Steelers to keep Playoff Hopes Alive VS Ailing Ravens

This is the perfect time for the Steelers to take advantage of the somewhat ailing Ravens leader, Air McNair.

Air McNair, that's the nickname Steve McNair have in NFL Football with his knack for throwing looong passes for huge yardage. Well, Air McNair is, as of press time, grounded with an injury and it is still questionable if Air McNair can fly with his Ravens on Sunday when they take on the defending Super Bowl champs, Pittsburgh Steelers.

Despite this, Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick remained optimistic about Steve McNair's chances of starting Sunday at Pittsburgh. But if coach Billick thinks for one second that the Steelers will go easy on McNair if ever the veterna QB decides to play, he's mistaken.

The Pittsburgh Steelers won their last three games emphatically, beating the Carolina Panthers 37-3 last Sunday after easy victories over the Cleveland Browns, 27-7 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 20-3.

Mathematically, the Pittsburgh Steelers are still alive in what is turning out to be a wild dash for the NFL Football playoffs. And on Sunday, they will try to keep those slim playoff hopes alive against the Ravens. This is definitely not the right time to have Steve McNair hurting on the NFL Football field.

Steve McNair left Sunday's 27-17 win over the Cleveland Browns after the Ravens' second series when he got his throwing hand stepped on by 254-pound Browns linebacker Andra Davis. Ouch. After taking snaps on the sideline during the game, McNair noticed that a cut on his hand had become irritated.

Because the Ravens don't want his injury to worsen, they could limit his reps with the offense or give him more snaps in the shotgun formation come Sunday.

''I'll have to see exactly how it feels,'' Billick said when asked how he will handle McNair. ''Obviously, I don't want to beat on it anymore [with snaps from center].''

Billick said he did not consider putting McNair back in for backup Kyle Boller during the game, even when the Browns tied the game at 17 in the third quarter.

''Sixty snaps [of the quarterback-center exchange] the whole game would do nothing but irritate that,'' Billick said. ''I don't know if that would have in our best interest in the long term, the long term being next week and the week after next.''

Can Steve McNair lead the Baltimore Ravens to the Super Bowl? Bet and play WagerTalk's NFL Football Handicapping Contest and decide for yourself. Make your picks now.

Who will win Super Bowl XLI at Miami, Florida? Sports Interaction has the outright odds on that one.

Dallas Cowboys 15.00

New England Patriots 8.50

Indianapolis Colts 7.00

Chicago Bears 4.50

Want more odds? Visit OddsHQ for the best odds on some of today’s biggest sporting events.

New Jeff Garcia to Face Terrell Owens Monday

Man, what happened to the mild-mannered Jeff Garcia?

This guy was JUST suppose to be a solid backup to the injury-prone Donovan McNabb. This guy was JUST suppose to show how father time has reduced the level of his game after all these years. This guy was JUST suppose to keep Philadelphia Eagles fans coming, giving them false hope that they can win football games without No.5.

Yep, nobody thought Jeff Garcia will do this. After winning their last three NFL Football games, the Eagles are probably generating a lot more hype now than the hype they were having when McNabb was still playing. Unbelievable.

On Monday night, as the rest of the world celebrate what's left of Christmas, this new Jeff Garcia will face his former comrade now bitter enemy, Terrell Owens, as the Philadelphia Eagles dance with the Dallas Cowboys on NFL Monday Night Football.

It will be the Terrell Owens show Monday as his Dallas Cowboys take on his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, in what would be round two between T.O. and Philly. Philadelphia won round one so you can bet Owens will either find redemption with a win or ultimately just suffer a mental breakdown with yet another loss to the Philadelphia birds.

And with the way Jeff Garcia has been playing for the Philadelphia Eagles as of late, the latter could be imminent.

The Terrell Owens saga started back in San Francisco when T.O. started jawing at quarterbacks. The first of which was former San Francisco 49ers QB, Jeff Garcia.

