Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 674 of 1503)

      Polamalu back, but Steelers lose Smith for season

      October 14, 2009 /

      Head coach Mike Tomlin feels confident that Troy Polamalu will return to action this Sunday for the first time since suffering a knee injury in Week 1.

      That’s the good news. The bad news is that defensive end Aaron Smith has been placed on injured reserve due to a shoulder injury and his season is now over. Look for Travis Kirschke to take over Smith’s defensive end spot, although first round pick Ziggy Hood will get snaps there as well.

      This is the type of injury that tests a team’s ability to find depth in the offseason and given that Pittsburgh always drafts well, they should be fine. But Smith’s injury is a major blow to the Steelers’ vaunted run defense, one that has stifled opponents over the years. Kirschke and Hood (and maybe even Nick Eason) need to step up and fill the void or the Smith’s end position will become a weakness opponents can take advantage of.

      That said, getting Polamalu back is massive. The Steelers are great without Polamalu, but with him they are exceptional because he freelances so well. Quarterbacks have to know where he is at all times and even then, he still finds a way to make plays.

      After sitting out the past four weeks, Polamalu should be hyped up to play on Sunday against Cleveland.

      NFL

      Billy Wagner plans to retire

      October 14, 2009 /

      Billy Wagner told the New York Post that he plans to retire in the offseason.

      “I don’t plan on talking to nobody,” Wagner said, when asked where he might pitch next season.
      Does that mean retirement?

      “Why wouldn’t I?” he said. “I’ve got nothing else to [accomplish].”

      That’s a different picture than Wagner painted before leaving the Mets for the Red Sox in August as part of a waiver deal. The 38-year-old lefty, who returned from an 11-month hiatus after undergoing Tommy John surgery, had said his plan for next year was to pursue a closer’s job near his Virginia home — perhaps Washington, Baltimore or Cincinnati — and make a run at the 15 saves he needs to reach 400 for his career.

      The Red Sox have agreed not to pick up Wagner’s $8.8 million option for next year, allowing him to become a free agent and pursue his goal.

      But yesterday, Wagner indicated the saves milestone is not relevant to his decision.

      “That’s just dust in the wind,” he said.

      In the end, the 400-save mark is just a number. But for a closer, it’s a pretty big number and I can’t imagine Wagner not wanting to pursue the 15 saves he needs in order to notch No. 400.

      As long as he’s healthy, I wouldn’t be surprised if he changed his mind and wound up with a non-contender so he could be a closer. But we’ll see.

      MLB

      2009 NFL Power Rankings: Week 6

      October 13, 2009 /

      Here’s how I view things 1-32 after five weeks of NFL action:

      1. New York Giants (5-0)
      The G-Men didn’t suffer a letdown against the Raiders last weekend and Eli Manning didn’t appear to be slowed by his foot injury. The Giants will now get their biggest test of the year this week: A road trip to New Orleans.

      2. Indianapolis Colts (5-0)
      The Colts carved up opponents in the first five weeks of the season and now have the bye week to rest up before making a run at the top seed in the AFC.

      3. New Orleans Saints (4-0)
      A win over the Giants this Sunday will prove that the Saints are the best team in the NFC. Drew Brees and company is well rested, but the Giants have one of the best defenses in the league and will challenge New Orleans from start to finish.

      4. Minnesota Vikings (5-0)
      Everything is working out swimmingly right now for the Vikings. Opponents are still stacking the box in efforts to stop Adrian Peterson and Brett Favre is beating teams with his accuracy through the air. The Vikes’ defense has played great thus far, but the Ravens will test them this Sunday.

      5. Denver Broncos (5-0)
      After earning a fluke win against the Bengals in Week 1 and notching two gimmies against the Browns and Raiders in Weeks 2 and 3, respectively, the Broncos showed their meddle in wins over the Cowboys and Patriots. This team is legit.

      6. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1)
      The Eagles may possibly have the easiest first half schedule of anyone in the NFL. With wins over the Panthers, Chiefs and Bucs already in the books, the Eagles will take on the Raiders and Redskins in the next two weeks. They better notch two more victories because after they play Washington in Week 7, Philly faces a daunting second half schedule that features the Giants (twice), Bears, Falcons, Chargers, 49ers, Cowboys (twice) and Broncos.

