Category: NFL (Page 884 of 1282)

      NFL Week 12 Primer

      November 23, 2008 /

      Brandon JacobsSunday’s Best: Giants (9-1) at Cardinals (7-3), 4:00 PM ET
      It might not be the sexiest game of the year, but this is one of the best matchups of the 2008 season. The Giants have been one of the best road teams over the last couple years, and the Cardinals are a completely (better) different team in the comforts of their own home than on the road. Kurt Warner is playing like a league MVP and it’ll be interesting to see how the underrated New York secondary matches up with the explosive Arizona passing game. There haven’t been a lot of opponents have been able to get pressure on Warner this season, but the G-Men have one of the best front sevens in the league. All indications are that Brandon Jacobs will play, which should help New York keep Arizona’s potent offense off the field. Both teams have a commanding lead in their respective divisions, but a win for the Giants could go a long way in eventually securing home field advantage in the postseason.

      Upset Watch: Buccaneers (7-3) at Lions (0-10), 1:00 PM ET
      I’m sure I’ll get crap for this one, but give me credit for taking a shot with this upset. Outside of getting their ass handed to them by Jacksonville two weeks ago, the Lions have been inching closer and closer to their first victory. Jon Gruden’s offense is effective, but the Buccaneers have had issues once they get into the red zone this year. They settled for three field goals inside the red zone last week against Minnesota, which essentially kept the Vikings in the game. Not that Detroit’s defense will provide much of a challenge, but if the Lions can keep the game close throughout, they might have a shot at a late score. Every year it seems that the Lions manage to win a game they’re not supposed to and I’m calling my shot this weekend – it’ll be Tampa. It helps that the Lions beat the Bucs last season, too, although it’s safe to say that the 2007 Detroit team was a shade better this year’s version.

      Philip RiversIntriguing Matchup: Colts (6-4) at Chargers (4-6), 8:15 PM ET
      After getting embarrassed by the Titans on Monday Night Football in Week 8, the Colts have won three straight and beaten quality AFC teams like the Patriots and Steelers. Indy has jumped right back into the playoff race and are one of the more dangerous teams in the league. But without Bob Sanders (knee injury) in the lineup, the Colts are a completely different team defensively. And although LaDainian Tomlinson has been quiet this year, he’s still one of the most explosive backs in the league and does anyone believe he can’t still take over a game? The Chargers are always dangerous on national TV because they play with a chip on their shoulder. They’ve also shown improvements defensively under Ron Rivera, who took over for Ted Cotrell at coordinator. Even though San Diego has struggled this year and has stumbled to 4-6, this is going to be a dogfight.

      Other Notable Games:
      Jets (7-3) at Titans (10-0), 1:00 PM ET
      Along with the Giants-Cardinals game, this could easily be the best matchup of the week. Pundits keep waiting for Tennessee to fall, but something tells me it won’t be this week. Brett Favre is susceptible to throwing an interception or two, which doesn’t bode well playing against a very opportunistic Titans’ defense. Some are smelling upset – I say the Titans remain undefeated after this week.

      Panthers (8-2) at Falcons (6-4), 4:15 PM ET
      The Falcons’ playoff hopes took a hit last week when they lost to Denver, but the Panthers have struggled with inferior opponents as of late. Jake Delhomme has not looked very sharp and Atlanta has been solid at home. This is a huge game for the NFC South.

      Eagles (5-4-1) at Ravens (6-4), 1:00 PM ET
      A loss for the Eagles and they can kiss their postseason hopes goodbye. The Ravens have a great chance to prove they’re for real after they were clowned by the Giants last week.

      Patriots (6-4) at Dolphins (6-4), 1:00 PM ET
      This is a massive game for the AFC East, especially with the Jets playing in Tennessee. A win for either one of these teams could mean a share for the AFC East Division lead and don’t forget the Dolphins absolutely crushed the Patriots in Foxboro earlier this season. The fireworks in this game have already started this week with Joey Porter.

      NFL

      Couch Potato Alert: 11/21

      November 21, 2008 /

      Michigan vs. Ohio State
      It’s Michigan-Ohio State – a classic rivalry that unites strangers and divides friends once a year for three and half hours. The Buckeyes are 9-2 with dreams of a BCS bowl bid in their future, and a victory over the Wolverines will give them a share of their fourth consecutive Big Ten title. How bad is it for Michigan? Well, last week’s home loss to Northwestern officially stamped this season as the worst in school history. Never has a Wolverine team lost eight games in one season and Ohio State would love to lower the bar even further. National coverage begins Saturday at 12 PM on ABC. Click here for the official Michigan-Ohio State smack thread.

      Michigan State vs. Penn State
      A win for Joe Pa on Saturday could clinch Penn State’s first Rose Bowl appearance since 1994, their second year competing in the Big Ten. If Michigan State running back Javon Ringer cannot run the football, the Spartans will have no chance of winning this game. It will be a difficult task, as the Nittany Lions are ranked first in the Big Ten and 10th in the country against the run. Michigan State’s last victory in Beaver Stadium was in 1965, the year before Joe Paterno became head coach of the program. Regional coverage begins Saturday at 3:30 PM on ABC.

      Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma
      A win in Norman on Saturday night would leave the Red Raiders two victories away from playing in the BCS national championship game. But an Oklahoma win will leave us with oh so many possibilities for our little bowl series come January. First off, we will have a three-way tie (Texas-Oklahoma-Texas Tech) for the top spot in the Big 12 South, and the conference has an interesting tie-breaker to determine the representative in the Big 12 title game against Missouri. The winner will be decided by which school has the highest ranking in the BCS bowl standing. So, Orwell’s big brother will have a vested interest in the outcome of this weekend’s game. National coverage begins Saturday at 8 PM on ABC. Click here for the official Texas Tech-Oklahoma smack thread.

      New York Jets vs. Tennessee Titans
      Two of the hottest teams in AFC will square off this Sunday, as the New York Jets travel to Memphis to face the undefeated Tennessee Titans and the winner could emerged as the conference favorite to reach the Super Bowl. The East-leading Jets are riding a four-game winning streak into the game, while the Titans are looking to become the 13th team in league history to open a season with a 11-0 record. The media spotlight has shine brightest on quarterback Brett Favre, but the team’s turnaround can be contributed to the Jets running attack. New York has averaged over 160 yards per game and scored eight rushing touchdowns in its last five games. The Titans defense could welcome back two starters this week with defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (groin) and cornerback Nick Harper (ankle) returning to the lineup. Regional coverage begins Sunday at 1 PM on Fox.

      College Football, Couch Potato Alert, NFL, Television

      Can we trust Ben Roethlisberger?

      November 21, 2008 /

      As a fantasy owner that has Ben Roethlisberger in a number of leagues, I can attest that this has been a frustrating year. He was the fifth or sixth QB off the board in most drafts, so his owners were expecting solid starter-quality numbers from him. Over the first six games, he averaged 195 yards passing, 1.5 TD and 0.5 INT. The touchdowns were decent – he was on pace for 24 on the season – but the yards were pretty unimpressive, especially considering that the weather is a whole lot better at the start of the season than it usually is at the end.

      Then came the four-game lull in the mid-season. Over that span he averaged 208 passing yards and threw just one TD against eight (eight!) interceptions. Granted, three of those games – the Giants, the Redskins and the Colts – were against tough pass defenses, but other than a few nagging injures, there really is no excuse for his performance during that span. In the fourth game (versus San Diego), he started to look like himself again, throwing for 308 yards on 31 of 41 passing.

      Many owners were justifiably hesitant to start him this week, as evidenced by his 49% start percentage in all ESPN leagues. The Bengals’ defense is better than usual this year fantasy-wise and a big game for Big Ben was no sure thing. But for the second straight week, Roethlisberger looked pretty good. He completed 17 of 30 passes for 243 yards and a TD, and also ran for a TD in the fourth quarter. His numbers would have been even better if not for a couple of dropped passes and a costly offensive pass interference play that brought back a big gainer by Hines Ward.

      So can we trust him? Well, sort of. His upcoming schedule – @ NE, DAL, @ BAL and @ TEN – looks worse on paper than it does in person. The Patriots, Cowboys and Ravens all have injury issues on defense, so Roethlisberger should be able to post decent numbers over that span. I wouldn’t plan on starting him in Week 16 against the Titans, however. That’s just asking for trouble.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Chris Crocker lays the wood on Santonio Holmes

      November 21, 2008 /

      Santonio Holmes can thank Hines Ward for this shot he took Thursday night in the Steelers’ 27-10 win over the Bungles.

      Of course Browns and Falcons fans are probably like, “Wait a minute – that couldn’t have been Chris Crocker. The Chris Crocker we know would have gotten burnt for a long touchdown pass on that play.”

      NFL, Video

      Tony Romo takes a homeless man to the movies

      November 21, 2008 /

      Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo is one sweet, sweet man.

      A homeless man who goes by Doc was cashing in change at a Cinemark Theatre in Dallas when a guy walked up and offered to pay his way into the movie. He planned to spend his day passing out fliers and accepted a rain check before realizing that he recognized the generous gentleman.
      “Was that Tony Romo?” Doc asked the worker behind the counter.

      It sure was. Doc, who requested that his real name not be used, hustled across the street to the consignment store that paid him to occasionally pass out fliers and requested the day off. By the time he got back to the theater, Role Model had already started.

      Romo, who confirmed the story but didn’t want to elaborate, waved Doc over to sit by him and his friend. Doc sheepishly mentioned that he hadn’t showered in a few days.

      “Don’t worry about that,” Romo said. “I’m used to locker rooms.”

      And so the $67 million quarterback and a man who doesn’t have $6.70 to his name sat next to each other and shared laughs for 90 minutes or so.

      For Romo – who made news by changing a couple’s tire on a roadside on the way home the night of the season opener – it was just another kind gesture to a random stranger. It meant the world to Doc.

      “For me, it was a blessing,” Doc said. “It came at just the right time. It gave me some encouragement and faith in mankind. I just wanted to say thank you.”

      Hot ass Jessica Simpson got herself a good one. Call me sentimental, but I think that’s a cool story. It sure beats hearing every couple of days about Larry Johnson spitting and slapping (allegedly) women around.

      NFL

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