Jets' Ryan: Revis won't go on IR just in case CB could play in Super Bowl

The Jets say they expect Darrelle Revis to have surgery on his torn ACL soon. (US Presswire)

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Rex Ryan has not dashed his Super Bowl hopes -- or the chance Darrelle Revis will be there on the field with the New York Jets this season.

Revis tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee at Miami last Sunday, but the Jets will wait until after the All-Pro cornerback has surgery in a few weeks to decide on his fate.

"You know what, and I've talked to Darrelle and all that, let's just have him go through surgery," Ryan said Friday. "Let's see what happens when he goes through surgery because there's that 0.0002 percent chance that he could play in the Super Bowl or something, so why would you take that option away from him?"

It wasn't a bold Super Bowl guarantee or prediction, as Ryan has been known to offer in the past. But, rather, it's the coach holding onto the hope that his best player might make an incredibly fast recovery -- as the team makes a deep playoff run.

"Let's just put it this way: My thought is, if you're fortunate enough to make it to that big game and he's fortunate enough to be healthy," Ryan said, "I know our fans will want him playing just like I would want him playing."

The 27-year-old Revis was injured in the third quarter of the Jets' 23-20 overtime victory, falling awkwardly and grabbing his knee without making any contact with another player. An MRI exam confirmed the Jets' worst fears Monday morning that the ACL was torn.

Typically, patients with similar injuries wait a few weeks before surgery but begin the rehabilitation process to strengthen the leg in hopes that that will help expedite the healing after the operation. In fact, Revis' business agent posted pictures on Twitter of the cornerback working out Friday.

While it seems highly unlikely Revis will return this season, even as late as February for the Super Bowl, what the Jets are doing is not unprecedented.

In 1995, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Rod Woodson became the first player to return from reconstructive knee surgery in the same season. Woodson tore an ACL in the season opener against Detroit, but the Steelers kept his roster spot open -- and he came back to play in the Super Bowl against Dallas.

San Diego's Philip Rivers tore an ACL in the AFC Championship Game in 2008, but was back on the practice field for minicamp 100 days later. New England's Wes Welker also returned about four months after a similar knee injury in 2010.

"I just want to take him through surgery and see what the doctors say when they're in there," Ryan said, "and we'll see what happens."

By not placing Revis on IR now, the Jets essentially will be going one man short of the 53-player roster maximum until they make a final decision. New York has not ruled out putting Revis on the NFL's new injured reserve/designated for return list, which teams can use for one player per season. That player would be able to return to practice after six weeks and play in a game after eight.

But for now, it makes sense for the Jets to wait until after surgery instead of risking using that designation on a player who could end up missing several months anyway.

Ryan added that there wasn't necessarily anything the team saw in the MRI exams to give them heightened optimism, but just wants Revis to have the surgery before a decision is made.

"You don't have to make a snap decision and say, `Well, let's just place him on IR and replace him with somebody,"' Ryan said. "Like I said, if you are fortunate enough to get [to the Super Bowl], why wouldn't you at least, if he does well in the surgery and he is healthy for that and is targeted for that, why wouldn't you believe in yourself enough to give yourself that opportunity?

"And, again, I'm not guaranteeing it's going to happen by any stretch."

Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

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History shows big gap between September results and Super Bowl glory

In 2010, the Packers got hot late and won it all; 2011 ended with playoff disappointment. (Getty Images)

A talk-radio host the other day asked me if there were any conclusions to be drawn from the first two weeks of play. As a matter of fact, I told him I could think of one: Don't run with what you've seen.

Meaning? Meaning the San Francisco 49ers aren't necessarily going to the Super Bowl, and the New Orleans Saints aren't dead meat.

Not yet anyway.

I know Las Vegas just made the 49ers the favorite to win their sixth Super Bowl while diminishing the chances of the winless Saints. But get real, people: If there's a lesson we should have learned the past two seasons, it's to not overreact to much of anything two, three or even eight weeks into the season.

It's not how you start the year that matters; it's how you finish it. I know what you're thinking: Well, duh. So then why do we persist in crowning Super Bowl winners months before the championship game is played? It makes no sense, and let me offer two reasons why: The past two Super Bowl champions.

The 2011 New York Giants and 2010 Green Bay Packers have something in common besides a Lombardi Trophy. Both qualified for the playoffs on the last day of the season, then ran the table. The Packers were supposed to be DOA in mid-December. So were the Giants. But each won its final two regular-season games before circling the bases in the playoffs.

Now look at the 2011 Packers. They won 15 of 16 games and were the best team in football from the beginning of the regular season to its end. So, two weeks into play, they became the overwhelming favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions, even though only one team (the 2003-04 Patriots) had done it the previous 12 years.

Nevertheless, the Packers lived up to expectations until something strange, something unexpected, something totally unpredictable happened in the playoffs: They lost. Yep, they suffered the same fate as the unbeaten New England Patriots of 2007, worn down and worn out by something ... and I'll call it fatigue.

Mental, physical, take your pick. All I know is that the team we saw in January wasn't the club we watched from September to December, and where's the surprise? It's virtually impossible in the NFL to maintain a superior level of play for five months.

