The final day of the NFL regular season lands on the first day of 2012 with a full slate of 16 games highlighted by the Sunday night clash at MetLife Stadium between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, a winner-take-all showdown with the victor claiming the spoils (the NFC East crown) and the loser left without a wild card.
Barring an improbable tie between the Giants and Cowboys in which New York would claim the division title, only the winner of the NFC East this season will finish with a winning record.
Neither team arrives at the critical game in good recent form with the Giants going 2-5 over the past seven games and the Cowboys having lost three of four.
While the mainstream media focuses on the matchup between inconsistent quarterbacks Eli Manning and Tony Romo, serious analysts are monitoring the physical and emotional health of New York running back Ahmad Bradshaw. The hard-charging Bradshaw is officially listed as probable after sitting out practice both Wednesday and Thursday with an ankle injury.
Bradshaw, the emotional leader of the New York offense, did not start in the first meeting between the teams, a 37-34 come-from-behind victory for the Giants in Arlington, Texas. The seventh-round draft pick from Marshall University violated Tom Coughlin's strict team rules. Bradshaw appeared focused and looked unstoppable in the Giants' big win last week over their crosstown rival, the New York Jets.
Two other division titles will be settled today as Baltimore and Pittsburgh compete yet again for the AFC North crown while Denver and Oakland look to capture the AFC West title.
The Ravens will win the division on Sunday with a victory over the wild-card chasing Bengals or if the Steelers unexpectedly lose in Cleveland. In the ten-year history of the AFC North, the Ravens and Steelers have accounted for eight of the 10 division titles.
Denver controls its destiny in the AFC West race but unlike the Raiders, the Broncos do not have a chance at an AFC wild card spot. Denver's showdown against rival Kansas City delivers the day's most interesting storyline as quarterback Kyle Orton seeks redemption against the team that chose Tim Tebow over him. A Denver victory over Kansas City would provide one of the NFL's most marketable and inspirational stars his biggest professional stage.
For the past two years now, the NFL matches division rivals against one another in the final week of the season. This scheduling strategy ensures an interesting final week as only three games -- Washington at Philadelphia, Chicago at Minnesota and Seattle at Arizona -- have no impact on the playoff picture and only a minor effect on NFL Draft implications.
However, sophisticated sports bettor Mike Greene mentioned last week the importance of the final division standings as they relate to the 2012 NFL schedule. Philadelphia, with a victory over Washington, would finish second in the NFC East and be forced to face Green Bay and San Francisco next season.
SUNDAY'S BEST BET....Let's fade the move to start off the year by supporting 330 DENVER -1 (-117) over Kansas City.
COMING MONDAY.....A preview of the 2012 NFL postseason.
Barring an improbable tie between the Giants and Cowboys in which New York would claim the division title, only the winner of the NFC East this season will finish with a winning record.
Neither team arrives at the critical game in good recent form with the Giants going 2-5 over the past seven games and the Cowboys having lost three of four.
While the mainstream media focuses on the matchup between inconsistent quarterbacks Eli Manning and Tony Romo, serious analysts are monitoring the physical and emotional health of New York running back Ahmad Bradshaw. The hard-charging Bradshaw is officially listed as probable after sitting out practice both Wednesday and Thursday with an ankle injury.
Bradshaw, the emotional leader of the New York offense, did not start in the first meeting between the teams, a 37-34 come-from-behind victory for the Giants in Arlington, Texas. The seventh-round draft pick from Marshall University violated Tom Coughlin's strict team rules. Bradshaw appeared focused and looked unstoppable in the Giants' big win last week over their crosstown rival, the New York Jets.
Two other division titles will be settled today as Baltimore and Pittsburgh compete yet again for the AFC North crown while Denver and Oakland look to capture the AFC West title.
The Ravens will win the division on Sunday with a victory over the wild-card chasing Bengals or if the Steelers unexpectedly lose in Cleveland. In the ten-year history of the AFC North, the Ravens and Steelers have accounted for eight of the 10 division titles.
Denver controls its destiny in the AFC West race but unlike the Raiders, the Broncos do not have a chance at an AFC wild card spot. Denver's showdown against rival Kansas City delivers the day's most interesting storyline as quarterback Kyle Orton seeks redemption against the team that chose Tim Tebow over him. A Denver victory over Kansas City would provide one of the NFL's most marketable and inspirational stars his biggest professional stage.
For the past two years now, the NFL matches division rivals against one another in the final week of the season. This scheduling strategy ensures an interesting final week as only three games -- Washington at Philadelphia, Chicago at Minnesota and Seattle at Arizona -- have no impact on the playoff picture and only a minor effect on NFL Draft implications.
However, sophisticated sports bettor Mike Greene mentioned last week the importance of the final division standings as they relate to the 2012 NFL schedule. Philadelphia, with a victory over Washington, would finish second in the NFC East and be forced to face Green Bay and San Francisco next season.
SUNDAY'S BEST BET....Let's fade the move to start off the year by supporting 330 DENVER -1 (-117) over Kansas City.
COMING MONDAY.....A preview of the 2012 NFL postseason.
