Debate Of The Young Sports Minds: Best Of The Best

After a wild weekend, Luke and I decided to debate what was/is the best of the best right now. So without further adieu, the first question up is:

WHAT WAS THE BEST GAME OF THIS PAST WEEKEND?

MATT: Well, I think I have caught my breath from this weekend of sporting events. Wild finishes all weekend. From football in the college and pro ranks all the way to the MLB Playoffs, it's been a solid weekend of sporting events. But if I had to pick the best game of the entire weekend, I gotta go with the Chicago-Atlanta NFL game.

Granted, this game involved two NFL teams that probably have no shot of winning the Super Bowl this season but the action in this game was downright ridiculous. And it all came in the 4th quarter. Up 12-10, Matt Ryan finds Roddy White to make it 19-10. After a Robbie Gould FG to make it 19-13, Jason Elam has a chance to make it an important 9 point lead but Elam, one of two clutch kickers in my lifetime, shanks it badly. Uh oh.

The Bears drive and score with 11 seconds left. The TD pass and drive in itself was crazy but it was overshadowed by the last 11 seconds. A squib kick does wonders for ATL, getting the ball at their 40 yd line. 6 econds left. Matt Ryan has to make a quick throw to get yards but not use up all the clock. He finds Michael Jenkins on the sideline and of course, one second left. Who ya gonna call? The same guy who shanked away a 9-pt lead earlier. But remember, Elam is a clutch kicker. From 48 yards, there was no doubt.

I watched this entire 4th quarter and let me tell ya, I was on the edge of my seat the entire game. I was at work, and had already put in my script that the Falcons moved to 4-2 before the Elam miss. Once the Bears scored, I began changing everything. But when Matt Ryan made that throw, my jaw dropped. I couldn't believe it.

It was the kind of game that if Disney made a script for, I would have dismissed it as "impossible" and "made-for-movie drama'. But this was real. The characters included Kyle orton, a quarterback who resurrected his career. Matt Ryan, the highly touted rookie trying to live up to expectations. Michael Jenkins, the former Buckeye standout who has underachieved in the NFL. And of course, the Atlanta Falcons, a team trying to recover from the Michael Vick debacle.

And somehow, someway, they found a way to win. Again, there were a lot of great finishes and games in general. But this one literally made my jaw drop. And that's plenty enough for me to say it was the best of the weekend.

LUKE: You are absolutely right, what a ridiculous weekend of football. Three of the top five went down in college ball, and as you mentioned, there were a plethora of last-second games over on the professional ranks.

Can't disagree with you at all in terms of selecting the Bears-Falcons, as Matt Ryan made everyone in Atlanta forget about Mr. Vick. However, my nod goes to the Arizona-Dallas contest as being the best game of the weekend.

Dallas came in as a slight favorite, but found themselves trailing by ten points with just a shade more than three minutes to play. That's when the fireworks began.

Marion Barber took a simple dump pass from Tony Romo and scampered 70 yards for a quick touchdown. The Cardinals went three-and-out on their next possession and gave the ball right back to the Cowboys who lucked into field goal range when offsides was called on Arizona linebacker Travis Laboy who was injured and could not get off the field as Romo spiked the ball.

Those extra five yards proved to be critical because Dallas kicker Nick Folk barely made the game-tying 52 field goal as time expired to send the game into overtime.

With all the momentum on the side of the Cowboys, it appeared the Cardinals had let this victory escape their grasps. Almost.

The Cowboys got the ball first in overtime, but were forced to punt, which turned out to be the last play of the game. Cardinals' Mat McBriar blocked the punt and Arizona returned it for a touchdown to win 30-24. It was the first time in NFL history that an overtime game was won on a blocked punt return.

It was a playoff type atmosphere between two teams that will actually be playing come January. Arizona proved they could hang with the big boys with this ridiculous home win.

What a crazy weekend.

WHAT IS THE BEST NFL TEAM RIGHT NOW?

LUKE: Staying with the NFL, we are six weeks in and at a good juncture to take a stab at who the best team is currently.

This is such a difficult question, because we are not picking who we think will win the Super Bowl, but merely deciding RIGHT NOW who the best team is in the NFL.

Well, it's safe to say the Dallas Cowboys are the most talented. The Pittsburgh Steelers are probably the best equipped to win the AFC, and the Buffalo Bills just find ways to win. That being said, the best team in the league is the one - AND ONLY - team to be undefeated, the Tennessee Titans.

Sure they have some negatives. Relying too heavily on Kerry Collins will never turn out well. Their leading receiver is Bo Scaife. They also have only played one legit playoff team (Jacksonville). However, their positives more than outweigh these few hardships.

First of all, the Titans have the best defensive unit in the entire league, hands down. Through their first five games they have given up a measly 56 points (best in the NFL). They also only give up an average of 267 yards/game (4th best). That unit is anchored by DT Albert Haynesworth, who has been unstoppable thus far. Throw in DEs Javon Kearse and Kurt Vanden Bosch, and the Titans are controlling the line of scrimmage every time the opposing offense takes the field.

This is not to say the Titans are completely one-dimensional however. They have a terrific one-two punch at running-back. Chris Johnson, the impressive rookie from East Carolina is the lightning to the thunder of LenDale White. Johnson has 381 yards through five games, while LenDale White has picked up five touchdowns. The combination of a dominating defense with an outstanding defense means the Titans can control the clock and not force Collins to try and win the game on his own. Which is a good thing, believe me.

Lastly, in this day in age where teams seem to be hiring and firing coaches left and right, the idea of Jeff Fisher staying with the Titans/Oilers since November of 1994 is refreshing. This is not by accident however. He is a smart coach who players love playing for. You will never see the Art Shell Face come from the Titans sideline. He gets the most out of his teams and has a habit of just winning ball games.

We came into the season expecting the Patriots and/or Cowboys to be the legaue's best, but due to injuries, the Titans have proved thus far they are the league's best. Does it guarantee them anything? Not at all, which is why I love the NFL.

MATT: I agree that the Tennesee Titans are a formidable team and should be considered as the best team in the NFL but I'm gonna go in a different direction. Same conference but different team: the Jacksonville Jaguars.

I know, it may sound crazy to say that a team that is 3-3 is the best team in the NFL but consider the schedule they have had so far. They played Tennessee, Buffalo, Indy, Pittsburgh and Denver. No other team in the NFL has had a more brutal stretch. And while the Titans may have beaten the Jags, you have to consider the fact that it was Week 1 and many teams aren't playing their best in their first game, especially on the road as the Jags were.

But what makes them the best team in the NFL right now is the fact that they are clicking on all cylinders. Their running game is flourishing under Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. Their defense has been sick-nasty, keeping offenses at bay. Their special teams has been clutch, especially kicker Josh Scobee who has already won two games for the team. But most importantly for this team, the passing game is now a threat. David Garrard has a weapon in Matt Jones and if Jones and his fellow WR's aren't open, Garrard is doing it with his feet and getting yards.

And let's not forget, they have one of the better coaches in the NFL in Jack Del Rio, who has done nothing but win in Jacksonville. Their 3 losses are deceptive. They love lost all 3 games by 7 or less but this is a team that is not only dangerous but has found out the way to win. Just look at the way they handled Indy and Denver on the road. They can drive the ball for 8-10 minutes at a time, leaving the other offense on the bench, wishing they could get their shot.

Again, call me crazy but I think the Jags are the best in the NFL right now and are my Super Bowl favorites still.