The draft is over and the rookie jerseys are hitting the shelves. Some of them are available for purchase now and we will need to wait until contracts are signed for others.

Generally speaking the top rookies have some of the best selling jerseys of the year. The obvious reason is they are new and nobody already has them. Also a hot rookie mean excitement, hope, and a new future for many teams and that excites the fans and gets them out buying jerseys.

Here is a quick rundown of the rookies I think will have the top selling jerseys this year.

Denver Broncos #15 Tim Tebow Replica Football Jerseys: $79.95

#1 Tim Tebow – Denver Broncos - Tim Tebow jerseys are off to a great start and they were actually the best selling jerseys for the month of April. When you consider that they were only on sale for a week or so after the draft in April that is pretty amazing. The strong sales can be attributed to 3 main factors: 

1. Florida Gators Fans – The Florida Gator fans loved Tim Tebow like few other college players in the past. He was a hero to them and with 2 national titles and a Heisman much of that praise is well deserved. Tim Tebow will go down as one of the greatest college football players of his generation and the Florida Gator fans realize that and want to continue to support him.
2. His Religious Beliefs – Tim Tebow is a strong Christian and that also results in a huge boost in popularity. Many of the people who respect the missionary work he does and his beliefs in general will support him by buying a Tim Tebow Denver Broncos jersey this year.
3. Denver Bronco Fans – The Denver Broncos have a fairly large national fan base and that usually results in some good jersey sales. The Denver fans have been waiting for another iconic John Elway type player and many of them think they have found it in Tim Tebow.

All in all I think Tebow will do well on the field and that will help keep the sales of Tim Tebow jerseys strong throughout the year after the initial hype dyes off. Order a Tim Tebow jersey today.

Detroit Lions #90 Ndamukong Suh Light Blue Draft Day Replica Football Jersey: $79.95

2.  Ndamukong Suh – Detroit Lions - On the list of best selling jerseys for the month of April Ndamukong Suh already occupies the #8 spot which is pretty amazing for a lineman. The top slots are usually reserved for QBs, RBs, and WRs. But the Detroit Lions are a team on the rise with young players like Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. I don’t know if the Lions are in a position to push for a playoff spot this year but they are on the rise and should improve on last year’s win total.

Ndamukong Suh was dominant last year at Nebraska and spent much of the season in the opponents backfield. That kind of disruptive presence will make everyone around him better because RBs won’t be able to get to their holes, QBs will have to get rid of the ball quicker, and lineman will have to double team him opening up his teammates to make plays.

Even though many Lions fans have bought Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford jerseys over the past couple years I still think they will keep Ndamukong Suh jerseys a hot seller for much of the season. Order an Ndamukong Suh jersey today.

St. Louis Rams #8 Sam Bradford Replica Football Jersey

3.  Sam Bradford – St. Louis Rams – Rams fans have been longing for a rookie to get excited about and Sam Bradford is a player they will be happy to have on their team. Not since the glory days with Kurt Warner, Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, and Marshall Faulk have the Rams had a “superstar” player (except for Steven Jackson) and the Rams fans are eager to buy a new jersey to support their team. Combine that with the fact that Sam Bradford is a quarterback, he was the #1 pick, and he will probably be pretty good that should result in strong sales for Sam Bradford jerseys.  Order your Sam Bradford jersey today.

Those should be the top three selling rookie jerseys this year. I will be back in a couple days to break down some more of the rookies.

Yet another Monday, yet another divisional matchup. This week we have Houston taking on Tennessee. Houston keeps getting close to becoming an above average team but never quite breaks through and Tennessee, after starting 0-6, is starting to play much, much better. Should be an interesting game to watch tonight.

So if I were a fan of the AFC South teams which jersey would I buy?

Reebok NFL Equipment Houston Texans #80 Andre Johnson Navy Replica Football Jersey $79.95

Houston Texans

After a great rookie season I was looking forward to Steve Slaton following that up with a good sophomore season but he has tanked this year. Some of the young defenders like Brian Cushing and DeMeco Ryans are having great seasons but still they can’t compete with my choice.  If I were a fan of the Houston Texans I would go with an Andre Johnson jersey.

In his 7th year Andre Johnson has pushed himself into the “best receiver in the league” argument with players like Larry Fitzgerald, Reggie Wayne, Randy Moss, and players like that. Throughout his career Andre Johnson has averaged over 1,000 yards per year and has a career average of 13.3 YPC.  Andre Johnson is 6′3″, 225 and has the speed and hands to take over a game. With a good, young QB like Matt Schaub throwing him the ball Andre Johnson should continue to put up good numbers.

If the Houston Texans are gonna break through this year and make the playoffs Andre Johnson will be a big part of it. Houston has a good group of young players and will just need some improvement to their offensive line and their secondary to take the next step.

Reebok NFL Equipment Tennessee Titans #28 Chris Johnson Navy Blue Replica Jersey $79.95

Tennessee Titans

Part of me would want to go with a Vince Young jersey. The guy is something like 22-11 when he starts and has shown he can run and throw. But it is too hard to ignore the season Chris Johnson is having so I am gonna go with a Chris Johnson jersey. In 15 games last year Chris Johnson had 1228 yards and through 10 games this year he has already surpassed that with 1242 yards. He has also surpassed last years receiving total and has another 262 yards through the air. And he has an amazing 6.2 YPC average which is pretty unheard of.