      7. Cincinnati Bengals (4-1)
      The Bengals have beaten playoff-caliber teams virtually every week and the amazing thing is that they should be undefeated right now had they not allowed a fluke TD to the Broncos in Week 1. And much like Denver, this Cincy team is for realsies.

      8. Atlanta Falcons (3-1)
      The Falcons absolutely destroyed a good 49ers team last week and it all started up front with the offensive line. Atlanta’s front five gave Matt Ryan excellent protection so he could carve up San Fran’s defense and also gave Michael Turner ample running room. The Falcons have a tough stretch of games coming up, but if Mike Smith’s team continues to play as well as it did last week, then Atlanta will hold strong.

      9. Chicago Bears (3-1)
      The Bears return to the scene of their most heart-breaking loss of the 2008 season this week when they travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons. Think Lovie Smith’s defense will cover the out route this time if Matt Ryan needs a big completion along the sidelines with the game on the line? Jay Cutler won in Atlanta last year as a member of the Broncos and his current team is well rested after having their bye last week. Chicago will be well prepared.

      10. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)
      Troy Polamalu and Willie Parker are set to return for the Steelers this week, although defensive end Aaron Smith could miss the next three months after he has surgery to fix a torn rotator cuff. While Smith’s loss will be felt, getting Polamalu back is huge.

      Continue reading »

      NFL

      Yankees to use three-man rotation in ALCS?

      October 13, 2009 /

      According to a report by The Journal News, Yankees manager Joe Girardi is considering using a three-man pitching rotation against the Angels in the ALCS.

      Girardi pointed to the lighter workload that CC Sabathia faced in September, as well as the longer layoff he’s getting now since the Yankees swept the first round. Girardi said that the team would like to have plan in place for the rotation going into the series, as opposed to just waiting to see where the team stands when Game 4 rolls around. Remember, too, that because of off-days Sabathia could pitch Games 1, 4 and 7 and only have to pitch on short rest once instead of twice.

      It’s not a bad strategy, although if the Yankees and Angels push it to a Game 7 that means Sabathia won’t start Game 1 of the World Series if New York wins. That said, it’s Girardi’s mission to get the Yankees to the World Series and then worry about how to game plan for the Fall Classic when the time comes. So if he feels as though a three-man rotation is the best strategy against the Halos, then he should go with it.

      If the Yankees are forced to use a fourth pitcher, than it will likely be Chad Gaudin and not Joba Chamberlain, who will remain in the bullpen.

      MLB

      Does Snyder want Gruden to coach Redskins?

      October 13, 2009 /

      According to a report by the Washington Examiner, Redskins owner Daniel Snyder wants Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden to be his next head coach.

      Sources close to Snyder say he began considering options to replace coach Jim Zorn after losing to Detroit on Sept. 27; a victory that ended the Lions’ 19-game losing streak. The Redskins loss to Carolina on Sunday was its second in three games to a winless team. It followed a turbulent week when Snyder hired an “offensive consultant” to give Zorn another “fresh set of eyes” on a beleaguered offense.

      Snyder has not contacted Gruden, say sources, but he believes the former Oakland-Tampa Bay coach might be the best fit among five Super Bowl winning coaches without jobs. Gruden currently is a Monday Night Football commentator who arrives in Washington for the Redskins-Philadelphia Eagles game on Oct. 26. Snyder and Gruden could meet during routine pregame research for the MNF program.

      On the surface, this seems like a great fit. Gruden felt as though the Glazer family didn’t try to compete in Tampa, namely because they didn’t spend. The Buccaneers finished $45 million under the cap last year, which was Gruden’s final season in Tampa.

      With Snyder’s free-spending ways and the NFL approaching an uncapped season in 2010, Gruden could construct the roster he wants right from the start. The key would be whether or not he could get the Redskins to play as a cohesive team, which is something Jim Zorn has struggled with.

      This will be an interesting storyline to follow this season. That said, don’t be surprised if Snyder goes after some of the other big name head coaches that will be available in the offseason, including Bill Cowher and Mike Shanahan.

      NFL

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