With the preseason kickoff literally days away, many NFL teams have been bitten by the injury bug during this year’s camp.  When the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals start things off on Sunday night, the ‘Boys will be doing it without an integral part of their future. 

The Cowboys were the first NFL team to begin training camp and they were also the first to suffer a significant injury when rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant went down with a high ankle sprain on July 30th. Bryant, an Oklahoma State product, was drafted twenty-fourth overall and has drawn comparisons to Terrell Owens who was signed by the Bengals as a free agent.

Bryant who drew criticism for not carrying veteran Roy Williams’ pads in the ongoing NFL rookie ritual, was awarded jersey No. 88 the day after he signed with the Cowboys.  That number carries a lot of responsibility in Dallas as it was the jersey worn by legend Drew Pearson and eventual Hall of Famer Michael Irvin. Bryant is expected to remain on the sidelines for about six weeks, taking him out of preseason play and jeopardizing his ability to see action in the first game of the regular season. 

The Denver Broncos have been hit especially hard throughout camp including the injury of running back Knowshon Moreno.  Moreno was injured early and is expected to miss the rest of training camp and preseason play.

Joining Moreno is Elvis Dumervil who has been sidelined with an injured chest muscle.  Dumervil was the leader last season in sacks and was awarded for his efforts last month with a five year contract valued at just over $58 million dollars.  The contract is a record for his position as it offers just over $43 million in guarantees. 

Sources indicate that Dumervil may be out for five months, meaning it is likely he will miss the entire season.  Add to this dilemma the fact that Darrell Reid remains injured and has not yet participated in training camp and the Broncos are without a proven pass rusher as they enter preseason play.

There’s bad news for the Green Bay Packers too. Safety and four-year veteran Atari Bigby will need arthroscopic ankle surgery and will have the procedure on Friday.  Bigby is confident that he will not miss a significant amount of playing time but Packers Coach Mike McCarthy would not comment about a possible time table for a return. 

Staying in the NFC North, Detroit was riding high just days ago after the signing of second overall pick Ndamukong Suh.  With news that safety Louis Delmas has a lingering groin injury the celebration has become a bit more conservative as the severity of the injury remains a question mark to the Lions.

Delmas is a big piece of the puzzle for a Lions team that hopes to improve dramatically on the defensive side of the ball. Though Delmas admits that surgery has been discussed he is adamant that it is not the option he expects saying this on his Twitter account:

@LouisD_26 I am not having a season ending surgery dont believe everything you hear… click here to read more . . .

The Washington Redskins remain hopeful that Albert Haynesworth will be at full strength soon but he has not participated in training camp due to his inability to pass the required conditioning test.  The test was required for Haynesworth after he sat out on the mandatory mini-camp in June due to personal objections with new coach Mike Shanahan’s direction of the defense.

Haynesworth first failed the test on July 29^th and 30^th before sitting out the next two days and attempting it again on Monday before quitting due to knee stiffness.  Haynesworth has not attempted the test since Monday and an MRI was conducted that revealed no structural damage in his knee. 

Adding insult to injury is the fact that analyst Mike Golic passed the test with relative ease earlier this week on ESPN.  Golic is an NFL veteran who has been retired for sixteen years and currently works for ESPN. 

The Minnesota Vikings are on standby as they await the retirement decision of quarterback Brett Favre and the veteran says that decision is centered around his ankle injury.  Favre was rumored to have sent text messages to certain teammates and Vikings officials on Tuesday but was later found working out with the local high school team in Mississippi. 

However, on the same day as the rumors of retirement began, Vikings kicker and friend Ryan Longwell spoke to Favre and indicated retirement had never come up during discussion.  We have since learned that Favre will meet with Dr. James Andrews next week to discuss the success of his ankle surgery. 

While the actions of legendary quarterback Brett Favre would most likely be difficult for even the most skilled of gamblers to bet on, it seems clear from the statements of other Vikings players that Favre would be welcomed back to the locker room regardless of when the decision is made.

Used with permission of the author.

Cade Caldwell is an Atlanta-based sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Brett Favre has allegedly informed teammates that he intends on retiring.  This not so surprising development has fans of the purple and gold facing the reality of a season led by ….gulp, Tavaris Jackson.

If true, even a storybook season last year that ended one win shy of a trip to the Super Bowl, isn’t enough to convince the future first ballot Hall of Famer that he’s up for one more shot at the Lombardi Trophy.  But, it is Favre we are talking about, and it is a big “if”.

The same story has played itself out over and over again during the better part of the last decade.  First with the Packers; then with the Jets and now the Vikings. There have been tearful press conferences, secretive jet rides to Mississippi, and even confirmed reports from Chris Mortensen, only to have football’s version of the ironman lace them up again in September.

It’s become almost comical.  Favre again has sports fans everywhere wondering if it is April Fool’s Day or Groundhog Day.  One thing is for sure, Favre’s uncertainty has joined the Fourth of July as a rite of summer.

