National Football Post's 5 winners from yesterday

[Captain Morgan]

FIVE WINNERS

 

1. New England coach Bill Belichick – Plenty of people will pitch Belichick as the NFL Coach of the Year and he’s worthy. Personally, I pick Ron Rivera. That said, Belichick’s consistent excellence in trading for veteran players can’t be ignored, particularly this season and especially after beating Buffalo on Sunday. LeGarrette Blount became the latest vet off the scrap heap that Belichick has turned into a star, if even for just a day. Blount had 24 carries for 189 yards and two touchdowns. He also had an 83-yard kickoff return to set up the game’s clinching touchdown. While he has a ways to go to rank with the likes of Aqib Talib, Wes Welker, Corey Dillon and Randy Moss as the best vets Belichick has ever acquired, Blount has done nice work all season. He has gained 772 yards working primarily off the bench. While not every Belichick trade for a vet has worked (Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth didn’t mean much), they certainly haven’t backfired much.

 

2. Carolina coach Ron Rivera – After nearly being fired a season ago, Rivera has worked his way to being a top candidate for NFL Coach of the Year and he put that on display again Sunday. After falling behind 10-0 at Atlanta, Rivera’s team didn’t panic, got back in control with offensive balance (29 runs, 27 passes) as quarterback Cam Newton threw two touchdown passes and the defense again dominated. The Panthers finished with nine sacks of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, tying the NFL season-high. That included four from former sixth-round pick Greg Hardy, who picked a great year to have a career-season.

 

 

 

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/5-up-5-down-for-Sunday-1274.html