Month: January 2010 (Page 39 of 65)

      An upset is in reach if the Jets can stick to their strengths this weekend

      January 12, 2010 /

      To alter a phrase from Denny Green: The Jets are who we think they are. They have the best defense in the NFL and can run the ball with Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene behind a solid offensive line.

      That’s it. They play good defense and rely on their great running game to win. And as they get ready to take on the red-hot Chargers in San Diego this weekend, the Jets should remind themselves what their strengths are because their strengths match up very well with their Divisional Round opponent.

      The Chargers can flat out throw the ball. They rank fifth in the NFL with 271.1 passing yards per game and have averaged 28.4 points per contest. Philip Rivers has played at a MVP-type level all season and he has a bevy of weapons at his disposal in Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson and Darren Sproles.

      However, the Jets have the top pass defense in the league and have limited opponents to just 153.7 passing yards per game. Cornerback Darrelle Revis has emerged as a lockdown corner and will no doubt keep Jackson at bay in one-on-one coverage. Rex Ryan’s defense excels at being aggressive and taking away opponents’ best weapons so if there were any team that could limit what the Bolts’ passing attack can do, it would be Jets.

      Another thing to consider is that behind Jones and Greene, the Jets have the best running game in the league. Meanwhile, the Chargers have allowed over 110 rushing yards per game this season and could struggle containing New York’s ground attack.

      The Jets won despite of rookie Mark Sanchez – not because of him. So if they can control this game from the ground and limit how effective Rivers is in the passing game, then the Jets’ solid season will continue past this weekend.

      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Packers’ Woodson voted AP Defensive Player of the Year

      January 12, 2010 /

      After helping the Packers reach the playoffs this season, cornerback Charles Woodson was voted the AP’s Defensive Player of the Year.

      From FOXSports.com:

      The versatile Woodson tied for the league lead with nine interceptions, returning three for touchdowns, and was a key to the Packers’ turnaround on defense. His role in Green Bay’s ranking second in overall defense, first in interceptions (30), takeaways (40) and turnover margin (plus-24) earned Woodson 28 votes Tuesday from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL.

      “It’s a great honor,” Woodson said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “I felt like I put a lot into the game, mentally and physically – your body’s always beat up – and it’s great to be recognized.”

      It’s surprising that his votes doubled that of the Jets’ Darrelle Revis, who emerged this season as a true lockdown corner. That said, Woodson had to make the transition from being a press corner in a 4-3 to a zone player in Dom Capers’ new 3-4 defense. Considering he’s 33, had to learn a new scheme and still dominated speaks to his talent.

      Talk about a player that has lived up to the hype. People forget he won a Heisman Trophy, which has often been the kiss of death for players in the NFL. But Woodson continues to be a top-notch defender and at a position, no less, that requires a player to keep up his speed, agility and burst. What Woodson has been able to accomplish in his career is impressive.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Bosh trade would alter NBA landscape

      January 12, 2010 /

      Of all of the big-name players that will become free agents this summer, Chris Bosh’s situation seems to be the most delicate. The Raptors are playing pretty well — they’ve won eight of their last 11 and are currently the #6 seed in the East — but it’s not clear what his threshold is for staying in Toronto. A postseason berth? It’s probably going to take more than that. 50 wins and an appearance in the Eastern Conference Semis? Maybe.

      But with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade basically untradeable, and with Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire playing well on winning teams, Bosh’s situation is the most fluid.

      Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo told Peter Vescey of the New York Post the following via email:

      “For the record, I am not actively seeking a deal or discussing Bosh with any team, much less the Lakers.

      “I haven’t traded him yet and our position has been the same. We will not make a deal just to make a deal. Our intention is to keep him here long term.

      “Additionally, I have not yet offered an extension as Dwyane Wade and LeBron James both received [from their respective teams]. So technically he has not said no.

      “I honestly don’t think C.B. knows what the future holds, or what he wants to do, so I would say we’re still in the game as far as his pending free agency.”

