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December 31, 2008

Matt Ryan wins Offensive Rookie of Year

Selected with the 3rd overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, Falcons rookie QB Matt Ryan won the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Ryan received 44 votes followed by Titans RB Chris Johnson with 3. The Broncos OT Ryan Clady received 2 votes and Bears RB Matt Forte received one.

Since it's not common for rookie QBs to start, Ryan is only the 3rd QB to win the award. Ben Roethlisberger and Vince Young are the other two. Minnesota's RB Adrian Peterson won the award last season. (See past winners)
“He has the demeanor of all the great quarterbacks,” veteran tackle Todd Weiner said. “I’ve played with a few and I’ve also had friends that have played with a few. He just has that leadership quality that a quarterback needs.”

“From the day he got here,” Weiner said. “The way he carries himself. The way he handles himself in the huddle. The way he studies in the film room, yeah. We all thought he’d do a good job.”
Ryan along with fellow rookie Joe Flacco, the Ravens first-round pick, join Rick Mirer, Peyton Manning and David Carr as the only QBs to start 16 games in a season.

Here are Ryan's 2008 stats: 87.7 QB rating, 61.1% comp., 3440 yards, 16 TDs and 11 INTs.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:05 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 30, 2008

Browns interview Mangini Tuesday, Pioli Wednesday

The New York Jets fired Eric Mangini yesterday. While the Jets are to meet with Cowher, the Associated Press reports that Mangini had an interview today with Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner.

Bill Cowher asked to be removed from a list of candidates for the Browns job Saturday.
"He [Cowher] wanted to tell me [Lerner] personally that he did not anticipate coaching in 2009. I wouldn't say Bill Cowher was the first choice, but I would say Cowher was the clear, no-questions-asked, guy you wanted to ask where he stood."
Lerner will also interview Scott Pioli, the current VP of player personnel for the Patriots, tomorrow. Scott Pioli is the son-in-law of Bill Parcells.

Lerner has received permission from the Falcons to interview Rich McKay as well, but could be interested in Parcells, who could become available when the Dolphins' sale closes, if Pioli doesn't work out.

If it ends up being Mangini and Pioli in Cleveland, can they put Spygate behind them? Will Romeo Crennel be retained as defensive coordinator?

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:15 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Mike Shanahan to San Diego?

Earlier today, the Denver Broncos fired head coach Mike Shanahan.

Mike Florio of PFT is reporting that a "highly-placed league source suspects that something is happening with Shanahan and San Diego" even though Florio views it as "unlikely."

There is no mention of who the "highly-placed league source" is, but Ted Sundquist, a former Broncos GM, is a contributor to PFT.

While I agree with Florio that it is "unlikely," the Chargers did fire Marty Schottenheimer after a 14-2 season. So stay tuned...

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:40 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bill Cowher to talk to Jets

You've heard the advice before - it's a good idea to interview periodically to keep the skills sharp. That may be all that's happening in New York with Bill Cowher.

After the Jets fired Eric Mangini, the Jets will meet with Cowher.

ESPN is reporting that the Jets would be willing to do "whatever is necessary" to sign Cowher provided Cowher is interested. GM Mike Tannenbaum would be willing to change his role to accomodate Cowher according to the report.

But NFL Network's Adam Shefter isn't buying it.
No matter what anyone says, Bill Cowher is not going to be the New York Jets next head coach.

Cowher’s not coming back. Not for the 2009 season. Put that in headlines.
If I were a Jets fan, I wouldn't hold my breath for Cowher.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:03 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I might watch the Pro Bowl...in 2010

The NFL needed to do something. In an event that is supposed to showcase it's best players, the Pro Bowl lags other sports in interest and appeal.

Part of the success of the NBA and MLB All-Star games is due to the timing of the event. The game is played at a time when meaningful basketball and baseball, respectively, are being played.

While it certainly would be difficult to play the Pro Bowl in the middle of the season like the other sports do, the 2010 Pro Bowl will be played at a time when the NFL has the most attention - the week before the Super Bowl.
"We are looking at alternatives to strengthen the Pro Bowl," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement Tuesday. "We will evaluate this concept after the 2010 Pro Bowl."
Miami will host the Pro Bowl on January 31, 2010. Games will be rotated and some could be played in Honolulu, which has hosted the Pro Bowl since 1980.

It would make the most sense to play the game in the city that is hosting the Super Bowl, but the most important thing would be to play the game before (not after) the Super Bowl.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:14 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Broncos fire Mike Shanahan

In the past few days, I heard Jim Mora of NFL Network mention that there is always a surprise firing in coaching.

A day after Eric Mangini, Romeo Crennel and Rod Marinelli were axed, the surprise was Mike Shanahan, who was fired today by the Broncos.

With a 3-game lead with 3 games to go in the season, the Broncos missed the playoffs after their lopsided loss to San Diego Sunday night.
"After giving this careful consideration, I have concluded that a change in our football operations is in the best interests of the Denver Broncos," Bowlen said. "This is certainly a difficult decision, but one that I feel must be made and which will ultimately be in the best interests of all concerned.

"I appreciate the 21 years that Mike Shanahan has given to the organization as an assistant and head coach, and the two Super Bowl wins in that time. His contributions hold a special place in Broncos history."
The Broncos suffered many injuries this season, especially LBs and RBs. They also lost shutdown corner Champ Bailey for half the season.

Shanahan had a 146-89 record in his 14 seasons as head coach. He and the Broncos won Super Bowls in 1998 and 1999, John Elway's last 2 seasons.

Shanahan will be at the top of many team's lists as a coaching replacement with the obvious exception of the Oakland Raiders.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:20 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A new, more Parcells-like Wade Phillips?

I believe the Cowboys need a change at the top. Someone tougher to hold the players accountable.

And that coach is Bill Cowher Wade Phillips. Huh? Instead of bringing in a new, no-nonsense coach, Phillips says he's going to change his style.
"You can't say, 'Well, OK, everything's going to be all right,' because it's not going to be all right if you do the same thing and I'm talking about myself," Phillips said. "I have to look at myself from how I deal with things, from how we have training camp, how we have practices, whatever."

"If it means being more demanding, more whatever, I have to get it done," Phillips said.
You can learn how to speak Japanese. Or learn the Pythagorean theorem. Or learn whatever.

But can you learn to be tough? If you're inherently a nice guy? No.

Cowboys LB Bradie James, who "attacked" a fan after returning to Valley Ranch, sums up the Cowboys' biggest problem in my opinion.
James' take: "There were a lot of personalities put on this team and we didn't jell. We didn't find a way to jell. This past game, you could see it. When you know you've got something on the line and you're playing to go into the playoffs, you know what you have to do, and you go out there and stink it up like that? That just speaks for itself."
I think Phillips is a great defensive coordinator. I think he deserves a lot of credit for the defense's turnaround (minus the final 2 weeks). Since he got more involved with defensive play-calling, that's when the defense started racking up the sacks and getting lots of pressure on QBs.

But I'm shocked that the Cowboys will head into a new $1 billion stadium with much higher ticket prices with same players and coaches in place.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:26 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cowboys' Bradie James attacks fan

Dallas Cowboys fan Alan Lowe greeted the Cowboys when they returned to Valley Ranch with a sign that showed his frustrations. I couldn't agree more with what the front of the sign said: "The Cowboys have no heart."

The back of the sign read "Wade Phillips is a embarrassment to the Star..." Although I don't think Wade Phillips is the right man to be head coach of the Cowboys (defensive coordinator, yes, but, head coach, no), I wouldn't characterize him as an "embarrassment."

Phillips' main problem is he's too nice and the polar opposite of the previous head coach Bill Parcells. The Cowboys need a head coach that is somewhere in between Parcells and Phillips, but willing to hold players accountable and get in their face when they aren't. Think Bill Cowher.

In any event, when Lowe was outside marching with the sign, Brady James took offense and ripped the sign from the guy. In the process, he broke his glasses. But Lowe wanted the players to know how they are perceived.
"I wanted the players to see what the fans think," Lowe said.
James gave Lowe a pair of Oakley sunglasses and Lowe decided to not press charges.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:27 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bama's Andre Smith suspended for Sugar Bowl

Alabama LT Andre Smith has been suspended for the Sugar Bowl against the Utah Utes. Reports are that he had "improper dealings" with agents.

Smith will be one of the top picks in the NFL draft. Scouts Inc. have him rated as the #1 player on their draft board.
"The University of Alabama, the team and the football program are more important than any individual player," Saban said in a statement. "Everyone on our team depends on each other to be responsible, to make good choices and decisions relative to their actions."

"Andre Smith has done an outstanding job in our program as a person, student and a player and we will do all we can as an institution to support him in all future endeavors," Saban said.
Mike Johnson will likely move from LG to LT and David Ross will move into the starting lineup at LG.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:08 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 29, 2008

T.O.: Just want the Cowboys don't need

When their backs were against the wall, the Dallas Cowboys needed to come out swinging. And if they did, they swung like a bunch of sissys.

The Cowboys suffered their worst loss in franchise history since a 43-3 beatdown at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings on November 13, 1988.

A couple of weeks ago, I argued that the Cowboys should part ways with WR Terrell Owens. The same guy that was jealous of Jason Witten's relationship with Tony Romo had this to say about his pre-game message to Romo:
"I just told him, no matter what, I'm still the same guy who shed tears for him at last year's press conference, and I'd do it again, because that's the type of person I am, regardless of what anybody thinks or says about me," Owens said.
Translation: T.O. is still a cry-baby.
Asked if the players supported the coaching staff, Owens said, "I'm not sure. All I know is, I want to win. I want to be put in a position to win. I think we have the pieces here to get the job done. Whatever unfolds during the off-season has my full support. If Jerry asks for any advice, I will give him my honest opinion."
The last person that needs to be giving anyone advice about how to run the Cowboys is T.O. I still believe that T.O. should go. Or as Cris Carter says:
"If it was me, I'd get rid of T.O. T.O. got to go from the beginning. Right from the giddy up. I take one bullet and put it right in him. Bam!"

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:46 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One and done for Bill Parcells?

ESPN has reported that there is a clause in Bill Parcells contract that would allow him to opt out of his contract if Dolphins' owner Wayne Huizenga sells the team. Huizenga sold 95% of the team to Stephen Ross earlier in the year.
"He's the greatest and I would hope he doesn't leave," Ross said, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "He's in a great situation, I hope, for him."
In order to opt out, Parcells would need to notify Ross within 30 days of when Ross officially becomes majority owner. If Parcells opts out, he would receive $9 million and become a free agent.

This season Parcells took a 1-15 team that traded away their best player (Jason Taylor) and led them to a 10-win turnaround and division championship in one season.

Although a knock on Parcells is that he leaves jobs prematurely, he does leave teams better off than when he arrived. And, of course, Parcells could still possibly stick around this time.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:53 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Lions fire Rod Marinelli

After posting the NFL's first-ever 0-16 season, the Detroit Lions fired Rod Marinelli today. Marinelli was one of three coaches fired today. The Jets fired Eric Mangini and the Browns fired Romeo Crennel as well.
“You can’t go 0-16 and expect to keep your job,” Marinelli said in a news conference. “I didn’t conquer anything. I got defeated.”
And defeated and defeated and defeated...well, you get the picture.
“Our record speaks for itself, but when I look at worst, that is worst. This group of men, we didn’t succeed on the field in terms of our record, but they succeeded in everything I wanted them to do. We came a long ways in terms of how to be a football team. The record doesn’t show it, but it’s a start and it’s a foundation.”
This may sound strange after a team loses all of its games, but the Lions need another coach like Marinelli. Someone who got the players to stay focused despite their lack of success. They just need more talent.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:22 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Losers of 3 of 4, Giants are team to beat says Vegas

Despite losing 3 of their last 4 games, the New York Giants are favorites to win the Super Bowl. The Giants' odds are 2-1.

The Tennessee Titans, the other top playoff seed, have the second-lowest odds at 4-1.

Interestingly, all 4 road teams and lower seeds are favorite over the home teams and higher seeds in this weekend's slate of games.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:07 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Eric Mangini fired - now what?

Losing 4 of their last 5 games, the New York Jets fired coach Eric Mangini.
"We just felt that we could get a better fit moving from this point," Johnson said. "I don't think it was one thing. It was just Mike's and my judgment that we had to go in a different direction. There's nothing specific. It's just a call that we made and hopefully it is correct."
Whether it's Bob Glauber of Newsday, Gary Myers of the Daily News or any NY sports writer in between, the consensus is the Jets should make Bill Cowher an offer he can't refuse.

However, Steelers owner Dan Rooney thinks that Cowher is content doing what he's doing. And according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cowher isn't interested in coaching in 2009.

I personally believe that "Man-genius" should have been given one more season unless the reports about Cowher are false and they do make an offer he can't refuse. But the Jets collapse has less to do with Mangini and more to do with Brett Favre.

In the final 5 games, Favre's highest QB rating in a game was 61.4, which was their sole win. With the exception to the Jets' OT loss to the Raiders, Favre had his 5 worst games (based on QB rating) of the season in the last 5 weeks. In those final 5 games, Favre threw 2 TDs and 9 INTs.

In 3 seasons with the Jets, Mangini finished with a record of 23-25 and 0-1 in the post-season.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:31 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 28, 2008

San Diego Chargers win AFC West

Four weeks ago, the San Diego Chargers were 4-8. Tonight the Chargers beat the Broncos 52-21 to win the AFC West.

The San Diego Chargers set a franchise record with 296 rushing yards. LaDainian Tomlinson had 3 rushing TDs, however, LT sprained his abdomen and will be evaluated tomorrow.

The Chargers and Colts were my pre-season picks to play in the AFC Championship game. Instead they will meet in the first round of the playoffs as two of the hottest teams in the AFC. The Colts have won 9 straight and the Chargers 4 straight. The winner of next week's game will be a tough out.

Both QBs are playing exceptionally well and a bonafide MVP candidates. Philip Rivers has thrown 11 TDs to only 1 INT in the Chargers 4-game winning streak. Peyton Manning has thrown 17 TDs to only 3 INTs in the Colts 9-game winning streak.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:44 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Larry Johnson wants out of KC

Larry Johnson has missed 12 games in the past 2 seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs. Most of the missed games were due to injury, but some were due to suspension or discipline like for spitting his drink on a woman in a nightclub.

Now LJ wants to miss all of the Chiefs games.
"It has everything to do with the environment," Johnson said. "The city is tired of me, and the organization and I have run our course together. It's time to move on for me. There could be 100 changes. It's time for me to go."
Johnson didn't play much his rookie season. But in years 2-4, LJ had 46 rushing TDs in 42 games. In the past 2 seasons, he's sniffed the endzone 8 times in 19 games.

With a decline in his production and his durability combined with his continued off-the-field issues and malcontent, I would say "good riddens" if I were in charge in KC.

Of course, considering all of those, who'd be willing to give something fair in return for him? And whoever it is, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell him.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:54 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Rams players sign petition in support of coach Haslett

After firing Scott Linehan, the Rams began the Jim Haslett era with back-to-back victories over the Redskins and Cowboys. In fact, after those 2 victories, the NFL voided a provision in Haslett's contract that would have removed the "interim" coaching tag had he won 6 games.

Instead the Rams have lost 10 straight with today's 31-27 loss to the Falcons since those 2 wins.

But the majority of players support Haslett and have signed a petition to give to Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom to demonstrate their support for Haslett.
"He knows what we need on this team," said one veteran player, speaking on condition of anonymity. "He knows the strengths and the weaknesses. He knows his players in and out. He's the right guy for the job."
Now that the season is over, Rams GM will begin the process of searching for a coach. Haslett remains a candidate.

Haslett thinks the Rams should build their team around Steven Jackson and improve their defense and O-Line.
“He [referring to Jackson] played his butt off,” Haslett told the Rams' radio network after the game. “There is a guy you can build a great football team around, just like this (Falcons) team.”

“This is the team you want to resemble next year,” Haslett said.
In the NFL, the Dolphins (AFC East Champions) and the Atlanta Falcons (NFC Wildcard team) have shown how a team can make a dramatic turnaround from one year to the next. The question is will Haslett be around to try to orchestrate that turnaround?