I mentioned the 2007 Patriots, and I offer them as a textbook example. They regularly blew down opponents the first half of the season, then faltered down the stretch -- nearly losing to Philadelphia, Baltimore and the New York Giants. Then, in the conference championship game, they struggled to overcome a San Diego team that played without LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates and with quarterback Philip Rivers operating on one leg.

Two weeks later, they were beaten by the Giants.

That doesn't mean the 49ers are doomed. It just means that what you see now may not be what you get in January. When I visited the 49ers in the summer of 2011, I remember one member of the club telling me that, more than anything, players needed "a signature victory" to convince them that they could play with the big boys.

Then they went to Philadelphia that September and found it.

When I stopped by Santa Clara a year later I checked in with some of the same people from the previous summer, and all agreed the Philadelphia game changed the outlook of the club -- so much, in fact, that one guy said the 49ers now might need "a signature loss" to maintain their balance.

I knew what he was talking about then, and I know what he's talking about now.

The NFL this week reminded us that 75.7 percent of teams that start 3-0 make the playoffs, and that's great. But it also reminded us that since the current system was adopted in 1990, 22 clubs that lost their first two starts made it to the postseason. OK, so that number isn't all that significant. But this is: Four of those teams reached the Super Bowl, and three of them won it.

Moreover, since realignment in 2002, 70 of the 120 clubs that qualified for the playoffs -- or 58.3 percent -- started the year 1-1 or 0-2, including eight last year. One of them, the Giants, wound up winning Super Bowl XLVI.

Bottom line: There's hope, New Orleans. Aesop knew what he was talking about when he wrote The Tortoise and the Hare. What he didn't know was that its lessons would apply to today's NFL.

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DEA drug bust yields money, drugs and 2010 Packers Super Bowl ring

Posted: 08:30 AM ET June 05, 2012

By Ryan Wilson | NFL Blogger

The Drug Enforcement Agency must conduct hundreds of drug raids a year. In one such raid, the DEA arrested several members of a drug-trafficking operation with ties to Mexico and the haul was what you might expect: heroin, weapons and jewelry -- including a 2010 Green Bay Packers Super Bowl ring that a team executive had previously reported stolen, the Chicago Tribune reported Monday.

It was unclear how the traffickers came to have the ring in their possession, but it's the third such championship-ring-related story we've seen in recent weeks. First, former Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor had his ring up for auction (Charlie Sheen, it turns out, didn't end up buying it), and it was news when a Packers employee in the team's facilities and fields department pawned her Super Bowl ring.

If you're in the market for such a possession, good news: a quick eBay search turns up several Super Bowl rings although, as you might expect, they don't come cheap. A 2004 Patriots ring is currently $8,500, and a 1993 Cowboys ring will set you back $45,000.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our Pick-6 Podcast and NFL newsletter. You can follow Ryan Wilson on Twitter here: @ryanwilson_07.

Tags: Ryan Wilson, Green Bay Packers, NFL

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Jets' Rex Ryan regrets making Super Bowl guarantee

Posted: 09:01 PM ET June 01, 2012

By Ryan Wilson | NFL Blogger

'I think if it gave an opponent fuel to the fire then obviously that was a mistake.' - Rex Ryan (Getty Images)
Rex Ryan likes to talk. This is no secret. In fact, you could almost set your watch (assuming people still wore them for non-decorative reasons) to his annual proclamations about this being the year the Jets would win the Super Bowl.

He wasn't far off his first two seasons in New York; in 2009 and 2010, the team made it as far as the AFC Conference Championship Game. Things fell apart in 2011, however; the Jets ended the year on a three-game losing streak, including an embarrassing Week 17 loss in Miami that left them at 8-8 and out of the playoffs.

Days later, Ryan vowed to fix his team, and despite the disappointing finish, he sounded as confident as ever about the Jets' immediate future.

“I plan on getting another [Super Bowl ring], and I plan on getting it quickly,” he said in February.

After taking a few months to reflect on his tenure in New York, and perhaps more specifically, how the Jets have fallen short in each of his three years, Ryan sounds as if he'll measure his words carefully going forward. Theoretically, anyway.

During an appearance on ESPN New York with Michael Kay, Ryan was asked about the guarantees he had made in previous seasons.

“I don't know what I accomplished out of it," Ryan said via SportsRadioInterviews.com. "I think if it gave an opponent fuel to the fire then obviously that was a mistake. If it put undue pressure on our team then that was a mistake. Certainly I didn't wanna do it, I wanted to put -- coming off back-to-back championship games all that's left is the Super Bowl. And I thought by guaranteeing that, it would put the arrows on me.

"Now granted it did, but it also put arrows on our players and I didn't want that. If it was gonna come down, it would come down on me only. That was what I thought would happen, and that didn't happen. It was shot on some of our players and obviously shot at me as well, where it should have been. But it wasn't directed at me, and I think that was my mistake by saying what I said.”

Translation: Mark Sanchez was an innocent bystander caught in the cross(bow)fire. So, naturally, the Jets traded for Tim Tebow.

