Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 561 of 1503)

      Chris Johnson wins Offensive Player of the Year

      January 13, 2010 /

      Titans’ running back Chris Johnson was voted the Offensive Player of the Year for the 2009 season according to the AP.

      Considered the fastest man in pro football, Johnson was uncatchable in setting a league mark for yards from scrimmage (2,509) and becoming the sixth player with a 2,000-yard rushing season.

      “I kind of realize what I did and I feel like I had a dream season,” said Johnson, who scored 16 touchdowns (14 rushing), second to Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson, and tied the NFL mark with six consecutive games rushing for at least 125 yards.

      Johnson, who has run a 4.2 40 and believes he’ll remain the NFL’s fastest player unless a team signs Usain Bolt, has bigger dreams, too: breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, and winning the league MVP award.

      “I didn’t even get one vote at all (for MVP),” Johnson said. “Like the season I had, it seemed like, `What more do they want me to do?’ That just felt like rookie of the year; it’s a quarterback thing I guess.”

      Considering Johnson became just the sixth player in NFL history to run for more than 2,000 yards and set the record for most total yards from scrimmage with 2,509, it is a little perplexing why he didn’t get at least one MVP vote.

      But to correct Johnson, it isn’t a “quarterback thing” – it’s a “playoff thing.” Peyton Manning had the Colts on the verge of a perfect season and lifted them to the No. 1 seed in the AFC. For as good as Johnson was this season, the fact that the Titans didn’t make the postseason hurt him when it came down to MVP voting.

      Regardless, Johnson was incredibly deserving of OPOY honors and considering this was only his second season, I shudder to think what the future holds for him.


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      NFL

      Boldin misses practice, but optimistic he’ll play

      January 13, 2010 /

      According to the Arizona Cardinals’ official website, wideout Anquan Boldin was held out of practice on Tuesday but is optimistic that he will play against the Saints on Saturday.

      The Cardinals got through an admittedly sluggish first day back on the practice field, no surprise since it’s been such a short time since they last played. Because it’s Tuesday, the Cards aren’t required to discuss injuries or file and injury report, leaving some things in the dark until tomorrow’s initial official injury update. But Anquan Boldin did say he felt “a lot better,” reported that he was able to move around more (although he didn’t practice) and he is “definitely” optimistic he will have a chance to play Saturday against the Saints.

      With the way Early Doucet played against the Packers, it didn’t matter that Boldin wasn’t on the field last Sunday. But at this time of year, teams need all of their weapons and Boldin is a game-changer when healthy.


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      USC hires Lane Kiffin to replace Pete Carroll

      January 12, 2010 /

      In rather surprising news, USC has tabbed former Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin to fill the position vacated by Pete Carroll, who signed a contract over the weekend to coach the Seattle Seahawks.

      From ESPN.com:

      “We are really excited to welcome Lane Kiffin back to USC,” Garrett said in a statement. “I was able to watch him closely when he was an assistant with us and what I saw was a bright, creative young coach who I thought would make an excellent head coach here if the opportunity ever arose. I’m confident he and his staff will keep USC football performing at the high level that we expect.”

      He was a member of the USC coaching staff from 2001 to ’06, first as wide receivers coach and then as offensive coordinator under Carroll.

      Kiffin will bring his father and defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin, and assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron to Southern California with him.

      The hiring is surprising, but what isn’t surprising is the way Kiffin left Tennessee after just one season. The fact of the matter is that college coaches come and go as they please. As long as there is more money and a bigger opportunity to be had, coaches will always be a threat to leave.

      That said, it never ceases to amaze me that coaches can walk into a recruit’s home and talk about commitment, loyalty and family, and then leave a program at the drop of a hat. There is something incredible wrong with the process, but it has become such a norm that nobody is surprised by it anymore. As the clichéd response goes: It is what it is.

      I wonder if some in Knoxville are secretly glad to see Kiffin go. He rubbed a lot of people the wrong way and never seemed like a great fit for UT. Considering he helped Carroll make USC’s program a success earlier this decade, it stands to reason that he will be a much better fit in Southern Cal, but we’ll see. It’ll also be exciting to see what Monte Kiffin can do with the talent he’ll have on the defensive side of the ball at SC.

      This is pure conjecture on my part, but if I’m venturing a guess as to whom will replace Kiffin at Tennessee, I’d say Jon Gruden might be a great fit. He was a graduate assistant there from 1986 to 1987 and also met his wife at UT as well. If he wanted to take a crack at the collegiate level, Knoxville might just be a solid fit.

      College Football

      An upset is in reach if the Jets can stick to their strengths this weekend

      January 12, 2010 /

      To alter a phrase from Denny Green: The Jets are who we think they are. They have the best defense in the NFL and can run the ball with Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene behind a solid offensive line.

      That’s it. They play good defense and rely on their great running game to win. And as they get ready to take on the red-hot Chargers in San Diego this weekend, the Jets should remind themselves what their strengths are because their strengths match up very well with their Divisional Round opponent.

      The Chargers can flat out throw the ball. They rank fifth in the NFL with 271.1 passing yards per game and have averaged 28.4 points per contest. Philip Rivers has played at a MVP-type level all season and he has a bevy of weapons at his disposal in Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson and Darren Sproles.

      However, the Jets have the top pass defense in the league and have limited opponents to just 153.7 passing yards per game. Cornerback Darrelle Revis has emerged as a lockdown corner and will no doubt keep Jackson at bay in one-on-one coverage. Rex Ryan’s defense excels at being aggressive and taking away opponents’ best weapons so if there were any team that could limit what the Bolts’ passing attack can do, it would be Jets.

      Another thing to consider is that behind Jones and Greene, the Jets have the best running game in the league. Meanwhile, the Chargers have allowed over 110 rushing yards per game this season and could struggle containing New York’s ground attack.

      The Jets won despite of rookie Mark Sanchez – not because of him. So if they can control this game from the ground and limit how effective Rivers is in the passing game, then the Jets’ solid season will continue past this weekend.

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      NFL

      Packers’ Woodson voted AP Defensive Player of the Year

      January 12, 2010 /

      After helping the Packers reach the playoffs this season, cornerback Charles Woodson was voted the AP’s Defensive Player of the Year.

      From FOXSports.com:

      The versatile Woodson tied for the league lead with nine interceptions, returning three for touchdowns, and was a key to the Packers’ turnaround on defense. His role in Green Bay’s ranking second in overall defense, first in interceptions (30), takeaways (40) and turnover margin (plus-24) earned Woodson 28 votes Tuesday from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL.

      “It’s a great honor,” Woodson said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “I felt like I put a lot into the game, mentally and physically – your body’s always beat up – and it’s great to be recognized.”

      It’s surprising that his votes doubled that of the Jets’ Darrelle Revis, who emerged this season as a true lockdown corner. That said, Woodson had to make the transition from being a press corner in a 4-3 to a zone player in Dom Capers’ new 3-4 defense. Considering he’s 33, had to learn a new scheme and still dominated speaks to his talent.

      Talk about a player that has lived up to the hype. People forget he won a Heisman Trophy, which has often been the kiss of death for players in the NFL. But Woodson continues to be a top-notch defender and at a position, no less, that requires a player to keep up his speed, agility and burst. What Woodson has been able to accomplish in his career is impressive.


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      NFL

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