SB Nation New York: All Posts by Ryan Jones

NFL Power Rankings Week 17: Giants, Jets limping to the finish line

2012-12-24T06:47:49Z

The NFL Power Rankings for Week 17 find the New York Giants and New York Jets both continuing their free fall. Big Blue had their doors blown off by the Baltimore Ravens, while Gang Green couldn't use the first start of Greg McElroy's career to get by the San Diego Chargers.

Check out the latest rankings and let us know what you think!

1. Denver Broncos (LW: 1, 12-3)
- Finishing up against the Kansas City Chiefs gives John Fox the option of resting his starters and still going into the playoffs with momentum.
Next up: vs. Chiefs

2. Atlanta Falcons (LW: 5, 13-2)
- Guess we should start taking this team seriously?
Next up: vs. Buccaneers

3. New England Patriots (LW: 2, 11-4)
- Struggling against the Jacksonville Jaguars should make for a rough Week 17 for Dolphins.
Next up: vs. Dolphins

4. Green Bay Packers (LW: 6, 11-4)
- Mason Crosby made two (2!!) field goals without a miss.
Next up: at Vikings

5. Seattle Seahawks (LW: 9, 10-5)
- I pity the team that draws Pete Carroll's crew in the playoffs.
Next up: vs. Rams

6. San Francisco 49ers (LW: 3, 10-4-1)
- Stinker against the Seahawks may have cost them the all important bye week.
Next up: vs. Cardinals

7. Houston Texans (LW: 4, 12-3)
- Arian Foster's irregular heartbeat is more troubling than the loss to Minnesota.
Next up: at Colts

8. Washington Redskins (LW: 7, 9-6)
- Too early to start calling the 'Skins a team of destiny?
Next up: vs. Cowboys

9. Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 8, 9-6)
- Bengals vs. Steelers looked more like preseason than playoff clincher.
Next up: vs. Ravens

10. Indianapolis Colts (LW: 10, 10-5)
- Jamaal Charles and the Chiefs gave returning head coach Chuck Pagano a huge problem to fix on his first day.
Next up: vs. Texans

11. Minnesota Vikings (LW: 13, 9-6)
- Huge step to win without Adrian Peterson ripping off a huge day.
Next up: vs. Packers

12. Baltimore Ravens (LW: 14, 10-5)
- The Ravens just sacked Eli Manning again.
Next up: at Bengals

13. New Orleans Saints (LW: 15, 7-8)
- Fewer things were sweeter than seeing Jimmy Graham recover that fumble.
Next up: vs. Panthers

14. Chicago Bears (LW: 16, 9-6)
- A little help away from giving us Jay Cutler in a playoff game.
Next up: at Lions

15. New York Giants (LW: 11, 8-7)
- 6-2 Giants now somehow 8-7 and on the outside looking in.
Next up: vs. Eagles

16. Dallas Cowboys (LW: 12, 8-7)
- This team has more lives than a cat.
Next up: at Redskins

17. St. Louis Rams (LW: 18, 7-7-1)
- The AFC West isn't quite the joke of a conference it used to be, eh?
Next up: at Seahawks

18. Carolina Panthers (LW: 20, 6-9)
- A shame Cam Newton didn't show up until the second half of the season.
Next up: at Saints

19. Miami Dolphins (LW: 21, 7-8)
- A win in New England would be a nice way to cap off Joe Philbin's first season.
Next up: at Patriots

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 17, 6-9)
- This sort of no-show is a terrible sign for Greg Schiano's future.
Next up: at Falcons

21. Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 19, 7-8)
- I'm sure Todd Haley threw that interception, right Ben Roethlisberger?
Next up: vs. Browns

22. San Diego Chargers (LW: 25, 6-9)
- Please let these meaningless wins keep Norv Turner in San Diego!
Next up: vs. Raiders

23. Cleveland Browns (LW: 22, 5-10)
- Colt McCoy injuring Trent Richardson is the most Browns injury ever.
Next up: at Steelers

24. Tennessee Titans (LW: 23, 5-10)
- The same team the Jets barely beat were blown off the field by the Packers 55-7. Go, Gang Green!
Next up: vs. Jaguars

25. Arizona Cardinals (LW: 24, 5-10)
- The worst 5-10 team in NFL history?
Next up: at 49ers

26. Buffalo Bills (LW: 26, 5-10)
- Bills/Jets should be flexed to Saturday morning at 10am.
Next up: vs. Jets

27. Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 28, 4-11)
- Andy Reid sure does know how to go out with a bang!
Next up: at Giants

