Should the Patriots get some rest or go all out in Houston?

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Start or sit?

That's the million dollar question.

Should New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick start or sit his starters in the final regular season game?

I say start, but then sit.

Yes, this game does have some meaning. I said some, but it's not a desperate do-or-die situation, either.

If the Pats beat the Houston Texans on the road, they clinch the No. 3 seed in playoffs. If they lose and the Bengals beat the Jets, then the Bengals gets the No. 3 seed and the Pats get No. 4.

So either way, with the No. 3 or 4 seed, the Pats and Bengals will play at home in the wild-card round next week.

It's always nice to win, so playing the starters is fine with me. I'm more concerned with the timing of the offense, especially after last week's blowout win vs. the Jags. It sure feels to me like the Pats are hitting their stride offensively, so it would be a shame to sit them and risk the chance of them coming out flat next week in the playoffs because they didn't see any game action and are stale.

So in a perfect world, I'd like to see the starters play at least the half and continue to build on a great offensive performance last week. But the key is all staying healthy, so it's fine with me to pull them at the half, too, so we don't see one of our go-to players (Brady, Moss, Welker) go down with an injury and risk missing the playoff game.

As for the Houston-New England game, the Texans are still alive for the playoffs, although it's a long shot considering they need to win and need a lot of help with teams popping the Ravens, Jets and Broncos.

But they have a chance and they're going to play this like it's the Super Bowl.

The Texans are impressive to me on offense, with Matt Schaub airing it out on just about every snap. He's got almost 4,500 yards with 27 TDs and 14 INTs. He's got a live arm and one of the best wideouts in Andre Johnson (95 receptions, 1,504 yards, 9 TDs) to throw to.

Johnson and Schaub make this offense go. Make no mistake, the Texans can't run and they even know it. So they use the short 3-yard pass just like a running play, but they know the talent they have revolves around the passing game.

This game is a great postseason tune-up game for the Pats, having to face a talented QB and one of the best WRs in all of football.

The Pats can also throw it, too. The Texans have had issues defending the pass all season long, so expect Brady to get some good work in against a questionable secondary.

I'm expecting to see an air show with Schaub and Brady going toe-to-toe, unless Brady and Co. sits at any point to rest a tad for next week.

Chad's Take: Even if the Pats play everyone for the entire game, I think this is a very close game with both offenses stealing the show. But I just would find it hard to believe that Belichick would play his starters for four quarters, knowing they don't have the luxury of a bye next week to rest and have to play in the wild-card round.

I think this game will be extremely entertaining for a half, but it'll go downhill for Patriots fans in the second half with the starters taking a two-quarter breather on the sidelines. The Texans will do their job by getting a win and finishing 9-7, but there's no way two of the three teams they need to lose -- Ravens, Jets and Broncos -- all lose.

The Pats will play next week and the Texans will be watching that game on television.

Prediction: Texans, 27-17

Fantasy Football Friday: Week 2 Super Bowl Edition

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Well, well, well. We are finally down to the last week of Fantasy Football! If you're playing this week, it's really a catch 22. While it's great if you're in the Super Bowl of your fantasy league, it's also a major letdown if you have the likes of Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark. Either way, you have a chance for the crown and some cash! Before we get into individual players, let's take a look at what teams do or do not have a reason to play this weekend.

A reason to play:

Jets, Vikings, Texans, Eagles, Cowboys, Ravens, Broncos,

Nothing to play for:

Colts, Giants, Saints*, Jaguars, Redskins, Chargers, Bengals**

The Saints may play their starters for most, if not all, of the game because coach Sean Payton is ticked off after losing the past two games. If the Patriots win on Sunday afternoon, the Bengals are locked into the #4 seed and will have nothing to play for.

Put em' in the lineup:

QB - Tony Romo, Donovan McNabb, Matt Schaub

I love the match up of the Boys' and Eagles for the NFC East crown. Looks to me like a high scoring game on both sides. I also love Schaub at home against the Patriots defense. My guess is the Texans win this game.