Personally, I refuse to drink the Kool-Aid. 

Brett may just be crying “Wilf”, Zygi Wilf, trying to get the owner to dig a little deeper into his deep pockets. Until I see Brett sporting a mustard yellow blazer in Canton, I fully expect him to show up throwing passes to local Hattiesburg high-schoolers and fueling talk of his impending return. 

Apparently, Brad Childress is not convinced either.  When asked about the possibility of having to find a replacement for Favre, Childress stated “I’ve got to hear it from the horse’s mouth”.  My question to Childress is what does John Elway know that even Mort doesn’t? 

Used with permission of the author.

 Pat Schueppert is a contributor to Sports Climax who grew up on the frozen tundra and bleeds Packer green and gold. The Wisconsin native, while staying loyal to his teams in his home state declares he has never worn a ‘cheesehead’ and “The Bears still suck!”

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Across our nation, teams and media outlets are buzzing with what has turned out to be eventful NFL training camps thus far. The most recent news coming out of the camps was Brett Favre allegedly telling Chilly and Zygi he is retiring and not to expect him in camp but more on that later.    

The preseason will officially begin for the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys this Sunday night and follows shortly thereafter for the remaining 30 NFL teams.  Many are left wondering if the issues and problems in camps can be conquered prior to game time.

The main news out of the Cowboys camp surrounds first round pick Dez Bryant. The rookie signed quick, was the first to show on the field the first day of training, then refused to carry veteran Roy William’s pads. The following week, Jon Kitna threw a pass behind the wide receiver and after getting hit on the play, Bryant is expected out with an injury that occurred on the play. Is the Lions’ curse hitting the ‘Boys in Dallas?

For the Detroit Lions after revamping the roster with several trades and FA signings, the primary obstacle remains signing Ndamukong Suh.  As the second overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Suh is likely to request quite a payday.  Last season, the Lions were faced with a similar obstacle as they worked out a record contract with University of Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford but that was signed the evening before drafting the No. 1 overall pick. 

Presumably, Suh or his agents were waiting on Sam Bradford to sign with the St. Louis Rams in order to gauge and asking price.  With Bradford recently signing for $78 million – $50 million of which is guaranteed – it seems likely that the Lions will have to show Suh the money.  Much of the speculation has been that Suh will ask for more than Bradford.  Suh’s agents claim this is not the case but continue to pursue what they believe to be market value for what many still consider the best player to come out of the draft.

The training camp season has been one of injury struggles thus far for the Philadelphia Eagles.  As of Monday, six starters were on the shelf during training camp with the most notable being DeSean Jackson.  Jackson went down on Saturday with a lower back injury and was carted off the field.  As of Tuesday morning, Coach Andy Reid has commented that Jackson is steadily improving. 

For the Washington Redskins, the primary issue has been Albert Haynesworth.  Haynesworth has been unable to complete the team conditioning test satisfactorily.  After initially failing the test twice, Haynesworth sit out due to knee soreness on Saturday and Sunday.  Haynesworth began the test on Monday but was unable to continue due to the knee issue.

The team conditioning test mandates that certain running drills are completed within an allowed amount of time.  While Haynesworth has been unable to successfully complete the drills, 47-year-old Mike Golic 16 years retired out of the NFL completed the drill on the ESPN network Monday. 

The Redskins – Haynesworth drama began in early June when Haynesworth failed to show up for a mandatory mini-camp due to his objections of the new defensive scheme. He later pocketed a $21 million bonus and demanded a trade.

Though the New York Jets believe they are Super Bowl contenders with or without Darrelle Revis many would argue that Revis will significantly increase those chances.  Revis has yet to show up for the Jets training camp and though various reports exist on the reasons for the holdout many agree that the main issue is total compensation. 

With 54 tackles and 6 interceptions last year with perhaps the largest coming during the Wild Card game that lifted the team over the Bengals, Revis is said to want either a short term deal with a large signing bonus or a long-term deal believed to be in the range of $30 million.

The running back position is now the area of concern for the Denver Broncos as starter Knowshon Moreno was recently carted off the field with what wound up being diagnosed as a “slight tear” in his right hamstring.  The Broncos remain convinced that Moreno will be back in 2 – 3 weeks but that seems like a best case scenario.  The team remains hopeful that Moreno will not miss any carries as the talent behind Moreno on the depth chart is unproven.

In Chicago, the Bears are learning a new offensive system and are getting newly acquired pass rusher Julius Peppers accustomed to the defensive system.  At this point in time, hope is high but the Bears will need to execute in all areas in a division as competitive as the NFC North.  After a dismal 2009 season, Bears fans are hopeful that the Martz offensive system will work to Cutler’s strengths. 

