Well, we are down to the Elite 8 in the NFL and it’s nothing but the cream of the crop for the rest of the way! How do you rank the remaining playoff teams? The NFC is looking lean and mean right now with the performances of the Saints and Giants, the AFC has still yet to see their two big boys play while the feel good stories look like they might be at the end of their journey. So how do they stack up 1-8 in their odds to win it all, here is how we see it!

It’s also important to note that the difference between these teams now is so fractional that to say one team doesn’t have a chance is foolish. Any given Sunday you can can get it!

1. Green Bay Packers – they are the team to beat right now but they better be very careful this weekend. The Giants Front are “world-beaters” and for those that aren’t familiar with the term, a world beater is someone or a group of people that when they are on their game can not be beaten. Aaron Rodgers is definitely a world beater too and the key to getting the Packers into a rhythm vs this great Front 4 of NY.

2. Baltimore Ravens – We haven’t seen what they bring in this postseason yet but the Ravens should be ready at home were they are unbeaten. 8-0 in the regular season means T.J. Yates has to play the game of his young life. Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed await and they should be AFC Championship bound! This teams hopes begins and ends with Ray Rice however, if he gets churning and burning they are very tough to beat!

3. New England Patriots – They have Tom Brady, they have the weapons and likely won’t have much trouble with the Broncos this weekend however they do have concerns on Defense. Giving up an average 411.1 yards per game in the Regular Season the Patriots need to shore that up. If they have a bad day Offensively they could be in trouble. Brady at home is very tough to beat but in their last two home playoff games the Patriots lost to the Jets and Ravens.

4. New Orleans Saints - It’s just too hard to ignore the Offense! Many people will probably bark down my throat saying they should be ranked higher and I agree there is an argument there with all of the great things that Drew Brees is doing. However I still have reservations about their defense. They have no pass rush and that secondary isn’t good enough to run with wideouts very long.

5. New York Giants – say what you want but that Defensive showing vs the Falcons was dominating. When the other team doesn’t score, you don’t lose. The Giants were dominating. Can they do it in Lambeau vs the Champs? That remains to be seen but they are riding high on confidence and with that performance you can’t help but notice a complete team that can compete for a Super Bowl. They are good!

6. San Francisco 49ers – The Defense is definitely the catalyst for this Niners teams, they are team that is built to win the trenches. The Offense likes to impose their will and mash the football right their opponent. Frank Gore and Patrick Willis each are the main man that each unit runs through. Their postseason success however really hinges on Alex Smith and he will get a test this weekend.

7. Houston Texans – It’s just a shame this team wasn’t 100% on both sides of the ball. Without Matt Schaub and Mario Williams you really never know how good they could have been. T.J. Yates will learn first hand this weekend what the NFL playoffs vs an elite Defense means. On the road vs the Ravens could be the end of what was a truly great season. Hats off to Gary Kubiak and Wade Phillips for turning that ship around fast and getting their first Franchise playoff win!

8. Denver Broncos – As much as the Tim Tebow story feels good and it does especially after what happened vs the #1 ranked Defense, the task ahead might be a little too daunting. Tom Brady at home coming off a nice rest could spell trouble however Tim Tebow is a gamer! The Broncos proved they can throw the football which obviously changes the game plan for the Patriots. They have to play mistake free football in order to move on in the tournament.

By Gayle Saunders
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According to WDSU-TV in New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Coltson suffered a shoulder injury in the team’s opening game against Green Bay.

Head coach Sean Payton confirmed the injury on Friday, however he didn’t offer any further details. Currently the team is evaluating the injury.

On the night Colston had six catches for 81 yards. With Colston a question mark Drew Brees could be without his favorite target.

Update:
Jay Glazer has reported that Colston did in fact break his collarbone and will be out approximately 4 weeks!

By Gayle Saunders
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New Orleans Saints first round draft pick, Mark Ingram was in a car accident when his 2008 Infinity collided with an 18-wheeler Friday morning, in Huntsville, Alabama according to WAFF-TV in Huntsville.

Police stated that Ingram and girlfriend were not hurt in the accident and the driver of the truck was ok. Ingram walked away from the accident under his own power, the TV station reported.

Ingrams was lucky that his airbags deployed during the accident. Huntsville Police say that the accidente was not alchohol or drug related.

The former hesiman trophy winner was in Alabama at an autograph signing session with former Alabama teammate Julio Jones.

By Gayle Saunders
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The Saints send Jeremy Shockey “marching out” as they released the savvy veteran on Tuesday.

