By Zack Cimini

 notjustagame23@gmail.com

It’s a pattern that’s become too familiar in the NFL. Teams think they have their quarterback of the future, and drag on with that player for a year or two too long. Some guys just do not have starting quarterback ability. Whatever the showcase is in practice, it doesn’t translate on the field. Yet coaches risk their futures by giving in to continuing to throw out the same quarterback. Lessons expected to be growing pains learned on the field, turn into habitual mistakes.

Miami seems to be in that tough spot. If Miami did try to pursue a veteran quarterback, they failed miserably. Many thought they would at least make a strong effort to pursue Kyle Orton. Striking a glance at the Dolphins quarterback situation present, is a laughable joke. There is no true competition for Henne, a quarterback that needs it. Matt Moore was recently brought in, and was horrendous in spot duties last season for the Carolina Panthers.

You have to feel bad for Dolphins teammates, because the season is shaping up to be dreadful. The mistake prone issues that ended last year, were hoping to be reduced as a bright spot for Henne. Instead he opened up the preseason with two woeful interceptions. An outing that poured out the boos from the Dolphins home crowd. This is a franchise that not too many years ago went 1-15.

They’re trying to build a season around a running back that has failed to be anything but a decoy, and occasional flash player in Reggie Bush. At receiver they are dealing with a receiver that when the good is going well is one of the best in the league. Losing takes his skills down to Randy Moss-Oakland levels, in Brandon Marshall. And we’re sorry, the short crossing patterns of Davone Bess and Brian Hartline aren’t going to get it done.

It’s amazing to see that the Dolphins were not more active in pursuing better talent offensively in a vast amount of positions. At this point it looks as if this team wants to land Andrew Luck and build from there. It could be a huge payoff, but it’s a tough sacrifice for the fans and players this season.

Time and time again last year, Miami could not win at home. It got so bad that even a fourth quarter ten point lead in the fourth quarter, vanished vs. the Shaun Hill led Detroit Lions. Detroit came from behind with seventeen points in the last five minutes. Two crucial horrid throws by Chad Henne were intercepted, including a pick six. That summed up a year in which Miami was in most games and near .500. But a 2-6 home record is what will carry over into 2011, and the road success won’t.

Miami’s front office and coaching staff has seen enough to know that Henne isn’t the real deal. It’s going to be sad to see this team be in the same boat the Arizona Cardinals were a year ago. Tossing in a different quarterback each week, with a roster of quarterbacks that’s Madden rating would get them instantly hurt in on the field action.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Little noise has been created for the other New York team. The New York Giants swayed from resigning Plaxico Burress, and stuck to their core structure as a team overall. Tom Coughlin’s always been an in-house kind of guy. Teaching and training through his proper system and instilling his overall team concept. It’s worked in the past for Jacksonville’s success, and obviously in New York where they have won a Super Bowl.

No big signings have come from the New York Giants. Just a solid draft and retaining some key free agents. Their bright nucleus of wide receivers remain intact, and will likely blossom even further this season. The area in which many are surprised a move wasn’t made would have to be at running back.

Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw have had their fair share of ups and downs as Giants. Jacobs went from a breakout back to bust in a quick time span. Last year though, with the Giants relegating his carries he showed proper production as the second option back. Bursting through tacklers late in games and tacking on touchdowns gave Jacobs fantasy value once again. We all knew Jacobs would be back in 2011, it was who he would be paired with that was the question.

Ahmad Bradshaw had an out the gate type of 2010 season. Starting off so well that he supplanted Jacobs as feature back with ease. The grind of carries can typically catch up to a back in the latter parts of the year. For Bradshaw he hit a wall basically at the midpoint of the year. His value and stock dropped dramatically as he only produced one game over a hundred yards. What made matters worse was the fact that he fumbled the ball at a high rate.

As Bradshaw became less dependable that was when Brandon Jacobs seemed to resurrect. He had a three game tear weeks twelve through fourteen in which he averaged nearly one hundred yards a game. Even when he wasn’t having monster games from a yardage standpoint, he was the second half factor back for the Giants. Garnering the key carries, mostly because Tom Coughlin was likely afraid of Bradshaw coughing up the football.

