Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 1063 of 1503)

      Thanks to underrated defense, the Bucs may still be the best team in the NFC South

      November 16, 2008 /

      Tampa Bay BuccaneersTama Bay’s 19-13 win over Minnesota on Sunday was yet another example of how Monte Kiffin’s unit is the most underrated defense in the NFL.

      The stats are one thing – the Bucs held Gus Frerotte to only 138 yards passing and Adrian Peterson to only 85 yards rushing – but you have to remember that Tampa has the most conservative offense in the league, too. They don’t score a ton of points and they don’t have many explosive playmakers, either. Jon Gruden’s offense relies on the running game and Jeff Garcia not turning the ball over. That’s it. The rest is in the defense’s hands to win the game.

      At 8-2, Carolina has been awfully impressive and Matt Ryan has made Atlanta an instant contender in just his rookie season. But with how good the Bucs’ defense is playing, I wouldn’t be surprised if they win the NFC South again this year.

      Tampa might be the blandest team in football, but they play their game better than anyone. They keep their game plan simple, don’t turn the ball over and play outstanding defense. They’ve also beaten the Panthers and Falcons earlier in the year and match up incredibly well against both of those teams. The only drawback is that they have to face each of those teams on the road over the next couple months.

      The Bucs probably don’t have enough offensive firepower to make a deep postseason run, but barring a collapse they’ll make the playoffs and they’re going to be incredibly tough to beat. (Especially if they get a home playoff game.)

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      The Eagles are far from a playoff team

      November 16, 2008 /

      Donovan McNabbWhat a pitiful performance by the Eagles on Sunday. They were fortunate to come away with a 13-13 tie in Cincinnati. If the Bengals had anything remotely closely resembling a football team, they would have beaten Philadelphia by two touchdowns.

      Donovan McNabb doesn’t get enough credit for how good he is and he takes a ton of undeserved criticism. But he was absolutely atrocious on Sunday. He may have thrown for 339 yards, but his three interceptions and one fumble killed scoring drives and cost the Eagles an opportunity to come away with a much-needed win instead of a sister-kisser.

      I realize the Bengals have played much better the past couple weeks than they did earlier in the season, but Philly has to win this game. They were coming off a huge loss at home against the Giants and needed a victory to keep pace in the NFC playoff race. Instead, they played uninspired and allowed Ryan Fitzpatrick to complete 29 of 44 passes for 261 yards and a touchdown.

      The Eagles are too inconsistent to be a legit playoff contender. The Giants are running away with the division and the NFC South will produce at least one of the Wild Card teams, if not both. Philly really needed a win against the hapless Bengals.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Ravens, Falcons fail huge tests

      November 16, 2008 /

      Michael TurnerJust when everybody and their mother come out with the, “these guys are for real articles” about the Ravens and Falcons, both teams failed huge tests in Week 11.

      Baltimore definitely had the tougher challenge playing in New York against the defending champs, but the Giants’ defense made Joe Flacco look every bit like the rookie he is in their 30-10 victory. The Ravens fell behind so quickly that they had to abandon the run, which certainly didn’t help Flacco’s cause, and the Baltimore defense was atrocious in allowing 206 yards on the ground.

      Even though Atlanta’s loss was more closely contested than Baltimore’s was (Denver won 24-20), the Falcons played with little fire. The defense that picked off Drew Brees three times last week allowed Jay Cutler (19 of 27 for 216 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT) and the Broncos’ receivers to do whatever they wanted. Matt Ryan also floated a pass to Dre’ Bly for an interception, which is something the rookie quarterback has struggled with this season. And Mike Murlarkey’s game plan to attack Denver’s banged up defense was highly questionable to say the least. (Jason Snelling in the Wild Cat formation, Mike? Really?)

      That said, the Broncos’ defense deserves a ton of credit, too. This was a unit that was missing six starters (including Champ Bailey) and they held a pretty good Atlanta offense relatively in check. Outside of two big runs, they did a fantastic job against Michael Turner and if they get this kind of defensive effort every week, the Broncos can compete with anyone.

      Back to the Ravens and Falcons – maybe this is the week where reality sets in. These two teams have been a great story this year, but Atlanta plays in a stacked NFC South and Baltimore has only beaten one team with a winning record (Miami). It’s easy to root for Flacco and Ryan, so hopefully these teams learn from these defeats and continue to push for a playoff spot. But these were two tough losses for teams trying to prove that they’re legit contenders.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Quick Hit Observations from College Football Week 12

      November 16, 2008 /

      USC-Stanford– Raise your hand if you thought Stanford would upset USC again when the score was tied 17-17 at halftime. (Hand raised.)

      – Not that a ton of people care about Conference USA, but what a statement by Houston. I don’t know what was more impressive, the fact that the Cougars scored 70 points or that they held Tulsa to only 30 points.

      – Iowa’s Shonn Grenne (30 carries, 211 yards in a 22-17 win over Purdue) is a legit Heisman candidate for 2009.

      – What happened to Kansas? I realize they didn’t play any of the top teams in the Big 12 last year, but they’re better than 6-5 aren’t they?

      – They might have won 34-7, but Penn State’s win over Indiana was the least impressive 34-7 victory in some time.

      – One of the more underrated rivalries in college football is Georgia-Auburn. And the Tigers easily have one of the more underrated defenses in the nation.

      – Early upset watch for Week 13: Nevada over Boise State. The Wolf Pack’s offense is good enough to keep pace with the Broncos’ explosive attack and Boise hasn’t faced a tough opponent all year. (Unless you consider when they faced Oregon and their fourth string quarterback a tough opponent.)

      – Worst…Michigan…season…ever.

      – Underrated game of the week: No. 14 Ball State at Central Michigan next Wednesday.

      – College football fans were cheated by not getting to see Beanie Wells run for a full season. He was amazing against Illinois.

      – How about Troy hanging with LSU in Baton Rouge? Had they not turned the ball over three times, the Trojans could have pulled off one of the best upsets in college football this season.

      College Football

      Is Florida the best team in the nation?

      November 16, 2008 /

      Florida GatorsThe rankings and polls suggest that Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide is the best team in college football. Considering they’re 11-0 this season with wins over previously No. 1 ranked Georgia and SEC foe LSU in Baton Rouge, it’s hard to question why the polls have ‘Bama at numero uno.

      But are the Tide the legit top ranked team in the nation or are they there by default because they’re unbeaten? With the way Florida crushed South Carolina 56-6 on Saturday and have run roughshod over everybody since losing to Ole’ Miss in late September, are the Gators the true No. 1 team in college football?

      Not to take anything away from Alabama or No. 2 Texas Tech, but no team in college football is playing better than Florida is right now. They’re arguably the fastest team in the nation and their defense has played absolutely remarkable this season, holding opponents to just over 11 points a game.

      Obviously we’ll know more on December 6 when the Tide and Gators meet in the SEC Championship Game, but you just get the feeling that Alabama is due to stumble. They weren’t overly impressive in a 32-7 win over Mississippi State on Saturday (at least in the first half) and they’ve struggled playing four quarters outside of their impressive win over LSU.

      If the two teams meet tomorrow on neutral ground, I’ve got to believe that Florida would hand ‘Bama its first loss of the season.

      College Football

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