Which brings us to this: no Jets-related conversation would be complete without the obligatory Tebow name-check, so here you go: Ryan offered up a variation on an answer we've all heard a million times about Tebow, NFL Quarterback: "He's had his moments where he's looked really impressive and there's other times when maybe the defense has had a better day.”

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our Pick-6 Podcast and NFL newsletter. You can follow Ryan Wilson on Twitter here: @ryanwilson_07.

Tags: Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, Ryan Wilson, New York Jets, NFL

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Report: Lawrence Taylor informed that Charlie Sheen purchased his Super Bowl ring

Posted: 01:07 PM ET May 24, 2012

By Will Brinson | Senior NFL Blogger

Charlie Sheen reportedly purchased Lawrence Taylor's auctioned-off Super Bowl ring. (Getty Images)

The whole saga involving Lawrence Taylor's Super Bowl ring may have taken a (somehow) even more bizarre twist. According to a report, LT and his agent were informed that the winning bid was placed by none other than Charlie Sheen.

Jay Glazer of FoxSports.com first reported the news and also points out that there's a possibility that the news isn't 100 percent correct. (Glazer also makes a great joke about Rob Lowe confirming this news, which doesn't even seem out of the question.)

Frankly, I can't tell whether to laugh or cry at the auction unfolding this way, but I'm leaning towards "cackling manically" at this point. After all, what's more perfect than Osi Umenyiora chasing Twitter followers with a possible purchase of the most-publicized sports auction we've seen in a while, only to get topped by CHUCK SHEEN?

The answer is nothing (barring the Rob Lowe confirmation anyway).

Here's what I'm interested in, though: Sheen's motivation for buying the ring. I'd like to believe that it's one of two things. Either a) Sheen is a Giants fan or b) he's going to melt the ring down and snort it.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, subscribe to our RSS Feed and subscribe to our Pick-6 Podcast and NFL newsletter. You can follow Will Brinson on Twitter here: @willbrinson.

Tags: New York Giants, NFL

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Lawrence Taylor's Super Bowl XXV ring sold for $230K, not to Osi Umenyiora

Posted: 11:35 AM ET May 20, 2012

By Will Brinson | Senior NFL Blogger

LT's Super Bowl XXV sold for $230,000. (SCPAuctions.com, US Presswire)
Because of the large interest that it drew from the public (this is post, like, 25 about it here), the bidding was extended for Lawrence Taylor's Super Bowl XXV ring. But the bidding has now ended, and the ring ended up fetching over $230,000 at auction.

$230,401 to be exact, and, no, Osi Umenyiora was not the winner.

As you probably read yesterday, Osi promised to purchase LT's Super Bowl ring at auction and return it to the linebacker if he could get to 1,000,000 Twitter followers before the auction ended.

Umenyiora apparently has a worse understanding of how Twitter works than he does leveraging holdouts (hey-o), because that just wasn't happening. And it didn't -- Osi reduced his magic number to 500,000 but didn't even sniff that either, finishing the day with just over 55,000 (he's now, quite humorously, back below that number).

So it appears that LT's ring, which was actually auctioned off by his son, isn't quite as likely to return to the linebacker's possession. Unless whoever ended up winning the auction has the same "charitable" streak as Osi.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, subscribe to our RSS Feed and subscribe to our Pick-6 Podcast and NFL newsletter. You can follow Will Brinson on Twitter here: @willbrinson.

Tags: Osi Umenyiora, New York Giants, NFL

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Osi Umenyiora fails to reach 500K followers to buy back L.T. Super Bowl ring

Posted: 10:01 AM ET May 19, 2012

By Will Brinson | Senior NFL Blogger

Last week, the news that Lawrence Taylor's Super Bowl XXV ring was up for sale stirred up quite a bit of interest in the football-watching world. (It is, after all, May.) The sale of such a valuable piece of memorabilia looked like another humiliating twist in L.T.'s life, but it turns out that it might be L.T.'s son selling the ring.

Regardless of who put it up for auction, though, current Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora is interested in getting it back into L.T.'s hands. He's willing to buy the ring, but he wants 1,000,000 Twitter followers first.

Attn:All L.T, NYG, NFL FANS! If i get 1million followers, i will buy L.T's ring back and give it to him. The 1,000,000th will give it to him

— Osi Umenyiora (@OsiUmenyiora) May 19, 2012

L.T is a football LEGEND! If 1,000,000 people support him getting his ring back, then its worth it to me to buy it and give it back to him

— Osi Umenyiora (@OsiUmenyiora) May 19, 2012

A truly noble act, eh? There's only one catch however. Osi currently has 25,283 followers (he just recently joined Twitter) and there are just about 12 hours remaining on the auction for L.T.'s ring (as of this writing).

That means that Osi needs to pick up 1,354 per minute in order to get to 1,000,000 followers before the auction for L.T.'s ring ends. (It also means that if he pays $100,000 for the ring, he'll have paid $9.75 per follower your writer is not good at math and it cost him $0.13 per follower.) There are several ways to generate a quick 975,000 Twitter followers.