Over the last three seasons Shockey at age 30 started 34 games with the Saints. The Saints picked up Shockey via a trade with the New York Giants before the 2008 season.

“I’d like to thank Jeremy for the contributions he made to our team during his time in New Orleans,” Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said in a statement released by the team. “These decisions are never easy to make and we wish him the best in the future.”

During the 2009 Season Shockey had 48 receptions and three touchdowns as the Saints went on to win Super Bowl XLIV.

“Jeremy played an important role in helping our team bring a Super Bowl championship to New Orleans,” coach Sean Payton said. “He contributed to the success of our offense, both as a pass-catcher and run blocker, and we’re appreciative of his efforts.”

Just some of Jeremy’s Highlights in New Orleans

Visa and the National Football League have teamed up to help teach financial concepts with Financial Football, a fast-paced, interactive game that engages students and adults to teach them money management skills. Teams compete by answering financial questions to earn yardage and score touchdowns.

To try your luck at Financial Football Click here!

In the NFL whether you league minimum or you have a superstar’s salary, athletes have to know the basics of how to handle their money to make sure they succeed off the field in the financial world.

During this years NFL annual four-day rookie symposium 252 draft picks, sat through a presentation from NFL sponsor Visa Inc. that reviewed the importance of saving part of what they earn and keeping track of their credit score.

Rookies were able to learn about financial planning and hiring investment advisers who can help them through future business endeavors.

The main focus was to help young players from making financial mistakes which are made way to often by professional athletes. In the NFL players careers on average last just over three years. Recently Sports Illustrated reported that 78 percent of former NFL players have gone bankrupt, or are facing financial stress because of joblessness and divorce just two years after leaving the game.

“I think the assumption is that everybody who plays in the NFL is a millionaire,” said Drew Brees, quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, who promotes Visa’s financial literacy efforts. “That’s not the case at all.”

The majority of players earn the league minimum $325,000 a year.

“You get that first check, you’ve never seen that much money in your life, especially at one time,” said Brees, 31. One big danger is young players who try to keep up with the lifestyle of teammates with big contracts. “I see it all the time unfortunately,” he said.

The players were also reminded that there may be no paychecks at all next year. There is a possibility of a lockout in 2011 if management and the players’ union don’t reach a new collective bargaining agreement.

Jason Alderman, Visa’s senior director of financial education, said the highlight of the sessions came when they played “Financial Football,” a program the company uses to make financial literacy lessons more engaging.

But the fun had a serious message. “It doesn’t matter how much money you make or how talented you are,” said Alderman, “if you don’t manage your money wisely, you can run into the same trouble as anybody else.”

Visa, an NFL sponsor since 1995, hopes that if NFL players spread the message about financial literacy, that will pique the interest of fans as well.

“When I was a kid I looked up to professional athletes,” Brees said. “I think that we as professional athletes have to understand that we’re all role models, whether we like it or not.”

By Gayle Saunders
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When next season begins the possibilty of Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas sharing the same backfield could be highly unlikely. The two star backs who helped bring them a Super Bowl championship, will go into next season unsure of what the future holds.

If the Saints want to get back to a Super Bowl caliber team they will have to evaluate the run game to become “top dawg” again.
As of right now Reggie Bush is due about $11.8 million next season and with the Saints with more important team needs overall its higly unlikely they will put all that money into a back who isn’t a “do it all” type of back. For the right price Bush will be brought back, but that depends on how low he is willing to re-negotiate.

Pierre Thomas whose contract is expiring, and its not clear if he’s a restricted or an unrestricted free agent until the NFL and the players’ union reach a new labor agreement. As of right now Thomas is not sure if the Saints will try to retain him, he believes the Saints sound interested.

Thomas has yet to get his big pay day in four NFL seasons. In his first three he played for bargain basement prices. Thomas was playing under the contract that he signed as an undrafted rookie. As a restricted free agent heading into the 2010 season, he had a bit of a protest before accepting the Saints’ $1.7 million tender offer. Pretty low for a running back who’d led the team in rushing in two of his first three seasons.

When you look at the 2010 Saints backfield one word comes to mind…Injuries. This season Bush broke his leg, Pierre Thomas hurt his ankle so bad that he missed 10 games. Thomas said he was never really satisfied by the diagnosis and treatment of his ankle injury by team doctors and anticipates having surgery in the off season.

The Rookie stud Chris Ivory could not stay fully healthy as well and Julius Jones who they brought off the waiver wire got nicked up at the end of the season.

