Rodgers Says NFC Lacked Pride In Pro Bowl

Everyone knows that the NFL Pro Bowl is a meaningless exhibition. The only people who watch are kids who don’t know any better and gamblers. The game means nothing and the best players would rather sit out than go on a free trip to Hawaii.

Even though it’s the most pointless of the professional all-star games, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers still thinks players should show pride for their respective conferences.

Rodgers told ESPN Milwaukee that he was “embarrassed” by the efforts of some of his NFC teammates.

“I’ll be honest with you. I was a little bit disappointed. I felt like some of the guys on the NFC side embarrassed themselves,” said Rodgers, who was appearing in his second Pro Bowl and started at quarterback for the NFC, completing 13 of 17 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns (139.6 passer rating).

“I feel like there should be some pride involved in a game like that, and I was just surprised by some of the efforts of some of the guys. This was my second Pro Bowl. (I) played in the one in 2010. It was down in Fort Lauderdale/Miami. I felt that that one had a lot more energy.

“The AFC side obviously had more energy. I think they were upset about the second onside kick (called by Packers coach Mike McCarthy), and at that point they played a lot harder than we did. But even in the early going, they were playing definitely harder than we were.”

Ok, maybe some of the AFC players wanted that 50k a little bit more than some of the NFC players. It’s an exhibition for crying out loud. Fans don’t watch it, it’s boring, and I could see more action at a training camp session. Even your teammate T.J. Lang decided to watch ‘Antiques Roadshow’ instead of that mess.  NFL contracts aren’t guaranteed so I can’t blame players for half-assing it for a majority of the game. It doesn’t count in the standings or on the stat sheet so why care.

Do the players owe the fans a competitive game when their contracts are not guaranteed and the “Pro Bowl” is a glorified scrimmage? I don’t blame the players at all for mailing in their performance rather than risk their livelihood on an exhibition game. The game of football is a brutal game at the NFL level. A career ending injury at an exhibition game would be tragic. Ask Robert Edwards about the flag football game on the beach that pretty much ended his career.

NFC’s Fourth Quarter

The season has ended and the playoffs are set to begin. The Atlanta Falcons locked up homefield advantage but will have a tough time fending off the other NFC challengers.

Atlanta Falcons- They do have Matt Ryan and homefield. For some reason I’m just not sold on the Falcons to make it to the Super Bowl.

Chicago Bears- Getting a home game will help them in the playoffs. If Mike Martz reverts to wacky playcalling and Jay Cutler starts forcing the issue the Bears will be in trouble.

Green Bay Packers- Still waiting for them to hit full stride. Some are still picking them to go to the Super Bowl. I wouldn’t be surprised if they make some significant damage in the playoffs.

Philadelphia Eagles- The defense will have to play better for the Eagles to fly high in the playoffs. Michael Vick will have to put this team on his back.

New Orleans Saints- I wouldn’t bet against them making it back to the Super Bowl. I have a sneaky feeling about this team.

New York Giants- Just missing the playoffs might’ve saved Tom Coughlin’s job. I think it’s something between the ears that plagues this team.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Raheem Morris has the young Bucs on the right track. Next year will prove if their for real. They need to improve their record against winning teams.

Dallas Cowboys- The Cowboys are much better than their record. I would think Jerry Jones would keep Jason Garrett, since he paid a lot of money to keep him. Whoever is named coach will have a ready made situation.

Detroit Lions- Took some significant steps this year, winning their last four. I want to believe, but I’ve seen this movie before (see 1989).

Seattle Seahawks- Hate them all you want but they won the division fair and square.

St. Louis Rams- Sam Bradford is the real deal. He should ascend to the second tier of quarterbacks next year. There is hope for the Rams.

Minnesota Vikings- Team dysfunctional. Need I say more.

San Francisco 49ers- The Niners need an answer at quarterback. That is what did Mike Singletary in. he just “could not win with em”.

Washington Redskins- Personally I think this team needs to be blown up. It’s just not working in D.C.

Arizona Cardinals- Another team in need of a quarterback. They looked lost all season without Kurt Warner to bail them out.

