Gallas could make Tottenham debut as captain

* Former Arsenal captain could skipper Spurs
* Gallas set for debut at West Brom
* Van der Vaart also in line for first game (adds quotes, details, background)
By Ken Ferris
CHIGWELL, England, Sept 10 (Reuters) - France defender William Gallas is expected to make his debut for nfl jersey
Tottenham Hotspur at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday and might even be handed the captain’s armband for the Premier League clash.
The 33-year-old former Arsenal and Chelsea defender will become the first player to feature for all three London teams, having joined Spurs last month on a one-year deal after being released by the Gunners where he had been skipper.
“There’s every chance I will play William Gallas on Saturday,” manager Harry Redknapp told reporters at the Spurs training ground. “I’m considering making him captain.”
The move would be controversial because the Tottenham fans are not quite sure what to make of the former Arsenal defender’s decision to join the club from their north London rivals.
Spurs have, however, lost regular skipper Michael Dawson for up to two months after he strained ligaments on England duty while fellow central defender Ledley King is set to be rested ahead of the club’s Champions League debut at Werder Bremen on Tuesday.
Asked whether club captain King would play on Saturday, Redknapp said: “It’s a difficult decision. We might need his experience there (in Bremen) on Tuesday night.”
That leaves Gallas, who has played 84 times for France, Indianapolis Colts jersey
to partner Cameroon defender Sebastien Bassong in central defence.
“You don’t play in teams that win championships, like he (Gallas) did at Chelsea, you don’t play for your country as many times as he has … unless you’re a top player.
“He’s got a bit of pace, he’s a great defender, and he’ll be a big asset. I think he’ll be a great signing for us.”
MENTAL STRENGTH
Redknapp believes Gallas has shown admirable mental strength by moving to White Hart Lane from the Emirates where he was stripped of the captaincy in 2008 when he criticised team mates.
“You have to be strong as a person to do that (leave Arsenal for Spurs). It’s easy not to have done that,” said Redknapp. “He could have gone off and played somewhere else.”
Redknapp added that a player of Gallas’s class would have cost between 8 and 10 million pounds ($12.33-15.41 million) in the transfer market and believes he has got a bargain.
“If you want a player who is a top centre-half to play in the Premier League, you have to pay that money,” he said. “It was a no-brainer. He cost nothing. He’s not on silly money.”
Another of Tottenham’s new signings, Netherlands playmaker Dallas Cowboys jersey
Rafael van der Vaart, could also make his debut at Albion having joined from Real Madrid while Brazilian midfielder Sandro is available after finally moving from Internacional.
Carlo Cudicini is likely to deputise again for injured Brazilian goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes although Spurs have signed Croatia keeper Stipe Pletikosa on loan from Spartak Moscow.

La Volpe set to take over as Costa Rica coach

MEXICO CITY, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Former Mexico boss Ricardo La Volpe traveled to Costa Rica on Wednesday, where he is expected to take over as the Central American country’s new national coach.
The 58-year-old Argentine led Mexico to the second round of nfl jersey
the 2006 World Cup in Germany and is scheduled to sign a four-year deal with the Costa Rican Football Federation in San Jose on Thursday.
“I’m ready,” La Volpe told Mexican soccer Indianapolis Colts jersey
website Mediotiempo.com adding that he had handed over all the paperwork to Costa Rican federation authorities on Tuesday.
La Volpe, who has previously coached Boca Juniors in his home country as well as several Mexican clubs, said his biggest challenge would be qualifying Costa Rica for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Costa Rica missed out on the 2010 World Cup Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
in South Africa, losing a playoff against eventual semi-finalists Uruguay last November

Reggie Bush: Heisman decision ‘out of my hands’

