The Giants captured their second Super Bowl victory in four years with a thrilling victory over the Patriots.

If you are an NFL purist like myself, you couldn’t have asked for a better game than last night’s Giants’ Super Bowl win over the Patriots by a score of 21-17. Just like Super Bowl 42 produced the HELMET CATCH, Mario Manningham continued his playoff hot streak with an unbelievable grab near the sidelines while keeping both feet in bounds. An unrestricted free agent, Manningham’s play over the last several weeks should garner him a lot of attention on the open market. And with another Super Bowl in his back pocket, Tom Coughlin’s hot seat should be a bit cooler for a little while longer.

Aside from Manningham’s catch, here are a couple other observations I took from last night’s game:

1. The Commercials Seem To Be Getting Worse Every Year
This is obviously more opinion than fact. And I will likely be bashed or people will agree with me that last night’s foray of commercials were some of the worst I have seen in years. When I saw Bud Lite’s new way of stealing people’s money by making a Platinum version of their beer, my first thought was “They spent all that money on this?” Aside from being crappy beer, the commercials themselves weren’t even that good. Definitely not worth the millions they put into them.

There are too many automobile commercials. I can understand why Detroit wants to continue getting their city out there in a positive light. And adding Clint Eastwood was pretty cool. This commercial was more about the people who still live in the city than pumping an actual car, which I can agree with. But when you live in an economy where many people can’t even afford heat in the Winter, let alone a new truck or car, it seems to me it’s a waste of money. So outside of Eastwood’s Detroit commercial, all of them were meh.

My favorite: Hands down the baby/grandma slingshot Dorito commercial. Mainly because it was somewhat original and it did give me a chuckle.

2. The Half-Time Show Actually Wasn’t That Bad
If you were a boy growing up in the 80s, Madonna was as sexy as you could get back then. Even in the early 90s, she still had it going on. Fast forward to 2012 and I have to admit I got into her half-time show. Why? Because she played all of her hits from back then and she is still sexy as all hell. Many won’t agree with me there. But for God’s sakes she’s 53!!!! How often do you see a 53 year old woman look like that these days? I won’t go deeper into Madonna’s show. But hearing her older songs brought me back to when I was younger. I do admit that ever since Janet Jackson’s “Boob-Gate,” the shows have been pretty good. VAN HALEN FOR SUPER BOWL 47!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3. Eli Manning Should Be Considered In The Same Class As Tom Brady
One of the questions Manning was asked leading up to the Super Bowl was if he considered himself up there with a guy like Tom Brady. Without hesitation, he emphatically said “YES” and didn’t back down. If the Giants showed anything this year it’s that all you have to do it get in the playoffs and everyone starts off with a clean slate. At 9-7 and barely winning the NFC East, many couldn’t see the Giants getting past the Packers at their home turf. But after now winning 2 Super Bowls, the arguments that Eli is still a step below guys like Brady and Peyton Manning should start dwindling down a bit.

Have any other observations you’d like to throw in? Or do you disagree with anything I stated above? Please feel free to comment below.

Andrew Luck: Luckiest guy in the 2012 NFL Draft?

UPDATE – February 5th, 2012: With the 2012 Senior Bowl behind us, it’s time to really hone in on the 2012 NFL Draft and what  better way than to propose our very own 2012 Round 1 Mock Draft.

This is a complete update over the original draft with additions and subtractions, so if a few of the comments do not make sense it is because they reflect the old draft.

We’ll be keeping you covered all winter long with our 2012 NFL Draft coverage and Mock Draft posts as we get closer to draft day (including exclusive 7-Round per team mock drafts), so be sure to check back frequently for updates, new postings and other tasty tidbits we’ll be leaving on the table for ya.

Round One – Picks 1 Through 16:

#1 – Indianapolis Colts, Andrew Luck – QB – Stanford: This pick is almost written in the stars for Indianapolis who could also wind up making veteran Peyton Manning available on the open market (albeit not likely). What makes Luck such a coveted pick is the obvious issue surrounding Manning’s neck, but more importantly, the fact that Luck played in a NFL pro-style offense that really makes him start worthy from day one. Luck could have immediate fantasy value if he does in fact start the 2012 season.

