The top prospects have been tweeting all week about their time in NYC and all seem to be looking forward to it. Speculation has been as wild as it always is and I’m sure they’ll be a lot to second guess come tomorrow morning. All eyes are on the main QB targets like Blaine Gabbert, Cam Newton and Jake Locker but expect to see linemen having their names called early and often.

In the UK hours, the Panthers are on the clock at 1am Friday morning. Video overage is on ESPN, radio on Radio 5 Live and text at nfl.com, Yahoo! Sports and several other places that I’m sure you can find.

Craig, Tom and I have completed our own personal draft boards and we’ll be seeing how we got on for the 1st round over the weekend and grading accordingly.

Enjoy the draft!

The AFC First…

The New York Jets and the Baltimore Ravens have the bye weeks. Both teams have been on top form, with the edge probably going to the Jets, though they’ve been in some close games.

In the Wildcards we have the New England Patriots at Jacksonville Jaguars and the Pittsburgh Steelers @ Kansas City Chiefs. In both wildcard instances, the visiting team has a better overall record than the division winners and will fancy their chances. The East and North in the AFC are looking very strong indeed.

No room for the Indianpolis Colts at the moment, or the San Diego Chargers. Both are knocking on the door though and if they overhaul the Jaguars and Chiefs we won’t be surprised.

And in the NFC…

The Atlanta Falcons and the Chicago Bears take the first two spots and the bye weeks. Given their wins over fellow contenders the Packers and the Eagles respectively this week that makes sense.

For the Wildcard matches, the Philadelphia Eagles host the New York Giants in an NFC East matchup. In the other game the New Orleans Saints travel to the St. Louis Rams

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers are close, but for the South to send three teams will be a tough ask. I’d love to see the Rams in the post-season, it would be good for them, good for the neutrals and good for the league. But we’ll see.

There are plenty of games to go, which in turn will throw up plenty of surprises.

Click to watch Video

As website owners we thought this was quite funny, I bet their IT people are feeling some heat though.

Catch the full story here -Yahoo News

But let’s take a closer look… let’s take a look at his stats and compare them to last year’s starter over the same timeframe:

So let’s be honest: He’s not doing any better than Thomas Jones, who was released, and both players had their numbers boosted by playing the Bills. There is a very strong case that LDT’s production this year is largely a result of the system; that he’s at a team much more set for the run than the pass, with lineman ready for it, indeed an entire club ethos of running it “up their ass”. In fairness, Thomas had some bad games in that timeframe, against the Titans in particular, but he was productive in others including 100+ yard games in 4 of the 6 divisional matchups.

Yes, Tomlinson’s doing better than he did last year. But he’s not a big difference maker to the Jets.

On Thomas Jones, he was released as he didn’t want to take a pay cut. Although making only $900,000 in his 1400+ yards 2009, the Jets didn’t want to pay him the bonus he was due, or his base salary. Instead they got Tomlinson in for two years for only slightly more than the cost of Jones for 2010 alone. Jones is currently in Kansas City, and looking good too.

Tomlinson, then a Charger

We were privileged enough to see LaDanian Tomlinson at Wembley when the Chargers lost to the Saints, and his running – particularly on the edge – was a thing of beauty. But let’s not kid ourselves he’s back as good as the 2008 variety, let alone the 2006 kind. Even assuming that he does not tail off during the regular season, something that I do not believe at all, we all know that he’ll disappear come the post-season, where he has always been a major disappointment. His one good play-off performance (23 carries for 123 yards, 2 TDs) came at the end of his record-setting 2006 season. Since then, in 5 post-season games (his teams have been in 6, he sat one out), he’s carried just 47 times for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns. That’s… well, that’s rubbish.

If the Jets are counting on LDT to take them deep into the post-season, to be the difference from last year, they’re heading for disappointment.

Image Credit: SD Dirk

Bucs' Flags at Wembley

The 2010 NFL Wembley game could be a little different, budgets may well be tight, the 49ers may well feel there is not a lot to cheer at the moment too.  One thing is for sure though, the UK NFL fans do a great job at getting behind the home team.  Us Brits love to support the underdog and San Francisco have a great following here too, so it should be an amazing crowd.

I for one can’t wait to get there and be in the company of so many NFL fans, not just UK NFL fans, but the whole mix of nationalities we saw last year.  There is truly something for everyone at the International Series.

Somewhere in the UK there are people who know the answer to the original question though, if you are one of them then please tell us what the palns are.  There may even be a beer in it for you, and at Wembley beer prices that is quite a reward!

Image Credit: Not Enough Megapixels

Who’s the most likely to keep a zero in the L column for longest?

Pittsburgh Steelers
Have Beaten: Falcons, Titans, Buccaneers
Next Three Weeks: Ravens – Bye – Browns

Kansas City Chiefs
Have Beaten: Chargers, Browns, 49ers
Next Three Weeks: Bye – at Colts – at Texans

Chicago Bears
Have Beaten: Lions, Cowboys, Packers
Next Three Weeks: at Giants, at Panthers, Seahawks

Steelers

With Ben Roethlisberger suspended and Santonio Holmes with the Jets (and also suspended) we’d thought that this team would struggle to put up points and that the defence would have to carry them. If there is one defence capable of that, then it’s certainly the Steelers. Rashad Mendenhall has stepped up and produced big time out the backfield and the D has done what’s expected. Whomever has started at QB has kept the team moving… this is a team that’s finding a way to get wins, that’s a championship-winning mentality.

