The Top 10 Things I think after Week 11

[Gerk]

Gerk's semi-monthly/weekly look at the NFL

1. I am usually not a homer, but I think Brett Favre is the MVP of the NFL right now, as we enter Week 12. Things are always subject to change

This was from Peter King's column today

Here were Favre's average numbers during his MVP years of 95-97

Completion %-60.7 TD's37 Int's-14 Yards passing -4060 QB rating- 96.1

Here are his projected numbers this year for 16 games

Completion %-69.7 TD's-34 Int's-5 Yards passing- 3971 QB rating- 112.1

Can be argued that this is the best season of his career.


2. Here are the achilles heals of the contenders heading down the stretch

New Orleans- Turnovers and turnover margin. They have gotten alot of turnovers, but they turnover the ball WAY too much. I think they were 3rd worse going into Sunday's game. That's ok against Tampa. not so much against a good defense and good team

Indianapolis- Still rely too much on the pass. Teams that unbalanced rarely do damage in the playoffs. If they don't get homefield, I think they're in trouble. No Bob Sanders for a while hurts them alot. He is like Brian Westbrook in Philly maybe the key to their success longterm

Minnesota- Will Favre hold up? Will Winfield come back healthy. If Winfield is out, a good passing team will do some real damage against them. Their health has been amazingly good this year (knock on wood). Will it contnue?
All things considered, I think they are the most complete team


3. The thing that makes the NFL so great is when we think the Cleveland/Detroit game is the worst possibly ever in the NFL and it turns out to be the game of the day.

4. Mike Shanahan is crazy if he goes to Buffalo. Hang on and wait for Lovie Smith to get fired. Chicago is the perfect spot for him. He's from there and with his past relationship with Cutler, I think he ends up there eventually.

5. Sidney Rice went from barely known to maybe a top 10 WR in the NFL. Do you think Brett Favre has anything to do with his emergence?

6. What is it about Oakland and ruining teams chances when they go out there? Seems like alot of supposedly good teams lose important games when they play there late in the year. Think the Oakland players played harder without Russell as their starting QB? Look at some of the quotes from the players about him. He got roasted. Russell probably will go down as a Top 3 bust of all time in the NFL draft.


7. Who will emerge as the AFC North Champion? Does anyone trust any of these teams? I still think Pittsburgh is the best team there, but you can't lose games to KC this late in the year. Time to do some soul searching there.


8. Did anyone else notice Jacksonville would be in the playoffs as a Wild Card if the season ended today? That shocked me. No team is probably more Jekyll-Hyde than them, but they have made a nice turnaround. Del Rio was on almost everyone's deathwatch a few weeks ago.

9. Thanksgiving football is great, but time to take the automatic game away from Detroit. I love tradtion and all but if Wrigley can get lights and Fenway can add seats behind the Green Monster, we can take the Thanksgiving game away from Detroit. Time to rotate among all teams.

10. The crazy game of this coming week is Carolina-New York Jets. If anyone tells you they have a handle on how this game will turn out with the way these teams have played, they are lying, nuts, or all of the above.



BONUS THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

I have watched football for more than a few years. I can honestly say watching the end of the LSU-Mississippi game on Saturday, that I have never seen a worse coaching display in any sport at any level.

Les Miles should give back his check for that performance. Anyone, including me could have done a better job than he did at the end of that game. The only thing good about it was watching and listening to him try to justify his decisions. Now that was good.

[CJLNYU]

with you on Favre Gerk

predicted him for MVP at the beginning of the year and was laughed at on this site...

He is the clear frontrunner and the best QB in football, even at 40 yrs old

GL

[Big Pimpin]

Where did u see quotes of players talking about russell?


and i agree with the end of the lsu game...lol...how horrible was that

[jonnyblaze]

Favre is having a good (great) year, but MVP is Payton's, sorry. And Sidney Rice is not a top 10 receiver under any interpretation on any list other than one from Minnesota. Dude is good though.

