THE NFL PLAYOFFS ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN - WHO IS FAVORED?

Here is a table showing the odds / percentages of each team to advance to certain rounds.
May the best teams make it to Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa!

Worst of 2008 NFL Season (from CampusSqueeze)

http://www.campussqueeze.com/post/The-Worst-Of-The-2008-NFL-Season.aspx

The Worst Of The 2008 NFL Season POSTED BY CSQUEEZE IN GENERAL | COMMENTS 0 


The NFL was exciting this year whether your team sucked or rocked! Here are our "Worst Of's" for this season:
 
Most Disappointing Season (Teams):


Not from this season, but symbolic nonetheless.
1.) Dallas Cowboys

The expectations were very high for the Cowboys this year. Not only were they expected to win the NFC, they were considered a Super Bowl favorite.
2.) Cleveland Browns

The Browns went 10-6 last year, and were expected to improve upon that record this year. It did not happen. They went a disgusting 4-12.

 
The Biggest "Wheels Fall Off" Team:

1.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers had an outstanding 9-3 record going into week 14, which turned out to be a game they lost to the Carolina Panthers. Hey, that's fine, Carolina is a good team. All they would need to do is continue to win, and they had the chance to do it. Atlanta would be a tough game, but if they continued playing their game, it was a possible win. The Chargers were beatable. If not the Chargers, Oakland was their best bet. They won none of those games, and finished 9-7. 
 
2.) Buffalo Bills

The Bills started 4-0. No team has EVER missed the playoffs after starting 4-0. Then the Bills did it. They failed to beat teams like Cleveland and San Francisco, and didn't win a single divisional game. They finished their pathetic season at 7-9.
 
3.) Denver Bronco's

The Broncos went into week 15 at 8-5, with games against the Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills, and San Diego Chargers, in that order. Winning two of those three games AT LEAST would be imperitive. The Bronco's didn't do it, playing particularly disappointing football against the down and out Bills and rival Chargers. 
 
4.) New York Jets

After week 12, the Jets were an impressive 8-3 team. Their remaining schedule was fairly easy compared to the teams they had beaten earlier in the season. Of their last six games, the Jets only managed to defeat the Bills, losing to both the 49ers and Seahawks, two teams they should have easily defeated. They also lost to the Dolphins, a team they beat during week 1. Despite going 9-6, the Jets fired Eric Mangini after their week 17 loss.

 
Most Disappointing Season (Players):

1.) Derek Anderson

Derek Anderson was bad this season. After being benched in favor of Brady Quinn, Quinn broke a finger, giving Anderson a second chance. He was unable to succeed, became injured in November, and missed the rest of the season.
2.) Braylon Edwards

It wasn't Edwards' fault, there were tons of problems with the Cleveland offense this year, but after last season's 16 touchdowns, it seemed like Edwards would be a force again this year. His 3 touchdowns were less than impressive.
3.) Larry Johnson

Kansas City is a terrible football team, which was what made Larry Johnson's season so disappointing. He's a great player with serious talent. On a better team, he could be one of the best backs in the league. Maybe someday.
4.) Trent Edwards

In his first year as a starter for the Buffalo Bills, Edwards had high expectations. Through the first four games of the season he was outstanding, but after taking a game-ending hit against Arizona, he was never the same. He ended up with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Honorable Mentions


Torry Holt, TJ Houshmanzadeh

 
Dumbest Off-The-Field Incidents:

1.) Plaxico Burress Shoots Own Leg

In what was clearly the dumbest off-field incident, Plaxico Burress decided to carry around a handgun for no reason, only to have it slide down his pants and fire a bullet into his leg. His idiocy got him booted off the team without pay, including fines, and some serious criminal charges that could include up to 3 1/2 years in prison if convicted.
 
2.) Matt Leinart Photographs School-Girl Debauchery

Here's the thing: we have NO PROBLEM with Matt Leinart partying with hot chicks. In fact, we're envious. But if we were getting paid millions to play football, we would probably do our best to prevent photographs from surfacing. Rumors are one thing, but photographic evidence is another. Some people claim the girls in the pictures are not old enough to drink alcohol. It's not like he just won the Superbowl either.
 
3.) Vince Young Hates Himself

After getting booed by Titans fans and getting injured, Young left his home after mentioning suicide. 
 
4.) Marshawn Beast Modes A Lady

Marshawn Lynch is known for his ability to plough over the competition on the field. In May 2008, he decided to become known for his ability to hit people with his car. After a night of partying in downtown Buffalo, Marshawn hit a woman crossing street with his Porsche SUV. Then he drove away. He ended up having his license revoked.
 
