Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 265 of 1503)

      2010 NFL Week 9 Power Rankings

      November 2, 2010 /
      INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 01: Jacob Tamme of Indianapolis Colts runs with the ball during the NFL game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 1, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

      Another No. 1 team falls and more shakeup in the top-5. At least things are starting to shake out as we head into the second half of the season.

      As always, let’s get nasty, Ricky.

      Check out Week 8’s Power Rankings

      1. Indianapolis Colts
      Previous Week: 2
      I knew there was a reason I left the Colts at No. 2. Houston’s secondary is brutal, but Peyton Manning put on a clinic Monday night. Only he could turn Jacob Tamme into a star overnight.

      2. Pittsburgh Steelers
      Previous Week: 1
      I could have dropped the Steelers further down but I think they were due for a loss. They were fortunate that Big Ben’s fumble two weeks ago in Miami didn’t cost them a loss and they were beat by a desperate Saints team on the road last Sunday. It was bound to happen.

      3. New York Giants
      Previous Week: 5
      This team didn’t do anything last week so it may be unjustified to move them ahead of the Patriots. But before compiling the rankings this week I asked myself, “Would the Giants beat the Patriots this Sunday on a neutral field?” I think you have my answer.

      4. New England Patriots
      Previous Week: 4
      Statistically this is an average team – even below average, actually. They rank 25th in total defense and 24th in total offense and yet they’re 6-1 and are currently atop the AFC East. To me, that speaks volumes about Bill Belichick’s ability to make in-game adjustments and this team’s refusal to beat itself.

      5. New York Jets
      Previous Week: 3
      How does this team prep for two weeks to face the Packers and not manage to score a single point at home? Inexcusable.

      6. Baltimore Ravens
      Previous Week: 6
      We’re going to find out a lot about this Ravens team over the next two weeks. They host a Dolphins team this Sunday that has been outstanding on the road and then they travel to Atlanta to play a Falcons squad that has only lost one game at the Georgia Dome when Matt Ryan starts.

      7. Green Bay Packers
      Previous Week: 10
      I don’t feel entirely good about moving the Packers up this far after only one win, but it was a big win so they deserve it. To shut out the Jets on their home turf when New York had two weeks to prepare was impressive. The game plan Dom Capers put together was outstanding.

      8. Philadelphia Eagles
      Previous Week: 8
      Much like the Ravens, the Eagles will be tested over these next four weeks. They host the Colts on Sunday, play at division rival Washington next week, are home against the Giants in Week 11 and are then at Chicago in Week 12. Hope Mike Vick is ready.

      9. Atlanta Falcons
      Previous Week: 9
      I personally think that the Bucs’ season up to this point has been a mirage but the Falcons better not overlook them this Sunday. Not with the two teams having the same record and the Saints jumping back into the NFC South race with a win last week.

      10. New Orleans Saints
      Previous Week: 11
      Huge win for the defending champs last Sunday, although I’m not ready to have them skyrocket up the rankings yet. That loss to the Browns two weeks ago still smells of something awful.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL

      Vikings officially release Randy Moss – so what now?

      November 2, 2010 /
      EDEN PRAIRIE, MN - OCTOBER 7: Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss answers questions from the media during a press conference at Winter Park on October 7, 2010 in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)

      This Randy Moss situation is an absolute mess.

      The only thing that mattered to this guy four weeks ago was a new contract and then after he realized he wasn’t going to win, he had no problem trashing the Vikings (a team that gave up a third round pick to acquire him) in an attempt to get the Patriots to welcome him back with open arms. How pathetic.

      Moss doesn’t miss the Patriots — he misses the opportunity to play for a winner. He realized very quickly that the Vikings aren’t going to win, so he did the only thing he does well off the field: resort to being a malcontent and a distraction.

      Make no mistake, Moss has a ton of talent, even at his age. He’s a game changer when he has his head on straight and he even commands double-teams when he’s really trying.

      But when is that? He wanted out of Oakland so bad that he didn’t say a word for the first couple of seasons in New England. He was a choirboy because all he wanted to do was be a part of a winner. But when he got that, it wasn’t enough and the second his contract only had one year remaining on it he reverted back to the old Moss.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL

      Redskins working out JaMarcus Russell – yes, that JaMarcus Russell

      November 2, 2010 /
      Dec 13, 2009; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell (2) reacts after a sack as Washington Redskins defensive tackle Kedric Golston (64) and defensive lineman Lorenzo Alexander (79) look on at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The Redskins defeated the Raiders 34-13. Photo via Newscom

      The Washington Redskins’ quarterback situation has gone from interesting, to absurd, to ludicrous in the past 72 hours.

      With just over two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter against the Lions on Sunday, head coach Mike Shanahan benched Donovan McNabb in favor of Rex Grossman despite the Skins only being down one score. On Monday, Shanahan said that McNabb didn’t have enough “cardiovascular endurance” to run his two-minute offense, which is why he went with Grossman.

      Today, Mark Berman of FOX 26 in Houston is reporting that the Redskins will work out free agent JaMarcus Russell, who has been working out in Texas in hopes of returning to the NFL. This is the same Russell who just had codeine possession charges dropped last week.