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:12 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Playoff seeds - matchups

255 NFL regular-season games have been played. 1 to go. And that game between the Hatfields and McCoys will determine the AFC West champion. In essence, it's a play-in or playoff game.

AFC Match-ups (Seed):

First-round byes: Tennessee Titans (1) and Pittsburgh Steelers (2)

(6) Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins (3)
(5) Indianapolis Colts at winner of San Diego Chargers/Denver Broncos (4)

NFC Match-ups (Seed):

First-round byes: New York Giants (1) and Carolina Panthers (2)

(6) Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings (3)
(5) Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals (4)

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:53 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Carolina Panthers win NFC South

In a similar fashion as the Vikings won the NFC North a couple of minutes ago, the Carolina Panthers beat the New Olreans Saints 33-31 to win the NFC South.

John Kasay hit a 42-yard field goal with 6 seconds left in the game to win it.

DeAngelo Williams didn't score a TD, but he rushed for another 178 yards on 25 carries.

The Panthers will get a first-round bye.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:11 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Minnesota Vikings win NFC North

On a last second 50-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell, the Minnesota Vikings won the NFC North by beating the New York Giants 20-19.

Although the Vikings would have clinched the division with a Bears' loss and the Bears currently trail the Texans by 7 points with 1:24 to go, the Vikings bring positive momentum with them into the first round.

Tarvaris Jackson passed for 239 yards and completed 16 of 26 passes. Adrian Peterson rushed for 103 yards on 21 carries.

The Vikings are the #3 seed and will face either the Cowboys or Eagles next weekend.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:05 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Romeo Crennel: demotion or termination?

The Cleveland Browns are being shut out by the Pittsburgh Steelers through 3 quarters. Granted, the Steelers' pass defense is the stingiest in the league allowing just 166.1 ypg.

But the Browns, with Bruce Gradkowski as their 4th starting QB this season, have only thrown for 28 yards today. The Browns still haven't scored an offensive TD since November 17th.

At some point after today's game (perhaps tomorrow), the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Browns head coach Romeo Crennel and GM Phil Savage are expected to be fired. However, there is the possibility that Crennel could be asked to remain as defensive coordinator. Or there may be some opportunities with other teams, such as the Giants, Patriots and Jets.
"I'll sit back and look to see what my options are, what situations might arise and then make a decision," Crennel said Friday.
If Bill Cowher is not available like Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports, the Browns could look at some offensive and defensive coordinators. One of the names is DC Steve Spagnuolo of the Giants, who have a bye next week.
"Well, I have given it no thought," Spagnuolo told the New York Post this week. "I will say that. I will give it the thought or address it when it happens. I have too much respect for coach Coughlin, John Mara and the Tisch family to really even worry about it right now."
Despite last year's 10-6 season, the Browns will finish 24-40 with a loss to the Steelers today under Romeo Crennel's 4-year tenure in Cleveland.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:08 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ben Roethlisberger leaves on stretcher

After taking a hard hit from Browns' Willie McGinest and D'Qwell Jackson, Ben Roethlisberger left Heinz Field on a stretcher. He gave the thumbs up as to indicate it's nothing serious.

The Steelers have a first-round bye so Roethlisberger should be ready to go in 2 weeks. The Steelers hold the #2 seed in the AFC.

Before today's game, back-up QB Byron Leftwich has played in parts of 4 games and posted a QB rating of 117.2.

The Steelers passing offense ranks 16th in NFL (207.2 ypg) and their rushing offense ranks an atypically low 24th in the league (100.9 ypg).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:59 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

30 minutes to imperfection

The Detroit Lions are trailing the Green Bay Packers at halftime 14-7. They are 30 minutes away from becoming the only franchise to go 0-16 in a season.
"If we win, I ain't catching the plane back home," [Lions CB Travis Fisher] said with a laugh. "I'll walk back to Detroit."
Not only did Fisher say he'd walk back, he went on to describe the Lions as a "great football team."
"I think we're going to shock a lot of people with a great game. I feel like we're going to win," he said. "Not to take anything away from Green Bay, but we're a great football team. I know the record doesn't show it, but I'm going to say it."
Really?

Through 15 1/2 games, the Lions have been outscored 500-254. Even with the new math, that doesn't add up to "great."

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:28 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Pat White: No. 3 and No. 4 for No. 5

West Virginia QB Pat White won his third straight bowl MVP in the Mountaineers come-from-behind victory over the Tar Heels 31-30 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. By doing so, White became the first QB to start and win 4 bowl games in a career.
"I'm sitting by the greatest winner in college football today," West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said of White. "He's the greatest to ever wear the old gold and blue. It's a fitting tribute that this man's the MVP."
White completed 26 of 32 passes for 332 yards and 3 TDs. The final score happened with 7:14 in the 4th quarter when he hit Alric Arnett for 20-yard score.

White and the Mountaineers beat Georgia 38-35 in the Sugar Bowl in 2005, Georgia Tech 35-35 in the Gator Bowl in 2006 and Oklahoma 48-28 in the Fiesta Bowl last year.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:07 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Peyton Manning - 9th 4000-yard passing season

Peyton Manning broke a record. His own record. Manning has now thrown for 4,000+ yards for the 9th time in his career. Dan Marino is 2nd on the list with 6.

Dan Marino, however, is 1st on the list of 5,000-yard seasons with 1. And is the only one on that list (at least, for now). Drew Brees entered today's game against the Panthers needing just 317 passing yards to become the 2nd player to throw for 5,000 yards in a season. He needs 401 yards to tie Dan Marino's single-season passing mark.

Peyton Manning has been replaced by Jim Sorgi in today's game against the Titans and won't play again until next week at either San Deigo or Denver. But in today's game he was 7-7 for 95 yards and 1 TD.

Since the November 2nd game against the Patriots, Manning has completed 72% of his passes for 2248 yards. He has thrown 17 TDs to only 3 INTs in November and December as well. Will he win his 3rd MVP?

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:42 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bills-Pats game to start on time

The goal posts were crooked at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY this morning. However, reports are that the Bill-Patriots game won't be delayed.

Marshawn Lynch is inactive for the Patriots game. Lynch is one of 12 RBs to have rushed for 1,000 yards so far this season.

With strong winds, I wouldn't expect Lee Evans to be able to work downfield with his tremendous speed. The Pats, on the other hand, should be able to work the underneath stuff with Wes "The Slot Machine" Welker and set up Randy Moss for some WR screens.

The Patriots should beat the Bills today and then they'll be rooting for the Jets whatever favors the Patriots as Bill Belichick says.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:20 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Al Davis to miss Bucs-Raiders game

Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis won't make the flight to Tampa to watch the Raiders play the Bucs. This will be the first time in nearly 30 years that Davis is missing a game. Davis missed a game in 1979 when his wife suffered a heart attack.
"I can't emphasize this enough: He's feeling good," [Raiders exec John] Herrera said. "He wanted to make the trip and expected to make the trip, but the decision was made that it was not a good idea because of his knee and ankle. ... He was a little ticked off that he didn't make the trip, but he knew he'd better listen to what the doctor said."
Now, if the Raiders can keep Davis away for all the games they may actually have a shot of re-building the franchise.

Davis was a great owner and great football mind. He deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. However, he has certainly lost his touch.

Counting their 4-11 record this season, the Raiders have won 24% of their games (23-72) n the past 6 seasons. During that span, the Raiders have had 5 coaches: Bill Callahan, Norv Turner, Art Shell, Lane Kiffin and Tom Cable.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:05 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 27, 2008

Arizona Cardinals look to build momentum

Last year the New York Giants did it. They played their starters and played to win against the Patriots in week 17 even though the game had no significance to their playoff seeding. We all know what happened after that.

The Arizona Cardinals head into week 17 with their playoff seeding locked. They are the 4th seed and will host a first-round game.

But the Cards are going to play their starters against the Seahawks and look to get their groove back in a game that is meaningless (as far as the seedings are concerned) but crucial (as far as building the right momentum).
"I think what we've learned from this team is that we need to stay sharp and play well," Whisenhunt said. "So that's what our focus is this week, because we haven't played well the last two weeks because our focus hasn't been where it's needed to be. So in order to get ready for the playoffs, it's important that we play better."
The Cardinals are one of 4 teams to have given up 400+ points. The other 3 teams to do so are a combined 4-41.

Since week 6, the Cardinals, who rank last in the NFL in rushing offense, have had only 1 game where their leading rusher had more than 40 yards.

In the past 2 weeks, the Cardinals have lost by a combined 21-78. Since they rely so heavily on the precision of their passing game, getting into a rhythm is much more valuable than resting their starters.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:48 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jeremy Shockey - out vs Panthers

Saints TE Jeremy Shockey is out against the Panthers tomorrow with an ankle injury. Billy Miller will start in Shockey's place.

On the season, Shockey has 50 receptions for 483 yards and no TDs. Miller has 42 receptions and 523 yards and 1 TD.

Although it's unlikely, Drew Brees needs 401 passing yards to set the NFL single-season passing record held by Dan Marino.

Brees has thrown for 400+ yards twice this season. In the past 3 seasons, Brees has thrown for 400+ yards 4 times including a 510-yard performance against the Bengals in 2006.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:59 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Chargers-Broncos: "The Hatfields and McCoys?"



Jay Cutler and Philip Rivers don't like each other. And neither care who knows.
“I'm just not that big a fan of the guy.” Cutler said of Rivers. “I don't like how he carries himself. I don't like some of the stuff he does on the field.”
Earlier in the week, Chargers LB Matt Wilhelm called Jay Cutler a "punk." Later he said that he was joking, but I don't buy it.

Wilhelm went on to make Rivers sound like he was Opie Taylor from Mayberry.
"Philip Rivers is not only one of the best football players I've ever met in my entire life. He is one of the best people off the field," Wilhelm said. "... He's a family man. He's in church every sunday. That's it. That's all you really get is golly and darn. Never a swear word. Never anything rude and crude as I mentioned have been said by one person. It never comes out of Philip's mouth.
And what does Chargers DE Jacques Cesaire dislike about the Broncos? Well, I think it would be easier to list the things he likes...
“They have bad teeth,” the Chargers defensive end disclosed Wednesday. “They have bad hair. They don't know how to cook. What else don't I like about them? They watch “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.' Who does that? Who watches “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman?' That's what I want to know. I heard the Denver Broncos watch it. I'm just sayin'.”

“The Hatfields and McCoys?” “Yeah,” Cesaire said. “We don't know why we hate each other. We just do.”
Down the stretch, Rivers has played extremely well and, although he didn't make the Pro Bowl, he deserves MVP consideration if the Chargers win the game (and division) Sunday. The Chargers have won 3 straight to be in a position to control their own destiny. In those games, Rivers has completed 64.4% of his passes for 847 yards (282 ypg), 9 TDs and only 1 INT.

Here is a statistical comparison between both starting QBs through week 15:
Rivers: 104.0 QB Rating (leads NFL), 64.8% comp., 3802 yards, 32 TDs, 11 INTs
Cutler: 87.0 QB Rating, 61.9% comp., 4210 yards, 24 TDs, 16 INTs
As much as they dislike each other, the losing QB Sunday night will hopefully have some earplugs handy.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:15 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Mike Singletary job interview over

SF 49ers head coach Mike Singletary had a Hall of Fame career as a MLB with the Chicago Bears.

But he's come a long way in his head coaching career that began with a blasting of his team and especially Vernon Davis during his first post-game interview. A couple days later, it was revealed that he mooned his team at halftime of that game to illustrate the point that the team was embarrassing.

Since that 34-13 loss to the Seahawks, the Niners have a winning record (4-3) and it's being reported that Singletary will be offered the coaching job after the Redskins game. The Rooney Rule prevents teams from offering interim coaches the job before the season ends.

With a Singletary promotion, Mike Martz is likely out as offensive coordinator. Martz' pass-first system doesn't jive with Singletary's control-the-ball style. However, Singletary hasn't confirmed or denied the rumor of Martz' status.
"I just really want to focus on Washington, and everything else will take care of itself," Singletary said when asked if Martz will be fired. "It will happen soon enough."
If Martz does get the axe, the Niners will be looking for their 7th offensive coordinator in 7 seasons.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:15 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Aaron Rodgers may have off-season surgery?

Ever since hurting his shoulder week 4 against the Bucs, Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has played through the pain. But Rodgers may have off-season shoulder surgery.
“From a physical toughness standpoint, I’ve always taken pride in being able to play through injuries. This year, I dealt with some minor injuries and then my shoulder, which was a little bit more of a significant injury. But that’s just kind of the way I operate, and I think (it’s the way) most guys in the league operate. We all play with pain.

“Being on the field, to me, is the most important thing, and a lot of times I put the status of my body on the back seat if I feel like I give us the best chance to win.”
Favre, who holds the record by far for most consecutive games started as a QB, is known for his toughness. Rodgers, on the other hand, is not despite his "pride" for it. But he earned my respect (now Rodgers can sleep at night) with the way he played through the pain like the legend he replaced often has.

While it's unfair to compare Rodgers to Favre, it's something that Rodgers will always have to deal with. From a performance standpoint though, Rodgers compares favorably to the all-time passing leader when you look at 2008 numbers.

Rodgers has posted a QB rating of 91.4 as he completed 63.4% of his passes. Rodgers needs 270 yards against the Lions defense Sunday to pass for 4,000 yards. He has also thrown 25 TDs to 13 INTs.

Favre has a QB rating of 84.0 and has completed 67.0% of his passes. He has thrown for 3239 yards, 21 TDs and 19 INTs (most in NFL). And as Favre has questioned the health of his shoulder, Favre has thrown 1 TD to 6 INTs in the past 4 weeks and put up a QB rating of 58.2 in that span.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:50 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

JJ says Phillips, Garrett to return in 2009

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says that Wade Phillips will be back as head coach and Jason Garrett back as offensive coordinator.
"The coaches are in place. I've said that. How can I be any clearer?" Jones said. "Look, I've said that our coaching staff, as far as I'm concerned, is in place. I just want to make the statement rather than answer questions, because your questions imply certain things that I don't want to imply.

"Look, can y'all not understand statements?" Jones said. "What the [expletive] is going on here? Really. I really don't understand what is going on. The coaching staff is in place. The coaching staff is in place. The building is here. You want to ask the question, what if it blows down?"
The last line is hilarious! But let's say the Cowboys lose Sunday. The Cowboys would be christening a $1 billion stadium with much higher ticket prices (and seat licenses) with a team stacked with Pro Bowlers that just missed the playoffs.

It's in Jones' and the Cowboys' interest to attempt to limit speculation about the future of the coaching staff as they prepare for a do-or-die showdown in Philly.

I think Wade Phillips does a great job as a coordinator. With Phillips "more involved" in defensive play calling, the Cowboys now lead the NFL in sacks (58) and it's not even close. The Steelers are 2nd with 48.

But Phillips lacks the toughness to keep a team of stars in line. They easily lose focus and have committed the most penalties (115) in the league. And they play without the passion and fire necessary to go all the way.

With a loss Sunday, it wouldn't surprise me if Jones attempted to make a splash by bringing in a high-profile head coach (a la Bill Cowher or perhaps Mike Holmgren) to start the era in their new stadium.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:02 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 26, 2008

Cowboys need to involve Roy Williams more

The Cowboys need to involve WR Roy Williams more. Just ask him - he'll tell you.
"I know I am a player in this league," Williams said, according to Dallas-Fort Worth area media reports. "My thing is, if you brought me in half the season, you obviously know what I am capable of doing. You wouldn't have spent what you did to get a person. You know what I can do. I know what I can do. I can tell you what I can't do. I'm just waiting."
I agree with Williams as he is one of the top 20 receivers in the league yet he's being relegated to the backseat.

Williams has only 17 receptions for 194 yards since coming to the Cowboys mid-season. In fact, Williams has the same amount of receptions (17) with the Cowboys in 9 games as he had with the Lions, who are about to go 0-16, in only 5 games. In those 5 games with the Lions, he had more receiving yards (232) as well.
"I think we do need to get comfortable with him," Phillips said, according to the Star-Telegram. "I don't think we've come to that point. We haven't had that feel yet. But I think we will as we go along or certainly next year."
Although Jerry Jones is adamant that Wade Phillips will be back in 2009, I can see him changing his mind if the Cowboys lose to the Eagles Sunday and miss the playoffs.

