NEW YORK – For at least a while, the Virginia Commonwealth Rams (3-1) had plenty of reasons to be thankful on Thanksgiving eve night in New York City.

VCU, which entered the evening averaging 86 points per game on 49 percent field goal shooting, was held to just 22 fist-half points and hovered under 30 percent from the floor for most of its National Invitation Tournament Season Tip-Off semifinal game with 24th-ranked Tennessee (4-0) at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

Yet, despite their horrid shooting, hurt in part, by an injury to their leading scorer, the Rams remained fortunate enough to battle a Top 25 team to the end, with a good chance to win down the stretch.

Ultimately though, junior guard Scotty Hopson’s first career double-double (18 points, 11 rebounds) and key contributions from a pair of local New York products returning home for the holiday – freshman forward Tobias Harris (15 points) and center Brian Williams (13 points, 9 rebounds) – led the Volunteers to a 77-72 victory before a sparse crowd of 6,746.

Harris was an early force inside, scoring the game’s first points and making five of his first six field goal attempts (all in the paint) to lead all scorers with ten points while helping the Volunteers to the game’s largest first-half lead, 23-14, with 9:17 left in the opening half.

That set the tone for the rest of the game, as Tennessee dominated in the paint, where the Volunteers outscored the Rams, 48-16, tallying 18 second-chance points on the strength of just as many offensive rebounds.

Out of VCU’s first time out, the Rams made ten free throws (six by senior forward Jamie Skeen, who scored 12 points, going 8-for-9 from the foul line, despite making just 2 of 10 field goal attempts) to key a 15-5 run and grab their only lead of the game, 29-28, with 1:47 to go before halftime.

A Hopson dunk with 1:13 left in the half regained a 31-29 lead for Tennessee, which took a 33-32 lead into the locker room, shooting just 39.4 percent (13-for 33) from the floor, making just 2 of 7 shots from behind the arc.

VCU shot a chilly 23.7 percent (9-for-38) in the first half, including 3-for-18 from three-point range, but the Rams hung in the game, making 11 of 15 free throws compared to Tennessee’s five, in nine first-half attempts.

Rams’ head coach Shaka Smart admitted that his team was affected by playing on ESPN in the 43-year-old program’s first-ever trip to world’s most famous arena.

While Smart appreciated his team’s fight, he noted that VCU didn’t always play in the sprit of his namesake. “I really can’t fault their effort, [we] really fought until the very end of the game,” he said, but added, “We didn’t play as smart as we usually do. I don’t know if that had to do with some nerves or being the first time in Madison Square Garden, playing on national TV. We made some mistakes particularly on the defensive end and even executing our offense, that are unlike us. The way we shot the ball for the first thirty minutes of the game obviously made it tough.”

Skeen credited the Volunteers’ defense, saying “They switched everything so they made it hard for us to catch [the ball]. So, when we would run our plays, we had places we wanted to be at. They took us out of places we wanted to be.”

Like his coach, Skeen acknowledged the venue being a factor for VCU, hailing from the Colonial Athletic Association, saying “It’s much different, [a] bigger atmosphere” than playing on the campus of conference rival Hofstra, on Long Island. “I just wish we had better results,” Skeen added.

Hopson scored Tennessee’s first six points of the second half to help the Volunteers to a 39-34 lead, but the Rams tied the game, 41-41, as two free throws by Skeen and a layup by junior guard Bradford Burgess (9 points, 5 rebounds) were sandwiched around a three-pointer by senior guard Brandon Rozzell (game-high 23 points), who after a poor-shooting first half, kept VCU in the game with a hot-shooting second half.

After going just 1-for-6 from the field while failing to make a three-pointer in four first-half attempts, Rozzell made 6 of 9 second-half field goals, including a torrid 6 of 7 from three-point range.

With Long Island, NY’s Harris doing just the opposite (missing his final nine shots after a strong start), Tennessee needed to find other offensive options.

The Volunteers regained a 51-41 lead on an 10-0 run as Williams (a Bronx, NY native) scored four points, Tennessee native, senior forward Steve Pearl, (the son of Volunteers’ head coach Bruce Pearl), scored two of his four points, and senior guard Melvin Goins (8 points) added a three-pointer on a pass from Pearl.

Rozzell made a three-pointer to start a 5-0 VCU run that cut Tennessee’s lead to seven points, but Pearl scored on a fast break layup in between a jumper and two free throws from redshirt junior guard Cameron Tatum (9 points, 8 rebounds) which gave the Volunteers the game’s largest lead, 57-46, with 8:30 left.

The Rams weren’t done yet, however, as Rozzell made back-to-back three-pointers, the second, assisted on by senior guard Ed Nixon, who scored 16 points.

After Rozzell’s three’s, senior point guard Joey Rodriguez made a left-wing three-pointer (assisted on by Rozzell) to cap an 8-0 VCU run that pulled the Rams to within 57-55, with 5:49 remaining.

It was the only field goal of the game though, for Rodriguez who was significantly hampered by an earlier ankle injury which he aggravated late in the first half.

Rodriguez, who had led the Rams in scoring with 18.3 points per game while leading the nation with 10.3 assists per game, scored just five points on just 1-for-10 shooting from the field, including only 1-for-5 from three-point range, while handing out only two assists and committing three turnovers.

Smart said Rodriguez “had a hard time getting by his man” and was “probably at 60 to 70 percent of where he normally is.”

If VCU was thankful to stay in the game shooting so poorly as a team (21 of 68, for 30.9 percent from the field) and playing with an injured Rodriguez, Coach Pearl felt perhaps even more grateful for not having to deal with VCU’s talented point guard at full strength.

“He was not 100 percent,” Pearl noticed. “They’re really good with him on the floor [at] 100 percent.”

The Volunteers responded to VCU’s charge with an 8-0 run as Hopson scored four points and Harris and Williams each added two points, to extend Tennessee’s lead to 63-55.