28. New York Jets (LW: 27, 6-9)
- Greg McElroy: QBOTF!
Next up: at Bills

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 31, 2-13)
- Jags know how to do it: showed fight against the Pats, but didn't lose ground in the search for the No. 1 overall pick.
Next up: at Titans

30. Detroit Lions (LW: 30, 4-11)
- A shame Calvin Johnson's historic season is wasted on this team.
Next up: vs. Bears

31. Oakland Raiders (LW: 29, 4-11)
- Carson Palmer was nearly killed and they still wouldn't hand the keys over to Terrelle Pryor.
Next up: at Chargers

32. Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 32, 2-13)
- One week away from being on the clock!
Next up: at Broncos

Deron Williams, Avery Johnson clash could get ugly quickly in Brooklyn

2012-12-19T15:16:30Z

For a while it looked like the inaugural Brooklyn Nets season would be as charmed as owner Mikhail Prokhorov and GM Billy King has hoped when hundreds of millions of dollars were committed over the summer to the roster that would first play in the new Barclays Center.

The Nets were 11-4, had an emotional win over their new cross-town rival New York Knicks under their belts and looked poised to join the group of elite teams at the top of the Eastern Conference.

All along, star point guard Deron Williams couldn't quite get into a groove, but it didn't much matter with the Nets winning at such an impressive clip. Then center Brook Lopez injured his foot and was forced to the bench for seven games. Brooklyn went 2-5 in that stretch and head coach Avery Johnson's rotations, which had been solid, were suddenly all out of whack trying to make up for the loss of Lopez.

With Lopez back in the fold the Nets are still struggling offensively, even with the center averaging 17 points over the last two games, and those struggles were highlighted even more when Williams praised the offense he got to run in high school, college and in the NBA with the Utah Jazz.

"I grew up in high school, my coach wasn’t one of those guys who would just throw out the ball and let us play," Williams told reporters. "We were a system team. We had a staple of plays that we relied on. We were good at execution. In college (at Illinois), we ran the motion offense. A lot of cutting, a lot passing, a lot of screening, a lot of extra passes. I’m used to just movement. So I’m still trying to adjust. It’s been an adjustment for me."

Williams and Johnson both down played the comments as being more than a passing thought.

"There's nothing to it," Williams explained Tuesday . "[The media] asked me about Utah. I'm not going to bad mouth Utah. I had a great time in Utah. I loved he offense. I've said we've had struggles on offense here, which I've said all year."

"No, not at all," Johnson, added. "We talk about it. We have great communication. So the comments aren't surprising. And really and truly, guys, I'm 47 now turning 48. I don't take anything personal. I communicate with all my players, constant communication with Deron, [Jerry Stack[house] and Joe [Johnson]."

The head coach thinks it's as simple as waiting for open shots to fall, but another loss to the Knicks at MSG Wednesday night followed by losing at home to the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics could turn the tide in Brooklyn very quickly.

Off the cuff remarks will quickly become a private meeting with the general manager, all while an unhappy Russian starts to wonder what his hundreds of millions of dollars are paying for. Suddenly the heat gets turned up on a lame-duck head coach.

No one has forgotten how things ended with Williams and Utah, with the point guard being blamed (rightfully or not) for an all-time great coach in Jerry Sloan abruptly retiring. For all the improvements Johnson has made as a head coach, he's not -- and never will be -- Sloan, so if Williams and the Nets continue to struggle, a coaching change will come sooner than later.

If it gets to that point, then all of the hearts and flowers that have floated around the Brooklyn Nets since the doors opened on the Barclays Center would fly out the window and instead be focused on their disgruntled $98 million man.

Deron Williams, Avery Johnson and the Brooklyn Nets' first real basketball test - SBNation.com

Williams, Johnson Play Down Rift over Nets Offense - NYTimes.com

Deron Williams: "There's nothing to it!" - NetsDaily

NFL Power Rankings Week 16: Jets, Giants stumble

2012-12-18T13:14:00Z

The NFL Power Rankings for Week 16 have found the New York Giants and New York Jets both taking massive tumbles. Big Blue had their doors blown off by the Falcons while Gang Green embarrassed themselves in front of a national TV audience Monday night. With just two weeks left in the regular season, the truly elite teams are rising to the top, while the bottom feeders are jostling for position at the top of the NFL draft.

