NFL Mock Draft 2012 (Version 2 // Final Version)

1. Indianapolis Colts -- Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
The Colts are replacing one franchise QB with another.

2. Washington Redskins -- Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor (via trade with St. Louis)
The most exciting player in this year’s draft will be worth the price of admission as a rookie. Has a chance to be Washington’s next great football player.

3. Minnesota Vikings -- Matt Kalil, OT, USC
Talk of Morris Claiborne and Justin Blackmon at #3 is starting to feel like one big smoke screen. New GM Rick Spielman makes the safe pick here. That's Kalil.

NFL Mock Draft 2012

1. Indianapolis Colts -- Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
The Colts are replacing one franchise QB with another.

2. Washington Redskins -- Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor (via trade with St. Louis)
The most exciting player in this year’s draft will be worth the price of admission as a rookie. Has a chance to be Washington’s next great football player.

3. Minnesota Vikings -- Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
After strongly considering USC OT Matt Kalil, the Vikings choose Claiborne. Six games a year against Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford Jay Cutler will drive their decision.

Top 5 Fantasy Football Running Backs in 2012 [Podcast]

Who are the top 5 fantasy football runnings back in 2012? How significant a role will Michael Bush play in Chicago? Plus, is Michael Turner's fantasy value dropping? All of these topics are discussed this week on  The Fantasy Football Source Podcast.

Host Matt Lechner breaks down why elite running backs are still the way to go at the top of fantasy drafts. However, Lechner explains why times are changing when it comes to drafting running backs after the first three or four picks in the first round.

Plus, why Matt Forte's fantasy value takes a big hit with arrival of Bush in the Bears backfield.

Click here to listen to The Fantasy Football Source Podcast and download on iTunes here.

Did the NFL Lockout Help the 2011 Rookie QB Class?

Friday morning on ESPN’s Mike and Mike, NFL analyst and former quarterbacks Ron Jaworski made an intriguing comment as to why he believes the rookie quarterback class of 2011 had so much success.

He credited the lockout.

Top 5 Fantasy Football Quarterbacks in 2012 [Podcast]

Who would you draft first in fantasy football? Miles Austin or Dez Bryant. Does Robert Griffin III have value in fantasy football? Is DeMarco Murray a top 10 running back? It's never too soon to talk fantasy football and this week we answer all of those questions on The Fantasy Football Source Podcast.

In the first episode of the season, host Matt Lechner breaks down the top 5 fantasy football quarterbacks heading into the 2012 season.

Plus, David Watkins from the NBC-affiliate in Dallas, Texas also joins the show to talk about Cowboys receiver situation. Also, why he believes Murray is poised to have a solid sophomore season for the Cowboys.

Also, Griffin III's pro prospects as the Washington Redskins prepare to make him the number two overall pick in the NFL Draft on April 26, 2012.

Click here to listen to The Fantasy Football Source Podcast and download on iTunes here.

2012 NFL Draft: Pay attention to pre-draft workouts and visits

The 2012 NFL Draft is just over a month away and teams are beginning to schedule pre-draft visits and workouts with potential prospects.

While this is nothing new, the private meetings and workouts usually give us a good indication of which players teams will target come draft day, especially teams drafting in the top 15.

2012 NFL Free Agency: Which Agents Will Be Most Active?

As the NFL season comes to a close, the season for NFL agents is just beginning.

This is their time to earn their money and land their client lucrative contracts.

Now that the offseason has arrived, here are the agents that will be busiest in the days and weeks leading up to the opening of free agency on March 13, 2012.

5 NFL Teams Sure to Crash and Burn Next Season

When you look back on the 2011 season, it's hard to believe the New York Giants are in the Super Bowl.

After a 23-10 Week 14 loss to the Washington Redskins, nobody mentioned the Giants in the playoff discussion. In fact, the loss fueled speculation that Tom Coughlin may be fired.

But as it stands six weeks later, New York is preparing to face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.

While the Giants didn't fail like many expected them to, here are five teams that are sure to crash and burn next season.