One, you could get retweeted by Katy Perry, Justin Beiber, Ashton Kutcher, Lady Gaga, Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey simultaneously.

Or two, you could get a leaked, new video of Kate Upton doing the "Cat Daddy" dance. Osi's actually making good progress in his race, and by the time you read this, he could be as high as like 50,000 followers.

Which is good for him, but not so great for L.T.'s ring finger.

UPDATE: Osi, who's still under 50,000 followers, has lowered the price to 500,000 followers for him to purchase the ring. You must follow him by 10 p.m. ET tonight apparently. He should just call Sarah Phillips if he wants to crank up his followers.

Deadline is 10pm tonight for the auction for LT'S Ring! Im reducing it to 500,000!!!

— Osi Umenyiora (@OsiUmenyiora) May 19, 2012

UPDATE (11:19): And Osi's fallen short of his goal to get to 1,000,000 -- or even 500,000 -- followers. But he's got, um, 55,000. So there's that. Maybe he'll still buy the ring.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, subscribe to our RSS Feed and subscribe to our Pick-6 Podcast and NFL newsletter. You can follow Will Brinson on Twitter here: @willbrinson.

Tags: Osi Umenyiora, New York Giants, NFL

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Odd twist: L.T.'s son auctioned Super Bowl ring

Posted: 02:41 PM ET May 18, 2012

By Mike Freeman | National NFL Insider

On Thursday, I ripped Lawrence Taylor for selling his Super Bowl ring. I called Taylor a disgrace. It turns out Taylor's son may have actually been the one to sell it and Taylor didn't know. Maybe. Possibly. Who knows?

SCB auctions released a statement saying it was in fact Taylor's son, TJ, who actually sold the ring. The elder Taylor told Foxsports.com that he didn't know his son was selling the ring. So, case closed, right? Time for me to apologize to Taylor for blasting him for selling the ring and eat my crow. Maybe. Possibly. Who knows?

Because Taylor is now saying he gave the ring to his son, his son put it up for auction, and Taylor supports his son's move. So apology on hold? Maybe. Possibly. Who knows?

It's just strange. Really, incredibly strange.

Taylor can do whatever he wants with his ring, and giving his ring to his son is noble, but it seems difficult to believe that Taylor's son would put up a freaking Super Bowl ring for auction without checking with the old man first.

Just another twist in the strange life of a man who has had many of them.

That's definite and more than possible.

Tags: New York Giants, NFL

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Former Giants LB Lawrence Taylor's Super Bowl XXV ring auctioned off

Posted: 11:18 AM ET May 17, 2012

By Will Brinson | Senior NFL Blogger

LT's Super Bowl XXV ring is up for auction. (SCPAuctions.com, US Presswire)
Have you always wanted a Super Bowl ring of your own, but without the hassle of actually getting on an NFL roster? Well, you're in luck. Just a day after the Giants received their most recent Super Bowl rings, Lawrence Taylor's auctioning off his Super Bowl XXV ring and is apparently seeking between $75,000 and $100,000 for the diamond-studded piece of jewelry.

You can bid on the ring right here (or, like me, just stare at the diamonds), but you're gonna need some cash -- the current bid for the ring is $37,982. Of course, if the ring is, as the auction description claims, "arguably the most significant" Super Bowl ring ever, then it's totally worth it. Even with the "considerable wear."

"Presented here is arguably the most significant Superbowl player ring ever offered publicly. Lawrence Taylor's own 1991 Superbowl XXV ring feature two football shaped diamonds on the face surrounded by worn blue enameling framed by seventeen smaller diamonds. Design elements include the name 'TAYLOR' on the left shank above a Giants helmet and his number '56.' Engraved on the interior band in the full name 'LAWRENCE TAYLOR,'" the auction description reads. "The ring shows considerable wear, that in some eyes, only enhances it aura. A phenomenally important memento from one of the greatest football players of all-time. Size: 12."

So significant is this ring, in fact, that the reserve hasn't been met yet: according to a press release, Taylor is seeking between $75,000 and $100,000 for the ring. That seems like a tough number to pull off, but if they're at nearly 40 grand with two days to go, it'll probably happen.

For the record, if I was filthy rich, I would absolutely buy this ring. And then I'd use it as the trophy for my fantasy football league moving forward.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, subscribe to our RSS Feed and subscribe to our Pick-6 Podcast and NFL newsletter. You can follow Will Brinson on Twitter here: @willbrinson.

Tags: New York Giants, NFL

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Giants unveil Super Bowl rings and allow fans to pose with it on their fingers

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San Francisco wants Super Bowl L in its new stadium

Posted: 03:24 PM ET April 16, 2012

By Josh Katzowitz | NFL Blogger

Will the Super Bowl L trophy be raised in San Francisco's new stadium? The Bay Area hopes so. (Getty) The Super Bowl location rotation is set for the next three years. In 2013, we'll head to New Orleans, then New York/New Jersey in 2014 and Glendale, Ariz., in 2015. If the city of San Francisco has its way, Super Bowl L will be live from the Bay Area.

That's the word from the Sacramento Bee, which reports that the 49ers want their new $1.02 billion stadium to play host to the Super Bowl in February 2016.

