Giants are 14/1 to defend the title and the second coming of Tebow is 100/1 courtesy of Paddy Power.
Roll on the draft.
You thread title stealing bastard croppy_boy! 
For the record, Iâd like to make Houston an early favourite of mine for next year.
Pros:[list=1]
[]They are in a weak division. Jacksonville, Tennessee and Indy are all in a bit of a mess. Tennessee are the biggest threat unless Andrew Luck his an incredible first year.
[]They made the playoffs last year without their star QB, their star pass rusher and with their star WR hobbled with injury.
[]They broke some barriers this year. They had never won their division, never been to the playoffs and never won a playoff game. They did all three this year.
[]Their defense became a serious unit with the additions of Watt, Joseph and Manning
[/list]
Cons[list=1]
[]Second season syndrome
[]They need to pay Arian Foster which will take a big chunk of their cap.
[/list]
What they need:[list=1]
[]A WR to compliment Andre Johnson. I would love if they moved up to get Justin Blackmon. He is a serious talent.
[]Arian Foster to stay with them, while not blowing their cap in the process. Foster is an intelligent guy, I think heâll do the right thing for the team.
[/list]
Any chance we could edit the thread title? Itâs annoying me that they are similar. Canât we have something like:
Super Bowl XLVII - are we witnessing the birth of a Manning-Coughlin Dynasty that will dominate football for the next 5 years?
I only put âThe long and bumpyâ into the other one because of the looming lockout.
Not sure it works with this one.
I was only thinking that myself.
true cldâŚ
i think âsuperbowl xlvii the road to the superdomeâ would be more apt.
How about "Superbowl XlVII: From the shotgun shack to the superdome
CLD you may as well take the honours 
?
Have you seen their out of division line up next year? Theyâll need to go 6-0 in the division to get to 10 wins imo. Bills, Dolphins, Ravens, Packers & Vikings @Home and they get to travel to Patriots, Jets, Broncos, Bears & Lions.
The 49ers are another team with a bitch of a schedule coming up.
The Patriots have the handiest schedule next year again.
Thatâs not that bad. They are more than capable of beating the Bills, Dolphins, Vikings, Jets, Bears, Broncos and Lions.
And if they have any notion of going the whole way they should be able to give the Ravens, Packers and Patriots all they can handle. 4/10 playoff teams. The minimum they can have.
God was not on Tim Tebowâs side with the dog of a schedule they have.
2012 opponents
AFC North - Ravens, Steelers, Bengals, Browns
NFC South - Saints, Panthers, Falcons, Bucs
Other - Patriots, Texans
7/10 playoff teams.
Superbowl XLVII - Here Comes The Blitz
How true are these rumours of Peyton to the Redskins?
I donât think this needs saying but Iâve signed a long term extension committing my support to the New York Football Giants through to the conclusion of Super Bowl XLVIII which will take place in my home stadium, with an option to extend for an additional five years beyond that.
Iâm pleased to make this official but there has never been any doubt where my affections lie. Big Blue is the franchise of my NFL supporting career and Iâve never had any interest in transferring my support to another franchise. True Iâve been spotted at numerous Jets games before but this has only to give some encouragement to the little brother franchise.
Hereâs to many more successful years in Blue.
The Jets are being offered at 33/1 on Paddy Power.
Worth a punt in the hope that Peyton will move there?
Also Dolphins are 25/1 with the likelihood that Flynn will move from the Packers to there.
How come they donât offer e/w on it?
Back a team to win conference rather than each way in superbowlâŚ
Sent from my HTC Desire S using TFK App
Iâm not sure if this has been posted anywhere, apologies if it was, but it seems the Saints Superbowl win could be about to come under some scrutiny by the NFL. Would this be common in the NFL and what might be the outcome? Having watched the Americaâs Game on their win (which had been my new favourite of the most recent ones anyway) they did seem to go after one or two QBâs quite relentlessly, Warner in particular.
NFL: Saints defense had âbountyâ fund
http://espn.go.com/vâŚid=espn:7638694
NEW YORK â New Orleans Saints players and at least one assistant coach maintained a bounty pool of up to $50,000 the last three seasons to reward game-ending injuries inflicted on opposing players, including Brett Favre and Kurt Warner, the NFL said Friday. âKnockoutsâ were worth $1,500 and âcart-offsâ $1,000, with payments doubled or tripled for the playoffs.