Denver Broncos
The Broncos were one of the most intriguing stories of 2011. Led by Tim Tebow and a fierce defense, Denver won the AFC West and a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Despite a successful season, the Broncos have the look of a team that could take a big step backwards in 2012.

The first order of business for the Broncos is to decide if Tebow is their long-term answer at quarterback. Tebow's success was well documented this season, but questions remain about his passing skills. If his consistency and accuracy don't improve, Tebow may find himself on the bench.

The other big issue facing the Broncos is how are they going to replace their aging stars. Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey have been great for many years, but both missed time this year with injuries. When those guys are out of the lineup, the Broncos defense was much worse.

Also, the Broncos don't have a backup plan if leading rusher Willis McGahee gets hurt. McGahee was their backup plan, but after a brilliant season in 2011, where he rushed for 1,199 yards, McGahee is Denver's best running back.

However, McGahee will turn 31 in October and has a lot of mileage on his wheels. Denver needs to have a backup plan for its backup plan.

Lastly, the Broncos 2012 schedule is brutal. Road games at New England, Baltimore, Atlanta, Cincinnati and home games against New Orleans and Houston are all tough match-ups for Denver. Plus, look for the AFC West to be better in 2012 than it was in 2011, especially the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Broncos aren't going to sneak up on anyone in 2012 and the playbook on how to stop Tebow has been written. Could be a long season in the Mile High City next year.

New York Jets
With a locker room in disarray and faith in their quarterback wavering, the Jets are headed for a long offseason.

After back-to-back AFC Championship Game appears, the Jets finished 8-8 in 2011 and missed the playoffs. As the season slipped away, the questions mounted about the direction of the team.

Mark Sanchez has been the focal point of much criticism, and rightfully so. Sanchez struggled in the final three games of the season, turning the ball over nine times in that span.

While Sanchez did have his share of struggles, the entire Jets offense was a mess. The Jets ranked 25th in the league and too often played like a team trying not to lose rather than trying to win. Ousted offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer deserves much of the blame for that, with his offense that Rex Ryan called too complex.

Next year, The Jets will turn the offense over to former Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano. Sparano will likely bring a run-heavy offense to New York, which all but validates the team's lack of faith in Sanchez.

It also could signal the end of Santonio Holmes in a Jets uniform. Holmes finished 2011 with just 51 catches, not exactly worth the $9 million he made this season. The Jets will have to decide whether Holmes is worth the big money, the risk and the headache.

The Jets defense will continue keep them in games, but their offense is a liability. If the Jets carry last season's slide into 2012, look for a big shake-up in the Big Apple.

San Diego Chargers
Most in the NFL were stunned by San Diego's decision to keep Norv Turner for another season after he failed to make the playoffs.

The Chargers were expected to not only compete for the AFC West, but a Super Bowl as well.

Instead, they finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs.

Talent has never been an issue with the Chargers, it's been their inability to win meaningful games. Under Turner, San Diego is 49-31, but it hasn't won a playoff game since 2008.

The Chargers will be forced to address some important personnel discussions, including whether to re-sign Vincent Jackson and if Antonio Gates is healthy enough to still be Philip Rivers' go-to guy.

Gates has battled a foot injury that past two seasons and Jackson is a free agent.

The Chargers could look a lot different without those two guys in their lineup.

A slow start to the 2012 season could signal the end for Turner and the Chargers' hopes for a return to the playoffs.

Chicago Bears
It's hard to believe the Bears were one game from the Super Bowl a year ago. They of course lost to the Green Bay Packers in that game and failed to make the playoffs this season.

Several of the Bears' key players are getting older, especially on defense. Brian Urlacher, Julius Peppers and Lance Briggs are all getting up their in age and their play is starting to tail off.

While those players are still very good, they aren't the dynamic forces they once were.

Further complicating things for the Bears this offseason is the departure of two important positions within the franchise. Chicago is currently without a general manager after the franchise fired Jerry Angelo. They also lost offensive coordinator Mike Martz to retirement.

A change in offensive philosophy will take time getting used to, especially for Jay Cutler. Cutler will be forced to learn a new offense, now led by Mike Tice. You can bet Tice's offense won't resemble Martz's system.

