Category: External Sports (Page 388 of 821)

      Fantasy Fallout, Week 13: Where several big names come up small

      December 6, 2010 /
      LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 31: Kyle Orton of Denver Broncos gives instructions during the NFL International Series match between Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers at Wembley Stadium on October 31, 2010 in London, England. This is the fourth occasion where a regular season NFL match has been played in London. (Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)

      I suspect that Week 13 will go down as one of the most frustrating weeks of the season. Not only did several so-called studs put up goat-like numbers, but many leagues were in the final week of their regular seasons so there were more than a few owners in must-win situations. Let’s hope that they didn’t have one (or more) of the guys on this list:

      Dwayne Bowe (0-0)
      78 points. That was the total of the first matchup between these two teams and, on Sunday, they combined for a measly 16 points. The biggest goat of the game was Bowe, who somehow failed to register a catch against one of the worst pass defenses in the league after posting an average of 7.0-105-1.9 over his last seven games. That is a mind-boggling drop in production for a guy who was the top fantasy wideout over the last two months.

      Brandon Lloyd (2-31)
      Kyle Orton (117 yards, 0 TD)
      Last time he faced the Chiefs, Lloyd caught six passes for 90 yards and two TDs. In his last four games he racked up 413 yards and six TDs. Lloyd reminded the fantasy community why he was one of the most frustrating fantasy players of the mid-00s. Meanwhile, Orton looked dreadful, missing on 19 of his 28 pass attempts and failing to find the endzone. Thanks for that, Kyle.

      Chris Johnson (67 total yards, 0 TD)
      Over the first 10 weeks, Johnson averaged 107 total yards and 0.9 TDs. We wrote off last week’s miserable outing against the Texans due to the Titans’ problems at QB, but with Kerry Collins back under center, Johnson would get back to normal, right? WRONG. Chris Johnson looked more like Larry Johnson circa 2009. This was not what owners were expecting when they drafted him #1 overall this summer.

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      External Sports, Fantasy Football, NFL

      I’m Just Saying: How bad could Matt Leinart have really been?

      December 5, 2010 /
      Arizona Cardinals starting quarterback Derek Anderson leaves the field after the Cards game with the St. Louis Rams at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ December 5,2010. Anderson was replaced in the second half as the Rams defeated the Cards 19-6. UPI/Art Foxall Photo via Newscom

      I’m starting a new column and I’m calling it “I’m Just Saying.” Peter King has a column (Monday Morning Quarterback), so it only makes sense that a well-respected sports blogger like myself has a column as well.

      What? I’m not well-respected? Who the hell is Anthony Stalter? Peter King is more established?

      What-ev.

      – Let’s hold off on the Giants-look-like-Super-Bowl-contenders-again talk after they beat a crap Redskins team. After their effort against the Eagles and Giants over the past few weeks, I’m fully convinced that Oregon could beat the Redskins on a neutral field.

      – Hey Josh Freeman, I’d stay away from Brent Grimes the next time Atlanta comes to down. Dude is small but he’s often the most athletic player on the field.

      – Lion fans are pissed about the unnecessary roughness penalty on Ndamukong Suh for the forearm shiver that he delivered to Jay Cutler’s back, but riddle me this, Batman: Was the play avoidable? Could Suh have chosen not to go GSP on Cutler and still gotten him down? What I’m asking is: Was it necessary roughness?

      – I’m pretty sure I could think of two reasons not to start Brett Favre for every one reason that Leslie Fraizer comes up with. Let’s start with these: His touchdown to interception ratio this year is 10:17 and even after his effort on Sunday, one could make an argument that Ryan Fitzpatrick is better at this point in his career. That’s right – Ryan Fitzpatrick. So why not Tarvaris Jackson, Leslie?

      – Is there any reason Marion Barber should get carries for the Cowboys with how good Felix Jones and Tashard Choice looked against the Colts? Sorry, is there any good reason I mean to write.

      – You’re lucky the Colts wound up scoring anyway, Eric Foster.

      – Hey Peyton: blue shirts, white helmets, my man.

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      External Sports, NFL

      What in the name of Archie and Eli is going on with Peyton Manning?

      December 5, 2010 /
      INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 28: Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts walks off of the field after throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown during the NFL game against the San Diego Chargers at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 28, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Chargers won 36-14.(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

      Why, how, and why again? How did this happen? How did Peyton Manning turn into a combination of Jake Delhomme and well, Peyton Manning?

      How does a quarterback complete 36-of-48 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns, while also throwing four interceptions (two of which were returned for touchdowns) in the same game? What happened?

      Manning now has 11 interceptions in his last three games, four of which have been pick-sixes. After the Cowboys shocked the Colts 38-35 in overtime on Sunday, Indianapolis is now 6-6 on the year and one game behind Jacksonville in the AFC South.