Reggie Bush says he has not considered giving back his Heisman Trophy and that he has no control over the decision about whether to strip him of the award, the Los Angeles Times reports.
"I think at this point it's kind of out of nfl throwback jerseys
my hands," the Saints running back told reporters Wednesday after practice. "Whatever you guys report, you have to go with that. But if I'm not mistaken, I think the Heisman Trust people released a statement saying that whatever was said yesterday was inaccurate. So that's where we're at."
Yahoo! Sports reported Tuesday that the Heisman Trophy Trust had reached a decision to strip former USC player of the 2005 award by the end of September. But Heisman officials have denied the report, saying no decision has been made.
Bush would become the first player in the 75-year history of the Heisman award to have the trophy taken away.
According to the Yahoo! report, the Heisman Trophy Trust's independent investigation is “coming to a close," and it ultimately will agree with the NCAA's conclusion regarding Bush's eligibility. The NCAA found major violations in the Trojans’ football program in Indianapolis Colts jersey
June and levied serious sanctions against the school.
The NCAA retroactively ruled Bush ineligible for part of the 2004 season and all of 2005. The NCAA also ordered the USC program to remove all references to Bush from its sporting venues and promotional materials and vacate his statistics from all games in which he was ineligible, according to multiple reports.
According to the Times report, Bush said he is "not even thinking about" giving the award back on his own. "I haven't gone that far. Here we are the day before the biggest game of the new season, and that's where my focus is." The Saints play the Vikings Thursday.
"I've said all I want to say, and Minnesota Vikings jersey
everything else has to play itself out. It's an unfortunate situation for everybody, including the kids at USC," Bush said.
"The on-the-field play speaks for itself," he said. "That's kind of it. It's not my decision anymore. It's not my choice."

Coaches still believe in Landry Jones

Landry Jones’ season opener was a forgettable one for the sophomore quarterback. After Jones put together his most complete performance during last season’s Sun Bowl victory over Stanford, it was expected Jones would come out a more confident, more polished quarterback in 2010.
That didn’t happen as Jones completed just 17-of-36 football jerseys
passes for 217 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions against Utah State. It was a game that started out as a blowout victory, when the Sooners took a quick 21-0 lead, but they ended up squeaking out a 31-24 victory.
So what happened to Jones on Saturday inside Memorial Stadium, a place where he set the school record for touchdown passes just a year ago? A place where he always looked so comfortable last season, even with a makeshift offensive line and a group of questionable receivers?
Jones came up with the bases loaded, and he just whiffed.
“I just didn’t come out and play the way I’m capable of playing,” Jones admitted on Tuesday.
Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson theorized Jones was trying to be too perfect in his home opener. After all, Jones had been mentioned as a Heisman Trophy contender by at least one national media personality the week before the opener.
“I don’t know if he just got a little concerned or a little rushed, I think he may have been pressing,” said Wilson.
Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator went on to describe a simple pass play to Ryan Broyles that summarized Jones’ opener in his eyes.
“He was too quick,” said Wilson. “It was a little outcut to Ryan and he undershot it. It was unreasonable quick.”
Bob Stoops defended his quarterback by saying the offensive gameplan for Utah State was “held back”, and that his quarterback was working with a limited playbook.