The new stadium will be located in Santa Clara, and since an NFL team has to play in a stadium for two seasons before a Super Bowl can be played there, that stadium would have to be ready for the start of the 49ers 2014 season.

As the Bee notes, interested cities can begin applying to the Super Bowl Advisory Committee to bid, and in October, the committee will decide on finalists. The NFL then likely will announce the winner of Super Bowl L in May 2013.

It'll be interesting, though, to see if Los Angeles can secure an NFL team in the next few years, because the league placing Super Bowl L in L.A, the site of Super Bowl I, would make plenty of sense (symbolically, at least).

If San Francisco ultimately doesn't win the right to host the Super Bowl in 2016, the 49ers would apply to play host to Super Bowl LI.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, and subscribe to our Pick-6 Podcast and NFL newsletter. You can follow Josh Katzowitz on Twitter here: @joshkatzowitz.

Tags: San Francisco 49ers, NFL

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Is a Super shot with Manning worth the hangover after he retires?

Even if Manning returns to form, that's no guarantee that another Super Bowl title is in his future. (US Presswire)

I call it selling your soul.

That's what any team that signs Peyton Manning would be doing. I still think Manning can play at a high level, but it's not a certainty. And even if he can play like he did before his four neck surgeries, who says he wins a title?

The questions nobody out there is asking are there: What if he doesn't win a Super Bowl? What if it doesn't work? What if he's gone to retirement and hanging with his young twins in two years?

Anything short of winning a Super Bowl would make his signing a failure.

Division title? Not good enough.

Playing in a conference title game? Still not good enough.

Super Bowl loser? Nope.

Win a ring or the move is a failure for the signing team. There would be no other way to describe it.

Let's say Team A signs Manning to a five-year, incentive-laden deal with $25 million in guaranteed money. Let's say it's back-loaded and it's really only a three-year deal, with two years added on for bookkeeping purposes.

Team A would then have three years to win a Super Bowl. In those three years, that team would likely avoid drafting a potential franchise passer.

So it might come to this even if he does win a title: one ring followed by a decade of losing.

Some will say that's worth it. Is it? That team's fans should be like that guy who jumps off cliffs for the shear enjoyment of it with that squirrel suit. Eventually, the crash is coming. The thrill of the ride is fine, and it will be for the team that signs Manning, but the crash is inevitable.

Just look at the Colts.

A year ago, long before we thought Manning's neck would keep him sidelined, the Colts were considered a Super contender. Then he misses the entire season, they finish with the worst record in the league, and now they're blowing up the franchise.

The only thing left is Jim Irsay's wacky Twitter account and that might be part of the purge too the way things are going.

The Colts might not contend for a Super Bowl for another four years. It could be longer.

But Manning produced a decade of dominance and one Super Bowl title. He also helped Irsay build a new stadium and attract a Super Bowl to a city that would have never had it without the house that Peyton built.

For the Colts, it was more than worth it.

But this Manning is 35. This Manning has a bad neck. This Manning is hoping a nerve regenerates just to be able to throw with the same velocity he once did. You can have all the grainy videos leaked to the media you want. Until he lines up and throws for a half-hour, nobody will know for sure if he can do it.

It's like hearing great things about a racehorse that once won a big-stakes race. Then finding out the horse has a bad foot. Would you buy it? Would you even bet on it?

Yes, Manning is a tireless worker and if anybody can do it he can. But it's still risky -- to say the least.

I say he comes back. And I still think he plays well.

But I offer this caution: If he doesn't win a Super Bowl with his new team, that team will have a hard time recovering.

As detailed as Manning is on the nuances of the NFL game, he has to know this deep down, not that it should matter to him. But the team that signs him will essentially be selling the team soul. Just remember that as Manning excitement grips his new city or state, whether it's Denver, Miami or Phoenix or wherever.

There will be only one way to judge whether Peyton Manning is a good move, and that will be if his new team adds that big, shiny Tiffany trophy to the case in their hallway.

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Thanks to a down year, Packers have a cakewalk to the Super Bowl

The Philadelphia Eagles were officially eliminated from the playoffs before the first quarter ended in their game against Dallas. The Dream Team is dead.

Tony Romo injured his hand and watched. It wouldn't have mattered if Romo played. The Cowboys are an average team and it would take a Christmas miracle if Dallas was a factor in the playoffs ... if they even make the playoffs.

The Eagles were supposed to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys were supposed to be contenders. Yet here they both were on Saturday -- the Eagles eliminated and Cowboys possibly without Romo and on the verge of missing another postseason. Well, that could happen since the Giants will be favorites against Dallas in next week's fight for the division crown.

And the Green Bay Packers sit atop this mess of an NFL, a league crammed with the pedantic and the downtrodden and the pretenders, and must feel pretty damn good about their chances.

With the postseason taking shape this is what we know about the NFL now ...

There is one great team in football (the Packers). There is one good team (the Saints). There are three slightly above average teams (the 49ers, Patriots and Steelers). Ninety percent of the rest are spectacularly average. The remaining are pain-inducing putrid.