#2 – St. Louis Rams, Justin Blackmon – WR – Oklahoma State: Blackmon has already been rated as the best WRs coming out of the draft, and he furthered that speculation in Oklahoma State’s postseason exhibition game against Stanford, where he had eight catches for 186 yards and three touchdowns. The Rams may wind up targeting an OT through free agency if they can part ways with the failed Jason Smith experiment, but if not, we could also see the Rams perhaps target OT Matt Kalil instead…my money is on Blackmon, since the Rams are very needy at WR.

#3 – Minnesota Vikings, Matt Kalil – OT – Southern Cal
6’6″, 295 pounds:

It’s the trendy pick here but it also makes the most sense, considering the talent level drops off significantly after the Top 3 OTs in the draft.

The Vikings need a sizable, NFL ready OT who will be able to protect Christian Ponder’s blind side, and Kalil definitely fits that bill.

Take an even deeper look into my Minnesota Vikings 7-Round Mock Draft for further insight.

Previous pick: Morris Claiborne – CB – LSU

#4 – Cleveland Browns, Robert Griffin – QB – Baylor: The Browns are not convinced that present quarterback Colt McCoy will ever turn the corner, and they could seriously consider drafting RGIII while he is still available. The issue with the Browns, however, is that they offer mediocre weapons for any QB under center, and the pick itself is one that I would advise against, since Griffin played in a very shotgun-heavy format at Baylor which would not bode well in Cleveland’s tight formation attack.

#5 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Trent Richardson – RB – Alabama: The Bucs have a few player issues to take care of, but the fact of the matter is, the RB position is the most crucial. LeGarrette Blount showed a myriad of game weaknesses this season including an inability to separate himself from contact, while also showing himself unreliable in the passing game and Earnest Graham isn’t expected to return in 2012. Richardson is an incredibly explosive and elusive back who can not only run in all directions, but he’s also an exceptional pass catching AND BLOCKING back

#6 – Washington Redskins, Ryan Tannehill – QB – Texas A&M: This is obviously a very tentative selection as many different scenarios could play out for Washington in the first round. They could easily trade up with Cleveland or Minnesota and wind up with RGIII, or stay where they are and scoop up Ryan Tannehill, OR, they could sign a free agent QB and target a tackle such as Iowa’s Riley Reiff.

Stay Tuned for updates as they happen!

#7 – Jacksonville Jaguars, Nick Perry, DE, Southern California: The PAC-12 offers a bevy of formidable passing offenses, and Nick Perry caused quite a bit of trouble against every single PAC-12 team making him one of the best options at DE—but we’ll have to wait until January 15th to find out whether or not, he actually IS entering the draft.

If he doesn’t  make himself available this year, I would expect the Jags to stick with a DE, and perhaps target underclassmen Sam Montgomery (LSU) or even Quinton Coples (North Carolina). The Jaguars compete in a division that features prolific quarterbacks with bright futures in Jake Locker and perhaps Andrew Luck while also having to deal with Houston’s deadly passing game, so getting to these guys is a must for a team that stunk at QB pressure in 2011.

#8 – Miami Dolphins, Johnathan Martin – OT – Stanford: I really believe the Dolphins will try their best to acquire a QB—namely Packers backup Matt Flynn—which will leave the table open for the Dolphins to handle other pressing areas such as OT. I know, history suggests against this approach for Miami, but both RG Vernon Carey and RT Marc Colombo are not expected back with the team this year, so the need becomes paramount.

Reiff is one of the more well-rounded tackles in the league. His aggressive nature allows him to effectively block one on one, while his shiftiness and solid feet work allow him to also fit right into teams utilizing zone-blocking up front.

Iowa is known for producing NFL ready tackles who wind up excelling at the pro level, and Miami could find themselves in a very good position to pull the trigger on a very good player.

