crabtree,  I like this matchup against young cornerbacks.  Alex to Crabtree is becoming a nice little combo, so if you need a guy, this could be the call for you.

Alex Smith,  much like Moore if you need a guy, Smith may be him.  He doesn't throw a lot of picks, plays pretty conservatively.  Probably throws a couple of touchdown as well.  I see very similar games out of Smith and Moore today.

Don't Start

I don't expect Gore to run free today

Ray Rice, if you can get away with it.  Meaning, if you have capable back ups this would be the time to bench your first overall pick.  In a ppr league, much like Murray, you can probably start as he is a factor in the passing game.  I don't see any touchdowns out of this guy tonight though.

Green Bay or Detroit defense, too many points in this one.  Green Bay might be able to get a pick six here or there, but I think there will be a fair amount of points in this one.

Frank Gore,  he is partially injured, backup running backs have been getting carries and they are playing a good run defense.  Baltimore will stop this guy before they worry about Alex Smith.  If you are lucky he punches one in, I wouldn't gamble here.

Turkey Day Gambling

This is a special Turkey Day edition of ATP where I will not only give my gambling picks for all 3 games going.  Hopefully, everybody has a great Thanksgiving and hopefully ATP can help you out today.

Green Bay (-7) at Detroit

In this game, expect there to be about 800 yards of total offense as Detroit realizes how big of a game this is for them.  Coach Schwartz knows this is the true barometer of how good this team is and can be so they will be coming hard for this one.  This is the hardest pick of the day for me as I have been going back and forth with this one.  The Bears stomped Detroit a few weeks ago and you better believe Aaron Rodgers and company saw the weaknesses.  If this was not a rivalry, I would go and take the Packers without much question, but since it is and I know that detroit is geared up, I am taking Detroit and the points.  I also like Detroit, which is probably skewing my vision on this one.

Miami at Dallas (-7)

In this game, I am going to follow the theme in the first one and go with a hot Miami over a hot Dallas.  Dallas will most likely win, but I am going to take the points.  The Dolphins really seem to be playing for coach Sparano and this is a Super Bowl type game for a team not going to the playoffs.  They will be front and center for the whole world to see and I think they cover the spread in this one.  Watch out for Matt Moore as he has been playing some good football in his time under center.

No Ray Lewis = No win

San Francisco at Baltimore (-3.5)

What the heck, it is going to be a Turkey Day hat trick as I am going with the underdog 49ers here and I like them to flat out win.  If Ray Lewis doesn't go, I really like San Fran here, but even if he does I like the 49ers.  I don't think Flacco will be able to beat this defense and I know that Ray Rice and company will not be able to run on them.  Ray Lewis, is not physically as good as he once was but he is still the heart and soul as well as the intelligence of this defense.  Without him on the field, they are a different team.  I see a 20-16 type of win for the 49ers completing the underdog hat trick on Turkey day.

Let's watch the green roll in!

Vince Young gets No Love, but Tim Tebow Gets a Ton?

I find it pretty funny that Vince Young is thought to be terrible and Tim Tebow is going to lead the Broncos to the promised land.  Vince Young is for all intents and purposes, the original Tim Tebow.  This only takes into account football, so don't think of this on a personal level, where you have one guy who is a virgin that spends his college offseason healing the sick in the Philippines, while the other is fighting managers at strip clubs.  You can guess which is doing what.
Vince Young is a college football legend who came into the league with a lot of hype, got a lot of credit for  taking a team to the playoffs, despite a terrible passer rating, through good team defense and timely drives.  Hmmmm.....who does that sound like?  Well, we are not even that far along in the Tim Tebow project, but that could be the best outcome for him.  I don't see it happening as this defense can't keep holding teams to less than 20 points.  This is the NFL, the option can not work for that long.
At any rate, nobody gives Vince Young a chance despite the fact that Andy Reid is the coach and there is a ton of talent on the offense, but people seem to think that Tebow can do it, with no talent.  I don't really like either of them as quarterbacks, but if I had to take one, I think I would have to go with VY, which is pretty scary to say.  He has won games with his arm and until Tebow does the same, I will take the guy who is 31-17 as a starter in the NFL, even if he does get into fights at strip clubs.  Just in case people weren't sure which was which earlier.  On a personal level, I would root for Tim Tebow more if the world was smart enough to realize he is not the answer.

