Albert Haynesworth Suspended Four Games Without Pay...Finally!

$100 Million man Albert Haynesworth has been suspended for the Redskins' final four games for conduct detrimental to the team.

It's about damn time!  This guy has been nothing but trouble all season.  I have not heard or seen one thing all year that he has done to improve his team chemistry or to help his team win.  He lays on the ground like a big oaf during plays, he complains about the switch to the 3-4 defense.  This is embarassing.  I am actually shocked that it took so long for someone to call him out and for him to be suspended.

Football is not something you do.  You need to play with some passion.  He is getting paid $100 Million.  That is simply ridiculous.  He is getting paid to play a game.  I would die for another chance to play football.  Unfortunately, that's not in the cards for me.  Now I have a job, and I am not getting paid anywhere close to what he is making.  But I still approach it like I was still playing football.  People are counting on me, so I do everything I can.

Albert, time for you to grow up.  You are soft mentally.  Stop complaining about everything.  Maybe you will get your wish and end up on another team next year (if someone can put up with your contract and the headaches).  And if so, you better make it count.

Do you want this to be your legacy?

Patriots Dominate Jets, 45-3

Well, that was interesting.  The Jets dominated in all facets.  They dominated themselves.  They were simply terrible tonight.  And yes, Brady, Welker, Woodhead and the gang were great, but the Jets made this one a lot worse than it had to be.

Hernandez with a TD against the Jets.  Photo: Getty Images

At the half I said out loud, "Sanchez is going to start forcing passes."  Keith said to me after INT #1, "he is going to throw three more" (only ended up with two more).  The Jets' Punter Weatherford kicked terribly, consistently giving the Patriots a short field to work with.  And you can't give number 12 a short field.

The Patriots have been a very opportunistic team this year.  When you make a mistake against them, they make you pay.

My only question is, where has Aaron Hernandez been the past three weeks?  I've been all over this kid since the draft.  He is a NIGHTMARE to match up against.  He runs routes like a receiver, yet he is nearly as big as a tight end.  And his quickness is better than most at either position.  I think he needs to be highly involved in the Pats' offense come playoff time.

MNF: Jets Perspective

Players to Watch

WR Braylon Edwards- He’s a homerun threat who could pose serious problems against the Patriots young defensive backs. He scored one touchdown against the Patriots the first time around, and will look to have another good game against them tonight.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson- He is the Jets leading rusher but also has been a big part of the Jets passing game, and a solid option for Sanchez out of the backfield. He doesn’t necessarily need carries to make his presence felt on offense. His legs have been winding down a little bit as the season has worn on, so watch for the Jets to utilize Tomlinson on screens and quick passes, where Tomlinson has space to work.

CB Darrelle Revis- He injured his hamstring trying to cover Moss during the first meeting with the Patriots, but with Moss gone his attention will likely shift to Wes Welker. Welker is Brady’s favorite target, and Welker’s effectiveness is a big determinant in how successful their offense is. Revis is known for his ability to cover elite receivers, but it will be interesting to see how he fares against one of the best route-running possession receivers in the NFL. Limiting Welker’s effectiveness is the first priority in stopping Tom Brady.

Key Matchup: Mark Sanchez vs. Patriots Secondary- Sanchez had his best game against the Patriots this year, but this time around will likely be a tougher test. No one is better at fixing their past mistakes than Belichick, so it will be interesting to see if Sanchez can beat the unfamiliar formations that he is likely to see. He’s thrown at least one interception in his last 6 games, and mistakes will kill you against an always capitalizing Patriots team. Will Ryan limit Sanchez to a game manager, or if he will let him try to replicate the success he had last time against New England? I'm betting the latter.

Why the Jets Will Win- The Jets have been squeaking by average opponents as of late, but Rex Ryan should have no problem pumping up his team against the Pats. Gillette Stadium is one of the toughest places to play, especially in December, but the Jets are a team built to play in the cold, with their excellent running game, and brutal run defense. If Mark Sanchez can limit his mistakes, and the pass defense can shut down Welker, I think the Jets will be able to sweep the Patriots this year. The offense is good enough for 3 touchdowns against the Patriots, which will be good enough for the W.

Prediction: Jets 24, Patriots 20

Broncos Fire Josh McDaniels

And the run of top Patriots' assistants getting the axe continues.  Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel and McDaniels.  All were highly praised assistants under Bill Belichick, but none could cut it as a head coach.  There is a distinct difference between being an assistant and the man in charge.  Some people just aren't cut out to be leaders.  Maybe it's something about their personality that rubs people the wrong way, their work ethic, who knows.  Of course, all NFL assistants would do anything for a shot at being a head coach.  And you can't take that away from them.  But the most underrated aspect of coaching in the NFL, or anywhere for that matter, is the ability to have a team rally around you.