Check out the latest rankings and let us know what you think!

1. Denver Broncos (LW: 2, 11-3)
- Hottest team in the league gets two scrimmages at home to finish the year.
Next up: vs. No. 22 Browns

2. New England Patriots (LW: 1, 10-4)
- That fourth quarter explosion showed the Pats offense is the best in the league.
Next up: at No. 31 Jaguars

3. San Francisco 49ers (LW: 5, 10-3-1)
- I'd say Colin Kaepernick passed the Bill Belichick test.
Next up: at No. 9 Seahawks

4. Houston Texans (LW: 3, 12-2)
- Rebounded nicely from their beating in New England.
Next up: vs. No. 13 Vikings

5. Atlanta Falcons (LW: 6, 12-2)
- Beatdown of Big Blue was as impressive as it gets.
Next up: at No. 30 Lions

6. Green Bay Packers (LW: 4, 10-4)
- Lost in the shuffle of their winning ways is a kicker unable to split the uprights.
Next up: vs. No. 23 Titans

7. Washington Redskins (LW: 8, 8-6)
- Kirk Cousins wins his first start the same week a new 'Star Trek' trailer debuts. Coincidence? I think not.
Next up: at No. 28 Eagles

8. Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 10, 8-6)
- Winners of five of six now get a Steelers team busy fighting with each other.
Next up: at No. 19 Steelers

9. Seattle Seahawks (LW: 11, 9-5)
- The fake punt got all the attention, but are we ignoring they just dropped 50 points two weeks in a row?
Next up: vs. No. 3 49ers

10. Indianapolis Colts (LW: 9, 9-5)
- The meat on the ribs in Kansas City will put up more of a fight this weekend than the Chiefs.
Next up: at No. 32 Chiefs

11. New York Giants (LW: 7, 8-6)
- Battle of struggling teams in Baltimore Sunday afternoon.
Next up: at No. 14 Ravens

12. Dallas Cowboys (LW: 14, 8-6)
- I hope Tony Romo bought Brandon Carr something nice, because the CB saved his bacon.
Next up: vs. No. 15 Saints

13. Minnesota Vikings (LW: 17, 8-6)
- I'm into the history of the game as much as anyone, but shouldn't the Vikings be talking more about the playoffs?
Next up: at No. 4 Texans

14. Baltimore Ravens (LW: 13, 9-5)
- This team was 9-2. Was.
Next up: vs. No. 11 Giants

15. New Orleans Saints (LW: 21, 6-8)
- There's plenty for Drew Brees to play for: Fantasy Football Championships everywhere.
Next up: at No. 12 Cowboys

16. Chicago Bears (LW: 8, 8-6)
- Remember when Jay Cutler was an MVP candidate? That was fun.
Next up: at No. 24 Cardinals

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 15, 6-8)
- Maybe Greg Schiano didn't realize the NFL season goes for 16 games?
Next up: vs. No. 18 Rams

18. St. Louis Rams (LW: 16, 6-7-1)
- Well, at least they held Adrian Peterson under 215 yards.
Next up: at No. 17 Buccaneers

19. Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 18, 7-7)
- Ben Roethlisberger didn't waste any time before throwing his coordinator under the bus after his awful INT that may have cost the Steelers a playoff berth.
Next up: vs. No. 8 Bengals

20. Carolina Panthers (LW: 22, 5-9)
- Can a four game winning streak save Ron Rivera's job? Looks like the Panthers will try to find out.
Next up: vs. No. 29 Raiders

21. Miami Dolphins (LW: 23, 6-8)
- We don't need no stinkin' Chad Henne!
Next up: vs. No. 26 Bills

22. Cleveland Browns (LW: 19, 5-9)
- It looks like the Pat Shurmur experiment will end after two seasons.
Next up: at No. 1 Broncos

23. Tennessee Titans (LW: 29, 5-9)
- The Titans could have made the playoffs... if they played Mark Sanchez every week.
Next up: at No. 6 Packers

24. Arizona Cardinals (LW: 28, 5-9)
- Is it too late to get my MVP vote in for Ryan Lindley?
Next up: vs. No. 16 Bears

25. San Diego Chargers (LW: 24, 5-9)
- How has Phillip Rivers not given Norv Turner the Bud Kilmer treatment yet?
Next up: at No. 27 Jets