Bringing in new front office management isn't easy either, especially when you have the Matt Forte situation staring you in the face. Forte's contract is up this offseason and the Bears must decide what to do. There's a chance they could mess this up and Forte may start the season as a holdout.

The Bears' window of opportunity is closing; it may have already happened.

Buffalo Bills
At one point during this season, the Bills were in first place in the AFC East. It was Week 3, they had just beaten New England and looked like a legitimate playoff contender.

They then proceeded to lose 10 of their last 13 games.

The main concerns for the Bills are their defense and quarterback. Both played inconsistently this season and it led to 10 losses.

Ryan Fitzpatrick played well enough early in the season that Buffalo gave him a $59 million contract. However, a late-season slide by the Bills had many in Buffalo questioning the team's pricey investment.

Fitzpatrick is 15-23 as the Bills starter during his career and makes too many mistakes in crucial situations. He's not reliable enough for the Bills to win consistently.

Still, as bad as the Bills offense was during a seven-game losing streak last year, the defense was worse.

During that seven-game streak, the Bills were outscored 224-100 by their opponents.

They have since fired their defense coordinator and moved former Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins head coach Dave Wannstedt into that position. Wannstedt will be in charge of rebuilding a defense that is still several years away from finished product.

Buffalo had the look of a team headed in the right direction, but don't bet on it next year.

Dumbest Quotes in NFL History

It's no secret, most NFL players aren't Rhodes Scholars.

For most of them, college was a means to their professional football ends. So it's not surprising when you hear dumb things come out of their mouths.

While most sports quotes are boring and cliche, every once in a while there is a gem that stands the test of time. And not in a good way.

Here are some of the dumbest quotes in NFL history.

"It's modern-day slavery." ~Adrian Peterson

In March 2011, Minnesota Vikings running back compared the NFL to slavery when discussing the NFL lockout.

Peterson was referring to the amount of money the owners made and how much players were getting paid.

Peterson eventually apologized for his comment saying, “I regret using those words because obviously there is nothing, absolutely nothing that you can compare to slavery.”

He also claimed the quote was taken out of context.

“It was [taken] out of context and it was on me for putting it out there to make it available to be taken out of context,” Peterson said.

In September, Peterson signed a seven-year, $100 million contract extension with the Vikings.

"It's a humbling thing being humble." ~Maurice Clarett

In February 2005, Clarett turned out a disappointing performance at the NFL Combine and dropped this memorable line on the media during his post-workout news conference.

The former Ohio State running back was eventually drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the NFL draft.

Clarett would be humbled again just months after the draft when the Broncos released him.

Then in 2006, Clarett was humbled again when he was thrown in jail for robbery. He was released from prison in April 2010.

"I wanna kiss you. I couldn’t care less about the team struggling. What we know is we can improve. Chad Pennington, our quarterback, missed the first part of the season, and we struggled. We’re looking to next season. We’re looking to make a noise now, and I wanna kiss you!” ~Joe Namath

For many years, Namath was best known for making good on his guarantee that the New York Jets would upset the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 3. That was until he met Suzy Kolber.

In December 2003, Namath was being interviewed by Kolber during the New York Jets-New England Patriots game when he made a pass at the sideline reporter.

The pro football Hall of Famer admitted that he had been drinking before the interview and apologized to Kolber for the comment.

For a younger generation that never saw Namath play, this is now what he's known for.

"I Play When I Want to Play." ~Randy Moss

Randy Moss has provided football fans with plenty of memorable performances during his career. But as good as Moss was, he earned a reputation for being lazy and disinterested.

In November 2001, Moss made the comment that made him one of professional sports' easiest players to hate. While it may have been taken out of context, he never defended his comment and the quote lived on.

Here was a pro football player, who was just months removed from signing an eight-year, $75 million contract, saying all the wrong things.

That quote stuck with Moss his entire career and still to this day reminds many of how selfish pro athletes can be.

"He treats us like men. He lets us wear earrings." ~Torrin Polk

Okay, this isn't an NFL quote, but it deserves a spot on this list.

