Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 1014 of 1503)

      Titans make huge statement in win over Steelers

      December 21, 2008 /

      Tennessee TitansFootball is a funny game. One week a team could be limited to just 13 points by an inferior opponent and the next they could rack up 31 against the best defense in the league. Go figure.

      Thanks to their 31-14 beat down of the Steelers on Sunday, the Tennessee Titans earned home field advantage throughout the postseason as the No. 1 seed. They amassed 323 yards, 117 rushing yards and 31 points against a Pittsburgh defense that has only allowed 13 points per game this season. That’s absolutely amazing.

      For the Steelers, everything that could potentially doom them in the future doomed them in the present. They couldn’t keep Ben Roethlisberger upright as he was sacked five times, Big Ben hung onto the ball too long and also turned the ball over a staggering six times.

      But the most amazing thing was that their defense couldn’t stop an offense that had struggled mightily just one week prior. The Steelers were burned for big plays, they couldn’t stop the run and even allowed Kerry Collins to complete 20 of 29 passes.

      Every team has off days and maybe that’s what this was for the Steelers. Or maybe the Titans just proved that they’re still the team to beat in their conference. Either way, the road to the Super Bowl must travel through Tennessee this season in the AFC.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Was trading for Brett Favre a mistake for Jets?

      December 21, 2008 /

      Okay, so now what?

      Brett FavreAfter their 13-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks (another humiliating loss to a West Coast team), the New York Jets are currently 8-6 and no longer in control of their own playoff destiny. Even a win over the Dolphins next week wouldn’t be enough to clinch the AFC East if the Patriots beat the Bills in Buffalo.

      So was this Brett Favre experiment a failure in New York? If they don’t make the playoffs, than hell yes it was. The Jets didn’t trade for Favre so they could go 9-7 or 8-8 and miss the playoffs. They traded for him to make a run at the postseason and possibly even the Super Bowl. And if they didn’t trade for Favre for those reasons, then why in God’s name would you trade for a 38-year old quarterback and only sign him to one year?

      Think about it – Favre is probably done in New York after this season. He’ll do his retirement dance for another offseason and even if he does want to play again, there’s no guarantee he’ll go back to the Jets. So how did trading for him help New York? They didn’t make the playoffs and even worse, they didn’t develop anyone for the future. (They also allowed Chad Pennington to go to a division rival don’t forget.)

      Everyone was so giddy when the Jets brought Favre in this offseason. Then when he helped them beat the previously unbeaten Titans in Tennessee a month ago, everyone was ready to hop on the Brett/Super Bowl bandwagon.

      But the reality of the situation is that the Jets might have done more harm than good. Sure they were competitive this season, but what’s the point in being competitive if you’re not going to make the postseason? Furthermore, what’s the point in being competitive if you’re not going to make the postseason and not going to set yourself up for the future? You have to hand it to the Jets for trying to find the missing piece and taking a shot. But the bottom line is that this move could have cost them in the long run more than it helped.

      So I am told, Sunday was a perfect “Brett Favre Day.” The weather was cold, snowy and for most of the game, Brett Favre’s team was behind. But when it came time for Brett to be Brett, he looked like a quarterback past his prime. Granted, his offensive line didn’t and receivers didn’t help him much, but were was all of that “Brett Magic” that Packer fans talk so much about?

      And does Eric Mangini keep his job after this massive collapse over the past couple weeks? His decision to go for it on fourth down late in the game instead of punt and allow his defense to get the ball back was questionable at best. He and Brett might be looking for jobs outside of the Big Apple next year.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Vikings cough up chance to clinch NFC North

      December 21, 2008 /

      Tarvaris JacksonThere are several times throughout a season when a team can look back at and say, “Damn, that’s a game we should have had.”

      Minnesota’s 24-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday was one of those games.

      For all intents and purposes, the Vikings should have beaten the Falcons at the Metrodome. But they fumbled four times – thrice in Atlanta territory – and failed to beat a team they essentially dominated for four quarters.

      Okay, so dominant might be a bit strong. The Falcons still ran the ball well and Matt Ryan played mistake-free despite not doing anything exceptional the entire game. But for Minnesota to do whatever it wanted to offensively and still suffer a home loss has to be demoralizing.

      The Falcons held Adrian Peterson to under 100 yards (76 to be exact), but it helped that AP couldn’t hang onto the ball. He fumbled twice in Atlanta territory and once more late in the fourth quarter, but was fortunate that his teammate hopped onto the loose ball and saved another disastrous situation. And despite having another nice day passing, Tarvaris Jackson (22 of 36 for 233 yards, 2 TDs) fumbled once and had a bad snap whiz by his helmet in the second half, which forced the Vikings to punt deep in their own territory.