Previous pick: Ryan Tannehill – QB – Texas A&M

#9 – Carolina Panthers, Mohamed Sanu – WR – Nebraska: Originally I had Michael Floyd penciled in here, but Sanu is bound to still be available and I believe he is the better player for Carolina. The Panthers could also target a defensive player, particularly at tackle, but I believe the talent level at WR drop faster than any other position this year, and adding another weapon for Cam Newton takes precedent here.

Previous pick: Michael Floyd  – WR  – Notre Dame

#10 – Buffalo Bills, Courtney Upshaw – LB – Alabama: The Bills were probably the worst team at getting to the quarterback in 2011 and a lot of that had to do with a weak LB corp. One can easily make the argument that the team needs a CB or S, but when your linebackers are giving opposing quarterbacks all day to throw, even the best cover-men look bad—a linebacker is more important.

Courtney Upshaw would be a perfect fit for a team that is in dire need of a linebacker aggressive enough to apply pressure where the Bills had none, while also keeping up in the pass coverage department. Upshaw’s experience with both the 3-down and 4-down alignments is certainly a plus.

Previous pick: Matt Kalil – OT – USC

#11 – Kansas City Chiefs, Johnathan Martin – OT – Stanford Riley Reiff – OT – Iowa: The Chiefs would benefit greatly from an upgrade at OT over the underachieving Barry Richardson and Branden Albert, and Martin would be just the guy to put on the heat in camp.

The Chiefs may hold their breath for someone a bit bigger, as in my last pick with Iowa’s Riley Reiff, but they may just miss the boat on him.

Martin already had the daunting task of protecting this year’s number one ranked player (Andrew Luck) and he certainly has all the skill sets to fit right into Kansas City’s system. it would almost be the perfect pick.

Previous pick: Riley Reiff – OT – Iowa

#12 – Seattle Seahawks, Nick Foles – QB – Arizona: The Seahawks need a lot of things. They certainly need a solid pass rusher on the outside, they could really use a solid option at TE, but they need a quarterback that could perhaps take over for the liability they have in Tarvaris Jackson.

Look, the Seahawks know that if they want to eventually compete in their division—let alone the conference—they must acquire an upgrade at QB, and if it’s through the draft, Foles would be the best player available.

Foles is a sizable quarterback ala Bengals gunslinger Andy Dalton, as he stands at 6’5″ 240 pounds, but he is amazingly mobile for a QB that large, which could bode well for Seattle. Foles’ only real knock is his drawn out wind up which will have to be reversed if he’s to succeed in the NFL.

The Seahawks could throw a wrench here and target Packers backup Matt Flynn ,and if so, expect the Seahawks to focus on perhaps a DE or hybrid DE/DT such as Devon Still from Penn State.

#13 – Arizona Cardinals, Luke Kuechly – ILB – Boston College: The 25 million dollar investment in Stewart Bradley was a monumental failure (IDP competitors can safely forget about Bradley in 2012), and the Cardinals will more than likely look to fix that problem through the draft with the best available ILB available in Kuechly.

The Cardinals need an aggressive backer who both prolific at getting to the quarterback and in pass-coverage when not in their hybrid 5-2 look, and Kuechly can do all of that and more. If the Cardinals do grab him, he would be an immediate back-end fantasy draft consideration in IDP leagues in my opinion.

#14 – Dallas Cowboys, Devon Still – DE/DT – Penn State: The Cowboys need upgrades on both the offensive line and defensive line, but I think the Cowboys will target a player like Still who would be a perfect fit for an average Cowboys D-Line, especially with his dual-capable play at both the end and on the inside.

The Cowboys and Still seem to be a nice marriage in the wait with Still’s ability to dominate in the trenches—especially against the run—and the acquisition would certainly bolster a defense that finished just outside the Top 10 at number 14.

