Category: NFL (Page 290 of 1282)

Captain Morgan NFL Halloween Weekend Preview

October 29, 2010 / Anthony Stalter

Make your Holiday legendary with Captain and Cola. Join the party on Facebook!

Captain Morgan and The Scores Report have teamed up to preview this Sunday’s games in the NFL and in the spirit of Halloween, here are a couple frightening matchups that players/teams face this weekend.

1. Steelers @ Saints: Drew Brees vs. Pittsburgh’s Defense
You can bet that the fans in New Orleans will be dressed up for this one, although they’re always dressed up so what’s the difference? If Brees thought the Browns abused him last week, he’s in for a real treat (trick or treat? Ah, hahahahahaha…Halloween) this Sunday night with Pittsburgh coming to town. The Steelers are second in the NFL in yards allowed and first in both run defense and points allowed. Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush look like they’re bowing out of this matchup and who could blame them? If Brees can’t move the ball through the air, he’s in for a long night.

2. Packers @ Jets: Aaron Rodgers vs. Rex Ryan’s Front Seven
Aaron Rodgers can’t be feeling too good about things these days. His offensive line is once again banged up, he doesn’t have much of a running game at his disposal, his second best receiver (Donald Driver) is also injured and he’s facing a well-rested Rex Ryan defense coming off its bye week. Oh yeah – and Darrelle Revis (hamstring) is completely healthy now, too. There’s no doubt Ryan will throw the kitchen sink at Rodgers in terms of looks and expect the Jets to send extra defenders early and often. It’s going to be a real freight fest in East Rutherford this weekend! Hahahaha – weeeeeeeeeeee!

3. Vikings @ Patriots: Favre, Vikings vs. the prospects of another loss
Brett Favre’s consecutive starts streak isn’t the only thing on the line this Sunday when the Vikings travel to Foxboro. At 2-4, Minnesota is already two games back in the win column in the NFC North and another loss will sink its postseason hopes even more. If Favre can’t go, Tarvaris Jackson will start and that means Adrian Peterson will have to shoulder the workload. Of course, even if Favre starts, Brad Childress may want to keep the ball in AP’s hands anyway. Given how well the Patriots have played at home under Bill Belichick, this isn’t the matchup the Vikings needed to get back on track. They should be spooked (spooked! Hahahahaha…Halloween) out of their minds right now.

4. Broncos vs. 49ers: London vs. the worst matchup in NFL history
Okay, I’m exaggerating – this isn’t the worst matchup in NFL history. The worst matchup in NFL history would probably be the ’08 Lions vs. the ’09 Rams. Now that’s scary (scary! Halloooooweeeeeennnn theme!). That said, the folks out in London can’t be too thrilled with this one. The 49ers and Broncos have combined for three wins this year and 11 losses and while San Fran couldn’t beat a previous winless Panthers team last Sunday, Denver is coming off a loss in which they gave up 59 points to the Raiders…at home, no less. With apologies to Frank Gore, Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree, talk about a starless game for the London crowd.

5. Jaguars @ Cowboys: David Garrard vs. Jon Kitna
Look, there’s nothing funny about this matchup. It seriously is frightening and the thought of anyone paying money to see this horror show is terrifying. Happy Halloween, Dallas!

External Sports, NFL

Aaron Rodgers Brett Favre Captain Morgan Dallas Cowboys Darrelle Revis Drew Brees Jon Kitna Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints Pierre Thomas Pittsburgh Steelers Reggie Bush Tarvaris Jackson

Love ‘Em & Leave ‘Em: Week 8

October 28, 2010 / John Paulsen

SAN DIEGO - AUGUST 21: Quarterback Jon Kitna of the Dallas Cowboys in action during the pre-season NFL football game against San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on August 21, 2010 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Every week, I will highlight a few players to start and a few players to sit at each position. I’m a firm believer in starting your studs, so I won’t suggest you bench Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson because they have tough matchups – just go ahead and keep them in your lineup. Instead, I’ll focus on the borderline guys – players you’ll only start under the right circumstances.

As usual, I’ll discuss these players within the context of my weekly positional rankings, so remember — everything is relative.

Even though Bronco fans weren’t very happy with him after last week, I’m still a (fantasy) fan of Kyle Orton (#4), who faces a 49er defense that was torched by Matt Moore, David Gettis and Brandon LaFell last week. Throw in a gimpy Knowshon Moreno and I think Orton will have a big day…With Tony Romo out for most of the rest of the season, Jon Kitna (#7) takes over the Cowboys’ dynamic offense. The defense can’t really stop anyone, so no matter how much Dallas wants to run the ball, Kitna is going to have to make some plays, and he proved he could be a good fantasy QB when he was in Detroit. Besides, the Jags have given up a league-leading 16 pass TDs this season…First game back? No worries for Matthew Stafford (#12) who looked great in preseason and had a bye week to prepare. The Redskins have had trouble stopping the pass this season…Need a sleeper/waiver wire-type guy? David Garrard (#18) should have a good game against a Cowboys defense that is reeling after getting sliced and diced by Eli Manning last week.

External Sports, Fantasy Football, NFL

Fantasy Football fantasy football strategy Love 'Em & Leave 'Em

Bills’ columnist rips into former first rounder Aaron Maybin

October 28, 2010 / Anthony Stalter

Aug. 13, 2010 - Landover, Maryland, United States of America - 13 August, 2010: Buffalo Bills Linebacker AARON MAYBIN.

Teams have a hard time giving up on a player that they selected in the first round – especially in the top-15.