During the Titans recent 4 game winning streak Johnson has averaged 161.5 yards on 26 carries. I’m not saying he is the only reason they have turned their season around but he is a HUGE part. On the surface at 5-11, 200 lbs Chris Johnson looks like a typical speed back but if you watch him run he has suprising power and he doesn’t shy away from contact. He isn’t an all out bruiser like Marion Barber but he does have the power to break tackles and run up the middle when needed.

Early in the year the Titans fans didn’t have much to cheer about but Chris Johnson gives the fans something to look forward to every Sunday. He is the leading rusher in the league and has to only average 127 YPG over the last 6 to get to the hallowed 2,000 yard mark.

Reebok NFL Equipment Indianapolis Colts #18 Peyton Manning Royal Blue Replica Football Jersey $79.95

Indianapolis Colts

With the season he is putting up this year and based on his whole career I gotta give the nod to Peyton Manning on this one. Yeah, it is probably the easy way out but anyone who is a fan of the Indianapolis Colts should have a Peyton Manning Jersey. By the time he retires (in what, maybe 5 or 6 more years) Peyton Manning should hold all the major career passing records and should be at the top or at least very near the top of anyone’s “Top QB of All Time” lists.

Year in and year out Peyton Manning puts up some huge numbers and his teams win a ton of games. Anytime he takes the field the Colts have a great chance to win and everyone in the league knows it. It isn’t just the stats he can put up though. Other coaches and teams are afraid of him. Look at their two most recent games. Some otherwise smart coaches have made some questionable calls on 4th downs late in the game because they knew if they gave Manning the ball there is a very, very good chance he would lead his team down the field for a touchdown.

Peyton Manning is already an iconic player and is already a true legend. Show Manning some love and respect and get his jersey today. (BTW, my honorable mention for the Colts would be Dallas Clark. Insane numbers for a tight end).

Reebok NFL Equipment Jacksonville Jaguars #98 John Henderson Teal Replica Football Jersey $79.95

Jacksonville Jaguars

I am not sure why but I have always kind of liked the Jacksonville Jaguars. I rarely get to see them play on TV but for some reason I have rooted for them since their inception. I always liked watching Mark Brunell, Keenan McCardell, and Jimmy Smith. I always rooted for Fred Taylor, Tony Boselli, Tony Brackens, and the rest of the Jaguars. So this is kind of a tough team for me to pick a jersey. Out of the current crop of players I am gonna kind of go off the board and stay away from the “stars” like Maurice Jones-Drew, David Garrard, and even Mike Sims-Walker.  If I were a fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars I would go with a John Henderson jersey.

Why John Henderson? Well, I have always liked buying linemen jerseys whenever possible and John Henderson has been a top defensive tackle for years. At 6-7, 335 he is one of the biggest defensive players in the league and for years along with Marcus Stroud he was one of the best tackles in the game. He could collapse a pocket like few others, could stuff the run, and basically took away the inside running game.

John Henderson is a 2 time Pro-Bowler and has been at the top of his game for years.  I can’t forsee him ever getting much of a Super Bowl run with the Jaguars but for the most part he helps lead the Jags to the playoffs or at least seasons of 8 or more wins. He will probably never be considered the top player at his position but he shows up week in and week out and gives the Jaguars fans something to cheer for.

Well, we are being treated to a Baltimore-Cleveland game tonight and while I have to say Baltimore is one of my favorite teams I am really not looking forward to watching this game. Cleveland is bad. There are a couple good players on the team but for the most part the organization is in shambles.

But enough of that. If I were a fan of the AFC North teams here are the jerseys I would buy:

Reebok NFL Equipment Baltimore Ravens #52 Ray Lewis Black Alternate Replica Football Jersey $79.95

Baltimore Ravens: Baltimore has been one of the top defensive teams for about a decade now (although it has been a bit rough this year) and although I would almost choose a Joe Flacco jersey because he looks like he could be a very good QB for years I will have to choose a defensive player. The two main options would be Ed Reed who is probably the second best safety in the game and Ray Lewis who has been a dominant linebacker for years. And for the Baltimore Ravens I am gonna go with a Ray Lewis jersey.

In his 14 years in the league (has it really been 14 years???) Ray Lewis has averaged around 130 tackles per year and has been amazingly consistent. Every year people think this will be the year Ray Lewis starts to decline but he has been a force every year. He can force turnovers, rush the QB, stop the run, cover the pass, and overall he is one of the most versitile linebackers in the league. He is easily among the top 5 linebackers of all time and is a sure fire hall of famer.

Cincinnatti Bengals:

Reebok NFL Equipment Cincinnati Bengals #85 Chad Johnson Ocho Cinco Black Replica Football Jersey $79.95

While there are some solid players on both sides of the ball if I were a Cincinnatti Bengals fan I would buy a Chad OchoCinco jersey. If you look at players who have fun playing the game you have to put Chad Ochocinco near the top of the list. He is gonna rub a lot of people the wrong way with some of his antics but he truly seems like he enjoys going out every Sunday and performing.