#15 – Philadelphia Eagles, David DeCastro – G – Stanford: The Philadelphia Eagles have some thinking to do regarding their offensive line. For the most part, this squad is a young core of players who eventually found success in the complex blocking schemes designed by Howard Mudd, but the one glaring issue I see with this core is the aging Evan Mathis.

It’s still unclear whether or not the Eagles will even bring back the 30-year-old left guard, but if they do, what could they offer? A long-term deal would be out of the question since it would be more of a potential liability. Going after a player such as DeCastro now, simply makes sense.

DeCastro would be the best available Guard in the draft. What makes DeCastro extra special, however, is the fact that he is complete NFL ready guard who would excel in Philadelphia’s system. He’s an excellent power-run blocker with great down field speed with exceptional center balance that allows him to anchor himself at the point of contact keeping the QB clean and free, and he is rarely beat off the snap which potentially makes him a better longterm investment than Mathis.

#16 – New York Jets, Lavonte David – OLB – Nebraska: The Jets were surprisingly mediocre at getting to the quarterback this season, despite possessing an elite defense in coverage. In addition to their inferior play against opposing QBs, they lost the 32-year-old Bryan Thomas to a torn Achilles tendon back in October, adding insult to injury—backups Jamaal Westerman and Aaron Maybin were not viable solutions.

“David is a player who was almost exclusively left alone when covering spread offenses at Nebraska because the boy is just that damn good, but he was also utilized quite a bit against the run inside the box…..so much for the theory of having a smallish frame, eh?” – taken from my 5 Draft Prospects You Must Have on Your Radar

The idea here is that Mark Ingram could be overlooked by teams in need of a solid pass rushing LB, and Zach Brown doesn’t seem to be a better fit over David. I really feel that David is going to wind up being that surprise pick if he heads to the right team, and that team could be New York.

Previous pick: Courtney Upshaw – LB – Alabama

Now let’s take a look at picks 17 through 32.

We’ve already ran through our2012 NFL Mock Draft 1 – 16, and we saw the potential for a few surprises—like the possibility of the Bengals upsetting the Texans , so let’s close out the first round of the draft with the final 16 picks.

The interesting aspect of this part of the draft is the fact that there could be a huge emphasis on defense which would push a lot of quality offensive players down to the second and third rounds, simply because there are a lot of teams that have a considerable amount of defensive needs.

Or, perhaps not…let’s see!

Round One – Picks 17 Through 32:

#17 – Cincinnati Bengals, Janoris Jenkins – CB – North Alabama: The Bengals are likely to target a CB with their first pick, and it could wind up being the elusive Janoris Jenkins from North Alabama.

With the aging Nate Clemens facing liability status, the Bengals would obviously be wise to go for youth here, while also settling a growing problem for them.

Jenkins is the type of aggressive, multi-talented corner the Bengals could use, but there is a slight concern with his arrest history—not enough to erase the fact he is top talent on the board, though.

#18 – San Diego Chargers, Melvin Ingram – OLB – South Carolina: I had the Jets potentially taking Courtney Upshaw OVER Melvin Ingram simply due to size, and the need for a dual-backer who would inevitably play more linebacker than end.

Conversely, I have the Chargers potentially taking the bigger Ingram for his presence and ability to play on the outside (a liability in San Diego’s scheme in 2011) as well as at DE.

The Chargers need a backer to help improve upon a corp. that had significant trouble getting to the quarterback in 2011, and Ingram and his physical style of play would certainly fit that bill.

#19 – Chicago Bears, Nick Toon – WR – Wisconsin: The Bears must find a sizable receiver either through the draft or in free agency, but with so many players at the end of their contract, it appears the draft is the better avenue.

Given the fact that the higher ranked receiver are likely to be gone at this point, the Bears could entertain grabbing the sizable receiver from Wisconsin.

Toon is an aggressive receiver with great hands and is the type of route runner the Bears could use in their pass first system. For a more in-depth look, check out my Chicago Bears Full 7-Round Mock Draft.