5.) Pacman Jones Hates Not Being Suspended

After missing the entire 2007 season, Pacman "Adam" Jones was reinstated for 2008 to play for the Dallas Cowboys. In October, Jones was suspended again, this time for an alcohol-related brawl at a party in Dallas. After another suspension, he returned in December 2008. So far, he has been suspended for 22 of 32 possible games.

 
Worst Moves:

Cowboys Keep Pacman "Adam" Jones

This guy loves being a professional football player without actually playing the game, and the Cowboys kept him. What? Despite missing all of 2007, they added to their roster for 2008, and he was AGAIN suspended. Also, the Cowboys didn't make the playoffs.

 
Worst Coaches:

1.) Dick Jauron

Dick Jauron has never taken the Bills to a season better than 7-9. Even this year, when the Bills started the season 5-1, he was unable to make the postseason much less win more than 7 games. That's pretty bad.
2.) Wade Phillips

The Cowboys were just too good to lost as many games as they did this season. There's little reason as to why they would miss the playoffs this year.
3.) Rod Marinelli

When your team goes 0-16, you're a terrible coach. Marinelli was fired on December 29th after being coaching the first ever 0-16 team in NFL history. In his three years with the Lions, he won a total of 10 games, and lost 38.

 
Worst Play Of The Year:
1.) Dan Orlovsky Safeties Self

 

2.) Desean Jackson Hates Touchdowns

ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIII IN 2009

For those of you looking to make futures bets on the Super Bowl in 2009 now is the time. Odds have been posted. Who do you think will make it?

New England Patriots: 3:1
San Diego Chargers: 11:2
Indianapolis Colts: 12:1
Dallas Cowboys: 14:1

• • •
Pittsburgh Steelers: 20:1
New York Giants: 25:1
Green Bay Packers: 25:1
Jacksonville Jaguars: 25:1
New Orleans Saints: 25:1
Cincinnati Bengals: 28:1
Philadelphia Eagles: 35:1
Denver Broncos: 40:1

• • •
Cleveland Browns: 50:1
Washington Redskins: 50:1
Chicago Bears: 50:1
Minnesota Vikings: 50:1
Detroit Lions: 50:1
Carolina Panthers: 50:1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 50:1
Seattle Seahawks: 50:1
San Francisco 49ers: 50:1
Arizona Cardinals: 50:1

• • •
Baltimore Ravens: 60:1
New York Jets: 80:1
Buffalo Bills: 80:1
Tennessee Titans: 80:1
St Louis Rams: 80:1

• • •
Houston Texans: 100:1
Atlanta Falcons: 100:1
Oakland Raiders: 125:1
Kansas City Chiefs: 150:1
Miami Dolphins: 150:1

NFL SUPER BOWL 2009 XLIII LOGO REVEALED

SUPER BOWL 42... ARIZONA!!

Patriots nearly perfect, but the Giants are Super Bowl champions

David Tyree hoists the football after his touchdown in the fourth quarter gives the Giants the lead.




GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Giants had the perfect answer for the suddenly imperfect Patriots: a big, bad defense and an improbable comeback led by their own Mr. Cool quarterback, Eli Manning.

In one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, New York shattered New England's unbeaten season 17-14 Sunday night as Manning hit Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard fade with 35 seconds left. It was the Giants' 11th straight victory on the road and the first time the Patriots tasted defeat in more than a year.

It was the most bitter of losses, too, because 12-point favorite New England (18-1) was one play from winning and getting the ultimate revenge for being penalized for illegally taping opponents' defensive signals in the season-opener against the New York Jets.

But its defense couldn't stop a final, frantic 12-play, 83-yard drive that featured a spectacular leaping catch by David Tyree, who had scored New York's first touchdown on the opening drive of the fourth quarter.

"It's the greatest feeling in professional sports," Burress said before bursting into tears.

"That's a position you want to be in," said Manning, who followed older brother Peyton's MVP performance last year with one of his own. "You can't write a better script. There were so many big plays on that drive."

And now the 1972 Miami Dolphins can pop another bottle of champagne in celebration of a record still intact, the only perfect season in the Super Bowl era.

The Patriots were done in not so much by the pressure of the first unbeaten season in 35 years as by the pressure of a smothering Giants pass rush. Tom Brady, the league's Most Valuable Player and winner of his first three Super Bowls, was sacked five times, hurried a dozen more and at one point wound up on his knees, his hands on his hips following one of many poor throws in New England's lowest scoring game of the season.

"They played well," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "They made some plays. We made some plays. They just made a few more. We played as hard as we could. We just couldn't make enough plays."

Hardly a familiar position for the record-setting Patriots and their megastar quarterback. And a totally strange outcome for a team that seemed destined for historic glory.