So with this duo back together in 2011, fantasy owners have to be juggling to decide who will do what. One thing that can’t be taken away from either is they will produce touchdowns. The Giants run the football with the best of any NFL team. Another great plus is how the Giants spread the football around through the air. With all of their great targets it opens up the running lanes and keeps defenses on their heels. While Jacobs will burst through tacklers, Bradshaw has the long gainer ability that he is well known for.

We are worried that Ahmad Bradshaw may have had an above average season last year. He just didn’t have the feature back skills of a top tier back the second half of last season. He’ll likely slip in drafts a tad, but is a viable bottom tier number two fantasy starter, and great third option. Jacobs on the other hand will offset his five to seven points average of rushing yards, with a solid scatter of single or two touchdown games. His a quiet fantasy force that will give you close to ten points a game.

Jacobs isn’t a back that you would want to count on, but he’ll end up being one of those backs you drafted late that sneaks up your roster depth chart as a starter.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Attacking the free agency market for suitable quarterbacks was a hot pursuit by many teams. As soon as the lockout was declared over, it seemed as if teams knew what they were going to do. Front offices began strategizing long before, and teams on the other side of the fence seemed to be prepared to wheel and deal.

Adam Schefter was live on ESPN as frequent as the tv guide channel scrolling back around a minute later. Reporting on rumors is what he has been use to in the past. That wasn’t the case when the lockout was lifted. Deals were getting done immediately. We will discount Matt Hasselbeck. He was never that impressive in Seattle. Even though he got ahold of a decent contract, it won’t be too long before Jake Locker is handed the keys.

The same could be said for Donovan McNabb, but it’s all in his hands. McNabb could have a solid two to three years left to truly end his career on a good note. Will the clowning antics that were seen in the playoffs with the Eagles in 2009 pop up, or the carefree lackadaisical routine snaps in Washington? For watchers of McNabb, you’ve seen it his whole career. His demeanor is never too serious, but he gets the job done.

Being on his third team in three seasons, he knows that opportunities are closing for himself. Starting in the NFL takes a week to week approach. For some reason or other, Mike Shanahan did not see that in many Redskins, including McNabb. It was better to see them part ways, then for McNabb to waste another year in Washington.

Talent wise, McNabb will have much better tools on his side. Adrian Peterson in the backfield automatically bumps up McNabb’s fantasy stock and likelihood of staying healthy a full season. We hate to do comparisons, but we will in this case with McNabb and Brett Favre. Similar to McNabb, Favre’s hands were tied on a team he had been with his whole career. They didn’t want him to start for the Packers anymore, but the team still owned his rights.

The Packers shipped Favre to the New York Jets, where he had a few solid games but it ended poorly. A deep end of the season slide, that made many believe he was done. Free agency changed all of that, and he landed on the Vikings. A team he would likely have went to had he been a free agent a year earlier. McNabb got dealt last season to a Washington franchise that has been the model of incorrect front office management. The same tailspin to end the season happened for McNabb.

This is the same quarterback that just a few years ago, led a Philadelphia Eagles team with his arm alone, a drive away from the Super Bowl. Down three scores, he threw rocket bombs to DeSean Jackson. The deep ball is still there for McNabb, as was apparent last year when he was able to hit Anthony Armstrong frequently. Armstong had a whopping 19.8 yards per catch a year ago.

You’d think the Vikings will make one more move at wide receiver. If not, at least McNabb has one great threat in Percy Harvin and a cross target in tight end Visanthe Shiancoe.

With Moss announcing his retirement, it brings a perplexed icky feel to Vikings and NFL fans. Moss was back home halfway through last years season as a Viking. A coach that was on his way out, bumped Moss off the team without front office approval. If Moss would of finished the season as a Viking, you’d assume a deal would have been worked out with Moss after McNabb signed.

Doubting McNabb for one more push, don’t. He did it at Syracuse, and he did it numerous times as an Eagle for eleven seasons. We’d rank McNabb as a tier two quarterback at this point of his career. A tier two quarterback that could start six to seven fantasy games for you and put up top ten fantasy production for those weeks.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

The lockout doesn’t halt leagues that are continuous, as is the case with dynasty leagues. Owners get to nag each other for an entire year. There is literally no off season. After the NFL Draft, that’s when things become even more interesting. Owners sense who they want with their projected rookie draft picks, and are willing to give up certain players. It’s all projection based, where the hit/miss can fall back hard just like an NFL teams busted pick.

