Category: NFL (Page 301 of 1282)

      So much for Jimmy Clausen being “NFL ready”

      October 18, 2010 /
      NEW ORLEANS - OCTOBER 03: Jimmy Clausen of the Carolina Panthers throws the ball against the New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome on October 3, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints defeated the Panthers 16-14. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

      Rookie quarterbacks struggle in the NFL – it’s part of the game. But it says something when a rookie is benched for another signal caller who compiled a 41.8 passer rating in his first two starts of the season and who has generally looked awful himself.

      The Panthers announced Monday that they’ll start Matt Moore over rookie Jimmy Clausen this Sunday against the 49ers. It’s a move that indicates that John Fox and his coaching staff don’t believe that Clausen is ready to lead a bad team with very little around him (the Panthers are awfully thin at receiver).

      The unfortunate part here is that Clausen was regarded as the most “NFL-ready” quarterback prospect in April because he played under Charlie Weis at Notre Dame. Now, this doesn’t mean that he’s destined to fail in the NFL and keep in mind that the Panthers became the first NFL team since 1999 to start a rookie quarterback and two rookie receivers when Clausen, Brandon LaFell and David Gettis all started in Week 5 against the Bears.

      But it is concerning how unprepared Clausen was in his first taste of NFL action. He failed to move the offense, he never got into rhythm and he displayed little to no accuracy. It’s not fair to compare all rookie quarterbacks because no two situations are similar, but Sam Bradford appears to be light years ahead of Clausen and he didn’t play in a pro style offense at Oklahoma. (He’s also working with a limited receiver corps in St. Louis.) Granted, he was also the top pick in the draft, but Clausen hasn’t shown anything yet to make you believe he can be a starting quarterback.

      That said, it’s still early and it’s not like he has the best coaching staff around him in Carolina. This wouldn’t be the first time that Fox mismanaged his quarterback situation and it stands to reason that Clausen just needs a couple of more starts under his belt to figure things out. But seeing as how he won’t get them unless Moore is a disaster again (which could happen), he’ll have to hone his craft in practice.

      The Jimmy Clausen era isn’t over with in Carolina, but it isn’t off to a great start either.

      External Sports, NFL

      Junior Seau arrested for domestic violence, then drives his SUV off a cliff

      October 18, 2010 /
      New England Patriots linebacker Junior Seau waits for a game against the Oakland Raiders to begin at the Coliseum in Oakland, California on December 14, 2008. The Patriots defeated the Raiders 49-26. (UPI Photo/Terry Schmitt) Photo via Newscom Photo via Newscom

      You’re not being punk’d – from TMZ:

      Junior Seau drove his SUV off a cliff in Carlsbad, CA this morning — and survived — this according to law enforcement.

      We’re told the retired NFL superstar sustained injuries in the wreck — cops are on scene. TMZ obtained this photo of Seau’s SUV which landed at the bottom of a cliff several feet from the beach.

      Seau has been transported to a local hospital. The accident happened just north of Oceanside, CA … where the former San Diego Charger had just been released from jail hours earlier.

      As TMZ first reported, Seau was arrested early this morning for domestic violence.

      According to TMZ’s report, Seau was arrested in San Diego early this morning on suspicion of domestic violence and booked into the Vista Detention Facility around 2:00AM.

      The story is still ongoing and it’s important not to jump to any conclusions without more facts. But what a weird report…

      More to come.

      External Sports, NFL

      Deion Sanders not happy with ranking in NFL Network’s Top 100

      October 18, 2010 /
      TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 29: NFL commentator Deion Sanders speaks during a broadcast at the Tampa Convention Center on January 29, 2009 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

      The network has him ranked #34 all time, and he’s upset about it.

      Deion is going to be partial to defense (and himself), but he brings up an interesting point that there’s a huge disparity between the number of offensive players that were selected compared to the number of defensive players. But is that surprising? Offensive players put up gaudy stats while you usually can’t fully appreciate how good a defender is unless you watch film. Nnamdi Asomugha’s interception totals are always low, but he’s widely regarded as the best corner in the league because quarterbacks don’t dare throw his way.

      That said, Sanders was the greatest cover corner to have played the game and maybe he does have right to complain about his No. 34 ranking. As he alludes to, quarterbacks used to stay away from his side of the field and he still found ways to make plays. He was also a highlight reel waiting to happen on special teams and even though he’s often criticized for not tackling, that doesn’t take away from how outstanding he was in coverage.

      Does he have a beef? Should he be in the top 10 or is his ranking justified?

      External Sports, Fantasy Football, Humor, NFL, Video

      Should the Eagles trade either Michael Vick or Kevin Kolb?

      October 18, 2010 /
      JACKSONVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 26: Quarterbacks Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles talk on the sidelines during a time-out against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on September 26, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Eagles defeated the Jaguars 28-3. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)

      Short answer: No.

