Have the NFL playoffs started with your favorite team left out in the cold? Well, have no fear. You can shamelessly join the bandwagon of one of the 12 remaining teams in the playoffs. Not sure who you want to be a fan of for the next month? No worries, you can follow our easy-to-use guide for choosing your new favorite team. Welcome to bandwagon fandom. All aboard!

I make no apologies for being a Jets fan. In fact, they should apologize to me for 2012, but we’ll save that for another day. Despite a lack of wins, they stayed in the headlines all year long. For every circus attraction that was their season, the biggest moment wasn’t the Butt Fumble, or the Sanchez Drama. Or the Rex Ryan drama. Or the Tebow drama. Okay, there was a lot of drama. In fact, more drama than victories, for sure. BUT. (Not Butt as in fumble) BUT. What never gets talked about was a moment that could have not only saved the Jets season, but possibly catapulted them to the playoffs. In Week 7, the 3-3 Jets played 3-3 […]

Every year many of us gather around the TV to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life,” a lovely Christmas tale where George Bailey is given a second chance on life after a visit from a guardian angel. And many of you are likely a little morose after your team has failed to reach the playoffs in 2012. Well, consider me your Clarence as I show you why there is reason for hope with your favorite team. And without further ado …

We hope your week 13 was better than the one Mark Sanchez had.  We’ve got some fun reads for you and want to make sure you check them out.  So here’s our clipboard of content: Sunday: Exclusive: Jets Quarterback Mark Sanchez’s clipboard  – Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez was lifted during Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. Sanchez was caught furiously scribbling on his clipboard. What could he have possibly been writing? We got a sneak peek with our spy camera. Monday: Madden Curse Watch – Calvin Johnson erupts against the Colts, but Andrew Luck leads a fourth quarter charge. Madden Curse watch has all the drama captured on camera and  on video. NFL Royalty – Photo gallery – In honor […]

The Chargers defense has played a single high coverage 76% (104/170) of the opponents drop backs. They will also be forced to stack the box due to RB Doug Martin’s presence.

As we do every week, let’s take a swing around the NFL, looking at a bunch of random things… 1. I spent some time in Chicago earlier in the week at the NFL’s annual Fall Meeting, and many of the topics addressed here are from the meeting. There were a bunch of issues discussed, but nothing more important happened than the introduction of Browns owner Jimmy Haslam III. I know it won’t exactly affect the team’s performance on the field today — or, likely won’t — but it is noteworthy. After years of having an owner in Randy Lerner who was never around, Haslam will be the opposite. He’s moving to Cleveland. He’ll be present, his family will be present… […]

Earlier this year, the NFL passed a new rule that allowed teams to place a player on Injured Reserve but not necessarily lose him for the season. Officially, they “designate him for return,” though it’s come to be called “Short-term IR.” It’s a good rule. I like it. If a player gets hurt in Week 1 and can come back by Week 10, why would a team be forced to lose him for the season just to have his roster spot? For the Patriots in the Super Bowl last year, for instance, they could’ve used Dan Koppen, but he’d already been declared out. Yet, he was healthy. So, anyway, it’s worked out. Coaches and teams often find unexpected loopholes or uses […]

As we do every week, let’s take a swing around the NFL, looking at a bunch of random things… So, what’s been up? 1. The Jets play on Monday night, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to talk about what’s going on with them. Banged up, beat up and struggling, the Jets face a critical home game against the powerful Texans. And all eyes are on their quarterback situation. Rex Ryan said he’s sticking with starter Mark Sanchez, but for how long? When does Tim Tebow Time happen? At what point will Ryan said, “Screw it, let’s put Tim in?” Because, as people inside the building say, that’s what it’ll be. I mean, can’t you hear Rex saying that… […]