      Minnesota essentially shot itself in the foot all day and never recovered, although they did have a shot to at least tie the game in the end by their final drive ended on downs. The Falcons are a nice ball club and they’ll certainly take a win in a tough environment, but the Vikings have to feel like they had a golden opportunity slip through their hands (literally).

      Now the Bears have hope. A win over the Packers on Monday night would put them in a tie with Minnesota for the division, although the Vikings would still own the tiebreaker. That means Chicago has to win its next two games and have Minnesota lose to the Giants next week. The Bears still have to take care of their own business, but the Falcons just gave them life.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Is Monte Kiffin’s head already in Tennessee?

      December 21, 2008 /

      Here’s something to think about – since Lane Kiffin was hired as the head coach at Tennessee, the Buccaneers are 0-3.

      Coincidence? Absolutely. We have no reason to believe that just because Lane was hired at Tennessee that his father Monte (who told the Bucs last week he would join his son at UT as their defensive coordinator next year) has quit on his team. But it is ironic how Tampa’s defense has been in a tailspin ever since Lane was hired as the next head coach of the Vols.

      Three weeks ago the Bucs gave up 299 rushing yards in a loss to Carolina. Two weeks ago they were shredded by Michael Turner and the Atlanta Falcons in a 13-10 overtime loss. And then on Sunday, the San Diego Chargers marched into Raymond James Stadium and treated Tampa’s defense like their personal chew toy, marching up and down the field at will in route to an impressive 41-24 victory.

      So what happened?

      Well injuries along the defensive line happened first, but that’s no excuse for the Bucs to miss countless tackles and forget their general assignments. I mean, this is a unit that has flat out forgotten how to make plays and now Tampa might not even make the postseason.

      And even if they do make the playoffs, can their fan base feel good about what they’ve seen over the past three weeks? Defense has been a staple for this team for years and now in the final games of Monte Kiffin’s career in Tampa, it has been the source of their demise. That’s pretty ironic considering the major knock on the Bucs has been the lack of offensive playmakers. Now Antonio Bryant is dominating opponents and the Tampa defense is giving up 30-plus points at home to a mediocre Chargers squad.

      After such a fantastic career, Monte Kiffin owes nothing to the Buccaneer organization. But he has just one game left in Tampa and it’s against the Oakland Raiders next week at the James. Think he can draw up a defensive game plan to shut down Da Raiders and get the Bucs into the playoffs? Or are his thoughts already on Georgia, Florida and the rest of the SEC?

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Parcells, Dolphins control their own destiny

      December 21, 2008 /

      Chad PenningtonIt’s amazing how just one offseason can turn around the fortunes of an entire franchise. This time last year, the Miami Dolphins had just one win to its name. One season later, they now control their own destiny in the AFC East after beating the Kansas City Chiefs 38-31 in dramatic fashion.

      For all the Raiders, Lions, Rams and Chiefs fans out there – it can happen. Your team can turn things around in just one offseason. But they’ll have to use the Dolphins as a blueprint. They hired someone with a football background in Bill Parcells, who had turned losing teams into winners before. Then they allowed him to do what he does best – put the best people in place to succeed.

      He hired a no name in Tony Sparano, who didn’t have a great resume or wasn’t a big name, but Parcells knew he was a football coach through in through. Then the Big Tuna had a solid draft, which focused on rebuilding the offensive line after Miami selected Jake Long with their first overall pick. Then Parcells parted ways with players that no longer fit the long-term plans in Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas. Then he found a veteran quarterback that knew the offensive system and could succeed right away.

      Now the Dolphins are 10-5 and after everything mentioned in the above paragraph, can we really be that surprised? Well okay, sure we can. The players still had to execute and Parcells’ master plan still had to come together. But regardless, we shouldn’t be too surprised that Parcells changed the fortunes of a franchise as quickly as it does for him to leave it in the lurch a couple years later – because he’s a born winner.

      What was most impressive about Miami’s victory on Sunday was that they won after they received push back. Kansas City challenged them for four quarters and the Dolphins survived. Considering the Chiefs’ dud season and Miami’s desire to be a playoff team, the Dolphins should have cruised to victory. But winning isn’t easy in the NFL and Miami won a game they were supposed to. Case closed.

      The Dolphins have just one more victory to earn if they want to put the icing on the cake. A win over the Jets next week in the Meadowlands would allow them to clinch the AFC East crown, which is amazing considering they were the doormats of the division just one season ago. Their magical ride isn’t over, but they’ve certainly put themselves in position to succeed – just like Parcells did in the offseason.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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