Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 630 of 1503)

      Chris Johnson is sick; T.O. is a turd

      November 15, 2009 /

      Chris Johnson rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries on Sunday, while also adding nine receptions for 100 yards to help the Titans crush the Bills, 41-17.

      Johnson turned simple screen and dump off passes into highlight reel plays and also gained 32 yards on an option pitch. Since Vince Young re-entered Tennessee’s starting lineup, Jeff Fisher’s coaching staff has done a nice job of finding creative ways to get Johnson the ball. He’s racked up 1,091 rushing yards on the season, which is tops in the NFL.

      While Johnson was doing everything to help his team win, Terrell Owens was being a distraction to his. He did catch an eye-popping three passes for 85 yards and a touchdown, but he also got into a screaming match with one of his coaches and apparently was slapping people high-fives to the crowd behind the Bills’ bench near the end of the game. What he was celebrating about and whom he was celebrating with are both unknown, although he did go to college in Tennessee so maybe he saw one of his old roommates.

      Trent Edwards misfired on several passes to T.O. throughout the game and therefore Owens must have felt that because of that, he didn’t have to pursue Tennessee defenders on two separate interceptions in the second half. One of the interceptions was T.O.’s fault too, as he let the ball slip through his stone-hands.

      ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported after the game that Owens might be trying to get cut. Hopefully the Bills keep him and make him rot in Buffalo for the rest of the season.

      NFL

      Ronnie Brown leaves on crutches after Dolphins’ win

      November 15, 2009 /

      Ronnie Brown left Land Shark Stadium on Sunday on crutches after injuring his right ankle in the Dolphins’ 25-23 win over the Buccaneers. He was unable to re-enter the game after injuring the ankle and it’s unclear at this point whether or not he’ll miss any time.

      The game itself was absolutely wild, or at least the finish was. Miami had a win all but locked up after they forced Josh Freeman to throw an incomplete pass on a 4th and 6 from the Dolphins’ 22-yard line with just over two minutes remaining. But Quincy Black intercepted Chad Henne on a 3rd and 7 (why the Dolphins were throwing in that spot I don’t know) and Tampa capitalized with a Cadillac Williams 1-yard touchdown run to give the Bucs a 23-22 lead. (And the only reason the game wasn’t tied at 23-23 is because Miami missed an extra point earlier in the game.)

      But the Dolphins then marched up the field under a 1:15 to play and capped the drive off with a Dan Carpenter 25-yard field goal to win the game.

      Not exactly how you want to finish a game, but a win is a win and Miami will certainly take it.

      NFL

      Bush has solid day as Saints edge Rams

      November 15, 2009 /

      Reggie Bush has been criticized throughout his career for not being able to run between the tackles, but nobody can argue what he can do in open space.

      In the Saints’ 28-23 win over the Rams on Sunday, Bush rushed six times for 83 yards and a touchdown, while adding two receptions for 15 yards and a score. He showed his incredible athleticism several times throughout the game, including on a 15-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter in which he launched himself into the end zone.

      Bush has taken a backseat to Drew Brees, the Saints’ bevy of receivers and even the play of the defense under new coordinator Gregg Williams. But he remains a key cog in this explosive Saints’ offense and as long as he stays healthy and continues to accept his role in a crowded Saints’ backfield, he’ll remain a perfect fit for Sean Payton’s offense.

      While the Saints improved to 9-0 on the season, they’ve suffered some injuries the past couple weeks and I think that’s why their games of been close of late. They should have destroyed a bad Rams team and instead, they allowed St. Louis to hang around until the fourth quarter.

      Hopefully key players like Darren Sharper (who didn’t play today due to an injury) and Tracy Porter (who suffered an injury during the game) won’t be out long and the Saints can continue to play perfect football.

      NFL

      Matt Ryan is officially in a sophomore slump

      November 15, 2009 /

      For anyone that has actually devoted some time watching Matt Ryan over the past month, it’s hard to argue that he doesn’t look like a completely different quarterback than he did last year – or even at the start of this season. He bails out of plays, he overthrows receivers and he looks frightened in the pocket.

      It appears that the dreaded sophomore slump has officially sacked “Matty Ice.”

      During the Falcons’ 28-19 loss to the Panthers on Sunday, Ryan looked uncomfortable for most of the first half. He threw a horrible interception just before halftime that led to a Carolina touchdown, which put Atlanta behind 21-10. Then late in the game with the Falcons needing a field goal to take the lead, he again was picked off after he forced a pass downfield to a double-covered Michael Jenkins.

      In both cases, Ryan not only made poor throws, but poor decisions – something that didn’t plague him last season.

      Of course, Ryan had nothing to do with Jason Elam missing a chip shot field goal one possession before the critical interception. Had Elam made the field goal, the Falcons would have had the opportunity to stop Carolina and eek out a much-needed division win. Instead, Elam shanked the kick like someone with money on the Panthers and put his team in an awful situation.

      Getting back to Ryan, he really has no excuse for playing as poorly as he has, because the running game has been productive (unlike earlier in the season when the passing game had to carry the Falcons). Michael Turner (nine carries, 111 yards) suffered a high ankle sprain in the first half and couldn’t return, but Jason Snelling picked up the slack in his place and Ryan just couldn’t deliver. The running game should allow Ryan to make more plays in the passing game but he just hasn’t made the throws.

      The Falcons have a great opportunity to earn a Wild Card in the NFC, but they can’t do it if Ryan continues to play as poorly as he has. He needs to rekindle the magic that helped him win the Rookie of the Year Award, or second half collapse for Atlanta is certainly possible.

      As for the Panthers, they’re starting to get back to what they did last year: Run the ball and play good defense. It also helps when Jake Delhomme isn’t trying to give games away by throwing the ball to the other team and generally being useless.

      With this win, the Panthers have gotten back into contention for the NFC Wild Card.

      Update: Turner’s injury could be serious. If he’s out for any extended length of time, the Falcons’ season could be in danger, especially considering Jerious Norwood hasn’t played in weeks due to injuries.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Broncos: Struggling team or overrated?

      November 15, 2009 /

      When a team loses to a good Ravens squad after starting the season 6-0, nobody questions it.

      When that same team drops a home game on national television to the physical Steelers, again, nobody questions it.

      But when that very same team can’t beat the hapless Redskins (whether it’s on the road or not), then it’s only fair that the “O” word starts to rear its ugly head.

      I actually don’t think the Broncos are overrated – I think they’re just sputtering. Had Kyle Orton not suffered an ankle injury right before half, there’s a good chance he and Brandon Marshall (who had an excellent game while catching five passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns) would have continued to torch Washington’s secondary on their way to a victory. Instead, the highly incapable Chris Simms came in and was incredibly inaccurate while missing open receivers and lacking composure in the pocket.

      Denver also had to travel cross-country, which is tough for any team, nevertheless one that played on Monday night. The Broncos were worn out from their loss to the Steelers and it showed today.

      That said, I don’t want to completely make excuses for this Broncos team because they were playing the Redskins – a team that gave up weeks ago. Their defense gave up 27 points to a Sherman Lewis-led offense, which is ridiculous – I don’t care if they played on Friday night and had to travel Washington from China. They also allowed Hunter freaking Smith to throw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Mike freaking Sellers on a fake freaking field goal, which is ludicrous.

      The bottom line is that Josh McDaniels and his coaching staff have their backs up against the wall and they need to figure out how to fight out of the situation. Teams have obviously figured out what the blueprint is to beat the Broncos and now it’s time for the rookie head coach to adjust. They’re still in a great position at 6-3, but the Chargers are breathing down their necks so a sense of urgency is a must.

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