In October 1991, the University of Houston wide receiver was discussing his new head coach, John Jenkins, when he dropped this line.

While the back story of this quote is difficult to track down, it's clear what he was trying to say.

Fortunately for us, while he was trying to explain the level of mutual respect between players and coach, he gave us one of the funniest sports quotes in history.

Other Quotable Notables:

-“I want to rush for 1,000 or 1,500 yards, whichever comes first.” ~George Rogers, running back, New Orleans Saints

-“People say I’ll be drafted in the first round, maybe even higher.” ~Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, running back, New Orleans Saints

-“Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.” ~Joe Theismann, quarterback, Washington Redskins

Adrian Peterson's Post-Surgery Twitter Pictures

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson underwent successful surgery Friday to repair the torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee.

The Vikings said the surgery was a success and Peterson was "resting comfortably."

Well, we now have the pictures to prove it.

On his Twitter account Sunday night, Peterson posted a series of pictures from his hospital bed.

The first post read:

My time bringing in the New Year was great! Thanks to family & a lil Blue Bell country ice cream

The second post read:

HAPPY NEW YEAR FANS & FAMIlY!!!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, I'd say Peterson is in good spirits.

Peterson underwent surgery six days after taking a hit to his knee in Week 16 against the Washington Redskins.

The injury is expected to require 8-9 months of recovery time.

Fantasy Football: The Aaron Rodgers Dilemma

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is having an MVP fantasy football season. He’s the top scorer in most leagues, he has 30 points more than Saints quarterback Drew Brees (53 more than Tom Brady) and he’s scored 20 or more fantasy points in 14 of his 15 games this year.

For many fantasy teams, including my own, Rodgers is the reason we’re still chasing a championship. But this week we’re facing a dilemma that has some of us considering benching our star quarterback.

Wait, what?

I’m I really thinking about benching Rodgers with the fantasy season at a crucial juncture?

Yes, the thought has crossed my mind.

Before you call me crazy, hear me out. The idea is not as far-fetched as it seems when you look at how Week 16 sets up.

Rodgers and the Packers host the Chicago Bears on Sunday night, which is a very favorable matchup for Rodgers. The Bears currently rank 26^th against the pass and Rodgers lit them up for 297 passing yards and three touchdowns in Week 3.

But the main issue facing Rodgers’ owners this week isn’t his opponent, it’s the schedule. When the Packers/Bears game kickoffs on Sunday night, the Packers may not be playing for anything.

The NFL scheduled most of the Week 16 games on Saturday because Christmas falls on a Sunday this year. Included on Saturday slate of game is a 3:15 p.m. (CST) matchup between the San Francisco 49ers (11-3) and Seattle Seahawks (7-7). The game is intriguing to the Packers because with a Niners loss, the Packers would clinch the NFC’s top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Do you see the dilemma? A Niners loss would make Sunday’s Packers/Bears game meaningless. Therefore, Rodgers may not play the entire game. The Packers might choose to protect him from injury and sit him down. Which isn’t a bad idea considering how banged up the Packers offensive line is right now.

A simple solution for Rodgers’ owners would be to bench Rodgers for his back-up Matt Flynn. The problem with that strategy is Rodgers will likely play at least half of the game, maybe more depending on the score and how often he’s getting hit. There are too many variables to say, start Flynn.

The schedule makers also didn’t do Rodgers’ owners any favors when they scheduled the Niners game at 3:15 p.m. (CST). By the time that game ends, all ten noon games will be long over, as will the two other games scheduled for 3:15. That leaves just two games remaining in Week 16, the Bears/Packers game on Sunday night and the Falcons/Saints game on Monday night.

I would venture a guess and say that if you own Rodgers, you probably don’t have Drew Brees or Matt Ryan. That leaves Caleb Hanie has the only other starting quarterback option, if Rodgers and the Packers aren’t playing for anything Sunday night.

I cannot in good conscience recommend that you start Hanie in your league championship. I don’t care how bad the Packers pass defense is right now.

So, with all that said, we’re back to our original dilemma: Should you start Aaron Rodgers this week?

