College of Sports Media Game of the Night:

It’s turkey day across the border and that means one thing: a full plate of NFL football. Three games on the docket today. The Green Bay Packers (6-4) take their show on the road as their in the Motor City to take on the Detroit Lions (2-8). Both teams are coming off big week 10 wins, but both got are dealing with some serious injuries. The Pack dumped the 49ers 30-24 and in the process lost both defensive end Aaron Kampman and corner back Al Harris for the season. Kampman leads the team in sacks and Harris is a great cover corner. The Lions beat the Browns 38-37 i n the final seconds of their game. Quarterback Matt Stafford dislocated his shoulder at the end of the game, but he’s toughing it out and will be behind centre today. Who knows how effective he will be.

Next up the Oakland Raiders(3-7) are in Dallas to take on the Cowboys (7-3). At first glance this one looks like it’ll be one-sided. Oakland is coming off a monster win over the AFC North leading Cincinnati Bengals last week and the Cowboys have struggled mightally on offence. The Raiders finally benched JaMarcus Russell and gave Bruce Gradkowski the starters job. He responded with two touchdown passes, including a last second score leading to the upset win. Over the last two weeks the Cowboys offence has been less then effective. Over the last two weeks the ‘Boys have scored two touchdowns. If they don’t get things together they may end up being the turkey in a Raider’s feast.

The last game is probably the best as the New York Giants (6-4) battle the Denver Broncos (6-4). Both teams limp into this one. Denver has lost four straight and they got pummeled 32-3 last week by the San Diego Chargers. New York has dropped four of five and needed overtime to beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-31. The Giants come into this one banged-up, on three days rest and have to play in the mile-high air. If Denver can take advantage they just might end their skid.

College of Sports Media Game of the Night:

I’m guessing the people who are in charge of making the NFL schedule felt that Cleveland would be a far better team. How else can you explain the Monday night-er tonight? The Baltimore Ravens (4-4) making the trip to the Mistake by the Lake to take on the Browns (1-7). These two teams are at the bottom of the AFC North and are far from any post season aspirations. Cincinnati leads the division with a 7-2 record and Pittsburgh trails the Bengals by a game. Getting back to the Ravens and Browns, the last time these two teams met was in week 3 and Baltimore cruised to a 34-3 win. A similar result is expected tonight. The Browns are so bad, management has decided to give quarterback Brady Quinn a second chance at starting. In three starts this season (including week 3) Quinn has one touchdown pass, three interceptions and has been sacked 10 times. The Ravens haven’t been great either. They started the season strong, but have lost four of their last five. Running back Ray Rice has been one of the lone bright spots for the team. He’s rushed for 573 yards, caught 46 balls for another 436 yards and has scored six touchdowns. You can be sure he’ll get a lot of work tonight.

If this game doesn’t get you going you can also check out some NBA action. Two young and talented teams battle it out as the Portland Trailblazers are in the ATL to take on the Hawks. Atlanta (8-2) has the best record in the East, while Portland (8-3) is number two in the West.

On the ice it’s on Atlantic division battle as the top seed New Jersey Devils take on the Philadelphia Flyers in the City of Brotherly Love. If the Devils win tonight they open the season winning nine straight on the road, tying a league record for most wins on the road to start a season.

They were some real eye-openers Sunday afternoon, none more so than the Cincinnati Bengals. With their 18-12 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals have moved to 7-2 on the year, but more importantly control the AFC North. They’re a combined 4-0 against the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens this year, and enter a very easy stretch in their schedule. With the way their defence is playing, they should be able to keep the division lead for quite a while.

THE GOOD

Two teams have done an excellent job turning their seasons around – the Carolina Panthers and the Tennessee Titans. Carolina moved to 4-5 with a tough win over Atlanta, thanks in large part to Jake Delhomme. The embattled quarterback was dreadful earlier this season, but has been able to right his game enough to get some wins. Sunday afternoon he threw for just under 200 yards and two scores. With wins in four of their last six (and they should have been able to capitalize against New Orleans last week), the Panthers are still in the race for an NFC wildcard spot.

