Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 1064 of 1503)

      NFL Week 11 Primer

      November 16, 2008 /

      John HarbaughSunday’s Best: Ravens (6-3) at Giants (8-1), 1:00 PM ET
      Who would have thought this game would be the best matchup of the week with the Chargers playing the Steelers and Cowboys taking on the Redskins in the same weekend. The job first-year head coach John Harbaugh and his staff has done with rookie quarterback Joe Flacco has been amazing and the rest of the Baltimore players have really bought into the new regime’s system. They’ll get their biggest challenge this season on Sunday, however, as no team outside of the Titans is playing better than the Giants right now. There are a couple of great matchups within this game, but none bigger than New York’s power running game vs. the stingy Baltimore run defense. One advantage the Giants have is that this will be the Ravens’ fifth road game in six weeks and they might start to wear down. Flacco will face a ton of pressure from a quick Giants’ front seven, but getting Willis McGahee, Ray Rice and Le’Ron McClain going will help neutralize what New York does best defensively. This will be the most physical matchup of the weekend.

      Upset Watch: Rams (2-7) at 49ers (2-7), 4:05 PM ET
      Everyone is scrambling to be the first to predict the Jaguars to upset the Titans this weekend, but people have been waiting for Tennessee to fall for weeks and still they remain unbeaten. It’s hardly a huge upset to predict one 2-7 team will beat another, but after their strong showing on Monday night, football pundits might assume this game will be an easy victory for the Niners. While there’s nothing to like about the Rams following their abysmal performance last week against the Jets, this is a better team than what they’ve shown and San Fran is a bit dysfunctional right now after their debacle on Monday Night Football. Jim Haslett is still fighting for a head coaching job (as is Mike Singletary) and there’s no doubt he’ll have his team more prepared than they were last week in New York. Of course, a win for the Rams would mean that Marc Bulger has to get his head out of his ass and someone has to find Torry Holt. But as usual with my “Upset Watch”, I won’t predict an outright win for St. Louis, but I say they at least cover the 5.5-point spread.

      Tony RomIntriguing Matchup: Cowboys (5-4) at Redskins (6-3), 8:15 PM ET
      Tony Romo will be back in action this week, but will he need a game or two to shake off the rust? Unfortunately for him, Dallas can’t afford to lose any more ground in a stacked NFC East. The Redskins are also fighting to keep pace in the division and will look to avenge their ugly loss to the Steelers on Monday Night Football two weeks ago. They’ll have to do it without Clinton Portis, however, as he currently is sidelined with a MCL injury. Jason Campbell has been solid this season, but he’ll need to make plays without Portis in the backfield. If the Cowboys are going to walk away with a win, they’ll do so because of a strong defensive effort – not the play of Romo.

      Other Notable Games:
      Titans (9-0) at Jaguars (4-5), 4:15 PM ET
      As previously noted, everyone is waiting for the Titans to slip and this very well could be the weekend they do. But they don’t seem like the team that gets ahead of themselves and every one of their wins has been a dogfight. The Jaguars rebounded with an impressive win over the Lions last week, but let’s not forget that they lost to the Bengals and Browns in two games prior to that.

      Bears (5-4) at Packers (4-5), 1:00 PM ET
      This is a must win for both teams because the Vikings are right back in the division hunt again. If the Packers lose, they might be able to kiss the playoffs goodbye. Kyle Orton is expected to play for the Bears.

      Vikings (5-4) at Bucs (6-3), 1:00 PM ET
      We’ll find out a lot about Minnesota this Sunday and whether or not they’ve returned from the grave. A win over a solid Tampa team would go a long way in proving they’ve rebounded from earlier seasons struggles.

      Broncos (5-4) at Falcons (6-3), 1:00 PM ET
      The legend of Matt Ryan continues this week in the Georgia Dome. Ryan is 4-0 at home this year and will have plenty of opportunities to make big plays against a horrible Denver defense. But Jay Cutler as lit opposing defenses up this year and there could be a wild finish to this game in the making.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Week 12 College Football Primer

      November 15, 2008 /

      Top 25 vs. Top 25
      Tim TebowNo. 25 South Carolina at. No. 4 Florida, 3:30 PM ET CBS
      After they were shocked by Ole’ Miss and turned in a lackluster performance in a win over Arkansas, the Gators trounced LSU, Kentucky, Georgia and Vanderbilt in convincing fashion. Nothing against the three teams ranked higher, but Florida might be the best team in college football right now. Tim Tebow has resurrected his Heisman candidacy after rushing for five touchdowns and accounting for 424 total yards in the Gators’ 51-31 win over the Gamecocks last year. But Steve Spurrier’s squad has been one of the hottest teams in the nation over the past couple of weeks. The rotation of Stephen Garcia and Chris Smelley at quarterback has lifted South Carolina and the defense has played inspired. This is a better matchup than most think, although it’s highly possibly that Florida could roll with how well they’ve played over the past month. Expect the Gators to use this as another statement game leading up to their huge battle with Alabama in the SEC Championship Game December 6.