I will say this Gerk- I think Minnesota is the best team in the NFL right now. Records all go out the window (I know, corny but true) in six weeks. Plus, NO about to get first loss this week and I would expect a few others. I do not think the Indy or NO has the defense or running game Minnesota does.

[upinya83]

det/clev wasnt best game of day, it was best game of year

[Romanowski]

solid as usual gerk

the point was favre makes sydney rice look like a top receiver

new orleans still better when 100% healthy IMO, you want to talk balanced offense?

nobody better than minny and new orleans

ready to retract week one comments on arizona yet? they are top 5 or just outside in the league

[Romanowski]

lmao les miles is the biggest tool

heres a collection of quotes complied only in one week on one game

On where the team stands after Alabama game
"The bad news is we didn’t finish like we’d like to in the last game, and the great overview is not there".

"I look forward to the opportunity at very positive consequences beyond finishing the season strong".

"The guys that we recruit are good players, and when we turn you to the field, we expect you to not only fill in the formation or make the defense have 11 guys but to play to win"

On the decision to go for 2pt conversion early 3rd quarter
“Looking at the personnel choices that we had running the football during those times and the want to have the right call, in my opinion, wasn’t there on the fourth down".

"On the opportunity to go for two at that point, I didn’t think there would be a lot of scoring in that game, and the want to make the three-pointer more important certainly was there. I wanted to go get the two if I could".

On tight end Deangelo Peterson
"He certainly is a very dangerous receiver on the pass."

On the multiple pre-snap penalties
“The want to get substitution into the game and to change substitution is something that we’re working hard to do and to do well".

"After injury took place, we were substituting at times guys getting on the field because they anticipated. Anticipating was not what they need to hear the personnel call and be given the directive. That did happen at times".

On freshman running back Michael Ford
"There is a want there to let him remain redshirted."

On Alabama's first half game plan to throw the ball frequently
“Certainly, there is an element of call there that the frequency of throw necessarily, but we kind of felt like they would have to throw the football to move the football against us and early certainly."

[Gerk]

BP, I want to find a link to the quotes. They were reading them on "Mike and Mike" this morning basically saying the players were happy to have a QB who actually prepared for the game and cared about the outcome.

Jonny
Would argue that Favre's season is better than Manning's. I don't think you could go wrong either way.

As far as Rice, check his numbers out for the last 7-8 weeks and tell me he doesn't at least belong in the conversation as a POSSIBLE Top 10 WR. His numbers during that stretch are as good as anyone in the NFL.


Romo,
Was completely wrong about Arizona, thought they would regress. Thought Seattle would win that divsion. Also wrong about Baltimore

Did have New Orleans in the Super Bowl

[Romanowski]

lol more from miles

1. When asked about Florida's offense Miles said..."it has great strategic definition"

2. When asked about his quarterback's misuse of the clock at the end of the 1st half Miles...“In the backend of the half, I would have liked to have taken a shot down the field, maybe a throw, but we were out of communications. There was an issue that we could not get communications done effectively at that point. That happened.”

im looking for miles quotes after the ole miss game lmao

[rjb1816]

could make a case for favre MVP...they are best in NFC by far and will be in the super bowl imo...they would CRUSH the saints, who can't stop the run and brees still throws too many picks, just as he did in sd.

And colts wont have sanders the rest of the year, they are paper champs just like always...nobody is scared to go play them on the road

[nocash117]

Agree on Thanksgiving - get Detroit off ASAP!

And why did they schedule the raiders??? More crap!!!

[Cali Roots]

Finally on board as Favre is the leading candidate for MVP with Manning a close 2nd. He has been great this year.

Favre has turned a few unknown wr's into solid WR's, Rice being his most recent as a 3rd year WR. Did the same to Javon Walker in his 3rd year!

LOL at Favre being the best QB in the NFL at age 40 though! He is having a great year and deserves MVP at this point but it does not mean he is the best QB in the NFL. Come on!