RB - Jamaal Charles, Sammy Morris, Jerome Harrison

Jamaal Charles had a decent game against a good defense last week. Look for a much bigger game as he finishes out a great 2nd half of fantasy football against the Broncos. Sammy Morris, you are now the #1 RB on the Pats. Have you seen the insane stats Harrison has put up the past few weeks? Ride em' again this week and he'll tear up the Jags in a meaningless game.

WR - Austin Collie, Kevin Walter, Devin Aromashodu

Austin, please go out there and take over for Reggie this week. Not only will Andre Johnson have a monster game this week, his soon-to-be free agent counterpart will go for at least 75+ yards and a score. Can you smell the aroma? Apparently Jay Cutler can.

TE - Todd Heap, Fred Davis

Is it me, or did everyone forget Todd Heap still played in this league? Fred Davis has really come on in the 2nd half of the season.

DEF - Falcons, Bills, Jets

The Falcons will play hard this weekend as they look to secure a winning record in back to back season for the first time in franchise history. The Bills are playing the Colts, enough said. I really like the Jets tomorrow night, especially if the Pats win.

Make em' ride the bench:

QB - Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer*, Drew Brees

We don't know how much any of these three will play.

RB - Joseph Addai, Lawrence Maroney, LaDanian Tomlinson

Addia and LT will be getting plenty of rest tomorrow, and so could Maroney. Only Maroney could get it for the wrong reason.

WR - Reggie Wayne, Randy Moss, Brandon Marshall

Reggie Wayne will take it easy tomorrow, and I really think Moss only plays the first half. Brandon Marshall has been benched.

TE - Antonio Gates, Dallas Clark

Meaningless games for the both of them.

DEF - Patriots, Giants, Rams

The Pats will not be able to stop the high flying pass attack of the Texans. The Giants have no reason to play, which could seal a job loss for Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan and the Rams will take on a 49ers team who will play hard for Mike Singletary

4 Patriots heading to Pro Bowl

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

The New England Patriots will be well represented in the Pro Bowl, as quarterback Tom Brady, guard Logan Mankins, wide receiver Wes Welker and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork all were selected for top honors in the AFC.

Both Mankins, a mauling offensive guard, and Wilfork, a dominating force in the middle of the Patriots' defense, were each selected as starters at their respective positions.

I'm willing to bet that safety Brandon Meriweather got several votes, but came up just shy. But he should be there, anyway. Meriweather, who has come into his own this year and has become a premier safety in the league in only his third season of pro ball, has 73 tackles, one forced fumble, five INTs and one TD.

Are the Patriots hitting their stride at the right time of the season?

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Wow.

The New England Patriots' performance at home yesterday in Foxboro against the Jacksonville Jaguars was outstanding.

Is there really any question that the Pats played their best game of the season?

Not a chance.

New England was focused from start to finish. They played like a team with something to play for and they went out and got it. When the final whistle sounded, the Pats had spanked the Jags up and down the field for a 35-7 victory and clinched the AFC East title in the process.

Yes, the Patriots are going dancing once again.

This game just makes you wonder if the Patriots are hitting their stride at just the right of the season.

Who knows?

They've won games recently and played pretty poorly, but it's hard to find anything wrong with Sunday's performance.

Is this the team --strong on offense, defense and special teams -- what we're going to see the rest of the way and into the playoffs?

Let's hope so, but unfortunately teams in the playoffs are much more complete than the Jags.

Any way you look at it, the Pats were rolling Sunday.

Tom Brady rounded back into form by completing 23 of 26 passes for 267 yards and 4 TDs. His QB rating was 149.0.

Randy Moss delivered, too, with 3 of his 4 catches going for TDs, while Wes Welker hauled in 13 catches for 138 yards. The tight end also returned to the passing game which is huge for this offense. Chris Baker actually went out for a pass and didn't block and was rewarded with two catches, including a 26-yard TD. Tight end Benjamin Watson also had a 14-yard reception.