      Upset Watch:
      Maryland TerpsNo. 16 North Carolina at Maryland, 3:30 PM ET ABC
      The Terps have clearly been a different team at home than on the road where they’re 4-0 and averaging 25.5 points per game as opposed to 1-3 and 11.75 PPG on the road. Maryland has also won five straight against ranked opponents the past two years and still control their own destiny in the ACC Atlantic. Three wins in their final three games would send the Terps to the ACC title game, which is amazing considering this was the same team that got drubbed 31-0 by Virginia. If Maryland is going to pull off the upset they’ll need to get Da’Rel Scott and Davin Meggett going in the running game because putting the ball in the air against the Tar Heels is a risky proposition. UNC has one of the best ball hawking defenses in the nation and has forced opponents into mistakes all season. If the Terps play things close to the vest offensively and rely on their defense to win the game, an upset could be in the making.

      Other notable games:
      Mississippi State at No. 1 Alabama, 7:45 PM ET
      It’s highly unlikely the Tide lose focus against a 3-6 Mississippi State team, but the Bulldogs did pull off one of the better upsets of the year when they crushed previously No. 13 Vanderbilt 34-3.

      No. 3 Texas at Kansas, 12:30 PM ET
      The Longhorns try to keep in the national title hunt while the Jayhawks look to end the season as quickly as possible.

      No. 10 Georgia at Auburn, 12:30 PM ET
      This is one of the more underrated rivalries in the SEC.

      College Football

      Kimbo Slice to try boxing

      November 14, 2008 /

      After getting his ass kicked in MMA, Kimbo Slice has now decided to get his ass kicked in boxing. Via SPORTSbyBROOKS.com:

      Kimbo SliceWhen a celebrity’s 15 minutes of fame are finally up, for some reason they always turn their attention towards the boxing ring, where they stand in front of hundreds and pummel another “celebrity” all for some “charity”, which in most cases is their own bank account. Danny Bonaduce and Jose Canseco do so on a regular basis. John Wayne Bobbitt is heading into the ring this Saturday. So it makes sense that MMA star Kimbo Slice has apparently decided to revitalize his dying career by giving “the sweet science” a try.

      In an interview with Dan Le Batard, Slice admitted that he’s thinking about strapping on some larger gloves, agreeing to keep his feet on the ground, and stepping into the boxing ring. After all, he needs something to do while that weird legal stuff with his MMA contract gets sorted out.

      But as MMARATED.COM points this, this move into the boxing world isn’t necessary something Slice should be looking forward to.

      MMARATED.COM:

      But there is one little detail that might give Slice some pause: In boxing – though the gloves are a bit thicker, a bit cushier – you get punched in the face a lot. And if his recent 14-second TKO loss to Seth Petruzelli at EliteXC’s final show in early October is any indication, Slice does not like to get punched in the face.

      If he does make his way into boxing, Slice better enjoy the attention while it lasts. This guy is heading into oblivion (or bolivion as Mike Tyson would say) fast.

      Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts

      Lawyer: Vick wants to rejoin NFL after prison

      November 14, 2008 /

      Michael Vick’s bankruptcy lawyer recently said that his client wants to don an NFL uniform again after he’s done sporting prison orange.

      Michael Vick“The Debtor has every reason to believe that upon his release, he will be reinstated into the NFL, resume his career and be able to earn a substantial living,” Vick’s attorneys wrote in a disclosure statement filed before a hearing Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Norfolk.

      Vick still faces two state felony counts — dogfighting and animal cruelty. They carry maximum prison terms of 10 years, but under a plea deal, Vick would serve a suspended sentence and a year of probation.

      The wild card in whether Vick will play again is Roger Goodell. Will Goodell hand out another suspension once Vick is free to play? If Pacman Jones and Ricky Williams were eventually allowed to play again, one has to assume Vick will get the opportunity too. But it’ll be interesting to see when that opportunity presents itself and if a team wants to take on that kind of baggage. (I’m assuming a team like the Raiders would.)

      NFL

      Randy Moss makes unbelievable catch

      November 14, 2008 /

      This is why Ty Law (who was sitting on his couch when the Jets called him to play cornerback for them just days before they faced the Patriots on Thursday night) shouldn’t be covering Randy Moss when the game is on the line:

      That was simply a phenomenal catch, but I don’t think enough is being made about Matt Cassel’s throw. Not only does he avoid the sack, but he also point the ball where only Moss could catch it – while on the run no less. Great play.

      And to be far, Law didn’t have bad coverage on Moss, but why allow him to get a free release off the line?

      NFL, Video

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