The 2011 NFL regular season has been one for the books and it’s about to end with a bang in Week 17. There are 16 division collisions and most of them happen to be mouth-watering marquee matchups with postseason ramifications included. Elite contenders and perennial pretenders alike are fighting for their lives for a last-minute playoff push and all-important postseason positioning, while many teams already eliminated are extremely eager to wreck their rivals’ hopes and dreams of reaching the big stage. Happy New Year and I hope you enjoy this week’s action!  Be sure to comment below! Last Week: 10-6 (161-79 Overall) Buffalo (6-9) at New England (12-3) (CBS, 1:00pm [...] Continue reading → | 2011 NFL Predictions, Albert Breer, Jason La Canfora, Michael Gartman, NFL picks Week 17, NFL predictions Week 17, NFL Week 17 Playoff Scenarios, NFL.com, Peter King, SI.com

Getting ready for the Week 17 action by reviewing some of the film from Week 16. Broncos O vs. Bills D The story of the game was not the four late interceptions thrown by Tim Tebow – it was the suffocating man coverage and cohesive run defense played by the Bills. The interceptions all came after Buffalo had established a 26-14 lead. They built that lead by locking down on the receivers outside. Drayton Florence hardly showed up on film – a good sign for a corner playing man coverage. Aside from one pass interference flag, rookie Aaron Williams was extremely impressive on the other side. The Bills got gouged on the ground on the first possession but adjusted well. Instead of trying to track the ball and beat their blocker – two tough tasks against the [...] Continue reading → | Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, John Sketon, Kansas City Chiefs, Kyle Orton, Ray Rice, Tim Tebow

With the 2011 season drawing to a close this Sunday, it's time we take a look at the future. While it's disappointing Kansas City fell short of a second straight playoff berth the Chiefs still have many pieces in place. However, one enormous question remains. Should Scott Pioli try to re-sign Kyle Orton/keep Matt Cassel, or draft a young quarterback and hope that you get a great one. With Matt Barkley and most likely Landry Jones returning to school, only Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III seem like quarterbacks worthy of a first round pick. Griffin III might be around when Kansas City makes its selection but Luck will be long gone. To get a QB in April, Pioli would probably have to trade up by dealing multiple picks. If the Chiefs are going to take a QB they better do it in the [...] Continue reading → | 2012 NFL Draft, Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs, Kyle Orton, Matt Cassel, Scott Pioli, Tony Moeaki

The holiday season couples many of the things we covet most in life—family, friends, faith, food and football. Christmas reminds us that miracles can happen and that God is always here to light the way in the darkness. It’s also important to remember that it always feels better to give than to receive. On behalf of everyone at GridironGrit.com and NFLTouchdown.com, we hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas (and Happy Hanukkah) and enjoy a Happy New Year! Week 16 was [...] Continue reading → | 2011 NFL Playoff Picture, 2011 NFL Playoff Picture Week 17, adrian peterson, Adrian Peterson Injury, America's Most Charitable Professional Athlete 2011, Andre Johnson and Wade Phillips Could Return For Week 17, Andrew Luck, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore Ravens Playoff Scenarios, Bengals Beg Fans To Attend Week 17, Best-Selling Religion Author 2011, Braylon Edwards, Braylon Edwards Cut By 49ers, Braylon Edwards Inspirational Story, Buffalo Bills, C.J. Spiller, Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers, CBSSports.com, Chicago Bears, Chris Beanie Wells, Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati Bengals Playoff Scenarios, Cleveland Browns, Colt McCoy, ComcastSports.com, Dallas Cowboys, Dan Orlovsky, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Don Banks, Drew Brees Breaks Dan Marino's 27-Year Single-Season Passing Record, Elliot Harrison, ESPN.com, Falcons Want Revenge Against Saints After Brees Set Record, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jim Harbaugh, John Skelton, Juan Castillo, Kansas City Chiefs, Kevin Kolb, Kevin Kolb vs. John Skelton Stats, Kyle Orton, Latest NFL News, Lee Russakoff, Mark Sanchez, Marshawn Lynch, matt moore, Matthew Stafford, Matthew Stafford Stats 2011, Miami Dolphins, Michael Gartman, Minnesota Vikings, Ndamukong Suh, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, New York Jets Playoff Scenarios, NFL power rankings, NFL Power Rankings Week 17, NFL Week 17 Playoff Scenarios, NFL.com, NFL.com Expert Power Rankings, NFL.com Power Poll, Norv Turner, Norv Turner Firing, Oakland Raiders, Oakland Raiders Playoff Scenarios, Packers To Rest Starters vs. Lions in Week 17, Pat Shurmur, Pete Prisco, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Steelers Playoff Scenarios, Raheem Morris, Reggie Bush, Rex Ryan, Robert Griffin III, Romeo Crennel, Ryan Fitzpatrick, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Shahid Khan, SI.com, St. Louis Rams, Steve Spagnuolo, Suck For Luck, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tarvaris Jackson, Tennessee Titans, Tennessee Titans Playoff Scenarios, Tim Tebow, Tom Coughlin, tony romo, Washington Redskins, Why Lions Need To Beat Packers Week 17