      Long answer…

      The Eagles currently have a luxury that most teams wish they had: They have two quarterbacks whom in the first six weeks have proven that they can start in the NFL. And play well.

      Kevin Kolb didn’t prove that until last week when he completed 21-of-31 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown in a 27-24 win over the 49ers. He cemented the belief on Sunday when he went 23-of-29 for 326 yards and three touchdowns as the Eagles dominated the hapless Falcons, 31-17.

      While he isn’t 100% yet, Michael Vick appears closer to returning from a rib injury that has sidelined him for three games (he played at the very beginning of the loss to the Redskins in Week 4 before suffering the injury). With Philly’s bye week coming in Week 8, Andy Reid would be smart to start a hot Kolb against the Titans this Sunday and then decide over the break whom he wants to go with in the second half.

      But let’s get back on topic. Should the Eagles trade Vick or Kolb (or hell, why not both? Fourth rounder Mike Kafka is probably ready) before Tuesday’s trade deadline? It should be noted that the Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that neither will be dealt, but it’s an interesting topic regardless.

      If anything, Vick’s injury only further strengthens the Eagles’ need both quarterbacks. Vick opens himself up to injury all the time with his style of play, so it would make sense for the team to hang onto Kolb in case a) Vick’s rib injury doesn’t heal properly or b) he suffers another injury down the road.

      Let’s not forget that while Vick has looked phenomenal in the four games he’s played in thus far, the law of averages state that he’s due for a letdown. Even in his prime, the highest QB rating he’s compiled is 81.6 (which was in 2002 when he lead the Falcons to a playoff win over the Packers), but is a far cry from the current 108.8 mark that he’s sporting now. I don’t care if he says he’s a different quarterback, it stands to reason that he won’t keep performing at this clip.

      That said, he needs to start if he keeps producing wins and I think Reid owes it to Vick to stick with him once he’s healthy. If it weren’t for Vick, Kolb may have put Philly in a huge hole to start the season. If Vick struggles upon his return, then maybe Reid needs to make a switch back to Kolb, although he doesn’t want to get into a situation where he’s playing the matchups. This isn’t college football – inconsistency at the quarterback position can doom teams. Just ask the 49ers.

      External Sports, NFL

      Fantasy Fallout, Week 6: Where Dwayne Bowe says, “Look at me!”

      October 18, 2010 /
      ATLANTA - AUGUST 13: Dwayne Bowe of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on during the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Georgia Dome on August 13, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

      Heading into Week 6, it took a lot of balls (or desperation) to plug Dwayne Bowe into your lineup. On the season, he was only averaging 2.3 catches for 38 yards and 0.3 TD, but there was a sense that he’d have a chance for a nice game against the Texans, who have been bad against the pass this season. Well, Bowe (6-108-2) did have a nice game, and owners that were ballsy (or desperate) enough to plug him in were well rewarded. Looking at the KC backfield, Thomas Jones (20 touches, 110 yards, TD) and Jamaal Charles (20 touches, 117 yards) split the duties evenly, though Jones got both carries inside the Texans’ five yard line. Meanwhile, it looks like Matt Cassel (201 yards, 3 TD) is coming on after a poor start to the season. He now has six pass TDs in his last three games, and should have had another last week if not for a Bowe drop in the endzone. For the Texans, Andre Johnson (8-138-1) looks fine, and Owen Daniels (5-79) seems to be getting back to his old self. He was the second most targeted (7) Houston receiver. Kevin Walter was shut out. (He wasn’t even targeted.)

      It looks like Seattle plans to use Marshawn Lynch (20 touches, 53 yards, TD) quite a bit. Justin Forsett (11 touches, 56 yards, TD) also got a lot of work. I’m starting to see him hit the waiver wire in a few leagues and he’s definitely worth rostering. Mike Williams 1.0 (10-123, 15 targets) was the big winner with Deion Branch gone, but Deon Butler (4-47-1) made the most of his four targets. Johnny Knox (5-120) was the only standout fantasy player for the Bears, who struggled offensively.

      Speaking of Deion Branch (9-98-1), Tom Brady (292 yards, TD, 2 INT) certainly made him feel welcome, targeting his new/old receiver 12 times, which was the most of any Patriot player. I think it’s safe to cut Brandon Tate (0-0, 4 targets) whose potential value was torpedoed by the Branch trade. I actually had to start Danny Woodhead (16 touches, 115 yards) in two PPR leagues and was rewarded with a nice day thanks to his five catches. He actually got one more carry (11) than BenJarvus Green-Ellis (10 carries, 20 yards, TD).

      I’m a Packer fan, and it was tough to watch Green Bay’s fairly impotent performance against the Dolphins. The Packers said this week that they wanted to get Greg Jennings (6-133-1) involved, and they succeeded. Unfortunately, that was their only success of the afternoon. Davone Bess (5-37-1) scored again for the Dolphins, but Brandon Marshall (10-127) was the big story for Miami in the passing game.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, Fantasy Football, NFL

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