Numerous trade offers are likely filling your inbox. As tempting as they may be, draft picks, multiple player deals, etc. Do not get too entangled that you get Atlanta Falcon’d. Remember you’ve built your team up over several years. The factor waiver wire athletes still pop up each year out of no where. Your key areas that you need help in, aren’t going to fall in place with one trade. Positioning yourself over a two to three year period like a true general manager does, can be the better route. Unless you absolutely outsmart an opposing owner, do not get to over zealous in making a move.

Here are some players that you can leverage well to boost your team, whether with draft picks or necessary depth.

Quarterbacks

Josh Freeman- Freeman is the new big deal. He had a breakout year and seems undaunted as an every week NFL starting quarterback. He developed last year with rookie wide receivers, and a running game that didn’t come on until undrafted rookie, LeGarrette Blount took the job. The Tampa Bay organization believes in him, and he has been a catalyst in many fourth quarter come backs.

Mark Sanchez- As the season progressed, the heat on Sanchez started to wane. Reason being, he was starting to look like a legitimate starting quarterback. He was making proper adjustments under pressure and reading defenses quicker than he had been. Was he just in a stretch of games that he was playing well, or has he transformed to the next step?

Kyle Orton- Rumors are surrounding that Orton could be dealt. to possibly the Arizona Cardinals. A scenario like that could make Orton a top seven to ten fantasy quarterback. What he did as a Bronco just last year, makes him a steady quarterback that a dynasty league owner could be looking for.

Running Backs

James Starks- With Starks you have a few positives that you can entice owners into falling for. He is on a Super Bowl winning team with the best quarterback in football. Towards the end of last season he became the dependable factor back. Even if Ryan Grant returns, he’ll likely be relegated in carries and for measures to protect his health.

Ahmad Bradshaw- The Giants had something clicking when Jacobs lost his full time carries, and Bradshaw took on the bulk. The only problem with Bradshaw is that his fumbles picked up past the midway point of the year. Still, the Giants did nothing in the draft to make you think that Bradshaw’s job will be threatened. Teams in dire need of a second running back on their team, would and will settle for Bradshaw.

Matt Forte- As a dynasty league owner hopefully you stuck it out with Forte, and didn’t trade him for nothing last off-season. Now Forte is back near the top in terms of his involvement with the Bears offense. Not many running backs will get the carries and receptions as Forte does. Will he be worn down or can Mike Martz utilize him even more?

Wide Receivers

Anquan Boldin- Boldin is a veteran but he will be entering just his second season as a Raven. Any time an athlete of Boldin’s caliber makes a switch of teams, it’s going to take time to readjust. Flacco and Boldin seemed to be hit/miss all season last year. If they were on, Boldin had a field day. If not, Boldin went MIA in the fantasy point total column. This year should be different, as Flacco should be much more consistent.

Marques Colston- Colston is a notch below where you would want him to be. Owners know he can be a strong force, but the numbers do not lie. The last three years he has been a number three fantasy receiver on most squads. Drew Brees is spreading the ball around much more, and it has hurt Colston. That, and the fact that Colston has battled through injuries and slowed down a tad. Extended rest through the lockout could boost a player like Colston. Proper rest, and reloading in the Saints offense, could produce Colston’s strongest numbers since 2007.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Your star wide receiver is widely mouthing to reporters that he wants a reliable quarterback in 2011. Not to deal with an undrafted rookie as his starter or a player that competed at Fordham at quarterback. Larry Fitzgerald wants to have a chance to win now, and knows that won’t happen with quarterbacks that can only make predictable throws. Veterans out there aren’t plentiful, but it appears the Cardinals may be heading that route once the lockout phase ends.

Arizona did make a statement on the second day of the draft though, by grabbing running back Ryan Williams from Virginia Tech. It wasn’t an area many draft experts figured the Cardinals would attack early. Obviously, the Cardinals have grown impatient with the duo of Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells. This crowded backfield now becomes one of serious fantasy football monitored situations. Running backs never can be enough in a fantasy football league. Whisenhunt wants to run the ball down opposing teams throats but hasn’t had the consistency from the position.