Fellow WR Terrell Owens is usually the Cowboys WR complaining about not getting enough looks.
"If you bring a guy over here and you pay him that much money, you want [him] to be involved," Owens said. "He has a lot of talent. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be here. I’m not saying that in a negative way. I’m saying that because I know he can help the team. Once we figure out a way we can get him more involved and he can help this offense, the better off we’ll be."
When T.O. says someone doesn't get enough looks (and those looks would take away from T.O.'s looks), you know there's a problem.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:53 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Week 17 playoff scenarios

I can't recall an NFL season in recent memory with so many important matchups to decide entry into the post-season party like we have had last week and this week. Then again, I can't remember what I did 2 hours ago.

In any event, let's take a look at the current playoff picture. For simplicity sake, we ignore the possibility of a second tie this season.

Teams fall into 4 categories - playoff bound/seed locked, playoff bound/seed TBD, on playoff bubble and eliminated.

AFC Teams:

Playoff bound/seed locked:
Tennessee Titans (1), Pittsburgh Steelers (2), Indianapolis Colts (5)

Playoff bound/seed TBD:
none

On playoff bubble:
Miami Dolphins: Win AFC East and clinch 3 seed with win over Jets. A Dolphins' loss eliminates them from the playoffs.

New England Patriots: Win AFC East and clinch 3 seed with win over Bills and Jets win over Dolphins. Bill Belichick stopped short of saying he'd root for the Jets, but that's what he will be doing. If the Dolphins and Pats win, the Pats will get the 6 seed with a Ravens' loss.

New York Jets: Win AFC East and clinch 3 seed with win over Dolphins and Pats' loss to Buffalo. Loss to Dolphins eliminates Jets' hopes. If the Jets and Pats win, the Jets will get the 6 seed if the Ravens lose.

Baltimore Ravens: Clinch 6 seed with a win over Jaguars or a Patriots loss to Buffalo and a Jets loss to Dolphins.

Denver Broncos: Win AFC West and clinch 4 seed with win over Chargers. Loss eliminates Broncos.

San Diego Chargers: same as Denver Broncos.

Eliminated:
Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders

NFC Teams:

Playoff bound/seed locked:
New York Giants (1), Arizona Cardinals (4)

Playoff bound/seed TBD:
Carolina Panthers: With a win over the Saints or a Falcons' loss to the Rams, the Panthers win the NFC South and get the 2 seed and a first-round bye. They are the 5 seed if they lose and the Falcons win.

Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons are the 5 seed unless they beat the Rams (likely) and the Panthers lose to the Saints (iffy). If Falcons/Saints win, the Falcons clinch the division, the 2 seed and a first-round bye.

On playoff bubble:
Minnesota Vikings: If the Vikings win or the Bears lose, the Vikings win the NFC North and will be the 3 seed. If the Vikings lose and Bears win, the Vikings are eliminated.

Chicago Bears: The Bears are division champs and the 3 seed if they beat the Texans and the Vikings lose to the Giants. If both the Bears and Vikings win, the Bears clinch the 6 seed if the Cowboys/Bucs lose.

Dallas Cowboys: If the Cowboys beat the Eagles, they are the 6 seed. A loss eliminates the Cowboys.

Philadelphia Eagles: If the Eagles beat the Cowboys, they need a Bucs loss and either a Vikings or Bears loss to make the playoffs.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs are in with a win and a Cowboys loss.

Eliminated:
Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:22 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Donovan McNabb doesn't control his own fate

Donovan McNabb has passed for 3,741 yards this season. The franchise record, set by McNabb in 2004, is 3,875 yards. 2004 was the first season that T.O. played in Philly.

Asked about his performance, McNabb responded "I think I've played great." As Ray Parrillo of the Inquirer points out, McNabb's view of himself may frustrate Eagles' fans.

He points out that McNabb has lit up NFC West defenses (as has every other QB), but struggled vs NFC East defenses. McNabb averaged 312 passing yards/game against NFC West opponents and 218 passing ypg.

And if McNabb breaks his franchise record, my guess is most people will still remember 2008 as the year he didn't know about the possibility of a tie rather than the passing yardage record. And perhaps his benching against the Ravens would be the next thing most remember about McNabb this season.

After Sunday's 10-3 loss to the Redskins, the Eagles no longer control their own destiny. They need to beat the Cowboys and then hope the Bucs lose to the Raiders. (Or, I should say the other way around - they need to hope the Raiders beat the Bucs at 1 p.m. and then take care of business at 4 p.m.) But can the Bucs lose 4 straight with the 4th being to the Raiders? Plus the Eagles need the Vikings or Bears to lose.

McNabb also said he hopes to be back in Philly next season.
"I expect to be here, and I will play this game not like it's my last," he said.

"Everybody wants a new deal. Don't you? But that's not why we're playing this game. We're playing this game to win. and things happen. I've been answering this question the last couple of years, so I guess to eliminate that part of it, hopefully that will happen, but we'll see."
McNabb's fate is similar to his team's. Both need to perform well, but that neither control their own fate. McNabb's status will be one of the biggest off-season stories in 2009.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:02 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 25, 2008

Raheem Morris to replace Monte Kiffin

After Lane Kiffin took the Tennessee Volunteers coaching job, it wasn't long (even if it seemed so) that Monte Kiffin, Lane's dad, announced that he would leave the NFL to coach with his son.

To fill Kiffin's vacancy, the Bucs promoted DB coach Raheem Morris, who was deemed a "rising star" in coaching, to defensive coordinator.
"He's been with me a long time and he's had a lot of success here. He's had his hand in a lot of real good things," coach Jon Gruden said, adding he wanted to end speculation about Kiffin's successor and whether the Bucs will continue to run the Tampa 2 scheme.

"I'm a big energy believer. I like guys with juice. I think you have to be a leader. I think you have to be able to motivate and stimulate these guys, relate to them -- veterans, young players," Gruden said.
He's coached under Mike Tomlin and Monte Kiffin so the pedigree is there. In the past 6 years he coached with the Bucs, he left in 2006 to coach at Kansas State. The Bucs pass defense dropped to 19th that year in Morris' absence.

This move makes a lot of sense for 2 main reasons. He was going to be a "free agent" at the end of the year and plenty of other teams would have been interested in Morris. Although Kiffin is the one of the greatest defensive minds, Morris stepping into an expanded role provides much more continuity than someone outside taking over.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:29 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Only NFL team to not have a double-digit loss

There are 32 teams in the No Fun League National Football League. 31 of those teams have suffered a loss of 10 points or more. Of course, some teams have suffered many of those.

But which team has not? The Giants? The Steelers? The Titans? The Panthers? Nope.

If you said the 7-8 San Diego Chargers, you'd be right. 8 losses and none by double digits.

Here are the Chargers losses on the season (complete Chargers schedule):
vs Panthers 24-26
at Broncos 38-39 (Ed Hochuli game)
at Dolphins 10-17
at Bills 14-23
at Saints 32-37
at Steelers 10-11
vs Colts 20-23
vs Falcons 16-22
It's been a disappointing (and unlucky) season for the Chargers, who determine their fate when they host the Broncos. Winner takes division and goes to the playoffs.

Here are the number of double-digit losses for teams with winning records (i.e., better records than the Chargers):

Bears (2), Broncos (4), Bucs (2), Cardinals (3), Colts (3), Cowboys (2), Dolphins (3), Eagles (1), Falcons (3), Giants (2), Jets (4), Panthers (3), Patriots (3), Ravens (2), Redskins (3), Saints (2), Steelers (1), Titans (1), Vikings (1)

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:39 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Domination Index through week 16 released

The EDSFootball.com Domination Index has been released through week 16 games. Whether or not strength of schedule is included, the top 3 teams are same: Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants and Tennessee Titans.

Here are the Top 10 teams:
1. New York Giants
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Baltimore Ravens
5. Philadelphia Eagles
6. Carolina Panthers
7. New England Patriots
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9. Indianapolis Colts
10. New Orleans Saints
See full week 16 Domination Index.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:47 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Notre Dame ends bowl drought

Notre Dame sophomore QB Jimmy Clausen didn't break Brady Quinn's bowl-game record for passing yards. He shattered it. Last night, Clausen threw for 401 yards and 5 TDs (another record) while completing 22 of 26 passes. The previous record was 286 yards.

Notre Dame beat the Hawai'i Warriors in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl for their first bowl win since 1994.

I argued that Charlie Weis, who set a 2-season record with 15 losses, should have been fired. However, Notre Dame announced that Weis will be back in 2009.

Not only did Clausen set passing records, as you might expect, some receiving records were broken too. Golden Tate had 177 receiving yards and 3 TDs (both records). Tate, who is a sophomore, has 1080 yards and 10 TDs on the season counting yesterday's stats.

Michael Floyd, big-time freshmen WR who missed 3 games this season, had 48 receptions for 719 yards and 7 TDs in 2008. During a 5-game stretch, Floyd had 31 receptions, 515 yards and 5 TDs. In that span, Floyd had 100-yard receiving games in all but one game (93 yards).

Weis likely needs Notre Dame to win 8 games (at a minimum) next year to retain his job beyond 2009. But heading into next season, the Irish and their young skill position players bring lots of momentum with them.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:46 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bill Cowher to Jets, Browns, everywhere?

As the season is winding down, the rumors about Bill Cowher returning to the sidelines will increase. It seems as though the speculation began the instance he left the Steelers' sideline a couple of years ago. At the time, he wouldn't really comment on a future return to coaching.
"There is no timetable," Cowher said [in January '07]. "The only thing I am looking forward to is spending time with my family ... being a big part of their lives again really excites me."
Bob Glauber of Newsday says that barring a deep post-season run, the Jets should fire Eric Mangini and make Bill Cowher an offer he can't refuse. He argues that the Jets need an "emotional sparkplug" like Cowher to get the Jets to play with more fire and passion. And avoid this late-season collapses for which they are becoming known.

And when Woody Johnson, Jets' owner, chatted briefly with reporters on Tuesday, his silence regarding Mangini's status was deafening.

Perhaps considered the frontrunner for Cowher (if he were to return to coaching) is the Browns. Romeo Crennel and the Browns are 4-11 on the season and Cowher was a back-up LB for and got his coaching start with the Browns.

Despite the high demand for Cowher in the off-season, Steelers' owner Dan Rooney thinks Cowher is content in the studio.
"I will say to you that every time I talk to him and this subject comes up -- and the subject does come up almost every year at this time -- he says that he's very, very happy with what he's doing, where he is.

"It would not surprise me if he said he wasn't going to coach. It would surprise me the other way because he tells me that every time I talk to him and the subject comes up."
And if the Cowboys lose on Sunday to the Eagles and miss the playoffs with all those Pro Bowlers, I wouldn't be surprised to see Wade Phillips get the axe and for Jerry Jones to pursue Cowher hard.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:13 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Brett Favre's shoulder may decide his future

For the first time since being cut, Chad Pennington comes back to the Meadowlands to face his former team. The Miami Dolphins will be division champs if they beat Brett Favre and the Jets. Moreover, that would end the season for the Jets and possibly the career for Brett Favre.

Favre hasn't indicated either way whether he's going to retire or return. But if he made a decision, I'm not sure that would believe him either way.

The first time he "retired," Favre didn't question his physical ability. But this time it is a little different.
"I think the ending physical, or whatever, that every player goes through after the last game will kind of maybe shed some light on some things," he said. "So we'll see."

"During the course of the year, there was numerous times where I'd been asked about my shoulder and it had been hit a couple of times," Favre said. "I don't know. I mean, just knowing my body, there may be something, but there's no test yet to reveal anything."
As much as I'd like to see Favre continue to play the game with his unbridled enthusiasm, I hope this off-season is not dominated by the speculation on his return like it was last year.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:08 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Merry Christmas Joe Flacco!

Due to injuries to the team's other QBs ahead of him, Joe Flacco was thrust into the starting QB gig for the Baltimore Ravens. Even in training camp when Kyle Boller and Troy Smith, Flacco was the only healthy QB for their fourth and final pre-season game.

Flacco remained as the regular-season starter out of necessity, played well and hasn't looked back.

In 15 games, Flacco has a QB rating of 78.2 and has thrown for 2674 yards, 14 TDs and 12 INTs. By comparison, the other rookie QB (Matt Ryan) has a QB rating of 89.7 and has thrown for 3280 yards, 15 TDs and 9 INTs. Ryan was considered more "NFL-ready" whereas Flacco was viewed as having more upside.

The most important Flacco stat is the Ravens' 10 wins and a chance for their 11th win Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. A win puts the Ravens into the post-season as the sixth seed. The Falcons have clinched a playoff berth and have a shot at winning the division.

Since Flacco has started more than 80% of team's games in his first year, he will earn $750,000 as a per-year bonus throughout the remaining 4 years of his deal for a total of $3 million.

The Ravens took Joe Flacco with the 18th pick in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. The Falcons took Matt Ryan with the 3rd pick.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:22 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Changes to Rams' front office

With 23 years of NFL scouting experience, Billy Devaney will take over as St. Louis Rams General Manager and make all football-based decisions for the franchise.
"I am very grateful to Rams ownership for giving me this opportunity to help return the team to an elite position in the National Football League," Devaney said. "This is an organization that has historically had a winning tradition and it is our goal to get back to that level."

"One of the best things that happened to the Rams during this difficult season was the hiring of Billy Devaney to our front office team," Rosenbloom said. "We are very fortunate to have someone with Billy's character and intelligence taking control of the football side of this organization."
This week, Jay Zygmunt, president of football operations, and John Shaw, team president, both resigned.
"I would like every fan in St. Louis to know that without John Shaw there is no St. Louis Rams," [Rams owner Chip] Rosenbloom said. "He is one of the most important and influential executives in the modern NFL. He hired Dick Vermeil, then endured the slings and arrows along with my mom to give this legendary coach a chance to win a Super Bowl. John is a winner on and off the field, and is like a family member to my sister and I as well as one of our closest friends. Although he is moving from the job of president, I can not imagine continuing this journey without him."
Shaw will stay on as an adviser to Rosenbloom and be based in L.A.

The Rams are 2-13 heading into their season finale against the Falcons. If the Falcons beat the Rams and the Panthers lose to the Saints, the Falcons win the NFC South.

The Rams are currently tied with the other Missouri-based (I use this term loosely) professional football team for the 2nd-worst record in the NFL (2-13). The Rams had the #2 pick last year and selected Chris Long with that pick.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:41 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 24, 2008

Browns QB Bruce Gradkowski to start vs Steelers

Bruce Gradkowski will the fourth QB to start a game for the Cleveland Browns. Lucky for him, his start will be against the league's top-rated defense.
"I'm looking forward to it," he said. "I grew up in Pittsburgh so I know about the rivalry and I always said I'd love to play against the Steelers. I think it's especially even more awesome playing against them in a Browns uniform. You couldn't ask for much more, being here four weeks and getting the start against the best defense in the league."

"When I was younger I was a Steelers fan, but as I got older, I knew this was kind of what I wanted to do and I kind of grew away from it and I was just a football fan in general," he said. "But I still have a lot of cousins that are huge diehards and I told them before I was even with a team I'd love to come back and play the Steelers."
Gradkowski, who graduated from Seton-La Salle Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, will try to lead the Browns to their first offensive touchdown since November 17th.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:31 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Maurice Jones-Drew to play Sunday vs Ravens

Maurice Jones-Drew, who suffered a bruised knee last week against the Colts, says he'll play against the Ravens. The Ravens are in the playoffs as the 6th seed with a win over the Jags.
"It's Ray Lewis, Bart Scott, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, Trevor Pryce - they've got some guys who can go," Drew said.

He then said with a smile: "If we didn't want a challenge we wouldn't be football players, we'd be sports writers."
I'm not sure sports writers aren't football players because they don't want a challenge. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it has more to do with (lack of) athletic ability.

Jones-Drew has 746 yards rushing to lead team and has 61 receptions (2nd on team to Matt Jones).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:22 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Texas' Jordan Shipley gets 6th year

Texas WR Jordan Shipley, who was an AP third-team All-American, will be allowed to return to Texas for a sixth season since he missed 2 years due to injuries.
"It is definitely a blessing to be able to play one more season at Texas," Shipley said. "This is such a great place, and I've had an unbelievable experience. Obviously, it started slow due to the injuries, but I couldn't be happier with the NCAA's decision to give me one of those years back."
QB Colt McCoy will also be back for his senior season. Shipley should have a huge season in '09 as McCoy and Shipley have tremendous chemistry.

