Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 536 of 1503)

      Patriots to stay away from Peppers?

      February 2, 2010 /

      One of the biggest rumors that made its rounds during the NFL offseason last year was the Patriots potentially acquiring defensive end Julius Peppers from the Panthers. Now that he’s an unrestricted free agent, those same Peppers-to-New England rumors are starting to pop up again.

      It’s highly unlikely that the Panthers will pay the absurd $20.1 million in order to place the franchise tag on Peppers and keep him in Carolina for 2010. And if they don’t, Peppers is free to sign with any team of his choosing – including the Patriots.

      But as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes, New England was burned in March of 2007 when they signed free agent Adalius Thomas to a hefty five-year, $35 million contract, which also included $20 million in guaranteed money. At the time, Thomas was coming off an 11-sack, 83-tackle season in Baltimore and he was supposed to team up with Richard Seymour to give New England a fierce pass rush.

      But in three seasons with the Patriots, Thomas has just 14.5 sacks and even managed to get into Bill Belichick’s doghouse last year by showing up late to a team meeting. Considering that Peppers is 30 and would break the bank as the biggest free agent name available this year, New England might be gun shy to acquire another Thomas in the making.

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      NFL

      Rudy Gay tries buzzer beater…when it doesn’t have to.

      February 2, 2010 /

      Rudy Gay’s internal clock was a little messed up last night when he attempted a 70-foot jump shot right before the first quarter buzzer.

      I won’t ruin what happened for those that haven’t seen the clip, but it’s pretty damn funny:

      Dude let go a desperation buzz-beater shot with seven seconds still left on the clock! Whoops.

      NBA, Video

      Kobe Bryant becomes Lakers’ franchise leader in scoring

      February 2, 2010 /

      With his season-high 44 points in L.A.’s 95-93 loss to the Grizzlies on Monday night, Kobe Bryant passed Jerry West as the all-time leading scorer in Lakers’ history.

      From ESPN.com:

      “It’s a great honor to say the least [because] of the great players that have played here and the tradition we have,” Bryant said of becoming the Lakers’ career leading scorer. “[West] taught me so much when I was 17 years old. He showed me a lot about the game, the jump shot and spin moves and all the others.

      “Even though it’s me passing him in the record books, it’s still us, and it’s still Magic and all the other great players.”

      Considering how rich of a tradition the Lakers have, for Bryant to be their all-time leading scorer is an unbelievable honor. It’s nice to see that Kobe recognized West and all that he did for his career.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NBA

      Vick still believes he’s a top 10 quarterback

      February 2, 2010 /

      Michael Vick wants to be a starter next season and believes that he can be if the Eagles decide to trade him during the offseason. Oh, and he still thinks that he’s a top 10 quarterback too.

      From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

      Vick, who will turn 30 in June, then went back on his previous statement about returning as a backup. “As I think about it now, getting back to your previous question, it would be fairly hard [to return to the Eagles as a backup],” he said. “I know I can play in this league. I know I still have a lot of games left in me. I can be improved and be in shape and have an opportunity to go play somewhere else in the league. I’m just being optimistic and hoping that things work out in my favor. To be honest, I do want to play.”

      Vick, who noted how difficult it was to play “sporadically” as he did last season, was asked by Patrick where he ranks among current NFL quarterbacks. “I still feel like I’m among the top 10, to be honest. I’m confident in my skills,” Vick said.

      While you have to appreciate his confidence, I think Mikey is being a little unrealistic. I would take Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Romo, Carson Palmer, Brett Favre, Donovan McNabb and Eli Manning over Vick in a heartbeat, and I wouldn’t hesitate to take Matt Schaub, Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan and Vince Young over him either.

      That said, he’s better than Trent Edwards and Marc Bulger, so as a fan I would be intrigued to see what he could do as a starter in either Buffalo or St. Louis. Maybe he’ll get the opportunity in one of those cities next season.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Super Bowl XLIV Preview: Breaking down the Saints’ pressure

      February 2, 2010 /

      It’s an understatement to say that the Saints have battered opposing quarterbacks this postseason. In fact, ESPN.com reports that in two games, New Orleans put 11 hits on Kurt Warner and Brett Favre in its wins over the Cardinals and Vikings over the past two weeks.

      Per the report, six of the hits came through the middle of the line, with the other five coming around the ends. Five of the hits were from unblocked defenders, three were from defenders beating blocks and three were coverage sacks where the quarterback held the ball for over five seconds.

      What’s interesting is that seven of the 11 hits came when the Saints had five or more defensive backs on the field, meaning Gregg Williams isn’t necessarily putting his cornerbacks on islands when he sends pressure. Also, five of the 11 hits came in the first quarter, but just two hits came in the fourth, which obviously suggests that Williams is willing to take more gambles earlier in the game but not in crunch time when scores are vital.

      In last weekend’s AFC Championship, the Jets pressured Peyton Manning with some success early in the game, but the Colts neutralized New York’s aggressiveness towards the end of the first half when they switched to the no-huddle. Manning is highly skilled at getting the ball out of his hand early and putting the ball in the air before his receivers are out of their breaks. That’s part of what makes him so effective and how he burns opponents with the passing game.

      By looking at the stats, it appears that Williams is aggressive but isn’t reckless with his pressure. He’ll send multiple defenders at the opposing quarterback, but will blanket coverage over the top so that his defensive backs won’t get beat deep. No quarterback likes defenders in his face, so if the Saints can drum up pressure up the middle they might have success against Manning early on. But the key is whether or not they can produce stops in the second half when Williams isn’t as aggressive. The Jets couldn’t and that’s why they’ll be at home next Sunday instead of in Miami.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

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