Overreacting Seems to be the Norm I guess

Being from New England, it is hard to avoid the constant chatter about the Patriots progress during football season.  I do my best to avoid it by not listening to the local media, but you still hear about it a fair amount on the national level as well.  I am fairly biased and I try not to pay attention to any one team over others, so it is pretty funny when it is not only fans but the media as well as analysts that tend to over react.  Just a few weeks the world was crucifying Bill, Brady and the Patriots.  Was the blueprint out?  Is their reign over?  Now, after 2 wins over a terrible Chiefs team and over a Jets team in which you never know who will show up and the media has them going to the Super Bowl.
So, what is the real answer about this Patriot team?  In my opinion, they are in the top four of the AFC on a talent level, but can beat any team on any given day.  Well what does that mean?  If they had a series against the best teams in the AFC, they would probably win 45% against some and 55% against others, depending upon the matchup.  That being said, their schedule is fairly easy the rest of the way and they could end up with a 1 seed and homefield advantage.  I think they could get to the Super Bowl, but they will not in my opinion.  You can never truly doubt a team with Belichick and Brady, but they don't have the talent to get in done in my opinion.  This is not the point of this blog, but I just wanted to add my 2 cents on the subject.  It does not seem like any team in the AFC really wants to win the 1 seed, but this defense looks like it would not be able to handle a balance offense.  It would be nice to see as anytime you have Julian Edelman playing defense, you have a chance to win a Super Bowl.

Fantasy Options for Week 11

We are starting to get to the stretch run here and hopefully ATP has been able to help you make the right decision on some of your borderline starters.  A couple of surprises are in store for this week.  Here is a snippet of what can be learned from ATP to make people true believers.


Sept 17, 2011:


WR Jordy Nelson, if you are in a PPR league, and this guy hasn't been picked up, not sure what you are waiting for this guys gets a lot of looks and could have a very big year.  Greg Jennings gets a lot of attention, which leave Nelson as the second option for Aaron Rodgers against the Carolina Panthers.


After having stated that a few months ago, I am going to go ahead and say, which sounds crazy but, he is a better start than Greg Jennings going forward.  People have a hard time believing that, but I would start this guy over Jennings as he will have the better matchup and gets a ton of looks from A-Rod.  By no means am I saying to bench Jennings, he is just not as good of an option as Nelson on a fantasy basis, but he is still a better receiver.


Must Start:


Brandon Jacobs, if he is getting the start give him the rock as like I have said, keep starting guys against the Eagles defense until they finally stop somebody.  I think the Giants will keep it on the ground today, especially if Vince Young gets the start.  Personally, I think they should go with Mike Kafka, but I am not coaching the Eagles.

Undervalued Jackson should
get the start this week!

Steven Jackson,  this poor guy is so unloved and nobody ever sees him play.  He should have a good day at home against the Seahawks though.  


Tony Romo,  he is going against the Redskins and they must get a win here.  The Redskins should do a better job stopping the run than the pass, so I think this guy is a great option this week.  I might as well throw in Dez Bryant as well, because he is a beast and if I am going to push Romo, Bryant goes hand in hand with him.


Don't Start:


Chris Johnson, if you have a choice I would put this guy on the bench as they are going to Atlanta who will probably try and shut down the run and let Hasselbeck try and beat them.  Atlanta could put some points on the board as well, which might mean the Titans will have to abandon the run as well.


Cam Newton,  same here, if you have a better choice I would go with it.  Defenses are picking up his tendencies and the Lions need this game pretty bad and will do what they need to.  Steve Smith is more of a gamble, but it wouldn't be awful if you started him as he might get a lot of targets if they get down quick.


Cedric Benson, going against the Ravens in Baltimore.  Even without Ray Lewis, they do a good job of stopping the run and Benson won't do much.


Ryan Matthews,  not sure if people consider him an every week starter, but at the minimum he shouldn't be this week.  Maybe a gamble if you are in a ppr as he does get some targets, but that is minimized as well as he is not the goal line back.


Gambles:


DeMarco Murray, I know this sounds strange but Felix Jones is back and we don't know how they will be handling the load.  I also like the Redskins run defense.  That being said, this is only a gamble if you have other good options.  If that is not the case, go ahead and start because at the minimum he is getting the goal line carries.


Fred Jackson, I like Miami's run defense as well and they will be geared up to stop this guy.  In a ppr league, I think you always start Jackson as he gets a ton of targets and is always a threat to score a touchdown, which makes him less of a gamble.


Leonard Hankerson,  this receiver emerged last week and Rex Grossman seems to like him.  You could be getting in on the ground floor here as he is a big target and could make some big plays.


