Aaron Rodgers Ranked #2 Most Powerful Athlete, Tom Brady #3, NFL Dominates List


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The 2012 Power 100 ranking of the most powerful professional athletes in the U.S was released last night by Bloomberg/Businessweek, revealing Drew Brees at the top of the list (go to this link to see the top 20). 26 NFL football players (including four heading to the Super Bowl) are on the list.

CSE’s Analytics team, lead by VP, Analytics, David Newman, evaluated more than 3,000 athletes across a variety of sports, with 50 percent based on “off-field” measurements and 50 percent on “on-field” performance.

After the jump, check out the 26 NFL players in the top 100

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Detroit Lions Give It Their Best Try, But Fall Short to Brees and the Saints


 

 

 

 

 

 

The NFL’s Wild-Card Weekend started off with a bang in the NFC with the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints battling in a close  game that eventually was decided in the fourth quarter. Drew Brees and the Saints proved to be a bit too much to handle for the Lions’ defense in a 45-28 win.

Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson both had great games (211 yards and two touchdowns accumulated between the two), but the difference in this one was multiple missed opportunities on the defensive end.

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Keys for a Detroit Lions Playoff Upset


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The Lions should be playing the New York Giants this weekend. I have mentioned that the team was hoodwinked out of multiple victories last season against the Bears. Well, it happened once again last weekend against the Green Bay Packers. There was a touchdown to Titus Young that was not ruled as a reception. Detroit succumbed to the Packers by four points and wound up against the Saints in New Orleans.

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Matt Flynn for the Win: Packers Embarrass Lions Without Key Starters


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Aaron Rodgers resting on the bench, who would have thought the Green Bay Packers would put up 550 total yards of offense and 45 points?

Back-up QB Matt Flynn had a career day with a franchise record six touchdowns and 480 passing yards in the 45-41 shootout win at Lambeau Field.

Since 1970, Flynn is the 3rd QB to throw for 3 or more TDs in his first two starts. The other two were Dan Marino and Kurt Warner.

For the Lions, QB Matthew Stafford put up college-like numbers with 520 yards and five touchdowns. And there was that Calvin Johnson guy with 244 receiving yards as well.

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Which NFL Team Has the Smartest Fans? Tampa Bay Buccaneers?


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For many NFL fans, this week’s games are meaningless, as their favorite team has been eliminated from playoff contention. But for many of the people who support those done-after-this-week teams,  they’re still alive in a postseason of a different sort.

They’ve been going head-to-head with rival fans in a trivia showdown known as The Season. Enabled by Buzztime, The Season reflected the NFL 2011 schedule every week, pitting the opposing fan-bases of each competing team. And as you might guess, Buzztime’s The Season has a very different looking playoff picture.

So who’s undefeated and the king of trivia thus far?

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Best Playoff Match-ups for Detroit Lions


The Detroit Lions are in the NFL playoffs for the first time this millennium.

This is a remarkable accomplishment considering the team was winless just three seasons ago. The absence of Matt Millen in the front office certainly has expedited the process of turning the culture of the organization around. While it’s certain that the club will play in the wild card round, the opponent isn’t for certain yet.

The teams that are in the mix are the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, and the Dallas Cowboys.

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Who will Break Dan Marino’s Passing Record Next Week?


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The NFL has certainly gone out of the way in recent years to emphasize the passing game. Numerous rule changes and rule tweaks have changed the game, enabling passers to put up big numbers and let offenses score at will.

As a result, quarterbacks are the highest paid NFL players, with those most entrusted in protecting the QB’s blind side (left tackles) and those with the most important role in stopping the opponent’s forward pass (elite pass-rushers) not far behind.

The pigskin has been flying all over the place this fall as the single season mark of 5,084 passing yards, set by the Miami Dolphins’ Dan Marino in 1984, will soon fall.

Two QBs will almost certainly eclipse it, with three more coming close.

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Lions Return Home to Face the Chargers


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The odds makers have predicted that the San Diego vs. Detroit game on Christmas Eve will be even. Norv Turner’s teams traditionally perform at a much higher level during the latter portion of their seasons. This year is no exception, leaving fans of both camps wondering what will transpire at Ford Field.

The Lions have a 9-5 record heading into the last two weeks of play in the regular season. Even though the Green Bay Packers lost last week to the Chiefs, they still will be the champions of the NFC North. That leaves Detroit’s sights still firmly on the wild card possibilities. The team’s biggest obstacle offensively will be trying to run the ball.

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Week 16 Fantasy Football Rankings: QB/RB


The fantasy football season is on the final stretch and every move takes on do-or-die importance. If you need a win now, start the higher rated player in my rankings and bring home that championship.

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Week 16 Fantasy Football Rankings: WR/TE


The fantasy football season is on the final stretch and every move takes on do-or-die importance. If you need a win now, start the higher rated player in my rankings and bring home that championship.

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Detroit Lions Should Not Fear the Black Hole


The Carson Palmer acquisition is a disaster for the Oakland Raiders; at a time when success at that position is needed more than ever. And Darren McFadden is not bailing out the quarterback any more. The Raiders precipitous fall from grace is especially hard to swallow for their passionate fan base after the passing of their iconic owner Al Davis.

The paragraphs that follow outline the reasons why the Detroit Lions will defeat the Raiders on Sunday.

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Week 15 Fantasy Football Rankings: QB/RB


One week of the fantasy playoffs is in the books, and as expected, there were some big days across the board. The good news is there are just as many points out there for fantasy owners in week 15. Follow my rankings and I’ll see you in the next round.

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