In Minnesota, the Vikings have learned that Brett Favre will retire for a third time.  However, many inside the NFL and owner Zygi Wilf are convinced Favre will return before all is said and done.  Regardless, the Vikings will need to look at the possibility of moving forward with Tarvaris Jackson, Sage Rosenfels and Joe Webb as signal callers.  Behind Favre, the quarterback position in Minnesota is still unproven and training camp play has given no firm indication of who might be the projected starter should Favre stay true to his word.

Expectations are higher than ever for the Houston Texans.  Coming off of their first winning season in franchise history, the Texans are looking to make their first playoff appearance in the history of the team.  Many around the NFL point to the possibility that they may do it in impressive fashion – clinching the AFC South ahead of the Indianapolis Colts.  If quarterback Matt Schaub can continue to pass as he did last year only bright things should be expected for this team as the young talent continues to gain experience.

Competition in Arizona has led to many on-field fights as the team begins to adjust to life without Kurt Warner.  The expectation in Arizona is that Matt Leinart will be the signal caller for the start of the season.  When the Cardinals drafted Leinart the expectations were that he would someday carry the weight of the organization on his shoulders.  In the NFL, he has had mixed results with moments of despair and flashes of brilliance.  In any event, the success of the team likely hinges on how the team adjusts without Kurt Warner.

When the preseason begins this Sunday night, teams will have four weeks to adjust their roster to the best possible.  If the past few seasons have shown us anything expect new faces in the playoffs and a high level of competition across the league.

MORE NFL: Is Roger Goodell Losing his Big Stick? – Sports Climax

Jockey Hires Tebow, Boxers or Briefs? - Sports Climax

Used with permission of the author.

Cade Caldwell is an Atlanta-based sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

What’s missing from the daily news cycle as the NFL training camps open? The yearly angst about whether Brett Favre will retire or return for another season.

Instead we have been treated to our daily dose of LeBron James ever since he played his final game in the 2010 NBA playoffs.

The King has been the featured daily news hog as a result of his “Decision”, the fallout from it and the ESPN.com article that chronicled his night out in Vegas.

LeBron’s Vegas chronicle pulled by top brass

Brett Favre has been reduced to the size he should have been for the last three years. It’s a story that titillates only once and maybe twice.

For some, the third time is the charm but for news of Brett Favre’s Decision, it is strike three, you’re out. Thank you to all that is holy.

Two years ago we suffered through his retirement, his ugly divorce from Green Bay, a flirtation with their rivals the Minnesota Vikings and his ultimate arrival on the door step of the New York Jets.

Packers finally tell Favre to stay home

Last summer it was the will-he-or-won’t-he sign with the Vikings after a less than triumphant end of season in New York. The daily reports of flights to and from Hattiesburg were spellbinding for some, while others tried to suppress their gag reflexes.

Vikings fans sick of the Favre indecision

The current news on Favre is none. Just the same old photos of him throwing a football to high school students near his home in Mississippi, without it pointing one way or another to his return to the NFL.

He had the necessary surgery he said he wouldn’t undergo if he didn’t intend to return. We’ve been treated to the obligatory orations about him trying to recover enough to help a team again.

Kurt Warner shows Brett Favre how to retire with dignity

What’s new this time, other than the absence of interest in the story, is that his head coach has been honest about it all.

Brad Childress, Vikings head coach said that once Brett leaves home, he’d only need two to three weeks to ready himself to start a new NFL season.

That arrival would have him missing all of training camp and after the pre-season games were already in full swing. Hey, let poor Tavaris Jackson play the meaningless contests, right.

There you have it. Someone who finally gets the drama out of the way and speaks the obvious. The guy doesn’t want to attend training camp. Period.

No one thinks he won’t play again. That is why the silence about his third annual summer drama has been deafening. Been there, done that, more than we ever wanted.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Throughout the history of the National Football League the quarterback position has been one of great importance and in the minds of many NFL fans and the media the quarterback is usually the one to blame when things go awry.

While the game has traditionally focused on an even balanced attack consisting of passing, running and strong defense, recent statistics suggest this trend has shifted.

The passing game has exploded. 

During the 2009 season a total of ten quarterbacks passed for over 4,000 yards.  Matt Schaub of the Houston Texans compiled the most at 4,770 yards and nearly propelled his team into the NFL playoffs for the first time had it not been for several missed kicking opportunities earlier in the season. 

Also included in that elite list was Brett Favre of the Minnesota Vikings.  Though Favre had struggled with his decision on retirement earlier in the year, he led the Vikings to within one game of a Super Bowl appearance – a large part of which hinged on his arm. 

Among the other starters that exceeded 4,000 yards in 2009 are both Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints and Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts.  Not surprisingly, the Saints and Colts collided in the Super Bowl with Brees’ performance earning him the Super Bowl MVP. 

Interestingly enough, the leading rusher for the Super Bowl Champion Saints last season was running back Pierre Thomas with a total of only 793 yards.  A year earlier the Pittsburgh Steelers became Super Bowl Champ with another leading rusher with less than 1,000 yards in Willie Parker with only 791. 