They’ll only get better when their franchise quarterback returns but before that they have a tough challenge this week with the Ravens coming to town. I can’t rule against them at this point, but it’s going to depend on which Joe Flacco turns up and how Mendenhall and Mewelde Moore can perform on the ground against a tougher defensive unit than they’ll have faced so far.

Chiefs

I mentioned above that all three times are a surprise at 3-0, but the Chiefs raise our eyebrows the most. Less than two years into a deep rebuilding process, they’re looking polished and hungry (if not entirely complete yet). You could make the case that of these three teams they’ve had the ‘friendliest’ schedule, and I would agree, but they’ve beaten the teams in front of them and at times with style and verve.

Arrowhead Stadium, after major rebuilding works, is looking a fortress and is putting out crowd noise the likes of which only a few stadia can. You only have to look at the penalties and mis-cues that the Chargers and 49ers made to see that.

The offence has been firing on all cylinders and rookie Dexter McCluster is looking like a real star in the return game. Matt Cassel, after a difficult 2009, has found a chemistry with the team that is paying off. The defence is doing enough, and I really like their linebackers and corners. There are improvements to be made – everywhere – and they have some tough games coming, but you can’t rule them out at this point.

If there’s a downside to them going 4-0, then it’s the bye-week. I’d like to see their momentum carry them into the game against the Colts. Coming off a bye puts them at a disadvantage for the next game in this instance.

Bears

The Bears go into week four in the best position of these three teams, having defeated two divisional rivals in the opening three weeks to put themselves in a strong position. The defence is looking as strong as you’d expect a Chicago unit to, the offence is improved across the board and the line is managing to protect Jay Cutler better, given time he’s able to keep the chains moving and make good decisions that don’t result in interceptions. Green Bay’s penalties last night were obviously a major factor too, but teams have to ride their luck.

They travel to New York to face a Giants team that have been, let us say, ‘unsteady’ at this point and the Bears will fancy their chances there. The Panthers have been pretty bad but the Seahawks could give them another solid test come week six.

So, I Reckon…

I can’t look past the Bears at this point. And whilst I realise I’ve just given them the Kiss Of Death I fancy them over the Giants more than I fancy the Steelers over the Ravens or the Chiefs over the Colts.

In the AFC East there has been a battle going on behind the scenes.  For the last couple of years there has been a struggle between the the Jets and the Dolphins head coaches.  Not only to topple the long dominant New England Patriots from the top spot but also seemingly how much pie they can hide away before and after their touchline tangles.

Both coaches have bought a new way of thinking and playing to their respective teams, but both left fans feeling that they didn’t want to see their coaches in too much stress, because, well, the stress looked like it might kill them.

Fear not Jets and Phins fans, this years off-season has not only been a training ground for new talent, but also for the emergence of a couple of familiar but slightly healthier looking top men.  Rex T-Rex Ryan opted for (or maybe was told to have) a band fitted to help end his obesity and has lost over 40lbs.  Sparano on the other hand took the natural path, and though I am not sure how much he has lost, I would estimate the same amount after seeing him at recent press conferences.  Impressive weight loss figures for both of the big men

So, it seems like there is a new physiological war between two great coaches this year.  Yards on the field and inches around the waist.  By the end of this season we may see less of the blood red faces on the touchline.  Good for them I say, a geat example for the rest of us.  Lets just hope none of their power is hidden within their ample guts and it is not a case of  you need a big hammer to drive a long nail (as my Dad used to say )

Aside from the weight loss, this is going to be one of the more interesting battles to watch this season.  Both the Dolphins and the Jets are growing fast, even if their coaches are heading in the opposite direction.  If I were a Pats fan I would be worried, the AFC East is becoming a hard fought property and there is plenty of skill in every team both on and off the (reinforced) bench.

I am looking for reports of Bill Belichick shopping for Mens Health mag and Slimfast, but nothing has come up yet.  If he wants to keep up with his counterparts than he is going to have to start embracing the salad bar sooner rather than later!

If he has problems, then I hope he gets help. If there was ever a man that needed good advice – JMR is the one. This may be a wake-up call for him and though I’ve been mean in the past, I wouldn’t wish him harm or trouble. And not just because he’s bigger than me. He’s done as a footballer, but hopefully not as a person.

With the average NFL career being less than four seasons, when someone’s spent 14 years they deserve a mention.

Muhsin Muhammad retired yesterday. He leaves the game ranked 20th on career receiving yards and having spent the vast majority of his year with one team, the Carolina Panthers. He was selected in the second round of the 1996 draft. This year’s second round pick – Jimmy Clausen – was just 8 back then.

Take care Moose, be well.

14 seasons you say? Isaac Bruce will see your 14 and raise you 2 additional season. Likewise the 20th career placing… Bruce is 3rd on the all time career yards and spent thirteen years with the Rams, helping them to Super Bowl victory for the 1999 season.

After two years a 49er, he retires a Ram. His club will honour him by retiring the number 80 in the game against Carolina later this year.

Again, be well.

Image Credit (Isaac Bruce): Jachdeja
Image Credit (Mushin Muhhamad): pnther60
Video Credit: LilMike1309