Their fathers (Brad McCoy and Brad Shipley) were teammates at Abilene Christian. Today the sons are roommates.

Shipley had the second most receptions in a season for a Longhorn with 79 catches. He also had 982 receiving yards, 11 receiving TDs and 2 return TDs this season.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:00 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Shaun Ellis fined for "snowball fight"

Shaun Ellis says that Seattle Seahawks fans were throwing snowballs at him. So, I one-upped and threw back a "snowball" the size of a medicine ball.



Shaun Ellis, who was busted for marijuana possession earlier this month, was fined $10,000 by the NFL.
"That situation in the stadium in general was not a very safe situation for anybody involved," [Jets coach Eric] Mangini said. "That doesn't justify us getting involved in it on the flip side of that. He understands that. We thought that there could've been more done to prevent what was happening in terms of the safety from snowballs coming down."
This could have obviously had a much worse ending than just a fine from the No Fun League. Considering how litigation-happy people are, Ellis is lucky someone's not claiming to be harmed in some way, shape or form...

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:18 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Terrible Towel Incident

The Titans beat the Steelers 31-14 to earn the top playoff seed and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

During the game, some Titans players stomped on the Steelers' "Terrible Towel" and Jevon Kearse even pretended to blow his nose in it. Titans head coach Jeff Fisher downplayed what the incident meant.
"They don't understand the significance or the meaning of the towel itself to the organization, the Steelers history or the Steelers fans," [Fisher] said. "On one hand, I think they were having fun and just playing with a towel. It was certainly not a shot at the organization or the players or the staff or the fans."
Both teams have earned byes and will each have to win only one home game to meet again for the AFC Championship Game in Nashville.
"When players do things as a result of celebrations, they have to be careful as to not hurt the team," Fisher said.
T.J. "Who's your Momma" Houshmandzadeh wiped his foot with the terrible towel back in 2005 during one of their regular-season matchups. The Steelers beat the Bengals 31-17 in their playoff matchup and won the Super Bowl that season.

Will history repeat itself? Will the Steelers get their revenge? We may soon find out...

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:08 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Broncos sign RBs Cory Boyd and Alex Haynes

What do Ryan Torain, Michael Pittman, Andre Hall, Anthony Alridge, Peyton Hillis, Selvin Young and P.J. Hope have in common? They are all Denver RBs that have been lost for the season.

In what seemed to be an improbable scenario a few weeks ago has now become reality. One game will decide whether the Broncos make or miss the playoffs.

The Chargers, who barely came back to win at Kansas City in week 15, have parlayed that momentum into a beat-down of the Bucs last week and host the Broncos Sunday. The winner is AFC West champion. (Bet Ed Hochuli won't be refereeing this game...)



In any event, the Broncos adding 2 additional RBs to back up starter Tatum Bell. The Broncos signed Cory Boyd and Alex Haynes (again). Both players were cut recently, but brought back due to the rash of injuries.

Considering the rash of injuries to Broncos RBs, their playoff lives may come down to 2 RBs that have combined for 3 career rushing yards.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:01 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Brady Quinn-Shaun Smith scuffle

Not everyone in Cleveland is a big Brady Quinn fan. Reports are that Browns DT Shaun Smith punched Quinn in the face, which left a mark, after they argued in the weight room.

Browns coach Romeo Crennel didn't confirm or deny it, but his response makes it sound like it did in fact happen. And Darnell Dinkins, Browns' back-up TE, confirmed it on air (WQAL FM/104.1).
"In a family you always have some disagreements and they get handled within the family," he said. "I've got one brother and three sisters. When we were growing up we had altercations. That's part of being a family. You deal with them and you move on. That doesn't mean I dislike my brother or I dislike my sisters. That's part of being in a household, everybody trying to establish their turf. But that's part of it. You deal with it and you move on."

"Guys get heated at practice," said Crennel at the time. "There were no fights or anything at practice. He's a defensive lineman, he's going against an offensive lineman, so sometimes guys get heated. There was no fight involved, there was some discussion involved, but no fight."
Well, at least, it was a fight between an offensive and a defensive player and not two offensive players. It could always be worse like in Big D a couple of weeks ago when T.O. and Jason Witten got in a scuffle.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:16 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 23, 2008

Rod Parker: should he be fired?

If you didn't hear it, Detroit News columnist and ESPN contributor (First Take) Rob Parker crossed the line with Detroit Lions coach Rod Marinelli.

The Lions, who are 0-15, have a chance to will become the first-ever team to finish 0-16.

Nonetheless I have plenty of respect for Marinelli. How could you not respect (or fear) a guy that wrestles a bear for $10?

Parker kept asking Marinelli about the Lions DC Joe Barry (Marinelli's son-in-law) about Barry's job status. When Marinelli wouldn't give Parker the response for which he had hoped so he eventually asked:
"On a light note, do you wish your daughter would have married a better defensive coordinator?"
For me, all that matters is Marinelli's take on the situation. And this is what he had to say:
"Anytime you attack my daughter, I've got a problem with that ..." Marinelli said. "It was premeditated. I think there's something wrong with that."
Parker definitely crossed the line. I agree with Terry Bradshaw that Parker is an "idiot" and a "disgrace." But should he be fired like I've heard some suggest? No. The first amendment protects freedom of speech. But the Detroit News and ESPN need to determine if they want a classless jackass representing them.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:03 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 22, 2008

Ralph Wilson to decide Dick Jauron's future "shortly"

Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson has said he hasn't made a decision on Dick Jauron's status, but will decide "shortly."

The Bills are 7-8 after starting the season 5-1 and have missed the playoffs for 9 straight seasons.
"I don't know why he hasn't had a better record," Wilson said. "He's a heck of a good guy. And the players, I haven't seen them not play hard for him. They have played hard in the wins and the losses. I'm optimistic about our future."

As for the team's chances next year, Wilson said: "You hate to predict because it never comes true, but I think we have a very good chance, at least a good chance, of making the playoffs next year."
Way to go out on a limb Ralph. But speaking of the "never comes true" part, do you remember what Donte Whitner said when asked about the Bills making the playoffs this year?
"Do I expect us to make the playoffs?"..."I'm guaranteeing it."
Donte Whitner is no Joe Namath, but I think that Dick Jauron deserves another shot. Jauron has the support of the team.
"Everybody reads the media and knows what's going on, and we know he's under a lot of heat," linebacker Kawika Mitchell said following the game. "We wanted to win for ourselves and we really wanted to win one for him."
In his 3 seasons with the Bills, Jauron has won 7 games each year with a shot at 8 if they beat the Patriots at home Sunday.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:22 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 21, 2008

"Nothing wrong" with Robert Henson?

Tuesday night the TCU Horned Frogs play the Boise State Broncos in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. (Really? Credit unions sponsoring bowl games?)

In any event, TCU senior LB Robert Henson may miss the game. Henson is a first-team all conference (Mountain West) player.

Why, you ask? Strained hammy? MCL injury? Stomach flu? Actually, none of the above.
When asked if Henson would play [TCU Coach Gary] Patterson said, "I don't know about that yet, but there isn't anything wrong with him."
Apparently something is wrong. Just not physically.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:34 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

DeAngelo Williams - 3 TDs at half, making MVP case?

Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams has 3 rushing TDs in the first half of the Giants-Panthers game. He has 11 carries for 40 yards as the Panthers lead 21-13.

The winner of this game clinches home-field advantage. The Panthers, if they lose, could potentially lose the division depending on what happens next week.

Wiliams has 1,269 rushing yards on the season and 17 rushing TDs through the 1st half. He also has 22 receptions for 121 yards and 2 TDs.

Williams has now scored in 9 consecutive games, which is a franchise record. In these 8 1/2 games, he has 15 rushing TDs and 1 receiving TD.

If I had an MVP vote, I would give it to Williams. He has 5 100-yards games during that span even though he passed 20 carries only once (ironically, that was one of his non-100-yard games). But Williams has stepped up big game throughout the ultra-tight NFC South playoff race when it mattered the most.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:53 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Atlanta Falcons - in playoffs, alive for bye?

What a difference a year makes for the Atlanta Falcons!

2007 was marked by the Mike Vick dog-fighting scandal, a coward coach (Bobby Petrino) resigning before the end of the season and a 4-12 record. Only the Miami Dolphins (1-15) and St. Louis Rams (3-13) had worse records.

Since the NFL split into 4 divisions per conference, there has been the worst-to-first trend every season in the NFC South. I thought knew for sure that would end in 2008. No way the Falcons could go from worst to first, right?

Well, maybe not first. But the Falcons clinched a playoff berth beating the Vikings in Minnesota 24-17. And heading into the Sunday Night Football matchup between the Giants and Panthers, the Falcons still have a shot at the division, the #2 seed and first-round bye. For that to happen, the Falcons need to beat the Rams in the season finale and the Panthers need to lose tonight to the Giants and next week to the Saints.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:33 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Detroit Lions: 15 down, 1 to go

The Lions did today what they do best - lose. The Lions lost to the Saints 42-7 and are now 0-15. The only team in their way to becoming the first-ever team in NFL history to lose all 16 regular-season games in one season is the Green Bay Packers.

In the Tampa Bay Buccaneers first season (1976), they lost all of their games and finished 0-14.

The past couple of weeks, the Lions were either tied or ahead in the 4th quarter giving their fans a glimmer of hope that the team would get their first win late in the season. Invariably, they found a way to torture their fans and lose the game.

Today, they tortured fans in attendance by allowing the New Orleans Saints to score touchdowns on their first 6 drives.

The lone bright spot offensively was Kevin Smith, who finished with 111 yards on 24 carries and scored the Lions only touchdown.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:05 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Kyle Orton's future with Bears?

Bears QB Kyle Orton has one more year left on his contract. David Haugh of the Chicago Tribue argues that the Bears' remaining 2 games (vs Packers and at Texans) will determine the long-term fate of the Bears' QB.

Kyle Orton gave the cookie-cutter repsonse you would expect by commenting only on the remaining games this season and saying the rest will take care of itself.
"I think 10-6 is a good record whether we make the playoffs or not," Orton said. "It'd be a great way to end the season. What happens out of that is left up in the air, I guess."

"Personally I just feel it's another chance to come out and play two more solid games, hopefully play well," Orton said. "Whatever it means in the future we'll see in the off-season."
Haugh goes on to argue that the possible Orton alternatives to be available in the off-season aren't necessarily "automatic upgrades over Orton." With the style of Bears' play (defense and running the ball), they don't need to overpay for a new QB. Orton is playing well enough although he has 6 of his 10 INTs in the last 3 weeks.

Orton has completed 58.9% of his passes for 2,586 yards. He has thrown 15 TDs and 10 INTs in 13 games.

ESPN's Ron Jaworski says that his struggles of late are largely due to "eye discipline," i.e., focusing to hard on primary receivers and not looking off defenders.

Orton can fix his "eye discipline," but it would be much more difficult for the Bears to fix wasting money on an over-priced free agent QB.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:15 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Raiders to franchise Nmamdi Asomugha?

Raider Pro Bowlers (I know, somewhat of an oxymoron) Nnamdi Asomugha and Shane Lechler are eligible to become unrestricted free agents (UFAs) in the off-season.

Punter Shane Lechler leads the AFC in punting average (48.9) and only trails the Rams Donnie Jones (50.2). Since 2003, Lechler has finished either 1st or 2nd in the NFL in punting average every season.

The Raiders, who are currently franchising CB Asomugha, will likely franchise him again. Asomugha only has 2 INTs in the past 2 seasons after picking off 8 passes in 2006. However, typically "shut-down corners" don't pick off a lot of passes since QBs shy away from them as is the case with Asomugha.

A franchise tagged player receives the greater of the average of the top 5 players at your position or up 120% of your pay the previous year.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:27 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 20, 2008

Carson Palmer surgery decision coming soon...

Carson Palmer should know soon whether or not his elbow will require surgery. He expects to be able to increase his throwing distance from 55 yards to 70 yards within a week. He will also judge his arm strength by the zip on his passes to WRs and will have an MRI.
"There is somewhat of a timeline," Palmer said Thursday. "I don't want to wait too long. Within the next couple weeks, I'll know. I don't want to wait until April, May and miss out on what's going to be going on. Within the next couple weeks, we should know. I'll have another MRI, and we'll check it out."

"I think I should be able to know just throwing routes to receivers," Palmer said, "and asking them, 'Do you feel like the ball is getting there quick? Does it feel like it's hanging in the air a little long?' "
I'm not sure I would want Ocho Cinco determining my fate if I were Carson Palmer.
"I was so leery to do the surgery because the feedback I got back was so negative because of the process of the rehab, the timing of the rehab and the success rate of the rehab," Palmer said. "So that's why I've been real leery of having to do it, and hopefully I don't have to do it. If we're going to gamble, it'd be on the surgery. The last thing I'd want to do is wait too long and have to have the surgery three months from now."
For the Bengals to have a shot to bounce back in 2009, the Bengals need (a healthy) Carson Palmer. Therefore, it's imperative that Palmer is timely in making his decision as he says he will be and not wait until the spring and not risk an unhealthy, un-sharp start to the '09 season.

In the 4 games Palmer played this year, he had his worst QB Rating (69.0), completion percentage (58.1%) and his worst TD:INT ratio (3:4).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:45 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

NFC Playoff Picture

Earlier in the week, we took a look at the AFC playoff picture. Since then, the Colts have beaten the Jaguars to clinch the 5 seed in the AFC. That means that the Ravens and the non-division winners out of the Jets, Patriots and Dolphins will battle it out for the 6th seed in the AFC.

Let's shift our focus to the NFC. With 2 weeks to play, here are the current seedings in the NFC:
1. New York Giants (11-3)
2. Carolina Panthers (11-3)
3. Minnesota Vikings (9-5)
4. Arizona Cardinals (8-6)
5. Dallas Cowboys (9-5)
6. Atlanta Falcons (9-5)
NFC East:

New York Giants (11-3): With a win tomorrow night against the Panthers, the Giants lock up home-field advantage. If the Giants lose and the Vikings lose to the Falcons, the Giants will clinch the #2 seed and first-round bye. If the Giants lose and the Vikings win, the teams face off in Minnesota next week for the #2 seed.

Dallas Cowboys (9-5): The Cowboys are in as the 5 seed if they win out against the Ravens and Eagles. The Falcons and Bucs have identical records to the Cowboys and the Eagles trail by a half-game. The Bears trail the Cowboys by one game.

Philadelphia Eagles (8-5-1): The Eagles trail the Cowboys, Falcons and Bucs by a half-game. They face the Cowboys next week. If they win out, they are in provided that the Falcons and/or Bucs lose (or tie) at least one of their remaining 2 games.

Washington Redskins (7-7): While the Redskins are not mathematically-eliminated, they need much help with 2 weeks remaining. They need the Eagles, Bucs and Falcons to all lose their remaining games and the Bears to lose at least 1 game and win their 2 remaining games.

NFC North:

Minnesota Vikings (9-5): The Vikings clinch the division with a victory or a Bears loss. If the Vikings beat the Falcons and the Giants lose to the Panthers, the Vikings and Giants will face off next week in Minnesota for #2 seed and a first-round bye.

Chicago Bears (8-6): The Bears win the division if they win out (vs Packers / Texans) and the Vikings lose out (vs Falcons / Giants). For the Bears to get a wildcard spot, they need to win out while the Falcons and Bucs lose out.

Green Bay Packers (5-9): Eliminated.

Detroit Lions (0-14): Eliminated.

NFC South:

Carolina Panthers (11-3): The Panthers clinch the division with a tie or win over the Giants or if the Bucs and Falcons lose and/or tie. If they beat the Giants tomorrow night, they clinch the #1 seed. If they lose to the Giants, but win next week against the Saints, they will win the division and own the #2 seed. If they lose out and the Bucs, Falcons and Cowboys win out, the Panthers would miss the playoffs.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-5): If the Bucs win out and the Panthers lose out, the Bucs will win the division and hold the #2 seed. The Bucs have identical records as the Cowboys and Falcons and, if all 3 teams win out, the Bucs will be in as the #6 seed.