The trend of recent NFL drafts supports this change in style of offense on the field.  In the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions drafted Matthew Stafford No. 1 overall with their first pick of the draft.  Placing the bank on the arm of their new quarterback, the Lions signed Stafford to $78 million, $41.7 million of that guaranteed, an NFL record. 

Later in the same draft, the New York Jets moved up with a trade and selected Mark Sanchez No. 5 overall.  Sanchez later signed a deal worth $50 million.  As the largest contract the Jets had offered in the history of the organization, the deal included $28 million in guarantees.  Sanchez became only the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first playoff game. 

In the 2010 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams passed up the opportunity to take college defensive star Ndamukong Suh in favor of selecting Sam Bradford.  Although Bradford has yet to agree to a deal it is expected that the Rams will offer a deal that will likely surpass the record received by Stafford a year earlier.

Although teams are more likely than ever to place a premium on a young quarterback during the draft, it doesn’t always work as expected.  In 2007, the Oakland Raiders selected JaMarcus Russell with the No. 1 overall pick of the draft after Russell had displayed a substantial amount of talent throughout his days at LSU and was highly coveted following the NFL Combine. 

After a long holdout, Russell and the Raiders agreed to a contract worth $61 million with $32 million guaranteed.  As a starter for the Raiders, Russell would finish a dismal 7-18 before being released in May 2010.     

What does this mean in terms of the growing popularity of the sport?  The NFL leads the way among all professional sports organizations in television ratings and will receive a combined total of $20.4 billion from FOX, CBS, NBC and ESPN.  The current terms of the deal are until 2011 for FOX, CBS and NBC with ESPN maintaining rights through 2013.  Between the four, the contract of ESPN is the most valuable at $8.8 billion.  For the first time ever, the 2010 Draft was aired in prime-time and reported a 30 percent hike in ratings.

In 2003, the league launched the NFL Network.  Many argue that the network is among the most successful of the networks devoted to the four major professional sports.  In 2010, the network began airing Canadian Football League games and will air the Grey Cup.  Some criticize that the league is airing CFL games in order to stir further interest in a full-time team in Canada. 

Despite whatever motive may exist, the league has shown an interest in international exposure evidenced by playing a regular season game annually in both Toronto and London.  Closer to home, the league often makes its presence felt in San Antonio. 

While the success of all four sports leagues is apparent, only the NFL could move forward in operations without a marketing department.  When such a successful product explodes on the field boosting television ratings to levels previously not imagined the surge in viewers and in the cash flow destined to come from networks can only be expected to inflate further. 

 As long as the pigskin is being tossed for a record number of yards the NFL can continue to expect the popularity to follow.  And in this economy, it is nice to have advertisers that are looking for you!

 Used with permission of the author.

Cade Caldwell is an Atlanta-based sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

It’s that time of year again for NFL fans to climb aboard the Brett Favre roller coaster, buckle in and take a ride while we wait for “The Decision”. Question is, will ESPN have a prime-time special with Favre announcing his decision like they did with LeBron James? 

Artwork: Gener De Vera

With Favre it could be called “The Indecision”.

Favre, sitting across from host Jim Gray as the highest rated audience in cable history sits glued to their seats: “I’ve decided to do it again in Minnesota this season . . . maybe; if my health is okay.”

“So I’m signing next week for sure unless I decide to call coach Chilly in the middle of the night on Wednesday to let him know I’ve reconsidered and to move on without me. But again, I’m retired for sure–100% sure– so it’s going to be fun beating New Orleans that first week.”

Welcome to Favre 2010, the 3^rd annual roller coaster ride. Like an irresolute teenager deciding on a prom dress, Favre again is weighing in on going fishing or donning purple for another season in Minnesota. Speaking of proms, Favre has been zipping a few spirals to high school kids like he did last year.

This comes AFTER he explained his ankle needed to be rehabbed before he makes any decision and that came a week AFTER he announced how fun it would be to “beat New Orleans that first week”.

Over the past several years, Favre has owned the media this time of year. In fact as this keyboard clicks away, “Brett Favre” is the trending topic this morning on Yahoo! Search and Google trends and it’s only July 17. Wait until that roller coaster gets over the first hill and speeds closer to preseason.

Last year after announcing he was signing, he backed out just two days before camp, leaving the Vikings scrambling to decide what QB would be taking the snaps. Then a few weeks into preseason, Favre reconsidered and showed up to play ball, the rest is history.

Favre, who turned 40 years old during the season, had one of the greatest years in his entire career, tossing 33 touchdown passes and only 7 interceptions for a career-best QB rating of 107.2. Besides racking up impressive personal stats, the aging slinger led the Vikes to the NFC Championship game.

Favre’s numbers were staggering, especially for a guy known throughout his career of hitting the numbers of the wrong colored jersey. The year prior while playing for the Jets, he led the NFL with 22 INTs.