Vincent Brown, I don't like this matchup going against the Bears, but Rivers has confidence in him and he is a big receiver that could be a matchup problem for the Bears secondary.  He will probably get a lot of one on one as well as the Bears have to contend with Gates, Jackson and company as well.

Really Mark Sanchez, Really!

I know I took the easy way out with that headline, but it is fitting because Eric Smith should not have been in that position if it wasn't for Mr. Sanchez.  Mark Sanchez showed that he is not ready to be an elite quarterback.  I understand that you didn't have all of your plays available as Tomlinson did not play and Shon Greene got hurt early, but from a running perspective, Joe McKnight seemed to okay.  It is not like this team has been running well this year and you can only blame so much on the running back's pass protection.  You are playing against a pretty bad offense with a 7 point lead, is there really a need to throw in a tight window on a third and 8.  The only way you  could have lost last night is by throwing a pick six, which Sanchez did or special teams.
My other problem with last night's performance is that the Jets could not muster 15-20 yards to get into field goal range when they got the ball inside Denver's 50.  This would have given them a possible 6 point lead and made it a much different game.  People might say that they scored a touchdown, so it wouldn't have mattered, but it does and it does a lot.  Down 6, Tebow and the Denver offense would have needed a touchdown from the get go, which would have led to calling plays differently.  Knowing that you are down 3 and Matt Praeter kicking at home, is much better than needing to score a touchdown against the Jets defense.  The touchdown was icing on the cake as they knew they had a good shot at a tie already, which is why they called it conservatively once they were in field goal range.  No need to take risks and you might be able to get a good result by running it, but at the minimum you are not putting Tebow in a bad spot.  That was well played by John Fox, but was handed to him by Mark Sanchez's inability to lead an offense.  One other thing, I noticed is that Plaxico is beginning to look a lot like Randy Moss in his last year.  The main difference is that Plax goes across the middle more often than Moss did.  He is not beating anybody and his main move will be to get a jump ball.  There is no more explosion to him, so if there is no improvement by next year, he will probably be following Moss into retirement.

Really Eric Smith, Really!

At some point, the idea of containing became lost upon defenses and strangely enough I think it starts at the NFL level.  I have played a good amount of football in my life and have coached a good amount as well and never have I seen such a dismissive attitude towards containing.  Don't get me wrong, it happens at every level, every once in a while, but it is at epic levels in the highest level of the sport.  Next time you watch a game, take a look at the defensive end or outside linebacker on a stretch run going to the opposite side.  They go flat down the line to try and make a tackle on the other side of the field.  There is nothing wrong with this hustle, but they don't even flinch at the quarterback most of the time to see if it is a possible bootleg or even a play action pass.  Guess what, they will come back to those plays if they see this lack of discipline.  You would think this would be much more common at the lower levels, but you see it much more on Sundays, which to me is embarrassing.

Let's get to the point of the blog and that is to rip Eric Smith, the strong safety of the New York Jets, whose main job on that all out blitz on a third and 4 was to contain and make sure Tim Tebow could not get outside of him.  I will go as far to say, that Tebow was running no matter what and that Smith just made it easy.  John Fox had his team down 3, well within his kicker's range and was most likely not going to allow Tebow to make a throwing mistake.  If you look at the routes that Tebow's receivers were running, they all looked like clear routes, meaning they were just trying to take the defensive backs out of the run defense.  Tebow saw the all out blitz and quickly found his mark as seen on the replays he looked right at Eric Smith's side and was able to get wide of him as Mr. Smith took too much of an inside route.  Had he played it safe, Tebow would have had to Eric Smith's tackle, which would have been an even match as Mr. Smith is a good tackler, but instead he took a terrible angle and made it easy for Tebow, who did what he had to do and good for him.  NFL Defenses need to teach discipline or they will be losing a lot more games to guys who have a 76.4 rating while going 4-1 as a starter.

Week 10 Thoughts

It is pretty funny because I was going to start out by stating that the Houston Texans and the Chicago Bears might be the best teams that nobody is talking about.  It is funny because for the time being, Matt Leinart will be the quarterback for the Houston Texans as breaking news is coming out that Matt Schaub is hurt for  a few weeks and there is some consolation as they have a bye this week.  I for one am excited to see what Leinart can do with a running back behind him and one of the best receivers should be coming back in Andre Johnson.  It is fair to say if he can't get it done with these guys, he is never going to get it done.  Fortunately for the Texans, they will have the Jaguars before they play Atlanta and the Bengals in the stretch run.

Cutler getting it done this year!