The NFL said the pool amounts reached their height of $50,000 or more in 2009, the year the Saints won the Super Bowl.
The league said between 22 and 27 defensive players were involved in the program and that it was administered by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, with the knowledge of coach Sean Payton.
The investigation by the leagueâs security department determined that an improper âpay for performanceâ program included âbountyâ payments to players for inflicting injuries on opposing players that would result in them being removed from a game.
In some cases, the amounts pledged were both significant and directed against a specific opposing player, according to the leagueâs investigation. Four former Redskins players, including defensive end Phillip Daniels, told The Washington Post that Williams had a similar system while serving as the Redskinsâ defensive coordinator.
Matt Bowen, who also played for Williams in Washington, said in a column for The Chicago Tribune on Friday that he didnât regret taking part in the program.
âYou do what he (Williams) wants: play tough, push the envelope and carry a swagger that every opponent sees on tape. When you lined up against us, you knew we were coming after you. It was our gig, our plan, our way to motivate, to extra-motivate,â Bowen wrote for The Tribune.
âI wanted to be That Guy for him, playing the game with an attitude opposing players absolutely feared,â Bowen continued. "If that meant playing through the whistle or going low on a tackle, I did it.
âI donât regret any part of it. I canât. ⌠Your career exists in a short window, one that starts closing the moment it opens. If making a play to impress a coach or win a game pushes that window up an inch before it slams back down on your fingers, then you do what has to be done.â
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis failed to stop the bounty program when directed to do so by team owner Tom Benson, while Payton was aware of the allegations but did not pursue them or take steps to stop the âbountyâ program, according to the investigationâs findings.
âI want to express my sincere regret and apology to the NFL, Mr. Benson, and the New Orleans Saints fans for my participation in the âpay for performanceâ program while I was with the Saints,â Williams said in a statement. âIt was a terrible mistake, and we knew it was wrong while we were doing it. Instead of getting caught up in it, I should have stopped it. I take full responsibility for my role. I am truly sorry. I have learned a hard lesson and I guarantee that I will never participate in or allow this kind of activity to happen again.â
The findings, corroborated by multiple independent sources, have been presented to commissioner Roger Goodell, who will determine the appropriate discipline.
What Theyâre Tweeting
@shawnemerriman: Why is this a big deal now? Bounties been going on forever. A âBountyâ left me with a torn PCL and LCL in my knee âŚ
â Bills LB Shawne Merriman
@ChrisWarcraft: I mean seriously, think about it. Youâre talking about paying someone to INTENTIONALLY injure someone else. They put people in JAIL for that
@ChrisWarcraft: And let me make it perfectly clear - it doesnât matter WHAT team you play for. That kind of thing should NEVER happen.
â Vikings P Chris Kluwe
@jayfeely: No place in NFL for bounties. Physical play is an attribute but malicious intent should be removed
â Cardinals K Jay Feely
@damienwoody: This âbountyâ program happens all around the leagueâŚnot surprising
@damienwoody: The bigger question w/ this âbountyâ issue isâŚWHO SNITCHED!!!
@damienwoody: @joey0314 Iâm just speaking from a guy that was in the lockerroomâŚthese things happened, not saying it was right, but it happened
â Ex-Pats OL Damien Woody
@ChrisHarrisNFL: Football is a violent game n just because someone is hit very hard doesnât mean itâs malicious
â Lions S Chris Harris
@ShaunPhillips95: I think people forget that football is a contact sport. If you donât wanna get hurt donât play. I was always told keep your head on a swivel
â Chargers LB Shaun Phillips
âIt is our responsibility to protect player safety and the integrity of our game, and this type of conduct will not be tolerated,â Goodell said in a statement. âWe have made significant progress in changing the culture with respect to player safety and we are not going to relent. We have more work to do and we will do it.â
The NFLPA issued a statement Friday, stating it would review the findings.
âHealth and safety is a paramount issue to the NFLPA,â the statement read. âThe NFLPA was informed of this investigation by the NFL earlier today and will review the information contained in the leagueâs report.â
Goodell has advised the Saints that he will hold proceedings to determine potential discipline against the team and the individuals involved, and confer with the playersâ union regarding the appropriate punishment. That discipline could include fines, suspensions and the forfeiture of draft choices.