But Jerry Sullivan of the Buffalo News wants to know why the Bills haven’t parted with former No. 11 overall pick Aaron Maybin if they say they’re not trying to protect their financial investment (they paid the defensive end a $15 million signing bonus after he held out in 2009). Sullivan’s main point is that the Bills have the worst defense in the league, yet Maybin isn’t even good enough to be active on game days (he was a healthy scratch last week at Baltimore).

But Sullivan goes further:

It’s quite possible that Maybin is the worst player in the NFL (though a case could be made for John McCargo, another former Bills’ first-rounder who has been inactive all six games).
The Bills gave Maybin a $15 million signing bonus after his holdout in 2009. That’s not the sort of return on investment that made capitalism great. If Maybin were some seventh-round pick — like, say, Ryan Fitzpatrick or Stevie Johnson — he’d be long gone by now.
Well, it’s become increasingly apparent that Maybin isn’t really a football player, that while he possesses the raw speed to sack Big Ten players and impress gullible NFL scouts, he lacks the athletic ability to succeed in the NFL.
So go ahead and cut him.
Really, if it’s not about protecting a big investment, admit your mistake and move on. Maybin isn’t going to wake up and start performing like Brian Orakpo or Clay Matthews, linebackers who were drafted later and immediately played at a Pro Bowl level. The Bills can’t afford to waste another summer finding out that he’s not good enough.
The guy is playing behind Antonio Coleman, an undrafted free agent who played two snaps Sunday. Maybin can’t even get in on special teams. You can’t trust him to run up and down the field in his lane on kickoffs?
Someone should explain how the Bills concluded Maybin could be an NFL star after he played 10 games at Penn State. Maybin wasn’t even on the depth chart before that season. If a defensive end named Maurice Evans hadn’t been caught with marijuana, Maybin might never have become a starter.

This is yet another example of how NFL scouts can often be fooled by prospects coming off a big year. (And defensive ends are the biggest culprits when it comes to this.) The Falcons drafted Jamaal Anderson with the No. 8 overall pick in 2007 and now use him in a rotation at end and tackle. He’s fine against the run, but he’s shown zero pass-rushing ability, which is a problem seeing as how that’s why Atlanta took him so high.

I don’t disagree with anything Sullivan said about Maybin and it makes no sense to waste another year on a guy that can’t play. The only thing I’ll say is that it usually takes three years for things to click for defensive ends and Maybin is only in his second full year. I’m not saying the light bulb will go off for him, but it still may be a little premature to dump him.

External Sports, NFL

Aaron Maybin Buffalo Bills

2010 NFL Week 8 Odds

October 28, 2010 / Anthony Stalter

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez throws during warm ups at Invesco Field at Mile High on October 17, 2010 in Denver. UPI/Gary C. Caskey Photo via Newscom

Packers (4-3) @ Jets (5-1), 1:00PM ET
Beating the Vikings last week was huge, but the Packers have a long ways to go if they want to separate themselves from Minnesota and Chicago in the NFC North. A win over a well-rested Jets team coming off its bye would be a start, but that won’t be an easy feat. After losing to the Ravens in Week 1, the Jets have rattled off five in a row and now have a healthy Darrelle Revis (hamstring) back in the fold. It could be a long day for the Packers on Sunday if their O-line can’t protect Aaron Rodgers. It’ll also be interesting to see if Mark Sanchez can continue to develop or if he’ll eventually revert back to the limited, ineffective quarterback he was last year and against Baltimore in the opener.
CURRENT ODDS: JETS –6

Titans (5-2) @ Chargers (2-5), 4:05PM ET
You get the sense that people are still waiting for the Chargers to turn things around. That they’re not as bad as their 2-5 record and their last place (yes, last place) standing in the AFC West. But there’s a very good possibility that San Diego is as bad as it’s played and if the Titans beat the Bolts on their home field, it might be all she wrote for the Chargers. On the other side, if Tennessee can get a big road win this week, then the skies the limit for this team. Vince Young is fully practicing after missing the past two games with a knee injury, so the Chargers will have to do deal with both of the Titans’ key offensive playmakers on Sunday. Oh, joy.
CURRENT ODDS: CHARGERS -3

Vikings (2-4) @ Patriots (5-1), 4:15PM ET
Brett Favre’s consecutive starts streak isn’t the only thing on the line this Sunday for the Vikings. Another loss would drop them to 2-5 and even though the Packers and Bears have their fair share of problems, Minnesota would be putting itself in quite a whole. Whether it’s Favre or Tarvaris Jackson that lines up under center, the Vikes will need a huge effort out of Adrian Peterson this week. The Patriots’ defense can be had, but not if AP doesn’t find room to run. New England needs a victory to keep pace with the red-hot Jets, who have already beaten the Pats once this year.
CURRENT ODDS: PATRIOTS –5.5

Steelers (5-1) @ Saints (4-3), 8:20PM ET
It’s amazing to think that the defending Super Bowl champs may be .500 at the end of eight weeks. But without Reggie Bush (who is expected to miss another week due to injury), the Saints might be headed for their fourth loss this season. After losing to the Browns last week, things don’t get any easier for New Orleans this Sunday, as the Steelers’ vaunted defense comes to town. The good news for Sean Payton and company is that Pittsburgh might be a little road weary after playing at Miami last week. The bad news is that outside of the Jets and Patriots, no team is hotter right now than the Steelers.
CURRENT ODDS: SAINTS -1

2010 NFL Week 8 Opening Odds:

External Sports, NFL

NFL odds