A four-point play by Rozzell made it 65-62, and two free throws by Nixon drew VCU to within 67-65, with 2:52 left, but six free throws (three from Williams and two from Harris) pushed Tennessee’s lead to 73-66 in the final minute.

The Volunteers won the game amidst controversy swirling around their head coach. Pearl, who will miss the entire first half (eight games) of his team’s regular season conference schedule due to a Southeastern conference-imposed suspension for violating NCAA rules and misleading investigators regarding alleged recruiting violations, commented on continuing a solid New York-Tennessee connection.

After the game, Pearl waxed poetic about former University of Tennessee stars Bernard King, Ernie Grunfeld, and Allan Houston, all of whom later gained fame either playing for the New York Knicks, being an integral part of the Knicks’ front office, or both (Houston is still in the Knicks’ front office with rumors that he’s being groomed to be the club’s general manager in waiting).

“Allan Houston was sitting right behind our bench,” Pearl gushed. “Ernie and Bernard grew up here [as] high school legends,” he added.

Pearl mentioned of the trio of ex-Tennessee stars, “They are all very involved in our program. [They] attend our games, they stay in touch with our players and kids. [I] wouldn’t mind coming back and keeping that thing going.”

A bit earlier, Pearl said, “I’m listening to the starting lineups in Madison Square Garden and the first two kids, [Harris and Williams], that trot out there are from New York. So, it was special.”

The victory moves Tennessee into Friday night’s season-opening NIT final against seventh-ranked Villanova (5-0), back at the Garden, following the tournament’s third-place game between VCU and UCLA (3-1).

Villanova 82, UCLA 70

NEW YORK – The doubleheader nightcap was decided over the final 4:31 of the first half, when seventh-ranked Villanova (5-0) broke open a close game with a 14-2 run, the difference of which, proved to be the final margin of victory in an 82-70 win over UCLA (3-1).

The Wildcats continued their strong play behind 6-foot-10, 250-pound West African center Mouphtaou Yarou, who scored 13 points while grabbing a game-high 16 rebounds, and a trio of guards who combined for 61 points.

Entering the game as Villanova’s leading scorer, senior guard Corey Fisher shot just 6 of 19 from the field, but led all scorers with 26 points (13 in each half), making 14 of 15 shots from the foul line, where Villanova held a decided advantage.

Field goal shooting was even for each side. UCLA made 24 of 59 shots (40.7 percent) from the floor, including 4 of 15 from three-point range. Villanova meanwhile, shot 40.3 percent (25-for-62) from the field while making 4 of 14 shots from behind the arc.

But, with Fisher leading the way, the Wildcats made 28 of 34 free throws to the Bruins’ 18 of 24.

Fisher also got his team started fast, scoring six straight points to give Villanova an 8-0 lead just 78 seconds into the game.

Stokes later made a three-pointer to put the Wildcats up, 30-21, with 7:42 left in the opening half, but junior guard Jerime Anderson scored four of his six points to cap a 6-0 run that brought the Bruins to within 30-27, setting the stage for Villanova’s game-deciding run.

UCLA went almost the next four minutes without a field goal attempt, turning the ball over five times in that span (the Bruins finished the game with 13 turnovers, while the Wildcats committed just seven).

Fisher meanwhile, scored the next six points and totaled eight points during the half-closing stretch during as Villanova made six straight shots to take a commanding 44-29 lead at intermission.

Villanova head coach Jay Wright had counted more on UCLA staying within striking distance in the second half than his team building such a large halftime lead.

“I was more surprised we were up fifteen at the half. I knew that team was not going to go away. They grinded it. They did a good job. They stuck with their stuff, they never lost their personality. That’s a sign of [UCLA head coach Ben Howland’s] teams… that’s why I feel good about this win [and] about our team.”

Four points from junior guard Malcom Lee (team-high 13 points, 7 of 8 from the free throw line) scored four points and a three-point play by sophomore forward Reeves Nelson (10 points, team-high 13 rebounds) keyed a 9-2 UCLA run to open the second half, bringing the Bruins to within 46-38.

But, a three-point play by sophomore guard Maalik Wayns (19 points) pushed the lead back to 54-42 with 13:06 left in the game.

A layup by junior guard Lazeric Jones (12 points) pulled UCLA to within 54-46, but Villanova maintained either a nine or ten-point lead for the next three minutes, until freshman center Joshua Smith (10 points) made a layup to get the Bruins to within 58-52, with 7:56 remaining.

Reeves later scored three straight points to again bring the Bruins to within six points, 62-56, with 5:44 left, but UCLA could get no closer.

Senior guard Corey Stokes (16 points) got free underneath for a dunk, to put Villanova up 74-63, with 2:13 left, to end any further hope for UCLA.

Howland credited Villanova while lamenting some defensive lapses for his own team, saying of his opponent, “They’re a very, very good team. I thought we did a good job coming back, fighting back… we have a very young team, we have to learn from this… our foul trouble hurt us tonight. We did a better job defensively in the second half… [but] we ended up having 28 fouls, which is a lot of fouls… they got to the line 20 times in the second half, which is a lot.”

UCLA will be back at MSG to meet Virginia Commonwealth (3-1) in the third-place game of the NIT Season Tip-Off at 2:30pm EST, while Tennessee and Villanova will play afterwards on the same floor, for the tournament championship.

The last blowout came in January of 2003 when the Bucs manhandled the Raiders, 48-21. So we are unfortunately overdue for a dud.

This game is ripe for just that, too. The Colts are playing fantastic on both sides of the ball and shut down two formidable rushing attacks in the playoffs against the Ravens and Jets. Peyton Manning, who was named the NFL MVP, also has so much experience and won not only a ring but the game MVP in the same Miami venue in Super Bowl XLI.