Favre has always been a warrior, taking vicious hits throughout his 19-year career, always able to get back on his feet. He holds the NFL record for consecutive starts at 285 games. You would MAYBE expect a kicker or punter to be able to pull that string off, not a quarterback getting blind-sided several times a week by 300-plus pound linemen running full speed.

Coming off this record-breaking season with his Iron Man streak still alive, Favre is expected to play another season but as we sit strapped in our seats awaiting “The Indecision” there are sure to be more hills ahead.

MORE: Full-size “The Indecision” caricature

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Finally, a headline containing the phrases ‘40-year-old’ and ‘returning for another season’ worth getting excited over.

News that Nicklas Lidstrom will lace up with the Red Wings for the 19th season swept through Hockeytown like a warm summer breeze. All the while, Minnesotans are sitting on the edge of their couches, biting their nails down to the cuticles and searching for an answer to their desperate cries.

“Is he? Isn’t he? Have you heard anything?”

Strange that football season is closer than hockey season, and we have Lidstrom’s decision before Vikings quarterback Brett Favre’s. Well, I guess it’s not that strange, considering whom we’re talking about.

Wings fans are lucky enough to have a seasoned player answer the question surrounding next season in a timely fashion rather than toy with the media, his team and the fans like a cat pawing at a wounded mouse.

Lidstrom isn’t riddled with half as many hushed doubts surrounding his capabilities to produce another consistent season-long performance. Lidstrom is responsible enough to realize how the continuous media coverage regarding an unclear return could potentially result in way too much scrutiny the following season.

Favre, whether he foresaw it or not, is in the middle of that self-created scrutiny for a while now. That final haunting interception aside, he had a remarkable season to proudly wave in the faces of all the naysayers — and Packers general manager Ted Thompson.

Really, if I had a dollar for how many times I heard Chris Berman or Terry Bradshaw giggle over how amazing Brett Favre was as the “40-Year-Old Version,” I could retire. But how much longer can Favre really perform under all these lights? Would we even be asking ourselves this question if he had just tried a tiny bit harder to stay out of sports talk gossip morning after morning?

Interviews from both Favre and Lidstrom regarding their futures highlight one very noticeable difference between the two. Lidstrom discusses the future of the Red Wings with humility and a more collective tone, almost as though he is just one small yet well-oiled, defense-producing feather on a giant red wing. Favre has talked about the same future and attempted the same message, but in between rehearsed sentences, it’s easier to hear “This team is good enough to take me to another championship,” rather than “I can help take this team to another championship.”

And there you have it. Lidstrom wants to take the Wings to another Stanley Cup championship, while Favre just wants to take himself to another Super Bowl, whether he’s with the Vikings, the Las Vegas Locomotives or that summer camp from Duluth that got free tickets for this year.

Does this mean Favre is selfish?

Maybe, even though it’d be downright silly to judge a professional athlete for yearning for just one more year, just one more chance at a championship. What it does illustrate is how grateful Wings fans should be for a player like Lidstrom. Not only has he contributed immeasurably to the legacy of the Red Wings (four Stanley Cups, six Norris trophies, countless records), but he treats Detroit and the fans with respect.

This may not be the first time that we’ve all wondered about his retirement, but we’ve been given clear answers without waiting in limbo for months. We’ve also never had reason to question if he’s going to, well, “adjust” his answer afterward.

Re-printed with permission of the author.

Becky Fritter is a freelance music/sports writer whose work has appeared in Sound the Sirens Magazine, Punk Planet Magazine, The Detroit Free Press, and author Chuck Palahniuk’s official website The Cult. She currently resides in Michigan.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

NEW YORK, N.Y. – The 2010 NFL Draft has been full of surprises. After much speculation about teams trading for the St. Louis Rams first pick in the 2nd round to land Notre Dame quarterback, Jimmy Clausen, the Rams kept the pick and Clausen dropped all the way down to 48th overall where he was selected by the Carolina Panthers.

Clausen’s drop in stock was one of the biggest surprises but he wasn’t alone. As Clausen squirmed in his seat, dropping 44 picks lower than the slot ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. had him in, Texas Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy dropped all the way into the 3rd round. McCoy was selected 85th overall by the Cleveland Browns who threw in the towel on the Brady Quinn project, trading Quinn to the Denver Broncos in the off season.

