Category: NFL (Page 1002 of 1282)

      Couch Potato Alert: 8/15

      August 15, 2008 /

      – I do not know if you heard but Brett Favre has un-retired. And he will be playing this season in New York for the Jets. Sorry ESPN, his first game back will be on the NFL Network on Saturday at 8 p.m. EST. Maybe Rachel Nichols can give updates from the sidelines on Favre’s progress in grasping the Jets offense for ESPN News.

      – The men’s 100-meter finals in track & field take place on Saturday evening. It could be the most competitive event at the Olympics, as all of the contenders have beaten one another in the past. Asafa Powell of Jamaica was defeated by USA’s Tyson Gay at the World Championships so badly that he disappeared from the scene. His countryman, Usain Bolt, returned the favor by beating Gay this past May. All three will run in Beijing, and it might just be the best 10 seconds of the Olympiad.

      – Michael Phelps is on target to break Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals at one Olympic competition. The 100-meter butterfly is this evening, with the 4 x 100 medley relay wrapping up the swimming competition (and Phelps’ quest) on Saturday night.

      – The top matchup in baseball this weekend could be a possible playoff preview between the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. Both teams made significant additions to improve their chances of playing into October, so this should be a good series.

      Couch Potato Alert, General Sports, MLB, NFL, Swimming, Television, The Olympics

      Once a limitation, Saints can now count on linebackers

      August 15, 2008 /

      In the weeks leading up to the kickoff the 2008 NFL Season, I’ll take a look at position groups that could potentially lift teams to new heights, or bury them and their postseason hopes. Today I take a look at how the New Orleans Saints can now consider their linebacker corps a strength.

      It would be a mistake to say that the New Orleans Saints’ linebacker corps has been a weakness over the past two years. A “limitation” might be a more appropriate description.

      The trio of Scott Shanle, Scott Fujita and Mark Simoneau wasn’t the flashiest linebacker corps in the league, but they certainly got the job done in 2006 when the Saints fell one win shy of reaching the Super Bowl. And given his 95 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles from a year ago, Fujita is arguably one of the more underrated outside linebackers in the league.

      Still, the Saints have lacked bulk and overall athleticism in their linebacker corps, so this past offseason they parted with a 2008 fourth round pick and a 2009 conditional pick to acquire former Jets’ MLB Jonathan Vilma. They also retained Simoneau to help on special teams and provide depth behind all three linebacker positions.

      Although he underwent season-ending surgery on his right knee last year, Vilma was out of place in Eric Mangini’s 3-4 defensive scheme in New York. Vilma will return to a 4-3 front, where he once amassed 173 total tackles and a sack as the Jets’ middle linebacker in 2005. If he stays healthy, Vilma might turn out to be the best bargain of the 2008 offseason.

      Fujita and Shanle will likely be the opening day starters at outside linebacker and with the addition of Vilma, they now have a strong, experienced and athletic trio in the middle of their defense. If first round pick Sedrick Ellis and veteran Brian Young can keep defenders off Vilma, he’ll be a force against the run and the Saints will have one of the better front sevens in the NFC. Not too mention Fujita, Ellis, Will Smith and Charles Grant (assuming the league doesn’t suspend him for legal issues) can all provide a heavy pass rush.

      Questions will remain about Vilma’s health until he proves otherwise and the secondary will need Randall Gay (free agent/Patriots) to step up to complement Mike McKenzie in coverage, but there’s no doubt the Saints’ defense has been vastly upgraded. And that’s a scary thought for the NFC considering the real strength for New Orleans is its dangerous offense.

      NFL

      Chris Perry to be Bengals’ starting running back?

      August 15, 2008 /

      Rotoworld.com is reporting that Chris Perry is now running with the Bengals’ first team offense.