The Saints did look strong in pasting the Cards, but were outplayed two weeks ago in the NFC Championship Game. The Vikings had a huge day offensively, easily outgaining the home team, 475 to 257 yards. If not for a late interception thrown by Brett Favre, the Saints would not have had the opportunity to win the game in overtime by a field goal.

The Colts are favored by four points in this game, and that seems like a low number, all things considered. If the weather turns wet, both teams play in a dome. But it was a torrential downpour when Indianapolis beat Chicago three years ago and they didn’t miss a beat. Even with a banged-up Dwight Freeney (at best), the Colts still have the horses to run away with it.

At least you can still follow your boxes.

It was a cold day in Nashville as the game began and the Titans started the same, as Vince Young’s first pass, on the first play of day was picked off. It set off a chorus of boos from the crowd that knew how important this game was. These were two teams playing for the playoffs and the Dolphins had been on a roll lately. Miami stood at 7-6 and Tennessee at 6-7 with the loser falling another notch in the wild-card race. So on the possession set up by the interception, the Dolphins were able to get a field goal for a 3-0 lead. Now it was time for Young to make up for that mistake. The thing that has been so noticeable about Young has been the improvement in his decision-making. Last year and before he would quickly throw the ball away or run when it was not beneficial to his team. He was unable to find the consistency to keep defenses honest. This year he was put in a situation unlike he ever faced in his life on the football field. He had to prove himself and earn the trust of those around him. So the Titans found themselves needing to win out and needing Young to continue his evolution into an NFL quarterback. What he showed on this Sunday was just that as he made some of the prettiest throws of his career. He hit Justin Gage on touchdown passes of 22 and 21 yards that were unlike any he has ever thrown. His third touchdown pass was another beauty to Nate Washington but the 24-6 lead from that play would not hold up. Now critics will come up with reasons as to why they let the Fins back in the game, but it was simply because they took their foot off the gas pedal. They got complacent with the lead and let Miami back in and tie the score when Ricky Williams ran in the two-point conversion. So it was 24-24 and the Titans got the ball back but had to punt it after a three-and-out. Punter Brett Kern came in did his job putting the ball on the two-yard line with little time for the Dolphins to get down the field. What they did was run the ball so they could run out the clock. At that point the Titans had three time outs and the fans let the boos fly as Fisher allowed the clock to run. He said it was a gut feeling of his not to use the timeouts. Lucky for him he was right or the media would have eaten him alive this week. In the game Chris Johnson’s pursuit of 2,000 yards took a hit as he once again had a tough second half. Last week he had 16 carries for 30 yards and this week had 15 for 33 in the second half.  Teams are keying hard on him now but he said that he might have a 200 or 300-yard game left in him. He will have to average 135 yards per in the last two to get to that elusive mark (2,000) and needs 376 yards to pass Eric Dickerson’s NFL mark of 2,105 yards. He wound up with 104 yards on 29 carries. He will continue to get the ball in the last two games so hang on for the ride. In the game the Titans lost the heart and soul of their defense when Keith Bullock hurt his knee and he must now have season ending surgery. Also gone for the year is LB David Thornton, as he will go under the knife for a shoulder problem he has had. So there are two more games left and Tennessee needs a lot of help from other teams. They must also win out as well. One thing ought to be a sure thing and that would be votes for Jeff Fisher for coach of the year. No matter how the season ends you have to give credit to this coach and team for coming out of a 0-6 hole to .500 after week 15.

Indianapolis 35 Jacksonville 31

Even when it looks like the Colts are going down in defeat, they find a way to win. Peyton Manning continued to stake his claim for MVP as he went 23-30 for 308 yards and four touchdowns. He started early on this night as he hit Dallas Clark and Austin Collie in the second quarter for a 21-17 halftime lead. It was a first half that also saw Maurice Jones-Drew score twice, when he caught one from nine yards out and ran another in from three in that second quarter. The teams had traded scores in the first half and the theme would continue in the second. Jacksonville was sharp as was QB David Garrard and they came out and scored at the 8:32 mark of the third to take the lead back. Just like the sun rising is a sure thing so is Manning as he directed his team down the field and hit Clark again for a 27-yard touchdown. That made it 28-24 and it looked like that would all the Jags could handle. Well they forgot to tell Jacksonville and they answered the Colts right back when Mike Thomas pulled in a 13-yard pass from Garrard to make it 31-28 Jags with 47 seconds left in the third. Jacksonville just wishes there was that much time left in the game because a whole quarter is too much time for Manning to do damage. So the fourth quarter got underway and two teams that had not punted in the first half punted five times. No one could get the advantage until Manning finally put the dagger in the Jags when he hit Reggie Wayne down the left sideline for 65-yards and the winning score. So now the Colts are 14-0 and the only undefeated team in the league after the Saints lost to Dallas. Manning now has thrown for 4,000 yards or more in a season 10 times. The closest one to him is the great Dan Marino with six. As for the Jags, well they have now lost control of their destiny and will need help to get into the postseason. At 7-7 they find themselves in the pack with other 7-7 teams. Jones-Drew finished with 110 yards on 27 carries and Garrard was 23-40 for 223 yards, three scores and a pick. They are still in it but have to hit the road for their last two games of the year. They will first go to New England where the Pats are fighting for their division crown and playoff positioning. Then they finish at Cleveland against a Browns team that has been playing inspired ball and just come off two of the best single-game performances in NFL history. Kick returner Josh Cribbs returned two kicks for touchdowns and running back Jerome Harrison ran for the third best total in history with 286 yards and three touchdowns. The Colts finish by hosting the Jets and then going to Buffalo so their chances at 16-0 look good.