NFL 2010 DRAFT SECOND ROUND RESULTS

33. St. Louis Rams: Rodger Saffold- offensive tackle, Indiana
34. Minnesota Vikings: Chris Cook- cornerback, Virginia
35. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Brian Price- defensive tackle, UCLA
36. Kansas City Chiefs: Dexter McCluster- running back, Mississippi
37. Philadelphia Eagles: Nate Allen- safety, South Florida
38. Cleveland Browns: T.J. Ward- safety, Oregon
39. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Arrelious Benn- wide receiver, Illinois
40. Miami Dolphins: Koa Misi- linebacker, Utah
41. Buffalo Bills: Torell Troup- defensive tackle, Central Florida
42. New England Patriots: Rob Gronkowski- tight end, Arizona
43. Baltimore Ravens: Sergio Kindle- linebacker, Texas
44. Oakland Raiders: Lamarr Houston- defensive tackle, Texas
45. Denver Broncos: Zane Beadles- offensive guard, Utah
46. New York Giants: Linval Joseph- defensive tackle, East Carolina
47. Arizona Cardinals: Daryl Washington- linebacker, TCU
48. Carolina Panthers: Jimmy Clausen- quarterback, Notre Dame
49. San Francisco 49ers: Taylor Mays- safety, USC
50. Kansas City Chiefs: Javier Arenas- cornerback, Alabama
51. Minnesota Vikings: Toby Gerhart- running back, Stanford
52. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jason Worilds- linebacker, Virginia Tech
53. New England Patriots: Jermaine Cunningham- linebacker, Florida
54. Cincinnati Bengals: Carlos Dunlap- defensive end, Florida
55. Dallas Cowboys: Sean Lee- linebacker, Penn State
56. Green Bay Packers: Michael Neal- defensive tackle, Purdue
57. Baltimore Ravens: Terrence Cody- defensive tackle, Alabama
58. Houston Texans: Ben Tate- running back, Auburn
59. Cleveland Browns: Montario Hardesty- running back, Tennessee
60. Seattle Seahawks: Golden Tate- wide receiver, Notre Dame
61. New York Jets: Vladimir Ducasse- offensive guard, UMass
62. New England Patriots: Brandon Spikes- linebacker, Florida
63. Indianapolis Colts: Patrick Angerer- linebacker, Iowa
64. New Orleans Saints: Charles Brown- offensive tackle, USC

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

Week 1
Thu. Sep. 09
Vikings at Saints, 8:30 PM

Sun. Sep. 12
Dolphins at Bills, 1:00 PM
Colts at Texans, 1:00 PM
Lions at Bears, 1:00 PM
Falcons at Steelers, 1:00 PM
Browns at Buccaneers, 1:00 PM
Bengals at Patriots, 1:00 PM
Broncos at Jaguars, 1:00 PM
Raiders at Titans, 1:00 PM
Panthers at Giants, 1:00 PM
49ers at Seahawks, 4:15 PM
Cardinals at Rams, 4:15 PM
Packers at Eagles, 4:15 PM
Cowboys at Redskins, 8:20 PM

Mon. Sep. 13
Ravens at Jets, 7:00 PM
Chargers at Chiefs, 10:15 PM

Week 2
Sun. Sep. 19
Ravens at Bengals, 1:00 PM
Buccaneers at Panthers, 1:00 PM
Bills at Packers, 1:00 PM
Dolphins at Vikings, 1:00 PM
Bears at Cowboys, 1:00 PM
Eagles at Lions, 1:00 PM
Cardinals at Falcons, 1:00 PM
Chiefs at Browns, 1:00 PM
Steelers at Titans, 1:00 PM
Seahawks at Broncos, 4:05 PM
Rams at Raiders, 4:05 PM
Patriots at Jets, 4:15 PM
Texans at Redskins, 4:15 PM
Jaguars at Chargers, 4:15 PM
Giants at Colts, 8:20 PM

Mon. Sep. 20
Saints at 49ers, 8:30 PM

Week 3
Sun. Sep. 26
Bills at Patriots, 1:00 PM
Falcons at Saints, 1:00 PM
Lions at Vikings, 1:00 PM
Browns at Ravens, 1:00 PM
Cowboys at Texans, 1:00 PM
49ers at Chiefs, 1:00 PM
Titans at Giants, 1:00 PM
Steelers at Buccaneers, 1:00 PM
Bengals at Panthers, 1:00 PM
Eagles at Jaguars, 4:05 PM
Redskins at Rams, 4:05 PM
Raiders at Cardinals, 4:15 PM
Chargers at Seahawks, 4:15 PM
Colts at Broncos, 4:15 PM
Jets at Dolphins, 8:20 PM

Mon. Sep. 27
Packers at Bears, 8:30 PM

Week 4
Sun. Oct. 03
Jets at Bills, 1:00 PM
Seahawks at Rams, 1:00 PM
Panthers at Saints, 1:00 PM
Lions at Packers, 1:00 PM
Bengals at Browns, 1:00 PM
Ravens at Steelers, 1:00 PM
Broncos at Titans, 1:00 PM
49ers at Falcons, 1:00 PM
Colts at Jaguars, 4:05 PM
Texans at Raiders, 4:05 PM
Redskins at Eagles, 4:15 PM
Cardinals at Chargers, 4:15 PM
Bears at Giants, 8:20 PM