While you might not agree with all his methods you can’t argue with his production. Other than his rookie year and last year he has been one of the top wideouts in the league. You can count on 1200+ yards and 90+ catches every year from Ochocinco. So he can perform on the field. But he also does a great job connecting with fans on places like Twitter and Ustream. There are few pro athletes more accessable than Ochocinco. Part of that is because he just has a big ego and wants to be seen and talked about but he also does seem to genuinely enjoy talking with his fans.

Cleveland Browns: I’m not gonna lie to you. There isn’t much positive to talk about with this Cleveland Browns team. The really only have two players I would even think about considering when chosing which jersey to buy. The two guys are Joe Thomas who is one of the best young tackles in the league and Joshua Cribbs who is one of the most explosive and exciting players anytime he touches the ball.

The problem is there are very few places to buy their jerseys so I can’t give you a link or a picture. Sorry. If you want to waste some money and buy a Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn jersey I could help you but I don’t want to be that mean.

Reebok NFL Equipment Pittsburgh Steelers #43 Troy Polamalu Black Alternate Replica Football Jersey $79.95

Pittsburgh Steelers:

There is NO other team in the league I hate more than the Pittsburgh Steelers. One thing I look at when I try to decide which jersey to buy is “would I want that player on my team?” and there is only one player on the Steelers I would want to root for and because of that I would buy a Troy Polamalu jersey. Troy Polamalu is the best safety in the game and he changes every game he plays.

Whether he is up stopping the run or covering on pass plays he is the most complete safety in the game. He has the size and speed to make plays in every aspect of the game and every time I watch him I come away thinking “Did he really just make that play?” at least once a game. There are few players I can say that about.

It’s hard to believe the NFL season is half over. Forget the flashy intro. Lets get right to my Top 5 Teams

Top 5 teams:

1.  New Orleans Saints – We all knew the New Orleans Saints were gonna put some points on the board this year. As a matter of fact the next closest team in terms of scoring is the Minnasota Vikings who have scored 59 points less than the Saints.  But the big suprise with the Saints is the defense. After finishing 26th in points allowed last year they have improved to 16th this year which is a pretty big jump. Last year they outscored their opponents by 70 and are on pace to outscore their opponents by 258 this year which would easily be the biggest margin this year and would crush the leading team last year, Tennessee, who outscored their opponents by 141 points.

Drew Brees is having a huge year and the New Orleans running game is coming up big every week. They are averaging 144.6 YPG on the ground and when you combine that with Drew Brees putting up 282.3 YPG you have the top offense in the league. And even more than that this team is playing together. There is nobody whining to get the ball more, no players getting in trouble, and they have the look of a champion.

2. Indianapolis Colts – Peyton Manning is having an outstanding year and he has led this team to an 8-0 start. And he needs to put up numbers like that since he is getting no help from the running game. The Colts are the 4th worst rushing team which is suprising because they have a couple decent RBs in Joseph Addai and Donald Brown. The Indy defense is also playing well and they are 7th in terms of yards allowed and 1st in points per game allowed.

But don’t think this is a defensive team. This team goes as Peyton Manning goes and he is having one of his best seasons yet. When making a list of the all time best QBs Peyton Manning is crawling up towards the top of the list every year and he still has quite a few more good years to go. When all is said and done he will probably hold most of the career passing records and will have to be in the discussion of the best QB that has ever played the game.

3.  Minnesota Vikings – The Minnesota Vikings went into the offseason last year with a great team except at the QB position. And Brett Favre has come in and made that a strength of the Vikings. With Adrian Peterson and the strong O-line in place Brett Favre is having one of his best seasons of his career. He might not be putting up the total numbers he has in the past (he isn’t too far off though) but he is much more efficient and is on pace for 32 TDs and only 6 interceptions which is outstanding.

Adrian Peterson is having another great year and is on pace for around 1600 yards but he doesn’t need to carry the team this year as much as he has in the past. On the defensive side the Minnesota Vikings are leading the leagues in sacks with 31 and they are playing well enough to put the Vikings in a position to win almost every week. Rookie Percy Harvin has also made a big impact on both special teams and in the passing game.

4.  New England Patriots – New England is off to a 6-2 start and once again looks to be a Super Bowl contender. The Patriots have the second best scorinig D in the league allowing only 115 points so far and have a scoring differential of 110 points so their offense is putting points on the board as well. New England is also leading the AFC it turnover differential at +8. Combine all those numbers and you have a formula for a winning football team.

Tom Brady has come back from his knee injury and after a couple shaky games to start the year he looks to be back in form. He is currently on pace for over 4,700 yards but his TD numbers are down a bit from 2007. He is still on pace for 32 TDs though which is excellent.

5. Cincinnatti Bengals - The first 4 teams were pretty easy but trying to decide between Cincinnatti, Pittsburgh, and Dallas was a tough call. But looking at their schedules the Bengals have beat 4 very solid teams (including Baltimore twice) and are a fluke play from being 7-1.

Carson Palmer is having a solid year. Not spectacular but still he is on pace for over 3,600 yards and 28TDs with a rating of 89.5 which is pretty much on par with his career numbers. OchoCinco is also on pace for 1278 yards and 10 TDs which is pretty to his career yearly average. The biggest suprise this year though has been Cedric Benson. Through 8 games he has already topped his career high in yardage and is on pace for 1674 yards which outstanding. It will be interesting to see if the Bengals can beat Pittsburgh this Sunday and how they will fare the rest of the season.

