Five NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat in 2012

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Leslie Frazier (pictured above) is one of many coaches entering the 2012 season on the hot seat.

By Wesley Kaminsky

Every year in the NFL, coaches get fired. There’s no way around it. When a team is struggling, the blame falls to the head coach.

Last season, Steve Spagnuolo, Tony Sparano, Raheem Morris, Tony Haley, Jack Del Rio, Hue Jackson, and Jim Caldwell were among those who were given the boot. No surprise, none of those teams made the playoffs.

Which coaches have a lot of pressure on them this year? Here is my two cents.

No.5: Leslie Frazier, Minnesota Vikings

Since taking over as interim coach in 2010 for Brad Childress, the Vikings haven’t seen much improvement from Leslie Frazier. After going 3-3 in 2010, Frazier got his interim tag removed, becoming the head coach of the Vikings.

In his first full season in Minnesota, the Vikings had their worst season since 1984, going 3-13. After starting the season with Donovan McNabb at quarterback, the Vikings quickly fell to 1-5. Needing a spark, Frazier turned to rookie Christian Ponder. Ponder managed to go just 2-8 in his rookie season and will be the starting quarterback in 2012.

If Ponder isn’t the answer for the Vikings, that could also very well mean the end for Frazier. With Adrian Peterson coming off of a torn ACL and MCL, you have to wonder if he’ll be the same. If the Vikings start this season slow again, don’t be surprised if he gets fired. Be careful, Leslie.

Final Verdict: Leslie Frazier gets fired halfway through the season.

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Final NFL Regular Season Power Rankings: It’s Playoff Time

Photo courtesy of sports.gearlive.com. The Packers have been number one in the power rankings all season long. Can they hold up their end of the bargain and repeat as Super Bowl champions?

By Wesley Kaminsky

In the final edition of power rankings before postseason play starts next weekend, I’m ranking teams on their entire body of work for the 2011 season. It was a crazy season, just as it always is, and one of the most exciting regular seasons we have seen in quite some time.

Some of the wild events just to name a few were “Tebow Mania,” the Packers near run of perfection, and Dan Marino’s single season passing record getting broken (twice). We truly have seen the gamut this season.

Now, it’s the best time of the year, the playoffs. Who will be this years Packers? Or will the Packers win back to back Super Bowls?

NFL Week 14 Predictions

Photo courtesy of ESPN.com. The game of the week pits two NFC East super powers against each other. Cowboys (left) and Giants (right).

By Josh Kramer

Peyton Manning’s days in Indianapolis may be numbered.  Aaron Rodgers is putting up one of the greatest regular season bodies of work of all time.  And Tim Tebow continues to shock the world.  The NFL this year has been extremely unpredictable, but extremely fun.

As has become the tradition, we are once again having “TheSportsKraze Pick’em Challenge.”

The participants this season are as follows:

TheSportsKraze (TSK) (defending champion)-Josh Kramer-Founder/Editor-In-Chief of “TheSportsKraze” and former ESPN intern.

CV3-Chad Vordenberge-An elite high school wide receiver and a very successful business owner.

CB-Craig Baker-A former collegiate baseball player and current special education teacher.

DC-David Clark-A dedicated sports fan who was coached by TheSportsKraze on his fraternity flag football team.  After playing for TheSportsKraze, he has developed a slow but steady motivation to show his coach who the real pick’em champion is.

After Week 13, here is the scoreboard.

CB-121

TSK-129

CV3-118

DC-119

Week 14 Slate:

Week 14 NFL Power Rankings: All Aboard the Tebow Train

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Aaron Rodgers (pictured above) is having a magical season in every sense of the word.

By Wesley Kaminsky

In Week 14, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers stayed undefeated, the Eagles got rocked in Seattle, and Tim Tebow led another fourth quarter comeback for the Broncos. Yeah, it was just your average week in the 2011 NFL season.

If you are not a Tebowist by now, than you should become one. There’s something special about this kid, and he has turned around the entire Broncos season. He’s helped lead a five game winning streak for the Broncos and has them in first place. You can’t tell me you don’t want to see him in the playoffs. I, for one, wouldn’t want to play him come playoff time.

While Tebow has been impressive though, no player in the NFL is playing better than Aaron Rodgers right now. You just get the sense that he is not going to let the Packers lose this season. Just ask the Giants about that one. At 12-0, they have four more games to go for an undefeated season. I’d put my money on them to do it.

Food for Thought 11-1-2011

Photo courtesy of allphiladelphiasports.com. Michael Vick (pictured above) and the "Dream Team" appear to have finally found their mojo.

By Josh Kramer

The past few days in the sporting world have been absolutely wild.  Amazing College Football finishes, shocking NFL upsets, and of course the conclusion of what was an epic World Series. The following are the items that have really caught my attention.

See ya Tony

-The game of baseball is now a better place.  Okay maybe that is a little bit of a hyperbole, but it is not so far-fetched in my opinion.  Tony LaRussa, the St. Louis Cardinals manager, has called it quits after 33 years as an MLB manager.  And as you all are already more than aware, I have never been shy about my sentiments on LaRussa.  The man is a nuissance, and really hurt the game more than he helped it.  Despite my opinion though, he did put up some outrageous numbers that will forever be in the record books.

Week 7 NFL Power Rankings

Photo courtesy of fantasyfootballhelp.com. Not too many people are talking about the lone undefeated team in the NFL after six weeks. Green Bay has been simply outstanding riding guys such as Jordy Nelson (pictured above) to easy victories.

By Wesley Kaminsky

Week six is in the books, and it consisted of drama–and lots of it. Some of it wasn’t even on the field itself. Following the 49ers comeback victory in Detroit, Jim Harbaugh was excited, and fiery. Apparently Lions coach Jim Schwartz didn’t like how Harbaugh shook his hand, as he continued to yell at the Niners coach all the way down the field. The two had to be broken up as they were heading into the tunnel.

Now, that’s drama.

If you don’t know anything about Jim Harbaugh, that’s just his personality. He does things his way and doesn’t care what people say about him. Remember while at Stanford when Pete Carroll famously asked Harbaugh, “what’s your deal?”  Do you think Harbaugh looks like the kind of guy who cares how he is perceived?

No coach has done a better job this season than him either. After inheriting a 6-10 49er’s team, and having a limited off-season due to the lockout, Harbaugh has brought football back in San Francisco. He has done with Alex Smith what neither Mike Nolan, or Mike Singletary was able to do; make him a quarterback.

There’s just something about this Harbaugh guy.