Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 328 of 1503)

      Bengals defense an absolute mess against Patriots

      September 12, 2010 /
      FOXBORO, MA - SEPTEMBER 12: Quarterback Tom Brady of the New England Patriots throws a pass during a the NFL season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals at Gillette Stadium on September 12, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

      I know Tom Brady and the Patriots looked great Sunday in their 38-24 victory over the Bengals, but let’s hold off on the 2007 comparisons for right now. I did one “#Patriots” search on Twitter following the game and I would have had to use a calculator to count the number of times I saw a reference to New England’s ’07 season.

      Uh, the regular season that is. No fan wants to bring up how that season ended for the Pats.

      Before we crown the Patriots 2010 AFC Super Bowl representatives, let’s be realistic. The Cincinnati defense they faced today was downright atrocious.

      As expected, the Bengals had zero pass rush and that’s an area that will be a problem for them all season unless someone steps up. Their front four was swallowed whole by New England’s offensive line and didn’t impact the game whatsoever.

      Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s playcalling was also uninspiring. He was way too predictable when drumming up blitzes, which allowed Tom Brady to recognize where the pressure was coming from and either check off to another player or complete crossing patterns over the middle.

      The end result was the Bengals getting gashed for 376 total yards, including 258 passing and 118 rushing. Believe it or not, Cincinnati’s offense bettered those numbers (428 total, 341 passing, 87 rushing), but it didn’t matter once the Pats took a 31-3 lead early in the third quarter and was on cruise control from there on out.

      For a team that is expected to compete for a division crown this year, this was a highly unimpressive start for the Bengals.

      External Sports, NFL

      Starting Dennis Dixon forces Steelers to get back to their roots

      September 12, 2010 /
      PITTSBURGH - SEPTEMBER 12: Rashard Mendenhall of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs through the Atlanta Falcons defense during the NFL season opener game on September 12, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

      For decades, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been known for two things: playing defense and running the ball down opponents’ throats.

      Under head coach Mike Tomlin, they haven’t gotten away from playing defense, but the running-the-ball-down-opponents’-throats-thing has kind of gotten away from them.

      On Sunday, they did both things well in a hard-fought 15-9 win over the Falcons in overtime. They held Atlanta’s offense to 58 yards rushing and three field goals, while gaining 143 yards on the ground, which included a 50-yard touchdown burst by Rashard Mendenhall to win the game.

      One thing that will get overlooked about Pittsburgh’s big rushing day was the fact that they had to start Dennis Dixon at quarterback because Ben Roethlisberger was suspended. With Dixon under center, the passing game was extremely limited. And with the game being tight throughout, OC Bruce Arians almost had to keep the ball on the ground and his young quarterback out of pivotal passing situations.

      The end result was a big win for a Steelers team that needs to at least split their first four games while Big Ben is out. Dixon certainly wasn’t flawless (he skipped throws into receivers all day and threw a brutal interception late in the first half with his team driving for a score), but he made a couple of key throws to keep the chains moving in the second half and allowed the defense and Mendenhall to win the game in the end.

      Pittsburgh fans had to love what they saw today. That was good ol’ fashioned Steeler football at its best.

      External Sports, NFL

      Bears, Lovie extremely lucky call against Calvin Johnson overturned

      September 12, 2010 /
      MINNEAPOLIS - DECEMBER 17: Head Coach Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears looks on from the sideline during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on December 17, 2007 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

      Even by definition of the rule, I’m still not sure Calvin Johnson’s touchdown should have been overturned.

      One foot down.

      Two feet down.

      His backside was down.

      Ball was in his hand the entire time.

      Ball gets placed on the ground.

      No touchdown.

      Johnson did everything right on that fatal play outside of holding onto the ball long enough to have it constituted as “complete.” The official ruling was that Megatron didn’t maintain position throughout the entirety of the play, which resulted in a touchdown being wiped off the board and an eventual 19-14 win for the Bears. Again, even by definition of the rule I’m not sure Johnson’s TD shouldn’t have counted.

      Furthermore, how does a touchdown count when the tip of the ball goes across the goal line when a back or QB is carrying it but not when Johnson makes a play like this? It doesn’t make any sense. Ball goes across the line when a back is carrying it into the end zone and it’s a done deal – TOUCHDOWN. Johnson gets two feet down, his ass down, his back down, both ears on the ground plus a tongue and it’s an incomplete pass.

      But there’s nothing the Lions can do about it now. Game over, sorry about your luck.