Unless you have a back-up quarterback who’s a top 10 fantasy scorer, absolutely you start Rodgers this weekend.

Rodgers playing just a portion of a game is still better than most fantasy quarterbacks who play an entire game.

Good luck and go Niners!

NFL Tuesday Takeaway: What We Learned in Week 13

You know what makes the NFL great, its unpredictability.

Each week, contradiction and conventional thinking collide, giving us sport writers more than enough good stuff to write about on Tuesday.

From the superstar running back who's turned around his season to Tebowmania to a pair of rookie quarterbacks taking charge in year one, it's all covered in the Week 13 edition of the Tuesday Takeaway.  

CJ2K is OK

Don't look now, but Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson is relevant again.

Johnson had his best game of the season Sunday, rushing for 153 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-17 win over the Buffalo Bills.

In the last four games, Johnson has 486 rushing yards and three touchdowns, which included a 13-yard dud of a game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Prior to his recent breakout games, Johnson had rushed for a total of 366 yards in the Titans previous eight games.

Johnson needs just 148 yards to reach the 1000-yard rushing mark for the year. Johnson can make a lot of people forget about his sluggish start with a strong finish.

Tebow at ten

Tim Tebow started his tenth career game for the Denver Broncos on Sunday and he won again. Tebow has figured out how to win in the NFL, even though most of us haven't figured out have he's doing it.

Tebow is 7-3 as a starter, including 6-1 this season since taking over for Kyle Orton. Despite the continued winning, V.P. of Football Operations John Elway still isn't ready to commit to Tebow as the Broncos quarterback of the future.

Elway's non-commital approach to Tebowmania got me wondering about Elway's first ten games as a starter.

In 1983, Elway started ten games as a rookie. He was afwul.

Elway finished 4-6 as a starter that year. He threw seven touchdowns, 14 interceptions and completed just 47.5 percent of his passes. He also had one game-winning drive, something he would become known for during his career.

When you compare the two player's stats, there really is no comparison.

In ten starts, Tebow has 14 touchdown passes, six rushing touchdowns and four interceptions. And perhaps the most intriguing stat, Tebow has a higher completion percentage at 48 percent.  

I know it's only ten starts and it's a small sample size, but right now it's all we have,

Pondering Percy's big day

The Minnesota Vikings are getting Percy Harvin (pictured) the ball more often these days and it's paying off.

Harvin is coming off his best game of the year in Week 13 against the Denver Broncos. Harvin finished with eight catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns. He also had five carries for 19 yards.

I've documented Harvin's rise this season in a previous article, but it bares repeating, he's on the brink of superstardom.

In the past five games, Harvin has 32 catches for 434 yards and five touchdowns (four receiving, one rushing). In the previous seven games, Harvin had 27 receptions for 276 yards and zero touchdowns.

It's clear that Harvin and rookie quarterback Christian Ponder are clicking right now. I expect this duo to be great for many years to come for the Vikings.

Run, Cam, run

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton broke an NFL record Sunday that stood for 35 years.

In the Panther's Week 13 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Newton ran for three touchdowns giving him 13 rushing touchdowns on the season.

Those 13 rushing touchdowns by Newton are the most rushing touchdowns in NFL history, one more than New England Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan scored in 1976.

Newton also became just the second player in NFL history to score a rushing touchdown in nine of first 12 games. The other player was hall of famer Eric Dickerson.

Newton has single-handedly turned around the Panthers offense. He's accounted for 26 touchdowns this year, which is remarkable when you consider the Panthers offense scored 16 touchdowns total last season.

A former quarterback leads Bills wide receivers

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Brad Smith was a heckuva quarterback at Missouri. Now he's a heckuva wide receiver in Buffalo.

In Week 13, Smith led all Bills players with ten targets. He made seven catches and 72 yards in a loss to the Tennessee Titans.

With all the injuries to the Bills receivers, Smith has moved into the starting line-up for Buffalo. In two games as a starter he has 17 targets, 11 catches, 149 yards and a touchdown.

The quarterback-to-wide receiver transition is not an easy thing to do. But Smith looks like he's ready to put his quarterbacking days behind him.

