Category: NFL (Page 556 of 1282)

      Reason No. 4,049 why I don’t get some athletes

      December 11, 2009 /

      According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Falcons’ defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux was arrested Thursday night for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. He was also nailed for having suspended tags and driving without a license.

      This is devastating news for an Atlanta team that 1) is hosting the best team in the league on Sunday and 2) is already crippled by injuries to Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and three-fifths of their offensive line. Babineaux might not be a household name, but he’s been far and away the Falcons’ best defensive linemen this season and the only one that provides a consistent rush at the quarterback.

      Babineaux is the same player that was arrested a couple years ago for allegedly killing his girlfriend’s dog (what’s with dog-killers in Atlanta?), Kilo. Given his most recent arrest, “Kilo” is an awfully ironic name for the dog.

      With the Saints coming to town, one would think that Babineaux would be a little more focused – especially considering the Falcons’ playoff hopes are on life support. Instead, he’s out trolling the streets with expired tags, no license and enough pot on him for the cops to charge him with intent to sell.. I’m shocked the moron didn’t have a sign outside his window that read: I’M HAVE POT IN THE CAR.

      I just don’t get it. And the sad part is, we’ve heard a similar song and dance before when it comes to athletes.


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      NFL

      Week 14 Top 5 Observations: Browns 13, Steelers 6

      December 10, 2009 /

      Here are five quick-hit observations from the Browns’ upset win over the Steelers in Week 14.

      1. The Steelers are done.
      The defending champs are done, folks. A five-game losing streak, capped off by their ugliest loss of the season, has ensured that Pittsburgh won’t be playing in the postseason come January. One would have thought that the Steelers would be able to get up for a game against the one-win Browns when their backs were against the wall, but then again “one” would be wrong.

      2. The Browns didn’t just win – they dominated.
      For those that missed the broadcast because it was on the NFL Network, let me assure you that the Steelers didn’t beat themselves: They got their asses handed to them. It’s strange to say, but the better team won tonight. Cleveland came out more focused, more determined and flat out took a victory from the Steelers. The Browns’ defensive effort tonight was absolutely outstanding, as they suffocated Pittsburgh’s running game and sacked Ben Roethlisberger eight times. For as much heat as Eric Mangini has taken this season (and deservedly so), the Browns have played hard the past couple weeks and they deserved a win tonight.

      3. Cleveland’s young secondary was excellent.
      Something that will be lost in the stat sheet was how well the Browns’ secondary played. Cleveland’s defense might have racked up eight sacks, but most of those were because of the outstanding coverage. Big Ben simply didn’t have open receivers to throw to, which resulted in him double and triple clutching to avoid throwing into coverage. Pittsburgh’s offensive line didn’t play as badly as the sacks would indicate, or at least not from a pass protection standpoint. The Browns’ pass defense was just that good.

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      NFL

      Is Brady Quinn finally turning the corner?

      December 10, 2009 /

      One game doesn’t define a player’s potential or future, and neither do three games.

      That said, I’m intrigued by the play of Brady Quinn these past three weeks, especially considering how brutal he looked on Monday Night Football against the Ravens four weeks ago.

      In his putrid effort that fateful Monday night, Quinn couldn’t even keep the ball in-bounds on desperation heaves down the field. He struggled with accuracy, turnovers, decision-making and everything else that comes with being a quarterback. He was awful, brutal, terrible – atrocious. He was so bad that I even wrote this in my recap of the game:

      Brady Quinn is bad, so bad that it’s safe to say that he has zero chance of becoming anything resembling a decent starting quarterback in the NFL.

      Ouch.

      Since that point, however, Brady has thrown seven touchdowns and zero interceptions over a three-game span. Thanks to Jerome Harrison taking over the starting running back duties and Cleveland’s use of the no-huddle offense, Quinn has been solid. In fact, he’s looked like a completely different quarterback than he did earlier in the season.

      But alas, here comes another prime time opportunity for Quinn, and against another division rival no less. The Browns take on the Steelers tonight – a team that has a habit of making quarterbacks look silly. Granted, this isn’t the same Pittsburgh defense we’re accustomed to seeing and its loss last week to Oakland proves that. But this is a team in desperate need of a win after losing four straight, and is trying to keep their fading playoff hopes alive.

      It would be nice to see Quinn continue to develop his craft. If he is turning the corner, then he’ll need to prove that he can have success against a tough opponent in prime time. Again, one game doesn’t decide anything. But confidence and consistency mean so much to a young quarterback, so his performance tonight is bigger than one would think.

      I’m neither a Browns nor a Steelers fan, but here’s hoping the kid puts on a good show tonight.


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      NFL

      Defensive Team By Waiver Wire (DTBWW): Week 14

      December 10, 2009 /

      The strategy behind DTBWW is that each week, you pick up a defensethat is playing against a bad offense (preferably at home). And each week, you get pretty good numbers out of your DT position. To see how this approach performed last season, click here.

      Last week, I recommended three DTBWW picks. Let’s see how they fared…

      #1 Chargers: 23 PA (0) + 2 SK + 1 FR = 3 fantasy points
      #2 Jets: 13 PA (4) + 3 SK + 1 INT + 1 FR = 9 fp
      #3 Bears: 9 PA (6) + 3 SK + 1 INT + 1 FR = 11 fp

      The Chargers were without Shawne Merriman on Sunday, and laid an egg against the Browns (who are playing a little better offensively). The Jets and Bears posted solid performances, as expected.

