Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 1447 of 1503)

Something’s brewing in New England between Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and his former defensive coordinator and current New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini.

In a story posted online by the New York Post, Belichick refuses to even mention Mangini’s name while talking about the Jets-Patriots came this Sunday in New England. When asked about Mangini, Belichick will only respond by talking about the Jets as a team.

Asked what kind of job Mangini has done with the Jets, Belichick said, “I think the Jets are a very good football team. They’re a very talented team, and they’re a very explosive team in all three phases of the game. They play that way on a weekly basis.”

Asked if he sees any particular stamp that Mangini has put on the Jets in his first season as a head coach, Belichick said, “The Jets have been a strong, competitive football team ever since I’ve been here.”

According to the article, the two coaches completely avoided each other before and after the first meeting between these two teams in September. People close to the to situation think it’s because Belichick isn’t a huge fan of New York owner Woody Johnson and therefore told Mangini to pass on the Jets offer and wait for a better one to come along. Apparently, Belichick isn’t too thrilled that Mangini went ahead and took the job even though Belichick told him it wasn’t a great situation.

If this is true (and as of right now, there are no public facts that says it is), I think Belichick should respect the solid job Mangini has done thus far with the Jets. Nobody has the right to tell a grown man what job he should or shouldn’t go after. Maybe Mangini passes that offer up and another one never comes along? But who knows – maybe there is more to the story than meets the eye.

First it was the San Francisco Giants who left the windy confines of Candlestick Park (and yes, I still call it Candlestick) and now apparently it’s the 49ers turn to jettison.

49ers owner John York had been in discussions with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom on building a new stadium for his team in Candlestick Pointe. But according to SFGate.com, York has had enough with the talks and has decided to move the team to Santa Clara.

But in his calls to the mayor and to supervisors, York repeatedly said that his decision was final. The team could not stay in San Francisco, he said, because the stadium deal “didn’t pencil out” and because provisions for transportation and parking at the proposed site at Candlestick Point were inadequate.

In his calls, York complained that the proposed parking garage outside the stadium would mean the end of the traditional pregame tailgating parties and lead to traffic jams.

Not that this would be a catastrophe-type move like Art Modell uprooting the Browns to Baltimore virtually over night. But it’s still sad to think the 49ers won’t be playing in the same ballpark Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and John Taylor help build a great history in. Although, it’s not like the current 49ers are helping build new lasting memories now are they?

In honor of the 2006 NFL season, Bullz-Eye.com will take one contest off the schedule every week and break down each team’s strengths and weaknesses vs. its opponent. Plus, no preview would be complete without a forecasted score – you’ll find a prediction on the game at Bullz-Eye.com as well.

The NFC will have a good idea who will be the front-runner for home field advantage come playoff time when Chicago travels to New Jersey to take on the G-Men Sunday night. The Bears are a bit in flux after a loss to the Dolphins, while the Giants are winners of six straight.

On tap for Week 4: Bears (7-1) at Giants (6-2).

As expected during this time of the NFL season, players are quickly starting to drop like flies due to injuries. This is the time when teams are finally tested on how well they did drafting and signing free agents in the offseason for depth.

Here’s a look at the injuries that are forcing teams to scramble for replacements:

Rodney Harrison, S New England Patriots
Harrison suffered a broken right scapula just six minutes into the Patriots 27-20 loss to Indianapolis last Sunday night and is expect to miss several weeks. Harrison’s injury comes in the wake of an already idling Pats secondary. Fellow safety Eugene Wilson has already missed four out of the past five games because of a bum hamstring. Cornerback Chad Scott replaced Harrison during the Colts game and is likely to do so again this week against the Jets.

Michael Strahan and OSI Umenyiora, DE New York Giants
Pundits scoffed at the Giants when they drafted Mathias Kiwanuka in the first round of last April’s draft. New York already had Strahan and Umenyiora (arguably the best defensive end combo in the league) and had drafted Justin Tuck out of Notre Dame just a season ago. Apparently, the Giants knew what they were doing – or just “lucked” out. Strahan will miss 3-6 weeks with a right foot sprain while Umenyiora will continue to miss time with a hip injury. Kiwanuka and Tuck will start this weekend against the Bears.
Update: The Giants just lost WR Amani Toomer for the season as well.

Shaun Alexander RB, Matt Hasselback QB Seattle Seahawks
Alexander will miss his sixth straight game while trying to recover from a broken bone in his foot while Hasselback tries to bounce back from a knee injury. So far, Seneca Wallace and Maurice Morris have filled in adequately while the two stars try and heal. Both Alexander and Hasselback players will miss this weekend’s game against the Rams, but each are expected back within the next two weeks.

John Abraham DE, Ed Hartwell LB, Kynan Forney, OG Atlanta Falcons
Abraham (groin, abdominal) and Hartwell (knees) have both missed extended time this season. Their injuries are killing a once stout defense and the lack of Abraham’s pass rushing presence is causing the secondary to be picked apart. Forney (arguably the Falcons best run blocker) has been taken out of three out of the past five games because of a reoccurring dislocation of his right shoulder. He will miss the rest of the season.

Other notable injuries:
Justin Hartwig (groin), C Carolina Panthers
Mike Brown, S Chicago Bears
Brian Urlacher (foot), LB Chicago Bears (although he is expected to play this weekend)
Willis McGahee (rib), RB Buffalo Bills
Leigh Bodden (ankle sprain), CB Cleveland Browns
Ian Gold (hamstring), LB Denver Broncos
Ebenezer Ekuban (thigh), DL Denver Broncos
Mike Doss, S Indianapolis Colts