Tennessee, meanwhile, has won three straight games with Vince Young back under centre. Chris Johnson has rushed for just under 500 yards in those three wins, and their defence seems to be restoring some of its swagger from last season. Word of caution to their next opponents: the Titans are out to show their 0-6 start was a fluke. Word of caution to Titans fans: the three wins have come against Jacksonville, San Francisco, and Buffalo.

THE BAD

Maybe it was just a case of looking past a weak opponent, but the New Orleans Saints need to be careful. I’ve watched the team four weeks in a row now, and I haven’t been impressed with their performance in any of the contests. A narrow five point win over the St. Louis Rams, a game in which the Rams deserved a better fate, tells me that Head Coach Sean Payton needs to get his team better prepared for games. As I’ve said before, come playoff time, the Saints aren’t going to go far if they keep allowing inferior teams to stay in the game.

THE UGLY

The Dallas Cowboys had a great opportunity to open up a two game lead in the NFC East, and went out and had a pathetic outing versus the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys offensive statistics may look adequate, but most of their effectiveness came in garbage time when the Packers were up 17-0. The ‘boys didn’t convert a third down until the fourth quarter, and Dallas running backs managed only 45 yards on 11 carries. So much for Tony Romo’s November magic.

I know they’re still three games over 500, but this is the Denver Broncos team I thought I’d see. I give full marks to Kyle Orton for finally throwing the ball over 20 yards (he did it twice!),  but even with Orton going down, they have to beat the Washington Redskins. With three straight losses, the Broncos are now tied with the San Diego Chargers in the AFC West.

TWO POINT CONVERSION

- I know the games generate a lot of revenue for specific markets, but can’t the league switch the Monday nighter if it looks like a dud? I’m sorry, but Baltimore @ Cleveland just doesn’t rev my engine as a Week Ten matchup this season

- Josh Freeman had another nice outing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Count me as surprised. Freeman actually leads the Bucs on scoring drives – a nice change from the quarterback play they were getting earlier in the season

With Week Nine in the NFL almost behind us, I’m left wondering yet again how teams fighting for playoff positions can come out so flat. I’m going to leave San Francisco and the New York Giants out of this (today), and focus on Baltimore, and the pathetic NFC North tandem of Chicago and Green Bay.

Last week Baltimore completely dominated Denver, handing them their first loss of the season, a 30-7 drubbing. Yesterday they traveled to Cincinnati to exact some revenge for a narrow Week Five loss to the Bengals. Yet what ensued was 60 minutes of lifeless football – with the Ravens not even mustering their score until the fourth quarter. Cincy was up 14-0 nothing before the Ravens even knew what was happening, and they were able to set it to cruise control for the rest of the game. Joe Flacco was dreadful, going 18-32 for 195 yards and two picks, and Bengals’ corners Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph had his receivers blanketed all day. Forgot the Ravens competing in the AFC North – they’ll be lucky to make the playoffs if they keep showing as little fire as they did Sunday afternoon.

When Tommie Harris missed Chicago’s Week Seven game against the Bengals, the Bears were pasted 45-10. I said it then, without Harris and Brian Urlacher in the middle of the defence, the Bears are useless. Well, just four plays into yesterday’s tilt with the Arizona Cardinals, Harris had a brain cramp and punched guard Deuce Lutui in the face – immediate ejection. Arizona went on to score on its first sixpossessions, en route to a 41-21 cake walk. Head Coach of the Bears Lovie Smith took over defensive play-calling permanently at the beginning of the season. After yesterday’s debacle, it’s amazing the Bears haven’t pulled a Daniel Snyder and stripped him of the responsibility. Jay Cutler and the offence tried, but they just couldn’t keep up. The Bears are a complete mess right now, and sit three games back of Minnesota in the NFC North. And just think Bears fans, the team doesn’t own its top two draft picks in 2010.

And then there’s Green Bay. I don’t care how composed Josh Freeman looked/played in his debut – you do not lose to the 2009 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No team in the NFL should have lost to this years’ Bucs, they’re simply terrible. But Green Bay, attempting to keep pace in the NFC North, allows a rookie quarterback to toss three touchdowns and lead his team to victory, even after they’d taken a 7-0 lead under three minutes into the game. Let’s just hope the Packers didn’t make people in Tampa all superstitious - or else we may be in for more of the creamsicle jerseys.