      On the season, my #1 pick is averaging 9.0 fantasy points, my #2 pick is averaging 10.8 fp and #3 pick 6.7. My #2 pick has stayed hot — over the last 10 weeks, it has averaged 11.4 points and hasn’t scored less than eight points in that span. On the season, DTBWW as a whole is averaging 8.8 fp, which equates to DT4 numbers.

      Let’s take a look at this week’s picks. Keep in mind that to be eligible for DTBWW, a defense must be available in at least 40% of ESPN fantasy leagues.

      Pick #1: Tennessee Titans (vs. STL)
      The Titans defense has struggled the last couple of weeks, but has feasted on medicore and bad offenses since Tennessee’s bye.

      Pick #2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. NYJ)
      The Jets are starting Kellen Clemens at QB this week and that’s a very good thing for Tampa’s defense.

      Pick #3: Kansas City Chiefs (vs. BUF)
      Buffalo has been a great matchup for fantasy defenses all year, so even the Chiefs are startable this week.


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      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Love ‘Em & Leave ‘Em: Week 14

      December 10, 2009 /

      Every week, I 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 tell you about how Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson has a tough matchup – 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. It’s important to note that depending on your roster and situation, you may not be able to follow these recommendations. For example, if I suggest you bench a solid starter like Tony Romo, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.

      The “love ‘em” players are listed in the order that I’d start them this week.

      love-em

      Ben Roethlisberger should be in lineups this week given his opposition, the Browns’ 26th-ranked pass defense…Kurt Warner is back and playing well, and with a good matchup against the 49ers, he should post good numbers this week…If Matt Schaub is able to play, he’s a nice start against the Seahawks, who have the league’s 25th-ranked pass defense…David Garrard faces a Dolphins defense that is ranked 24th against the pass. The Jaguar receivers should be able to take advantage of a young Miami secondary…Alex Smith has been solid this season, and his matchup with the Cardinals is favorable. The 49ers are likely to have to throw quite a bit to stay in the game, so Smith should finish with two or three TD…Joe Flacco isn’t playing all that well of late, but with the Lions coming to down, that should change. Detroit has yielded 275 yards and 2.3 TD per game this season…Desperate? Ryan Fitzpatrick wasn’t good against the Jets’ stingy pass defense last week, but the Chiefs’ secondary isn’t nearly as good.

      Ray Rice didn’t have a great week against the Packers, but he should bounce back in a big way against the Lions…strong>Rashard Mendenhall has been running the ball well and expected to start Thursday night despite an injury. The Browns are ranked 29th against the run…Jamal Charles is looking like a very nice start against Buffalo’s 32nd-ranked rush defense. The Bills have given up 162 yards and 1.3 rush TD on the ground this season…The Buffalo line has struggled to run block this year, but Fred Jackson should be able to gain some yards on the ground and in the passing game against a suspect Chiefs defense…Desperate? Pick up Quinton Ganther, who was recently promoted to RB1 in Washington. He has a nice matchup with a pretty porous Oakland run defense…Really desperate? Consider Sammy Morris, who is back healthy and might be out on the waiver wire. He has a good chance of finding the endzone against the Panthers’ 26th-ranked rush defense.

      The Arizona passing attack has a nice matchup with the 49ers, so Anquan Boldin should definitely be in starting lineups and Steve Breaston is worth a look in deeper leagues…Derrick Mason had a tough outing against the Packers, but with the Lions coming to town, things are looking up…He didn’t have a very good game against the Bucs, but Steve Smith 1.0 hooked up with Matt Moore on a long bomb in the second half. He has another nice matchup with the Pats, who have been brutal against the pass of late…Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan have a nice matchup agianst the Cards, who have given up 257 yards and 1.5 pass TD per game this season…They are no sure bet, but Terrell Owens and Lee Evans should be able to take advantage of a week Kansas City pass defense that is ranked 28th in the league…Davone Bess is coming off a 10-117-1 performance and has caught 29 passes over the last five weeks. This week, he faces the 23rd-ranked Jaguar pass defense. He’s worth a look in PPR leagues.

      leave-em

      The Falcons are hopeful that Matt Ryan can start this week, but he is coming off of an injury and has a bad matchup with a Saints defense that has only given up 1.0 pass TD per game this season…The Bills are pretty stingy against the pass (4th in the league, 10 pass TD allowed), so Matt Cassel might seem like a good start this week, but he’s not…Vince Young plays the Rams, who are better than advertised against the pass…Kyle Orton should be avoided. Indy is mediocre against the pass in terms of yards, but they’ve only allowed 11 pass TD all season.

      The Bears are talking about reducing Matt Forte‘s workload, so that, combined with a bad matchup against the Packers this week, makes him a sketchy play…He’s still startable in many formats, but the Vikings have the 3rd-ranked rush defense, so Cedric Benson is unlikely to put up big numbers this week…Kevin Smith has had a good season, and I’d still start him in PPR leagues, but he’s a bad start in standard leagues given his tough matchup with the Ravens’ 6th-ranked rush defense…Steer clear of Julius Jones this week. The Texans’ rush defense has been a lot better of late and there’s a chance that Justin Forsett will eat into his touches as his quads get better.

      Antonio Bryant has played pretty well of late, but the Jets have he #1 pass defense in the league, so it’s doubtful that he’s going to have a big day…The Bills rush defense stinks, but their pass defense is pretty good (4th-ranked), so don’t expect a big bounce back game this week for Chris Chambers…The Green Bay defense has been playing great lately, so I wouldn’t count on Devin Hester, Johnny Knox or Earl Bennett for big fantasy lines this week.


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      Fantasy Football, NFL

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