Taylor agrees to deal with Pats

Fred Taylor has agreed to a deal with the New England Patriots after being released by the Jaguars this offseason.

I don't think Taylor is a dominating every-down back anymore, but he could still work in a rotation or as a spot-starter. The Bills also tried to acquire Taylor, it must be extra bitter when you lose a player to a division rival.

Bills bringing in Veteran WR?

Laveranues Coles is set to visit the Bills today.

Coles was released by the Jets earlier this week after they failed to come to amiable terms on a contract issue. Coles has seen his ability drop a little the last few seasons, and I'm hesitant to consider him a solid number 1, but if you pair him with superstar Lee Evans and he'll be a good addition.

Visits aren't official, but barring a failed physical you can expect a deal to get done. Now the Bills should focus their energy on finding a solid Tight End. L.J. Smith might still be available and should be a good fit in Buffalo.

Vrabel to Chiefs

It looks like new Kansas City GM Scott Pioli is busy adding some old Patriot magic to the Chiefs, bringing in LB Mike Vrabel via trade from his old team.

KC gets some much needed experience and leadership from a veteran player, New England has the opportunity to inject some youth into their aging linebacking corps. I'm not sure what the Pats get in return, but so far this seems to be a pretty one-sided deal.

Pioli Leaves New England for Kansas City

In one of the best examples of "from the penthouse to the shithouse" Scott Pioli has left his position as Vice President of Player Personnel for the New England Patriots in order to take the GM job with Kansas City.

I understand why Pioli left his position with the Pats - he wants to carve out his own legacy. He didn't have full control in New England, everyone knows that was Belicheat's team. Pioli is the only guy holding the reigns in Kansas City. He doesn't have to defer to anyone else (except maybe the owner.) If Pioli can build the Chiefs back into a contender then he's the hero, not Belichick. So, I understand why he took the job, I just don't agree with it.

Kansas City needs a lot of work, and there's a very good chance that Pioli could also tank his career by taking this job. If he builds a winner then he's going to get a lot of credit and respect, but the odds are stacked against him.

This also likely means the end of Herm Edwards in KC. ESPN's Michael Smith reported an unnamed source close to the team said not to rule out Herm Edwards to continue as Head Coach, but I don't buy it. I like Herm Edwards a lot, but I really don't like him as an NFL head coach. He is far too conservative for my tastes. He's an average coach. An 8-8 kind guy, meaning he has the ability to eek out 8 wins from a terrible team, but he'll also frusterate fans by losing 8 games with a great team. I just don't think he's the answer for the Chiefs and he will get the axe sometime this offseason.

NFL Awards

MVP: Peyton Manning
Manning was the trendy pick for this award. He was red-hot through the last nine games of the season, but this is the weakest of his three MVP campaigns. Still, in the absence of a clear-cut MVP voters went with the safe, comfortable pick.

Biggest Snubs:
Michael Turner was the motor to Atlanta's offense and he made things a whole lot easier on Matt Ryan. A good running back can make any QB look good.

Phillip Rivers and Drew Brees had outstanding seasons, but the fact that their teams' underperformed really hurt their stock.

Offensive Rookie: Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan had a season for the ages, posting one of the best campaigns for a rookie QB. Ever. This kid has the skills to pay the bills and is going to be a perennial Pro Bowler if he can doesn't spiral out of control. Rookie QBs like Ryan, Flacco and Roethlisberger are putting a lot of pressure on any players that follow in their tracks. Coaches, GMs, owners and fans are going to be (unfairly) expecting immediate returns.

Biggest Snubs:
There are a lot of rookie running backs that got the shaft this year. Steve Slaton, Matt Forte and Chris Johnson all topped 1,200 yards and each had at least 8 TDs. Any one of those guys could have gotten serious consideration.

Eddie Royal and DeSean Jackson both came up huge for their teams, but a receiver's never going to win this award.

Defensive Rookie: Jerod Mayo
It's easy to measure an offensive player's production in yards and touchdowns, but it's much harder to quantify defensive statistics. 128 tackles, 1 FF and 1 FR are outstanding wether you're a rookie or a veteran player, though. The Pats linebacking corps needed a youth transfusion and they got it.

Biggest Snub:
No one else really deserves the award over Mayo, but the Redskins' Chris Horton comes close. He had 76 tackles 3 INTs and a FR from the strong safety possition. That's an outstanding season.