It’s the job of coaches to protect their players from criticism. What is said in the film room isn’t usually for public consumption. But Jones was so off kilter in his first outing, it was painfully obvious to Sooner fans who have sat through teams featuring Josh Heupel, Jason White and Sam Bradford, that Jones just had a really rough outing last week.
It was said many times by Stoops, Heupel and Wilson during the offseason that Jones needed the players around him to be better.
On Saturday night, Demarco Murray had 218 yards rushing. The running game was there.
Ryan Broyles caught nine passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns. The reliable receiver was also there. Cameron Kenney also stepped up and provided a solid second option for Jones.
The offensive line was solid, if Dallas Cowboys jersey
not unspectacular.
What was missing, was the quarterback, and that was painfully obvious for everyone in the stadium to see. Even Bob Stoops was critical of Jones’ performance in his post-game press conference.
It was easy for the casual fan to notice Jones’ uneasiness in the pocket. On multiple occasions Jones’ offensive line provided him a classic pocket. All he had to do was take a step or two forward and find the open man. But on multiple occasions Jones rolled out of the pocket and straight into pressure.
It was so obvious even his quarterbacks coach brought it up on Tuesday.
“He needs to trust his protection a little bit and sit in the pocket and make a couple of throws,” said Heupel.
But the outing last weekend doesn’t have Jones looking over his shoulder. The coaching staff is still behind their starting quarterback. Their focus is now on forgetting what happened against Utah State, and moving forward with their starting quarterback.
“He came out and played extremely well early in the ball game,’ said Heupel. “A couple of things happened protectionally and some things on the back end, he maybe tried to escape the wrong direction in the pocket. Other than that, there’s a lot of correctable things that he’ll be able to hopefully correct and play better on Saturday.”
“He needs to play better, and he has. He has all camp,” added Wilson. “I don’t think there’s been many days when walked out there saying man, he wasn’t good today. We were not alarmed, but surprised that he wasn’t cleaner than we expected.”
Jones can get better help from some of his young receivers like Kenny Stills. Jones relied on Stills early, but they never found a connection until later in the game. Their lack of chemistry was definitely a big part of the offense stalling out after taking a 21-0 lead.
Jones ended last season relying on Broyles, Jaz Reynolds and Dejuan Miller as his main receivers. This year he still has Broyles in the fold, but Stills, Kenney and Miller are all players Jones has to develop a better chemistry with on gamedays.
“We had a lot of young guys playing, and it is the first game and you’re going to have those mistakes,” said Jones. “But we need to get better from it, and we need to come out and play better against Florida State.”
Jones also needs to be better in the pocket and more trusting that his protection will hold up. Being a bit more accurate wouldn’t hurt matters either.
Landry Jones is still the quarterback who seemed to have a bright future at the end of 2009, but with Florida State coming to town, he won’t have a very big margin of error. Jones is confident this week is already a better practice week than last.
And confident that will pay off for him and the Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
offense on Saturday.
“Guys are starting to practice more with a purpose,” said Jones. “We had a really good camp and all of that stuff, but once we got here (last) Monday, I felt that some people might have slowed down. I’ll point the finger at myself (as well). I got into a lull last week on not going through my reads the way that I should have. But we have to put that behind us, and when we came out for practice, the attitude had definitely changed.”