We have a big Monday Night matchup coming up with the Atlanta Falcons visiting the New Orleans Saints. Right now the Saints are looking like the best team in the NFC South and Atlanta still has a very good shot to grab a wild card spot. I kinda like both of these teams. If I weren’t a Seahawks fan I could resonably see myself really rooting for one of these two teams right now. So if I were a fan of an NFC South team here are the jerseys I would buy:

Reebok NFL Equipment New Orleans Saints #9 Drew Brees Black Replica Football Jersey $79.95

New Orleans Saints:  I have this one narrowed down to 3 choices: Drew Brees, Marques Colston, and Reggie Bush. Since Reggie Bush still hasn’t become a dominant game changer he is out. Marques Colston is having another good year and is on pace for over 1200 yards but it is too hard to ignore what Drew Brees has done for this team over the last few years. So I am gonna go with a Drew Brees jersey.

Over the past 3 years Drew Brees has averaged over 4,600 yards and over nearly 30 TDs a year and he is on pace to match those numbers again this year. Drew Brees has put the New Orleans Saints in a position to win every week they take the field. Not only can he put up huge yardage numbers he is also very accurate. His 67% compeletion percentage only tells part of the story. If you look at a lot of his throws he puts the ball in a position where only the receiver can catch it.  He isn’t the biggest, fastest, or strongest QB in the league but he does know how to lead his team and put numbers on the board. The Saints defense is improved this year which will make this team a scary team to face as the season moves on.

I usually don’t like going with a QB jersey and like to look to other players on a team when I buy a jersey but this is an exception I will make. Drew Brees is the best player on the field for the Saints and has given the city of New Orleans hope and fans someone to root for every Sunday.

Atlanta Falcons: Once again this comes down to three players to choose from: Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, and Roddy White.

Reebok NFL Equipment Atlanta Falcons #2 Matt Ryan Red Replica Jersey $79.95

While I really like what Roddy White has done over the past couple years and Michael Turner put up some monster numbers last year I am gonna go with a Matt Ryan jersey. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to start in the NFL as a rookie but last year Matt Ryan came in and led the Atlanta Falcons to the playoffs. It is hard to overlook that type of success. So far this year Matt Ryan is on pace for 3600+ yards and 29 TDs so it looks like he is avoiding the sophomore jinx.

When Michael Vick left the team a couple years ago and Bobby Petrino totally screwed them it looked like it could be a tough few years for the Atlanta Falcons. Then Matt Ryan came long. His first NFL play resulted in a 60+ yard TD and he never looked back from there. He still has a ways to go before he could be considered an “elite” QB but he is well on his way and there is no reason to think he won’t continue to improve over his career. Matt Ryan has a solid offense around him and has some great weapons like Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez, and Roddy White. I can see many Pro Bowls in Matt Ryan’s future.  All these things would lead me to buy a Matt Ryan jersey.

Reebok NFL Equipment Carolina Panthers #52 Jon Beason Black Replica Jersey $79.95

Carolina Panthers: If you would have asked me this question a couple years ago I would have easily said Julius Peppers and he is still in the mix here but for me it would come down to a choice between DeAngelo Williams and Jon Beason. Since I haven’t given much love to defensive players yet I am gonna choose a Jon Beason jersey. In his third year in the NFL Jon Beason has cemented himself as one of the great young linebackers in the league. With 278 tackles in his first two years in the league Jon Beason has become one of the leaders of the Carolina Panthers defense.

He probably won’t put up quite as impressive numbers this year but he is still on pace for 120 tackles. Nearly any team would take a linebacker with those kind of numbers and be happy. I would like to see a couple more sacks or turnovers but there are other players on the team that take care of that and free Beason up to make plays. You can’t really have a solid team without a player like Jon Beason there making plays every game. Yeah, you won’t see him on the highlight reel as much as other defenders but you can be assured that the Panthers players see how valuable a player like Beason is to their success.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: There isn’t much to choose from when it comes to this Buccaneers team.

Reebok NFL Equipment Tampa Bay Buccaneers #51 Barrett Ruud 1976 Throwback Replica Football Jersey $79.95

They don’t have a great QB, running back or wide  receiver to choose from so we have to dig a bit deeper to find a jersey I would want to buy. So as with the Panthers I am gonna pick a young linebacker and buy a Barrett Ruud jersey. The numbers aren’t super flashy, he doesn’t make the highlight reels, but Barrett Ruud is one of the few bright spots on this Tampa Buccaneers team. With an average of 125 tackles over the past two seasons Barrett Ruud has shown he can make plays. If the Bucs can put a few more solid pieces around him Ruud can be the anchor of this defense like Derrick Brooks was for many years.

It has been a rough year for Tampa Bay and they are probably looking at a couple more lean years but with anchors like Barrett Ruud the Buccaneers know they have some building blocks for the future. With a couple good drafts and some smart moves in free agency we could see the Bucs back in the playoffs soon.

Well, last week there were 2 AFC East teams playing on Monday night and tonight there are 2 AFC West teams playing so I will let you know which jersey I would buy if I were a fan of the AFC West teams.