Atlanta Falcons (9-5): If the Falcons win out, the Panthers lose out and the Bucs tie or lose at least one game, the Falcons will win the division and hold the #2 seed. If the Falcons win out, they will need either a Cowboys or Bucs loss or tie in one of their remaining games to clinch a playoff spot.

New Orleans Saints (7-7): Eliminated.

NFC West:

Arizona Cardinals (8-6): Clinched the division and will finish with the #4 seed unless they win out and the Vikings lose out.

San Francisco 49ers (5-9): Eliminated.

Seattle Seahawks (3-11): Eliminated.

St. Louis Rams (2-12): Eliminated.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:35 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Paul Rhoads next coach at Iowa State

It won't be hard to outperform departed head coach Gene Chizik, who has taken the Auburn Tigers head coaching job. Whether or not the reason for his hire had to do with race like Charles Barkley has argued, I agree with the Round Mound of Rebound that Buffalo's Turner Gill was the right man for the Auburn job - not Gene Chizik.

But Iowa State has hired Paul Rhoads, who DC for Auburn last year and for the Pitt Panthers for the previous 8 seasons. He reportedly will earn $5.75 guaranteed over the next 5 seasons.
"Paul Rhoads is an outstanding and intelligent football coach, a highly successful national recruiter and has nearly 10 years of experience as a BCS coordinator," Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard said in a statement on Saturday. "He was the one candidate that clearly demonstrated both extensive experience and an extreme passion for and familiarity with our institution."
In the past 3 seasons, the Cyclones are 3-21 in conference games and 9-27 overall.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:31 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 19, 2008

Reggie Brown - upset about playing status

Eagles WR Reggie Brown isn't happy that he hasn't dressed in the past couple of weeks. Asked why other WRs are ahead of him and what he needs to do to get on coach Andy Reid's good graces, here's what Brown said:
"I don't know. That's a question you need to ask Reid, then you can come back down here and tell me, because I don't know. I don't get answers. I'm in the dark right now. I've tried to. I don't get answers."

"Show them what? To get on the field? Before I got hurt, I came back out as the leading receiver in two games. If that's not enough to show them, then I can't do more than I'm already doing. It's their decision whether or not to play me. It's just my decision whether or not to go out there and do my best to help this team make it to the playoffs, and that's what I'm going to do."
Brown had 61 receptions for 780 yards in 2007. This year, he has 13 receptions for 192 yards in the 8 games he has played. 10 of those receptions came in weeks 4 and 5.

Brown is 10th on team in receptions and 6th among WRs. Rookie DeSean Jackson leads the team in receptions with 58.

Hank Baskett will miss Sunday's game against the Redskins so Baskett will dress. How much he plays (and how happy/unhappy he is about it) is another story.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:01 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jim Zorn should be back in 2009 unless...

...Bill Cowher is willing to take over.

Althoug the Washington Redskins got off to a great start (6-2), most (including me) expected them to finish last in the NFC East.

Vinny Cerrato was on ESPN Radio and mentioned that Zorn's future hasn't been discussed (which I doubt), but here's what he said:
"In this building, that question has never even been brought up," Cerrato, the executive vice president of football operations, said on his radio show on ESPN 980 in Washington. "It's never even been discussed."

"It's business as usual in this building," Cerrato said.
Earlier this week, Zorn pointed his finger at himself. While I respect his candor and accountability, perhaps it's not the wisest move considering the owner's history of changing head coaches (Joe Gibbs excluded) like underwear.
"Where do I need to improve?" Zorn said. "Not only on Sunday, but on Wednesday, on Monday, all the days, all the game-planning, all the paying attention to detail. I need to make good use of this time and I will -- because it hurts. I just feel like the worst coach in America, to have to lose the way we're losing. ... I feel sick to my stomach even thinking about having to go and do this kind of evaluation."
At 7-7, the 'Skins host the Eagles this week and then head to San Francisco to play the 49ers next week. They will likely finish 8-8.

Instead of replacing Zorn or Zorn blaming himself, I think Zorn should lighten his workload. Despite being head coach, he is also calling the plays and working closely with QB Jason Campbell.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:11 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Patrick Bailey - Steelers rookie of the year?

2008 is the year of the rookie. At least, if you look at what rookies have done so far this year.

Rookie QBs Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco have led the Falcons and Ravens, respectively, to 9-5 records and the 6th seed in their conferences if the season were to end now.

Rookie RBs Chris Johnson, the Titans 1st-round draft pick, has helped lead the Tennessee Titans to the best record in the NFL (12-2). Johnson is 6th in the NFL in rushing with 1159 yards and 8 TDs. The next 2 RBs are rookies as well. Steve Slaton, a 3rd-round pick by Houston, is 7th with 1124 yards and Matt Forte, a 2nd-round pick by Chicago, is 8th with 1115 yards.

At the time of the draft, I thought that Rashard Mendenhall, the Steelers 1st-round pick, was the steal of the first round. But Mendenhall was knocked out for the season in week 4 against the Ravens.

So the Steelers 2008 rookie of the year is...drum roll, please...Patrick Bailey. Who?

Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review mentions that last year punter Daniel Sepulveda won the award. That class included LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons as well as other important contributors to the Steelers now. Their rookie contributions were nowhere near what they are now.

So he makes the obvious point that so many people overlook. It's not the rookie year that should be used to evaluate a draft class. To better judge a draft class, you need to hold judgment for a few years.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:44 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Braylon Edwards wants to stay in Cleveland

Browns WR Braylon Edwards had a breakout season in 2007. What a difference a year makes!

In 2007, he had 80 receptions for 1289 yards and 16 TDs. In 2008, Edwards has 50 receptions for 837 yards and only 3 TDs through 14 games.

Last year, Edwards scored a TD (or more) in all but 5 games. This year, he hasn't scored a TD in the past 6 weeks. In fact, the entire Browns offense hasn't scored a TD since November 17th.
"Being human, I went into a rut this year. I caught a slump. I'm human. People do that. Like basketball, I can't just shoot myself out of it. All I can do now is finish out strong in these last two games and work hard in the off-season."
But Edwards feels under-appreciated by the Cleveland fans.
You know it is what it is...I've learned being here I'm very under appreciated, not by the organization..not the organization, but in the eyes of the fans and the city. You know it is what it is."

"Since day one I've been a marked man coming from Michigan."
Edwards is under contract through 2009. And despite feeling under-appreciated, Edwards says that he wants to be back in Cleveland.
"I don't want to be traded. I want to be here. I want to be a part of this team when it's successful."
Edwards talked about Cleveland fans being disrespectful when you're out in public and he's being called "foul names." Or his parents are being called "vulgar things" at restaurants.
"My biggest problem is that I actually give a damn. I'm always rushing back from surgeries and injuries, never missing games or practices. But through this, I've learned how to overcome adversity. I'm also proud of how my foundation has taken off. I've been doing all this community service in Cleveland ... my charity efforts will only be in Detroit from now on."
Is that a reference to the Detroit Lions?

Well, the good news for Braylon is they play the charity case across the state this weekend. Edwards has scored in each of his past 3 games against the Bengals and has a total of 5 TDs in those 3 games. Maybe his (and the Browns offense's) drought is about to end.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:57 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Pro Bowl allows Albert Haynesworth to become UFA

Albert Haynesworth is perhaps the most valuable defensive player in the NFL. Last year, he didn't win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, which was won by Bob Sanders. However, it's arguable that his value to the Titans is greater than any other defensive player's value to his team.

Haynesworth, who will miss the final two regular-season games with a sprained MCL, made it back to the Pro Bowl. That distinction is one of four "triggers" to allow him to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
"I am just excited for Albert that he made the Pro Bowl and he is certainly deserving of it,'' Speck said, according to the report. "Right now I know he is clearly focused on trying to get healthy and making it back for the playoff run. I think the contract stuff will take care of itself at the end of the season.''
Fellow Titans DL Kyle Vanden Bosch had surgery this week and expects to be back for the Titans first playoff game. If the Titans win Sunday when they host the Steelers, they will have the top seed in the AFC. In either case, they have clinched a first-round bye.

Haynesworth has 75 tackles and 8.5 sacks this season. He will certainly be one of the most sought-after free agents in the off-season.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:22 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sammy Baugh: greatest ever?

Sammy Baugh is a member of the inaugural Hall of Fame class. He was the sole living member of that class, but Baugh passed away Wednesday at 94 years old.

The NFL Network named Sammy Baugh the Most Versatile Player of all time.
"There's nobody any better than Sam Baugh was in pro football," Don Maynard, a fellow West Texas Hall of Famer who played for Baugh, said in a 2002 interview. "When I see somebody picking the greatest player around, to me, if they didn't go both ways, they don't really deserve to be nominated. I always ask, 'Well, how'd he do on defense? How was his punting?'"
In 1943, Baugh led the NFL in passing, interceptions (as a DB) and punting. In fact, his single season mark for punting average (51.4 yards) still stands today. He had one game where he threw for 4 touchdowns and intercepted 4 passes on defense.

Baugh threw in an era were the forward pass was rare yet still holds the Redskins franchise record for most passing TDs (187).

It's highly subjective and there are many great players in the history of the NFL. Iin my opinion, Baugh's versatility and greatness at all the positions he played makes him the greatest player ever.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:14 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 18, 2008

Anquan Boldin may not play vs Patriots

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt has indicated that WR Anquan Boldin and RB JJ Arrington might not play in New England.
"I think that both these guys want to play and if they're ready to go, they'll play," Whisenhunt said. "But I think also, you have to be smart with that situation.

"If this was a game that for us meant to get into the playoffs, it would be a completely different scenario."
The Cardinals have won the NFC West (as I predicted they would) with 2 games to go before their first-round playoff matchup since they have no shot at a first-round bye.

Boldin started the season red hot. In his first 9 games of the season, he had 11 TDs. In fact, 10 of those 11 TDs came in a 6-game span.

In the past 3 weeks, Boldin has no TDs and hasn't had more than 63 receiving yards.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:55 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Football Rankings - Championship Week

Our weekly consensus rankings by position have been released for week 16 fantasy football. Here are the top players at each position for this week:

QB: Drew Brees, Saints (at DET) - see top 25 QBs for week 16
RB: Pierre Thomas, Saints (at DET) - see top 40 RBs for week 16
WR: Calvin Johnson, Lions (vs NO) - see top 50 WRs for week 16
TE: Tony Gonzalez, Chiefs (vs MIA) - see top 20 TEs for week 16
K: Garrett Hartley, Saints (at DET) - see top 20 Ks for week 16
DEF: Philadelphia Eagles (at WAS) - see top 20 DEFs for week 16

Not signed up for our Survivor Fantasy Football? Free to play, cash prizes to win.

Good luck in your Championship matchups!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:31 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

AFC Playoff Picture

With 2 weeks to go, the AFC and NFC playoff races are interesting. We will take a team-by-team look at both conferences starting with the AFC. Here are current playoff seedings:
1. Tennessee Titans (12-2)
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3)
3. New York Jets (9-5)
4. Denver Broncos (8-6)
5. Indianapolis Colts (10-4)
6. Baltimore Ravens (9-5)
AFC East:

New York Jets (9-5): The Jets win the division if they win out (at Seattle and vs Miami). Otherwise, they are 1 of 4 teams fighting for the 6th spot as the Colts are 10-4.

Miami Dolphins (9-5): The Dolphins win the division if they win out (at Kansas City and at NY Jets). Otherwise, they are 1 of 4 teams fighting for the 6th spot as the Colts are 10-4.

New England Patriots (9-5): The Patriots win the division if they win out (vs Arizona and at Buffalo) and the Dolphins and Jets both lose at least 1 game. Otherwise, they are 1 of 4 teams fighting for the 6th spot as the Colts are 10-4.

Buffalo Bills (6-8): Eliminated.

AFC North:

Pittsburgh Steelers: Last week, the Steelers clinched the division last week with their sweep over the Ravens. Sunday they head to Nashville to play for the #1 seed in the playoffs. The Steelers would still need to beat the Browns in week 17, but that should be a gimme.

Baltimore Ravens (9-5): The Ravens are in if they win out (in Dallas and vs Jacksonville). But there will be 2 AFC East teams fighting for the Ravens spot.

Cleveland Browns (4-10): Eliminated.

Cincinnati Bengals (2-11-1): Eliminated.

AFC South:

Tennessee Titans (12-2): The Titans have the best record in the NFL, but face the Steelers without Albert Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch. A Titans win = home-field advantage throughout playoffs. Otherwise, they will have the 2 seed unless the Browns beat the Steelers week 17 and the Titans beat the Colts.

Indianapolis Colts (10-4): The Colts could clinch the 5 seed with a win tonight in Jacksonville. 4 other teams are currently 9-5.

Houston Texans (7-7): Eliminated. But the Texans have a shot to finish with their first-ever winning season.

Jacksonville Jaguars (5-9): Eliminated.

AFC West:

Denver Broncos (8-6): If the Broncos win or tie or the Chargers tie or lose this week, the Broncos win the division. Otherwise, the two play next week for the division.

San Diego Chargers (6-8): see Denver Broncos.

Oakland Raiders (3-11): Eliminated.

Kansas City Chiefs (2-12): Eliminated.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:18 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 17, 2008

Brandon Jacobs back at practice?

After missing last week's game in Dallas, Giants RB Brandon Jacobs hopes and expects to play vs the Carolina Panthers.
"I don't want to plead this week," he said. "There is no choice. I want to go. Whoever I have to talk to in order to get this verdict, that's what I'm going to do."
It was painfully obvious that the Giants were the best team in the NFL just 2 weeks ago. While I still think that is the case, it's no longer obvious as the Giants have lost 2 straight to division rivals. In fact, the Giants dropped from first to second in our Domination Index through week 15 games.

This week the G-Men host the Panthers, who are tied with the Giants at 11-3 on the season. The winner of this game will receive the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs. If the Giants lose this week and the Vikings win, the Giants and Vikings matchup in week 17 will determine who receives the other bye.

I can't see the Giants losing their final 4 games of the season, but the playoff picture in both conferences is interesting as the Steelers and Titans are playing for home-field advantage this week as well.

Jacobs has 1002 yards on the season and is averaging over 5 yards per carry. He also has 12 rushing TDs in 12 games. The Giants are tied with the Falcons for most rushing yards per game (148.7).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:29 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tarvaris Jackson vs Gus Frerotte?

After playing poorly in the first 2 weeks of the season, Tarvaris Jackson was benched in favor of wily veteran Gus Frerotte. In those first 2 weeks, Jackson completed only half of his passes (30-59).

During weeks 4-14 (Vikings had week 3 bye), Frerotte completed just under 60% of his passes, but threw 12 TDs to 15 INTs. Too many turnovers for any QB during 11 games and especially so for a veteran. However, the most important stat as a QB is wins. And during that span, the Vikings went 8-3.

After Frerotte hurt his back in week 14, the Vikings had to bring in Jackson. Jackson has played extremely well in Frerotte's absence. He has completed 19 of 27 passes (67%) and thrown 5 TDs and no INTs. Jackson led the Vikings to victories in both games that he has played since Frerotte got hurt.

Frerotte has now returned to practice and Brad Childress and the Vikings have a decision to make. Do you reinsert Frerotte as starter (the "you don't lose your job to injury" argument)? Or do you go with the hot hand who also happens to be your QB of the future (or at least as how the Vikes saw it heading into the season)?

In his 23 career games, Jackson has had a QB Rating of 135+ in 3 games. 2 of those games are the last 2. To me, the decision is a no-brainer. Tarvaris Jackson is the QB.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:04 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 16, 2008

Jerry Porter to IR

If you're a glass-half-full kinda guy, at least Jerry Porter is consistent. If you're not, it's because he sucks all the time.

In the 10 games Porter has played, he's had either 0, 1 or 2 receptions in the game. The most receiving yards he had in a game was during week 13 against the Texans when Porter had 39 yards.

Now Porter is being placed on Injured Reserve with a groin injury, which will likely end his brief tenure as a Jaguar.