Carolina Panthers- They’ll have a new coach on the sidelines. The Panthers will be undergoing a reconstruction.    

NFC Third Quarter Breakdown

The NFL is heading into the stretch run and the annual jockeying for playoff position begins. In the NFC it looks like one of the better teams (Tampa Bay, New York Giants) might be on the outside looking in. Here’s my thoughts on the teams in the NFC.

Green Bay Packers- Despite trailing Chicago in the standings, I still feel the Packers are the best team in the NFC. They have a meeting with Chicago left and a chance to take the division and finish strong. They have still have an outside shot at home field.

Atlanta Falcons- Matt Ryan has shown me a lot this year. Of course this position can change in a hurry. The Falcons boast the NFC’s best record and are sitting pretty for home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Chicago Bears- They call this the worse 9-3 team in the NFL. The Bears have been solid on both sides of the ball. Julius Peppers has raised the defense up a notch. Jay Cutler is doing a better of managing the game.

New Orleans Saints- It looks like the offense is finally hitting its stride. They need to avoid more games like the Bengals scare last week.

Philadelphia Eagles- The Eagles will ride Michael Vick’s magic to the playoffs.

New York Giants- They might be on the outside looking in when it’s all said and done. They have been playing better of late, but need to finish with a flourish.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Tough loss to the Falcons hurts. Still in the playoff hunt, but will need help to get there.

St. Louis Rams- One of the year’s biggest surprises has been helped by being in a bad division. They might get into the playoffs, but once they get a few more pieces, look out.

Seattle Seahawks- You wonder which team is going to show up from week to week. They either win or get blown out.

Dallas Cowboys- The Cowboys have been much improved since Jason Garrett took over.

Minnesota Vikings- Playing out the string. Leslie Frazier is coaching for next year.

San Francisco 49ers- Still have a very slim shot at capturing their division. That might be the only way Mike Singletary keeps his job.

Washington Redskins- If games were played on paper they might be a top four team in the NFC.

Detroit Lions- Being competetive in close losses isn’t enough.

Arizona Cardinals- All their mojo left with Kurt Warner. Kind of feel sorry Larry Fitzgerald. He seems lost without a quarterback.

Carolina Panthers- I don’t think John Fox will be able to survive this season.    

NFL At The Half: NFC Version

I know it’s a little past the halfway point of the NFL season, but I’ll break it down the best way I know how.

NFC:

New York Giants- Just when it looks like they’ve righted the ship, they come out and get whacked by Dallas. Still look like the class of the NFC East, but look out for Philly. The Giants are prone to slumping at the wrong time.

Philadelphia Eagles- This team is more of a threat with Michael Vick at the helm. They have two big ones against the Giants in the second half of the season.

Green Bay Packers- The team that’s supposed to be the NFC’s finest. You just keep waiting for them to start kicking around the NFC North.

Atlanta Falcons- A surprise contender to get to the Super Bowl. Definitely a team to watch.

New Orleans Saints- Maybe the rest of the league caught up to their high powered offense. Maybe it’s the Super Bowl hangover. Maybe they miss Reggie Bush more than we thought.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers- The young Bucs are playing well. Josh Freeman is making everyone better and LaGarrette Blount is making everyone forget about “the punch”. Should be playing meaningful games once again in December.

Chicago Bears- They’re like the roach that won’t go away. You just keep waiting for the Bears to collapse and Jay Cutler to implode.

Seattle Seahawks- Right now the best of a bad bunch in the NFC West.

St. Louis Rams- One of the season’s biggest surprises. Sam Bradford is looking like the real deal.     

Minnesota Vikings- Easily the most disappointing team on the list. They have a mutiny and a lame duck quarterback. Dangerously close to playing out the string. 

Washington Redskins- Two weeks after being benched, they sign Donovan McNabb to a five year extension. This franchise has puzzled me ever since Snyder took over.

Arizona Cardinals- It hasn’t been the same ever since Kurt Warner skipped town and put on his dancing shoes.

Dallas Cowboys- After Sunday’s win over the Giants, maybe Jason Garrett can make Roy Williams look prophetic.