San Diego Chargers:

Reebok NFL Equipment San Diego Chargers #85 Antonio Gates Navy Blue Replica Football Jersey $79.95

LaDainian Tomlinson has the best selling San Diego Chargers jersey over the past few years but since he is probably nearing the end of his career I wouldn’t want to buy his jersey. If I were a Chargers fan I would buy an Antionio Gates jersey. Antonio Gates has averaged over 935 yards receiving over the past 5 years (and is on pace for over 1300 yards this season) which is great for a tight end.

Gates is one of the most athletic tight ends in the game and is the most dangerous receiver for the San Diego Chargers. He gives Phillip Rivers a big, reliable target down the middle and is fast and strong enough to break tackles and get in the endzone. Year in and year out Antonio Gates is one of the top receiving tight ends in the league and he still has many more good years left in him.

Denver Broncos:

Reebok NFL Equipment Denver Broncos #27 Knowshon Moreno Navy Blue Replica Football Jersey $79;95

The Denver Broncos have suprised nearly everyone this year with their 5-0 start and they have a lot of players who are contributing. Brandon Marshall is playing great, Kyle Orton is doing well, Champ Bailey is still one of the best corners in the league but I am gonna go with a Knowshon Moreno jersey. Knowshon Moreno is the best rookie running back in the league this year and is proving that he should be the top back for the Denver Broncos.

Knowshon Moreno, the former Georgia Bulldog great, is on pace for around 1300 total yards this year. He isn’t the biggest, fastest, or strongest back in the league but he is a very solid all around back. With a team like the Broncos that like to use a lot of running back options Knowshon Moreno should be the featured back for a number of years to come and could end up being the top rusher in the history of this franchise.

Kansas City Chiefs:

Reebok NFL Equipment Kansas City Chiefs #82 Dwayne Bowe Red Replica Football Jersey $79.95

Do I really need to pick someone here? I would like to pick someone like Glen Dorsey or Tyson Jackson but both of them look like first round busts. Dwayne Bowe is the most dynamic player on this team so I am gonna go with a Dwayne Bowe jersey. Dwayne Bowe has averaged more than 1000 yards and 75 catches the past two years and is on pace for another good year this season. There aren’t a lot of good offensive options for the Kansas City Chiefs but Dwayne Bowe is an exception.

Matt Cassel could turn into a decent NFL QB but Dwayne Bowe will be a big reason for his success. Bowe has the size and speed to make plays. He can make big catches on the outside but also is great going over the middle to make tough catches with his good hands. He probably isn’t an “elite” NFL receiver yet but he could be a starter for most NFL teams. The Kansas City Chiefs have a lot of holes on their team and a lot of problems but Dwayne Bowe isn’t one of them.

Oakland Raiders:

Kind of like the KC Chiefs there isn’t much to be excited about with the Oakland Raiders.

Reebok NFL Equipment Oakland Raiders #21 Nnamdi Asomugha Black Replica Football Jersey $79.95

 Recent high draft picks JaMarcus Russell, Darren McFadden, and Darius Heyward-Bay have all failed to live up to expectations and in many ways are holding this team back from rebuilding and becoming competitve again. But the Oakland defense is at least decent. So I am gonna go with an Nnamdi Asomugha jersey. There are a decent handful of good players on this defense and Nnamdi Asomugha is the best of them.

Asomugha’s numbers don’t stand out in terms of interceptions but that is mainly because opposing teams never throw the ball his way. He is one of the top 5 shutdown corners in the league and everyone knows that so they throw the ball to whoever he isn’t covering. Nnamdi Asomugha signed a huge contract recently and so far he is living up to it. There are few bright spots for the Oakland Raiders but Nnamdi Asomugah is the brightest.

I am gonna lay aside my Seahawks fan hat for a bit and take a look at the AFC East teams and let you know which jersey I would buy if I were a fan of a specific team. Now realistically I can’t see myself ever buying anything but a Seahawks jersey but I also realize there are people out there who might not be Seahawk fans and are wondering which jersey they should buy. So let’s get started:

Reebok NFL Equipment New England Patriots #81 Randy Moss Navy Blue Replica Football Jersey $79.95

New England Patriots:

The easy answer here would be Tom Brady. But I usually don’t go with the most popular player on the team so I  am gonna go with Randy Moss. Ever since Randy Moss came into the league he has been a dominant receiver. Oh, wait… he did have a couple bad years in Oakland. Well, he was able to overcome that and has had a resurgence in New England. Randy Moss only has 1 TD through 5 games this year but he will pick it up.

Randy Moss is #9 all time in receiving yards and will probably be #6 by the end of the season and will most likely end his career as the #2 all time receiver. He is also #3 for receiving TDs. Give him 2 or 3 more solid seasons and a couple more mediocre seasons and he will probably end up as the second greatest receiver ever behind Jerry Rice.

New York Jets:

Reebok New York Jets #20 Thomas Jones Green Replica Football Jersey $79.95

Once again the easy choice is rookie Mark Sanchez but I want to give him a couple more years.