26. Buffalo Bills (LW: 25, 5-8)
- How bad are the Bills? Canadians booed them. Canadians!
Next up: at No. 21 Dolphins

27. New York Jets (LW: 20, 6-8)
- Look on the bright side, there weren't any butt fumbles!
Next up: vs. No. 25 Chargers

28. Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 26, 4-10)
- On a personal note, I'd like to thank Nick Foles for helping the Bengals defense save my fantasy football season.
Next up: vs. No. 7 Redskins

29. Oakland Raiders (LW: 31, 4-10)
- Win over the Chiefs put the No. 1 pick out of reach.
Next up: at No. 20 Panthers

30. Detroit Lions (LW: 27, 4-10)
- There has to be a special place in Canton for a team that losses to Ryan Lindley.
Next up: vs. No. 5 Falcons

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 30, 2-12)
- Good thing they didn't give that Tim Tebow guy a shot, that would have been a disaster!
Next up: vs. No. 2 Patriots

32. Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 32, 2-12)
- That first overall pick is two weeks away from being theirs.
Next up: vs. No. 10 Colts

R.A. Dickey Trade: Time is right for Mets to make a move

2012-12-14T11:35:04Z

The New York Mets and CY Young Award winner R.A. Dickey are still far apart on a new contract and the feelings are so bruised that the knuckleballer was callous enough to air the pair's dirty laundry at the team's Christmas party.

While both sides tried to calm down after Dickey's head scratching move, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim shocked the baseball world by swooping in and signing Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton to a 5-year, $125 contract. In a flash, the Angels suddenly found themselves flush with outfielders, short a starting pitcher while the Rangers are standing around with their offseason basket empty.

Then just hours later the Boston Red Sox signed pitcher Ryan Dempster to a 2-year, $26.5 million deal, showing once again why Dickey and his representatives can hold out for at least that much.

How does this change the Mets plan?

It means this wait and see approach of GM Sandy Alderson isn't going to fly any longer. If the team really isn't willing to give Dickey what he wants -- and all signs point to just that -- then now is the time to turn two division rivals both in need of an arm against each other in a bidding war for the 20-game winner.

The Angels can build a deal around outfielders Peter Bourjos or Mark Trumbo, while any Rangers deal can start with top prospect Mike Olt. Give both teams the heads up that Dickey will be on the move before Christmas and that the best bid by the end of next week will have Dickey waiting for them and their fans under the tree.

Losing Hamilton was always going to make things harder for Nolan Ryan and the Rangers, but with him now in the same lineup as Albert Pujols and Mike Trout in the NL West, Texas will need a minor miracle to survive the 19 games against the Angels. Dickey might not be a miracle worker, but having him flutter knuckleballs by those big bats would be a step in the right direction.

At the same time, Arte Moreno could follow up his Hamilton splash with one of the best stories in all of baseball. Putting him at the top of his rotation between Jered Weaver and CJ Wilson will keep him on the back pages through the end of the year, something that clearly matters to Moreno as he battles the Dodgers for fans in Los Angeles.

The market for Dickey has been set. If Alderson is unwilling to see that, then now is the time to make a trade.

NFL Power Rankings Week 15: Giants, Jets both head north

2012-12-11T12:25:38Z

The NFL Power Rankings for Week 15 are here and the New York Giants are once again showing they have what it takes to make a run at the crown, climbing higher in the Top 10 after an impressive win over the New Orleans Saints. The New York Jets also made their way north, but have a long way to go before they make any real noise.

Check out the latest rankings and let us know what you think!

1. New England Patriots (LW: 3, 10-3)
- Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are partying like it's 2004.
Next up: vs. No. 5 49ers

2. Denver Broncos (LW: 4, 10-3)
- One final test Sunday before two cupcakes to finish the season.
Next up: at No. 13 Ravens

3. Houston Texans (LW: 1, 11-2)
- Texans aren't quite ready for prime time yet.
Next up: vs. No. 9 Colts

4. Green Bay Packers (LW: 5, 9-4)
- Giants could end up being the only team to beat the Pack the last three months of the season.
Next up: at No. 12 Bears

5. San Francisco 49ers (LW: 6, 9-3-1)
- The kid will get to show what he's made of against Bill Belichick.
Next up: at No. 1 Patriots

6. Atlanta Falcons (LW: 2, 11-2)
- The least feared No. 1 seed in the playoffs ever?
Next up: vs. No. 7 Giants

7. New York Giants (LW: 9, 8-5)
- If David Wilson can be a fraction of what we saw Sunday, Big Blue will be very, very dangerous.
Next up: at No. 6 Falcons

