Here we are sports fans. Three weeks left in the regular season. This is about the time of year that we start to see the various playoff scenarios. The contenders play in meaningful “must win” games, while the pretenders look to play spoiler. Each year, the NFL has 12 postseason invitations. The eight division champs all make the playoffs, along with four wild card teams (two from each conference). So far, three teams have already locked up their division – Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons, and New England Patriots. The Houston Texans have clinched a playoff berth, but are still battling the Indianapolis Colts for the division crown. With eight spots still up for grabs, there are still a significant number of teams battling down the stretch. Here’s my take on teams that look likely to punch their ticket for the playoffs:

Green Bay Packers – at 9-4, they are in control of the NFC North. They have a huge rivalry game this weekend in Chicago, and a win would clinch the division title.

San Francisco 49ers – With one of the stingiest defenses in the NFL, the 49ers are on the verge of clinching either the division or a wild card berth. They need to play hard though, because the Seattle Seahawks are right on their heels with rookie Russell Wilson leading the charge. Even if Seattle doesn’t catch the 49ers, I still look for them to wrap up a wild card berth and advance to the playoffs.

Baltimore Ravens – Leading the AFC North, but reeling from a 2 game losing streak, it’s time for the Ravens to put up or shut up. Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are both right behind them in the division race.

Indianapolis Colts – Yes, the Colts are a surprising 9-4 with rookie sensation Andrew Luck. They play the Houston Texans twice in the final three weeks, so Indy can think about a division championship or at least a wild card berth. I don’t know anyone who predicted they would be back in contention so soon after losing Peyton Manning.

Any teams I didn’t cover are either on the bubble, like the entire NFC East, or far from contending. No worries though, as we’ll keep you up to date on all the playoff races, and offer you the freshest gear to cheer your contender on in their playoff quest. If all goes well, they will be playing in New Orleans in February.

All of the predictions and preseason statistics are out the window now that the ball is in the air and the NFL season is underway. One of the major story lines of the preseason was the use of the replacement refs. I’ll be the first to admit I like seeing Ed “Hercules” Hochuli calling games, but realistically, the refs shouldn’t be a part of the outcome. In boxing, the saying goes “the ref did a great job if you didn’t notice him in the ring.” I feel much the same about football. With the exception of giving the Seattle Seahawks an extra time out last Sunday, I really didn’t notice the replacement refs too much. So that’s a plus for the NFL, but could be troublesome for the referees who are looking for leverage in their negotiations.

So that just leaves me with football to recap. After one week, teams that won shouldn’t get carried away and think Super Bowl, but teams that lost shouldn’t go out and burn their new Nike NFL jersey either. There is plenty of optimism for fans of the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Houston Texans and the Atlanta Falcons. Those teams won convincingly and have fans excited for the season. The next bunch of teams got the victory, but the jury is stil out. Those teams include the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccanneers, and the Denver Broncos just to name a few. Of the losers, fans of the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, and New Orleans Saints have to be scratching their heads. What went so wrong that they started off 0-1? What if they lose this weekend and start the season 0-2? Since 1990, teams that start the season 0-2 make the playoffs less than 14% of the time. That’s a massive mountain to climb, which means that there are a number of teams that will be essentially playing for their season this weekend.

Best of luck to every team this weekend. I just want to see good football (and a Bears win). Regardless of who you cheer for, we’ll keep you up to date on what’s going on this season, as well as offer you the best selection of fashionable fan gear around. If you don’t believe me, click here to shop your NFL team and see for yourself.

Here at FansEdge we consistently see many NFL jerseys go out our doors, which is why the recent article written about best selling NFL women’s jerseys came as no surprise. It is obvious that women know football and they are some of our best customers!

Leading the way in NFL Women’s Jersey sales here at FansEdge is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ strong safety Troy Polamalu. Besides his amazing skills on the playing field and the gladiator mentality he demonstrates while holding down one of the NFL’s most formidable defenses, Troy Polamalu is a likeable guy. From his flowing locks, easy going attitude and comical persona that comes across in many of his commercials (“You asked with your eyes”), it’s no wonder that Polamalu has a loyal following.

After Polamalu, quarterbacks are by far fan favorites among women’s NFL jersey sales. Aaron Rogers, the widely popular quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, has catapulted to fame by leading the Packers to the Super Bowl, as millions nationwide have been exposed to his confidence and charm. There is no word on whether dating popular actresses has helped his jersey sales however.

Other women’s’ jerseys near the top of the sales chart this month include Tom Brady, Clay Matthews and Ben Roethlisberger, and many of these NFL superstars have seen a surge in popularity since reaching the Super Bowl.

To view all of the available women’s NFL jerseys, click here.

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We all knew it had to end some time. The question was whether Brett Favre’s consecutive game streak would end at his (final) retirement, or if an illness or injury would slow him down. Today, we find out that The Streak will end at 297 consecutive games started. Brett Favre is on the Vikings inactive list for tonight’s game against the New York Giants. For the first time since September 27, 1992, an NFL game will start with Brett Favre on the sidelines.

The Streak is the second longest in the history of the NFL, and by far the longest of any QB in league history. Only Jeff Feagles had a longer streak of consecutive games started, which ended last year at an amazing 352 games. I must mention though, Jeff Feagles is a punter… 352 games is still 352 games, but with only one bar on his facemask, it is clear that punters aren’t in the NFL for their tackling ability. I still applaud the longevity and the effort.

Back to Brett though. His 297 consecutive games streak began with the Green Bay Packers, traveled to the New York Jets, and ended up with the Minnesota Vikings after a few more retirement announcements. He has gone on record to say that he will not play again next year. With a sprained shoulder and a team that is out of playoff contention, we may have all seen the last of Brett Favre in an NFL uniform. The Vikings, who started the season as a Super Bowl XLV contender, are now reduced to Tavaris Jackson as their starter, and will probably face considerable QB questions in the offseason. If this is the end, I will say thanks for the memories.

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