      The real story here is how the Bears, a team that many consider to be a sleeper in the NFC after all the moves they made this offseason, managed to beat a proverbial last place team by only five points when their starting quarterback didn’t even play the second half. The real story is how the Bears now-explosive Mike Martz-led offense could only muster 19 measly points at home against a defense that has the worst starting cornerback duo in the league.

      Granted, the Bears did compile 463 yards of total offense, including 362 through the air and 101 on the ground. You can’t ask for much more out of Martz’s first real trial run, but the Lions should have never been in this game. Chicago turned the ball over four times, committed nine penalties for 100 yards and couldn’t score on four straight attempts from the Detroit 1-yard line with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game when trailing, 14-13.

      Considering Lovie Smith was on the hot seat coming into the season, it’s shocking that his team could look so undisciplined, unfocused and so careless.

      The only thing that saved he and the Bears today was a technicality.

      External Sports, NFL

      Texans finally face their demons, defeat Colts on Foster’s monster day

      September 12, 2010 /
      NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 21: Arian Foster of the Houston Texans celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome on August 21, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

      Arian Foster probably got to the Texans’ locker room after Houston’s 34-24 win on Sunday and said, “No seriously, that was the team you guys have been scared of all these years?”

      Entering today’s game, the Texans were just 1-15 against the Colts lifetime. But thanks to Foster’s 231-yard rushing performance (which is the most by a running back in an opening weekend game since O.J. Simpson ran for 250 yards in 1973), Houston finally got the Indianapolis monkey of its back.

      Perhaps what was most impressive about Foster is that he grinded it out for a full four quarters. Don’t forget that this is a highly inexperienced player, one that spent most of 2009 on the practice squad. So with his team up 20-10 midway through the fourth quarter and looking to punch another hole in the Colts’ jugular, Foster rushed for 78 yards on just three carries and scored his second touchdown of the day. He showed his mettle all day, but especially on that drive.

      The win was big for the Texans for two reasons: 1) they proved that they could finally beat a team that has dominated them over the years and 2) they also showed that they could beat a team in the AFC South after going 1-5 a year ago. It’s only Week 1, but this is the type of win that could give a budding postseason contender confidence for the rest of the season.

      Perhaps what was most impressive was that the Texans didn’t beat the Colts through the air, but on the ground. Matt Schaub only completed 9 of 17 passes for 107 yards, so clearly he didn’t have his best day. Thus, for Houston to attack Indy’s greatest weakness (defensive tackle) and execute to perfection will have Gary Kubiak sleeping well tonight.

      The same goes for Arian Foster.

      External Sports, NFL

      Vernon Davis should give half of his new salary to Mike Singletary

      September 12, 2010 /
      SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 12: Vernon Davis #85 of the San Francisco 49ers is introduced prior to his game against the Chicago Bears at Candlestick Park on November 12, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

      After he displayed the speed of a wide receiver and the strength of an offensive line at the 2006 scouting combine, there were plenty of people who thought Vernon Davis was going to be something special in the NFL.

      But through his first three seasons, he had caught only 103 passes for 1,132 yards and nine touchdowns. Those numbers would have been fine for a tight end who predominantly blocked, but certainly not for a player that many thought would be a weekly mismatch for his opponents in the passing game.

      The media started to get on Davis in his second year because they could see a bust in the making. He wasn’t producing on the field and even worse, his work ethic and maturity had come into question as well.

      Then, following a 34-13 loss to the Seahawks in late October of 2008, this happened:

      It was the day that Vernon Davis got a fire lit under his ass by one of the best motivators in the game today.

      Last year, Davis played in all 16 games and racked up 78 receptions for 965 yards and 13 touchdowns – by far his best season as a pro. He still displayed some of the mental mistakes that have haunted him throughout his career, but because he worked hard and produced, he recently earned a $37 million contract extension that includes $23 million in guaranteed money.

      For those that are unaware, that contract now makes him the highest paid tight end in league history.

      Now, I’m not going to debate whether or not he’s done enough to earn that kind of money. I’ve written many times before that this is just how the NFL salary structure works – the latest to sign get paid the most. That’s just how it is.

      But it’s interesting that Davis was essentially a bust for three seasons in San Francisco before Singletary became the head coach. He has always had the physical tools and ability to succeed in the NFL, but before Singletary arrived he wasn’t focused or motivated enough to become great (not saying he’s great now, but he’s working towards it, at least). And while he still has a long way to go, he’s become a leader under Singletary and someone whose work ethic is now admired in the locker room.

      Davis can thank his head coach for that, as well as his phat new contract.

      External Sports, NFL

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