Month: September 2006 (Page 17 of 30)

So what are local beat writers saying in the wake of their team’s losses?

Porter seen celebrating the Raiders getting beat?
Nancy Gay from the San Francisco Chronicle posted this little tidbit in her game updates from the Raiders 27-0 loss to the Chargers last night:

Porter, the inactive receiver, was seen laughing and pumping his fist along the bench when Brooks was sacked a seventh time…

So let me get this straight Jerry – you throw a fit and demand to get traded in the offseason because your head coach wants you to workout with the team and not by yourself in Miami; then you celebrate as your team’s quarterback is getting pummeled?

It’s nice to see another wide receiver with some class in the NFL.

Is Bledsoe masking an injury as to not be replaced by Romo?
Gil LeBreton of the Star Telegram is suggesting that quarterback Drew Bledsoe is possibly hiding an injury to hold off backup Tony Romo from taking his job. LeBreton is making this assumption by the way Bledsoe was throwing during the Jacksonville game:

The errant passes, whether they were in the flat to tight end Jason Witten or deep over the middle to Terrell Owens. The way that Bledsoe’s right arm didn’t appear to be following through on his second-half throws. And on the sideline between Cowboys possessions in that second half, when Bledsoe began throwing practice passes.

No healthy quarterback, already in the game, in temperatures above 80 degrees, ever starts throwing warmup passes.

LeBreton also made a reference in this article about Tom Brady taking over in New England when Bledsoe was hurt and perhaps Romo is on the same course.

Now, I knew people in Dallas were anxious to see Romo, but I didn’t know they were delusional too.

Delhomme takes some criticism from home paper
In order for the Panthers to truly be considered a Super Bowl-caliber team, quarterback Jake Delhomme has to play better than what he showed against the Falcons, says Charlotte Observer columnist Scott Fowler.

DeShaun Foster never broke a big play and rookie DeAngelo Williams never really got a chance. The wide receivers were average without Smith, who was inactive with a hamstring injury.

But the quarterback is in charge out there, and Delhomme must be better for Carolina to win.

First off all, what an obvious statement here by Fowler – in order for the team to get better, the starting quarterback has to play better (he said this twice in his article by the way)? Good call chief.

Secondly, as obvious as the statement is, Fowler is right. Delhomme has danced out of public criticism ever since he led the Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2003. In ’04 Steve Smith got hurt so nobody took any heat for the Panthers playing so poorly. In fact, John Fox and his players were commended on putting up such a fight when they started off the season 1-6, only to finish 7-9.

Last year Delhomme threw three picks in the NFC Championship game and then Sunday’s game he barely looked for any of his options before whipping the ball out of bounds. Although there might be something to that last statement considering Steve Smith was standing on the sidelines – maybe Delhomme was still trying to get the ball into #89’s hands.

Williams’s guarantees victory over Bears
Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press writes that Lions wide receiver Roy Williams guarantees victory over the Chicago Bears this weekend.

“We will win this game,” Lions wide receiver Roy Williams told reporters Monday. “You all can take that as a guarantee or whatnot, but we will win this game.”

Score one touchdown this season Roy, then you can start considering threatening teams.

With the first week of the NFL season coming to a conclusion with the Chargers 27-0 thumping of the Raiders last night, I give you my NFL Players of the Week:

For the record, the players of the week could have put up large numbers in their respective games, but what I’m really looking for are the guys that seemed to go above and beyond helping their squad win.

So stat guy, take your numbers and go sit in the corner – we’ll call you when we need you.

AFC Offensive Player of the Week: Chad Pennington, QB NY Jets
Chances are pretty good that I won’t be mentioning Pennington or another NY Jet here a lot during the season, so let me give credit where it’s due. This is a guy who is coming off of two shoulder surgeries within an eight-month span and he goes on to throw for 319 yards and two touchdowns against a very underrated Tennessee defense (remember, it’s the Titans offense that is atrocious). Pennington hooked up with receiver Laveranues Coles eight times for 153 yards and finished with a QB rating of 123.2, which (where is my stat guy?) was the best QB rating in week one. The result: A 23-16 victory and a 1-0 start for the Jets.

AFC Defensive Player of the Week: Justin Smith, DE Cincinnati Bengals
With all due respect to San Diego linebacker Shawne Merriman, who absolutely obliterated the Oakland Raiders last night, Smith was a force to deal with all Sunday afternoon in Kansas City. He finished with three sacks, five tackles and a forced fumble (which re-covered himself) in the Bengals 23-10 victory over the Chiefs. Much like Pennington, a lot of people feel that Smith has something to prove this year. He was the fourth overall pick in the 2001 draft, but really has yet to deliver on the promise he flashed as a rookie. If Smith can give the Bengals this type of effort all season, Cincinnati’s defense probably won’t have to lead the league in interceptions again just to get themselves off the field.

NFC Offensive Player of the Week: Donte’ Stallworth, WR Philadelphia Eagles
Boy did the Eagles need a guy like this. Donovan McNabb only needed eight passes to hook up with Stallworth for a 42 yard touchdown pass in the second quarter of Philly’s 24-10 win over the Texans. Stallworth finished with six receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown and for a moment, he made everybody in Philadelphia forget about the man whose name we do not speak of. His production might not last for an entire season, but for one week Stallworth was dominant and showed why he was a former number one selection. Mark Simoneau and a forth-round pick for this guy? Sorry New Orleans, that was a stretch.

NFC Defensive Player of the Week: John Abraham, DE Atlanta Falcons
Abraham must have attended a real estate seminar before his game against the Panthers, because he took up land in Carolina’s backfield all day long. Even without fellow Pro Bowler Patrick Kerney on the other side for most of the afternoon, Abraham was a one-man wrecking crew in the Falcons 20-6 victory. He finished with two sacks, two forced fumbles, five tackles and made Jake Delhomme carry on a five minute tirade on the sidelines in the third quarter because he had no time to throw. Although he suffered a groin injury on the final defensive series of the game, Abraham is going to be a force to deal with for left tackles all season.

Stat guy wants me to list these guys too:

Offense
Kurt Warner, QB Cardinals – 23/37, 301 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT, 114.8 QB rating
Donovan McNabb, QB Eagles – 24/35, 314 yards, 3 TDs, 1INT, 113.3 QB rating
LaDainian Tomlinson, RB Chargers – 31 carries for 131 yards, 4.2 AVG, 1 TD
Warrick Dunn, RB Falcons – 29 carries for 132 yards, 4.6 AVG
Laveranues Coles, WR NY Jets – Eight receptions for 153 yards
Larry Fitzgerald, WR Cardinals – Nine receptions for 133 yards

Defense
Shawne Merriman, LB Chargers – Three sacks, six tackles
Brian Young, DE Saints – Three sacks, four tackles
DeMeco Ryans, LB Texans – 12 tackles
London Fletcher, LB Bills – Nine tackles, one fumble recovery for a TD
Keith Bullock, LB Titans – Nine tackles, one forced fumble
Andre Dyson, CB Jets – Two interceptions, five tackles