Previous pick: Coby Fleener – TE – Stanford

#20 – Tennessee Titans, Sam Montgomery – DE – LSU: The Titans has literally no pass rush as their team leader—Karl Klug—finished with just seven sacks, and if Montgomery is still around, the Titans would have a very good player on their hands should they decide to go with him.

Montgomery is fast, aggressive and difficult to prevent; making him an exciting choice for a Tennessee team that absolutely needs to upgrade at DE.

#21 – Cincinnati Bengals, Kendall Wright – WR – Baylor: I really believe the Bengals could be in the market for a slot type receiver ala Patriots slot receiver Wes Welker and Wright may be the perfect man for the job.

Wright played as the inside receiver nearly his entire time with Baylor, and has the hand skills and speed to operate as a true slot receiver, and with A.J. Green and Jerome Simpson already on the outside, the pick would give the Bengals a viable three-headed monster attack.

#22 – Cleveland Browns, Alshon Jefferey – WR – South Carolina: There’s a lot of factors that could determine just who will be available here, but Jefferey could potentially be one of those players, and the Browns absolutely need a down-field threat type receiver.

Jefferey has great size, speed and ability to catch the ball even in traffic. Aside from these aspects, he is almost unstoppable in the open field.

His only knock is his route running abilities, which could stand some improvement.

#23 – Detroit Lions, Dre Kirkpatrick – CB – Alabama: The Lions could go several different ways here, but one of the glaring issues the Lions face is at CB.

The team was decimated by injuries so much in 2011, that there was a time when this team couldn’t even properly operate a traditional nickel package, and that’s a serious issue. The other issue facing this team is the fact that their two top corners (Eric Wright and Chris Houston) become free agents in 2012.

The Lions could wait until later to grab a CB, but it makes much more sense to draft for the future with the best player on the board (arguably).

Kirkpatrick is the type of corner who has the size and strength to match up well with the bigger pro receivers, while also being a solid run defender and tackler.

#24 – Pittsburgh Steelers, Dontari Poe, NT – Memphis: The Steelers have two issues to face in the early goings of the draft: draft a quality Guard and a quality NT.

The problem, however, is the depth at Guard is deeper than that of NT making the Steelers’ choice quite clear in Dontari Poe.

The other factors to take into consideration is the fact that Casey Hampton is no longer the menacing force that commanded double teams anymore, and there’s little chance that Chris Hoke will even return—both players also dealing with heavy injuries in 2011.

Poe is that mobile sizable NT that is sure to grab the attention of opposing lines as soon as he takes the field, and he would be the perfect fit for Pittsburgh—now and for the future.

#25 – Denver Broncos, Michael Brockers – DT – LSU: It’s actually very clear here. The Broncos had a pretty good run defense, but offered very little in the way of a consistent pass rush for the majority of 2011.

In addition to the aforementioned, Marcus Thomas is a FA (2012) as well as Broderick Bunkley (the only mentionable player on this team).

Brockers is the type of DT the Broncos need to help bolster this line and re-introduce a significant pas-rush while leaving the run support in tact.

Brockers could very much still be available, and would be the best player on the board at this point, so passing him by wouldn’t make much sense.

#26 – Houston Texans, Rueben Randle, WR, LSU: It’s no mystery that the Texans need another high-profile WR opposite of  Andre Johnson, and at this point in the draft, Randle would be the last of the prototypical “immediate-start-type” receivers on the board.

At 6’4″, 208 pounds Randle has the size the Texans are most interested in and the skill sets to back it up.

Randle was the LSU’s most productive receiver in 2011 leading the team with 53 catches for 917 receiving yards (17.3 AVG) while hauling in 8 TDs.

He’s a terrible difficult receiver to slow down, a nightmare to press at the line, and is a solid route runner—not a bad addition indeed.

#27 – New England Patriots, Whitney Mercilus – OLD/DE – Illinois: The Patriot have needs at both OLB and DE, particularly the brand that can be an upgrade in the pass rushing department.

Whitney Mercilus is that guy.