Green Bay Packers Stock Goes on Sale Today

The Green Bay Packers are the hottest team in the NFL at 12-0 and today you can own a piece of the franchise.

The Packers are selling stock in the franchise for $250 per share.

The team has 250,000 shares available at Packers.com and by mail. The team is hoping the stock sale helps raise a portion of the $130 million needed to cover the renovation costs of Lambeau Field.

This is just the fifth stock sale in team history. The last time the Packers held a stock sale was in 1997. That year, they put up 400,000 shares for sale for $200 apiece. The team only sold about 120,000, raising $24 million.

The Packers stock is not like a regular stock. The value never goes up and dividends aren't paid out.

The Packers have been a publicly owned team since 1923.

The stock sale runs through February 29.

Tampa Bay TV Station Apologizes for Showing Buccaneers Player's Penis on Air

A Tampa television station is apologizing after it showed a naked Tampa Bay Buccaneer player on the air.

WTVT, the FOX affiliate in Tampa, was interviewing Bucs OL Donald Penn after their Week 12 loss to the Titans.

While that interview was happening, another Bucs player was undressing in the background. You can't see the player's face, but home viewers were able to catch a glimpse of the player's private parts.

The station apologized later during the broadcast saying:

“Earlier in the Bucs’ post game there was an inadvertent shot and we apologize for that.”

This is not the first time a TV station has give viewers an eye full.

In 2008, Minnesota Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe unknowingly showed himself to the world when KSMP, the FOX affiliate in Minneapolis, aired video of a naked Shiancoe toweling himself off after a victory against the Detroit Lions.

Report: Detroit Lions DT Ndamukong Suh Suspended Two Games for Arm Stomp

The NFL announced Tuesday that Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has been suspended for two games following his stomping incident against the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving Day.

He will miss Sunday night's game at New Orleans and Week 14's game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Suh was ejected in the Week 12 loss to the Packers after stepping on the arm of Green Bay's Evan Dietrich-Smith.

Suh reportedly called commissioner Roger Goodell to apologize over the weekend, but that apology apparently wasn't good enough.

Also, Suh didn't help himself after Thursday's game when he defended himself, saying he lost his balance and that is what led to him stepping on Dietrich-Smith's arm. Suh also failed to show remorse for the stomping, essentially blaming the officials for his ejection.

However, on Friday, Suh backtracked and posted this apology on Facebook:

"My reaction on Thursday was unacceptable. I made a mistake, and have learned from it. I hope to direct the focus back to the task at hand -- by winning."

This is not thge first time Suh has been in trouble with the commissioner's office. He's been fined multiple times during two-year career and earlier this year he traveled to New York to meet with Goodell about his aggressive style of play.

Barring an appeal, Suh will be back for the Lions Week 15 match-up with the Oakland Raiders on December 18.

Percy Harvin On the Brink of Superstardom

The Minnesota Vikings were forced to get Percy Harvin more involved in the game plan Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. With Adrian Peterson out with an ankle injury, the Vikings turned to Harvin as their main playmaker.

Harvin would not let them down.

He responded with season highs in touches, catches and receiving yards. He also scored a 39-yard touchdown on a seam route that had him matched up against a linebacker. This was a new strategy for the Vikings, who haven't used Harvin as a deep receiver much at all this year, despite his speed.

Harvin, who's in his third NFL season, caught eight passes for 95 yards and carried the ball five times for 11 yards. Harvin was also used as the Vikings goal line back on two straight plays in the fourth quarter. On one of his runs, it looked as if he scored on a one-yard plunge, but was ruled down by the refs.

Harvin was also responsible for setting up that goal line situation with 104-yard kickoff return. He just missed scoring a touchdown when he was tackled at the one-yard line. Harvin's 104-yard return was the longest play in NFL history that did not result in a touchdown.

Harvin finished Sunday with 210 total yards. According to the Minnesota Vikings PR department, in 40 career games, Harvin has seven games with 200-plus total yards, which is a franchise record.