The only negative was Laurence Maroney, who has been money for the last 6 or so games. The former first-rounder fumbled at the goal-line and didn't touch the field again. But backup and usual fullback, Sammy Morris, picked up the slack with 95 yards and a score, while third-down back Kevin Faulk added 41 yards. Fred Taylor, who had been out with a broken ankle, returned with 35 yards on 11 carries against his former team, too.

Basically, the Pats could do no wrong vs. the Jags.

The defense was also sensational, holding special tailback Maurice Jones-Drew to only 63 yards on 18 carries and 3 catches for 35 yards.

And when the Jags fell behind, they had to try to go to the air with David Garrard, who tossed two INTs to Brandon Meriweather and Shawn Springs.

And a big job well done goes out to middle linebacker Jerod Mayo, who was by far and away the most active defender in the game. The second-year pro had a season-high 15 tackles, including 11 of the solo variety. Mayo was a beast in the middle and a big reason why Jones-Drew couldn't break free for any game-changing plays.

It was just a fun game to watch.

As a Patriots fan, you hope there's a few more of these one-sided games left.

The Patriots just might be hitting their stride? If they are, then watch out San Diego and Indianapolis because playing New England won't be a walk in the park.

Will Patriots clinch AFC East on Sunday?

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

The Patriots are so close to clinching the AFC East, they can smell it.

But finally wrapping up the division two days after Christmas won't be easy with the Jacksonville Jaguars (7-7) playing for their playoff lives.

The Jags actually need this game more than the Pats do. A loss and the Jags can all but kiss a shot at the playoffs goodbye.

But the Patriots are at home -- a place they're undefeated at -- and they're looking to punch their ticket into the postseason and make it three straight victories down the home stretch.

The Jags are a very solid team, however, and it's not going to be easy. Well, regardless of who the Pats play, we all know it's never easy.

Jacksonville can give the Pats fits with a potent ground game led by the ultra-talented Maurice Jones-Drew, who is a threat running and receiving. Jacksonville relies on Jones-Drew like the Pats typically rely on quarterback Tom Brady. Usually, the Jags don't win unless Jones-Drew carries them.

He must be stopped, gang-tackled and hit hard on every single play. It would be a major boost if the Pats can get defensive linemen Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren back from injury. They've been practicing and you'd like to think they will play since they got much-needed rest last week against hapless Buffalo.

They are big keys up front, in hopes of neutralizing Jones-Drew. If the Jags can't run or run like they want to, then they will need to pass with the inconsistent David Garrard. The million dollar question is : Will we see the good David or the bad David?

When he's on, the emerging young wideout Mike Sims-Walker is burning secondaries with solid speed, hands and a knack for finding the end zone (7 TDs). Torry Holt --remember him from the St. Louis Rams days? -- is nothing more than a possession receiver (no TDs this year) but a WR that still catches everything thrown his way.

Also, the Pats better be aware of where Jones-Drew is even when he's not carrying the football. The running back has 49 receptions (tied with Holt for second on the team) for 333 yards and one score.

Yes, you guessed it, Jones-Drew is going to be handful for the Patriots defense, which has been so up and down this year.

Offensively, I see a major advantage for the Patriots. I know this offense has sputtered recently, but the Jags are just the team to get the passing attack back on the right track.

Jacksonville simply can't stop the pass. They allow 244.4 yards per game through the air, and you can bet coach Bill Belichick wants Tom Brady to attack them all afternoon long. Just like every week, we should see Randy Moss deep (although it was nice to see him in the slot and running different routes last week to get his hands on the ball wasn't it?) and Wes Welker short.