Michael Vick shows why he is not ready for the big time as this as when he has a bad game, it is really bad and keeps the Eagles from winning games.  He throws 2 red zone interceptions, one when they are up 7 late in the third quarter.  There is nothing wrong with kicking a field goal and taking a 2 score lead, Michael.  Putting up 10 points at home offensively against the Cardinals is unacceptable, I don't care who your receivers are.  Use your legs if you have to.

The Chicago Bears are very good and I noticed it last week against the Eagles.  That wasn't Vick, that was really good defense making it hard for him.  Could he have done something to win it, maybe, but I can deal with that more than yesterday as he looked awful out there.  Jay Cutler looks very comfortable, Matt Forte is the real deal and this defense is playing very good.  Dare I say, that they are one of the teams at this moment that could beat the Packers, because there aren't many.

The 49ers are a legit team.  I don't think they are going to the super bowl, but you can not fake 8-1.  You can fake 6-0 as the Broncos did a few years ago, but you can not fake 8-1.  They are going to end up with a #2 seed, which is going to be scary for the Bears or the Cowboys as those are the teams that I think are looking good.  Cowboys should beat the Giants out for the East as the Eagles have decided to pack it in for the season.

Tim Tebow is not your prototypical passer, but he is 3-1 in his starts this year, which is quite interesting. I don't think that it will matter much, he is still not the future but I am pulling for him.  It will be especially tough as Moreno is out for the year and McGahee is gimping around.

I think we saw a little bit more of what is expected from the Bills and the Bengals.  The Bengals kept it respectable unlike the Bills pathetic showing in Dallas.  I think the Bengals have done a great job this year, but I don't think they make the playoffs as they still need to play the Ravens twice, the Steelers again and the Texans, which will most likely have Schaub back at that time.  You do have to be pulling for Andy Dalton as he has done fairly well and was the best pick that Mike Brown has ever made.

Cam Newton started to show that he is a man and not a machine.  He will have some growing pains and even if he doesn't win another game this season, he has brought some excitement and energy to Carolina and could turn into a good quarterback.  Andy Dalton could be pulling away for rookie of the year if this keeps up.

The Jets are in some serious trouble as they are now 2 games behind the Patriots for the AFC East and 2 games behind Baltimore for the wild card.  They do have a favorable schedule as their only tough games left are Buffalo and the Giants at home, and if you can call it a tough game, Philly on the road.

Don't forget to watch Aaron Rodgers play flag football tonight against the vikings.  Should be good for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns and that would be an average night.  Yikes!

Fantasy Options for Week 10

We are getting down to the stretch run and I probably should have run this blog a day early as I would have said start Michael Bush, Carson Palmer and Denarius Moore, oh, and bench Vincent Jackson, Ryan Matthews and Antonio Gates.  See, that is a pretty good start to the week so you should all listen to me.

Okay, let's get serious now as I am going to go to some people that have not been in the picture that much as the blog has been burned, but after only a couple of weeks off the list I am going back to, drum roll please:

Must Start

Chris Johnson,  our buddy is back on the list as he is going against a very bad Panther team and he seemed to be getting back on track last week.  You most likely used an early pick on him so I can't imagine you have other great options so have faith and start him this week.

Maurice Jones-Drew, going against the Colts, he should get a lot of carries as the Blaine Gabbert Project is still in full effect.

Beanie Wells,  this Eagle defense is borderline pathetic.  There is grumbling out of DRC, which is going to complicate things as well.

Matt Hasselbeck,  depending upon who your first quarterback is, this guy should get the start as the Panthers have been putting up points and the Titans will need to match them.

Colston, Graham, White, Jones, Gonzales, in case you didn't realize these guys are the main receiving threats in the Saints-Falcons game.  They should all be started easily as I expect some fireworks from this game.

Mark Sanchez,  the Jets can't run and will need to put up some points against their rival, the Patriots and this guy has been heating up.  Expect at least 2 touchdowns and maybe more out of this guy.

Don't Start

Readers of this blog know that I am going to go with Wes Welker as my first guy as he most likely will have Revis on him.  I know that he had 120 yards last game, but 75 came on one busted coverage play.  I don't like to count on busted coverage.

Fred Jackson, unless you are in a ppr league, I would stay away as the Cowboys will do their best to take Jackson out of the game.  If you are getting points for catches, he will make up the difference though.

Cedric Benson, going against the Steelers coming off a bad loss in a big divisional game, don't like this matchup.

LeGarrette Blount, going against the Texan defense and Freeman not doing as much as he should be to take the attention away from Blount.