As we do every week, let’s take a swing around the NFL, looking at a bunch of random things… So, what’s been up? 1. The Buccaneers have a serious challenge today in facing the Cowboys, but they will have some big-time weapons to use. One of them is blue-chip receiver Vincent Jackson, a monstrously tall former Chargers star who was the prize of this free agent class. He has nine catches for 175 yards in two games, and QB Josh Freeman seems to have already built a connection with him. As Cowboys CB Brandon Carr was telling me, Freeman is already following the lead of Chargers QB Philip Rivers. “They both have the same mentality,” Carr said. “They’re going to throw […]

As we do every week — except this time, it’s game week! — let’s take a swing around the NFL, looking at a bunch of random things … So, what’s been up? 1. The Steelers play tonight against the Broncos, and they get the first crack at QB Peyton Manning. Sure, Pittsburgh is tweaked about some injury issues (I don’t blame them), but they are mostly ready to go. I just want to take out a second and note something you shouldn’t really need to praise anyone for. I’ll do it anyway. Nice, easy, sound decision by coach Mike Tomlin to eliminate any possibility of S Ryan Clark playing in the mile-high altitude because of a health issues. This should […]

As we do every week, let’s take a swing around the NFL, looking at a bunch of random things … So, what’s been up? 1. Is there a better place to start than the New York Jets? Oh, and for a spoiler alert, we’re not talking about Tim Tebow right off the bat. So… you might not be interested. But anyway, we’ll talk about the Jets issues at right tackle. What a mess. Wayne Hunter, who the coaches praised all offseason, was benched after two horrific performances in preseason games. Duh. Even he said, “I was waiting for it.” I imagine this makes for a bit of an awkward time for OL coach Dave DeGuglielmo, who said this spring that until they […]

The Jets struggles at offensive tackle are well-documented, and anyone who checked out Wayne Hunter on Saturday night can attest. They have a problem… one they tried to fix. The Jets dealt for former Panthers first-rounder Jeff Otah, then saw the trade nullified when he didn’t pass a physical. Soon, Otah was sent back to Carolina, and released. It wasn’t his best week. It also wasn’t the end. Otah got in his car and drove to Cleveland to work out at the O-Line Academy run by LeCharles Bentley. The goal is to make it back this season, in shape, and ready to roll. It may not be by Week 1, but at some point. On NFL.com, Bentley clued us in […]

As we do every week, let’s take a swing around the NFL, looking at a bunch of random things … So, what’s been up? 1. I cued up my Game Pass yesterday and checked out the Jaguars/Saints game… and I almost couldn’t believe what I saw. Where in the world did this guy still called Blaine Gabbert come from? Last year, the former first-rounder was a mess. Just scared and shaky, looking unprepared and fidgety in the pocket with no recognition skills. I didn’t shy away from criticizing him, wondering if it was all a big mistake. Meanwhile, Jaguars fans pointed out what a similar disasterbacle Eli Manning was a rookie … and that turned out fine. Based on Friday […]

As we do every week, let’s take a swing around the NFL, looking at a bunch of random things … So, what’s been up? 1. I can’t help but think that the Steelers’ season will be dictated by two storylines, neither of which will make the Pittsburgh crazies very happy. One is, can QB Ben Roethlisberger stay healthy? He’s already been slowed by a gimpy ankle and, ho hum, he’s got a torn rotator cuff on his throwing shoulder. And from the way it sounded, his offensive line will be a work in progress. Starting two rookies is good for the future, scary for the present, even if the rookies are highly touted like David DeCastro and Mike Adams. And […]

Every time we talk about the preseason, it comes with a caveat: It’s only the preseason. It doesn’t really count. Teams aren’t using their best game plans, stars only play a few plays and the models of evaluation are different. For teams, the focus shifts from, “Can this player thrive in our scheme?” to “Can he win 1-on-1 battles?“ The best performances (hello, Julio Jones) and the worst (ouch, Kevin Kolb) should be taken with a pound of salt. This was all reinforced Friday night quite nicely during the New York Jets’ 17-6 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. As the New York Post pointed out, Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis called Jets coach Rex Ryan and asked him not to run […]