With the numerous injuries in the Saints backfield they ended up using five backs throughout this season: Thomas, Bush, Ivory, Jones and Ladell Betts. When your left with different skill leveled backs blocking for your Pro Bowl QB Drew Brees your risking his safety with pass protection on passing downs.

The question Saints nation is left to ask is… who is gonna be the man at RB in New Orleans next year? Can Thomas a guy who has never carried the ball 150 times in a season really be the guy and stay healthy? Reggie Bush is a dynamic player but is also not worth the price. Chris Ivory showed flashes as a rookie and he also showed signs of a young back with fumbling issues. Ivory is also dealing with a Lisfranc injury that leaves his ability to work in the off-season a total question mark.

Coach Sean Payton has been able to slide with the three headed monster approach because in the past, it was cost effective. For the Saints it might be time to draft a stud in the 1st or acquire a guy who can tote the rock 200 plus times and be an effective third-down option in the future.

By Jeremy Schloss
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What do the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, St. Louis Rams, and the Kansas City Chiefs all have in common? If the playoffs started today, all of these teams would be part of them. If you can find an NFL expert who had all of these teams leading their respective divisions, they have definitely earned their money this year.

What makes the NFL so great is the parity from year to year. Let’s take a closer look at how the playoff picture looks, three quarters of the season down.

NFC:
Over the last decade or so, the National Football Conference has taken a back seat to the mighty AFC. Over the past 7 years, we’ve only had 2 teams from the NFC take home the championship trophy, the Giants in 2008 and the Saints just last year. Even in 2008 though, the AFC Pats were a heavy favorite going into the game. In 2010 it seems, the AFC reigns supreme again. Just look at any of the NFL analysts power rankings, it’s dominated by the AFC powers. Despite all of this, there are some great teams in the NFC and they should not be over looked come January.

If the playoffs started today, the 9 –2 Falcons and the 8-3 Bears would have first round byes, with Atlanta grabbing home field throughout. We would also see the 5-6 Rams and the 7-4 Eagles hosting 1st round playoff games. Green Bay and Tampa would grab the last playoff spots and with the wild cards. That is ‘if” the season ended today. The good news for the rest of the NFC is that there are five big weeks left in the season.

At 9-2, it seems the Falcons are the surest bet to stay a playoff team. With a surging New Orleans though, winners of their last 4 games, there is no guarantee the Falcons will even win their division, let alone keep home field advantage. The Saints next two games are at Cincinnati and then hosting the Rams, so both very winnable games for a team starting to resemble last years championship team. The schedule gets much tougher for them when they travel to Baltimore and host the upstart Bucs. The big date to circle is the Monday night match up in Atlanta in week 16. This game very well might decide who takes home the division. Currently undefeated at home, the Falcons will look to any advantage they can to take on the defending champs. Meanwhile, Atlanta has a much more manageable schedule going down the stretch, with two games still left with the 1-10 Panthers, making the game vs. the Saints, a must win for N.O.

Over in the NFC North, the Chicago Bears are the surprise leader of the pack after week 12. Even with a better record, and a win over the rival Packers in week 3, Green Bay still seems to be the talk of that division. The Bears have quietly won 4 straight with what looks to be a very winnable game in Detroit next weekend. The schedule takes an ugly turn after that though, with games against the Jets and the Pats, along with a road game against the newly energized Vikings. Week 17 sees them traveling to Green Bay which very well might not only decide who wins the division, but who is playoff bound. The Packers schedule isn’t much easier either, with games left against the Pats and Giants.

The NFC east sees two teams with identical 7-4 records, the Eagles and the Giants. The Skins’ are hanging around with a 5-6 record and have 2 games left against the Giants so it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see them playing in January, but they would most likely have to win out to have a legit chance. Besides the 2 games against the Skins’, the Giants have dates at home against the Eagles and at Green Bay and Minnesota. It would seem NY would have to go at least 3-2 in these games to have a shot at the post season. Meanwhile, Philly still has 2 games left against a suddenly competitive Dallas Cowboys, so there is no easy road for any NFC team headed into the stretch run. Sunday night, December 19th against the Giants, looms very large for both of these teams in establishing which will take the division, and possibly the only playoff spot coming out of the once mighty NFC east. Interesting side note, the Vikings play three possible playoff teams from week 14-16. Without anything else to play for, Brett Favre might be motivated to play role of spoiler to end his career. New interim coach, Leslie Frazier, also would like to win some games down the stretch to secure his coaching job next season, so it would seem this team is not one that will lay down for anyone in the upcoming weeks.