Brandon Jacobs,  he will have a tough time going to the west coast vs a very good 49er defense.

Gambles

If you are desperate, you can go ahead and start either Plaxico or Santonio Holmes going against the Patriots horrific pass defense.  Devin McCourty will probably be lined up on Holmes, so I think Plaxico is the better pick out of the 2, especially since he is the better goal line threat.

Nate Washington, this guy seems to be the passing threat that Hasselbeck needed to take over for Britt and there is a high comfort level as well.  Don't be scared to start if needed.

Jackie Battle, the Chiefs running back has a good matchup against the Broncos and somebody needs to get the carries.

I would say Green Ellis, but you still don't know if he will get the bulk of the carries.  The Jets defense has gotten better against the run since they last played, but they will focus mostly on Brady and the passing game.

This leads me to Deion Branch, expect Branch to get a good amount of looks especially since Ocho is not getting the offense and running some terrible routes.

That should be enough to get you through the week.  Now realize in the must start and can't start, I am usually referring guys that might be borderline otherwise.  Certain guys should be started regardless and I will only mention them if I think they should not be started and vice versa.  Good luck to all.

The Half Season Awards

We are halfway through the 2011 NFL season and it is time to give out the awards and there are not really any tough decisions.  At this point the front runners are seeming to run away, but plenty can still happen to change these current choices.

Coach of the half year:

As of right now, it is fairly simple as it has to go to 49er coach Jim Harbaugh.  They are sitting at 7-1 and have beaten some good teams along the way.  This team has not been a player in what has been a terrible division for the past few years.  The 49ers have pretty much wrapped up the division at this point and I don't think anything could change that as even if the quarterback Alex Smith went down, they would be able to fill the role and the way this team runs.  Jim Schwartz could challenge if they end up with 12 plus wins and the 49ers do the same, but nobody had predicted this outcome so quickly for San Francisco and people did expect the Lions to start getting better, which would hurt Schwartz's chances.

MVP:

Rodgers has the MVP wrapped up

Easiest choice on the board as this goes to Aaron Rodgers as he is playing better than any quarterback in the history of the NFL at this point.  His QB rating is almost 30 points higher than the nearest competitor and I don't see any slowing down.  What Rodgers is doing is unprecedented and is the most impressive play out of a quarterback ever.  These comments are not from a fan either.  The NFL should implement some sort of extra defense to play against Rodgers as it is not even fair for what he is doing.  He does it from the pocket, he does it on the run and he could probably do it from the field goal post as he is flat out embarrassing NFL defenses at the moment.  There is no close second, but if I had to say anybody it could maybe be Drew Brees or Calvin Johnson, but I would lean towards Brees at the moment.  If Calvin could start hauling in 2 touchdown passes a game and finish with a record 25 touchdown receptions, I am still not sure that he wouldn't finish second to Rodgers at his current pace.

Rookie of the year:

I misspoke earlier as this is a tough choice in my opinion.  I know the consensus are going to say Cam Newton, but Andy Dalton has the Bengals sitting at 6-2 and the Panthers are currently at 2-6.  Newton has definitely surprised from a passing perspective, but I do see him slowing down somewhat as defenses have more tape on him.  Dalton, on the other hand might be able to sneak the Bengals into the wild card and that would be tough to deny him on that basis as he is doing it with his arm as well.  Maybe not as much as Newton, but it is not like he has the Jets defense and Adrian Peterson in the backfield.  He has a formidable defense and Cedric Benson, which are decent but not great.  His teammate AJ Green and Julio Jones are in the distance, but a good second half could change the perception as well.  In my opinion, after careful consideration I am going to stick with Newton for now, but I think Dalton will take it over even though I don't think they will make the playoffs as they need to play the Steelers and the Ravens a few times.  Good luck with Andy!

Defensive Player of the year:

This always seems to be based more on how well the team is doing, which takes Jared Allen out of the running even though he and Demarcus Ware are on pace to break the record for sacks in a season.  I would give the edge to Allen out of these 2 because he is playing with a lot less talent and faces more double teams because opposing teams  can afford to.  I think by the end of the season if these 2 keep it up, it will end up being Demarcus Ware as the Cowboys will make a playoff run, even though I think they will fall short.  That is who I think will get it, the person who is the defensive player of the year in my opinion is the Darrelle Revis as he pretty much should be as he is still shutting down the main opposing receiver.  Unless the Jets make a great run in the second half where the defense plays great, Revis will not get the national votes, it will most likely go to the best pass rusher that is on a team that is in the playoff hunt.