8. Washington Redskins (LW: 10, 7-6)
- Captain Kirk isn't RG3, but he's not a bad Plan B!
Next up: at No. 19 Browns

9. Indianapolis Colts (LW: 12, 9-4)
- Not the most talented team, but I wouldn't want anything to do with this team in the playoffs.
Next up: at No. 3 Texans

10. Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 7, 7-6)
- Losing out on a playoff spot because of a home loss to the Cowboys? Ouch.
Next up: at No. 26 Eagles

11. Seattle Seahawks (LW: 13, 8-5)
- The Seahakws just scored again... And again.
Next up: at No. 25 Bills

12. Chicago Bears (LW: 8, 8-5)
- This ship is sinking quickly.
Next up: vs. No. 4 Packers

13. Baltimore Ravens (LW: 11, 9-4)
- Wow, Cam Cameron is terrible? If only EVERYONE in the NFL could have told the Ravens that...
Next up: vs. No. 2 Broncos

14. Dallas Cowboys (LW: 16, 7-6)
- Could leap-frog free falling Bears for the final wild card.
Next up: vs. No. 18 Steelers

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 14, 6-7)
- Will com up short this season, but Greg Schiano is building something special.
Next up: at No. 21 Saints

16. St. Louis Rams (LW: 18, 6-6-1)
- Need a whole lot of losing to happen if they want to sneak into the playoffs.
Next up: vs. No. 17 Vikings

17. Minnesota Vikings (LW: 20, 7-6)
- Adrian Peterson is talking about the rushing record, but Minny will need more than AP to beat the Texans or Packers down the stretch.
Next up: at No. 16 Rams

18. Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 15, 7-6)
- Bring back Charlie Batch!
Next up: at No. 14 Cowboys

19. Cleveland Browns (LW: 21, 5-8)
- Craziest playoff scenario? Browns run the table and jump over the Jets, Bengals and Steelers.
Next up: vs. No. 8 Redskins

20. New York Jets (LW: 24, 6-7)
- Hope for the playoffs has calmed the Tebowmania talk (for now).
Next up: at No. 29 Titans

21. New Orleans Saints (LW: 17, 5-8)
- Saints should pack Drew Brees away for 2013.
Next up: vs. No. 15 Buccaneers

22. Carolina Panthers (LW: 26, 4-9)
- The Panthers would have been scary if Cam Newton didn't sleepwalk through half the season.
Next up: at No. 24 Chargers

23. Miami Dolphins (LW: 19, 5-8)
- Joe Philbin says the Dolphins mistakes are "correctable". Unfortunately for him, being the Dolphins is not.
Next up: vs. No. 30 Jaguars

24. San Diego Chargers (LW: 28, 5-8)
- Norv Turner got the game ball last week, but for some reason a pink slip wasn't attached.
Next up: vs. No. 22 Panthers

25. Buffalo Bills (LW: 22, 5-8)
- Here's a fun prop bet: how many minutes after the final game until Chan Gailey is fired?
Next up: vs. No. 11 Seahawks

26. Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 29, 4-9)
- Nearly 400 yards from Nick Foles was impressive, but even more so when you factor in the lack of any running game.
Next up: vs. No. 10 Bengals

27. Detroit Lions (LW: 23, 4-9)
- History! For the third straight week, the Lions blew a 10-point lead, an NFL record.
Next up: at No. 28 Cardinals

28. Arizona Cardinals (LW: 25, 4-9)
- He can dry his eyes on his $120 million contract, but Larry Fitzgerald has to be kicking himself for staying in Arizona.
Next up: vs. No. 27 Lions

29. Tennessee Titans (LW: 30, 4-9)
- Nothing says excitement like Jets-Titans on Monday Night Football!
Next up: vs. No. 20 Jets

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 27, 2-11)
- Keep hope alive! That No. 1 overall pick is still in play.
Next up: at No. 23 Dolphins

31. Oakland Raiders (LW: 32, 3-10)
- If there was ever a time to start Terrelle Pryor, it's against the Bad New Chiefs.
Next up: vs. No. 32 Chiefs

32. Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 31, 2-11)
- Last winnable game of the season for the Chiefs = one more chance to blow their shot at the No. 1 pick.
Next up: at No. 31 Raiders

NFL Power Rankings Week 14: Giants fall, Jets (barely) move up

2012-12-04T12:02:44Z

The NFL Power Rankings for Week 14 aren't finding good news for the New York Giants or the New York Jets. For Big Blue, they dropped a tough one to the Washington Redskins, who are hot on their hells in the division. Meanwhile, Gang Green pulled out a win over the Arizona Cardinals, but only because they faced the worst starting quarterback the NFL has seen in years.