Take Rex Ryan this year.  As much as I dislike the Jets (as a Patriots' fan), that guy has got to be fun as hell to be around.  He is that goofy kid that gets everyone laughing.  But he's also the guy in charge.  Head coaches have to be someone who the players can relate to.  The coach has to understand the players.  Sure, you can go out in the offseason and sign the best free agents.  Look at the Cowboys this year.  And the Vikings.  They are LOADED with talent.  The problem was, both teams could not get behind their coaches.  This in no way means that these guys are intentionally throwing games because they dislike their coach.  Football is a game of passion.  And it is the ultimate team sport.  And sometimes it takes someone else saying something to you to really get you going, to get you pumped up.  Then you look to your right and see Brad Childress or Wade Phillips just moping around?  That doesn't get the blood flowing.

Football is a team game.  And the head coach must be the glue to hold the players together if they want any success whatsoever.

And it doesn't help to start 3-9 and get caught taping an opponent's practice:

MNF: Patriots Perspective

Players to Watch

Patriots' Tight Ends - The one place Tom Brady and the Patriots may want to attack the Jets' defense is in the middle of the field with their tight ends. The Jets have very talented corners, so the best option may be trying to beat their linebackers and safeties (especially because the Jets are missing the quarterback of the defense in S Jim Leonard). Look for Aaron Hernandez (who went for over 100 yards last game against the Jets), Rob Gronkowski, and Alge Crumpler to have a huge impact.

RB Danny Woodhead - I think Woodhead will have a big game against his former teammates. Lining it up and trying to run straight at the Jets defense is tough, so the Patriots will probably spread them out and feature Woodhead a good amount in the passing game. Woodhead averages 5.4 yards per carry and has already racked up 24 receptions for 230 yards in limited playing time.

CB Devin McCourty - McCourty has really come on as of late, bringing in 5 interceptions in the last 6 games and defending 9 passes. McCourty is a very good looking rookie that has started all 11 games and is second on the Pats with 61 tackles, if he continues his great play he should be in the running for defensive rookie of the year.

Key Matchup: Antonio Cromartie vs. Patriots Smaller Receivers - One of the reasons the Jets beat the Patriots in their first match-up was because of Cromartie's dominant play against WR Randy Moss (who did not have a reception when Cromartie was covering him). With Moss now off the team, Cromartie will be matched up against the Patriots' smaller, quicker receivers. Cromartie has been known to lock on to bigger faster receivers and dominate them, but it will be interesting to see if he can dominate tonight.

Why the Patriots Will Win - Tom Brady is playing his best football. Brady has been absolutely dominant in his last 3 games. He looks extremely confident in the offense and reminds me of the Tom Brady from the super bowl winning seasons. He is spreading the ball out to a lot of different players, finding the open guy and protecting the ball (13 touchdowns 0 interceptions last 6 games). I expect Brady to put up great numbers tonight and get his 25th straight win at Foxborough even with the cold, windy conditions.

Prediction: Patriots 34 Jets 17

Cam Newton Will Win the Heisman

How can you argue with these plays?  And a national title appearance?  And a 188 QB Rating.  28-6 TD-INT ratio.  20 rushing touchdowns.




Cam Newton will win the Heisman.  Agree?

NFL Picks Against the Spread: Week 13

Date & Time	Favorite	Spread	Underdog
12/2 8:20 ET	At Philadephia	-8	Houston
12/5 1:00 ET	At Minnesota	-5.5	Buffalo
12/5 1:00 ET	At Miami	-4.5	Cleveland
12/5 1:00 ET	At Tennessee	-3.5	Jacksonville
12/5 1:00 ET	At Kansas City	-8.5	Denver
12/5 1:00 ET	At NY Giants	-7	Washington
12/5 1:00 ET	Chicago	-5	At Detroit
12/5 1:00 ET	At Green Bay	-9	San Francisco
12/5 1:00 ET	New Orleans	-6.5	At Cincinnati
12/5 4:15 ET	Atlanta	-3	At Tampa Bay
12/5 4:05 ET	At San Diego	-13	Oakland
12/5 4:15 ET	At Seattle	-6	Carolina
12/5 4:15 ET	At Indianapolis	-5.5	Dallas
12/5 4:15 ET	St. Louis	-3.5	At Arizona
12/5 8:20 ET	At Baltimore	-3	Pittsburgh