This is your NFL. Where the average and the ugly rule the sport which gives one team the clearest path to a championship we’ve seen in a long time.

The Packers have a cakewalk to a second straight title. An absolute, all-time cakewalk. If they lose on Sunday it's because they sit large numbers of starters or are bored. No team in the NFC can touch them. Not the quarterback-challenged 49ers. Not the mistake-prone Cowboys. Not the multiple-personality Giants. Not the Lions who average 40 personal fouls a game. Not the Saints who will likely have to play in Green Bay in late January (good luck, dome team).

A healthy Packers team would beat this Cowboys group by at least two touchdowns; They already did that last year to Atlanta.

Not counting strike years, the Packers possess the easiest road to a Super Bowl in maybe the past 20 or 30 seasons.

I know what you're going to say. The Packers just lost to the lowly Chiefs. But that was more a function of the tremendous weight that is going for an unbeaten season than anything else. (And if I see the word "blueprint" associated with that Packers loss one more time ...)

The AFC would have an even more difficult time trying to stop Green Bay. Who's going to beat them? The defenseless Patriots? They already hammered the Steelers in the Super Bowl. The Texans are down to their ninth-string quarterback, that defense is extremely overrated and they just lost to Indianapolis. The Ravens are capable but schizophrenic. The Broncos don't have enough firepower.

Joe Namath, the former Jet, summarized the Giants-Jets game -- and maybe this season -- with this sarcastic tweet: "And these two teams will probably be in the playoffs ... What do ya think of that?"

Not much.

The Packers have an easy path to the Super Bowl because, with one exception –- the Saints –- the remainder of the league has disintegrated around them. This season, the year of the lockout, will not go down as one of the best in league history. Indeed, quite the opposite.

While the NFL lockout has been blamed for everything from Sarah Palin to the budget deficit, as we look back it's clear the lockout did have a profound effect on quality of play. I believe it is a big reason why the Eagles fell apart and quite possibly the young Tampa Bay Buccaneers (coach Raheem Morris will likely be fired). Look at Saturday's games and you see the ugliness. The Jets talked and talked and then lost embarrassingly. "It's time to shut up, fat boy," Giants player Brandon Jacobs told coach Rex Ryan, according to the Newark Star-Ledger.

The Raiders tossed two interceptions and had ten penalties in the first half alone but still won at Kansas City. Running back Tim Tebow threw a pick-six against the Bills as he becomes who we thought he was. The Patriots struggled at home with the Dolphins.

Basic fundamental football was dead this season, and Saturday's games were a microcosm of that.

There was amazing athleticism but the lockout eroded any semblance of team consistency, which is why this year there was so much unpredictability and losing on teams where there shouldn't have been.

The Packers, for whatever reasons, were the exception.

There are two aforementioned teams that maybe on their best of days could put a scare in the Packers. The Patriots' defense has been ranked last in football but any team with Tom Brady can make an argument. The thing about the Patriots is something New England guard Brian Waters said after overcoming their 17-point deficit against Miami: "We never panic."

The Giants are also interesting to watch. They've beaten Goliath before.

Maybe they catch the Packers on a bad day but it's doubtful. If the Cowboys somehow beat the Giants and get in they'd only be playing for the right to lose to Green Bay down the road.

Most likely just like everyone else.

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Super Bowl fans, NFL potentially headed for drawn-out court battle

The Super Bowl is headed to Indianapolis ... or court ... depending on where you sit, and, yes, I mean that literally.

A federal judge last week allowed disgruntled ticket holders from Super Bowl XLV -- the game in Dallas where spectators were displaced -- to move forward with a lawsuit vs. the NFL while at the same time dismissing three of their four claims.

That is a group of approximately 4,000 persons, according to Michael Avenatti of Eagan Avenatti of Newport Beach, Cal., the lead law firm for the plaintiffs.

Avenatti is confident of scoring a class-action victory, saying he expects the case to be ajudicated "sometime in 2012," with a decision compelling the NFL "to do what it should have done, which is return 100 percent of every dollar for every Super Bowl expense and to compensate people in excess of what they were offered. The fans are entitled to something for their losses."

Others aren't so certain of the timing or the result, believing the case could go on indefinitely.

In the meantime, the NFL has offered fans who were displaced at the Feb. 6 Super Bowl a choice of two packages. The first involves a group of approximately 2,800 spectators in temporary seats who were either delayed in gaining pre-game access to seats or moved to another location. Those persons have been offered the face-value of their ticket or a ticket to attend a future Super Bowl of their choice.

The second option involves roughly 475 persons who were not able to be seated. They can receive three times the face value of their tickets ($2,800) plus a ticket to Super Bowl XLVI; or a game ticket to the Super Bowl of their choice, plus airfare and four nights at a hotel; a check for $5,000 or a check for more than $5,000, provided they have documented expenses to justify the request.

Persons choosing to attend this year's Super Bowl, which will be held Feb. 5 in Indianapolis, have until two weeks before the game to notify the league of their intentions. They can accept the NFL's offer up to and including the day following the conference championship contests on Jan. 23, which allows them to wait on the teams involved in Super Bowl XLVI.

