The Student of the GameGoing Beyond the Stats

Any NFL fan, be it casual or religious, knows the name of Denver Broncos QB Tim Tebow. Forsaken as a guaranteed bust upon his drafting last year; Crucified as a quirky experiment when he was installed for QB Kyle Orton when the struggling Broncos named him the starter; he’s suddenly seen as a Mile-High Messiah going 3-1 as a starter going into this Thursday Night Game, keeping Denver in the hunt for the AFC East Division and revitalizing playoff hopes. However, the one ‘L’ that Tebow has endured was against a solid defense where the Detroit Lions feasted on a Tebow steak during the 45-10 route. This Thursday Night match up against the New York Jets represents the first time Tebow has faced a top-level “D” since. The Jets ‘D’, however, don’t have the same offensive support as the Lions and failed to score. Broncos win 17-13.

Staying in the west, but changing to the AFC, the SoTG and Chris venture to the division of over-hyped QBs.

The AFC West has been bitten by the injury bug early in camp. Will the Bronco over come the loss of both LB Elvis Dumervil and WR Brandon Marshall? Can QB Phillip Rivers exist without Ladanian Tomlinson as the San Diego Chargers field general? Can the Kansas City Chiefs improve on the strength of all their front office changes? Are the Oakland Raiders better for having replaced QB bust Jamarcus Russell with QB Jason Campbell?

The SoTG, Weasel, and Chris discuss.

The chefs for the feast of retribution would be the players who set up their team to use this Thanksgiving Thursday night game to get their respective teams back in the race for the lead in their particular divisions. The New York Giants having bounced a struggling Atlanta Falcons team in overtime last week after losing 4 straight and the Denver Broncos losing their last four with the latest being a beat down by their AFC West rival San Diego Chargers; both teams were desperate for a springboard to get back into the playoff battle.

Some teams are real . . . Some teams a waste of time. Your guide to the Who's Who . . . The SoTG and Weasel.

Upsets, Surprises and Expectations about the NFL. And the SoTG are bringing all they can for the featured teams in week 2.

The AFC West was a dogfight amongst 2nd tier teams in the NFL last year. Can the Broncos overcome their off-season drama to re-take the division? Has the talent on the Chargers squad aged beyond their prime? Will the Chiefs be able to rebuild fast enough to make an impact this season? And will the Raiders ride their late-season success from last year to pose a threat? All these questions and more broken down and solved by the SoTG and Weasel.