Mercilus is the prototypical build that can play both end and OLB, and is a certified pass rushing specialist—he even has great size and speed which coach Bill Belichick loves.

Mercilus fills two gaps in one leaving the Patriots second first round pick open for in-house discussion.

#28 – Green Bay Packers, Vinny Curry – OLB – Marshall: It’s a very intriguing pick indeed, and if Curry is there I think the Packers MUST pick him up.

The Packers ranked 27th in sacks last year (29) and a big portion of that was inconsistent pressure from their backers—Curry could easily fix that problem.

Curry played a lot of DE but he also has experience at OLB which is perfect for a team running a hybrid 3-4 defense, but his real selling point is the fact that as good as he is as a pass-rusher, he is equally talented as a pass-coverage player and run stopper.

He’d be a perfect fit in Green Bay, and I would love to see him drafted here.

#29 – Baltimore Ravens, Vonte Burflict – ILB – Arizona State: I think everyone pretty much knows that the Ravens are currently looking for Ray Lewis’ “heir”, and I’m not sure of another LB in this year’s draft that fits that mold better than Burflict.

Burflict has a little bit of everything a team needs from an ILB: size ( 6’3, 250) agility, speed, power and a definite mean streak that is fueled by a non-stop motor.

He is just as good of a run stuffer as he is a pass-defender or open field tackler, and would make a fine student to learn under Ray Lewis.

The Ravens will be hard pressed to choose any other insider backer other than Burflict here.

#30 – San Francisco 49ers, Michael Floyd – WR – Notre Dame: The 49ers are another team who could be looking to add another high-profile weapon to its offense in the first round, and Floyd is the sort of weapon the 49ers need.

This team needs another sizable receiver who will draw the attention away from their ground assault and TE, but to do that, you have to be very good against press coverage while also being a solid route runner.

Floyd has all of these talents and more.

The 49ers could also take another route and target a veteran FA receiver, thus allowing them to draft a corner in the first round, but i don’t see that happening since they will save their money to hopefully retain Carlos Rogers and Dashon Goldson

#31 and 32: Not like the order really matters here, but the last two first round selections are owned by the New York Giants and the New England Patriots.

The Patriots are likely to go ahead and possibly draft a corner but I wouldn’t be surprised if they completely screwed with everyone’s head and drafted Steve Addazio’s monster weapon at Temple: RB Bernard Pierce!

The Patriots have been without a solid and consistent ground assault for a very long time, and just imagine Tom Brady and the Patriots with a monster back like Pierce.

Pierce has tremendous size, better than average speed and hands, and could easily give the Patriots the one element they have been without for a very long time.

For the New York Giants I think their first pick has to be an OLB, and if they are lucky they could wind up with Alabama’s Dont’a Hightower.

The Giants struggled against the run this season which is almost unheard of, and the entire linebacker corp played with a lot of inconsistency.

But that aspect being apart, this team also needs to draft for the future, and passing up on the best player on the board at that point would be horribly bad.

Hightower has the necessary tools as a defender (straight across the board) the Giants could be interested in. He has great lateral movement across the line of scrimmage, great speed and is able to adjust as a coverage man.

The Giants could also draft a DT such as Michigan State’s Jerel Worthy, but something tells me they target Hightower if available.

If you have a selection in mind for your team be sure to leave your nomination below and let’s get the discussion going, and be sure to check out our Early First Round Fantasy Draft Look.

If you want more draft coverage, also take a look at my Top Five Draft Prospects You Must Have On Your Radar

We are on the eve of Super Bowl XLVI, the single biggest day in the world of sports. After a two week break between the championship games and this epic duel, we are finally set to see who will take home the Lombardi Trophy.

Those two weeks were filled with talking heads throughout the cable television world citing what would be important factors in the outcome of the game. Most of these individuals pointed to both Eli Manning and Tom Brady. While they are extremely important in the outcome of the game, quarterbacks cannot win the Super Bowl on their own. There are 44 starters on both clubs as well as a myriad of equally important special teams players.