Houston 16 St. Louis 13

In a season that has basically gone bad the Texans found a way to keep the Rams in the game. They drove down the field at times but had to settle for three Kris Brown field goals and one touchdown pass from Matt Schaub. Though they had to struggle, Schaub had 367 yards passing giving him eight games with at least 300 yards and his fifth game with at least 350. Andre Johnson had another great game with nine catches for 196 yards but became the second player in the last 10 years to have that many yards and not catch a touchdown pass. The running game on the other hand was anemic gaining just 52 yards total and they were 5-14 on third down. They lost two fumbles as well but the defense did hold the Rams to 237 total yards. So no Houston is at 7-7 and they go to Miami next week in a key battle of 7-7 teams. They finish the season at home but that will be a tall task as the will be hosting the Patriots. There is still shot at the playoffs but hopes are dimming. In the next few weeks we will also get a clearer picture on the fate of head coach Gary Kubiak.

Somehow some way Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme finds a way to get the ball in the hands of his opponent. Sometimes he does that a little too often, like he did Sunday when he threw four more interceptions and was a miserable 14-34 for a mere 130 yards. He looked about as lost as a kitten in a dog pound. He got absolutely no help from his running game either as DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined for 75 yards on 25 carries. There was also the problem of 11 first downs to go with 179 yards of total offense and three sacks of Delhomme. Head coach Jack DelRio is already on the hot seat and must now decide if its time to bench his quarterback. Then add the fact that Delhomme broke a finger which will make the decision easier. He had a passer rating of 12.7 and appears to have lost all confidence in himself. He now has 18 interceptions and that is his career high for a single-season. The worst part is that alot of his picks have resulted in scores too. When they had an oppotunity to score they could not. They had just intercepted Jets QB Mark Sanchez and Delhomme quickly hit Steve Smith in the end zone for a touchdown. Jets head coach Rex Ryan did not believe it was a catch and challenged the call. He would wn and the Panthers would have to settle for a field goal. It has been a season to forget for Carolina and Delhomme and it isn’t over yet. The question is not whether Matt Moore will start next week. The question is will Delhomme ever get his job back. Speaking of jobs, what about DelRio? Can he last the season and if he does will he be here next year. Highly unlikely at this point so please stand by. One thing is certain and that would be that this team has to make alot of changes if they hope to compete next year.

Atlanta 20 Tampa Bay 17

It has not been a kind season for either of these teams. The Falcons had high expectations coming into this season but were 5-5 coming in. The Bucs, playing under new head coach Raheem Morris, have had one of those years you already want to forget. Still they have played hard for their coach and rookie QB Josh Freeman is showing that he can be an NFL quarterback. On this day he was sacked six times but was 20-29 for 250 yards and two touchdowns. His counterpart Matt Ryan was hurt early when his foot was rolled on and he could not return. Also injured for the Falcons were running back Michael Turner, linemen Harvey Dahl and Sam Baker, The question is when will they return because they are so key to the Falcons success. So Chris Redman came in and saved the day when he hit Roddy White for the winning score with 23 seconds left. The Bucs had a chance to win but like usual found a way to lose it. Atlanta finds itself still in the playoff hunt but will need to keep winning and get some help from the rest of the NFC. The Bucs find themselves at 1-10 and need help badly. They could only muster 13 first downs and had just 73 yards on the ground. Penalties continue to haunt them and they added eight more on Sunday. They appear to have their quarterback of the future and have Cadillac Williams in the backfield. They will need to shore up the offensive line to protect Freeman better and their defense needs to improve dramatically. Redman was not bad in going 23-41 for 243 yards and no picks with two touchdowns. Tony Gonzalez is the only thing they have to count on as he addded nine catches for 83 yards. The Falcons are still in the playoff hunt but need teams like Philly and Green Bay to lose as well as continuing to win themselves. Three of the last five games are at home where they are 5-0 this year and one of those are against Philadelphia. They also go to the Jets and Tampa where they have a good chance to win those games if they are healthy. If Ryan and Turner do not return soon it won’t matter because Atlanta needs them if they have any chance at making the postseason.

New Orleans 38 New England 17

Wow would be a word to describe this Saints offense I would say. Another could be explosive or plain and simply terrific. It was the showdown of the week and it was not supposed to disappoint. Drew Brees against Tom Brady is all the billing you needed to sell this one but it was Brees who made the statement. He was as accurate as you can be and finished 18-23 for 371 yards and five touchdowns. It was the first time a quarterback has thrown for that many scores against a Bill Belichick defense. They had no way of stopping Brees especially in the second quarter when he threw three scoring passes to three different players. Yet, as much as the offense has done the real story is the improvement of their defense. Darren Sharper sent Brady to bench for good with one of two picks the D had and the Pats looked lost and confused. It was a sight to see when Brady walked off the field each time he was stopped. He had a look on his face rarely seen during his career. His offense could not move the ball and his ground game did not help. They got two touchdown runs from Laurence Maroney and that was all they could get. Brady was harrassed and knocked around the whole game. So now the Saints are 11-0 like the Colts and are looking to run the table. It is games like this that can define a season and the Saints can use this win to propel them all they way to the Super Bowl. Saints receivers had a ball as Marques Colston had only four catches but that was good enough for 121 yards and a touchdown. Devery Henderson chipped in with only three catches but he finished with 116 yards and a nice 75-yard strike from Brees. So with their offense in sync and their defense playing ferociously the Saints have a good chance of running the table. Of course we all know that will be a moot point if they end their year the same way these Pats did when they went 16-0 only to lose to the Giants in the Super Bowl. Now we will see if they can win out and with games at home against the likes of Dallas and Tampa and roadies at Washington, Atlanta and Carolina, an undefeated season is looking better every week. I have a question for all of you. Give me a reason for Brees not getting the MVP this year.

Baltimore was off to a hot start when they started 3-0 with one of those wins coming on the road against the San Diego Chargers. The following game, the Ravens were down by six with the ball, at Gillette Stadium In New England, poised to score the go-ahead score with time running out. On a fourth down play, quarterback Joe Flacco targeted Mark Clayton only to have Clayton drop a perfect pass, giving New England a chance to kneel the rest of the time out. A play or two before, Derrick Mason dropped a touchdown in the corner of the end zone. If either of those balls had been caught, It would have been a go-ahead touchdown or a fourth down conversion to keep the drive alive. That loss dropped the Ravens to 3-1. The next week, the Ravens lost another close game against the Cincinnati Bengals, 17-14 at home, to fall to 3-2. The Bengals’ Cedric Benson, rushed for 120 yards, which was the first 100 yard rusher against the Ravens in 40 games.