âI have been made aware of the NFLâs findings relative to the âBounty Ruleâ and how it relates to our club. I have offered and the NFL has received our full cooperation in their investigation,â Benson said in a statement. âWhile the findings may be troubling, we look forward to putting this behind us and winning more championships in the future for our fans.â
According to the investigation, the players regularly contributed cash into a pool and received improper cash payments of two kinds from the pool, based on their play in the previous weekâs game.
Williams administered the program with the knowledge of other defensive coaches and occasionally contributed funds, according to the league investigation.
Payments were made for plays such as interceptions and fumble recoveries. But the program also included âbountyâ payments for âcart-offs,â meaning that the opposing player was carried off the field, and âknockouts,â meaning that the opposing player was not able to return.
âThe payments here are particularly troubling because they involved not just payments for âperformance,â but also for injuring opposing players,â Goodell said in a statement. âThe bounty rule promotes two key elements of NFL football: player safety and competitive integrity.â
A team source familiar with the investigation told SI.com that Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma offered $10,000 to any defensive player that knocked Favre out of the 2009 NFC Championship Game.
Memo from Roger Goodell to NFL Owners
In the following memo from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to the leagueâs owners, obtained by ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, Goodell advises the owners that league investigators found the Saints ran a âbountyâ program, in violation of league rules.
As you know, league rules have long prohibited payment of non-contract bonuses â often referred to as âbounties.â These payments are prohibited whether offered generally, or in the context of a particular game or a playerâs performance against a particular team. Such payments are contrary to rules relating to player contracts and the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and present a serious threat to the integrity of the game.
A particularly damaging form of bounty payment involves targeting an opposing player and offering payments for acts directed against that player.
Our office will shortly issue a press release based on the attached confidential report setting forth the key findings of a lengthy investigation into allegations that players on the New Orleans Saints violated the bounty rule during the 2009-11 seasons, and did so with the knowledge and assistance of certain members of the coaching staff.
These allegations first arose during the playoffs following the 2009 season. Despite a prompt response, NFL Security could not substantiate the allegations, in part because players declined to provide any information. During the latter part of the 2011 season, we received additional information that led us to reopen the investigation.
Over the past three months, our staff has reviewed some 18,000 documents and conducted multiple interviews. The findings in the accompanying documents are corroborated by multiple independent sources.
The investigation established that Saints defensive players regularly contributed cash into a pool, from which players received cash payments for certain achievements, including interceptions, fumble recoveries, etc. But players also received cash payments for âknock-outsâ and âcart-offsâ â plays on which an opposing player was forced to leave the game. These cash awards were in the $1,000 to $1,500 range. Funds were also occasionally contributed by at least one assistant coach.
This conduct obviously has no place in our game and I intend to take all steps necessary to make sure that it stops immediately. Each owner should promptly review this matter with his coaching staff to make sure that this or any related impermissible activity is not taking place at his club.
Throughout this process, we have received the full cooperation of Saints owner Tom Benson. There is no information suggesting that club ownership knew of or approved these actions.
I will hold further proceedings before imposing discipline and will, of course, advise all clubs of any disciplinary action. We will discuss this matter at the upcoming Annual Meeting.
Any club with questions may contact Jeff Pash or me.
Favre, who absorbed multiple hard hits in the game, told SI.com: âIâm not pissed. Itâs football. I donât think anything less of those guys.â
Favreâs agent, Bus Cook, said he was unaware of the investigation until Friday. He said the Saints should have been penalized for several hard, late hits during the 2009 NFC Championship Game and that he believed the contact was not coincidental.
âIt was pretty obvious that the intent was to take Brett out of the game, and it happened the week before with Kurt Warner, too,â Cook said. âI donât know anything about whether it was by design or whatever, but I think a lot of people shared that same viewpoint that there were some hits that didnât get called.â
Cook, however, said Favre never suggested to him he was maliciously targeted.
âThatâs part of football, getting hit,â Cook said. âBrett never complained to me one way or another.â
The NFL has a longstanding rule prohibiting ânon-contract bonuses,â and they violate both the league constitution and bylaws and the collective bargaining agreement with the playersâ union. Clubs are advised every year of this rule in a memo from the commissioner.
âOur investigation began in early 2010 when allegations were first made that Saints players had targeted opposing players, including Kurt Warner of the Cardinals and Brett Favre of the Vikings,â Goodell said in a statement. "Our security department interviewed numerous players and other individuals.