San Francisco 49ers- Mike Singletary still cannot win with them.

Detroit Lions- The train looked to be on the right track. It looks to be derailed right about now.

Carolina Panthers- Say goodbye to John Fox?

NFC’s First Quarter Breakdown

A first quarter breakdown of the NFC.

NFC East- It looks like this division is up for grabs. Dallas seemed to be the favorite entering the season and on paper they should. As in years past, they haven’t lived up to the hype. They did look good in their win over Houston and maybe they can build off of that. Philadelphia looked good with Michael Vick at the helm. When he went out against the Redskins everything seemed to go downhill. He might be out with a rib injury for two weeks. Now let’s see if Kevin Kolb can hold the fort in Philly. The New York Giants reverted to old school play Sunday night in their victory over Chicago. If the defense can play with that same kind of fire and intensity they could surprise and win the division. Washington looks like an 8-8 team right now. With Mike Shanahan’s coaching adn Donovan McNabb’s leadership they could sneak into the playoffs. The Skins are a team to keep an eye on.

NFC South- Carolina is in bad shape and head coach John Fox may be on his way out. They changed quarterbacks (Matt Moore to Jimmy Clausen) and they haven’t looked very good on both sides of the ball. They almost were able to sneak out a win over the Saints so all may not be lost. Stranger things have happened. With Steve Smith out for possibly the rest of the season, that will be a hinderance to Clausen’s development. They also hit an off the field snag when receiver Dwayne Jarrett was nailed for a dwi. The Saints have been more lucky than good this year. Sometimes its good to be lucky though. The offense hasn’t been explosive as in seasons past and the defense hasn’t been producing takeaways like last season. They also will need to shore up their kicking game if Garrett Hartley can’t produce on hitting chump kicks. Atlanta is looking like they have the potential to unseat the Saints as kings of the South. Matt Ryan is clutch and they have been playing well on both sides of the ball. They do have a win over the Saints on the road and the game in Atlanta could be for the division. I think Tampa Bay needs a few more seasons before they’re back to being a playoff contender. They do look like they’re headed in the right direction and Josh Freeman looks like he could be the man at quarterback for years to come. Question is, does Raheem Morris stick around long enough to see it through.

NFC West- Easily the weakest division in the NFC. San Francisco has faltered and the defense or offense hasn’t looked very good. Alex Smith has never developed there and its safe to say there might be a quarterback change sometime soon. In fairness to Smith he’s had to play under different offensive coordinators since he’s been there. But it’s just not working for him. St. Louis has been an early season surprise. Rookie quarterback Sam Bradford is looking like he could lead the Rams to the playoffs- this year.

The defense has played tough and Bradford hasn’t looked like a rookie under center. Arizona seems lost without Kurt Warner and I’m surprised the Warner out of retirement rumors haven’t started. Against the Chargers they played poorly in all facets of the game. They’ve been dysfunctional and its clear Derek Anderson isn’t the answer at quarterback. It looks like it might’ve been a mistake to let Matt Leinart go. They’ll be drafting a quarterback of the future in April. The Seattle Seahawks are a darkhorse in the NFC West if there is one. Pete Carroll does have his team playing hard and they did swing a trade for running back Marshawn Lynch. This is a division that is also up for grabs. 8-8 might be all it takes to win it.

NFC North- This division is Green Bay’s to lose. If the Packers can play with their heads straight they could runaway with it. They did give one away to Chicago in a game in which they committed 18 penalties. They also let the Lions hang close to the end. Minnesota should be the Packers’ competition, but they’ve looked uninspired and sluggish. It’s been Adrian Peterson and not much else. I think Chicago’s 3-1 start has been a mirage. They stole a win against the Lions and were handed another by the Packers. If Jay Cutler takes maore beatings like he did Sunday night, he won’t last the season. The Lions have had some tough breaks, but that’s just a fact of the NFL. They were robbed against the Bears and Matthew Stafford going down made it double tough for this team. Shaun Hill has been a solid stand in for Stafford. If they can cut down on the unnecessary penalties and the secondary can step their game up, they might can steal a few games. They are actually headed in the right direction.