Isn't it ironic that Owens' former team, the Eagles, will have yet another ''Owens victim,'' so to speak, in Jeff Garcia as they meet T.O. on the field Monday? And yeah, Terrell Owens WILL still have the rest of the Dallas Cowboys led by quarterback extraordinaire Tony Romo against Philly but let's face it, this NFL Football game on Monday is all about T.O., especially after his infamous spit last week on DeAngelo Hall's mug.

The Dallas Cowboys goes up against the Philadelphia Eagles. Terrell Owens versus Jeff Garcia. Yep, this Terrell Owens saga ain't over yet folks.

Who will win this NFL Monday Night Football rivalry game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles? Can Dallas beat the Eagles or will Philadelphia upset the Cowboys yet again? All Star Sportsbook has the odds.

Philadelphia Eagles +7

Dallas Cowboys -7

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NFL Thursday Night Football pits Packers and Vikings

The Packers and the Vikings are still in the NFL Playoffs race, barely.

On NFL Thursday Night Football, the surging Green Bay Packers will try to keep any hope they have left of reaching the NFL Playoffs as they host the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field.

The Green Bay Packers, just like the Minnesota Vikings and majority of the NFL Football teams hovering around .500, trying to get a playoff spot, is within striking distance from the coveted wild card invite.

Just like the surging Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals, these Packers were deemed dead as early as the halfway point of the NFL Football season.

But after winning back-to-back games, especially after Brett Favre passed Dan Marino for the all-time completion record in the NFL last Sunday, No.4 had his team and the entire state of Wisconsin talking about Packers in the post-season.

Two NFC wild-card berths are up for grabs, with the surprising Philadelphia Eagles (8-6), the stumbling New York Giants (7-7) and the broken Atlanta Falcons (7-7) having the inside track.

But the Packers are still in contention at 6-8, tied with the Carolina Panthers, the San Francisco 49ers, the St. Louis Rams and the very team they will be facing on NFL Thursday Night Football, the Minnesota Vikings.

This game on Thursday Night Football will prove to be a game that might just decide the fate of these two teams. Moreover, the fate of the legendary Brett Favre.

Can Brett Favre lead the Green Bay Packers to the playoffs? Bet and play WagerTalk's NFL Football Handicapping Contest and decide for yourself. Make your picks now.

Who will win Super Bowl XLI at Miami, Florida? Sports Interaction has the outright odds on that one.

Dallas Cowboys 15.00

New England Patriots 8.50

Indianapolis Colts 7.00

Chicago Bears 4.50

Want more odds? Visit OddsHQ for the best odds on some of today’s biggest sporting events.

Can a Troubled Tom lead the Patriots Sunday?

Tom Brady is criticizing the rest of the New England Patriots for not listening to the coaches after last Sunday's shutout loss from Miami.

This is definitely something you don't want to hear from a leader like Tom Brady. If the quarterback does not believe in the rest of the team, how will the team believe in him?

The coach STILL believing in his quarterback will.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick stands by his franchise quarterback's comments about his teammates not listening to the coaches. Apparently, Brady had castigated certain members of the team for freelancing instead of staying within the framework drawn up by the coaches.

''I have all the respect in the world for Tom,'' Patriots head coach Brian Belichick said. ''I think he has a real good sense of what this game is about, and what our team is about. Whatever he said, I would stand by.''

The Patriots were shocked by the Miami Dolphins last Sunday, shutting them out and sacking Brady more times than the Patriots leader is accustomed to. Of course, Tom Brady voiced out his displeasure.

''I think this team has to listen more to what the coach says,'' Tom Brady said. ''I think if we listen more and did more of what our coaches told us to do, I think we'd be a lot better off. But at times, I think we figure we can do it our way, and we show there is quite a bit of inconsistency to that.''

There were mixed reactions on Brady's statement. Linebacker Tedy Bruschi certainly didn't like it, saying that his defense team ''accepts coaching.''

Things certainly doesn't look good for the New England Patriots at this point of the NFL Football season. Luckily for them, they only have the Houston Texans visiting them at Foxboro Sunday.

Who will win Super Bowl XLI at Miami, Florida? Sports Interaction has the outright odds on that one.

Dallas Cowboys 15.00

New England Patriots 8.50

Indianapolis Colts 7.00

Chicago Bears 4.50

Want more odds? Visit OddsHQ for the best odds on some of today’s biggest sporting events.