Now going on the road against the Brett Favre-led Vikings was a real test for Baltimore. The game was within reach when the Ravens lined up for a game-winning field goal with only a few seconds left. Only kicker Steven Hauschka missed the attempt wide-left to send the Ravens to three straight losses. With the team now at 3-3, their next game was a tough one at home against the 6-0 Denver Broncos. Joe Flacco completed 80% of his passes to lead the Ravens to a 30-7 win. Coming off of a game like that, you would think Baltimore would come out firing on all cylinders against the Bengals, who they had lost to at home In week 5. Only the Ravens came out flat with Joe Flacco throwing two Interceptions and losing 17-7, to drop both games against their AFC North rivals.

With the team now at 4-4, everybody that Is curious about this team would start wondering what exactly is wrong with them. With a game-winning field goal against the Vikings sailing wide left, and two crucial dropped passes in the final minute against the Patriots, the Ravens just aren’t finishing games in which they should have or could have won.  Looking at something that is running through my mind, the Ravens used a three-headed-monster last year In the running game with La’Ron McClain, Willis McGahee, and Ray Rice. Starting this season, the Ravens used McGahee and Rice exclusively.  McGahee had 5 TD’s In the teams’ first 3 games. Since then, 0 TD’s and 11 yards in 5 games. Rice has stepped up as the lead back with 5.3 yards per carry and 4 games with 75+ yards. Joe Flacco is close to exceeding his statistics from last year with 12 TD compared to 14 all of last season.

But here is the thing, the Ravens lost defensive coordinator Rex Ryan to the Jets, when he  became their head coach. They also lost linebacker Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard to New York, as well. Perhaps the loss of those three cornerstones of a defense has affected the team. But not so fast; the Ravens still rank 9^th in the NFL in points per game given up on defense. But on the flip side, they are 19^th in the NFL In pass yards allowed. The offense Is becoming the strength of the team, as opposed to previous years. When It comes to points per game, total yards per game, pass yards per game, and rush yards per game, the Ravens rank 9^th, 10^th, 10^th, and 13^th, respectively in each category. It’s hard in sports to say “what if”, but I’m sure the Ravens and their fans are floating around those words when they start talking about games earlier In the year that have resulted in their 4-4 start. A missed field goal and a few dropped passes are the difference in .500 and being tied in first place with the Bengals at 6-2.

The NFL season is a long road for any team. Halfway through, with the team 4-4, anything can happen. They made the playoffs last year at 11-5 but with almost the same amount of losses this year In 8 games as they did last year in 16, it might be time to hit the panic button. But really, I don’t expect the Ravens to do that. They have games against Cleveland, Detroit, and Oakland. Those are games that this team should win, with the way those teams are playing right now. A game apiece against Green Bay and Chicago are roadblock games. But then again, two games against Pittsburgh, and a game against Indianapolis are going to be real tell-all games. With 8 games remaining, like I said, anything could happen. Down the stretch, If the Ravens want to make the playoffs again, they will need to prove that the loss of Rex Ryan hasn’t changed this teams’ defensive attitude and the offense will have to keep up the balanced passing and rushing attack. We’ll see what happens the rest of the way.

It was the type of mid-season drive that can change a season for both teams, and depending on what happens in the remainder of the 2009 season, it just may. The Chargers had come to the Meadowlands with a 4-3 record, winners of two straight after a very mediocre start to their season, looking to gain on Denver in the AFC West, and also keep pace in the very competitive AFC wild-card picture. The Giants meanwhile, were looking to get back on track after following a 5-0 start with three consecutive losses. So, a big game for both sides, and a bigger finish for San Diego and quarterback Phillip Rivers. Five years after being traded from the Giants for Eli Manning, Rivers got revenge on both, with a brilliant two-minute drill to win the game. Bouncing back from an interception that looked to seal the Chargers’ fate on their previous possession, Rivers and San Diego caught a big break when the Giants couldn’t score after a first-and-goal at the Charger 4-yard line, and New York had to settle for field goal. Rivers took advantage, completing 6 of 8 passes, taking the Chargers 80 yards in 8 plays, in just 1:44, throwing hid third touchdown pass of the game, an 18-yarder with just 21 seconds left, to upset the Giants, 21-20.

#4:  CINCY ‘D’ RIPS RAVENS

In a big AFC North showdown, the Bengals, normally know in past years for their offense, have stepped up the defense this year, and they were all about the ‘D’ in beating the Ravens, 17-7. Shutting out Baltimore over the first three quarters, Cincinnati finished the game with six sacks, while forcing three turnovers, and allowing just 215 total yards. Instead of letting the Ravens tie the Bengals at 5-3, a game behind 6-2 Pittsburgh, the Bengals’ dominant defensive performance allows them to play the Steelers for first place next week, with both teams at 6-2, while Baltimore fell back to .500 at 4-4.

#3:  TURNER TURNS IT UP

Atlanta running back Michael Turner was turned loose against Washington and he made the Redskins pay with a game-high 166 yards on just 18 carries, for a 9.2 ypc average. He also rushed for two touchdowns. His second came in the fourth quarter, on a 58-yard run, just 1:42 after Washington made it a game at 24-17, early in the fourth quarter. Turner accounted for all but 15 of the Falcons’ 181 rushing yards in helping Atlanta get to 5-3 at home.