The problem with most of the “Top 10 Stories of the Year” type pieces is they focus around drama and hype. Reading about Ndamukong Suh’s stomping incident or the Jim Schwartz-Jim Harbaugh postgame scuffle or the public’s reaction to Tim Tebow is fun, but it won’t make anyone a smarter football fan. For those of you analysis junkies, here are the top 10 trends and developments that took place between the sidelines in the NFL this season.   10. Tebow and Newton This isn’t about the hype, it’s about the concept of a read-option quarterback thriving at the pro level. Tim Tebow has had enough success to at least open a discussion about the possibility of the college style run system going mainstream in the NFL. There’s been less hoopla surrounding [...] Continue reading → | adrian peterson, Cam Newton, NFL 2011, NFL Top 10, NFL trends, Rob Gronkowski, Tim Tebow

On Christmas Eve day, the thrilling high-stakes NFL Week 16 action kicks into full swing, as elite contenders and perennial pretenders fight for their lives for a last-minute playoff push. Many teams already eliminated from playoff contention with seemingly nothing to play for will be as eager as a cat every time it hears a can opener to play spoiler and crash their opponents’ dreams of reaching the big stage. Without further adieu, here’s my latest batch of predictions. Be sure to enjoy Saturday’s amazing slate of games and let me know your thoughts below! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Last Week: 7-9 (151-73 Overall) Note: Due to time constraints, I picked the [...] Continue reading → | 2011 NFL Predictions, Albert Breer, Jason La Canfora, NFL picks Week 16, NFL predictions Week 16, NFL.com, Peter King, SI.com

The Packers went 364 days without a loss, while the Colts were also headed straight for the record books for infamous imperfection.  In the most unlikely circumstances, both streaks came to an end in Week 15. The Tebow train was also stopped when the Patriots popped in for a visit and the Texans struggled in all phases against Carolina without defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. Those were just the pinnacle of the surprises and headlines. Philadelphia and Washington also annihilated the two teams from New York by 39 points combined.  Seattle crushed Chicago by more than three touchdowns and Detroit wrapped up its first winning season since '97 in another thrilling comeback over Oakland. The wild and whacky [...] Continue reading → | 2011 NFL Playoff Picture, 2011 NFL Playoff Picture Week 16, Braylor Edwards Inspirational Story, CBSSports.com, ComcastSports.com, Don Banks, Elliot Harrison, ESPN.com, Latest NFL News, Lee Russakoff, Michael Gartman, MidWestSportsFans.com, NFL power rankings, NFL.com NFL.com Expert Power Rankings, NFL.com Power Poll, Pete Prisco, SI.com, week 16

Nobody expected the Chiefs to upend the previously unbeaten Green Bay Packers last Sunday. It was a early Christmas gift and certainly nothing short of a Christmas miracle. Romeo Crennel got a win in his first game at the reins in Kansas City and a Gatorade bath to go with it. The whole day seemed magical. It was very exciting, but now it's time to look towards the future for Crennel and co. Amazingly the Chiefs are still alive in the playoff race as they approach their date with the Raiders on Christmas Eve. Kansas City has to focus and be ready for an Oakland team seeking revenge. This is a de facto playoff game for both sides; the winner may live but the loser will most certainly die. With a legitimate quarterback at the helm in Kyle Orton and a different man leading the [...] Continue reading → | AFC West, Kansas City Chiefs, Kyle Orton, Romeo Crennel, Tim Tebow

Eagles O vs. Jet D The Jets game plan was seemingly to keep Michael Vick in the pocket and force him to be a progression passer. Realizing that Vick would have plenty of time against a soft four-man rush, Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg centered their aerial attack around slow-developing crossing patterns, which are extremely tough for a secondary to hold coverage against. Vick did a great job patiently hanging in the pocket and waiting for his receivers to creep open. He threw with good timing, touch and accuracy. A few chunky gains from these plays were all it took for Philly to build and sustain a big lead. The Jets pass-rush was not a factor overall, even when they were trying to attack. Philly’s run game was also not much of a factor (no surprise – the Jets’ [...] Continue reading → | Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning, Green Bay Packers, Green Bay Packers loss, Kansas City Chiefs, Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles

Patriots 41, Broncos 23 Miracles don’t work out of order. By rushing for 167 yards and scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter, the Broncos essentially fed their two fish and few loaves of bread as appetizers to the first six guests, leaving the next 4,994 hungry in the fourth quarter. [...] Continue reading → | Aaron Rodgers, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Drew Brees, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Philip Rivers, Tim Tebow, Tom Brady