Has NFL Football Defenses Figured Tony Romo Out?

We'll find out the answer to that Saturday.

The Dallas Cowboys will face the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday, six days after suffering an embarrassing loss to the New Orleans Saints in a battle for NFC Supremacy on Sunday Night Football.

What happened? Has NFL Football defenses figured Tony Romo out already?

Tony Romo's hat was still on backward. He was still in his black pajamas and T-shirt. The same crowd surrounded his locker. But the questions were different this time than any thing that Romo had been asked since becoming the Cowboys' starting quarterback.

Romo wasn't asked about Jessica Simpson or Romo-mentum or his similarities to Kurt Warner. The questions were about bouncing back from his first sub-par performance, simplifying the offense and if defenses have figured him out.

''Anytime you go to bed after a game you lose, you're going to think about everything you could have done different,'' Romo said.

''That's the competitor inside of you. All we can do now is say, 'Hey, we're going to find out what we're made of this week.'''

For what it's worth, the Dallas Cowboys will learn what Romo is made of Saturday at Atlanta against the Atlanta Falcons.

The first six weeks of Romo's tenure were nothing short of spectacular. He was hyped for the Pro Bowl in leading the Cowboys to four straight wins. He tied a franchise record with five touchdown passes on Thanksgiving Day against Tampa Bay.

However, as we all know in NFL Football, one loss WILL CHANGE everything and Tony Romo saw that when he bowed down to the Saints last Sunday.

Who will win Super Bowl XLI at Miami, Florida? Sports Interaction has the outright odds on that one.

Indianapolis Colts 7.00

Dallas Cowboys 15.00

Seattle Seahawks 11.00

Pittsburgh Steelers 11.00

Want more odds? Visit OddsHQ for the best odds on some of today’s biggest sporting events.

NFL Thursday Night Football pits Seahawks VS 49ers

It seems the Seattle Seahawks, all of a sudden, are losing the form they once had after dealing Jay Cutler his first loss as a starter.

Yep, coming off a game where the Seahawks finally had their two stars (Shaun Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck) back into last season's form, leading the team to a win over the tough Denver Broncos defense, they got shocked and humiliated by the official league doormats, the Arizona Cardinals, 27-21, last Sunday.

This was an NFL Football game where the Seattle Seahawks were almost sure of a win. Everything was in place for a much needed W. The only problem was, Arizona Cardinals QB Matt Leinart was not in a very cooperative mood and the Hawks were dealt with the shocking loss.

Or rather, the Hawks handed themselves the shocking loss.

Yep, it was the Seahawks' fault why they lose this very winnable football game. The Seahawks hurt themselves with turnovers and their worst start to a game this season. Still, Seattle had one last chance to win. These Cardinals have been the kings of collapse in NFL Football, after all. They had lost three games in the final three minutes this season and lost leads of 14-0 and 17-7 to the Seahawks on Sunday.

On the other hand, the Seahawks have established themselves as the kings of late-game heroics this NFL Football season, with four last-minute wins. They were in position to win late again, but this time, their comeback fizzled.

Seattle Seahawks wideout Deion Branch caught an 18-yard pass at the Arizona 7-yard line on fourth-and-20 with less than a minute to play. Branch tried to reach for the first down, but the ball was spotted short. There was a measurement and a review of the spot. It was upheld, and the Cardinals only had to run out the clock to win.

Ouch.

On NFL Thursday Night Football, the San Francisco 49ers will visit the Seahawks in Seattle as they try to catch Shaun Alexander and the rest of the Hawks sleeping. These Niners are coming to this game agitated after watching Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers kick their asses again. Seattle should be careful come Thursday night.

Can Seattle destroy the 49ers or will San Francisco upset the Seahawks? All Star Sportsbook has the odds on this NFL Thursday Night Football matchup.

San Francisco 49ers +10

Seattle Seahawks -10

Want more odds? Visit OddsHQ for the best odds on some of today's biggest sporting events.

Reggie Bush defeats Tony Romo on NFL Football Sunday

Yes, the new generation of NFL Football superstars has finally arrived.