Mon. Oct. 04
Patriots at Dolphins, 8:30 PM
Byes: DAL, KC, MIN, TB

Week 5
Sun. Oct. 10
Buccaneers at Bengals, 1:00 PM
Falcons at Browns, 1:00 PM
Giants at Texans, 1:00 PM
Chiefs at Colts, 1:00 PM
Packers at Redskins, 1:00 PM
Jaguars at Bills, 1:00 PM
Broncos at Ravens, 1:00 PM
Bears at Panthers, 1:00 PM
Rams at Lions, 1:00 PM
Saints at Cardinals, 4:05 PM
Chargers at Raiders, 4:15 PM
Titans at Cowboys, 4:15 PM
Eagles at 49ers, 8:20 PM

Mon. Oct. 11
Vikings at Jets, 8:30 PM
Byes: MIA, NE, PIT, SEA

Week 6
Sun. Oct. 17
Browns at Steelers, 1:00 PM
Saints at Buccaneers, 1:00 PM
Dolphins at Packers, 1:00 PM
Chargers at Rams, 1:00 PM
Ravens at Patriots, 1:00 PM
Chiefs at Texans, 1:00 PM
Lions at Giants, 1:00 PM
Falcons at Eagles, 1:00 PM
Seahawks at Bears, 1:00 PM
Raiders at 49ers, 4:05 PM
Jets at Broncos, 4:05 PM
Cowboys at Vikings, 4:15 PM
Colts at Redskins, 8:20 PM

Mon. Oct. 18
Titans at Jaguars, 8:30 PM
Byes: ARI, BUF, CAR, CIN

Week 7
Sun. Oct. 24
Eagles at Titans, 1:00 PM
Bengals at Falcons, 1:00 PM
Browns at Saints, 1:00 PM
Steelers at Dolphins, 1:00 PM
Rams at Buccaneers, 1:00 PM
49ers at Panthers, 1:00 PM
Redskins at Bears, 1:00 PM
Jaguars at Chiefs, 1:00 PM
Bills at Ravens, 1:00 PM
Cardinals at Seahawks, 4:05 PM
Raiders at Broncos, 4:15 PM
Patriots at Chargers, 4:15 PM
Vikings at Packers, 8:20 PM

Mon. Oct. 25
Giants at Cowboys, 8:30 PM
Byes: DET, HOU, IND, NYJ

Week 8
Sun. Oct. 31
Packers at Jets, 1:00 PM
Broncos at 49ers, 1:00 PM
Jaguars at Cowboys, 1:00 PM
Dolphins at Bengals, 1:00 PM
Panthers at Rams, 1:00 PM
Redskins at Lions, 1:00 PM
Bills at Chiefs, 1:00 PM
Titans at Chargers, 4:05 PM
Vikings at Patriots, 4:15 PM
Seahawks at Raiders, 4:15 PM
Buccaneers at Cardinals, 4:15 PM
Steelers at Saints, 8:20 PM

Mon. Nov. 01
Texans at Colts, 8:30 PM
Byes: ATL, BAL, CHI, CLE, NYG, PHI

Week 9
Sun. Nov. 07
Buccaneers at Falcons, 1:00 PM
Saints at Panthers, 1:00 PM
Bears at Bills, 1:00 PM
Jets at Lions, 1:00 PM
Dolphins at Ravens, 1:00 PM
Patriots at Browns, 1:00 PM
Chargers at Texans, 1:00 PM
Cardinals at Vikings, 1:00 PM
Giants at Seahawks, 4:05 PM
Chiefs at Raiders, 4:15 PM
Colts at Eagles, 4:15 PM
Cowboys at Packers, 8:20 PM

Mon. Nov. 08
Steelers at Bengals, 8:30 PM
Byes: DEN, JAC, SF, STL, TEN, WAS

Week 10
Thu. Nov. 11
Ravens at Falcons, 8:20 PM

Sun. Nov. 14
Texans at Jaguars, 1:00 PM
Vikings at Bears, 1:00 PM
Panthers at Buccaneers, 1:00 PM
Lions at Bills, 1:00 PM
Jets at Browns, 1:00 PM
Titans at Dolphins, 1:00 PM
Bengals at Colts, 1:00 PM
Chiefs at Broncos, 4:05 PM
Cowboys at Giants, 4:15 PM
Seahawks at Cardinals, 4:15 PM
Rams at 49ers, 4:15 PM
Patriots at Steelers, 8:20 PM

Mon. Nov. 15
Eagles at Redskins, 8:30 PM
Byes: GB, NO, OAK, SD

Week 11
Thu. Nov. 18
Bears at Dolphins, 8:20 PM

Sun. Nov. 21
Packers at Vikings, 1:00 PM
Redskins at Titans, 1:00 PM
Cardinals at Chiefs, 1:00 PM
Ravens at Panthers, 1:00 PM
Bills at Bengals, 1:00 PM
Lions at Cowboys, 1:00 PM
Texans at Jets, 1:00 PM
Raiders at Steelers, 1:00 PM
Browns at Jaguars, 1:00 PM
Seahawks at Saints, 4:05 PM
Falcons at Rams, 4:05 PM
Buccaneers at 49ers, 4:05 PM
Colts at Patriots, 4:15 PM
Giants at Eagles, 8:20 PM