But there is a third block of spectators that deserves to be compensated, said Avenatti –- those who were seated in areas where views of the field were partially obstructed. He estimated that group to be anywhere from 800 to 1,000 persons. Their inclusion, he said, brings the total number of plaintiffs involved to approximately 4,000.

The number of persons who signed retainers, Avenatti said, is "in excess of 400," but, as he pointed out, "the number is of no consequence." As long as there is one plaintiff in a class-action suit there is a case.

"This is a big deal," he said.

The NFL agrees, though it would not comment publicly other than to say that it was "pleased" with last week's decision "dismissing all claims vs. the league except for a contract claim." It also said it believes "our offers meet or exceed what the fans are entitled to under the law" and that it was "encouraged by the positive response" of those who accepted them.

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Super rookie Peterson delivering many happy returns

Ken Whisenhunt on Peterson: 'I'm pretty sure Patrick's going to be a pretty good player.' (AP)

TEMPE, Ariz. -- If one play can illustrate everything about a player, Patrick Peterson's tell-all moment came in overtime on Nov. 6 against the St. Louis Rams at University of Phoenix Stadium.

As he drifted closer and closer to the goal line to receive Donnie Jones' punt, pride conflicted with prudence. He wanted to make a play for a 1-6 team desperate for some kind of spark, but the 1-yard line was no place for heroics.

Just as he thought about letting the ball go into the end zone, he noticed teammate Richard Marshall had stayed on his block (the gunner) instead of releasing at the 20-yard line as is customary.

With his right foot mere feet from the goal line and five Rams already inside the 15-yard line, Peterson took a chance.

"I broke all the rules," the Cardinals rookie cornerback said. "You want to put your heels on the 10-yard line and if the ball goes over your head you let it go into the end zone. I've never seen a punt return taken from the 1 before and I probably shouldn't have been the first."

Running laterally to escape backside pursuit, Peterson cut upfield at the right hash marks and broke a tackle at the 15. He broke two more at the 30 and spun away from Jones as the crowd rose for the crescendo. With only rumbling long snapper Jake McQuaide to beat, Peterson took one last look behind him before busting out a Deion Sanders high-step into the end zone.

In the interview room following the 19-13 win, worry-worn coach Ken Whisenhunt embraced the moment and his rapidly rising star.

"He's my new son," a hoarse Whisenhunt cracked. "We just adopted him."

So has an entire city yearning for some hint of hope from their football team in the wake of Kurt Warner's retirement. They may have found it.

There is an air about Peterson that feels different. It's an aura you only sense around the great ones. Since returning the very first punt he fielded for a touchdown when he was 8 years old, Peterson has known he possesses special gifts. But there is no arrogance in him. He exudes the quiet confidence of a star so accustomed to success that its presence is assumed.

"A lot of swag about himself," defensive tackle Darnell Dockett said. "You sit back and watch the Chicago Bears with Devin Hester, DeSean Jackson in Philly. To know you've got a guy with just that much capability that has the opportunity to be better and [is] also younger, it's exciting."

Peterson tied the NFL single-season record with his fourth punt return for a touchdown (80 yards) on Nov. 27 at St. Louis. In a bizarre coincidence, Fox play-by-play man Sam Rosen was on the call for all four TDs.

Peterson was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week and NFC Special Teams Player of the Month following return No. 4, and the size 12 Nike cleats he wore for No. 3, the 99-yarder, are on permanent display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"My kids' kids' kids are going to have the opportunity to go to Ohio and see their great-grandfather's cleats," Peterson beamed. "They might at least have an idea who I was."

Peterson is undoubtedly the most impactful rookie to burst on the Cardinals' scene since receiver Anquan Boldin arrived with 1,377 yards in 2003. But with all that he has already accomplished, it's instructive to remember that Peterson is just 21 years old. He should be a senior in college. He's still just a kid.

That much was clear to safeties Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes, who spent hours of down time with Peterson in their shared dorm room during training camp in Flagstaff.

"We would come in from night meetings and all be sitting in the main study," Rhodes said. "Every night, before bed, he had to have chocolate chip cookies and milk from the cafe."

Peterson was widely regarded as the best player available in the 2011 draft after a sensational career at LSU in which he won the Jim Thorpe and Chuck Bednarik awards as college football's best defensive back and best defensive player, while also being named the SEC Player of the Year on defense and special teams.

As the No. 5 overall pick, he was the crown jewel in a draft that may prove to be the best of the Whisenhunt era. But with the lockout wiping out OTAs and minicamps, Peterson was behind the curve at the most difficult defensive position.

When the lockout ended, the Cards traded 2009 Pro Bowl corner Dominique-Rodgers Cromartie to Philadelphia for quarterback Kevin Kolb. When their other starter, Greg Toler, was lost in the preseason with a torn ACL, Whisenhunt had no choice but to break his own, unstated rule of never starting a rookie.

"It was a struggle early," Whisenhunt admitted. "It's tough when you're a young player at that position and you're thrust into the starting lineup."

Part of Peterson's challenge was adapting to a brand new scheme. But he also had to adapt to a dramatically higher caliber of quarterback and the smaller windows into which those quarterbacks were willing, and able, to throw.