In short, the whole team needs to play well in order for either team to win the Super Bowl. Their success doesn’t just sit on the laps of one particular player.

This article is going to focus on “under the radar” performances that will go a long way in deciding the outcome of the game.

Chad Ochocinco could be an extremely valuable player for the New England Patriots tomorrow evening. He hasn’t had a good season at all and has been sitting on the sidelines for the most part. With that said, it is necessary to bring him up in this conversation. The New York Giants are going to do everything in their power to take away the Patriots tight end combination between the hashes.

You will see a lot of zone coverage with linebackers dropping back underneath and safeties doubling over the top. This is going to leave Ochocinco in single coverage on the outside against marginal Giants’ cover corners. If No. 85 has four or five catches it will only enhance the Patriots chance of grabbing their fourth Super Bowl Championship.

Jake Ballard, on the other side, is a huge x-factor for the New York Giants. Much like their own issues with the Patriots two-headed tight end monster, New England is going to have major issues with the Giants trio of wide receivers. They are not going to have success with single coverage on Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz all day long. Instead, the Patriots are going to have to play double outside scheme, which leaves the middle of the field vulnerable.

This is where Jake Ballard comes into play. He has been a really nice safety valve for Eli Manning this season, averaging a whopping 15.9 yards per reception this season. However, the second year tight end from Ohio State has been quite this postseason. He has three catches in just as many games and was shutout against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

If Ballard is able to come up with five or six catches, it means one of two things. The Patriots were either successful in shutting down the big three on the outside or Eli Manning had an absolutely huge game. Either way, Ballard is a key component to their success, or lack thereof.

So, there you have it. Two players that no one have really been talking about over the course of the last two weeks that might have a huge stake in the outcome of the Super Bowl. I recommend that you pay close attention to Ochocinco and Ballard because if I am right, they are going to be instrumental in the outcome of the game.

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

Ingredients

• 2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup Ranch dressing
• 3/4 cup pepper sauce (such as Frank’s Red Hot®)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces
• 1 (8 ounce) box chicken-flavored crackers

Directions
Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with celery sticks and crackers.

POTATO SKINS

Ingredients

• 6 small to medium sized russet baking potatoes (total 3 pounds)
• Olive oil
• Canola oil or grapeseed oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 6 strips of bacon
• 4 ounces grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced, including the greens of the onions

Directions
Scrub the potatoes clean then bake the potatoes using either an oven or microwave. If using an oven, rub with olive oil and bake in a 400°F oven for about an hour until the potatoes are cooked through and give a little when pressed. If using a microwave, rub all over with olive oil and cook on the high setting for about 5 minutes per potato. I have found that baking the potatoes in a conventional oven yields potatoes that are easier to work with (cut and scoop out), the potato seems to adhere to the skins a little better, but there is hardly a discernible difference in the final product. While the potatoes are cooking, cook the bacon strips in a frying pan on medium low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Let cool. Crumble. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let cool enough to handle. Cut in half horizontally. Use a spoon to carefully scoop out the insides, reserving the scooped potatoes for another use, leaving about 1/4 of an inch of potato on the skin. Increase the heat of the oven to 450°F. Brush or rub grape-seed oil or canola oil (or another high smoke point oil) all over the potato skins, outside and in. Sprinkle with salt. Place on a baking rack in a roasting pan (don’t use a cookie sheet, it will warp, use a roasting pan or broiler pan that can take the heat). Cook for 10 minutes on one side, then flip the skins over and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle.

ORIENTAL FLAVORED TORTILLA ROLL-UPS

Ingredients

• 1 packet – flour tortillas
• 1 onion – thinly sliced
• 1 pepper – cut into thin strips
• 1 pack – Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
• 1 ripe avocado – sliced
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Teriyaki sauce
• Salt

Directions
Sauté the thin slices of onions and strips of red bell peppers. Prepare the avocado slices and leave the cream cheese at room temperature to soften it. Assemble the tortillas putting a layer of cream cheese and adding all the other ingredients so that the tortilla will be easily rolled-up. Add some salt and a good quantity of sesame seeds, then add drops of teriyaki sauce over the ingredients and roll up each tortilla. Use toothpicks to keep from unrolling.