Matt Jones, serving a 3-game suspension for his cocaine bust, is the Jags' leading receiver with 65 receptions and 761 yards.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:52 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 15, 2008

Pat Williams out 2-6 weeks

The Minnesota Vikings lead the NFL in rushing defense (71.2 ypg allowed). A big reason for that is Pat Williams, who along with Kevin Williams form perhaps the league's best pair of DTs.

Now for the remainder of the regular season and perhaps into the playoffs, the Vikings will be without one of their Williams. Pat Williams has a fractured shoulder and will miss the next 2-6 weeks.
"He's a different kind of cat and a tough one at that," coach Brad Childress said when asked about the possibility of Williams being ready should the Vikings qualify for the playoffs. "We'll see. He's fully informed. He's looked at all the pictures and had an idea of where it's at. It's just a matter of getting that thing settled down and let it start to heal."
Despite their 1-3 start, the Vikings have a shot at a first-round bye if the win their 2 remaining games against the Falcons and Giants. Both games are at home, where the Vikings are 5-1 on the season. They had a 3-point loss at home to the Colts in week 2.

In order to finish in the #2 seed, the Giants would also have to lose to the Panthers this week. I don't see the Giants losing 4 straight (Eagles and Cowboys past 2 weeks, Panthers this week and Vikings next week).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:27 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Albert Haynesworth could miss rest of regular season

In the loss to the Texans, Albert Haynesworth likely suffered a sprained MCL and will have an MRI Monday. Also, he could miss the remaining regular season games.
“He is a dominant player for us,’’ linebacker David Thornton said. “We definitely need that guy.’’
The Titans (12-2) are 1 game ahead of the Steelers (11-3) for the top seed in the playoffs. If the Steelers beat the Titans, the Steelers would hold the tie-breaker however. And the week 17 schedule favors the Steelers, who face the 4-9 Browns. The Titans play the Colts, who have won 7 straight, in the season finale.

Worst-case scenario for Tennessee is a first-round bye. But Jeff Fisher and the Titans would much rather face the Steelers in the AFC Championship game in Nashville instead of the hostile Heinz Field.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:27 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 14, 2008

Monte Kiffin to coach with son Lane

It's official. Despite the speculation and expectation that Tampa Bay's defensive coordinator would join son Lane Kiffin at Tennessee, Monte Kiffin has made the announcement that he's leaving Tampa at the end of the season.
"I made the decision last weekend and I went back and forth," Kiffin said. "It was a very, very hard decision because of players, our fans. When you've been in a place since 1996, you don't just jump ship. I've had other opportunities. There was one that came up last year that was a great opportunity and people don't even know for sure about the whole thing. But I stayed here, decided to sign back up for two years. But the club was very good about giving me the option to go with my son."
Maybe Kiffin should have waited until the end of the season to make the announcement as the Bucs are fighting for a playoff berth. After losing back-to-back games to division foes, they are on the outside looking in with 2 weeks to go.

But why deal with the distraction and continued speculation if you already know? I think it was the right thing to make it public now and get it out of the way.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:37 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Interesting NFC South Trend

Everyone who pays attention to the NFL knows about the trend in the NFC South division. The last place team one season wins the division the next. It has happened every season since the conferences have been divided into 4 divisions (2002).

It's an amazing accomplishment to think that the Atlanta Falcons, who finished 4-12 last year and seemed in more disarray than their record indicated, hasn't been mathematically-eliminated from the possibility of winning the division. With some help, 2 Panthers losses (on the road), 1 Buccaneers loss and 2 Falcons victories would give the division to the Falcons.

Another interesting trend that I first posted about on my message board back on October 24th is the success (and lack thereof) of the home (and road) teams. Through today's games, the NFC South has a combined 26-2 record at home. Also, they are 10-18 on the road.

At home, the Panthers are 8-0, Bucs 6-0, Falcons 6-1 and Saints 6-1.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:16 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Andre Johnson sets franchise record

The Houston Texans beat the Tennessee Titans this afternoon 13-12. The Texans are now 7-7 on the season and have a legitimate chance of having their first winning season ever. Last year, they had their first non-losing season in franchise history.

They play in Oakland next week and host the Chicago Bears in the last week of the season.

In 2007, Johnson showed his value to the Texans both when he was on the field and when he wasn't. In the 9 games he played, the Texans were 6-3. In the 7 games he did not, they were 2-5.

In today's game, Texans WR Andre Johnson set the franchise record for receiving yards in a game (207). He had 11 receptions, one of which went for a score.

The only other players to have 200+ yards receiving this season are Terrell Owens (213) in week 12 and Antonio Bryant (200) last week.

Johnson has 7 games with 100+ yards this season and 6 games with 10+ receptions. On the season, Johnson now has 103 receptions and 1408 yards to lead the NFL. Wes Welker has 102 receptions and "Rowdy" Roddy White has 1,310 yards.

Although Andre Johnson doesn't get much national publicity, you could argue that he is the best WR in the NFL.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:40 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Warrick Dunn Good

In today's loss to the Falcons, Warrick Dunn has become only the sixth player in NFL history to reach 10,000 rushing yards and 500 career receptions. Through today's game, Dunn has 10,910 rushing yards to rank 19th of all-time and 504 receptions.

Here are the 5 players that have accomplished the same feat:
Marcus Allen: 12,243 rushing yards, 587 receptions
Tiki Barber: 10,449 rushing yards, 586 receptions
Marshall Faulk: 12,279 rushing yards, 767 receptions
Emmitt Smith: 18,355 rushing yards, 515 receptions
LaDainian Tomlinson: 11,574 rushing yards, 508 receptions
It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. Literally. Warrick Dunn, who has been the recipient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, is known for the work he has done in the community. (LT has also won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.) To date, Dunn's foundation has given 78 homes to single parents.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:49 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Reggie Bush sidelined until MRI

In Thursday's OT loss to the Bears, Saints RB Reggie Bush had 6 carries for 30 yards. 5 of those carries were in the first half and he got his last carry of the game (no gain) with 10:26 to go in the 3rd quarter.

Pierre Thomas carried the ball 22 times for 87 yards and caught 7 passes for 59 yards. Thomas also had 2 touchdowns - one rushing, one receiving.

Reggie Bush won't play until Dr. James Andrews examines his knee and he determines whether or not Bush can go.
"I just work here. I'm just an employee," Bush said after the game. "I don't call the shots. I definitely don't call the plays."
The guy who does "call the shots" had a different perspective.
"I didn't want to play him because I could tell it was affecting him," Payton said. "Once I knew he had sprained it, I didn't want to risk ... injuring it more and putting a player in that wasn't as effective."

"Obviously, I'm rooting for all those guys. I want to play 'em. I want them to be successful and it's in my best interest that they have success," Payton said. "I just felt like [keeping Bush off the field] was the best decision and I think as we examine where he is right now, I was correct."
The Saints haven't been mathematically-eliminated from the post-season yet, but they need to win out and get a lot of help.

Bush has already missed 4 games on the season, but he was having arguably his best season. He has 404 yards rushing and 440 yards receiving in 10 games. He also has 3 return TDs on the season.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:42 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Michael Turner sets franchise record

Earlier in the season, Michael Turner had a 4-TD rushing performance against the Carolina Panthers. That tied a franchise record for most TDs in a game.

In today's game against the Bucs, Michael Turner ran for a TD in the first quarter. The Falcons RB has now broken the team's single season record for rushing TDs with his 15th of the season.

Heading into week 14, the Bucs led the NFL in fewest rushing TDs allowed on the season. One. Now, in the past 5 quarters of football, they have given up 5 TDs (DeAngelo Williams 2, Jonathan Stewart 2 and Michael Turner 1).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:43 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Frank Gore to miss Miami game

The San Francisco 49ers are playing well since their bye week. And to think of everyone that criticized Mike Singletary for mooning his team at halftime in his first game as head coach. The Niners are 3-2 since their bye.

Today Frank Gore is going to miss the game in Miami with a sprained left ankle. DeShaun Foster will start in Gore's place.

Gore has been struggling in the past 3 weeks. During that span, he rushed for only 144 yards on 52 carries. That is an average of 2.8 yards per carry. Foster hasn't done much better - 35 yards on 16 carries as Gore's replacement last week.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:45 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

T.O. still "loves me some me"

Ever since the Cowboys went 1-2 in Tony Romo's absence, the Cowboys needed to approach their remaining games almost as though they were must-win. After last week's 4th-quarter collapse against the Steelers, this week's prime time matchup against the Giants isn't a "must-win" but rather a "can't lose" for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys are currently in the 6th seed in the NFC playoff picture heading into Week 15. However, they play the 9-3 Baltimore Ravens next week at home and the 7-5-1 Philadelphia Eagles on the road to end the season. Other teams in the NFC wildcard mix are Tampa Bay (9-4), Atlanta (8-5), Philadelphia (7-5-1), Washington (7-6) and New Orleans (7-7 after loss to Bears Thursday).

Now, Terrell Owens, signed to a contract extension in the off-season, is pulling his old antics like when in San Fran and Philly.

Earlier in the week, T.O. was crying about how Tony Romo and Jason Witten were secretly drawing up plays because they are roommates on the road. In fact, T.O. then had a meeting without Romo and Witten but with some receivers to complain to Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett about the "buddy system."

According to ESPN, Romo has thrown to Ownes 87 times (43 receptions) and Witten 80 times (57 receptions).

Although T.O. and Witten have denied it, the latest are reports that the two were involved in a scuffle in the Cowboys locker room.
... it didn’t come without a near altercation Friday between Owens and tight end Jason Witten in the Cowboys’ locker room. According to two sources, the two exchanged words before being separated. Both players acted as if everything was fine when the media was allowed in the locker room. But Owens was still clearly miffed.
The focus this week should be on the New York Football Giants and the Cowboys' playoff survival. Instead, T.O. has shifted the spotlight to where he prefers it - on himself. Jerry Jones should cut his losses and cut loose T.O. in the off-season. He's not worth the aggravation.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:56 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 13, 2008

Walter Jones to miss rest of season

Seattle Seahawks LT Walter Jones will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his knee. Jones missed last week's game against the Patriots and was expected to miss this week's game against the Rams.

Jones, who is now 34, has had two shoulder surgeries in the past two seasons. With the wear that Jones' body has taken over his 12-year career, The Olympian asks whether the Seahawks should use what will be a high draft pick in next year's draft to replace Jones.
"If you look at Walter Jones (as done), you're making a huge mistake, Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "He has a little knee injury, but he was having a great year. He was on his way to the Pro Bowl again. He might still go to the Pro Bowl. I think around the league, he's still recognized as one of the guys.

"But every team has to look at how they're going to fix things. You don't want to get too many players too old. But I don't think he fits into that category. I think with Walter, as long as he's playing like he's playing, you let him play as long as he wants to play."
I agree with Holmgren, but I'm a firm believer that teams should draft the best player available in the first round regardless of position. And if that happens to be a LT like Alabama's Andre Smith, the 2008 recipient of the Outland Trophy, then he should become a Seahawk. And then fill in areas of need throughout the later rounds of the draft.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:48 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Gus Frerotte doubtful against Cardinals

With their overtime victory against the New Orleans Saints last night, the Chicago Bears kept the pressure on the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings (8-5) have a 1/2 game lead over the Bears (8-6).

Gus Frerotte, who hurt his back last week in the Lions game, is doubtful for Sunday's game in Arizona. Tarvaris Jackson will get the start.

Out of his 22 career games played, Jackson's highest QB rating came during last week's game when he stepped in to replace the injured Frerotte. Jackson was 8-10 for 105 yards, 1 TD and a QB rating of 143.8.

The Vikings are 8-3 with Frerotte as the starter after Jackson was benched for the week 3 game. But Frerotte hasn't played well. Frerotte has thrown more INTs (15) than TDs (12) on the season and, in their past 3 games (all wins), Frerotte has thrown only 1 TD and 4 INTs.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:02 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 12, 2008

Brandon Jacobs to miss Cowboys game

Giants RB Brandon Jacobs is going to miss this Sunday's game in Dallas with a knee injury.

Derrick Ward will get the start, but the Giants will still use a trio with Ahmad Bradshaw and Danny Ware getting carries too.

Last week, Jacobs went over 1000 yards on the season and is averaging 5.1 yards per carry (ypc). He has roughly 50% of the team's rushing yards. Both Ward and Bradshaw have solid ypc's of 4.8 and 5.9, respectively. But Jacobs has 12 rushing TDs (or 3/4's of the team's total).

For the Cowboys, Marion Barber is listed as questionable with his toe injury and will be a game-time decision according to John Clayton of ESPN.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:40 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 11, 2008

Fred Taylor placed on IR

Fred Taylor has spent his entire 11-year career as a Jacksonville Jaguars' RB. During those 11 seasons, he has had 7 1000-yards rushing campaigns and has accumulated enough rushing yards to place him 16th on the all-time list.

This season, however, Taylor has been limited to 556 rushing yards on 143 carries in 13 games. But Jacksonville has struggled with injuries to their offensive line.

Now, Taylor's season is over and he's been placed on IR with a thumb injury. With a salary of $6 million in 2009, will Taylor be back?
"All of that still has to handle itself," said Taylor, a first-round pick in 1998 who has played his entire career in Jacksonville. "I don't know how it's going to play out."

"I never really wanted to be away from here to begin with," he said. "I just said I'm going to play football whether it's here or not. ... I'm not going to go, but there's a business side of it. I don't want to go is what I'm saying. It is my plea. I don't want to go."
Although there are a couple of active players (Edgerrin James and LaDainian Tomlinson) in between where Taylor is now and #10 all-time, Taylor currently needs 972 yards rushing to tie Marcus Allen for 10th all-time.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:16 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Pacman Jones' career over?

The neck injury that is keeping Adam "Pacman" Jones out of the Giants game this week and likely the rest of the season may also end Pacman's career.

After the countless (o.k. I guess I could count but I'm lazy) incidents that has involved Pacman Jones, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gave him another opportunity while threatening that this was the last straw if he screwed up one last time.

When he was initially suspended for a "minimum of 4 games," I argued that Pacman should have been banned for life instead. I definitely don't wish harm or ill health upon anyone (even Pacman), but it looks like karma has caught up with him.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:45 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 09, 2008

Joey Porter: "Plaxico is like a brother to me."

Joey Porter loves to talk about anything and everything. Porter has an opinion on the whole Plaxico Burress situation and he shared his opinion with ESPN.
"Plaxico is like a brother to me. I take it real personal how he's being treated," Porter said. "Everybody has their mistakes, but that's exactly what they are ... Until you've been in that situation, when you've been robbed at gunpoint or you've had a gun waved in your face or had your house broken into before or been carjacked, you really don't know what it's like."

"For a person to carry a gun, I mean, you're not carrying a gun to show that 'I'm tough.' It's safety, it's nothing but safety," Porter said.
Bull shit Peezy! You don't go to a Manhattan club decked out in gold and diamonds when it's "nothing but safety."

And yes, "everybody has their mistakes." But to shoot a gun in a club is not the kind-of mistake I've ever made. Plaxico is very lucky that nobody (other than him) got hurt. Imagine if the gun was pointed at a different angle? In a crowded club?
"The real issue to me, is when the players feel they're unsafe, they shouldn't be there," Goodell said. "So get out, don't be there. If you feel the need to have a firearm to be someplace, you're in the wrong place."
I couldn't agree with Goodell any more.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:48 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Clinton Portis calls out Jim Zorn

In the first 8 games of the season, Clinton Portis had 20+ carries in every game. During that span, the Redskins were 6-2. Since then, Portis has 20+ carries in 1 game, which was their only win in the past 5 games.
"Either you feel like you need to sever ties with me -- split ties with me -- but don't sit here and throw me out like I don't pay attention, like I don't know what's going on, like I'm making mistakes, like I'm the problem," Portis said. "It is what it is, bro."

"Outside of Jim Zorn and the coaches on that team and maybe the quarterbacks, I guarantee you I know our system better than anybody else," Portis said. "I guarantee you when we go into blitz pickup, I don't miss my man. So I don't know what it is. If anybody's got a problem with me, they need to talk to me. I don't know what's going on."
Portis has heart and is a tough player. He wants to play and I can respect that. But I remember John Madden talking about Portis during the game and how Portis told Madden that his hands were the only part of his body that didn't hurt.