Calling Benjamin Watson! I know he's still on the team and maybe Brady might want to target him a little more because I bet just about every defense isn't worrying too much about him catching the ball. If the tight end starts getting more involved, watch this offense start rolling again. The Jags also give up 103.7 yards per game on the ground, so Laurence Maroney can keep them honest by continuing to run his tail off. Take that Patriots fans who had given up on the former first-rounder. Maroney isn't a bust, I don't want to hear that. He's got 735 yards rushing and 9 TDs. Not bad for a guy who just about everyone wanted to see cut during the preseason. Maroney has the talent, he's just needed to be consistent. I think, at least down the stretch, he's proven to be a key performer and one of the biggest bright spots on offense.

Chad's Take: Jacksonville wants to control the clock with Jones-Drew punishing the Patriots' defense, and then take its shots down the field to Sims-Walker when the Pats put the eighth man in the box to stop the run. The Jags, in particular Jones-Drew, will put points on the board and move the ball down the field. But they need to score touchdowns when they get in the red zone. If it's field goals, look out because the Pats will make them pay.

Brady's been banged up for weeks, but this is the perfect week to get himself and the offense back in gear. Brady should have plenty of time to sit back and pick the Jags' secondary apart (Jacksonville has only has 14 sacks on the season), and expect big games from Moss and Welker. Watson could be huge, too, if given the chance. I'm smelling a division championship on Sunday, but it's going to be a street fight for 60 minutes.

Prediction: Patriots, 31-27

Fantasy Football Friday: Christmas Super Bowl Edition

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Well, first off Merry Christmas to all of you loyal Fan Fanatic Sports readers. We thank you all for your support throughout the year. Now down to business. For the vast majority of all fantasy football leagues this is the grand daddy weekend of them all. Yes, this is the Fantasy Football Super Bowl! Despite the fact that I gave up on my team at least twice this season, I somehow found my way into the Super Bowl! Since this is the Super Bowl, and most of you aren't playing, I am going to change up the article this week. Instead of looking at the best game match ups of the week, I am going to highlight the best match ups for each position and the worst for each position.

Best Positional Match Ups of the Week:

QB - Aaron Rodgers, Phillip Rivers, Tony Romo, Kurt Warner

The Seahawks are quite possibly the worst road team in the NFL, even worse than the Patriots. Look for all of your Packers to have big games. The Chargers are rolling right now. It's not that easy to run against the Titans, but you can certainly pass. Tony Romo and the Cowboys take on a Redskins team that has quit. Kurt Warner at home against the Rams. Sounds good to me

RB - Ryan Grant, Frank Gore, Maurice Jones Drew

Ryan Grant is a Packer, right? Frank Gore for the score. I actually think he'll go for two against the Lions. MJD takes on the Pats D, sounds like 3 scores to me in what should be a good, tight game.

WR - Mike Sims-Walker, Randy Moss, Wes Welker

Well, my best match ups for the WR position are all in the same game. I just don't trust the Pats D at all, and I really look for both Moss and Welker to go off. There's no way you hold Welker down for another game.

TE - JerMichael Finley, Vernon Davis, Brett Celek, Fred Davis

We really have 4 good, young tight ends in that list. Finley has emerged as a major talent at the position, Vernon Davis is showcasing why he was the 6th overall pick, Brett Celek is a great stopgap for Donovan McNabb and Fred Davis has been outstanding the past few weeks.

DEF - Cowboys, 49ers, Packers

Like I said above, the Cowboys are taking on the Redskins. I really like Mike Singletary's defense this weekend against the Lions. Oh yeah, the Packers are playing the Seahawks at home.

Worst Positional Match Ups of the Week:

QB - Matt Hasselbeck, Brett Favre, Jason Campbell

The Seahawks are terrible on the road. Don't start anyone. I really don't like Favre's match up against the Bears this weekend. Throw in the little spat he's having with Childress and this all doesn't look good. Of course, the "aged wonder" has proven me wrong before. Jason Campbell, while not nearly as bad as most people think, are playing the Cowboys and they really need the win.