"He assumed that because he had good coverage they wouldn't throw the ball to him," first-year defensive coordinator Ray Horton said. "In this league, they come after you."

Peterson struggled early, and despite the obvious excuse of a lost offseason, some in the local media were already willing to label him a bust. Through 10 games, he was penalized 10 times, the most on the team. Much of it was a product of his physical style.

"At the end of the day, every DB is touching every receiver at some point in the route," Peterson said. "Sometimes, the refs are gonna get ya', sometimes, they're not. Dub [Wilson] always says, 'Just continue playing football.'"

The conventional wisdom says Peterson should adapt to the tendencies of the officials, but Horton hopes the opposite is true. He hopes Peterson will someday get the same respect as Jets corner Darrelle Revis and Eagles corner Nnamdi Asomugha.

"It's kind of like the [Michael] Jordan rules," Horton said. "You start to understand that this kid is good and he's going to be on a guy because he's so good. He's just there all the time. If he gets a penalty, theoretically you'll take it every time because you want a guy challenging."

Horton believes Peterson is "right on pace" in his progression as a corner. Nobody thinks he's on pace as a return man.

"He's way ahead," said Whisenhunt, who called Peterson the most natural punt returner he has ever watched.

His growing reputation led the Dallas Cowboys to kick away from him on Sunday, affording Peterson just one return opportunity.

"It's very important to keep him contained and to tackle him well," Dallas coach Jason Garrett said. "He's exceptional. I think the evidence has been out there over the course of the first 11 games."

Cardinals running back Chester Taylor played last year in Chicago with the most celebrated punt returner in league history: Hester.

"They're both special," Taylor said. "They both obviously have tremendous speed but the difference is, Patrick breaks more tackles while Hess makes more people miss."

Special teams coach Kevin Spencer took it a step further.

"We always say Patrick will make the first guy miss and we'll block the other guys, but it's more like Patrick will make the first guy miss and run over three guys on the way," he said. "He really is a very unique combination of strength and speed."

Peterson was watching a replay of the 1993 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns recently. He has developed a fascination with Jordan -- an appropriate obsession given his stature and his voice, which is a dead ringer for the NBA legend's.

"You always want to compare yourself to the greatest," Peterson said.

Normally cautious, Whisenhunt is beginning to expect such goals from his uncommonly talented rookie.

"I saw something written that it takes three years [before] you really know about a player," Whisenhunt said. "I don't necessarily agree with that. I'm pretty sure Patrick's going to be a pretty good player."

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NFL Oakland Raiders 3 Greatest Games: Super Bowl Victories

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NFL America's Game Super Bowl I-XL

There is no bigger or more anticipated game in all of sports than the Super Bowl. Now Warner Home Video (WHV), the National Football League (NFL) and NFL Films are teaming up to give football fans everywhere an extensively researched and crafted 40-disc set that delves into each team that has won the NFL s biggest game.

From dynasties to one-shot wonders, from the undefeated to the unexpected, America s Game tells the stories behind the story of all 40 Super Bowl champions. Each episode is a 60-minute documentary featuring key members of the winning team telling behind-the-scenes accounts from their championship season. With classic NFL Films action combined with news clips and photos, highlights from team radio broadcasts, footage from inside team meeting rooms, sideline audio and other exclusive features, America s Game provides an epic and intimate portrait of 40 distinct championship teams, in one groundbreaking series.

This was the first NFL Films feature to be screened at the Tribeca Film Festival. The DVD also includes a special edition booklet that offers collectors a valuable insight into the four decades of Super Bowl history, including action photos, history, stats and shots of the famous Super Bowl rings.

Narrated by A-list celebrities including Alec Baldwin, Gene Hackman, Laurence Fishburne, Ed Harris, Martin Sheen and Bruce Willis this DVD is sure to impress any football fan.

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NFL New Orleans Saints: Road to Super Bowl XLIV (Post-Season Collector's Edition)

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NFL New Orleans Saints: Road to Super Bowl XLIV (Post-Season Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]

For the first time in their history, the New Orleans Saints are Super Bowl Champions. That is neither misprint nor mirage and it bears repeating for the long-waiting faithful – the New Orleans Saints are Super Bowl Champions! Now, in this unforgettable 2-disc Blu-Ray set, relive the Saints remarkable championship run with the original network broadcasts of four thrilling games. Follow New Orleans from their exciting week 13 overtime win in Washington to their post-season run – a runaway victory over Arizona, the unforgettable nail-biter against Minnesota, and the crowning triumph over the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. It was a season to be savored in the city of New Orleans. Over these four games, the Saints captured the imagination of an entire nation and their story became etched into the fabric of NFL History. Now, those games are yours to own on Blu-Ray with Road to XLIV. Disc 1: Week 13 – New Orleans Saints vs. Washington Redskins, NFC Divisional Playoffs – Arizona Cardinals vs. New Orleans Saints. Disc 2: NFC Championship Game – Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV – New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts

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NFL: San Francisco 49ers - 5 Greatest Games: Super Bowl Victories

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