Check out the latest rankings and let us know what you think!

1. Houston Texans (LW: 1, 11-1)
- After a spirited warm-up against the Titans, the Texans will be must-see TV Monday night.
Next up: at No. 3 Patriots

2. Atlanta Falcons (LW: 2, 11-1)
- Put an end to the Saints season and now get a cake walk in Carolina.
Next up: at No. 26 Panthers

3. New England Patriots (LW: 3, 9-3)
- Tom Brady & Co. could jump right into the top spot with a big game on MNF.
Next up: vs. No. 1 Texans

4. Denver Broncos (LW: 5, 9-3)
- Minor scare from the Bucs spells bad news for Oakland.
Next up: at No. 32 Raiders

5. Green Bay Packers (LW: 9, 8-4)
- And just like that, the Pack train is back on the tracks.
Next up: vs. No. 23 Lions

6. San Francisco 49ers (LW: 4, 8-3-1)
- Can Jeff Fisher work for other NFC teams in the playoffs? Because they have the Niners number.
Next up: vs No. 19 Dolphins

7. Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 10, 7-5)
- The AFC West could single-highhandedly put the Bengals in the playoffs.
Next up: vs. No. 16 Cowboys

8. Chicago Bears (LW: 6, 8-4)
- So, about that Jay Cutler for MVP campaign...
Next up: at No. 20 Vikings

9. New York Giants (LW: 7, 7-5)
- All of a sudden there's big trouble for Big Blue.
Next up: vs. No. 17 Saints

10. Washington Redskins (LW: 12, 6-6)
- RG3 even fumbles better than everyone else in the league.
Next up: vs. No. 11 Ravens

11. Baltimore Ravens (LW: 8, 9-3)
- They lost to Charlie Batch. Read that one more time.
Next up: at No. 10 Redskins

12. Indianapolis Colts (LW: 15, 8-4)
- This Colts magic is very, very real. You've all been warned.
Next up: vs. No. 30 Titans

13. Seattle Seahawks (LW: 14, 7-5)
- Every time they are about to be written off, they pull off some nutty way to steal a game.
Next up: vs. No. 25 Cardinals

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 11, 6-6)
- Just a game out of the final Wild Card and have enough grit to be a problem.
Next up: vs. No. 29 Eagles

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 19, 7-5)
- A light schedule and the return of Big Ben make the Steelers a dangerous 7-5 team.
Next up: vs. No. 28 Chargers

16. Dallas Cowboys (LW: 17, 6-6)
- Tony Romo is like a horror movie villain... he just won't go away.
Next up: at No. 7 Bengals

17. New Orleans Saints (LW: 13, 5-7)
- Almost made it all the way back, but back-to-back losses ended things for the Saints.
Next up: at No. 9 Giants

18. St. Louis Rams (LW: 20, 5-6-1)
- Could make things interesting if they run the table.
Next up: at No. 22 Bills

19. Miami Dolphins (LW: 16, 5-7)
- Scrappy Fightin' Philbins are headed in the right direction for '13.
Next up: at No. 6 49ers

20. Minnesota Vikings (LW: 18, 6-6)
- Adrian Peterson is a monster, but with the Bears, Texans and Packers left, the playoffs aren't in the cards this season.
Next up: at No. 8 Bears

21. Cleveland Browns (LW: 23, 4-8)
- Half of their wins are against the AFC West already and the Chiefs are on deck.
Next up: vs. No. 31 Chiefs

22. Buffalo Bills (LW: 24, 5-7)
- Guess the Bills Mafia all got locked up before the season?
Next up: vs. No. 27 Jaguars

23. Detroit Lions (LW: 21, 4-8)
- If they weren't so unlikable, these heartbreaking losses would be tough to watch.
Next up: at No. 5 Packers

24. New York Jets (LW: 25, 5-7)
- Rex Ryan should rotate all three of his QBs. It would be much more interesting than any one of them individually.
Next up: at No. 27 Jaguars