Although Portis called out Zorn but Zorn exercised some discretion in his response.
"He's a big part of our offense, and he's sitting on the bench," Zorn said. "He's going to feel like he's benched. I don't blame him for that. ... He's an every-down back, that's the way he sees himself and that's the way we see him. He needs to be on the field. I felt the same way when I played."
The Redskins are currently trail the Cowboys and Falcons for the last wildcard spot by 1 game and half a game behind the Eagles. The Saints and the Bears both have identical records as the Redskins.

The Redskins face the Bengals, Eagles and 49ers to close out the season.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:04 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Domination Index through week 14 games

It must be Tuesday since we just released our Domination Index through week 14 games.

Although the New York Giants lost to the Philadelphia Eagles at home on Sunday, the Gaints retain their #1 spot in the Index. However, their 17.5-point lead in week 13 has shrunk to 3 points this week.

Here are the Top 5 from this week's Domination Index:
1. New York Giants (213.5)
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (210.5)
3. Tennessee Titans (201.0)
4. Baltimore Ravens (193.0)
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (188.0)
See rest of the Domination Index.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:45 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

JJ calls out Marion the Barbarian

Facing the top-ranked rushing (and passing) defense was a difficult challenge for his first-ever career start. However, Tashard Choice met the challenge.

Choice, 4th-round draft pick this year from Georgia Tech, finished the game with 166 combined rushing/receiving yards against the Steelers.

However, Jerry Jones was surprised that Marion "The Barbarian" Barber didn't play. With his rugged running style, the Cowboys certainly could have used Barber in the 4th quarter to close the game.
"He can play with that injured toe," Jones said. "He can play with the soreness and a combination of those things. I see nothing that led us to believe he couldn’t."
Not only did Tashard Choice impress me, but he impressed others including Jerry Jones and Steelers LB Lamar Woodley.
"Tashard might have added a plus," Jones said. "I don’t think we lost any slack there."

"He’s a pretty good back. We knew that," Woodley said. "When he saw a hole he hit it, so you have to give him props. He ain’t in the NFL for nothing."
The good news for the Cowboys is they are now in the 6th-seed (moved up a spot) after the Falcons (and the Redskins) lost. The bad news is they finish up their season at home against the Giants (11-2) and Ravens (9-4) and on the road against the Eagles (7-5-1).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:05 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Another great performance by DeAngelo Williams

Last week, DeAngelo Williams had a record-setting performance with 4 rushing TDs. In the process, he had tied the franchise record for most consecutive games with a score.

Tonight, Williams and the Panthers faced the team that had allowed the fewest rushing TDs on the season. The Bucs only allowed 1 rushing TD in 12 games.

Despite facing the stingy Monte Kiffin-led defense, Williams (and Jonathan Stewart) ran downhill all night. Williams finished the game with 186 yards on 19 carries and scored 2 TDs. Stewart had 115 yards on 15 carries and 2 TDs as well.

Through 13 games, Williams has 1,141 rushing yards. Williams is the first 1000-yard rusher for the Panthers since Stephen Davis did it in 2003.

On the season, the Panthers improve to 10-3 and 7-0 at home. The NFC South is 24-2 at home on the season.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:00 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 08, 2008

Redskins LT Chris Samuels out for season

Q: How do you know your offense is struggling?
A: The only 3 teams that have scored fewer points than you are the Raiders, Rams and Bengals. And the Lions' offense has put up as many points than you (16.8 ppg).

Q: Who are you?
A: You are the Washington Redskins.

Now life is going to get even more difficult for the Redskins, who are 7-6 and losers of 4 out of their last 5. Perennial Pro Bowl Left Tackle Chris Samuels suffered a season-ending injury last night. Plus, starting Right Tackle Jon Jansen suffered a sprained MCL although he hasn't been ruled out against the Bengals Sunday.

Stephon Heyer will fill in for Chris Samuels at LT and, if Jansen can't go Sunday, Jason Fabini will play RT.

The Redskins are now in last place in the NFC East, but are only 1 game out of the wildcard with 3 weeks to go. Their remaining games are against the Bengals and 49ers on the road and the Eagles at home.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:01 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Peyton Hillis - 5th Broncos RB to land on IR

Perhaps it's karma for Mike Shanahan frustrating fantasy owners that have drafted a Broncos RB. Because now, a total of 5 - yes, 5 - Broncos RBs have landed on IR.

Peyton Hillis, their 7th-round draft pick in the 2008, had 5 TDs in the past 4 games and was averaging exactly 5 yards/carry. Despite having only 68 carries on the season, Hillis is the Broncos leading rusher with 343 yards.

Now Hillis suffers the fate of Andre Hall, Michael Pittman, Ryan Torain and Anthony Aldridge, who all have ended up on the IR this season.

Last month, the Broncos added Tatum Bell, who was selling cell phones at the mall after getting released from the Lions. Bell has 100 yards rushing on 24 carries this season for the Broncos.

The Broncos currently lead the San Diego Chargers in the AFC West by 3 games with 3 games to go. The Broncos face the Panthers and Bills before facing the Chargers in week 17. A win (or tie) by Denver and/or a loss (or tie) by San Diego will clinch the division title for the Broncos.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:29 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 07, 2008

Florida, Oklahoma to meet in BCS Championship Game

Yesterday Florida beat Alabama in the SEC Championship game and Oklahoma beat Missouri in the Big 12 Championship game. Most expected the winner of the SEC Championship to play OU (provided they beat Missouri) in the BCS Championship game.

Tonight it was announced that they will play each other for the national championship on January 8th in Miami.

The Sooners have scored 60+ for 5 straight games including the past 3 against top 20 teams. The only game this season they scored less than 45 points was when they beat TCU 35-10 on Sept. 27th.

Since losing to Mississippi by 1 point, the Gators have outscored their opponents by a combined 445-117 including yesterday's win over Alabama despite playing without Percy Harvin.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:54 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Laverneus Coles - still not a Brett Favre fan

Laverneus Coles had a close relationship with Chad Pennington and certainly was upset about Pennington being released and Brett Favre replacing him.

Back in August, Favre threw a deep pass to Coles in practice and a fan and Coles had this dialogue:
While standing by the water cooler, the fan yelled, "Chad could never throw it that far."

Coles fired back, "F@*# you."
Now, Coles is talking again and still not singing praise of "The QB" (or "#4").
"We're in a quarterback-driven offense where he pretty much has control of everything, where before the offense was pretty much driven through me. ... I just kind of become a role player instead of a guy that teams had to prepare for."

"This is his offense. When we do throw the ball, there's really no level of importance, where at one point it used to be where I was the guy ... in position to get the ball most of the time."

"Of course he's the big name, he's the Hall of Famer, he's going to get the majority of the credit but most of the guys who deserve the credit don't really get it."
I understand that Coles is a loyal guy to Pennington, but give it a rest. Heading into today's game against the Niners, the Jets were in sole possession of 1st place in the AFC East.

Both Laverneus Colts (55-615-6) and Jerricho Cotchery (58-692-4) are having solid seasons. But I'm not so sure that defenses were ever too worried about "preparing for" Coles.

And I thought Favre had a big ego...

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:01 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Gus Frerotte hurt, Tarvaris Jackson plays well

The level of competition was low. The Vikings were facing the Detroit Lions, who entered the game with an 0-12 record.

But Gus Frerotte hurt his back in today's game. Tarvaris Jackson replaced Frerotte and had the highest rated game of his career (143.8). Jackson was 8-10 for 105 yards and 1 TD.

On the season, Frerotte has completed a (relatively) higher percentage of his passes (58.8% to 51.7%) and has a higher QB rating (76.1 to 65.7) than Jackson.

The Vikings beat the Lions 20-16 to maintain their one-game lead over the Chicago Bears in the NFC North. The Vikings play in Arizona next week and then host the Atlanta and the NY Giants to finish up the regular season. Both the Cardinals and Giants clinched their divisions today.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:47 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

3 Division Titles Clinched Today

Today 3 teams clinched division titles. The other 5 divisions are up for grabs regardless what happens with the remaining 2 night games.

The Tennessee Titans clinched the AFC South with a victory over the Cleveland Browns even though 2nd-place Indianapolis Colts beat the Cincinnati Bengals.

The New York Giants clinched the NFC East with a Dallas Cowboys loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers even though the Giants lost to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys still moved into the 6th seed since they lost to an AFC team while the Atlanta Falcons, who have the same 8-5 record as the Cowboys, lost to an NFC team (New Orleans Saints).

The Arizona Cardinals clinched the NFC West with a blowout win over the St. Louis Rams 34-10.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:29 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Visanthe "Nip" Shiancoe, Fox apolgizes for on-air nudity

While filming during a post-game talk in the Minnesota Vikings locker room, Visanthe Shiancoe was wearing only a towel. Fox aired the locker room talk with Shiancoe's private area exposed.

Deadspin captured it here.
"It was an obvious oversight on our part, and we apologize," said Dan Bell, the vice president of communications for Fox.
This reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine sent out her Christmas cards with her nipple exposed.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:35 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Steven Jackson, Jim Haslett say they're "good"

Rams RB Steven Jackson took "exception" to coach Jim Haslett saying that Jackson was "gassed." But both the player and coach claim that they have cleared the air.
"Me and Coach Haslett are good," Jackson said Thursday. "We have been able to kind of look back at the (film) reel and laugh about it. Everything is fine."

"We're fine," Haslett said. "There's no issues at all. He's a good guy, he works hard. We're just glad to have him back. He gives us a good chance to win when he's on (his game)."
Jackson has missed 4 games in each of the past 2 seasons. With 4 games to go on the season, he has 619 yards and needs to average over 95 yards/game to continue his streak of 3 consecutive 1000-yard rushing seasons.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:38 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Joshua Cribbs would like to play QB

With Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson out for the season, the Browns signed Bruce Gradkowski to a contract.

Gradkowski will back up Ken Dorsey, who will get his first start in a Browns uniform against the Tennessee Titans today. Dorsey has thrown 4 passes in the past 2 seasons - all incomplete.

A QB in college at Kent State, Joshua Cribbs would like to play QB.

Considering his threat to make plays with his feet or arm, it's at least worth a shot to give him some snaps.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:29 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Marion Barber out, maybe DeMarcus Ware too

Today when the Dallas Cowboys face the Pittsburgh Steelers, they will be without RB Marion Barber. Tashard Choice, who has played well on the season, will get the start. Yesterday, the Cowboys activated Antonio Coleman from their practice squad to provide depth.

Tashard Choice will face the #1-ranked rushing defense (71.2 ypg) in the NFL in first-ever career start. They also lead the NFL in passing defense (166.8 ypg).

According to Ed Werder of ESPN, DeMarcus Ware will be a game-time decision as well.

Marion Barber has 870 rushing yards and 7 TDs on the season. Tashard Choice has 147 rushing yards on 30 carries (4.9 ypc). DeMarcus Ware leads the Cowboys and the NFL in sacks with 15.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:33 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 06, 2008

Buffalo ends Ball State's hopes for a perfect season

Nate Davis and the Ball State Cardinals entered last night's MAC Championship game at Ford Field with a perfect 12-0 record and #12 ranking. The Buffalo Bulls entered the game with a 7-5 record and an accepted invitation to play in the International Bowl in Toronto. (Full Bowl Schedule)

The way coach Turner has turned around the Bulls' program, which last received an invitation to a bowl game 50 years ago, is impressive. The Bulls' turnaround is a great story, but I was hoping that Ball State would stay undefeated.

Buffalo beat Ball State 42-24 to win the MAC Championship. Although Ball State had nearly 200 more yards, had 9 more minutes in time of possession and had 12 more first downs than Buffalo, the Bulls won the one stat that usually matters the most: turnovers. The Cardinals turned the ball over 5 times, 2 of which were returned to the house.

Boise State and Utah still remain unbeaten. However, the more unbeaten programs outside of major conferences, the stronger the argument would be to ultimately get a playoff system in place.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:49 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Shaun Ellis - busted for marijuana

In my opinion, the NFL has an issue with players getting busted for drinking and driving. Considering the privileged few that qualify to play in the NFL and the amount of times we hear about NFL players getting busted for DUI, the proportion of NFL players getting arrested for DUI seems much higher than the general population.

Last week, Giants WR Steve Smith did that and got robbed at gunpoint when he was brought home. But to me, it's shocking that players don't hire car services considering how much money they have. I always think to myself why risk a DUI...

Shaun Ellis is doing his part to prevent drinking and driving among NFL players. Instead of driving and driving, he smokes pot before getting behind the wheel.
"It's obviously a mistake," the New York Jets defensive end said Friday. "It's something I have to deal with. Of course, my teammates are brought in the middle of this, but we'll move past it and I will be responsible and just move on and look forward to the rest of the season."
Ellis was also charged with speeding and driving without insurance. I have no comment about the speeding except to say that I always drive 24 mph in a 25-mph zone. Don't you? But to drive without insurance? With a $3,077,059 salary, why???

Eric Mangini and the Jets didn't suspend Ellis, but I wouldn't be surprised if Roger Goodell does.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:22 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A look at the NFC playoff picture

As I did with every AFC team, we will take a look at all teams playoff aspirations for the NFC.

Here are the current NFC standings:
1. New York Giants (11-1)
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3)
3. Minnesota Vikings (7-5)
4. Arizona Cardinals (7-5)
5. Carolina Panthers (9-3)
6. Atlanta Falcons (8-4)
NFC East:

New York Giants (11-1): The Super Bowl champs are clearly (and unfortunately as a Cowboys fan) the team to beat in the NFC/NFL even without Plax. The Giants schedule is tough (PHI, at DAL, CAR, at MIN), but I can't see the Bucs/Panthers making up a 2-game deficit.

Dallas Cowboys (8-4): Entering the season, the Cowboys were the consensus pick in the NFC to reach the Super Bowl. Now with a month to go and perhaps the league's most challenging schedule (at PIT, NYG, BAL, at PHI), they would be on the outside looking in as the 7th team even though they share the same record with the Falcons.

Washington Redskins (7-5): The Redskins have stumbled lately losing 4 of their last 5. With the NFC South likely to have (at least) 1 team make playoffs, the 'Skins are fighting an uphill battle. If the 'Skins can beat the Ravens this week, they finish with a relatively easy final 3 games (at CIN, PHI, at SF).

Philadelphia Eagles (6-5-1): After bouncing back against the Cardinals on Thanksgiving, the Eagles need to bounce back against division rivals. They are 0-3 vs NFC East on season, but get 3 more shots in remaining 4 weeks.

NFC North:

Minnesota Vikings (7-5): After crushing the Bears at the Metrodome, the Vikings have a 1-game lead over the Bears and a 2-game lead over the Packers. The Vikings, who have the league's 2nd-best rushing defense, suffered a huge blow when the NFL suspended Kevin and Pat Williams. But now a judge has blocked the suspensions for now. And their schedule gets tough after playing the Lions this weekend.

Chicago Bears (6-6): For the Bears to make the post-season, they will most likely need to win the division as they are 2 games out of the wildcard. They play 3 of their final 4 games at home (JAX, NO, GB, at HOU).

Green Bay Packers (5-7): The Packers and Bears would have been the benefactors of a suspension to the Vikings Kevin and Pat Williams. They will need lots of help, but they get to play the Bears head-to-head and they won their 1st matchup. They host Houston this weekend and then face the Jags and Bears on the road to finish up what could be a historic matchup against the Lions at home.

Detroit Lions (0-12): Eliminated.

NFC South:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3): The Bucs grip on the #2 seed and a first-round bye is razor thin. The Bucs are tied with the Panthers and play each other in Carolina on MNF. The home team is 22-2 this season in the NFC South. In the final 3 weeks, they go on the road to Atlanta and then host the Chargers and Raiders.

Carolina Panthers (9-3): If the trend persists, the Panthers will beat the Bucs Sunday. The home team in the NFC South is 22-2 and the Panthers are 6-0. But the Panthers have a tougher remaining schedule than the Bucs. They host the Broncos in week 15 and then play the Giants and Saints on the road.