TWO POINT CONVERSION

- how can people consider New Orleans a better team than Indianapolis? New Orleans was down 24 points at half to Miami two weeks ago, and down 14-0 in the first quarter to Carolina yesterday. If they even try that in the playoffs, they’re going to get bounced by a team that knows how to finish

- I know Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger have both won the Superbowl, and they’re both good-to-great players, but Philip Rivers is the best quarterback from the 2004 draft class. Week in, week out he’s simply outstanding, and watching his game-winning, last-minute drive against the Giants was a thing of beauty

This week wasn’t so much about teams that proved their worth to me, more about teams that fell far below my expectations. If Cincinnati wants to be taken seriously in the AFC North, they need to beat Houston at home. The New York Jets cannot lose to the Buffalo Bills at home, it’s simply inexcusable for a team that knocked off the New England Patriots just a few weeks ago. And then there’s Philadelphia and Washington….

But there were some solid performances to speak of as well, so that’s where we’ll start.

THE GOOD

The New Orleans Saints are looking like quite the NFC powerhouse right now. I did not expect them to beat the Giants, let alone embarrass them.  Drew Brees shredded the G-Men’s secondary for 369 yards and four touchdowns, and Marques Colston caught eight passes for 161 yards and a score. Even with Minnesota remaining undefeated, the Saints are a far better team due to the way they’re winning games. That’s two undefeated New York teams in three weeks to travel into the Superdome, and two New York teams humiliated.

The Arizona Cardinals went a long way to proving they weren’t just a one year wonder by thoroughly handling the Seattle Seahawks. In a key NFC West matchup, in the harsh atmosphere of Qwest, scored an early touchdown, and never looked back. Kurt Warner completed 32 of 41 passes for just under three hundred yards and a pair of scores before Matt Leinart (remember him) came in for mop-up duty. But the key figure of the game that stood out to me – Arizona allowed only 14 rushing yards. I know the Seahawks aren’t big-time running team anymore, but that is one impressive number.

THE BAD

I knew Tennessee was bad this year. I didn’t know they were that bad. I gave them a very small chance to go winless based on the talent that still remains on their roster, but yesterday was just plain wrong. Was Tom Brady playing against a scout team? Jeff Fisher should make the switch and go with Vince Young for the rest of the season. Who knows, maybe he can get them a win or two.

Sticking with the same game: when your quarterback has just set an NFL record with five touchdown passes in a quarter and you lead 45-0 at half, you do not send said quarterback out to start the second half. It’s called sportsmanship Mr. Belichick.

Neither the Atlanta Falcons nor Chicago Bears looked like serious threats Sunday night. Costly interceptions, fumbles from the goal line, and stupid penalties (way to cost your team a chance to win Orlando Pace) occurred far too often in the game, and each team needs to: a) get their running games back on track, and b) stop having their defences give up long scoring drives

THE UGLY

What can I possibly say about the Washington Redskins? They beat the St. Louis Rams by two points. They become the first team to lose to the Detroit Lions in almost two years. They defeat Tampa Bay by a measly field goal. And then they lose to the Kansas City Chiefs. The combined record of their last four opponents is 2-22. Jim Zorn should pull a Bobby Petrino and quit midseason to bolt for college. Oh wait – I don’t think there’s a college program that would be interested.

The Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Oakland Raiders. There’s no need to go deeper into that one.

TWO POINT CONVERSION

- the New York Jets suffered another huge loss today, literally. 360 pound nose tackle Kris Jenkins will be out for the season according to the NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi. The Jets should call the Browns immediately about Shaun Rogers. Eric Mangini has already given his former team Mark Sanchez and Braylon Edwards, maybe he’d be willing to do another favour

- the trade deadline’s tomorrow, and it’s the one time of year I wish the NFL was more like the other North American professional sports leagues. Nothing would make me happier than somewhere in the neighbourhood of 20 trades with at least four star players changing teams. It won’t happen, but I can dream