Top NFL Training Camp Issues, Non-Favre Edition

Patriots top Bills, Saints crush Panthers, 49ers thump Rams

(NEWSER) - The New England Patriots overcame a 21-point deficit today with 49 unanswered points to rock the Buffalo Bills 49-21, the AP reports. The win earned the Pats home-field advantage and the AFC's top seed. Tom Brady threw for 338 yards and finished with the second-most passing yards in NFL history, 5,235—behind only Drew Brees, who threw for 5,486 this year with the New Orleans Saints. More»

Overall revenues up, but some franchises lose value for the first time in a decade

(NEWSER) - Tight credit and the recession-driven scarcity of buyers and investors slashed the value of eight NFL teams this year, Forbes reports. It’s the first time in a decade that even one team has seen a decline. Though the average team value held steady at $1 billion, Oakland led the losers, shedding 7% of its value. The recession has been kinder to some—the top-valued Cowboys tacked on 2%—but things are likely to get worse. More»

(NEWSER) - Peyton is going to be so jealous. Eli Manning and the New York Giants have agreed to a 7-year, $106.9 million deal that will make the younger Manning the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback, the Daily News reports. The deal locks down Manning until 2015, and though it’s not the largest in NFL history, its $15.27 million average salary is a record. More»

But hold your bets: Rankings show winning isn't everything

(NEWSER) - Great NFL organizations don’t always win Super Bowls, so Adam Schein separates the well oiled from the well Lombardi’d for Fox Sports, ranking franchises on everything from their coaching staffs to public-relations people. The top three:

• New England Patriots: “The model franchise in all of professional sports.”
• Pittsburgh Steelers: A penchant for toughness and even tougher fan base.

Each game this round is a rematch, but don't expect similar results

(NEWSER) - All four match-ups for next weekend's NFL playoffs are been-there, done-that this season, but the outcomes aren't necessarily givens, USA Today reports:

• Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco's interceptions helped the Titans as much as Kerry Collin's 80-yard touchdown drive in defeating the Ravens, but Flacco's seen a lot of play since then.