Monday Night Football Point Spread

12/6 8:35 ET	At New England	-3.5	NY Jets

Championship Week: Week 14 NCAA Pick'em

Last Week's Win/Loss: 8-5

Total Win/Loss since Week 2: 81-42

SMU vs. UCF

Alex's pick:SMU

Rutgers at #23 West Virginia

 Alex's pick: West Virginia

Pitt at Cincinnati

Alex's pick: Pitt

#2 Oregon at Oregon State

Alex's pick: Oregon

#1 Auburn vs. #18 South Carolina

Alex's pick: Auburn

#20 Florida State vs. #12 Virginia Tech

Alex's pick: Virginia Tech

Washington at Washington State

Alex's pick: Washington 

#13 Nebraska vs. #10 Oklahoma

Alex's pick: Nebraska

UConn at South Florida

Alex's pick: UConn

USC at UCLA

Alex's pick: USC

Alex Brown's 2011 Big Board: Week 13

*Noteable addition(s) to Big Board: Justin Blackmon and J.J. Watt

*Noteable dropoff(s) from the Big Board: Demarcus Love and Mark Ingram

NFL All-Junior Team

All-Junior Team

QB Matt Ryan (1^st round, Falcons) Ryan’s sophomore slump is a thing of the past. “Matty-Ice” is living up to his nickname and is proving to be one of the most clutch QBs in the league despite his young age. This is one position the Falcons shouldn’t have to worry about for a long time.

Honorable Mention: Joe Flacco (1^st round, Ravens)

RB Jamaal Charles (3^rd round, Chiefs) Charles is 2^nd in the league in rushing yards and has an amazing 6.3 ypc, yet the back is incredibly underutilized by the Chiefs. The big-play back is quickly becoming a household name in the NFL.

Honorable Mention: Chris Johnson (1^st round, Titans), Peyton Hillis (7^th Round, Browns*), Darren McFadden (1^st round, Raiders)

WR Steve Johnson (7^th round, Bills) Despite last week’s disappointing drop in the end zone and twitter controversy, Johnson is putting together a terrific season, and already has 9 touchdown grabs. He is a reason for hope for the bottom-dwelling Bills.

Honorable Mention: DeSean Jackson (2^nd round, Eagles)

TE Dustin Keller (1^st round, Jets) Keller is having his best season as a pro and is one of Sanchez’s favorite targets, especially around the red zone.

Honorable Mention: Jacob Tamme (4^th round, Colts)

OT Jake Long (1^st round, Dolphins) The 1^st overall pick of the 2008 NFL draft had high expectations, yet has found a way to exceed them. Long is already considered to be one of the top 2 lineman in the league along with the Brown’s Joe Thomas.

Honorable Mention: Sam Baker (1^st round, Falcons)

OG Josh Sitton (4^th round, Packers) He’s a big reason why the Packers have improved their of Aaron Rodgers which was terrible last season.

Honorable Mention: Carl Nicks (5^th round, Saints)

C Mike McGlynn (4^th round, Eagles) Important part of the Eagles’ offensive line, which has their work cut out for them with Vick’s scrambling abilities. He is a very good run blocker who is able to create holes for LeSean McCoy up the middle.

Honorable Mention: John Sullivan (6^th round, Vikings)

DE Chris Long (1^st round, Rams) Howie Long’s son was the 2^nd overall pick in the draft and has been steadily improving each year. He is already one of the Ram’s best players and is 2^nd on the team in sacks with 6.5.

Honorable Mention: Wallace Gilberry (Undrafted, Chiefs)

DT Sedrick Ellis (1^st round, Saints) The Saints defense has been improving the last few years ever since they drafted Ellis. He is the anchor of the D-line and is a good pass rusher and run stopper. Ellis will likely keep improving to become one of the best tackles in the league.

Honorable Mention: Jason Jones (2^nd round, Titans)

LB Jerod Mayo (1^st round, Patriots) A tackle machine, Mayo has been one of the Patriots’ best players. Mayo’s defensive leadership has helped smooth the transition of a Patriots’ defense that has gotten younger.

Honorable Mention: Curtis Lofton (2^nd round, Falcons)

CB Aqib Talib (1^st round, Buccaneers) This young ball-hawk is helping Tampa Bay fight for a playoff spot, which is a surprise to many who didn’t expect much from a young Buccaneers team. He isn’t far from becoming one of the top 2 or 3 corners in the league.

Honorable Mention: Antoine Cason (1^st round, Chargers)

S Charles Godfrey (3^rd round, Panthers) He is unfortunately on a team going nowhere this season, but Godfrey has been a playmaker in the Panthers’ respectable pass defense. He is a very solid tackler and reads QBs well.