Finally we get to the Wild Wild NFC West. With the Rams and Seahawks currently sitting at 5-6, there is a more than legit chance we can see a .500 team in the playoff mix. With a convincing win Monday night against the Cardinals, the 49’ers find themselves only 1 game out of the race. The news of Frank Gore being done for the season with a hip injury is a major blow to the suddenly relevant 49’ers though, as you would be pressed to find a guy a team relies on more on the offensive side of the field. The Rams, Seahawks and Niners all play each other in the last 5 weeks so this race is far from over. Seattle seems to be sliding with losing 4 out of their last 5 games, their lone win coming against lowly Arizona. Week 17 has the Niners hosting #1 pick Sam Bradford and the Rams, which very well might decide who plays another week. Given the Rams ability to get the job done in St. Louis this season, and San Francisco’s inability to win on the road, seems the Rams have an edge to give their fans their first post-season birth in quite a number of years.

Predictions:
NFC South 1st round bye: Atlanta Falcons (home field)
NFC North 1st round bye: Green Bay Packers
NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles
NFC West: St. Louis Rams
Wild Card: N.O. Saints
Wild Card: Chicago Bears

AFC:

We seem to have a bit clearer picture over in AFC as four teams have a fairly solid hold on playoff spots. At 9-2, the Jets and Patriots seem to only have the division and a 1st round bye to play for. Baltimore and Pittsburgh also look like a lock heading into the post season with 8-3 records. The race for both divisions and even home field advantage should be a good one, highlighted by the huge Monday night game next week with the Jets traveling to Foxboro. The Pats end the season with a tough stretch of games starting at Chicago, hosting G.B., at Buffalo, which is no longer a gimmie, and hosting Miami. It doesn’t get much easier for the Jets as they have to play at both Pittsburgh and Chicago in week 15 and 16. With only 1 other AFC team with 7 wins, both teams look safe to play past week 17. Baltimore ends the year with games against Houston, Cincinnati, and Cleveland so 11 wins is a strong possibility. Next Sunday night sees them squaring off against the Steelers in what will most likely lock one of them up for a playoff spot. The Steelers won the first meeting by a field goal back in early October in Pittsburgh, so the Ravens will look to even the score at home where they have yet to loose this season.

The AFC South is where things get really interesting. All four teams are separated by only 1 game. The surprising Jags lead the division but the Colts are right there with them at 6-5. Jacksonville has a very favorable schedule down the stretch with games against Tennessee, Oakland, Washington, and Houston. The Week 15 match up against the Colts in Indy, will most likely play a huge factor on which of these teams we see in the postseason. The Colts have a manageable schedule down the stretch as well and at this point can only get healthier, so one would think the pressure is all on them, as anything but a trip to the playoffs spot would be a disappointment for Peyton Manning and company. Tennessee and Houston are both still in the mix for a playoff spot in this division at 5-6. Both seem to be heading in the wrong direction however, with the Titans losing 4 straight and are reduced to starting a rookie 6th rounder at QB, all the while dealing w/ the Vince Young controversy. Meanwhile Houston has lost 4 out of their last 5 and has Philly and Baltimore the next two weeks. Indianapolis and Jacksonville should have destiny in their own hands it would seem.

The AFC west should be one of the more interesting playoff races down the stretch. The surprising Chiefs are holding on to a 1 game lead with a 7-4 record, but the surging Chargers seem poised to make one of their late season runs. San Diego has won four straight and with Phil Rivers playing as good as anyone in football right now, combined with a team getting healthier and Rivers phenomenal December track record, San Diego seems to be on the fast track for another playoff run. Home games left against Oakland and San Fran and ending the season against the struggling Bengals and Broncos only further the Chargers chances. KC does have a fairly manageable schedule as well down the stretch including home games against Denver, Tennessee, and Oakland. The Week 14 showdown in San Diego, could very well decide this division. Oakland currently sits at 5-6 but after losing 2 straight and a sudden inability to run the ball, makes this team a long shot to get back to the playoffs after a long absence.

Predictions:
AFC East: 1st round bye: N.E. Patriots (home field)
AFC North: 1st round bye: Baltimore Ravens
AFC South: Indianapolis Colts
AFC West: San Diego Chargers
Wild Card: NY Jets
Wild Card: Pittsburgh Steelers

The last five weeks of football promises to be an exciting one with so many teams still in the playoff hunt. No team currently leads their division by more than a single game so all bets are off as to how the playoff picture will shape up.