      Now, Russell may be in the best shape of his life but he’s still JaMarcus Russell. He may have seen the error of his ways and has now committed himself to the game of football, but he’s still JaMarcus Russell.

      I know the Skins haven’t officially signed him yet, but why? Why JaMarcus Russell?

      Maybe I’m looking too much into this, but it’s clear that Shanahan’s confidence in McNabb is disintegrating. He said that McNabb is still his starter, but you don’t bench your starter with the game on the line in favor of Rex Grossman and then turn around and work out one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history during your bye week. Again, maybe I’m reading too much into the situation and there’s a possibility that McNabb’s health status is in question but how good is Donovan feeling about his current situation? He hasn’t fully picked up Shanahan’s offense yet, but it’s only been seven games.

      Michael Wilbon wrote yesterday that this will be McNabb’s first and last year in D.C. Seeing as how Shanahan is about to bring JaMarcus Russell in for a work out, I’m not going to question Wilbon’s theory.

      External Sports, NFL

      Lee should have listened to Molina on Renteria’s home run

      November 2, 2010 /
      San Francisco Giants Edgar Renteria (2nd R) hits a three-run home run off Texas Rangers pitcher Cliff Lee (R) as Rangers catcher Bengie Molina (L) and home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg (2nd L) look on in the seventh inning during Game 5 of Major League Baseball's World Series in Arlington, Texas, November 1, 2010. REUTERS/Tim Sharp (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      Hindsight always rears its perfect head when a deciding moment in a sporting event takes place. A player always should have done something differently when his team loses.

      In the case of Cliff Lee, he should have listened to his catcher Bengie Molina in the seventh inning on Monday night with Edgar Renteria at the plate.

      Molina played nearly as many games with the Giants this season as he did with the Rangers. He knows the Giants’ hitters and their tendencies. He knows Renteria is a smart hitter and he knew his former teammate was hot. He also knew that Aaron Rowand had been picking splinters out of his ass for most of the season and was starting in only his third game since early September.

      That’s why Molina wanted to pitch around Renteria in the top of the seventh with runners on second and third and go after Rowand. But it’s not in Lee’s nature to walk anybody and he certainly wasn’t going to walk Renteria when all he needed was one more out to end the inning.

      So Lee fell behind Renteria 2-0 while missing with his cutter and changeup. Molina, knowing that pitching around Renteria was the only solution at that point, called for a cutter outside. Lee threw the cutter, but he drifted into the zone and Renteria crushed the mistake to put the Giants up 3-0.

      With the way Tim Lincecum was pitching, three runs may have well been 30. Everyone in the ballpark got the sense that the game was over and even after Nelson Cruz cut the Giants’ lead to 3-1 in the Rangers’ half of the seventh, the game was still San Francisco’s to win.

      Part of what makes Lee so good is that he throws strikes. He attacks hitters – all hitters. He knows that with his control, he’s going to get the best of most batters. But in that situation, he was better off listening to Molina.

      Granted, who’s to say that Rowand wouldn’t have hit a grand slam in his at bat? Depending on the situation, a single to the outfield could have scored two runs so maybe Lee and the Rangers were just destined for failure.

      But Lee never put himself in position to get Rowand out in that key situation. He stayed true to himself and it would up costing him and the Rangers in the end.

      External Sports, MLB

      Cliff Lee should stay a Ranger in 2011

      November 2, 2010 /
      Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cliff Lee delivers to the San Francisco Giants in the first inning during Game 5 of Major League Baseball's World Series in Arlington, Texas, November 1, 2010. REUTERS/Mike Segar (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      Following another heartbreaking loss to the Giants in Game 5 of the World Series, Cliff Lee said that he would love to return to the Rangers in 2011.

      “I don’t know if I’m going to be a part of it,” Lee admitted. “I’d love to be a part of it, but so many things can happen.”

      Lee used a lot of “we” when talking about the Rangers after the game. It appears that Texas has stolen a piece of his heart and he truly enjoys being a part of the Rangers organization.

      That said, money talks. This guy has been traded three times and has been a part of four different teams in the past two years and I’m sure he’d love to finally settle down with his family in one spot. The Rangers may be the frontrunners for his services, but they’re going to have come up with a decent offer. They’re not going to outbid the Yankees – nobody does. But they need to at least be in the same ballpark so Lee can feel appreciated. The Giants tuned him up twice, but he’s one of the best pitchers in the game and should be paid as such.

      If the Rangers can keep Lee, they immediately become the favorites to win the American League next year. The Yankees showed their age in the postseason and while the Rays are young and powerful, they’re about to lose one of their most productive players in Carl Crawford (who is sure to leave via free agency this winter). Texas has a great offensive core in Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus, Michael Young and even though he looked horrendous in the World Series, Vladimir Guerrero.

      Their pitching staff thanks to C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Tommy Hunter and relievers Neftali Feliz and Alexi Ogando is solid as well, but it’ll look rather ordinary without Cliff Lee. Nolan Ryan needs to do everything he can to bring Lee back so the Rangers can take another run at things next year.

      Break out your checkbook, Rangers.

      External Sports, MLB

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