Honorable Mention: Kenny Phillips (1^st round, Giants)

*originally drafted by Broncos

Randy Moss Interacts With Fans at Patriots' Game

I was actually at this game.  Probably the funniest thing at a football game I've ever been to.  You can tell the Pats smoked the Jaguars 35-7 (28-0 at half).  And Moss had a fun day all around: 4 catches, 45 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Week 13: NFL Draft Stock Watch for 2011

 Each and every week, on Wednesday nights, I will update The 3-4 readers on movements within my Big Board. Previous week's performances will dictate which players are labeled, stock up/down.

Stock Up

Kellen Moore (Boise State)

Kellen Moore did just about everything he possibly could have done at the quarterback position, to place his team in a position to stay undefeated. Unfortunately, Nevada came to play as well; dominating the defense, and ultimately winning the football game. Nevertheless, Moore’s play throughout his career cannot be simply overlooked. He has shown great poise in clutch situations, and more importantly has found ways to win football games. Moore is a winner, who has a coolness about himself. His ability to move within the pocket is comparable to Andrew Luck, and his accuracy draws a high grade. Moore without a doubt has a place at the next level, however I wonder where he will be drafted, and whether or not it will take him a few years to begin to see playing time (example- Troy Smith).

Doug Martin (Boise State)

Martin versus Nevada posted huge numbers in a crushing defeat in overtime to Nevada in Reno. Even in the loss, Martin displayed strong running back qualities; downfield vision, agility to break away, and strength behind his pads; he set up blocks nicely and outran defenders; Martin can also break a lot of arm tackles. A solid junior running back, Doug Martin could be a bargain if he decides to bolt for the NFL.

Dan Herron (Ohio State)

In one of the nation’s greatest rivalries, Michigan versus Ohio State, OSU running back Dan Herron did more than impress scouts with his on field play. Herron who has been coined the nickname “Boom”, by the Ohio State faithful for his hard nosed power running style, flashed big play ability and another gear of speed. Busting off a 98 yard TD run that was called back for a downfield holding penalty. Herron is a powerful runner, who has the explosiveness to bust a big gain. This kid has a strong stiff arm, and underrated speed, another real good back that could contribute early on at the next level.

Underclassmen Wideouts

Here are some high rising WRs who upped their game last Saturday;

1.     Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland Jr.

Smith caught 14 passes for 224 yards and 4 scores; He has truly developed his game as a receiver, from the routes he runs, to the authority he exhibits when catching the rock. A very solid prospect who has vast potential due to his physical attributes (record power clean max by a Maryland WR, and the second best squat of any Maryland WR all time). Could work his way into the top 3 or 5 of Wide Receivers in next year’s draft.

2.     Justin Blackmon, WR, Ok. State, So.(Rs)

Blackmon did not exactly tear up the stat sheet yesterday, but what I saw was a grit and determination to win by Blackmon. Nursing an injured ankle that noticeably affected his explosiveness, Blackmon continued to run full effort routes, and still gained separation on defenders despite not being 100%. Another solid week for one of the nation’s top wide receivers

3.     Darvin Adams, WR, Auburn, Jr.

Adams has emerged as Cam Newton’s go to receiver, and has shown extremely good route running abilities, and ball skills. Adams made big catch after big catch; on the sideline on a key 4^th down, on a 3^rd down over the middle, no matter where on the field Adams was sure to come down with the pivotal catch. Adams could possibly come out with Cam Newton and be drafted within the rounds of 4 to 6.

Stock Down

Mark Barron (Alabama)

Eyes peering into the backfield, or eyes locked on his man, Barron against Auburn last Friday just could not seem to make a play on the ball when it was in the air. Sometimes he was in good position, most times he was not, but in both cases Barron was victimized by the Auburn passing attack. Barron showed his tough style of football, helping out in the run defense with big hits, but failed to cover the back end of the field. His poor play ultimately led to the Auburn comeback victory. It seems there are no real solid safety prospects in this draft that could go in the first round. I see Barron as a 2^nd or 3^rd round guy, based solely on talent.

Boise State’s D-Line

After a strong first half, the Bronco’s front seven, particular on the d-line, was absolutely manhandled by Nevada’s pistol rushing attack of Colin Kaepernicke and Vai Taua. The inability to stop the run, led to the Wolf Pack’s successful use of PA passes. Also, there was absolutely zero pass rush on Kaepernicke, and even when there was a pass rush, they tackled very poorly and allowed Kaepernicke to escape the pressure. Overall a terrible and ultimately sad night for the Boise State Broncos, as a win would have most certainly placed them in at the least a BCS Rose Bowl. Some notable D-lineman I had been looking at; Billy Wynn and Ryan Winterswyk.

*Noteable addition(s) to Big Board: Justin Blackmon and J.J. Watt

*Noteable dropoff(s) from the Big Board: Demarcus Love and Mark Ingram