#2: WARNER’S HUGE TURNAROUND

Talk about a change! Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner threw five touchdown passes one week after throwing five interceptions, in the Cardinals’ 41-21 win in Chicago. Warner led first-half drives of 81, 74, 70, and 86 yards the first four times Arizona touched the ball, with all resulting in touchdown passes. The Cardinals built a big 31-7 halftime lead on the strength of those scoring drives, and Warner finished the game 22 of 32 for 261 yards, and this time, no interceptions.

#1:  IN THE OLD THREADS, THE BUCS STOP LOSING

I know a lot of people don’t like them, and I do like the new threads, but I still have a soft spot for the old light orange Tampa Bay uniforms and the old logo. The Buccaneers might like them better this season now, too. It took wearing their throwbacks, giving 2009 first-round pick, quarterback Josh Freeman his first start, and comebacks from 14-7, 21-14, and 28-17, but Tampa Bay finally got their first win of the season and broke the league’s longest losing streak, which stood at eleven games, dating back to least season. Freeman was only 14 of 31 for 205 yards in his NFL debut, but he threw just one interception and three touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter to rally the Bucs to a 38-28 victory. Tampa Bay also had a blocked punt returned 31 yards for a touchdown which tied the game 14-14 in the second quarter, and iced the game, returning a touchdown 35 yards with 35 seconds left.

1.  A Lack of Commitment to the Running Game

Take Monday night’s debacle against the Broncos. While LT’s yards per carry average was not what it has been when he’s been at his peak performance, against a good defense he was consistently picking up positive yards and moving the chains. He looked fresher and quicker than I remember him in the last two-plus seasons. He had the quickness and explosion we’ve all gotten so used to from LT.

It felt like any play he was about to break the big one. He still had 70 yards, but on only 18 carries. Imagine if he was given carries on the goal-line early in the first quarter when the Chargers settled for another field goal. Say he gets to 25 carries. He gets very close to 100 yards, and I bet breaks a big one and gets well past that mark.

But more important is the effect the commitment to the run has on the Chargers both as a team and an offense. Norv Turner apparently felt he had to call all pass plays when only down by four points with about six minutes to go in the game. When Mike Nolan, the Broncos Defensive Coordinator, figured this out he just started blitzing an overmatched Chargers offensive line. Poor Philip Rivers had no chance to find men down field because blitzers were in his face as soon as he got back in his drop.

If Turner would’ve run the ball even once or twice on that drive, the Broncos would’ve had to respect that and played a little more conservatively, thereby giving Rivers at least a chance to find an open receiver.

As a New Orleans Saints fan I’ve seen how a pass-only offense ends up working out. You may put up great numbers and score a lot of points, but it is so hit or miss that you have as many three-and-outs as you do big plays. And the ball is in the air so much you’re bound to have a lot of turnovers.

Three-and-outs and turnovers kill your own defense because it puts them in horrible field position and makes them play far more downs than they are capable of handling before they break down. Complementary football, as Sean Payton calls it, is what wins football games. Run the football, keep your defense off the field, and give your offense a chance by being unpredictable.

2.  Poor Line Play on Both Sides of the Ball

Again this is hard for anyone to question, but still bears being repeated. It is understandable why Norv Turner shies away from the running game. For the most part, they (the O-Line) have done nothing to reward his confidence in them. Since it is a little bit easier to throw the ball without great blocking, passing becomes your best option.

Part of the O-Line’s issues goes back to Pro Bowl Center Nick Hardwick’s absence. He is responsible for getting the line into its’ proper protections and adjustments. He has done this very well for a good number of years now. Without him the line is somewhat lost. Other injuries to Louis Vazquez have forced the Chargers to start two less qualified players on their O-Line for part of this season.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Chargers are greatly missing the services of two men who are now in other buildings, Igor Olshansky, now with the Cowboys, and Wayne Nunnelly, the veteran D-Line Coach who had been with the Chargers for 14 years and is now doing a wonderful job with…you guessed it the Denver Broncos.

Of course, losing All Pro Nose Tackle Jamal Williams doesn’t help matters either. The Chargers D-Line has become an undersized, minimally talented unit that for the most part does not fit the scheme the team is trying to run. Many in Charger Land are now casting blame on GM A.J. Smith for his inability to find suitable backups in case of a Jamal Williams injury or dropoff in production because of his age.

I for one, believed two years ago Kentwan Balmer, a DT out of North Carolina, would have been the perfect man to eventually replace Williams at that nose spot. Smith instead chose CB Antoine Cason, who looks like he’ll be a good player, but seemed to be less of a need pick at the time. Now the Chargers are left trying to fill a couple D-Line positions with career journeymen. Is it any wonder they are struggling to stop the run?

3.  The Approach Has Become Stale

It is not uncommon for coaches to feel as if they are no longer reaching the players on their team after ten years or so with the same team. Well, it hasn’t been nearly that long for Norv Turner, but it is reaching that amount of time for GM A.J. Smith. And under Smith, the approach has been the same. Bring in young talent, sign your core players long-term, but don’t at any cost overpay them, and only sign second-tier free agents who will make your team as backups or role players.

To be completely honest, I generally love this model. It has worked for some of the best franchises in the league, such as Pittsburgh, New England, Indianapolis, and perhaps you could include Philadelphia. But guess what? They’ve all at least been to a Super Bowl. The Chargers have not.

Players will buy into anything if it leads them to their ultimate goal. But when their ultimate goal is not being met, uneasiness and questioning begins to take place. You might say success breeds success, just as losing leads to more losing. In my opinion this has happened to the San Diego Chargers. You could see it in the First Quarter when both Tomlinson and Antonio Gates (both team leaders and core players) showed their frustration after a third down call on the goal-line.

Most people realize San Diego’s real leader is not Norv Turner. He is much more of a puppet to A.J. Smith. Turner is basically just a glorified Offensive Coordinator. Smith chose him after firing Marty Schottenheimer to keep the current offense (which again was smart), but also so he could choose his own defensive coordinator. Most organizations allow their head coach to make such a decision.

