It has been well documented that the Jets have two major flaws: locker room issues and uncertainty at quarterback.  By acquiring Tim Tebow, they might be able to fix both problems.  There is no doubt that Tebow would help the image of the team's locker room, but I'm hard pressed to believe thats the only reason they traded for him.  Mark Sanchez was drafted too high originally and I have always believed the reason he has underperformed is because he has had no true competition.  Just as an example, the ageless wonder, Mark Brunell was his backup for two years.

Now, Sanchez will at least be pushed by Tebow purely based on the fact that the media will be calling for Tebow if Sanchez struggles this season.  I have said all along that Tim Tebow will improve and if that is the case, he could be starting by the sixth week of the season.  At the very least, Tony Sparano and Rex Ryan will be able to be more creative on the offensive side of the ball which is something they haven't done the last few seasons.

As for Denver, the circus is finally over.  They have pushed all their chips in on Peyton Manning because in all reality, they did not get compensated very well for Tebow.  By only receiving a 4th and 6th round draft pick for Tebow, they basically are saying that they wanted to get rid of him and start a new chapter in Broncos history because apparently a 4th round pick is worth more than at least exploring the idea of having Tebow be Manning's backup.

Nonetheless, I don't remember a week in March where there was so much NFL drama, but it sure will provide for an interesting 2012 NFL season.

 

Its only fitting we start by talking about the best matchup of the night and that involves Centennial and Eagle.  The first time these two played, the Mustangs nipped the Patriots by the slimmest of margins and are looking for a season sweep.  With that being said, these two teams are completely different than when they faced off the first time.  Centennial was still trying to find its identity after losing two close games to 4A schools and Eagle was undefeated and clicking on all cylinders.  The biggest thing for both of these teams is finding consistency.  When they both are on top of their game, they can beat anyone, but we have also seen them at their worst with some questionable losses.

Vallivue makes the trip over to Boise High tonight and the Falcons are in desperate need of a victory to create some breathing room as they push towards the district tournament.  The Falcons have two tough games this weekend as they will also play Timberline tomorrow night in a makeup game that was supposed to be played between Christmas and New Years.  If the Falcons can come away with a split, things will be looking good for the district tournament, but if they drop both contests, they will be fighting until the very end to qualify.  The Braves can all but secure their spot in the district tournament with a victory tonight.  It would take a monumental collapse for them to not make it in the first place, but once everything is clinched the Braves can then focus on seeding.  They are in a unique spot because they are all but guaranteed a spot in the postseason and will most likely not win the conference so its all about seeding for the Braves in their final seven games.

What's wrong with the defending State Champions? The Mountain View Mavericks have lost two games in a row and are looking for a solid performance tonight against the Capital Eagles.  The Mavericks have lost to Borah and Timberline their last two times on the floor and the biggest problem has been trying to get Brandon Luedtke and Tanner Percifield both clicking in the same game.  When one is on, it seems that the other has an off night and that needs to change in the next few weeks if the Mavericks want to make a serious push at defending their title.  Capital needs to start winning games fast if they want to make the district tournament.  Currently, they are two games out of 8th place and they will need Hunter Young to erupt tonight to have a chance.  The sophomore transfer from Kuna had 30 points last time out against Boise High.  You can listen to the game on 630 The Fan starting at 7:30.

Borah Head Coach Cary Cada promised me nothing will change for the Lions now that they are the new #1 team in the state and we will see if he is right as they take on Meridian tonight.  This is a potential first round preview as these two teams are sitting #1 and #8 in the conference.  The Warriors need to get going early as they fell behind by 15 points to Centennial last weekend only scoring 10 points in the first half.

The final game is Timberline at Rocky Mountain and the biggest question will be what Rocky team will show up.  The Grizzlies have taken Mountain View and Eagle down to the wire, but have nothing to show for it as they are in 9th place with seven games remaining.  Timberline gets their leading scorer back in Jarid Downey, but maybe their offense should run through Jordan Hall considering he had 28 points against Mountain View.  The Wolves have a great opportunity this weekend to get two wins over teams below them in the standings and if thats the case, they could be right in the mix to potentially take the #2 seed going into the district tournament.

