Caught this commercial the other night during the Miami-Florida State game and got a good laugh:
Of course, nothing beats the one guy’s scream in this other commercial Polamalu did for Coke:
Caught this commercial the other night during the Miami-Florida State game and got a good laugh:
Of course, nothing beats the one guy’s scream in this other commercial Polamalu did for Coke:
The highly anticipated first game of the NFL season is tonight at 7:30 p.m. as the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers host the Titans at Heinz Field. Here are five things to watch as the 2009 NFL season kicks off with this opening matchup.
1. The Steeler offensive line.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger admitted that Pittsburgh became a Super Bowl contender last year when the offensive line gelled late in the season. What was supposed to be an Achilles heel for the Steelers actually turned out to be the thing that lifted them to a Super Bowl title. Now Pittsburgh has one of the more cohesive offensive lines in the league and while no one player stands out, the entire unit works well together and it’ll be interesting to see if they pick up tonight where they left off last February in Tampa.
2. How will the Titans fare without Albert Haynesworth?
Haynesworth was the key cog in Tennessee’s defense the past couple years while commanding double teams and freeing up those around him to make plays. In steps Tony Brown, a player coming off a great ’09 season and one that must fill the massive shoes left by Haynesworth. Brown is more than capable as an interior pass-rusher, but he probably won’t command double-teams like Haynesworth did. How will his linemates Jevon Kearse, Kyle Vanden Bosch and Jason Jones fare now that they might not see one-on-one matchups like they did when Haynesworth was playing next to them?
3. Do the Titans still lack offensive playmakers?
Running back Chris Johnson burst on the scene last year as a rookie, averaging 4.9 yards a carry and totaling 10 touchdowns (9 on the ground, 1 through the air). But it was clear in Tennessee’s loss to Baltimore in the AFC Divisional Round that the Titans lacked offensive playmakers. So they signed former Steeler Nate Washington and drafted Kenny Britt in the first round to give their receiving corps a boost. Will it be enough? We won’t find out about Washington tonight as he continues to battle an injured hamstring, but Britt practiced with the starting offense all week and will get an opportunity to play. Although he lacks elite speed, Britt was a monster after the catch while playing at Rutgers and could give quarterback Kerry Collins a nice weapon tonight in the passing game.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Broncos have opened discussions with receiver Brandon Marshall about a contract extension.
The potential new deal would put Marshall’s salary more in line with some of the game’s other highly paid receivers.
Due to the fact he has been unable to get a long-term deal, Marshall has been clinging to the hopes that Denver would deal him. But now, in a new approach, the deal Denver might make is not for Marshall, but rather with Marshall.
The fact that they are even talking is an encouraging sign, sources said, and there is some optimism that a deal could be struck that could keep Marshall in Denver long term.
It’s a little odd that the Broncos would open contract extension talks with Marshall right after suspending him for insubordination. One would have thought that they would have waited until the season started to see if Marshall continued his good behavior before talking about possibly paying him like Larry Fitzgerald.
But this is a good sign that the Broncos and Marshall will eventually get something done. Denver can’t afford to lose another prime offensive talent and once Marshall gets paid, he has nothing to complain about. (Until he demands a trade to a contender, of course.)
Boy, this has worked out about as well as Marshall owners could have hoped (so far). Marshall still has a few hurdles to overcome, but his attitude has reportedly been great, so he is in line to play a significant role in Week 1. I think he’s a safe start against a very suspect Bengals team. He’s still somewhat of a risky player to have on your roster, but this is a huge turnaround from where his stock was headed 7-10 days ago.
Derek Jeter tied Lou Gehrig for the Yankees’ hit record with a single in the seventh inning of New York’s 4-2 victory over the Rays on Wednesday night.
“You look at all the great players that have played in this organization throughout the years,” Jeter said. “To say that you have more hits than them or at least tied for the most hits in the history of the organization is definitely hard to believe. It means a lot.”
The way in which it happened was typical Jeter. Swinging at an outside pitch, the first he saw in a seventh-inning at-bat against the Rays on Wednesday, Jeter laced Jeff Niemann’s offering down the first-base line past a diving Chris Richard.
Then he stood on the bag and doffed his helmet twice, as the Rays climbed to the top step of the visiting dugout and 45,848 fans roared their approval of Jeter’s 2,721st career hit.
“It’s mind-boggling,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “You think about what Derek has done his whole career, how great he has been for such a long time and what he has meant to the organization, and you put his name next to Lou Gehrig. It’s amazing.”
Even if you hate the Yankees, you have to appreciate what Jeter has accomplished in his career, especially while playing in the steroid era. His better days are definitely behind him (most notably on defense), but he continues to go out every night and play like it’s his last game.
Jeter is one of the finest baseball players ever to play the game and a true role model for how hard work and determination pays off. He also respects former players and takes pride in joining them in the record books.
Check out all of our 2009 NFL team previews.
Offseason Additions: Derrick Burgess (DE/OLB); Leigh Bodden (CB); Chris Baker (TE); Joey Galloway (WR); Fred Taylor (RB); Paris Lenon (LB); Tully Banta-Cain (LB).
Offseason Losses: Richard Seymour (DE); Matt Cassel (QB); Rodney Harrison (S); Heath Evans (FB); Jabar Gaffney (WR); LaMont Jordan (RB); Deltha O’Neal (CB); Lewis Sanders (CB).
Player to Watch: Tom Brady, QB.
After missing virtually all of last year following a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 of the season, Brady is completely healthy again and ready to pick up where he left off in 2007 when he led the Patriots to an undefeated regular season. In preseason, Brady looked like the same quarterback that gives coordinators and defensive backs nightmares, routinely hooking up with receiver Randy Moss and showing no ill effects of the injury. By all accounts, it seems like nothing has changed and considering Brady will be protected by the best offensive line in football, New England is once again a Super Bowl favorite.
Team Strength: Thanks to Brady, receivers Moss and Wes Welker, and the best pass-protecting offensive line in football, the Pats’ passing game will once again be lethal. Will it be as explosive as it was in 2007 now that Brady is playing on a repaired knee and former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is now in Denver? It’s definitely a possibility. Brady is completely healthy and even though Moss is another year older, he still commands double teams and that allows Welker to get underneath coverages and burn defenses once he gets into open space. Plus, losing McDaniels isn’t as crippling as one would think because Bill Belichick does such a great job of grooming his assistants that when one moves on, another one takes his place without missing a beat. New England might not average 37 points a game like it did in ’07, but Brady and company will be feared again.
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