A.J. Smith is a wonderful talent evaluator, but he has worn out his welcome with his bold moves, most notably allowing Drew Brees to leave via Free Agency, although in hindsight it worked out okay because Rivers has developed nicely.

The bigger point is that the players know Norv Turner has no power, and therefore they do not respect him. And they do not respect A.J. Smith because he is a pompous, overbearing boss who is doing more than his job description entails.

If the Chargers have any chance at salvaging their season, Turner must retake hold of this team and their psyche. He must recommit to running the football, and find a way to get some production out of his lines, despite their lack of talent and size.

It is a tall order to say the least. It is unfortunate that Turner is in this position because he actually has done an okay job given the situation he’s been given. He’s fighting an uphill battle, and one very few coaching candidates now would want to be a part of. Truthfully, despite San Diego’s talent level, I would say the Chargers Head Coaching job has become one of the least attractive in the league because you are faced with A.J. Smith.

It is no secret what I think the biggest problem is in San Diego.

Code Blue turned into Code Red in Nashville Sunday night. The game started well for the Titans as they played the Colts close. The crowd was into the game but when they had the chance to swing the momentum their way they kicked a field goal on fourth and one. This was a night that fans were hoping the team would turn things around. What they saw is a team that couldn’t run or pass. This is a team that shows no sign of playing with enthusiasm or determination. They were supposed to control the football with their running game and that never materialized. Chris Johnson finished with 34 yards and LenDale White had 51. With the Colts pulling away they had to abandon the run and switch to the pass. Well that didn’t go any better.  Kerry Collins continues his struggles but he is not the only problem. Titan receivers are dropping balls in their hands. They are not finishing routes and still do not have that go to receiver. Rookie Kenny Britt dropped a pass and Collins over and under threw passes too. The defense is a really big mess right now as they are making average quarterbacks look like stars. With Peyton Manning at the table with a carving knife the game went as expected. It’s not like he had a slew of veterans catching his passes. He had the likes of Austin Collie catching eight for 97 yards. There were also names like Donald Brown and Pierre Garcon. We see what is means to have a top tier quarterback who can get the ball to his receivers no matter who they are. The Titan defense has rookies trying to get the job done as well as veterans that can’t at this point. Then there is the argument about Vince Young or Kerry Collins. Head coach Jeff Fisher is still standing by Collins and fans and some media members are starting to ask why. Young finally got some playing time, but if you saw him on the sidelines when he was asked to come in, he looked like he didn’t want to. He looked up at the clock and later said that he was not expecting to come in. Some would say words like that hurt him because you should always be ready to play as the backup. Still you have to wonder when they will decide to play him. Next year he will make almost $15M if he is on the roster. Don’t you think its time to see what your investment can do before you find out too late?

Seattle 41 Jacksonville 0

See, this is the thing about this division after the Colts. You never know what team is going to show up in Nashville, Florida or Texas. Here in this one the Jags showed their low side. Just last week they looked like a playoff team against Tennessee. Ok, it was just the Titans. David Garrard looked nothing like last week and receiver Mike Sims-Walker was a scratch for violation of team policy. Matt Hasselbeck returned for the Seahawks and was fantastic going 18-30 for 241 yards and four touchdowns. He did this with most of his offensive line out and after a hard week of practice. Nate Burleson and T. J. Houshmandzadeh each caught two scoring passes and Nick Reed returned a fumble 79 yards for another touchdown. The Jags looked like they were in shock as they had one three and out after another to open the game. Maurice Jones-Drew had 12 carries for just 34 yards and the Jags were held to 199 yards of total offense. Pretty darn bad for a team that can look so good at times. Garrard finished 18-31 for 188 yards and two fumbles he lost. They had a total of 10 first downs and nine penalties to go with that. At the end of the day you could say they failed in all facets of the game including red-zone opportunities. They now stand at 2-3 and the only thing the other teams are fighting for now is who will end up second behind the Colts.

Arizona 28 Houston 21

This was a game of two halves, and then a fantastic finish. The first half belonged to the Cards as they jumped out to a 21-0 lead behind the arm of Kurt Warner and his two touchdown passes to Larry Fitzgerald. It was beautiful to watch these two quarterbacks as they threw to some of the best receivers in the game. In the second half it was the Texans turn to score and they did when Chris Brown ran in from one in the third to make it 21-7. In the fourth Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson went to work connecting twice from 11 and 17 yards to tie it at 21. Schaub had a huge day going 35-50 for 371 yards and the two scores. Johnson and Owen Daniels each had eight catches for 101 and 94 yards respectively. So it came down to one last big play. Kurt Warner had fizzled in the second half after a huge first but had one last chance. It failed miserably, and Houston got the ball back, but on third and seven, Schaub missed intended receiver Kevin Walter and Arizona’s Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie picked off the pass and high stepped it to the house for the winning score. So as was noted before, the teams in this division don’t show up all the time. The Texans sit at 2-3 and share second place with Jacksonville. Not much competition for the Colts at this time huh?

Still, there are some early signs that the final 2009 NFL standings could look drastically different than they did a year ago.

Only two (the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings) of last year’s eight division winners thus far are leading those same divisions this year.

And, three teams (Miami, Tennessee, and Carolina) that captured division titles a season ago are each still seeking their first win in 2009.

Last year’s AFC East champions, the Miami Dolphins have run the wildcat successfully enough to rank third in the league in both rushing offense and time of possession, but as we saw in their 27-23 loss to Indianapolis in which the Colts set a league record for having the ball for the least amount of time in a victory, that formula doesn’t necessarily translate to enough points (Miami is averaging just 14.3 per game) or wins (the Dolphins are 0-3). Throw in starting quarterback Chad Pennington’s latest season-ending injury, and Miami might be poised to go from the best turn-around in NFL history (from 1-15 in 2007, to 11-5 last season) right back to where it was two years ago.