      Colangelo’s language is interesting: “I haven’t traded him yet.” Yet. That means he’s open to trading him, right? The Raptors are under the gun because they face the prospect of losing Bosh with zero compensation this summer. The deal that Vescey discusses in his article is a Andrew Bynum-for-Bosh swap with the Lakers. That deal would be feasible in the summer if the teams executed a sign-and-trade with Bosh. Otherwise, I don’t know that there’s a scenario where Bosh would agree to a sign-and-trade because he’d be effectively decimating his future team. The Lakers are the exception due to the presence of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. The deal makes some sense because the Raptors would get a true center with All-Star potential to play alongside Andrea Bargnani, who would be able to play his natural position — power forward. For the Lakers, the deal makes sense because while Bynum has played well in spurts, he and Pau Gasol don’t work all that well together when they’re both on the floor.

      Chad Ford writes (via TrueHoop) that other teams around the league are reacting to the news that Bosh might be on the move:

      Continue reading »

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      Can the Vikings slow down the Cowboys’ pass rush?

      January 12, 2010 /

      If Brett Favre watched how the Cowboys’ defense dismantled Donovan McNabb and the Eagles’ offense last Saturday, then he probably didn’t get much sleep that night.

      For as good as the Vikings’ offense has been this season, the offensive line hasn’t played well in weeks. That doesn’t bode well for Minnesota given that its O-line has the unenviable task of trying to slow down a Dallas pass-rush that has emerged as a dangerous unit over the last month of the season.

      In the Cowboys’ 34-14 trouncing of the Eagles last Saturday, DeMarcus Ware sacked McNabb twice and harassed him on several other occasions. It was Ware’s fourth multi-sack game of the season and it no doubt sent a message to Brad Childress that he better figure out a way to protect his quarterback this weekend.

      One way to slow down an aggressive pass rush is to run the ball straight at it. Fortunately for the Vikings, they have a back in Adrian Peterson that excels running between the tackles and attacking the edge of a defense. But the problem is that Childress got away from his balanced attack over the course of the season and the Vikings suffered a little down the stretch. If Minnesota believes it can beat Dallas by throwing the ball early and often, then a second-round knockout is inevitable for the Vikings.

      It’ll be interesting to see if Childress commits to running the ball with AP this weekend in order to attack the Cowboys’ excellent pass-rush. If he doesn’t, then he and Favre might be in store for a long day.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Rockets on the verge of moving T-Mac?

      January 12, 2010 /

      Via TrueHoop, Chris Broussard says that the Rockets think they can move Tracy McGrady before the trade deadline, and that the top two destinations are Washington and Chicago.

      Washington, which league executives believe is in cost-cutting mode after the Gilbert Arenas disaster, could have McGrady for a deal featuring Caron Butler and some expiring contracts, perhaps Mike Miller and Randy Foye.

      Chicago, which has definite interest in McGrady, also has the combination of young talent and expiring contracts the Rockets are looking for. There is a Bulls player Houston covets, but it’s not clear who that is. Since the Rockets surely realize that Derrick Rose won’t be traded, logic suggests it’s Joakim Noah.

      A package of Noah, Brad Miller and Jerome James (the latter two have expiring contracts) would work financially, but sources say the Bulls have no desire to part with Noah.

      I’m not sure why any team would covet McGrady at this point. He hasn’t scored double figures in a game in more than 11 months and there’s no guarantee that he’s going to get back to his old self. I certainly wouldn’t advise trading a healthy Caron Butler or Joakim Noah for him.

      The only upside is salary cap relief. If the Wizards just want to blow the team up, then this is one way to do it. McGrady’s deal is expiring, so whoever trades for him can really help their cap flexibility in the short term. But at this point, Butler is the Wizards’ best player and only has one year (at an affordable $10.5 million) left on his deal. Why trade him?

      Then again, who knows what’s going on in the mind of Ernie Grunfeld.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Rumors & Gossip

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