Although he has made some great passes against the Dolphins in the MNF game I am watching as I type this. But I gotta show some love to Thomas Jones. No back in the league other than LaDainian Tomlinson has more yards over the past 5 years. With a rookie QB the Jets will really need to rely on Thomas Jones to carry the offense and control the game.

Thomas Jones is 31 years old however and that means he will probably start slowing down soon. The good thing is he has Leon Washington to take some of the carries off of him so that could extend his career a bit.

Miami Dolphins:

Reebok NFL Equipment Miami Dolphins #23 Ronnie Brown Orange Alternate Replica Football Jersey $79.95

With no superstar QB or flamboyant receiver the Miami Dolphins are a bit tough. There would be no shame in going with Dan Marino since he is one of the greatest ever to put on a uniform. So I would say the biggest difference maker on this team is Ronnie Brown. No other player in the league runs the wildcat better than Ronnie Brown with Ricky Williams giving him some help. He even completed a 21 yard pass in this MNF game. (Just a side note… This is a GREAT Monday Night Football Game. Back and forth the whole way).

I doubt Ronnie Brown will ever make the Hall of Fame or anything like that but he should be a strong performer for a few more years. He plays hard, makes plays when he needs to, and gives the Dolphins a great security blanket that they need with their QB position up in the air.

Buffalo Bills:

Reebok NFL Equipment Buffalo Bills #83 Lee Evans Navy Replica Football Jersey $79.95

Out of all 4 AFC East teams the Buffalo Bills are the hardest for me to choose a player for. They have some great players in their history like Bruce Smith, Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, and others but I don’t want to have to resort to throwbacks so I am gonna go with Lee Evans. Evans has been a solid receiver each of his 6 years in the league and if he had a better team around him he would be much more well known.

This Bills team isn’t good this year and it will be tough for Lee Evans to get to 1000 yards, especially because T.O. will start whining if Evans gets the ball more than he does. But Evans will go out, do his job, and do whatever he can do to help the Buffalo Bills win this year. I don’t know if it would be enough but if I were a GM or coach I would love to have him on my team.

As you may or may not know I am a huge Seattle Seahawks fan. I have been a fan since I first started watching football back in 1980 or so when I was about 7 years old.  I am a season ticket holder since 2000, I have about 12 jerseys, 10 shirts, many different flags, blankets, and other Seahawks items. I drive about 280 miles each way to go to the games in Seattle and cheer my head off until I am horse, my ears are ringing, and my head is throbbing with a headache. So, yeah, I am a huge Seahawks fan.

I attended the game this past Sunday against the Bears and when I got home from the game I watched the game  that I had recorded so I could get two different perspectives.  So after seeing the game live and seeing the broadcast of the game let me give you my thoughs:

Injuries are killing the Seahawks. Last year the Seahawks were one of the most injured teams and it is starting off much the same this year. In this game they were missing 8 starters including Pro-Bowl level players like Matt Hasselbeck, Walter Jones, Lofa Tatupu, Marcus Trufant, and Leroy Hill. Every team deals with injuries throughout the year but (and I am saying this without doing any research into the rosters of all the other teams) I don’t think any other team has started out in such bad shape healthwise than the Seahawks. With the Seahawks missing 2 starting linebackers, 2 starting corners, 2 starting O-linemen, and their starting QB it is gonna be tough for them to win. They need to get healthy very quickly or it could be another long season.

Seneca Wallace is a very good backup QB but still isn’t ready to be a top notch starter. Seneca Wallace brings a lot of talent and athleticism to the field. He was able to avoid some heavy pressure from the Bears and move around the pocket and make a lot of plays. But there were at least two times where he could have run for a first down fairly easily but he passed into tight coverage and luckily avoided some interceptions. He needs to make better decisions when he rolls out and has room to run. He doesn’t need to be an option QB and run 20 times a game but I do think he needs to run 5 or 6 times on planned bootlegs and also when he breaks containment.

Seneca needs to work on his touch passes. There were about 4 plays where he had some receivers open downfield but he overthrew his receivers. When Seneca can zip the ball into some comeback routes, crossing routes, and the like he is very solid but he needs to work on his touch on fade routes, corner routes, and stuff like that.

The Bears were bringing a ton of pressure. All game long the Chicago Bears were blitzing and pressuring Seneca Wallace. All things considered I think Wallace handled the pressure very well and was able to step up in the pocket or roll out and avoid sacks but if the Seahawks were to call more screen passes or smoke passes I think they could have slowed the pass rush a bit and given Seneca more time to get the ball downfield.

Learn to throw the ball away!!! The only really bad decision Seneca Wallace made was when he was backed up in his own endzone, rolled out, and tried to make a miracle sidearm pass to John Carlson which was a terrible throw and was picked off by Lance Briggs. He should have just launched the ball out of bounds. The Bears were able to quickly turn that turnover into points.

Indisputable evidence my butt! There was a critical call before halftime. Matt Forte caught a pass and headed toward the goal line and was tackled from behind. As he was being tackled David Hawthorne knocked the ball loose and recovered. It was called a fumble on the field and the play was reviewed. As I watched the replay it was very tough to tell if he was down or if he did actually fumble but the call on the field was fumble so the ref would need to see some clear evidence to overturn the call. Personally I didn’t see any evidence to overturn the call. There was no clear view that showed exactly when his leg was down and exactly when the ball came out. This call shouldn’t have been overturned. If it was called down by contact on the field there was no way to overturn it the other way either. So rather than taking at least a 13-0 lead into the locker room the Seahawks were only up 13-7.