The Tennessee Titans meanwhile, have been in every game they’ve played so far this year, and they’ve had some tough-luck losses, two by a field goal (one of those in overtime), and a third by a touchdown. However, last season’s AFC South champions have remarkably gone from the NFL’s best record (13-3) after a 10-0 start in 2008, to already matching last season’s loss total with an 0-3 beginning this year. Tennessee has a lot more talent and thus hope, than Miami, to turn things around, but NFL history has been unkind to 0-3 teams making the playoffs let alone winning a division.

And then there’s the Carolina Panthers, last year’s NFC South champions, also starting this season at 0-3 after going 12-4 a year ago. The Panthers were thoroughly embarrassed against Philadelphia in their 2009 season opener at home, a place where they went a perfect 8-0 in the 2008 regular season… that is until they were upset in a blowout loss to Arizona in last year’s NFC divisional playoff game –- which also marked a sharp turnaround for quarterback Jake Delhomme and the Panthers’ offense. Over Carolina’s last four games, Including last season’s playoff loss plus the Panthers’ first three games in 2009, Carolina has lost as many games (4) and Delhomme has thrown as many interceptions (12) as the Panthers and Delhomme had respectively, throughout the entire 2008 regular season. Carolina has already been outscored by 50 points (87-37), averaging a measly 12.3 point per game this season. That’s a huge departure from the team that was the number two seed in the 2008 NFC playoffs.

Meanwhile, last season’s Super Bowl participants, Pittsburgh and Arizona, the only teams to navigate through their respective divisions with perfect 6-0 records in 2008, are each just 1-2, and each has already lost its first game within its division.

Of course, if some of last year’s division winners are struggling now, there must be others which have stepped up and taken their place, and that’s been the case so far this year in nearly every division in the league.

In the AFC East, the 9-7 Jets of a year ago have begun 3-0 to lead that division on the strength of one of the NFL’s best defenses thus far in 2009.

In the AFC South, the Baltimore Ravens were already good last year, but they fell short to Pittsburgh by a game for the 2008 division title. This year however, they look to be one of the NFL’s most complete teams en route to a division-leading 3-0 record.

A similar situation for Indianapolis in the AFC South. After losing the division by one game to the Titans in 2008, the Colts have again ridden quarterback Peyton Manning’s arm to the top of the AFC South –- for now –- where they sit at 3-0.

And, to round out all AFC divisions with new leaders at 3-0, the undefeated Denver Broncos, albeit against a soft schedule to this point, have played well, allowing an NFL-low 16 points (just 5.3 points per game).

In the NFC, the only stability from last season can be found in the NFC East and in the NFC North.

But, with the Panthers and Cardinals faltering, last season’s 8-8, last place New Orleans Saints look like the NFL’s best team so far in 2009, storming their way to a 3-0 mark, crushing their opponents by a combined 120-56 so far; and the first-place San Francisco 49ers, just 7-9 a year ago, have already won at Arizona this season, and are a Minnesota Miracle pass (a Vikings’ game-winning 32-yard touchdown pass with just :02 left) from also being perfect at 3-0.

There’s a lot of football left, and November and December in the NFL often look a lot different than September. But, so far, it looks like we should be forgetting all about 2008 and possibly getting ready for a lot of new faces as either division winners or at least, playoff contenders, in 2009.

Jenkins finished just two rebounds short of a double-double while sophomore guard Nathaniel Lester (Brooklyn, NY) and senior forward Darren Townes (New York, NY) added 11 and 10 points, respectively, to give the Pride three double-figure scorers. Lester added 10 rebounds for his second career double-double, while Townes added a season-high four blocked shots to go with his season-high 10 points.

Hofstra won its second game in a row and recorded its sixth victory in the last eight games to improve to 16-9 and 8-6 against the CAA. Gerald Lee poured in a game-high 20 points for ODU but couldn’t prevent the Monarchs from dropping to 15-9 and 8-6 in conference play, tying it with the Pride.

Senior guard Zygis Sestokas (Vilnius, Lithuania) added nine points on 3-6 shooting from beyond the arc, giving him 101 career three-pointers, making him only the 15th player in school history to make 100. Sophomore forward Greg Washington (Centereach, NY) added three blocked shots to give him 100 in that category, one of only four players to reach that milestone. As a team, Hofstra blocked 13 shots, one shy of the school record set on two occasions (1999-2000 against New Mexico State and 2005-06 against Towson).

The Pride never trailed in the game, as Townes hit a pair of shots in the opening minutes to stake Hofstra to an early 9-3 lead. Hofstra led by as many as 10 points in the first half at 20-10 on a Jenkins jumper before settling for a 28-19 lead at the break after Townes converted on a put-back with 49 seconds left.

Old Dominion got as close as four points (38-34) in the second half on a fast-break lay-up from Keyon Carter with 14:20 left in the game. Sestokas answered with his third three-pointer coming out of a time-out to stretch the lead back up to seven. The Monarchs came within six points on six different occasions in the last 10 minutes, but could get no closer. Jenkins answered twice with the lead down to six in the final five minutes, and senior forward Arminas Urbutis (Kaunas, Lithuania) knocked down a fadeaway with the shot clock expiring and 1:28 left on the clock to push Hofstra’s lead to 55-47.

Hofstra out-rebounded Old Dominion 48-39 on the day in a battle between the top two rebounding teams in the CAA. Old Dominion came into the game first in the league with a +6.9 rebounding margin, while Hofstra was second at +6.1. Hofstra also improved its league-leading field goal percentage defense by holding the Monarchs to just 27.5 percent shooting on the day (19-69). Carter had 15 points for Old Dominion off the bench to support Lee’s 20-point effort, and Darius James added eight, but the rest of the Monarch team combined for only eight points on 2-28 shooting from the floor.

The Pride will next be in action when it travels to Delaware on Saturday for a 4 p.m. contest, which will be televised locally on MSG+ Network.