Last Sunday, Tony Romo and Reggie Bush faced off as Romo led the Dallas Cowboys flying offense while Bush fronted the New Orleans Saints ground attack. It was the Cowboys and the Saints. The passing game versus the running game.

And last Sunday, the Cowboys were humiliated in their own field in Irving, Texas.

Tony Romo has changed the outlook of the Dallas Cowboys' season. With Romo as the starting quarterback, the Cowboys were 5-1 before last Sunday's game and a freak ending at Washington away from being perfect. With a month to play, only the Chicago Bears has a better record than the Cowboys in the NFC. The Cowboys have a two-game lead in the NFC East and are looking for their first division title since 1998.

But it's been more than the switch to Romo that has turned the Dallas Cowboys into contenders. There have been a series of decisions, some made in Oxnard, Calif., some made on the fly and some made the last couple of weeks, made by the organization that have put the Cowboys into the Super Bowl discussion again for the first time in a long time.

As for Reggie Bush, he finally had his breakout game as he led the New Orleans Saints with four touchdowns to destroy the San Francisco 49ers, 34-10. Coming to this game, many wondered who was better between the Saints running back and San Francisco 49ers HB, Frank Gore. Gore was winning the popular vote at the exit polls. He entered the game second in NFL Football with 1,117 yards rushing.

On the other hand, Reggie Bush's numbers were modest. A three-yard rushing average and 64 catches with a modest 6.7-yard average. In 11 games, Reggie Bush had only one touchdown. There was nothing modest about his performance against the Niners.

Last Sunday, Reggie Bush was not as hot but luckily for him, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was playing like a madman.

Who will win Super Bowl XLI at Miami, Florida? Sports Interaction has the outright odds on that one.

Indianapolis Colts 7.00

Dallas Cowboys 15.00

Seattle Seahawks 11.00

Pittsburgh Steelers 11.00

Want more odds? Visit OddsHQ for the best odds on some of today’s biggest sporting events.

Can the Patriots make it to Super Bowl XLI?

Ugly. That's how one can describe the New England Patriots the last couple of weeks.

It seems after losing to former Patriots coach Eric Mangini and his New York Jets, the Patriots lost their mystique and are now playing like mere mortals on the NFL Football field.

However, as bad as it may seem for the Pats right now, they are still holding on to that AFC East lead. Brady doesn't have a big name receiver for him to throw the football to these days. The New England Patriots offense seemed lost coming to the NFL Football season after they let wideout Deion Branch go to the Seattle Seahawks.

However, after a few weeks of NFL Football, it seems Brady just keeps on finding ways to win, patrolling the Patriots offense to a 9-3 mark to lead the AFC East. It has not been pretty since losing to the Jets but STILL a huge accomplishment.

Consider these rather ''UN-PATRIOTS-LIKE'' instances the last couple of weeks.

Tight end Ben Watson let a Tom Brady pass hit his stomach instead of catching it with his hands against the Bears. When he was drilled from behind, the ball shot out and was intercepted.

The Chicago Bears forced two fumbles on one play, Watson losing the ball while barely being hit from behind, he fumble initially was scored unforced, and then Reche Caldwell failing to protect it off the bounce.

New England Patriots Running back Patrick Pass, who had been rigorously drilled on ball protection last week, fumbled against the Lions while running with the ball dangling carelessly by his side in one hand.

The Patriots committed a season-high 10 penalties for 72 yards, giving the Lions an extra four first downs.

In spite all these, the New England Patriots are STILL considered one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl this year. It just depends on them if they want to get to the big dance come February.

Will the New England Patriots play at Super Bowl XLI? Bet and play WagerTalk's NFL Football Handicapping Contest and decide for yourself. Make your picks now.

Who will win Super Bowl XLI at Miami, Florida? Sports Interaction has the outright odds on that one.

Dallas Cowboys 15.00

New England Patriots 8.50

Indianapolis Colts 7.00

Chicago Bears 4.50

Want more odds? Visit OddsHQ for the best odds on some of today’s biggest sporting events.