      Chris Perry ran as the Bengals’ No. 1 tailback at Thursday’s practice.
      Coach Marvin Lewis said that Perry was playing for a starting spot before adding, “Everybody is gunning for a starting spot.” However, coaches don’t namecheck like that without purpose. Only Lewis knows if he was speaking the truth or just trying to motivate, but these developments support two notions we’ve thought about the Bengals: Some form of committee is likely and the team may prefer Perry’s upside over Kenny Watson’s dependability.

      Somebody send up a warning flair to Rudi Johnson because he needs one. Johnson has been out with a hamstring injury since early August, but he was in trouble even more the bum hammy. He didn’t seem to run with much purpose last year and his stock (both real and fantasy) seems to be plummeting.

      Fantasy Football, NFL, Rumors & Gossip

      Vikings’ offensive line takes hit, loses Bryant McKinnie suspended four games

      August 14, 2008 /

      According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota Vikings’ offensive tackle Bryant “Mount” McKinnie will be suspended four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

      “I don’t know about that,” McKinnie said as he walked off the practice field. McKinnie is subject to possible disciplinary action by the NFL as a repeat offender of the league’s conduct policy. He met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in early June.

      McKinnie’s latest off-the-field incident occured in February when he got into a brawl outside a Miami nightclub. He faces four charges from that incident, including one felony. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His next court date is scheduled for Sept. 24 in Miami-Dade County Court.

      As Rotoworld.com points out, the Vikings will face defensive ends Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (Packers), Dwight Freeney (Colts), Julius Peppers (Panthers) and Kyle Vanden Bosch (Titans) during McKinnie’s suspension. Tavaris Jackson is about to lose a lot of sleep.

      What a significant blow to a team that has high expecations this season.

      Update: Hold that thought. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello called the report premature. Stay tuned.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Patriots’ secondary looks less than super on paper

      August 14, 2008 /

      In the weeks leading up to the kickoff the 2008 NFL Season, I’ll take a look at position groups that could potentially lift teams to new heights, or bury them and their postseason hopes. Thursday I take a look at the New England Patriots and their potential issues in the secondary.

      It would be naïve to think that the New England Patriots won’t contend for another AFC East crown, the postseason or a Super Bowl appearance. They’re still the franchise all other teams gun for and certainly should be the favorites to win Super Bowl XLII.

      But has anyone taken a look at the Pats’ secondary this year?

      When cornerback Asante Samuel signed a multi-million dollar deal with the Eagles in the offseason, there was virtually no panic in New England. And why should there have been? Bill Belichick’s defensive scheme allows any player – first rounder or street free agent – to be plugged into the starting lineup and succeed. The system is set up to win as a team, instead of relying on a couple of individual players to dominate. And as the results have shown over the years, the system works.

      But the Patriots haven’t had a good start to 2008. Not only is the former Pro Bowler Samuel in Philly, but projected starters Rodney Harrison and James Sanders have also missed significant camp time this summer. The team recently signed former Buc and Bronco veteran John Lynch to help fix the leak at safety. Granted Lynch is a tremendous leader who brings loads of experience to the field, but due to his limitations in coverage he puts a lot of pressure on either Sanders or second year player Brandon Merriweather to cover more ground from the free safety position.

      The news isn’t entirely bleak for the Pats’ secondary. Several publications have noted how comfortable Merriweather looks in his second year and corner Ellis Hobbs is vastly underrated (although he was abused by Plaxico Burress in the Super Bowl and is also coming off two early-offseason surgeries). But who will play opposite Hobbs? Veteran Jason Webster is on his last legs and Fernando Bryant is arguably best suited to play nickel at this point in his career. Maybe they’ll find a gem in rookies Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite, but regardless, there’s a ton of uncertainty in the Pats secondary at this point in preseason.

      Tom Brady is back. Randy Moss is back. Bill Belichick is back. Make no mistake – the Patriots are once again the team to beat in the NFL. But just like Brady and the offensive line were exposed by the Giants in last January’s Super Bowl, watch for opposing teams to try and attack New England’s secondary in 2008. And if injuries continue to mount in the defensive backfield, we could be looking at a very vulnerable Patriots’ defense this season.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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