The Vikings have said for weeks that they want to get Harvin more involved in the offense, and recently they have. In his past four games, Harvin has 24 catches for 278 yards and three touchdowns (two receiving, one rushing). In the previous seven games, Harvin had 27 receptions for 276 yards and zero touchdowns.

Harvin is clearly the best receiver the Vikings have and it would serve them well to continue feeding him the ball - even when Peterson returns. Harvin and rookie quarterback Christian Ponder have established a good report and I expect that will continue to improve this off season.

Harvin appears to have rid himself of the dibilitating migraine headaches that forced him to miss games and practices last season. When he's healthy, he's pound-for-pound one of the toughest players in the NFL and on the verge of becoming a superstar.

Fantasy spin: Harvin's big game on Sunday should be a welcomed sight for Harvin owners. After a slow start to the season, he's finally producing fantasy points. Harvin had a season-high in fantasy points in Week 12 and I expect that trend to continue. Despite being 2-9, the Vikings will continue to find ways to get Harvin the ball. The Vikings will use these next five games to help bring Ponder along and build towards next season, which will include plenty of Percy Harvin.

Marshall Faulk's "Out Magazine" Comment on NFL Newtwork

When discussing fashion on the NFL Network Sunday morning, Marshall Faulk asked Michael Irvin, "Were you dressed by that stylist from Out Magazine?"


Out Magazine is described as a gay and lesbian perspective on style, entertainment, fashion, the arts, politics, culture, and the world at large.


Irvin, who's brother is gay, was featured in the magazine in July. Irvin seemed less than thrilled about Faulk's comment.

I'm not sure Faulk's comment warrants an apology, but it was in poor taste.

Al Davis Would Have Loved These Raiders

It's too bad Al Davis isn't around to see the present day Oakland Raiders (5-4). He would have loved the way his team is playing football right now; with an emphasis on speed and big plays. Davis, who passed away on October 8, always coveted players who could stretch the field and make impact plays. The Raiders have emerged as an explosive passing team and quarterback Carson Palmer is the main reason why.

Palmer, who was acquired from Cincinnati for a first- and second-round draft pick, has taken advantage of the Raiders speedy skill players. In the two and half games he's played for Oakland this season, Palmer has completed 18 passes of 20 yards or more. That's two more 20-plus yard plays than the Raiders had in six weeks with Jason Campbell. After studying the Raiders games, it was clear that Campbell, who broke his collar bone in week 6 against the Cleveland Browns, is better at throwing intermediate passes than deeper routes. Palmer on the other hand is almost the opposite. Palmer's intermediate throws are reckless at times, while his deep passes are more accurate.

Of Palmer's 18 passes of 20-plus yards, eight of them have gone for 30 yards or more, five have gone for 40 yards or longer and two have gone for 50-plus yards. The Raiders are currently ranked second in the league, behind only the Houston Texans, for the most yards per pass completion with 13.1.

Palmer, meanwhile, is averaging more than 315 yards passing per game and the average distance of his five touchdowns has been 33 yards (TD passes: 58, 18, 40, 26, 33 yards). The news gets better for Palmer as the Minnesota Vikings are next on the schedule for the Raiders. The Vikings rank 30th against the pass currently, allowing 272 yards per game. The Vikings have also given up 18 passing touchdowns this season, which ranks them second to last in the league.

Oakland's new found big play pass offense should bode well for their playoff push. Add a healthy Darren McFadden (foot) and Jacoby Ford (ankle) to the offensive mix and the Palmer-led Raiders should be considered the favorites in the AFC West division.

Fantasy football impact: Palmer is a very good option at quarterback this week and going forward, especially if you own the injured Matt Schaub, Matt Cassel or Michael Vick. The other player I really like going forward is rookie WR Denarius Moore. Moore has had two nice games with Palmer at helm, including a 5 catch, 123 yard and 2 TD performance last week. Look for the duo to get even better as the season winds down.   

NFL Week 10: Tuesday Takeaways

We are now ten weeks into the NFL season and I'm getting carpel tunnel trying to keep up with all of the records that being broken (or on pace to be broken). Meanwhile, why didn't you bet the New England Patriots Sunday night? And LaDainian Tomlinson (pictured) did something in that game that deserves noting. It's all covered in The Source's Tuesday Takeaways.

