Month: September 2009 (Page 43 of 66)

      Vick anyone? Eagles dominate Panters, but lose McNabb

      September 13, 2009 /

      The Eagles thumped the Panthers 38-10 on Sunday in Charlotte, but their mood went from jubilation to concern after quarterback Donovan McNabb suffered a rib injury after rushing for a touchdown in the third quarter.

      McNabb was able to walk off the field under his own power, but he was clearly in discomfort when he returned to the sidelines in the fourth quarter. The Eagles haven’t announced how long McNabb will be out for, or if he’ll be out at all.

      What’s interesting about this injury is that Philadelphia’s backup quarterback is Michael Vick, who won’t be available until Week 4 until after he’s done serving a three-game suspension. Kevin Kolb will start next week if McNabb can’t play.

      Even though Vick brings an added dimension to the field as a runner, him starting would be a worst-case scenario for the Eagles. Philadelphia is a serious Super Bowl contender and need McNabb (who is the far superior passer to Vick) under center. Outside of a couple of preseason games, Vick hasn’t played in two years and would need time to shake off the rust following his suspension.

      But maybe this is all a moot point. McNabb might not miss any time and even if he does, Kolb is going to get the chance to start while Vick is out. If he plays well, it’s highly doubtful that Andy Reid would turn the keys of the offense over to Vick.

      As for the Eagles’ opponents on Sunday, this was a worst-case scenario for a Panthers team that was hoping to put their disastrous performance against the Cardinals in last year’s divisional round of the playoffs behind them.

      Quarterback Jake Delhomme had another awful performance while completing just 7 of 17 pass attempts for 73 yards and four interceptions. Why Carolina refuses to develop a young signal caller behind Delhomme is beyond me. If his performance on Sunday was any indication of how he’ll do the rest of the year, then the Panthers are in serious trouble.

      Update: ESPN.com is reporting that McNabb fractured a rib, but Reid stated that the quarterback might still play next week.

      NFL

      Peterson, not Favre, key to Vikings’ win over Browns

      September 13, 2009 /

      When the Vikings signed Brett Favre this offseason, they only wanted him to do a handful of things: Instill life into the passing game, don’t make too many mistakes, and get the hell out of the way for Adrian Peterson.

      In the Vikings’ 34-20 win over the Browns on Sunday, Favre accomplished two of those things, namely getting the hell out of Peterson’s way.

      AP had a monster day on the ground, rushing for 180 yards and three touchdowns while Favre completed 14 of 21 passes for 110 yards and added a 6-yard touchdown pass to Percy Harvin in the third quarter. Perhaps most importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over, although he looked like a player that missed all of training camp because he was awfully rusty in the first half.

      The score doesn’t paint a pretty picture for the Browns, but there were actually several positives that Cleveland can take from this game. The run defense wasn’t as bad as the box score indicates, but Peterson broke off a 64-yard touchdown scamper with just under six minutes remaining in the game, which contributed to his total of 180 yards.

      Linebacker Kameron Wimbley played well while running sideline-to-sideline, creating havoc in Minnesota’s backfield and sacking Favre once. But credit the Vikings’ coaching staff for making good halftime adjustments, because Wimbley wasn’t as effective in the second half as he was in the first. Still, for a team that wanted to get more defensive pressure under new head coach Eric Mangini, the Browns did that on Sunday. Mangini’s offseason additions of safety Abram Elam and linebacker Eric Barton played well, too.

      Offensively for the Browns, Braylon Edwards made some tough catches, although quarterback Brady Quinn struggled in the second half. He didn’t make good decisions after Minnesota adjusted at halftime and he had a costly fumble. But one thing to keep in mind is that Quinn doesn’t have a ton of starting experience, so a game like this is a perfect learning experience.

      The Browns are improved under Mangini, but it was clear on Sunday that the Vikings were the better team. The book is still out on whether or not Favre will breath some life into Minnesota’s passing game, but at least he showed today that he can successfully take a backseat to Peterson.

      NFL

      Jets back up Ryan’s talk by smacking lifeless Texans 24-7

      September 13, 2009 /

      When the Jets hired former Ravens’ defensive coordinator Rex Ryan as their new head coach, they hoped that he would bring a swagger to the club similar to the one he had instilled in Baltimore throughout the years.

      When Ryan arrived in New York, he took pot shots at other head coaches in the division (New England’s Bill Belichick) and tangled with linebackers that his team would have to face twice a year (Miami’s Channing Crowder). So when it came time for the Jets to play their season opener against the Texans in Houston, Ryan’s bunch need to back up his offseason talk.

      The Jets did just that on Sunday, blasting the Texans 24-7 in an absolutely dominating performance. Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez was excellent in his professional debut, finding a wide open Chansi Stucky for a 30-yard touchdown in the second quarter, which was Sanchez’s first career TD.