OK, enough about the game. There are plenty of places to read other recaps.  I have more thoughts but it just makes me angry to type them. So lets talk about the gameday experience.

Qwest Field is AWESOME! I haven’t been to too many other NFL stadiums but Qwest Field rocks! There is little doubt in my mind it is the loudest stadium in the league. The crowd at Qwest doesn’t stop. All game the 12th Man brought it hard and there is no other crowd that affects the game as much as the Seattle crowd.

What is “proper” fan behavior? I’m not sure there is any way to make a fan code of conduct that can be enforced and will be accepted by everyone. But just based on common human decency there should be some guidelines.

For opposing fans: You can come into our stadium but it will not be a pleasant day for you. You should feel a bit uncomfortable but never physically threatened. If you do come into our stadium you can cheer quietly for your team but if you turn around and start egging on the crowd be prepared for anything. The amount of abuse you receive should totally be determined by you. If you antagonize the home town fans that is your problem. You will be yelled at and cursed at but you should never be physically assaulted or have stuff thrown at you unless you bring it on yourself.

Home town fans:  Yell and scream for your team as much as you want. Cheer loud and proud all game. You have every right to heckle any opposing fan or team but at least keep it reasonable. You can tell a guy his team sucks but try not to get too personal (unless it is really funny). Of course there will be plenty of profanity yelled at the game but at least try to be creative once in a while. There is no reason to physically assault an opposing fan or throw stuff at them. Also take it easy on the kids. For the most part they don’t know any better and are only rooting for the opposing team because they have been brainwashed by their parents. Of course there will be jackass opposing fans there but for the most part they will realize that your team is better than theirs and you can have a good time trash talking back and forth and get a congratulatory high five from them when your team kills theirs on the field. Gameday should be fun. Don’t end up in jail because of it.

There are too many styles of jerseys out there.  Back in the day when you went to a game you generally saw two styles of jerseys:  Home and away.  Now with all the throwbacks, alternate jerseys, and fashion jerseys there are usually at least a half dozen different styles for each team. At this game I saw at least 12 different styles of jerseys in the stands. Of course the most popular is the standard home jersey for the Seahawks but then you had away jerseys, the lime green alternates, throwbacks, the black Shadow jersey which looks too much like a Raiders jersey for my taste, 3 different styles of pink jerseys, 2 other styles of the green alternate, plus about 6 different Bears jerseys. That is just way too many.

I don’t really have a problem with alternate jerseys but the ones that make me mad are the fashion jerseys that really have nothing to do with the team’s normal colors. In my opinion the preferred jersey should be the standard home jersey followed by the away jersey and then the alternate jersey. Beyond that it just gets ridiculous.

Now about those lime green Seahawks alternate jerseys:  When I first saw some of these a couple years ago I thought they were pretty ugly but different enough to be decent. When rumors started to fly this year about them actually wearing them on the field I thought there was no way it would happen.  But it did. At first sight I thought they were terrible but they started to grow on me. I still think they are pretty bad but not as bad as I originally thought. The biggest problem I had with them was the blue sleeves. I think with some design changes they could be decent in the future.

Overall it was a good game. I have been to louder games, funner games, better performances by the team, etc. but they are all a blast to go to. If you ever get a chance to see your home team play go do it. It is an experience you won’t forget. I will probably be at 3-4 more games this year and I am looking forward to all of them.

Week 2 is done and overall we have seen some very good football the first couple weeks of the season. There have been some good competitive games, some great individual performances, and some great last minute drives.

After going 12-4 in my week one picks I came back to earth and went 8-8 this week which is still OK for me. There were a few suprises this week and I think we can see which teams should contend for playoff spots and who will struggle this year.

Here are some snap judgements based on what we saw in Week 2:

1.  The Baltimore Ravens could be juggernaut. For years the Ravens have relied almost soley on their defense but now they have an offense that can put a lot of points on the board. They have scored 69 points thru the first two weeks and they don’t show any signs of slowing down. Their defense has given up 50 points though. But Ray Lewis showed he is still one of the most explosive defenders in the game when he anihilated Darren Sproles in the backfield at the end of the game.

2. Can the New Orleans offense be stopped? Drew Brees is on fire and New Orleans could break the record for most points scored in a season. Brees has a QB rating of 132.9 thru the first two weeks. If their defense can just be average this team could make a very deep playoff run.

3. Injuries are having a big impact this season. Every team has to fight injuries every year but it seems there are a lot of top level players standing on the sideline every week. It also seems that in every game there are a couple plays where someone gets knocked loopy. Carson Palmer recently said he thinks it won’t be long until someone gets killed on the field. While that is a tragic thought I think it is true. With players getting bigger, faster, and stronger the collisions are getting more and more violent. I am not sure what can be done to avert a tragedy like this but a team’s depth is more and more important.

4. Teams that could be better than expected: Cincinnatti Bengals, NY Jets, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos. All 4 of those teams have played good the first couple weeks and while they all might not be in the playoff hunt at the end of the season they could all win more games than I expected.