Oddly, it was a loss to the Patriots that sparked New York's stunning run to its third Super Bowl and sixth NFL title. New England won 38-35 in Week 17 as the Patriots became the first team in 35 years to go spotless through the regular season. But by playing hard in a meaningless game for them, the Giants (14-6) gained something of a swagger and Manning found his footing.

Their growing confidence carried them through playoff victories at Tampa Bay, Dallas and Green Bay, and then past the mightiest opponent of all.

Not that the Patriots were very mighty this day. They even conceded with 1 second on the clock as coach Bill Belichick ran across the field to shake the hand of jubilant Giants coach Tom Coughlin, then headed to the locker room, ignoring the final kneeldown.

That it was Manning taking that knee was stunning. He not only matched his brother's achievement of last year with the Indianapolis Colts, but he showed the brilliant precision late in the game usually associated with, well, Brady.

Peyton Manning was seen in a luxury box jumping up and pumping both fists when Burress, who didn't practice all week because of injuries, caught the winning score.

"We just hung in there on offense, kept executing," said Burress, who wasn't far off on the 23-17 prediction he made a few days ago. "It came down to one play and we made it."

The Giants became the first NFC wild card team to win a Super Bowl; four AFC teams have done it. They also are the second wild-card champions in three years, following the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2005 season.

The upset also could be viewed as a source of revenge not only for the Giants, but for the other NFL teams over Spygate back in September. That cheating scandal made headlines again late in Super Bowl week, and could have placed an infinite cloud over New England's perfection.

Until the frantic fourth quarter, the only scoring came on the game's first two drives.

The Giants did almost exactly what they sought with the opening kickoff, using up nearly 10 minutes to go 63 yards. Almost exactly, but not quite, because they settled for a 32-yard field goal after converting four third downs on the 16-play series. The 9:59 drive was the longest in Super Bowl history.

That 3-0 lead lasted for the rest of the quarter, but only because the Patriots were stopped at New York's 1 as the period expired. On the next play, Laurence Maroney scored.

New England's 12-play drive was aided by a 16-yard pass interference penalty on linebacker Antonio Pierce in the end zone. It began with Maroney's 43-yard kickoff runback.

It was the fewest possessions in the first quarter of a Super Bowl.

New York's first series of the second quarter looked dangerous after Amani Toomer's lunging sideline catch for 38 yards. But rookie Steve Smith mishandled Manning's throw at the New England 10, Ellis Hobbs intercepted and returned it 23 yards.

Those are opportunities teams can't waste against a strong opponent, let alone the Patriots. It was Manning's first interception of the postseason, albeit entirely not his fault; the last was by Hobbs in the season finale.

The Giants survived rookie Ahmad Bradshaw's fumble, which he recovered, on their next series, because their league-leading pass rush came alive when the Patriots got the ball back. New York sacked Brady on successive plays, forcing a punt, but the Giants' were hurt by an illegal batting of the ball penalty on Bradshaw after reaching the New England 25.

Justin Tuck's second sack, in the final seconds of the half, forced a fumble recovered by New York teammate Osi Umenyiora. The Giants' celebrated defensive line controlled much of the half, holding the most prolific offense in NFL history to a measly 81 yards and seven points. New England had the ball only 10:33.

But New York's mistakes left it with just three -- and there are no moral victories in Super Bowls.

So the Giants got a real one as the maturing Manning hung in to find Tyree for a 5-yard touchdown to cap an 80-yard drive for a 10-7 lead.

Pressed unlike they are accustomed to, the Patriots responded with their own 80-yard march as Brady finally got some time. Randy Moss, who caught a record 23 of Brady's record 50 TD throws this year, took a 6-yard pass when cornerback Corey Webster fell, and with a mere 2:42 remaining, the first 19-0 season was right there.

Eli and the Giants snatched it away.

2008 NFL Pro Bowl Rosters

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8053b226&template=with-video&confirm=true

