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For the winner of the Jets quarterback competition, that could be the only thing he wins for a while.

The Jets don’t have much help for their quarterback. The offensive line, www.49ersfootballprostore.com/Authentic-Lamichael-James-Jersey despite the presence of D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold, once again has buttfumble potential. The running back depth chart could be topped by a guy who was the odd man out for the Saints for two seasons, if he can get and stay healthy. And the receivers are, relatively speaking, old and/or broken down.

Not quite as old but still too broken down to contribute is Santonio Holmes. According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, the MVP of Super Bowl XLII has told friends he’ll miss at least four games of the 2013 regular season with a foot injury suffered in September 2012.

That could be enough to prompt the Jets to leave Holmes on the PUP list, which would shut him down for at least six weeks.

Without Holmes, the Jets have Stephen Hill, a second-year second-rounder with similar measurables to Calvin Johnson but only a fraction of the production, Braylon Edwards, Clyde Gates, Jeremy Kerley, and a flock of no-names. The tight end position is headlined by Jeff Cumberland and Kellen Winslow, who won a job via a minicamp tryout after a cameo with the Pats in 2012.

So maybe the smart play for Geno Smith and Mark Sanchez would be to tank it for now, and then hope that by the time the www.49ersfootballprostore.com/Authentic-Joe-Montana-Jersey Week One starter gets benched, Santonio will be ready to play.

What goes into an NFL upset?

Sometimes, the underdog truly commands an upset. Whether it's an unforeseen offensive performance or a fortuitous defensive stand, underdogs can surprise everyone by showing new levels of preparedness or Phil Dawson Womens Jersey intensity.

Other times, the favored team just doesn't show up with the same profile that led everyone to think they would win. Bad planning, poor Womens Joe Montana Jersey execution or lack of Cornellius Carradine Jersey focus can each contribute to an upset. All three can combine for a perfect storm of ineptitude.

Finally, outside influence can directly cause or contribute to an upset—terrible calls, weather, home-field advantage and so much more. These aren't excuses and can be, of course, overcome by the better team. They are, however, certainly part of the equation.

If you're one of HBO's 28.77 million subscribers who watched episode two of Hard Knocks on Tuesday -- or a non-subscriber who somehow managed to watch www.49ersfootballprostore.com/Authentic-Navorro-Bowman-Jersey -- then you saw Bengals defensive lineman Terrence Stephens give a free concert to his teammates. Stephens belted out two songs during the hour-long show.

Believe it or not, Tuesday's episode of Hard Knocks wasn't the first time Stephens sang on a reality show. As a 16-year-old, Stephens actually tried out for American Idol. "I was 16 and it was something that I had always wanted to do," Stephens said, via the Bengals team website. "I didn't get as far as I wanted to, but it was an interesting experience to say the least."

During the Idol tryout, Stephens sang Ain't too Proud to Beg, by the Temptations and Over My Head (Cable Car), by the Fray. Stephens made it past the first round, but was eliminated in the next round, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, so Randy Jackson didn't get to call him 'dawg' and he didn't get to see Paula Abdul drink 16 cups of Diet Coke.

If the undrafted free agent from Stanford doesn't make the Bengals roster, maybe he can start a boy band with Marvin Jones. That's Jones and Stephens in www.49ersfootballprostore.com/Authentic-Aj-Jenkins-Jersey the video at the top of the page.

Oh and if the local news counts, Stephens has actually sang on three reality shows.

a little surprised at the stir that came last week when Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton said he eventually wants to be a team captain.

That prompted several columns by media members who were critical of Newton’s maturity level.

I’m not going to criticize other media here. But I think some of Newton’s critics missed the point.

Newton wasn’t lobbying for a captaincy. He simply was asked if he would like to be a captain at some point.

“I recognize -- and everyone knows around the league -- when you’re a team captain that’s not just a patch on the jersey. You’re holding yourself to a higher standard with being accountable,” Newton said. www.49ersfootballprostore.com/Authentic-Patrick-Willis-Jersey “I’m going about it each and every day and trying to make that happen.”

That’s exactly the type of answer Newton should have given. Every quarterback should want to be a captain.

But Newton’s an easy target because he is a big name and he has sometimes let his emotions get the most of him. Even coach Ron Rivera referred to Newton as “Mr. Mopeyhead’’ in his rookie year.

That reputation has stayed with Newton. But I saw signs he was maturing the second half of last season. I think what he said when asked about becoming a captain showed another step forward.

“Team captain is solely based off of your peers,” Newton said. “I’m going about it each and every day, trying to do my part to prove not only to my team, but first myself, that’s a big responsibility on the field and off the field.”

Yes, an ideal leader is always on an even keel. Newton wasn’t always there in his first www.49ersfootballprostore.com/Authentic-Mike-Iupati-Jersey two seasons. But, if he can act the way he talked the other day, he someday will end up as a captain.

The good news is Newton doesn’t have to force it because the Panthers are set for the moment with Jordan Gross and Steve Smith as their offensive captains. If Newton continues to mature, he’ll get his shot in a year or two.

Broncos vs Raiders: Full Preview,

One of the worst teams in the NFL is looking for a major upset in Week 14 as the Oakland Raiders host the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football.

The Broncos (9-3) are enjoying the most enthusiasm they've had in the Mile High City since John Elway was under center. Not only is Peyton Manning spearheading a fantastic offense, but Von Miller is making a Defensive Player of the Year case on the other side of the ball.

They have already clinched the AFC West, won seven straight www.49ersfootballprostore.com/Authentic-Colin-Kaepernick-Jersey and put any memory of their early-season struggles behind them. Manning has hit his stride, and that means trouble for the rest of the NFL—especially the Raiders on Thursday night.

The Raiders (3-9) haven't hit any sort of stride. Instead, they've hit a brick wall. Losers of five straight, Oakland has hit a perfect storm or poor play, bad bounces and injuries. Before the season, I took heat from the Raiders faithful for being hard on the offense. www.49ersfootballprostore.com/Authentic-Mario-Manningham-Jersey It turns out I was wrong only in forgetting to predict how disappointing the defense would be.