Category: NFL (Page 834 of 1282)

      Big Ben to start against Chargers

      January 5, 2009 /

      Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger practiced Monday and will start this Sunday against the San Diego Chargers in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

      Ben RoethlisbergerQuarterback Ben Roethlisberger said today he passed his final post-concussion test and will play on Sunday when the Steelers open the playoffs against the San Diego Chargers at Heinz Field.

      Roethlisberger left the Steelers final regular-season game on Dec. 28 with a concussion just before halftime. Roethlisberger is taking the field this afternoon to practice for the first time since his injury.

      He said he’s taken several tests over the past week, that he feels fine and will take no further precautions.

      The Steelers’ offensive line needs to protect this guy or else there’s a great chance we’ll be seeing Byron Leftwich sometime this postseason. For as good as the Pittsburgh defense is, the Steelers’ offensive line has issues and Big Ben has always had problems hanging onto the ball too long. Regardless, this is great news for the Steelers and this is a great example of how big having that off week is in the playoffs.

      NFL

      Five ways to fix the Pro Bowl

      January 5, 2009 /

      Our friends at The Love of Sports came up with five ways to fix the NFL Pro Bowl. And God love ’em, they found a way to incorporate Tecmo Bowl and cheerleaders into the mix.

      2. The Tecmo Bowl Solution
      Take an updated version of the world’s best video football game, simulate a season and let it pick the Pro Bowl roster. This is actually good for a variety of reasons. On one hand, some people (myself included) would love to play out the season rather than letting it simulate. In addition to that, it’s Tecmo Bowl and, really, who doesn’t love Tecmo Bowl?

      1. Cheerleaders
      You know how they have the Lingerie Bowl? Well, why not have the Cheerleader Bowl? After all, it’s not like the players are going out there and playing a real game, so rather than wasting their time, why not vote for the league’s hottest cheerleaders and let them play a game of flag? Heck, they could have a cheerleading competition, a la Bring It On, and it’d be way more entertaining than the current Pro Bowl.

      Ah, I can remember the Christmas when I unwrapped Tecmo Bowl like it was yesterday. Still the greatest football video game of all time.

      Humor, NFL

      Parcells staying with Dolphins in 2009, or so they say

      January 5, 2009 /

      Despite rumors that he could potentially return to the sidelines next season, Bill Parcells is apparently staying in the Miami Dolphins’ front office for 2009.

      Bill ParcellsWayne Huizenga may have left Dolphin Stadium as majority owner of the Dolphins for the last time this afternoon, but before exiting he revealed some news Miami fans will likely welcome.
      Huizenga said Bill Parcells is coming back next year.

      “Bill is going to stay,” Huizenga said. “He told me the day before yesterday he was going to stay.”

      I also spoke with incoming owner Stephen Ross who indicated he expects Parcells to stay.

      That’s all well and good, but there’s still no guarantee that Parcells will stay. This is the same man who has revoked his commitment to the Atlanta Falcons twice (once as a coach and once as a GM) and essentially had a deal in place to become the Jets head coach while he was coaching the Patriots in the 1996 Super Bowl. The guy does whatever he wants and can be as fickle as Brett Favre in the offseason.

      He should stay in Miami because he’s done an absolutely amazing job with the Dolphins this season. But I’ll believe that he’s staying when I see his ass in the Fins’ skybox next season.

      NFL

      LT to miss rest of playoffs?

      January 5, 2009 /

      The San Diego Tribune is reporting that Chargers’ running back LaDainian Tomlinson could miss the remainder of the postseason with a groin injury.

      LaDainian TomlinsonWhile they’re using phrases like “day to day” and “we’ll see,” no one in the Chargers organization truly expects LaDainian Tomlinson to play Sunday at Pittsburgh.

      But the Chargers will not place Tomlinson on injured reserve, in the hope that he still could play in the postseason.

      “He might be able to play in another week if we were able to go on,” coach Norv Turner said. “Or maybe he could play in another week after that.”

      The likelihood, according to sources, is that Tomlinson’s severely strained groin will keep him out the rest of the postseason and will require surgery. But Turner reported Sunday that the injury “is not any worse” after Tomlinson played on it Saturday.

      Good thing for Darren Sproles. If they can, the Chargers are going to have to lock up Sproles in the offseason or if they can’t sign him, draft a back that can be the future. Maybe with a full offseason of rest, LT can bounce back and be productive again next year, although it’s doubtful that he’ll ever be as productive as he was during his MVP days. It’s time for the Chargers to think about the future.

      NFL

      The Eagles aren’t the matchup the Giants want

      January 4, 2009 /

      Brian WestbrookTom Coughlin and the New York Giants aren’t going to admit it (at least not publicly), but the Philadelphia Eagles weren’t the matchup they wanted for their first playoff game.

      Thanks to Donovan McNabb’s 300-yard passing day, Brian Westbrook’s 71-yard touchdown reception off a screen pass and Jim Johnson’s blistering defense, the Eagles beat the Minnesota Vikings 26-14 in their Wild Card playoff game Sunday at the Metrodome.

      Had the Vikings won, the Giants would be hosting the Arizona Cardinals next weekend – the same Arizona Cardinals that have played like complete crap on the East Coast all season. But thanks to the Philly’s victory, the G-Men “lucked out” and get the sixth-seeded Eagles. They luck out by getting a team that has already beaten them once at Giants Stadium, has a seasoned playoff quarterback in McNabb, a secondary that rivals any defensive backfield in the league, and will face a defense that blitzes more than Chris Berman stutters through a highlight.

      Even though the Eagles have largely been inconsistent this season, they aren’t your typical sixth-seeded playoff team. That said, Philly has to do a better job against the run next week because unlike the Vikings, the Giants have a quarterback in Eli Manning that can make plays in the passing game.

      The Eagles allowed Minnesota to rush for 148 total yards and were gashed by a 40-yard Adrian Peterson touchdown run. If they can’t stop the Giants’ dynamic rushing game, Manning will likely strike for big plays via the pass. Philly definitely has the edge in terms of their secondary vs. the Giant wideouts, but it won’t matter if the Eagle safeties have to sell out to stop the run every play and leave the corners on an island. Eventually Manning will pick them apart.

      Again though, there’s no doubt the Giants would have rather faced the Cardinals and allowed the Carolina Panthers to take their chances with the Eagles. But with Philly’s win, fans are treated to an NFC East clash with everything on the line. And what makes this matchup even more compelling is that both of these teams know each other so well. It’s going to make for a great week leading up to the contest, and the game itself will likely live up to expectations.

      Next weekend couldn’t get here soon enough.

      NFL

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