Chad Ochocinco Talks 'T. Ocho Show', Says Roger Goodell Is 'My Dad'

It was only a matter of time., teammates in Cincinnati who refer to themselves as Batman and Robin, are joining forces for their own weekly national NFL It's called "The T. Ocho Show." Think a "Pardon the Interruption" format but, as Ochocinco told FanHouse recently, "... a lot more raw."
"The T. Ocho Show" premieres Oct. 12 on, but the network will air sneak-peak segments for five weeks before, starting Tuesday, Sept. 7 on "The Daily Line." In the football jersey
meantime, Ochocinco sat down with FanHouse's Ryan Wilson for a wide-ranging interview that touched on everything from Roger Goodell, social vs. mainstream media, Chad's various off-field entrepreneurial endeavors and, of course, T.O.
Enjoy. And don't forget: get a glimpse of "The T. Ocho Show" on Versus tonight and each week until the premiere on Oct. 12.
Ryan Wilson: Hey, Chad.
Chad Ochocinco: Ryan, is this you?
Ryan: (Laughing)
Chad: What is up, man?
Ryan: (Still laughing) You got it, buddy. Thanks for taking some time to talk to me. Let's get started because I know you're busy -- I see you've already been tweeting today.
Chad: Hey, I'm never busy, man, it's your world. I'm here for you.
Ryan: All right, that's what I like to hear. So you've got all this social media stuff going now. You got Twitter, UStream, OCNN, your reality shows, your cereals, your pretend condoms ...
Chad: (Laughing) No, those condoms are serious. They're coming ... they work 85 percent of the time, the other 15 percent you're on your own.
Ryan: (Laughing) So let me ask you, do you ever hear from coaches, or even media members or fans, who think you're spreading yourself too thin?
Chad: No. Not at all. Is there such a thing?
Ryan: Well, I mean, your performance hasn't dropped so that could be your argument. But sometimes, when your part-time jobs get in the way of your primary job, people tend to wonder if you're not focused enough. But you could always say your numbers are ...
Chad: Nah. It's me. It's me. In fact, that wouldn't work. My focus will always be the same. And the whole thing is, you never allow -- you know, because of my main job I've been able to do other things off the field. I will continue to do so. You know, God has blessed me to be good at one thing, and he's definitely allowed me to have other endeavors to do off the field. So, of course, that's what people would say but my work ethic will always keep me on top of my game. Which I've always been good at. The reason I've been successful is because of the way I work. Ryan: And I think sometimes, at least when Chad Ochocinco first came on the scene eight or nine years ago, people thought that your persona wasn't really the person you are. But I get the sense that, from watching you in interviews and watching you when you've been more serious, this is exactly the person you are and that you're very passionate about everything you embrace. Does that sound about right?
Chad: Very. Especially football. Of course, you know, the perception of me might be a little different because of my style of play, the way I am -- I'm very boisterous, I'm outgoing, I say what I want, I say how I feel if I don't like it. You know, it is what it is. I want to win just like everybody else, just the way I go about it is a little different.
Ryan: And to compare you to your new teammate Terrell Owens, it seems like people actually -- in points and times in Terrell's career, people really did not like him very much. But I get the sense the people have always liked you. I know that I've always liked you. I'll let you in on a little secret: I'm a Steelers fan, but I love Chad Ochocinco the person ...
Chad: (Laughing) Thank you.
Ryan: ... and I never get the sense that anything you're doing is malicious, or with the intent to make someone else look bad. You're just having fun.
Chad: Always, always. I mean, everything I do is to have fun. And all you have to do is look at some of the things I say, look at some of the things I do. It's always about challenging my opponent, and making those around me better, and mainly forcing me to play at a high level, week in and week out. Which is -- you know, I'm surprised some people (in the media) haven't caught on to why I do some of the things I do week in and week out. It's to make sure I continue to play at a high level no Minnesota Vikings jersey
matter what happens. That's it.
Ryan: Talking about Twitter and talking about the NFL, the commissioner -- the league, anyway -- slapped you with a $25,000 fine for tweeting too close to game time. And I saw that you sent Goodell a tweet and you kind of rferred to him as your dad for watching out for you. Now do you ever hear from him? Or when you meet him does he say anything about all the stuff you do?
Chad: You know what's funny? Goodell and I talk all the time. We talk all the time. I think I might be the only NFL player that has his personal cell phone number and e-mail.
Ryan: (Laughing)
Chad: You're laughing but I'm dead serious.
Ryan: No, I believe you and I bet Goodell actually likes you a lot. And he probably thinks you're good for the game even though he tries to portray the league as something that's very prim and proper.
Chad: It is. And the league has an image to uphold but I'm not one of those who breaks that image. I'm sort of like that bad kid ...
Ryan: You're the kid in the back of third grade who is always interrupting class.
Chad: Exactly. But I'm not doing the things that hamper the image of the NFL, you know?
Ryan: I agree. I totally agree and I'm sure Goodell feels the same way he just can't tell anybody that in public. So changing gears, you and Terrell have a new reality show -- another reality show for both of you -- and it's called the "T. Ocho Show". And from what I've heard it's loosely based on the style of "PTI," you guys are going to go back and forth ...
Chad: That's kind of right but I wouldn't compare it to "PTI." I wouldn't compare it any of those other sports radio talk shows or TV shows because ours will be a lot more different, a lot more raw. You know, I think the information we will give a lot more refreshing to the public as getting sports from a player's perspective -- not retired players, we're talking about players still playing at an extremely high level in their careers. And it's going to be fun -- and it's just not going to be football. Dallas Cowboys jersey
We're talking about all sports: basketball, soccer, hockey, swimming ... everything. You name it, we'll be able to discuss it and talk about it.
Ryan: Now you've said in the past that part of the reason you've taken to Twitter and OCNN is because you want the news to be unfiltered. You don't want someone in the media telling Chad's story.