Dolphin will miss NFL Sunday Game against Patriots

What else can go wrong for the Miami Dolphins?

After an NFL Football preseason full of promise after picking up probably the biggest catch of the offseason, Daunte Culpepper, the Dolphins have fallen from grace, FAST.

They were seen as one of the teams to give the defending Super Bowl champions, Pittsburgh Steelers, trouble. Well, the Steelers are out of the playoff picture and guess what, the Dolphins are not in it too.

They have the visiting New England Patriots on NFL Football Sunday. And if that wasn't enough, they'll miss running back Ronnie Brown come game time.

Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown confirmed that he's definitely out for Sunday's home game against the New England Patriots, the second consecutive game he'll miss with a broken bone in his left hand.

Ronnie Brown said doctors told him Tuesday, ''Everything's healing up pretty good for the most part, but you're going to sit out and make sure all the screws set in a little bit.'' He said he'll be evaluated again ''in maybe another week or so.''

Brown was hoping to get medical clearance to play this week.

''Yeah, that's what I was looking for,'' Brown said. ''But it was a medical decision. I think he was trying to look for my best interests and make sure I don't put myself in a bad predicament. I can understand it from that standpoint.''

The hand, with five screws and covered in a new cast that's smaller than the one Brown wore before Tuesday, doesn't prevent Brown from working out. Though he's left-handed, Brown has been holding the ball in his right hand during drills.

Who will win Super Bowl XLI at Miami, Florida? Sports Interaction has the outright odds on that one.

Dallas Cowboys 15.00

New England Patriots 8.50

Indianapolis Colts 7.00

Chicago Bears 4.50

Want more odds? Visit OddsHQ for the best odds on some of today’s biggest sporting events.

Browns newly found Gold to Dance with Steelers Thursday

Derek Anderson. Remember that name next NFL Football season.

It seems the Cleveland Browns found gold in their come from behind win over the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday. Backup QB Derek Anderson got the nod in the fourth quarter, down 14-28. He led the Browns rally, scoring two touchdowns to tie it 28-28 before winning the game in overtime, 31-28.

On Sunday, Derek Anderson will face his toughest test yet as he meets the Steel Curtain. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns meet on NFL Network for NFL Thursday Night Football. The outcome of this football game won't have any dire consequences whatsoever pertaining to the playoffs but it's NFL prime time and what better to end your season on a high note than on NFL's newest tradition, Thursday Night Football.

The Pittsburgh Steelers come in to this NFL Thursday Night Football game coming off a big 20-3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday. The Steel Curtain only has a short week of rest to get ready for the Browns. Lucky for them, it's JUST the Browns.

Yes, the Cleveland Browns are coming off a huge win themselves, scoring the W over the very tough Kansas City Chiefs. What's even more surprising about this game is the fact that an unheralded backup quarterback named Derek Anderson RALLIED the Browns from a 14-28 deficit en route to a 31-28 come from behind victory in overtime.

Wow. This ''unheralded backup quarterback'' completed 12 of 21 passes for 171 yards including the two touchdowns that tied it up at 28-28 in regulation.

However, as good as Derek Anderson was against the Kansas City Chiefs in that fourth quarter, he'll go up against this Pittsburgh defense so tough, that the rest of NFL Football prepare various play routes just to survive this D on that football field. That's why the rest of the league call it the ''Steel Curtain.''

Cleveland Browns QB, Derek Anderson, versus the Pittsburgh Steelers defense could be like General Custer at Little Big Horn. Things happened too fast for Anderson to even realize what he was doing in leading Cleveland past Kansas City in overtime.

Now that Anderson has a couple of days to think things over, and Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau gets to put on his mad scientist's cape and devise a game plan to make Anderson's mind race at 100 mph, Anderson may go back to showing us why he wasn't a high draft pick coming out of college.

Can Pittsburgh destroy the Browns or will Cleveland upset the Steelers? All Star Sportsbook has the odds for this NFL Thursday Night Football game.

Cleveland Browns +7.5

Pittsburgh Steelers -7.5

Want more odds? Visit OddsHQ for the best odds on some of today’s biggest sporting events.