25. Arizona Cardinals (LW: 22, 4-8)
- Ryan Lindley is the worst starting QB in the NFL I've ever seen.
Next up: at No. 13 Seahawks

26. Carolina Panthers (LW: 26, 3-9)
- Losing out could put them back in the running for the top pick.
Next up: vs. No. 2 Falcons

27. Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 27, 2-10)
- Lucky for the Jags draft hopes, Chad Henne remembered he was Chad Henne.
Next up: vs. No. 24 Jets

28. San Diego Chargers (LW: 28, 4-8)
- Will winning three of their last four save Norv Turner? Oh, I sure hope so.
Next up: at No. 15 Steelers

29. Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 29, 3-9)
- Maybe next week they'll fire the water boys.
Next up: at No. 14 Buccaeers

30. Tennessee Titans (LW: 30, 4-8)
- Nearly knocked off Luck and the Colts last time these two teams met.
Next up: at No. 12 Colts

31. Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 32, 2-10)
- Amazing performance from the Chiefs in an impossible situation.
Next up: at No. 21 Browns

32. Oakland Raiders (LW: 31, 3-9)
- Ignoring young QB Terrelle Pryor doesn't make much sense, until I remember it's the Raiders we're talking about.
Next up: vs. No. 4 Broncos

New York Mets make David Wright highest-paid player in franchise history

2012-11-30T11:15:01Z

Barely 24 hours after David Wright said he was "disappointed" about inaccurate reports of a $140 million contract being offered by the New York Mets, the third baseman has agreed to almost an identical deal.

As first reported by WFAN's Ed Coleman, Wright and the Mets came to terms early Friday on a seven-year $122 million extension. Along with the $16 million due to Wright next season, the $138 million total is the biggest amount ever handed out in team history, slightly passing the $137.5 contract Johan Santana signed before the 2008 season.

[Yankees lose Russell Martin to Pirates]

The massive deal, at least for the moment, will quiet the rumors swirling about the troubled financial state of owner Fred Wilpon. It also now allows GM Sandy Alderson to turn his focus to Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey, who has yet to get a response to the latest counter-proposal submitted to the franchise by his agent.

Other than locking in their best offensive player, the Mets now have someone to take over for Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver as 'The Franchise' in the future.

Wright is already the Mets all-time hits and RBI leader and should pass Darryl Strawberry for most home runs in the first year of his new extension. By the time the 29-year-old reaches the end of this deal, he should own the entire franchise record book.

David Wright could quickly go from underappreciated to ungrateful

2012-11-28T12:29:18Z

The New York Mets and David Wright have both been clear they want to work out a new contract that will keep the third baseman at Citi Field for the rest of his career. But just a year after the Mets let Jose Reyes walk without getting anything in return, all signs pointed to a trade of Wright being the most likely outcome.

After all, with their finances still in shambles, the Mets would never be able to offer Wright a fair contract. This thinking has led a large part of an already angry fan base to lash out against the Wilpons.

"How dare they treat the face of the franchise so poorly! He deserves better," the complaints would usually sound like.

Then all of a sudden, rreports started to surface about a six-year, $100 million offer from the Mets. A promising first step, beyond what some believed GM Sandy Alderson would be able to include in his final proposal.

Such an offer should be enough to get a deal done quickly a small bump. After all, with Ryan Zimmerman and Evan Longoria both signing 6-year, $100 million deals, paying Wright more than them is going beyond market value.

It seemed like a good deal for both sides. Then the contract offer reportedly jumped to as much as $140 million over eight years, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. All of a sudden the spotlight was on Wright, because he would be turning down an offer that by all appearances is more he could get next winter on the open market.

Obviously sensing the potential backlash, Wright quickly tried to get in front of the different reports.

"I have said from Day 1 that I want to play my entire career with the New York Mets. I remain hopeful that goal can be achieved. However, I am disappointed by reports that I have read today which are inaccurate."

Are the reports inaccurate? Well, we're probably splitting hairs, because no report is going to get any offer exactly right thanks to potential buy out numbers in option years and incentives for playing time and awards. So Wright can call the reports inaccurate and be right no matter how close they are to reality.

Speaking of reality, the reality of the situation is if Wright draws this process out with such a massive offer on the table, he can quickly go from underappreciated to ungrateful. And suddenly The Golden Child who was in danger of being low-balled by a franchise in financial ruin would be perceived no different than so many other players around the league that don't care about anything but bleeding the last penny out of every contract.