RB - Jaamal Charles, Quinton Ganther, Matt Forte

Ok, I am starting Charles this week, but I don't like the match up. The Bengals have a stout run defense, but I don't have anyone better I want to play. I know Ganther has scored 3 times in the past 2 games. Normally I'd put him up top because he's a young player who's trying to showcase himself. I still don't like him against the Cowboys run defense that ranks 6th in the NFL.

WR - Chris Chambers, Reggie Wayne*, Roddy White

Not only do the Bengals have a good run defense, they have a superb pass defense. The asterisk for Reggie Wayne is because I don't know how much he'll play. He's also going toe to toe against Darelle Revis. I am also going to be starting Roddy White, but the Bills are very good against the pass.

TE - Dallas Clark*, John Carlson, Kevin Boss

Same thing for Clark. How much will he really play. John Carlson is terrible and he'll never be owned by me again, and Kevin Boss is just too inconsistent. I need something better for the Super Bowl.

DEF - Jets*, Broncos, Patriots

The Jets Defense could be a great play if the Colts rest a lot of their starters. If not, then they could be a very bad play. They could also win the game outright, and I'd look like a fool. The Eagles are on a serious offensive roll right now, and the Broncos will not be able to stop them. Did you get the idea that I don't like the Patriots Defense? I don't.

Good luck and Merry Christmas to you all!

How Ten Minutes at a Checkout Counter Saved My Christmas

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

I'm going to break from the usual format because something happened on Christmas Eve that I probably will always remember. Though it could be considered a minuscule thing to most, it touched me deeply and I hope it can act as the same kind of reminder for you that it was for me.

It's the holiday season and like a lot of folks, I picked up a retail job to help supplement the income and finance the holidays. And for some reason this year especially, my dealings with people had left me very jaded. People seemed to forget what the holidays and Christmas are really all about. Instead, people were very selfish, very ignorant and very greedy.

Working retail at Christmas time means working hours you don't want to work and sure enough, I was working Christmas Eve until closing time. Between my lack of desire to be there and everyone else's frantic craze to get the last minute gifts, there was not much Christmas spirit going around. People had little regard for each other as they bustled around and the interactions I had with customers were terse and cursory. People seemed to find each other more of a nuisance than anything else.

The store was closing at 6:00 promptly and my managers instructed us to shoo everyone out the door exactly at closing time. At 5:59, a man came to my register with arms loaded with gifts. He plopped them down and said, "I'm so sorry to be doing this to you. I know that you are trying to get home to your family, but I just landed a couple hours ago and this is the first opportunity I've had to shop."

I asked him where he was coming from and he told me he was in the military and had just come from Indiana where he had been stationed. I welcomed him home and commented that it must be nice to be home just in time for Christmas. He said that it was, but added that it would be a short stay. He was getting sent to Afghanistan the day after Christmas.

I totalled up the purchases and bagged them. At this point, it was about ten past the hour and one of the managers said over the walkie talkies that she was going to lock the doors as soon as everyone was gone. The man took that as his cue to leave, but before doing so thanked me again for helping him even though we were closing, and apologized to me for taking more time away from my family. He then shook my hand and wished me a merry Christmas.

I shook his hand, wished him a merry Christmas, thanked him for everything he does and asked him to be safe over there.

This man had less than 48 hours to spend with his family before going overseas and possibly not being able to talk to his family for weeks at a time, yet he took the time to thank me and apologize to me for my time. It had been a while since I had seen anybody thinking selflessly this holiday season and it reminded me that there are so many good people in this world, many of which aren't blessed with the ability be with their families because they are busy protecting us and our freedoms. This man is putting his life in danger in a couple of days and still was thinking of others and how his actions affect them.

His actions, as small as they might seem to most, affected me and saved my Christmas. I pray I never forget that short conversation and that any time I'm feeling the way I was this year, I can think back to that and remember.

Thank you sir, wherever you are. Merry Christmas and may you and all who serve our country return safely home.