With Beanie Wells, he has shown glimpses of being an every down back. He has shown explosion in the open field and an ability to get in the end zone. From the very first day he became a Cardinal, the issue has been injuries. Wells can’t stay on the field. Some of the injuries that seem to keep him delayed, are nagging and on going. His body doesn’t’ seem to recover well, which is not a trait you want to have from an every down player. Between Hightower and Wells, Wells is probably higher on Whisenhunt’s short leash. There was too much potential unrealized from Wells. He is likely headed down the same road former first round pick, Thomas Jones, was with the Cardinals. Exiting off his first year contract and having to regain trust with a new team.

Tim Hightower has the physical toughness and demeanor you like from a back. With Kurt Warner he even showed an extra threat of being able to catch the football out of the backfield. Including a huge touchdown in the NFC Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles a few years ago. His biggest issue is leaving the football on the ground. A whopping ten fumbles over the last two years, in which eight were lost. That just can’t happen when you’re only carrying the football around 140-150 carries a year.

The Cardinals tried this rotation for two years and it just wasn’t working. Kurt Warner was able to lift the awareness of this glaring backfield for a year. Jon Skelton and Max Hall were not able to. Ryan Williams is sort of like a Jonathan Stewart. Due to injuries in college his stock dipped from what is was when he was a freshman. He has lost a bit of his speed, but is still a dynamite in between the tackles runner.

This day and age, teams need two strong reliable running backs. The Cardinals have that in Williams now. Who will the other back be, and will Williams get a fair share of carries. We believe he will split carries, and will likely do so with Tim Hightower. So the odd man out would be Wells.

Give the Cardinals organization credit for not just going back to the same tandem, just because they’re young and on the first contracts.

notjustagame23@gmail.com

During the year each week we delivered with spread selections. One of few sites that was well over 50% on the year. Finishing with winning weeks fourteen of sixteen. What a year it has been, and hopefully we will all be able to enjoy the NFL in 2011. Were all antsy for this game. A great matchup versus two storied franchises. LETS GO!

Pittsburgh’s center has pretty much been the talk of Super Bowl week, besides the media trying to force another Roethlisberger hiccup. In Green Bay, an important receiver in Donald Driver did sit out of practice yesterday. According to ESPN, Driver Will Play, and is only being held out for caution. So this game should live up to its billing. There’s nothing like holding a grand party with friends, and watching your prop bets in action. There are a ton offered this year, Super Bowl Props Provided by BetUs.

Will a team score in the first six and a half minutes?

Based on the way these teams have played in the playoffs, and have scored quickly, you’d want to say Yes. Were going to say no in this matchup. One or two first downs, can eat up 3.5 or 4 minutes itself. Were predicting a punt on the first drive.

First Touchdown of the Game Will Be?

This game features two prolific quarterbacks that have been hyped up for two full weeks. Surprise, surprise, a passing td is the overwhelming favorite. Any other touchdown at a plus 160 is too great to pass up.

Total Interceptions Thrown By Both Teams?

Here is a favorite prop that we currently agree with the public. Under 2.5 is at -240. Rodgers and Roethlisberger just do not make mistakes more than once. If fumbles were factored in, the over would have been an option.

Will The Game Be Tied After 0-0?

This should be a back and forth game. You’d have to think there could be multiple times this game will be tied. Another plus payout to ride home with.

Brett Favre Mentioned on TV?

His name is mentioned so much, but this is the Super Bowl. This game should involve too many great plays, and the announcers should be dialed in. Will take the under 2.5 and earn the plus payout.

Christina Aguilera Over/Under Six Seconds on Brave in the National Anthem?

She has a beautiful voice, and has millions of viewers watching her. The national anthem if done well is always remembered in the Super Bowl. She’ll belt this as if she was in her first talent show in grade school.

And for the game…………Green Bay

It’s going to be a tight tight game. In the end though, Aaron Rodgers, will get it done. His current rhythm has carried his whole team, and they’re feeding off it. Defensively, offensively, and special teams. Watch out for Tramon Williams making a big play with a punt return in this one.