      There no doubt will be plenty of theories on why Manning has struggled recently, but at this point you can’t pin it on one thing. First and foremost, the Colts can’t run the ball. Manning led the Colts to the Super Bowl last year without a running game, but he also had a healthy Joseph Addai available when he did need a couple of yards to keep defenses guessing. But Addai has been sidelined for over a month now and his absence is obviously having an affect on Peyton’s game. There’s just no denying it.

      His offensive line doesn’t appear to be giving him the same protection as they did earlier in the year and throughout his entire career. He’s being pressured well before he wants to deliver the ball, which is in part to blame for all the interceptions he’s thrown.

      Injuries have also been an issue. While Jacob Tamme has been a great replacement for Dallas Clark, you can’t replace years of cohesion and continuity in a month. It also hasn’t helped Peyton that Austin Collie has been in and out of the lineup, or that Pierre Garcon has had some costly drops throughout the year.

      But you know what? Philip Rivers is doing more with less. Hell, even Sam Bradford is doing more with less. All of the things mentioned above factor into how poorly Manning has played the past three weeks, but the bottom line is that Peyton just hasn’t gotten the job done. Many of his throws have been off the mark and there’s just no excuse to throw 11 interceptions in three games. None.

      Maybe he’s trying to do too much and this is the result. Who knows. Either way, we’re going to find out a lot about Manning and the Colts because they have four games to erase a one-game deficit in the AFC South and avoid missing the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons.

      External Sports, NFL

      Jaguars are now seizing control of the AFC South

      December 5, 2010 /
      EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - NOVEMBER 28: David Garrard of the Jacksonville Jaguars passes the ball against the New York Giants during the second Quarter of their game on November 28, 2010 at The New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

      Okay, so “seizing control” is a bit much. But following their easy 17-6 win over the Titans on Sunday, coupled with the Colts’ mind-blowing 38-35 loss to the Cowboys, the Jags have sole possession of first place in the division.

      It would appear that Jacksonville is winning via smoke and mirrors, but that would be unfair. Their young defensive tackles Terrance Knighton and Tyson Alualu (remember him, draft experts?) are playing outstanding football, while the combination of Maurice Jones-Drew and Rashad Jennings is working offensively. They’re wearing opponents like the Titans down in the second half and David Garrard (although not great by any stretch of the imagination) is making plays when he has to.

      Their schedule down the stretch is also very winnable. They host the Raiders next Sunday before traveling to Indy the following week for their big matchup with the Colts. Then they host the Redskins and travel to Houston to play a highly inconsistent Texans team. The Jags could easily go 3-1 over the final month of the season.

      It’s amazing to think that the same Jacksonville team that looked some hopeless and lost on Monday Night Football against Tennessee earlier this season is on path to make the playoffs. Staggering.

      External Sports, NFL

      Suh only has self to blame for penalty against Cutler, Bears

      December 5, 2010 /
      DETROIT - AUGUST 28: Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions looks on prior to playing the Cleveland Browns in a preseason game on August 28, 2010 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

      Some Lions fans are missing the point regarding Ndamukong Suh’s unnecessary roughness penalty in the fourth quarter of the Bears’ 24-20 win over the Lions on Sunday.

      Regardless of whether or not he hit Jay Cutler in the head or did something to deserve the penalty doesn’t really matter. What matters is that there were other ways to bring Cutler down besides breaking out a forearm shiver and Suh decided to go MMA anyway.

      For those that missed the play, the Bears were down 20-17 midway through the fourth quarter and driving inside the red zone. Cutler scrambled for an 8-yard gain and as he was falling to the ground, Suh drove his forearm into Cutler’s back and may have grazed his head. (I say “may have” because it depends on who you root for. It’s either clear that Suh hit Cutler in the head or it’s clear that he just hit Cutler’s upper back. Ah, fans.)

      Suh was flagged 15 yards for unnecessary roughness on the play, which gave the Bears a first-and-goal at Detroit’s 7-yard line. They scored on the next play and eventually went on to win, 24-20.

      Following the game, Suh said: “I was just going out there to make a play, get the ball out. We were in a tight situation in the red zone. We have to stop them some way from getting a touchdown. Obviously he broke a tackle. I had a great angle to make a play and get the ball out, and that’s what I went after.”

      Okay, but there are other ways to try and knock the ball out – ways that won’t draw a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty. He could have grabbed Cutler with one arm and tried to strip the ball with his free hand. He could have given Cutler a bear hug (no pun intended) and tried to punch the ball out that way. He could have read Cutler his favorite bedtime story and hoped that the quarterback let go of the ball while falling asleep.

      All good options (well, that last one is debatable), none of which involves throwing a forearm to, or around the back of Cutler’s head.

      Lion fans feel they have a gripe and maybe they do. But the bottom line is that the play was completely avoidable on Suh’s part.

      External Sports, NFL

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