Mini Burger Sliders

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 (1.25 ounce) envelope onion soup mix
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 24 dinner rolls, split
• 1/2 cup sliced pickles (optional)

Directions
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Mix together the ground beef and onion soup mix in a large skillet; cook and stir over medium-high heat until the beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease. Remove from heat. Stir the mayonnaise and Cheddar cheese into the ground beef mixture. Lay the bottoms of the dinner rolls on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the cheese and beef mixture on the bottom half of each roll. Replace the tops. Cover with another sheet of aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in the preheated oven until the burgers are heated through and cheese melts, about 30 minutes. Serve with sliced pickles.

Well here we are as we hit the month of February and are less than a week away from the Super Bowl and the end to the 2011 season. So as we look towards 2012 we are giving our readers a leg up on their competition as we try to identify some sleepers.

The first IDP sleeper article we published was on Jasper Brinkley.  Now it is time to unearth another young sleeper for 2012: Kelvin Sheppard of the Buffalo Bills.

Those who followed our coverage closely last year saw how high I was on Sheppard. Before he had ever played a game I had him listed as my 24^th ranked dynasty LB in our 2011 Dynasty IDP Linebacker Rankings. While Sheppard did not do nearly as well as I expected last year, he did have a solid ending to the season. I admit I had no belief that Nick Barnett would be as good as he was and he definitely stole a bit of Sheppard’s thunder. However, Sheppard finished his rookie campaign with 70 tackles and he actually gathered 59 tackles over the final 9 games of the season. This came out to around 6.6 tackles per game in that time and would have pro-rated out to a 105 tackle season over a full 16 games.

The fact that Sheppard did this as a SILB in the 3-4 playing next to Nick Barnett as Barnett racked up the tackles is quite an accomplishment. Now there is word that Buffalo will transition back to a 4-3 defense this year. Head Coach Chan Gailey is on record as saying Sheppard will be the starting middle linebacker in their new 4-3.  ”I know Shep’s going to be in the middle,” Gailey said. “Don’t hold me to anything after that. Shep’s in the middle, I know that.”

This is great news for Sheppard’s immediate and long-term value. Buffalo has a very rich history of producing some ridiculously productive 4-3 MLBs. From 2002 through 2006, London Fletcher averaged 145 tackles per season and 9 performance plays per year as the MIKE.  From 2007-2010, Paul Posluszny averaged 142 tackles per 16 game season and nine performance plays per year. Heck, in 2007 when Poz was hurt John DiGiorgio tallied 113 tackles as a fill-in and he was such a mediocre talent that he was out of the entire league only one year later. The table below shows each MLB’s productivity.

Player & Years Starting in Buffalo	Tackles Per Game	Tackles Per 16 Game Season	Performance Plays Per Year
London Fletcher (2022-2006)	9.1	145	9
Paul Posluszny (2007-2010)	8.8	142	9
John DiGiorgio (2007)	7.3	117	0
Nick Barnett (2011)	8.1	130	13

The point here is that if Sheppard hangs on to that MLB job he is almost a lock to crack 100 tackles and really has a floor of around 110-120 tackles over a 16 game season. History shows that he has a ceiling of 140+ tackles as the MIKE in Buffalo.  He also should be good for 8-10 performance plays per year as well.

When Paul Posluszny left Buffalo and went to Jacksonville this year, his production dropped from 142 tackles per 16 game season to 119. He basically fell off by about 16.2%. If Sheppard makes strides and improves by even 15% over his prorated tackle numbers from the last 9 games of 2011, then he would fall in the range of 121 tackles.

I was telling people to target Sheppard as a LB3 last year with LB2 upside. Hopefully those in dynasty leagues listened. If not, go after him this year. He has LB2 potential at a minimum and could even produce like a LB1.