      The Jets’ defense was also outstanding, limiting Houston to only 183 total yards of offense and suffocating second-year running back Steve Slaton (he had just 17 yards on nine carries). If one didn’t know better, they would have thought that the Ravens’ players dressed in green and white for Sunday’s game.

      The Jets have a long way to go to become a serious contender, but this was an impressive debut for Sanchez and Ryan. Whether or not the Jets contend for the division or a playoff spot is irrelevant at this point, because they already backed up their head coach’s words.

      As for Houston, this was a pitiful performance for a team that thinks it’s a playoff contender. Their offense was stagnant, their defense played slow and on a whole, they put together a pretty flat performance. The Texans allowed 190 rushing yards on Sunday, which is inexcusable facing a rookie quarterback in his pro debut. Sanchez needed the Jets to establish the run and once they did, he took full advantage of it with a confident performance.

      There’s a long way to go, but this was about as bad of a start as Houston could have imagined. (And about the best the Jets could have hoped for.)

      NFL

      Fantasy Quick-Hitters: Berrian, Bush and more

      September 13, 2009 /

      Boldin looks like a game-time decision. I’m not feeling good about his prospects, so I’d look elsewhere if I had to make a decision now. Steve Breaston is dinged up but should play. Jerheme Urban is a sneaky start if Boldin can’t go. If you can wait until the late games to decide, then it’s worthwhile to start Boldin if he can play.

      Wes Welker listed as questionable for Monday night. He practiced in a limited fashion this week and the feeling seems to be that he’s going to play. It’s a tough call, especially considering how guarded the Pats are about injuries. But the fact that he practiced is a good sign. He should be out there Monday night.

      Moreno and Orton are ready to go against the Bengals. Both are mediocre starts coming off of injuries. Cincinnati’s defense should be a little better than advertised.

      It looks like Bernard Berrian will play. I wouldn’t start him this week unless you’re desperate for WR help. He and Favre haven’t had much time to gel and the Browns defense is better than advertised. (But Berrian just needs to hit on one of those fly routes to have a decent fantasy day.)

      Per Scout.com, Mike Bell to get more carries than Reggie Bush.       A source told Scout.com that Bush may not be totally healthy and may mainly be used in passing situations. Bush is still startable in PPR leagues, but I’d look elsewhere in standard leagues.

      Matt Cassel is out per ESPN.
      Brodie Croyle should get the start and he faces a brutal matchup against the Ravens. Stay away.

      Check back for more updates as kickoff gets closer. I’ll be on Twitter all day (“FantasyTips“) assuming my internet connection holds up.

      Fantasy Football, News

      NFL Week 1 Snapshot Previews

      September 13, 2009 /

      Here are quick-hit previews for all of today’s action in the NFL.

      Dolphins at Falcons, 1:00PM
      The Falcons have issues in their secondary that Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington can exploit. Atlanta had trouble getting off the field on third downs in preseason and the Dolphins excel at moving the ball methodically down the field. Conversely, Miami must keep up with Atlanta’s high-powered offense, which could be tough given how potent Matt Ryan and company looked in preseason.

      Broncos at Bengals, 1:00PM
      This game features the highly anticipated return of quarterback Carson Palmer, who will be without receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh this year. It’ll be interesting to see if Chad Ochocinco can rebound from a poor ’08 campaign and re-establish a rhythm with Palmer. For Denver, new head coach Josh McDaniels gets to unveil his offense, which should include receiver Brandon Marshall, although his playing status is still somewhat up in the air. The player I’m keeping an eye on today is rookie running back Knowshon Moreno, who could excel in McDainels’ pass-happy offense as a receiver out of the backfield.

      Vikings at Browns, 1:00PM
      Even though this will be Brett Favre’s Vikings debut, Adrian Peterson will remain the focal point for Minnesota’s offense. Rookie Percy Harvin is expected to see a ton of playing time and could be used as Brad Childress’s X-factor. The Browns will find it tough to move the ball on the ground today, as Minnesota will have their Williams Wall intact. Quarterback Brady Quinn will be counted on to make plays in the passing game and it’ll be interesting to see if Braylon Edwards can put his tumultuous offseason behind him. One player to watch for the Browns is Joshua Cribbs, who is coming off a great preseason and could be used in a variety of ways today.

      Jaguars at Colts, 1:00PM
      Jacksonville is looking to bounce back from a disastrous ’08 season, one in which they were supposed to contend for the Super Bowl and instead found themselves at the bottom of the AFC South. Jack Del Rio’s Jags have always played the Colts tough and they could take advantage of Indy not having safety Bob Sanders in their secondary. The most intriguing matchup today will be Colts receiver Reggie Wayne against Jaguars corner Rashean Mathis. If the now-healthy Jags can keep Peyton Manning and company contained, Jacksonville could sneak away with a win.

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      NFL

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