1) I've written about this before, but watching Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald succeed without QB Kevin Kolb should be concerning for Arizona. On Sunday, Fitzgerald had a huge game, catching 7 passes for 146 yards and 2 TDs, all from back-up QB John Skelton. The Skelton to Fitzgerald connection has proven to be quite reliable, at least more than Kolb to Fitzgerald. In seven games with Skelton at QB (5 in 2010, 2 in 2011), Fitzgerald has 42 catches for 598 yards and 4 TDs. In the seven games with Kolb throwing to him, Fitzgerald has 34 catches for 603 and 2 TDs. The Cardinals paid a lofty price to land Kolb so benching him probably isn't in the plans. However, if the Cardinals keep losing with Kolb (1-6) and winning with Skelton (4-3), expect the pressure on Kolb to rise like the Arizona heat.

2) Another topic I write about often (as does everyone else) is Packers QB Aaron Rodgers' assault on the NFL record books. The Green Bay QB is the top passer in the NFL, and the the numbers aren't even close. Rodgers added another 4 TD passes on Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings, giving him 28 TDs on the season. Rodgers also is closing in on an NFL record for most consecutive games with at least two TD passes. Currently, Rodgers is on a nine game streak with at least two TD passes. The NFL record is 13 consecutive games held by Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Add it to the list of records Rodgers will likely break this season.

3) Speaking of touchdown streaks, Saints QB Drew Brees continued his march towards an NFL record on Sunday. Brees' second quarter TD pass to Jimmy Graham against the Atlanta Falcons ran his streak to 37 consecutive games with a TD pass. Brees moved ahead of Brett Favre on that list, but he still trails Johnny Unitas, who threw a TD pass in 47 straight games.

4) Another streak worth noting is the Vikings inability to win a division game. Minnesota's 45-7 loss on Monday night to the Green Bay Packers was their ninth straight NFC North loss dating back to last year. The nine straight division losses is a franchise record for the Vikings, who have two more games to try and break the streak (@Detroit 12/8 and vs. Chicago 1/1). Sidenote: The Vikings are two seasons removed from going 5-1 against NFC North teams (finished 12-4 in 2009). 

5) When oddsmakers installed the New York Jets as one-point favorites on Sunday night against the New England Patriots, we all should have run to place our bets on the Pats. The Patriots, losers of two straight games (Steelers and Giants) heading into that Jets game, never lose three games in a row. From 2002-2011, the Patriots have played 147 games without enduring a three-game losing streak. That streak will continue after the Pats defeated the Jets 37-16. While that streak sounds impressive, it's still a (very, very) long way from breaking a record. From 1980-1999, the San Francisco 49ers went 287 games without a three-game losing streak.

6) Jets RB LaDainian Tomlinson's 60-yard performance on Sunday night against the New England Patriots didn't warrant a second-look, but he did accomplish an impressive feat in the process. Tomlinson moved ahead of Detroit Lions great Barry Sanders on the all-time yards from scrimmage list. Tomlinson now has 18, 206 yards from scrimmage in his career, which is 16 yards more than Sanders (18,190). Tomlinson now trails Jerry Rice (23,540), Emmitt Smith (21,579), Walter Payton (21,264) and Marshall Faulk (19,154).

Did a Green Bay Restaurant Put Glass in Adrian Peterson's Food?

This is clearly speculative at this point (Twitter speculation nonetheless), but did someone at a Green Bay restaurant (or maybe Appleton or some other hillbilly Wisconsin village) try and sabotage Adrian Peterson's food?

Minnesota Vikings safety Jamarca Sanford (@sanford33) tweeted:

Wow I just talk to @VShiancoe and @AdrianPeterson did have glass in his dinner from last night

I'm not sure this happened, or if it was on purpose. But the idea of it certainly ranks pretty low on the scale of crappy things to do to a person. My guess is this story doesn't end here.

The Vikings are in Green Bay to play the rival Packers on Monday night.