Separating fact from fiction in the NFC

We've been waiting seven months for the NFL season to begin, a span of time jam-packed with predictions and speculation -- and now it's time to sort through it all and answer some questions. For instance, will someone please give rookie linebacker Bear Woods a job? Will NFL nfl jersey
fans be able to appreciate the greatness of Jimmy Clausen when the Panthers have only one nationally televised game? Below, we'll look at the NFC, and on Wednesday we'll preview the AFC, separating fact from fiction.
Fact: Based on the results of the 2009 season, the following five teams have the weakest strength of schedule for 2010 games: 49ers, Chargers, Seahawks, Rams and Cardinals.
Fiction: The Chargers moved to the NFC West last season.
Fact: The Falcons had the best conversion percentage on fourth downs (70 percent) of any team in the NFC last year.
Fiction: The Falcons hope to exploit this strength and run more fourth-down plays in 2010.
Fact: Reggie Bush is only under contract through 2010, and if he and the Saints can't come to an agreement on his demands, he may peddle his wares somewhere else next season.
Fiction: Several years down the line, the NFL might have to ask the Saints to return their copy of the 2009 Lombardi Trophy.
Fact: Jim Sorgi, the longtime Colts backup who got limited action behind the resilient Peyton Manning, was signed by the Giants to be Eli Manning's backup in 2010, but is now out for the season with injury.
Fiction: Sorgi has asked to remain the Manning family's emergency contact.
Fact: The Eagles' new starting quarterback, Kevin Kolb, is a native Texan who has killed wild boar with a Bowie knife.
Fiction: Philly fans are gonna make him want to suck his thumb at the first sign of adversity.
Fact: Cowboys receiver Roy Williams posted a career high in yards per catch last season (15.7).
Fiction: Dallas fans think that's just great.
Fact: The Lions play only one nationally televised game this season.
Fiction: There are additional reasons -- beyond stodgy tradition -- that the NFL foists the Lions on us every Thanksgiving.
Fact: Players across the league are anxious about the owners' desire to play more regular-season games, citing concerns about added exposure to injuries and increased risk of shortened careers.
Fiction: The owners are sympathetic to their concerns and would never entertain the possibility of using scabs if the current crop of players doesn't bend to their wishes.
Fact: Football Outsiders predicts the Saints, Vikings, Chargers, Bengals and Cowboys will miss the playoffs this year.
Fiction: Football Outsiders were right on the money when they picked the Rams to win the NFC West last year.
Fact: No tight end has ever had double-digit touchdowns in back-to-back seasons.
Fiction: If Vernon Davis of the 49ers becomes the first to accomplish this feat, Mike Singletary will lower his drawers and penguin walk around Candlestick Park.
Fact: Chris "Beanie" Wells and Carnell "Cadillac" Williams are the only skill-position players in the NFL whose nicknames replace their given names in any professional context, i.e., whether they're mentioned in print or on the air.
Fiction: Players with permanent nicknames seem to be less susceptible to injury.
Fact: Cowboys rookie linebacker Sean Lee made such an impression on coach Wade Phillips during training camp that Phillips started calling him "Brooking," in deference to Cowboys starter Keith Brooking.
Fiction: Wade Phillips made such an impression on Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
Jerry Jones in the past few years that the Cowboys' owner has taken to calling him "Bum."
Fact: The Panthers' lone nationally televised game falls during Week 16, a Thursday night game on December 23 in Pittsburgh.
Fiction: It's unfortunate for the Panthers that this is their only spotlight game because Jimmy Clausen rarely loses on national television.
Fact: The Bears have more Vanderbilt players on their team (five) than the rest of the NFC North combined (zero).
Fiction: The rest of the NFC North is eager to copycat the Bears and their Commodore-laden lineup.
Fact: The Vikings travel to Green Bay to play the Packers on Oct. 24, a Sunday night game on NBC.
Fiction: This will definitely be the last time Brett Favre plays a regular-season game at Lambeau Field, so you'd better watch it, tape it and send away for the collector's edition DVD.
Fact: Even with injuries to quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner, Atlanta went 9-7 in 2009 and posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history, leading many prognosticators to pick the Falcons as the favorite to win the NFC South in 2010.
Fiction: Not so fast: The Bucs and Panthers present two major obstacles to the Falcons this season.
Fact: Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman went through the usual growing pains as a rookie last year, but the team is confident the former Kansas State signal-caller is a franchise quarterback who's ready to take the team's passing game to the next level.
Fiction: Anyone who lives outside the Tampa area and can name the Bucs' starting wide receivers.
Fact: Two-time Super Bowl winner Mike Shanahan has an exorbitant 19 coaches on staff this season, including a safeties coach, a tight ends coach and an assistant coach for the special-teams coach.
Fiction: John Elway is one of those coaches and that gives Shanahan his best shot at winning another Super Bowl.
Fact: The Rams can match their win total for 2009 (one) if they can beat any of the following teams in their first five games: Cardinals, Raiders, Redskins, Seahawks or Lions.
Fiction: The Rams have no chance to start the season 5-0.
Fact: San Francisco middle linebacker Patrick Willis led the NFL with 152 tackles last season.
Fiction: The 49ers hope he matches or eDallas Cowboys jersey
Falcons was a rookie linebacker named Bear Woods (seen here) from Troy University, a guy who's probably answered that bear in the woods question a couple of hundred times.
Fiction: Woods spent most of the 1990s and early 2000s reworking the tracks on "Chinese Democracy."
Tomorrow we tour the AFC and separate fact from fiction.