âAt the time, those interviewed denied that any such program existed and the player that made the allegation retracted his earlier assertions. As a result, the allegations could not be proven,â Goodell said.
âWe recently received significant and credible new information and the investigation was re-opened during the latter part of the 2011 season.â
Warner, who retired after the 2009 season, responded to a fanâs comment on Twitter that even if the Saints had a bounty program a playoff hit on Warner was clean. Warner tweeted, âI would have to agree with you!!!â
âI donât want to say that there was an attempt to injure, but I definitely think there were games where I could tell you that it seemed that they went beyond what was normal in regard to when they were going to hit me or how they were going to hit me,â Warner said on the NFL Network. âAgain, not with the intention necessarily of hurting me, but knocking me out of my game to get me to think about things differently. If by chance they hit me and knocked me out of the game, maybe thatâs a benefit for them.â
Chicago Bears wide receiver Earl Bennett was injured by a hit from Roman Harper, who was not flagged or fined, in a Week 2 loss to the Saints. Bennett missed five weeks with a chest injury.
âAll I have to say is I hope we play them again,â Bennett told ESPNChicago.com Friday. âThe game of football is a contact sport, so if theyâre gunning for me, Iâm going to be gunning for them.â
Williams employed a similar system while with the Redskins from 2004-07, according to a report Friday in The Washington Post.
Three former players said Williams handed out thousands of dollars in accordance with a specific scoring system, including âkill shotsâ that resulted in opposing teamsâ top players being knocked out of the game.
Daniels, however, went on the record in the Post report and defended Williams.
âI think it is wrong the way theyâre trying to paint (Williams),â Daniels told the Post. âHe never told us to go out there and break a guyâs neck or break a guyâs leg. It was all in the context of a good, hard football.â
Daniels told the Post it was his understanding that Williams started the âbountyâ program with money collected from fines for players being late for practices and meetings.
âRather than pocket that money or whatever, he would re-distribute it to players who had good games or good practices,â Daniels told the Post.
Daniels told the Post the most money he ever received was $1,500 for a four-sack game against the Cowboys in 2005.
According to the NFL investigation of the Saints, Benson was not initially aware of the bounty program and directed Loomis to make sure it was discontinued immediately. The evidence showed Loomis did not do so, investigators found.
âSimilarly, when the initial allegations were discussed with Mr. Loomis in 2010, he denied any knowledge of a bounty program and pledged that he would ensure that no such program was in place. There is no evidence that Mr. Loomis took any effective action to stop these practices,â according to the leagueâs findings.
Payton âwas not a direct participant in the funding or administration of the program,â according to the investigation.
However, Payton âwas aware of the allegations, did not make any detailed inquiry or otherwise seek to learn the facts, and failed to stop the bounty program. He never instructed his assistant coaches or players that a bounty program was improper and could not continue,â the investigation found.
The investigation included the review of approximately 18,000 documents totaling more than 50,000 pages, interviews of a wide range of individuals and the use of outside forensic experts to verify the authenticity of key documents.
A memo sent by the NFL to all 32 teams detailing the investigation was obtained by CBS Sports, which reported that Michael Ornstein, a former marketing agent with close ties to Payton and former Saint Reggie Bush, contributed to the bounty fund.
Ornstein, who served time in prison for fraud, pledged $10,000 to the quarterback bounty in 2009, and contributed money at least twice in 2011, according to CBS Sports.
According to CBS Sports, the memo also details an email sent from Ornstein to Payton, which outlined the bounty system.
The NFLâs most infamous bounty case occurred in 1989 when Eagles coach Buddy Ryan was accused of putting a bounty on Cowboys players.
On Thanksgiving Day, Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson accused Ryan of putting a bounty on Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman and placekicker Luis Zendejas before a 27-0 Philadelphia victory. Ryan and his players denied the charges and NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue found no evidence of wrongdoing.
Information from ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, ESPNChicago.com and The Associated Press was used in this report.
As long as the hit is within the rules, why should the bounty matter?
If I saw a QB throw a pick and then run after the CB who caught it making him fair game, Iâm gonna hit him as hard as I can bounty or no bounty. The bounty is a perk for good play.
Nothing wrong with this hit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23l5oR9UO8k
If a guy got paid for an illegal hit that is a totally different story.
Broncos used the franchise tag for Prater.
Other significant uses were the Patriots (cunts) with Welker and the Ravens with Rice.