Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 558 of 1503)

      Favre claims that he didn’t guarantee win over Cowboys

      January 15, 2010 /

      Brett Favre is a little peeved that the media misconstrued what he said in a press conference on Wednesday and made it seem like he was guaranteeing a win on Sunday vs. the Cowboys.

      The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports: Brett Favre wasn’t pleased to be informed that he supposedly had guaranteed a Vikings playoff victory Sunday over Dallas earlier this week.

      “First of all I’m not guaranteeing anything, and the last thing I ever want to do is be bulletin-board material,” Favre said Thursday.

      On Wednesday, Favre said: “Honestly, I see us sitting here next week having this press conference again. If that doesn’t happen, to me it will be a shock.” Favre said all he was trying to do was make it clear he has confidence in himself and his teammates.

      “You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” he said. “I just have always been honest. And I probably should be more confident throughout my career. I’ve always kind of kept that to myself.”

      Looks like that damn media is trying to dig up something that’s not there. Could he have chosen his words a little more carefully on Wednesday? Yeah, but I don’t think there is anything wrong with what he said. As he noted, he was just trying to show confidence in himself and his teammates. Besides, he’s 0-3 against the Cowboys in the playoffs so why would he be foolish enough to guarantee anything?


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      If the Vikings lose on Sunday, would signing Favre have been a waste?

      January 15, 2010 /

      The Minnesota Vikings didn’t just sign Brett Favre in the offseason: They jumped through every hoop and hopped every hurdle in front of them in order to acquire the ageless one, including alienating Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson in the process. (And while I can’t prove it, I also fully believe that Brad Childress sold his soul in order to sign Favre as well.)

      That’s why if the Vikings lose this Sunday to the Dallas Cowboys, signing Favre would have arguably been a waste. A team like Minnesota doesn’t subject itself the way it did this offseason to sign a 40-year old quarterback to lose in the second round of the playoffs. It signs a 40-year old drama queen because he’s worth it and to ensure that the team is going to have a shot at winning the Super Bowl.

      Okay, so there are no sure things in pro football. Signing Favre didn’t guarantee anything for the Vikings, but they knew that they were a legit passing attack away from being a Super Bowl contender and so far, suffering through Favre’s drama this offseason has been worth it.

      But if they lose this weekend, then they would have accomplished nothing. Favre isn’t going to play forever (uh, I think) and the Vikings’ window of opportunity to win a Super Bowl has been shrinking since Week 1. If they lose to the Cowboys, then the Vikes will have won precisely the same amount of playoff games with Tarvaris Jackson under center last year: Zero.

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      Barstool Debates, NFL

      Do the Cardinals even need Boldin?

      January 15, 2010 /

      Listen, how about you sit this one out, Q?

      According to Adam Schefter via his Twitter page, the Cardinals don’t expect wideout Anquan Boldin (ankle/knee) to play against the Saints on Saturday.

      As crazy as it sounds, Arizona might be better off.

      The mere thought that the Cardinals are better without Boldin in the lineup sounds ridiculous. He’s an underrated playmaker that makes teams pay for double-teaming Larry Fitzgerald. He has the size and speed to win one-on-one matchups with a defender of any size and he’s a load to bring down in open space. Of course the Cardinals are better with him.

      That said, over the last two seasons the Cards are 6-1 when Boldin didn’t play. And as the Wall Street Journal points out, they’ve averaged 33.9 points per game without him in the lineup, compared to the 24.5 PPG and 17-13 record with him. They also racked up 41 points in the one regular season game (vs. the Bears) that he missed this season and 51 points last week against the Packers, so the numbers would indicate that they’re better off without him.

      But this is one of those times when numbers can be misleading. Arizona has survived without Boldin because they have an abundance of depth at the wideout position. Steve Breaston has shown the ability to be a playmaker when he starts and Early Doucet showed last week that he could be a star in the making. Fitzgerald aids both receivers by commanding double-teams, and having a quarterback in Kurt Warner that can deliver the ball in a timely manner so his wideouts can make the catch in stride and pick up yards after the catch is critical as well.

      Can the Cardinals win without Boldin? Absolutely – and they’ve proven it. But are they better? That’s debatable. The numbers would suggest that they are, but teams are always better when they have their full complement of weapons, especially during the postseason.


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      Rams to take a chance on Vick?

      January 15, 2010 /

      Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch speculates that the Rams might make a move to acquire Michael Vick from the Eagles this offseason. Thomas sites the fact that GM Bill Devaney worked for the Falcons when Vick was in Atlanta and even visited the troubled QB in prison.

      Devaney worked for the Atlanta Falcons before coming to St. Louis, so he’s very familiar with Vick. In fact, Devaney visited Vick in prison while Vick was serving 18 months for running a dogfighting operation.

      In St. Louis, Vick could bring sizzle to an offense that was among the league’s worst in ’09. As one long-time NFL coach told the Post-Dispatch: “That team lacks perimeter players. They can’t play straight up (on offense) and win. They need to create explosiveness where it’s not.”

      Vick would be a solid fit for the Rams. He’s lost some burst as a runner and considering he hasn’t been a starter in three years, he’ll be rusty as a passer when he does get under center full time. But he’s worth a shot for a team like the Rams, who are in desperate need of overall speed and talent.

      St. Louis isn’t a team that’s on the verge of making a deep run in the playoffs, so taking a chance on a player like Vick is a less risky proposition for them then it would be another team that’s counting on a quarterback to get them over the hump. Vick isn’t magically going to transform into the electrifying player he once was, but he would upgrade the Rams’ quarterback position and would give them a chance to acquire Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh with the No. 1 pick in April.

      I know this is just speculation on Thomas’ part, but I like the thinking.


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      2010 NFL Playoffs Fan Battle: Ravens vs. Colts Preview

      January 14, 2010 /

      To get you ready for the Ravens-Colts’ Divisional Round battle in Indy this Saturday, here’s a preview of the game via a mock dialogue between two fans.

      Colts Fan: If you think the Colts are going to be as disinterested in playing the Ravens as the Patriots were last week, then you’re delusional.

      Ravens Fan: Oh, I see – the Patriots lost, but the Ravens didn’t win. Do I have that right? Face it, the better team won last weekend in Foxboro. We came prepared to play and they couldn’t match our intensity. And if I were you, I’d be highly concerned that the Colts haven’t played in three weeks.

      Colt Fan: No, the starters haven’t played in three weeks – there’s a difference. But Peyton Manning, ahem, the MVP this year, will be ready to go as always. And if anyone should be concerned, it should be Baltimore’s pass defense.

      Raven Fan: Have you even been watching lately? The Ravens are tied for eighth in passing yards allowed per game with 207.3. Our total defense ranks third in the NFL and we’re allowing just 16.3 points per game. Plus, we almost beat you in the regular season.

      Colt Fan: There’s no prize for “almost,” my friend. Plus, that game was in Baltimore; now you have to travel to Indy this time. Had Jim Caldwell not pulled the starters in the second half against the Jets, we would have easily gone undefeated at home this season.

      Raven Fan: Now who’s talking about whoulda, coulda, shouldas? Speaking of Caldwell pulling the starters, that same philosophy has hurt the Colts in the past. Bill Polian insists that momentum means nothing for teams heading into the playoffs but he must be trying to block out all the times that his team has choked after resting starters before.

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