5. Teams that could be worse than expected: Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers. Some of these teams will probably still end up making the playoffs but I don’t think we have a 12 win team in the bunch. They have all shown vulnerabilities early this year and aren’t as good as they were last year.

6. AFC Playoff predictions based on the first two weeks: NY Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, Houston Texans, New England Patriots. I think the Ravens are the top of the list here and are looking like a Super Bowl team right now.

7. NFC Playoff predictions based on the first two weeks: New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys. I still think Seattle will win the west even after their dismal performance on Sunday. Take away the two long runs by Gore and the Seahawks were OK.

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Well, after a great week 1 of picking games (12-4 against the spread) I am back with another round of picks. Obviously I don’t expect to go 12-4 every week but if I do I might need to move to Vegas. Here we go with week 2

Houston Texans +6.5 at the Tennessee Titans: Houston disappointed in week one and Tennessee fought valiantly but fell to Pittsburgh in the end. I expect a good rebound for the Texans and they will go into Tennessee and beat a team who will probably lose a lot of close games this year. Houston Texans Win.

Carolina Panthers +6.5 at the Atlanta Falcons: Michael Turner didn’t do well in the opening week and Jake Delhomme put on one of the worst QB performances in a long time. I think the Falcons will win this game and the Panthers fans will be calling for Delhomme’s head by the end of the game. Atlanta Falcons Win.

Minnesota Vikings -9.5 at the Detroit Lions: I usually don’t like picking agains huge home underdogs but the Minnesota Vikings are a much better team than the Lions. Detroit will get some wins this year but not in this game. Adrian Peterson will have another great game and the Minnesota defense will shut down Stafford and the Lions offense. Minnesota Vikings win.

Cincinnatti Bengals +9 at the Green Bay Packers: The Cincinnatti defense is actually a pretty solid unit and I would almost say they have an edge over the Packers D but Green Bay is looking like a very solid team. I think Cincinnati will cover but the Packers offense is looking pretty potent. Green Bay Packers win.

Oakland Raiders +3 at the Kansas City Chiefs: The Oakland Raiders defense played a great game on Monday night against the Chargers and except for the last couple drives really beat up on San Diego. Kansas City just has too many holes. Oakland wins

New Orleans Saints PK at the Philadelphia Eagles: Without Donovan McNabb I think Philadelphia will struggle to move the ball. They only managed 82 yards passing and 2.8 yards per pass agains the Panthers. The New Orleans offense is probably the best in the league and I think they will shread the Philly D. New Orleans win.

St. Louis Rams +10 at the Washington Redskins: Man, these big spreads sure make it hard to pick these games. The St. Louis offense didn’t look good against the Seahawks but Washington played the Giants tough. I think Washington will take care of business at home and win fairly easily. Washington wins.

New England Patriots -4 at the New York Jets: Rex Ryan and the Jets have been talking a lot of smack leading up to this game. I really like Ryan’s swagger and attitude he is bringing to this team and now the Jets need to take that to the field. The Patriots D isn’t as scary as it has been in the past and they are already hurting with injuries to Jerod Mayo and others. New York Jets win.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +5 at the Buffalo Bills: Tough game to call here. The Bills had a chance to win but flushed that chance down the toilet and Tampa Bay was able to move the ball fairly well against the Cowboys but they gave up too many big pass plays. Tampa Bay wins.

Arizona Cardinals +3.5 at the Jacksonville Jaguars: Maybe Jacksonville won’t be as bad as I thought this year. But I do think Arizona will be as bad as I thought. Losing both their offensive and defensive coordinators is gonna hurt them all year. Jacksonville wins.

Seattle Seahawks +1.5 at the San Francisco 49ers: After a shaky first quarter the Seattle Seahawks looked pretty good for the rest of the game. When their offense gets into a rythym they are very good. And their defense is much more aggressive this year. They will be missing Leroy Hill and maybe Lofa Tatupu but Walter Jones could be back. If San Francisco is smart they will ride Frank Gore and Glen Coffee and take the ball out of Shaun Hill’s hands. Seattle wins.

Baltimore Ravens +3.5 at the San Diego Chargers: It looks like the Ravens now have an offense to go with their defense. San Diego is missing two starting linemen and Kelly Gregg and Haloti Ngata will be collapsing the pocket all day. Baltimore wins.

Cleveland Browns +3.5 at the Denver Broncos: Cleveland doesn’t really have any consistent playmakers. Denver won ugly in week one and I think that is the only way they will win this year. As long as Kyle Orton can make good decisions and not turn the ball over I think Denver will be OK at home. Denver wins.

Indianapolis Colts -3 at the Miami Dolphins: Miami had almost everything go right for them last year but they aren’t really a good enough team to overcome adversity. Indianapolis will be looking for someone to step up opposite Reggie Wayne as a receiver and Dallas Clark should start putting up some huge games. Indianapolis wins.

New York Giants +3 at the Dallas Cowboys: Dallas is playing at home in their new stadium which sounds like the most awesome stadium ever built. Jerry Jones won’t tolerate a loss. Tony Romo is great in September games and the Giants secondary is hurting. Dallas wins. (and I am gonna put the over/under for punts hitting the scoreboard at 2.5)