5 NFL Questions -- Week 17

The networks have dominated the asking of these questions today and done a better job than usual. I'll try to tackle an angle or other questions altogether.

1. Which coach needs a win today more than anyone else?
2. Which coach whose team is currently in playoff position (but not yet clinched) at risk of losing his job if his team loses today?
3. Will Rod Marinelli empty the playbook to avoid history?
4. If the Patriots lose in the 1pm game and Brett Favre has an early case of the "dead arm", would Eric Mangini give him the hook to save the season?
5. How will Dallas D come out after giving up two 70+ yard runs in the closing minutes of their last contest?
   

All-Star Weekend: Questions to Consider [Eastern Conference]

As All-Star Weekend comes to a close with tonight’s East vs. West battle, there are countless questions being asked of each team as we head into the second half of the season.

However, there are internal questions – whether from the GM to the coach to the players themselves – that ring even truer.

What might those be? I might be willing to venture a guess…

Check out the EAST ?s

Something tells me the "Larry Bird" rights weren't
meant for the likes of Devean "Piggybacked my way to Titles" George.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Southwest Division

Dallas – “If a deal with New Jersey can’t get done, will the Mavs have time to acquire a new addition before the deadline arrives?”

Houston – “Locked in a three-way race with Golden State and Denver for seemingly the final two spots in the West, is Houston capable of becoming an extremely dangerous 7 or 8 seed?”

Memphis – “How much longer will Mike Miller be a Grizzly?”

New Orleans – “#1 in the West, but how can they possibly keep up with little to no ammo during the current arms race?”

San Antonio – “Veterans with 4 titles in recent memory (none back-to-back, mind you). Yet, is too much stock being placed into them simply returning to prime form once the playoffs roll around?”

Northwest

Denver Nuggets – “When will Carmelo Anthony take on a role other than scorer?”

Minnesota Timberwolves – “With plenty of youth, and even more losses, who on their roster - - other than the established Al Jefferson - is on the threshold of stardom and who will remain mired in underachieving status?”

Portland – “Seemingly running out of gas, what will the Blazers accomplish this season before next year’s arrival of #1-pick Greg Oden?”

Seattle – “What on Earth is this team planning to do at the center position in the future?”

Utah – “Perhaps as under the radar as any team in the West, is the acquisition of Kyle Korver the savviest move all season?”

Pacific

Golden State – “Any chance we get a repeat opening round series of Mavericks v. Warriors?”

Los Angeles Clippers – “What team and head coach will Elton Brand and (hopefully) Shaun Livingston return to?”

Los Angeles Lakers – “Duh. What’s your opinion on the future of Kobe’s pinky and Bynum’s knee?”

Phoenix – “DUH! What’s your opinion on the addition of Shaq and the departure of the Matrix?”

Sacremento – “With Bibby now in Atlanta, will the team be able to dump Artest next?”

A ton of answers that we may not have for years to come. Especially out of Seattle (god bless their recent string of draft picks outside of Durant/Green).

Until next time…

All-Star Weekend: Questions to Consider [Eastern Conference]

As All-Star Weekend comes to a close with tonight’s East vs. West battle, there are countless questions being asked of each team as we head into the second half of the season.

However, there are internal questions – whether from the GM to the coach to the players themselves – that ring even truer.

What might those be? I might be willing to venture a guess…

Howard was all smiles en route to a Dunk Contest title.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Atlantic Division
Boston – “Is Rajon Rondo the point guard that will lead this roster to a championship?”

New Jersey – “Assuming Jason Kidd is finally moved, what is to be done with a 31-year old swingman named Vince Carter?”

New York – “What salaries can we dump on others, buy out, or sadly, pick up?”

Philadelphia – “Seemingly mired in the rebuilding process, what will this team do to make the step up into playoff contention?”

Toronto – “Who is the point guard of the future: TJ Ford or Jose Calderon?”

Central Division

Chicago – “Will the Bulls rally to become a dangerous low seed in the playoffs?”

Cleveland – “Will Larry Hughes finally realize the potential Cleveland has continued to believe he has?”