Atlanta Falcons (8-4): Considering issues with Mike Vick, Bobby Petrino and the Falcons in 2007, their season has impressed me more than any other team's. As it stands, they hold the tie-breaker over the Cowboys for the 6th seed. Their remaining schedule (at NO, TB, at MIN, STL) is easier than the Cowboys.

New Orleans Saints (6-6): 2 games out of wildcard and 3 games out of a division lead nearly impossible to overcome. However, they play both the Falcons and Panthers at home. They also play the Bears and Lions on the road.

NFC West:

Arizona Cardinals (7-5): The Cardinals have beaten the 49ers in both of their matchups. If the Cardinals, who are 14-point favorites, beat the Rams this weekend, they will win the division. Or if the 49ers, who are 4-point underdogs, lose to the Jets this weekend, the Cards will win the division. Then they will battle it out with the NFC North winner for the #3 seed.

San Francisco 49ers (4-8): see Arizona Cardinals. Considering the likelihood of a Cardinals victory or a 49ers loss this weekend, the 49ers season (from a playoff perspective) likely ends this weekend.

Seattle Seahawks (2-10): Eliminated.

St. Louis Rams (2-10): Eliminated.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:47 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

OJ Simpson could serve up to 33 years

"...And I didn't know I was doing anything illegal. I thought I was confronting friends..."
Are you serious? It's amazing to think that a man that was on trial (and convicted in the court of public opinion) for murder could say this.

Simpson will be segregated from other prisoners due to his status as a celebrity.
"Allowing wealth, power and control to consume himself, he made a horrific choice on June 12, 1994, which has spiraled into where he is today," the statement [from Denise Brown - Nicole Brown Simpson's sister] said.
OJ Simpson is 61 years old. He could get out of prison as soon as 9 years or stay in prison for as long as 33 years.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:26 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Matt Hasselbeck, Walter Jones doubtful vs Pats?

Mike Holmgren decided to come back for one more season as Seattle Seahawks head coach. Decimated with injuries, the Seahawks are 2-10 on the season and Holmgren must be kicking himself. Although many didn't expect them to win the Super Bowl, they were (at a minimum) expected to compete for the NFC West division.

Yesterday, the Seahawks placed starting LG Mike Wahle on IR and Walter Jones is doubtful for the game against the Patriots. If Jones doesn't play, RT Sean Locklear would move to the left side. RG Ray Willis moves to RT and Mansfield Wrotto would start at RG.

Also, the Seahawks are likely without Matt Hasselbeck. Seneca Wallace, who has taken all the snaps in practice, will start if Hasselbeck can't play.

Although Wallace completed only 53% of his passes in his 4 starts, he threw 5 TDs and only 1 INT in those games. In the past 3 weeks that Hasselbeck has started, Hasselbeck has thrown 3 TDs and 6 INTs.

I picked the Patriots to cover in this game in our Week 14 edition of The Weekly Blitz as did 2 of our other 4 analysts. On the season, I am 26-12-1 (68.4%) in picking games against the spread (ATS) and collectively our site is 118-73-4 ATS (61.8%).

The Patriots haven't lost back-to-back games since weeks 9 and 10 of 2006. I expect Matt Cassel and the Pats' aerial assault to light up the 32nd-ranked pass defense. Now, it will be even tougher for the Seahawks to win a shootout if Hasselbeck and Jones can't go.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:57 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 05, 2008

Patriots re-sign Junior Seau

The Patriots have been decimated with injuries. On Wednesday, the Patriots re-signed Rosevelt Colvin.

Two days later, Junior Seau is coming out of retirement (again). Re-signing two smart players familiar with the system should allow those players to get up to speed quickly and fill the void created by injuries.
"What it took was a coach that you respect made a call, come out and help guys that you have a lot of love for," Seau said. "Obviously, there's a lot of history here with us and it wasn't a hard decision. You just care for the guys in this locker room and you care for the coach and organization and that's the only reason I'm here."

"He's ready to play football," Belichick said. "He's a football player. You look football player up in the dictionary, Junior Seau, Troy Brown, those are the guys. They just define it in every sense of the word."
Seau has nearly 1500 career tackles in his 257-game career. Last season, he had 74 tackles and 3 interceptions.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:16 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 04, 2008

Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 14

Our weekly consensus rankings by position have been released for week 14 fantasy football. Here are the top players at each position for this week:

QB: Kurt Warner, Cardinals (vs STL) - see top 25 QBs for week 14
RB: Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at DET) - see top 40 RBs for week 14
WR: Anquan Boldin, Cardinals (vs STL) - see top 50 WRs for week 14
TE: Tony Gonzalez, Chiefs (at DEN) - see top 20 TEs for week 14
K: Rob Bironas, Titans (vs CLE) - see top 20 Ks for week 14
DEF: Tennessee Titans (vs CLE) - see top 20 DEFs for week 14

Not signed up for our Survivor Fantasy Football? Free to play, cash prizes to win.

Good luck in your week 14 matchups to all (especially to those of you starting the playoffs tonight)!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:47 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 03, 2008

Patriots re-sign Rosevelt Colvin

Today the New England Patriots re-signed LB Rosevelt Colvin.
"I didn't necessarily have something to prove," he said Wednesday after signing with the Patriots. "It wasn't like I was scratching walls trying to get back in the game. (But) it's definitely a benefit and a plus to have an opportunity."
With Mike Vrabel the only healthy OLB, Colvin should get up to speed quickly.
"We got depleted at outside linebacker," coach Bill Belichick said. "Rosie has been here before. He certainly knows what we are doing and knows the defense. There is a much smaller learning curve with him."
The 31-year old LB has 354 career tackles and 52.5 career sacks. He last played in week 12 of the 2007 season with the Patriots.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:20 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Carson Palmer to test arm

Carson Palmer hasn't thrown a football that mattered since week 5 of the NFL season in Dallas. But he will throw towards the end of this week and the outcome will determine whether or not he has reconstructive surgery.
"Like I keep saying, if I knew I had to have the surgery, I'd already have it done," Palmer said. "I'll see what the doctors say, have it checked out and go with a professional decision from a doctor."

"I'll just be starting to throw," he said. "You don't jump back on the bike and go off 10-foot jumps. You just kind of start 10-, 12-yard throws, 50 percent, 60 percent and so on, and then make a determination on the surgery — who knows? — a week, two weeks after that. It depends on how far in the progression I get."
The Bengals are 1-10-1 this season (0-4 with Palmer). Bengals' President Mike Brown thinks the Bengals will "rebound" with Palmer back. They will need a lot more than a healthy Carson Palmer.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:42 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 02, 2008

Plaxico Burress suspended 4 games

After shooting himself in the leg at Latin Quarter nightclub on Friday and turning himself in yesterday to face illegal weapons possession, Plaxico Burress was suspended by the New York Giants for 4 games. They also placed him on the reserve non-football injury list.

This move ends his season, which is not a surprise to many. The question is has Burress played his last game ever for the Giants. I think he has.

But you wouldn't necessarily get that impression from the way the Giants organization have discussed his situation.
"I had two conversations with Plaxico today, and it was obvious that he understood the magnitude of this situation," Reese said Tuesday. "He knows that we are here to support him and help him get healthy."

"Our concern all along has been for Plaxico the person, not Plaxico the player," team chairman Steve Tisch said. "We are here to support him and his family as he recovers from his wound and deals with some serious issues."
Antonio Pierce is still possibly in trouble for his involvement. And Ahmad Bradshaw - not Derrick Ward - is now being reported as the third player at the club. Bradshaw served 30 days in jail in Virginia this summer.

NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg says that Burress should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Some may criticize him for that, but Bloomberg has no alternative. It's already perceived that athletes receive special treatment. The uproar would be enormous by the general public if it were perceived that Burress received special treatment in this case.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:01 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

NFL suspends 6 players

Today the NFL handed down 4-game suspensions without pay to 6 players for violation of the league's anti-doping policy. The suspended players are Deuce McAllister, Charles Grant and Will Smith from the Saints, Pat Williams and Kevin Williams from the Vikings and Bryan Pittman from the Houston Texans.

All 6 players will miss the remaining regular-season games, but can re-join their teams on December 29th for the post-season.

The league has a clearly laid-out policy on anti-doping. So, even though the banned substance (Bumetanide) that wasn't on the label of StarCaps, the over-the-counter product used by these 6 players, the NFL is holding firm.
"You and you alone are responsible for what goes into your body. Claiming that you used only legally available nutritional supplements will not help you in an appeal. ... Even if they are bought over-the-counter from a known establishment, there is currently no way to be sure that they contain the ingredients listed on the packaging or have not been tainted with prohibited substances ...

"If you take these products, you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK! For your own health and success in the league, we strongly encourage you to avoid the use of supplements altogether, or at the very least to be extremely careful about what you choose to take."
This loss is huge to the Vikings, who beat the Bears Sunday night to take a 1-game lead in the NFC North. The Vikings have only allowed 73.2 rushing yards/game (2nd in NFL) due largely to DT Kevin and Pat Williams.

The Vikings play the Lions this week, but finish up their schedule against the Cardinals, Falcons and Giants (all playoff teams based on current standings).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:23 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Domination Index through Week 13 games

The Domination Index through week 13 games was released today. The Domination Index, which ranks all teams based on 8 differential statistical categories, is released every Tuesday.

Here are the Top 5 teams in this week's index:
1. New York Giants
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5. Baltimore Ravens
Click here to view full week 13 Domination Index.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:07 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Giants WR Steve Smith robbed at gunpoint

It's been a rough week for Giants WRs.

Giants WR Steve Smith was robbed at gunpoint on 11/25 when arriving home early in the morning at his townhouse.
"He said to him, 'Give me everything you got,' and Mr. Smith turned over his jewelry and money and cell phone," [Captain Robert] Rowan said Tuesday.
Unlike so many NFL players that get busted for DUI, Smith was driven home by a chaffeur. You could make the argument that NFL players should avoid the clubs and nightlife. More trouble definitely happens after midnight than does before it. But at least Smith was conscientious enough to not drink and drive.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:30 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A look at the AFC playoff picture

With a month remaining on the NFL schedule, it's do-or-die time for several AFC teams. For others, this month will be an opportunity to jockey for playoff positioning.

Here are the current AFC standings:
1. Tennessee Titans (11-1)
2. Pittsbugh Steelers (9-3)
3. New York Jets (8-4)
4. Denver Broncos (7-5)
5. Indianapolis Colts (8-4)
6. Baltimore Ravens (8-4)
Let's take a look at every AFC team by division. Team records are in parenthesis.

AFC East:

New York Jets (8-4): The Jets would have the 3 seed if the season ended today, but play in the tightest division and just lost to the team that would be the 4 seed. The Jets have an easy (relative to Steelers, Dolphins and Pats) remaining schedule with road games in San Francisco and Seattle and home games against Buffalo and Miami.

New England Patriots (7-5): The Patriots have suffered season-ending injuries to Adalius Thomas, Rodney Harrison, Laurence Maroney and, of course, Tom Brady. Matt Cassel has filled in admirably and has essentially written himself a huge lottery ticket as he enters free agency in the off-season. The Pats play 3 of their remaining 4 on the road. If they make the playoffs, it's most likely as the #6 seed.

Miami Dolphins (7-5): The 'Fins trail the Colts and Ravens by 1 game and are tied with the Patriots in the playoff race. What a turnaround for a team that finished 1-15, has a first-year coach (Tony Sparano) and lost their best player (Jason Taylor). Like the Pats, they finish up with 3 of 4 road games.

Buffalo Bills (6-6): Despite their strong 5-1 start, the Bills will need a miracle to make Donte Whitner's playoff guarantee come true. However, history hasn't been kind to this franchise when it comes to miracles.

AFC North:

Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3): The Steelers defense has been suffocating this season. They rank first in defensive rushing/passing/total yards allowed per game this season. They have a tough December schedule, but so the Ravens. While the Steelers should hold on in division, it's unlikely that they supplant the 11-1 Titans for the top seed. Considering the Jets' favorable schedule, a first-round bye isn't a lock either.

Baltimore Ravens (8-4): Although the Ravens have the 6th seed at the moment, they face a tough schedule down the stretch with games against the Redskins, Steelers and Cowboys. With the exception of the last game ever in Texas Stadium against the Cowboys, the Ravens finish up with 3 of 4 at home.

Cleveland Browns (4-8): They are eliminated (mathematically) from the playoffs with a loss or tie or a Ravens win or tie. Cincinnati Benagls (1-10-1): Eliminated.

AFC South:

Tennessee Titans (11-1): No longer facing the pressure of remaining perfect, the Titans showed us why the Lions are as close to imperfect as it gets. Great running game and defense will allow the Titans to finish at least 13-3 and maintain home-field advantage throughout the post-season.

Indinianapolis Colts (8-4): The Colts are currently the #5 seed, but are a dangerous team and on a 5-game winning streak. With 3 easy games upcoming (Bengals, Lions and Jaguars), they could head into week 17 with an 11-4 record.

Houston Texans (5-7): The Texans won their first-ever Monday Night Football game last night. With games against the Packers, Titans and Bears still on their schedule, it's unlikely they run the table to finish 9-7 let alone have the Colts and Ravens lose all their remaining games to keep them mathematically alive. A Texans loss will eliminate them from playoff contention.

Jacksonville Jaguars (4-8): The Jags aren't eliminated mathematically yet, but will be with a tie or loss. Or if the Colts win or tie against the Bengals.

AFC West:

Denver Broncos (7-5): With a 3-game lead over the San Diego Chargers, the Broncos will win the AFC West with a Chargers loss Thursday or a Broncos win Sunday. I don't expect them to make up a game on the Jets, but if they do, they would hold the tie-breaker for the 3rd seed.

San Diego Chargers (4-8): The Chargers will be eliminated from the playoffs with a loss against the Raiders on Thursday or with a Broncos win on Sunday against the Chiefs.

Oakland Raiders (3-9): The Raiders will be eliminated from the playoffs with a loss or tie against the Chargers on Thursday or with a Broncos win or tie on Sunday against the Chiefs.

Kansas City Chiefs (2-10): Eliminated.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:09 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Weekly Blitz: demolishing the competition

Overall, the contributors of The Weekly Blitz are 118-73-4 against the spread (ATS) or 61.8% for the 2008 season.

We are crushing CBS Sportsline and USA Today (through week 13). Tonight I updated comparisons (with links for you to be able to verify).

In fact, even the group of "experts" at USA Today that only picks games straight up (i.e., not against the spread) trail us. Their best-performing analysts (66.2% straight up) would rank 3rd even if we spotted them the spreads.

It would be...:
Kevin a.k.a. me (The Weekly Blitz) - 68.4% ATS
Sean (The Weekly Blitz) - 67.6% ATS
Nate Davis (USA Today) - 66.2% Straight up
Sean Leahy (USA Today) - 66.2% Straight up
With a month to go in the NFL season, make sure to check back for our weekly picks to be released before kickoff Thursday.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:04 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 01, 2008

Dusty Dvoracek out rest of season

After playing only 1 game in 2007 and missing all of the 2006 season, Dusty Dvoracek will miss the rest of the season after rupturing his right biceps.
"It's very hard for a guy like Dusty," coach Lovie Smith said Monday. "No one works harder than him. He's a tough guy. It's just unfortunate. If you look at how he injured his arm, it's a typical play that he's made plenty of times. It happens."
Dvoracek, the Bears 3rd-round draft pick in 2006, has 29 tackles - 7 of them for a loss.

Season-ending injuries in three straight seasons. If things happen in 3's, Dusty's luck should improve in 2009.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:18 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Teams announced for UK game in 2009

Today the NFL announced that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New England Patriots will face each other at Wembley Stadium in London on October 25, 2009. The Bucs will be the "home" team in the matchup.
"We have had a lot of memorable moments in recent years," Patriots chairman Robert Kraft said. "I think it is fitting that New England's first game to be played outside of North America will be in England. I know that the UK is home to some of our most passionate Patriots fans and we look forward to the experience."
The Arizona Cardinals played the San Francisco 49ers in Mexico City in what was the first-ever NFL regular-season game played outside of the U.S. The Cardinals beat the 49ers in front of the largest croud to ever see an NFL game (103,467) in 2005.

Since then, 2 games have been played at Wembley Stadium in London. The New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins last year and the New Orleans Saints beat the San Diego Chargers this year.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:54 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)