Comeback Player: Chad Pennington
Pennington was unceremoniously dumped when the Jets picked up Favre, but he was quickly snapped up by Bill Parcells to Quarterback division rival Miami. There are a lot of knocks on Pennington, namely his arm strength and mobility (or lack thereof), but I think his pros outweigh his cons. Simply put this guy is one of the most accurate QBs in the league. I'd take him over at least half the starting QBs, including Favre. Pennington deserved this award.

Biggest Snubs:
Nobody's rise from the ashes was as big as Pennington's but Antonio Bryant's resurgance comes close. Bryant was basically ran himself out of the league with his bad attitude, but has returned, presumably humbled and become a top-tier receiver in Tampa. Remember that one-handed touchdown catch? Outstanding.

Kerry Collins should get a nod here too. He took over for Vince Young in Tennessee and quietly led an outstanding team into the playoffs. Critics claimed that the Titans couldn't win with Collins if you could shut down their ground game and he answered them in week 10 and 11 tossing for 519 yards and 5 TDs in those two weeks, both victories.

Coach of the Year: Mike Smith
No team was in as much turmoil last season as the Atlanta Falcons. Abandoned by Head Coach Bobby Petrino, star Quarterback (read vastly overrated coach-killer) on his way to federal prison for heinous crimes. The team just fell apart. Boy what a difference a year makes. Owner Arthur Blank and management made all the right moves. Hire a high-character coach, sign the best running back available and draft a franchise QB. This team had great success in just one season, but is built for the future.

Biggest Snubs:
Two other rookie head coaches also turned their franchises from doormats to contenders. The Dolphins went from 1-15 to the top team in the AFC East thanks in equal parts to Tony Sparano and Bill Parcells.

The Ravens struggled last year, but Harbaugh managed to turn them around into a playoff team. His feat isn't as impressive, though, since the Ravens were a vastly superior to the Falcons and Dolphins talent-wise.

Jets Beat Pats in OT, Take Control of Division

The New York Jets squeaked by the New England Patriots Thursday night, winning 34-31 after a 34-yard Jay Feely field goal in OT. The Jets avenged a week 2 loss, and are now in sole possession of first place in the AFC East.

Brett Favre managed to avoid throwing in interception for only the third time this season, and Thomas Jones continued working running hard, going for 104 yards and a TD.

Several Patriots had big nights in the loss. Matt Cassel played the game of his life, passing for 400 yards and 3 TDs, while adding 62 yards on the ground! If he keeps this up Brady might have to fight to get his job back (not really - geeze, haven't you ever heard of a hyperbole?) Rookie linebacker Jerod Mayo added 16 tackles to his team-leading 65 on the season. Mayo is having an outstanding season, and the future of this defense is in excellent hands.

The Jets take sole possession of first place in the AFC East tonight, but they'll be looking over their shoulder every week, because the Patriots are looming. One misstep (or untimely Favre "jump-bal"l interception) and the Jets might be right back in a tie. Two missteps and they could tumble all the way to the AFC basement.

Who Will Win Thursday Night?

New York Jets (6-3) at New England Patriots (6-3):

The Jets and Patriots are currently tied atop the AFC East. Things are going to change this evening, as the Jets head to New England to take on the Patriots. The winner gets sole possession of first place in the division. These two teams met in Week 2 this season, with the Patriots claiming a 19-10 victory.

Things have changed since then. The Jets have rediscovered how to play defense and Thomas Jones is running like a beast, with seven touchdowns in his last five games!

The Pats are no slouches, though. Matt Cassel is playing effective – albeit plain – football. He’s not lighting up the scoreboards, but he’s playing well enough to keep the Patriots competitive. It helps that they’ve discovered a decent running back named BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Green-Ellis has scored once in each of his four starts this season.

The Patriots are playing without one of their top defensive player this week, after Adalius Thomas broke his arm last week. Add that to their weak secondary and nagging injuries to other players and it could be a recipe for a Jets victory.

The Jets defense has all the tools to keep the Patriots offense in check. Thomas Jones is going to have another big day on the ground. The key is Brett Favre. Favre has two throws in his arsenal: the quick slant, and the chuck-it-up-and-hope-a-player-in-a-green-jersey-comes-down-with-it. When they work, they work. When they don’t his team loses. If Favre can protect the ball the Jets will win. If he has another three-interception performance the Jets will lose.

Prediction: Jones goes for two scores, Favre only turns the ball over once. Jets win, 24-17.