2008 Pro Bowl rosters

NFL.com

NFC
Offense
Pos.	Starter(s)	Reserves
Quarterback	Brett Favre, Green Bayx (Highlights)	Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle (Highlights) Tony Romo, Dallas (Highlights) Jeff Garcia, Tampa Bay**(Highlights)
Running back	Adrian Peterson, Minnesota (Highlights)	Marion Barber, Dallas (Highlights) Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia (Highlights)
Fullback	Tony Richardson, Minnesota
Wide receiver	Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona (Highlights) Terrell Owens, Dallas (Highlights)	Donald Driver, Green Bay (Highlights) Torry Holt, St. Louis (Highlights)
Tight end	Jason Witten, Dallas (Highlights)	Chris Cooley, Washington (Highlights)
Tackle	Flozell Adams, Dallas Walter Jones, Seattlex	Chris Samuels, Washington Chad Clifton, Green Bay**
Guard	Leonard Davis, Dallas Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota	Shawn Andrews, Philadelphia
Center	Andre Gurode, Dallas	Matt Birk, Minnesota
Defense
Pos.	Starter(s)	Reserves
Defensive end	Aaron Kampman, Green Bay Patrick Kerney, Seattlex (Highlights)	Osi Umenyiora, N.Y. Giants (Highlights) Trent Cole, Philadelphia** (Highlights)
Defensive tackle	Kevin Williams, Minnesota (Highlights) Pat Williams, Minnesota (Highlights)	Tommie Harris, Chicagox Darnell Dockett, Arizona** (Highlights)
Outside linebacker	Julian Peterson, Seattle (Highlights) DeMarcus Ware, Dallas (Highlights)	Lance Briggs, Chicagox Greg Ellis, Dallas**
Inside linebacker	Lofa Tatupu, Seattle (Highlights)	Patrick Willis, San Francisco (Highlights)
Cornerback	Al Harris, Green Bay (Highlights) Marcus Trufant, Seattle (Highlights)	Terence Newman, Dallas (Highlights)
Free safety	Ken Hamlin, Dallas* Sean Taylor, Washington* (Highlights)
Strong safety	Darren Sharper, Minnesota (Highlights)	Roy Williams, Dallas
Special teams
Pos.	Starter(s)	Reserves
Punter	Andy Lee, San Francisco
Placekicker	Nick Folk, Dallas (Highlights)
Kick returner	Devin Hester, Chicago (Highlights)
Special teamer	Brendon Ayanbadejo, Chicago
Long snapper	Ethan Albright, Washington
AFC
Offense
Pos.	Starter(s)	Reserves
Quarterback	Tom Brady, New Englandx (Highlights)	Peyton Manning, Indianapolis (Highlights) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh (Highlights) Derek Anderson, Cleveland**
Running back	LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diegox (Highlights)	Joseph Addai, Indianapolis (Highlights) Willie Parker, Pittsburghx (Highlights) Fred Taylor, Jacksonville** (Highlights) Willis McGahee, Baltimore** (Highlights)
Fullback	Lorenzo Neal, San Diego
Wide receiver	Randy Moss, New Englandx (Highlights) Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis (Highlights)	Braylon Edwards, Cleveland (Highlights) T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cincinnati (Highlights) Chad Johnson, Cincinnati**
Tight end	Antonio Gates, San Diegox (Highlights)	Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City (Highlights) Kellen Winslow, Cleveland**
Tackle	Matt Light, New England Jason Peters, Buffalox	Jonathan Ogden, Baltimorex Marcus McNeill, San Diego** Joe Thomas, Cleveland**
Guard	Alan Faneca, Pittsburgh Logan Mankins, New England	Kris Dielman, San Diego
Center	Jeff Saturday, Indianapols	Dan Koppen, New England
Defense
Pos.	Starter(s)	Reserves
Defensive end	Jared Allen, Kansas City (Highlights) Kyle Vanden Bosch, Tennessee (Highlights)	Jason Taylor, Miamix (Highlights) Aaron Schobel, Buffalo** (Highlights)
Defensive tackle	Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee (Highlights) Vince Wilfork, New England	Jamal Williams, San Diegox Casey Hampton, Pittsburgh**
Outside linebacker	James Harrison, Pittsburgh (Highlights) Mike Vrabel, New England (Highlights)	Shawne Merriman, San Diego (Highlights)
Inside linebacker	DeMeco Ryans, Houston (Highlights)	Ray Lewis, Baltimore (Highlights)
Cornerback	Champ Bailey, Denver Asante Samuel, New England (Highlights)	Antonio Cromartie, San Diego (Highlights)
Free safety	Ed Reed, Baltimore (Highlights)
Strong safety	Bob Sanders, Indianapolis x(Highlights)	Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh x(Highlights) John Lynch, Denver** (Highlights) Antoine Bethea, Indianapolis**(Highlights)
Special teams
Pos.	Starter(s)	Reserves
Punter	Shane Lechler, Oakland
Placekicker	Rob Bironas, Tennessee (Highlights)
Kick returner	Josh Cribbs, Cleveland (Highlights)
Special teamer	Kassim Osgood, San Diego (Highlights)

* Ken Hamlin chosen to replace the late Sean Taylor as the starting free safety. Roy Williams takes Taylor's place on the NFC roster.

** Injury replacement

^x Will not play, injury/personal reasons