Detroit – “Will Detroit continue to be under the radar, quietly yielding the top balance of depth, experience and talent in the entire NBA?”

Indiana – “With the movement towards character firmly established, when does the winning begin?”

Milwaukee – “Underachieving with a youthful yet talented roster, when will the Bucks consider moving youth for savvy veteran leadership?”

Southeast Division

Atlanta – “Was the move for Mike Bibby a move for 2008 or the future in Atlanta?”

Charlotte – “What is Michael Jordan’s grand plan for allowing this team to shift from underachieving playoff pretender to actual playoff team?”

Miami – “Will the duo of Wade & Marion be further established with a contract extension for the Matrix?”

Orlando – “Will the seemingly vanquished tensions between Stan Van Gundy and Dwight Howard ever reach a boil?”

Washington – “Whose health is more important to the Wizards: Agent Zero or Caron Butler?”

See you in but for questions for the West...

5 NFL Questions Going Into Week 15

Well, as everyone knows, Week 15 already has two games in the books and one head coach on the outs. To this point, everyone, their mother, their father, and their third cousin once removed on the father’s side has had a negative thought aimed towards Bobby Petrino, who has made us all forget for at least a second about Nick Saban’s dearth in loyalty. In this man’s opinion, Petrino took advantage of a broken system in college football that rewards disingenuous coaches for their undying devotion to the green. This leads us into the first question …

1. How will the Falcons respond on the field to the shock exit of former head coach Bobby Petrino?

2. On a level from 1 to 10, how upset do you think New England Patriots Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli (AKA “The Architect”) was that the lowly 49ers won a game and likely took the Patriots out of the top four picks in next April's NFL Draft?

3. What’s the name of that NFL head coach who wanted to get rid of all bad behavior in Minnesota? What’s the name of that NFL head coach who will likely start safety Dwight Smith following misdemeanor marijuana possession?

4. Will the Pittsburgh Steelers be able to stop the run without the vital services of Aaron Smith against the Jacksonville Jaguars? If so, can Dick LeBeau dial up the right blitz packages to stifle Jags QB David Garrard?

5. Did you tell anyone that the Buffalo/Cleveland game was meaningful to the playoffs back when the schedules came out? Liar.

5 NFL Questions Going Into Week 13

After a week-long hiatus, the NFL Questions have returned with a vengeance.

1. First and foremost, how will the Washington Redskins respond to the tragic passing of their dear friend and best player Sean Taylor?
2. Which team – the Giants or Lions – will stop their slide today?
3. Can Steven Jackson reach the century mark against Atlanta?
4. If Carolina loses today versus San Francisco, will there be pink slips?
5. The Denver/Oakland rivalry is well-documented and Shanahan-igans are expected. Which coach will out-think not only his counterpart but himself today en route to defeat?

5 NFL Questions Going Into Week 10

We are counting down to kickoff and there are more than five questions on my mind. Here are the top five ...

1. How will the Jacksonville Jaguars react to last week's blowout and the four-game suspension of stud defensive tackle Marcus Stroud?
2. Can the Chicago D finally assert themselves against an Oakland offense that has been a little too charitable of late? If so, will we see #1 overall pick Jamarcus Russell?
   
3. Which Phillip Rivers will we see on Sunday night against the Colts?
4. Can the Browns sustain enough of a running game without their starting left guard and a battered right guard to buy Derek Anderson time to pass against the Steelers?
5. Can the Giants avoid the mental mistakes that have marred the team in big games (en route to a victory versus the Cowboys)?
   

5 NFL Questions Going Into Week 8

Here are five questions consuming my mind that concerns this week's action and beyond ...

1. After two victories that they didn't even deserve, can QB Alex Smith (coming off of injury) put a halt to the 49ers deplorable form that has seen them lose four straight?
2. Which Steven Jackson will we see against Cleveland?
   
3. The battle of head coach versus former coordinator manifests itself as the Eagles travel to face the Vikings. How will Andy Reid use Brian Westbrook, LJ Smith and the WRs to overcome Minnesota's underrated defense?
4. Will the Patriots D reaffirm their status as a top defense against an underperforming Redskins offensive unit?
5. Which Denver team will we see on national television - Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?