Mon. Nov. 22
Broncos at Chargers, 8:30 PM

Week 12
Thu. Nov. 25
Patriots at Lions, 12:30 PM
Saints at Cowboys, 4:15 PM
Bengals at Jets, 8:20 PM

Sun. Nov. 28
Titans at Texans, 1:00 PM
Buccaneers at Ravens, 1:00 PM
Jaguars at Giants, 1:00 PM
Panthers at Browns, 1:00 PM
Steelers at Bills, 1:00 PM
Eagles at Bears, 1:00 PM
Vikings at Redskins, 1:00 PM
Packers at Falcons, 1:00 PM
Chiefs at Seahawks, 4:05 PM
Dolphins at Raiders, 4:05 PM
Rams at Broncos, 4:15 PM
Chargers at Colts, 8:20 PM

Mon. Nov. 29
49ers at Cardinals, 8:30 PM

Week 13
Thu. Dec. 02
Texans at Eagles, 8:20 PM

Sun. Dec. 05
Jaguars at Titans, 1:00 PM
Broncos at Chiefs, 1:00 PM
Redskins at Giants, 1:00 PM
Bears at Lions 1:00 PM
Falcons at Buccaneers, 1:00 PM
Saints at Bengals, 1:00 PM
Bills at Vikings, 1:00 PM
Browns at Dolphins, 1:00 PM
49ers at Packers, 1:00 PM
Raiders at Chargers, 4:05 PM
Rams at Cardinals, 4:15 PM
Cowboys at Colts, 4:15 PM
Panthers at Seahawks, 4:15 PM
Steelers at Ravens, 8:20 PM

Mon. Dec. 06
Jets at Patriots, 8:30 PM

Week 14
Thu. Dec. 09
Colts at Titans, 8:20 PM

Sun. Dec. 12
Bengals at Steelers, 1:00 PM
Falcons at Panthers, 1:00 PM
Packers at Lions, 1:00 PM
Patriots at Bears, 1:00 PM
Browns at Bills, 1:00 PM
Giants at Vikings, 1:00 PM
Raiders at Jaguars, 1:00 PM
Buccaneers at Redskins, 1:00 PM
Seahawks at 49ers, 4:05 PM
Rams at Saints, 4:05 PM
Dolphins at Jets, 4:15 PM
Chiefs at Chargers, 4:15 PM
Broncos at Cardinals, 4:15 PM
Eagles at Cowboys, 8:20 PM

Mon. Dec. 13
Ravens at Texans, 8:30 PM

Week 15
Thu. Dec. 16
49ers at Chargers, 8:20 PM

Sun. Dec. 19
Bills at Dolphins, 1:00 PM
Eagles at Giants, 1:00 PM
Redskins at Cowboys, 1:00 PM
Browns at Bengals, 1:00 PM
Jaguars at Colts, 1:00 PM
Texans at Titans, 1:00 PM
Saints at Ravens, 1:00 PM
Chiefs at Rams, 1:00 PM
Cardinals at Panthers, 1:00 PM
Lions at Buccaneers, 1:00 PM
Falcons at Seahawks, 4:05 PM
Broncos at Raiders, 4:15 PM
Jets at Steelers, 4:15 PM
Packers at Patriots, 8:20 PM

Mon. Dec. 20
Bears at Vikings, 8:30 PM

Week 16
Thu. Dec. 23
Panthers at Steelers, 8:20 PM

Sat. Dec. 25
Cowboys at Cardinals, 7:30 PM

Sun. Dec. 26
Patriots at Bills, 1:00 PM
49ers at Rams, 1:00 PM
Ravens at Browns, 1:00 PM
Lions at Dolphins, 1:00 PM
Jets at Bears, 1:00 PM
Redskins at Jaguars, 1:00 PM
Titans at Chiefs, 1:00 PM
Seahawks at Buccaneers, 1:00 PM
Vikings at Eagles, 1:00 PM
Texans at Broncos, 4:05 PM
Colts at Raiders, 4:05 PM
Giants at Packers, 4:15 PM
Chargers at Bengals, 8:20 PM

Mon. Dec. 27
Saints at Falcons, 8:30 PM

Week 17
Sun. Jan. 02
Dolphins at Patriots, 1:00 PM
Buccaneers at Saints, 1:00 PM
Panthers at Falcons, 1:00 PM
Cowboys at Eagles, 1:00 PM
Raiders at Chiefs, 1:00 PM
Titans at Colts, 1:00 PM
Jaguars at Texans, 1:00 PM
Bengals at Ravens, 1:00 PM
Bears at Packers, 1:00 PM
Vikings at Lions, 1:00 PM
Giants at Redskins, 1:00 PM
Steelers at Browns, 1:00 PM
Bills at Jets, 1:00 PM
Chargers at Broncos, 4:15 PM
Rams at Seahawks, 4:15 PM
Cardinals at 49ers, 4:15 PM