Average Joe: Be Careful Betting on the Ravens Offense in 2010

With the new signing of T.J. Houshmandzadeh, it is clear what the one goal of Baltimore is: win the second Super Bowl in the short history of the franchise.
Sports nuts and fantasy geeks alike are salivating over the prospects of nfl throwback jerseys
a receiving corps with three former Pro Bowlers at wide receiver and another at the tight end position.
These weapons on the outside, coupled with arguably the best young offensive line in football, with the likes of Ben Grubbs and Michael Oher blocking for budding superstar Ray Rice, mean that there should be a lot of points in the offense north of the beltway.
However, just for every other team, the man that touches the ball every time is the most important to winning any football game: the quarterback.
Entering his third year, Joe Flacco is seemingly ready to break open as the next star of the NFL. Towering arm strength, and a strong physical presence in the pocket akin to Ben Roethlisberger, Flacco has the tools ready for to succeed in this league.
As a rookie, Flacco was the first quarterback in league history to win two playoff games, and a year later made it to the AFC divisional round while increasing his completion percentage up over 3%, throwing for 700 more yards and increasing his touchdown total by seven.
ESPN expert John Clayton's assessment of the playoffs last season included a remark in which Flacco was an example of how elite quarterbacks were leading their teams to sure glory.
Has the franchise long clamoring for a face on the most important position in any professional sport arrived with its golden boy?
Maybe I'm in the minority, but I just don't see it. There are several issues with Flacco that make this writer concerned over the high expectations placed on him.
First, Flacco had a knack for only showing up in games against "softer opponents" in 2009.
With the exception of the playoff win in New England in which Flacco was a terrible 4-10 for 34 yards and an interception, the Ravens only beat two teams with a winning record: a LT-less San Diego team at the beginning of the year, and a home win over a Dennis Dixon-led Pittsburgh Steelers team on Sunday Night Football in overtime.
Two wins over Cleveland, a win over Kansas City and a stomping over Chicago are nothing to get excited about.
Furthermore in his five playoff games as a starter, Flacco has thrown for one touchdown and six interceptions throwing for 132 yards per game, not at all impressive.
Another reason for his woes, is his "new" receiving corps will only highlight his career problem of always "checking down", especially since their all essentially the same "type of player."
Boldin's strength has always been YAC (yards after catch), showing running back-like ability to break tackles was always an asset for Arizona.
However, in the end, his injury woes, his lack of Minnesota Vikings jersey
true speed, and his contract headaches were too much for the Cardinals to handle.
Housh's only year as a the "number one" guy in Seattle was a disaster for the former Oregon State seventh rounder, and he simply does not have the skill-set to break through coverages as "the guy."
This, coupled with the many headaches he caused overrating his own skill set, meant the Seahawks were ready to take the cap hit to let him get out of town.
Furthermore, incumbent Derrick Mason's abilities have fallen to that "possession" receiver just as the the other two players on the field, and he does not complement these other two weapons on the outside.
Simply put, three three-yard out routes don't make a first down, meaning defenses can key in on Ray Rice runs and play soft zone coverage.
Finally, an issue for Joe Flacco is the most important way to measure any quarterback, the ultimate "If" factor. "If I'm down by _ points, can this guy lead me to glory?"
Last season, the Ravens had no fourth-quarter comebacks in their entire season and only one where they took the lead after tied in that quarter, against Kansas City the first week.
The only worthy "moment" of Flacco's leadership last season was a game in Minnesota where an insurmountable comeback put on by the Ravens was halted by a failed field goal in the dying seconds of the game.
To this knowledge, this "if" factor can best be shown in the last two playoff games in which Baltimore has lost.
When the Ravens fell behind early against Pittsburgh in 2008, or Indianapolis in 2009, was there any real "hope" that the Ravens came back and win those games? No, John Clayton, because those teams have quarterbacks which are elite and can lead their teams to victory.
A good example of this was shown in last year's divisional race which was won by a team with not only a much more solid defense than Baltimore (especially in the secondary) but a quarterback who "wins games."
In both games against the Ravens last year, Palmer led his Bengals to victory in the closing minutes of the game, something that could not have been done on the other sideline.
At the end of the day, the reality is simple: you can have all the weapons in the world on the offensive side of the ball, but if they're all the same individual and your leader doesn't "lead" you can't win football games.
Many people will say that the problem for Indianapolis Colts jersey
Baltimore lies in their secondary and an aged linebacking corps, and that is by far the most glaring need of this team with Super Bowl aspirations.
But a good quarterback scores you points to outweigh these negatives on defense, and Flacco is not ready to take that leap yet.