I have already said numerous times that Tim Tebow is a fantastic human being and a competitor at the highest level, but if you had to compare him against Peyton Manning, there is nothing to talk about.  Manning is arguably the best quarterback in NFL history and is a for sure first ballot Hall of Famer.  When the time came where Manning cut ties with the Colts, he immediately became the best free agent in NFL history and the Broncos have now officially landed him, so why is there controversy?

The Broncos will be undoubtedly a better football team and you couldn't help but feel the excitement in the media room in Denver after watching the press conference earlier today.  The class that was shown by Peyton Manning throughout the press conference, specifically answering questions about Tim Tebow, was top-notch.  I would like to see the Broncos keep both Peyton Manning and Tim Tebow, but by judging from their reactions today, that will not happen.  Everyone involved understands the nature of the business and it didn't look like John Elway lost any sleep about making this move.  Surprisingly enough though, he did say he wanted to send Tebow to the best place possible where he could succeed.

With Peyton Manning, the Broncos immediately become a Super Bowl contender and a huge favorite to win the AFC West.  The next question that everyone will be asking is who else will join him in the Mile High City.  Everyone thinks Jeff Saturday would be the important piece in the puzzle, but I think Dallas Clark would be the best get for the Broncos to complement Manning.  With young wide receivers, Clark would be Peyton's safety valve when a play breaks down.

No matter who else Denver gets, this was a great day to be a Bronco fan that will produce a championship in the next three seasons.

If you have listened to the show throughout the course of the season, you know that I have been on the Ravens bandwagon.  People can criticize Joe Flacco all they want, but the guy has made the playoffs all four years in the NFL.  One other thing to note, although New England torched Denver last weekend, the Ravens will bring a better defensive effort into Foxboro on Sunday.  

The final key to the game is how well the Texans defense actually played last weekend.  Baltimore looked terrible the final three quarters offensively, but Houston had a top 5 defense, something New England isn't close to having.  Flacco will make enough throws to win and Ray Rice will be a huge catalyst on the ground as the Ravens will pull off the upset and make the trip to Indianapolis for the Super Bowl.

On the NFC side, its the matchup no one expected.  The Giants, who needed to win on the final game of the regular season to make the playoffs, have won three in a row and will travel across the country hotter than anyone else to take on the team no one has given respect to all season. The San Francisco 49ers have secretly been the greatest story in the NFL this season and are just one game away from the Super Bowl.  Expect a heavier dose of Frank Gore this week as the 49ers will try and keep Eli and his explosive receivers off the field.  Although my head is telling me the Giants will win, my heart is telling me to root for the 49ers.  Either way, it will be a great game to watch.

We will have our high school preview show tomorrow featuring all ten 5A coaches in preparation for a big weekend in the Treasure Valley.  Tune in at 4:00 

There are three double digit seeds left in the Sweet 16 and they aren't the teams everyone expected.  Trendier picks to be this year's Cinderella were VCU, Long Beach State and Belmont, but their seasons have come to a close and if you are looking for the team to root for, look no further than the Ohio Bobcats.  Ohio was able to knock off Big 10 Co-champion, Michigan, in the 2nd round and used a late surge to beat the pesky USF Bulls yesterday to advance to the Sweet 16.  Next up for the Bobcats is a true David vs. Goliath matchup as they will go up against North Carolina who is still awaiting the status of their pointguard, Kendall Marshall, who broke his wrist against Creighton yesterday.

The other two double digit seeds that are still left in this year's tourney are a bit of a surprise considering how they looked in January.  Back in the 1st two months of the season, the Musketeers were ranked in the top 10 and everything was looking good until a brawl with fellow Sweet 16 participant, Cincinnati, altered Xavier's fate until they got back on the right track in March.  Another team that had to sweat it out on Selection Sunday was the NC State Wolfpack.  With last second losses to Duke and North Carolina on their resume, 1st year coach Mark Gottfried was left to wonder if his squad had enough to make it into the Big Dance.  As fate would have it, the Wolfpack were the final team announced into the field on the Selection Show and have taken advantage of the opportunity by beating San Diego State and Georgetown the last two games.

We love to talk about the Cinderellas, but don't forget that all four #1 seeds are still left in the Tournament and will continue to be favored to make it to New Orleans.  So going into this weekends games, fans have a little bit of everything to look forward to and you can catch all the action on 630 The Fan or you can listen on our website at 630thefan.com with coverage starting at 5:00 PM Thursday.