Category: NFL (Page 96 of 1282)

      Can Aaron Curry find new life in Oakland?

      October 16, 2011 /
      Arizona Cardinals quarterback Derek Anderson (L) is sacked by Seattle Seahawks Aaron Curry (R) during the first quarter of their game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ November 14,2010. UPI/Art Foxall

      Everyone assumed Aaron Curry was a can’t miss prospect when he was drafted #4 overall in the 2009 NFL Draft, but so far he’s been a bust. He wasn’t even starting in Seattle when they traded him to the Oakland Raiders this week.

      Now he’s the starter in Oakland:

      Three days ago Aaron Curry was a backup strongside linebacker in Seattle. Now he’s preparing to start at the weakside for the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.

      Curry’s prospects took a sudden turn Friday when coach Hue Jackson announced that the first-round pick in the 2009 draft will replace Quentin Groves in the Raiders’ starting defense at home against the Cleveland Browns. Groves has been a starter since signing with Oakland before last season.

      I’m a little surprised here, so we’ll see if Jackson is making the right call. I wonder how guys in the locker room will feel about a starter losing his job to another guy before one practice.

      I was listening to the NFL Network with week, and Gil Brandt basically called out Aaron Curry as a player who doesn’t give you maximum effort. Brandt explained you can get away with that at certain positions, but at the linebacker spot it was essential that you had guys with high motors who gave you everything they had.

      Many players have revived their careers in Oakland under the legendary Al Davis. That said, the Raiders have brought over plenty of veterans who did nothing. Let’s see what happens to Curry.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Tony Romo: ‘Cowboys will win a Super Bowl at some point.’

      October 14, 2011 /
      Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo is seen on the sidelines as the Cowboys play the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland on September 12, 2010. The Redskins defeated the Cowboys 13-7. UPI/Kevin Dietsch

      Actions speak louder than words but at least Tony Romo hasn’t lost his confidence.

      While speaking to the media recently, Romo promised that the Cowboys would win a title at some point. Of course, didn’t say whether or not “some point” would be any time soon.

      “This team’s going to win a Super Bowl at some point, and it’s going to be exciting when that time comes,” Romo said. “And when we look back we’ll know who was on what side of he fence during the tough moments. That’s exciting for us as competitions that we get a chance to get better and go out there and have a chance one day.”

      That “one day” won’t come soon if Romo continues to play like he did against the Lions in Week 4. The Cowboys were up 20-3 at halftime and extended their lead to 27-3 early in the third quarter before Romo suffered a meltdown. Detroit linebacker Bobby Carpenter returned a 34-yard interception for a touchdown and then corner Chris Houston followed suit with a 56-yard pick-six of his own.

      Romo’s horrific second half didn’t stop there. He threw another interception late in the fourth quarter that set up a 2-yard Calvin Johnson touchdown reception to give the Lions a 34-30 lead with under two minutes to play. Detroit eventually hung on to win by that same score as Romo and the Cowboys dropped to 2-2 on the season.

      Romo has always been a polarizing figure in Dallas, but even more so this season. He was chastised for his play in Week 1 against the Jets and then lauded for his gritty performance against the 49ers a week later when he played with broken ribs and a punctured lung. Despite the team’s issues at wide receiver and center, he willed the Cowboys to a victory over the Redskins in Week 3 on Monday night before suffering his collapse against the Lions in Week 4.

      His Super Bowl comments only open the door wider for fans and the media to question whether or not he’s the right man for the job in Dallas.

      External Sports, News, NFL

      Chicago Bears Brian Urlacher says he wasn’t yelling at Lance Briggs on sidelines

      October 14, 2011 /
      Chicago Bears linebackers Brian Urlacher (R) and Lance Briggs sit on the bench during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field on September 11, 2011 in Chicago. The Bears won 30-12. UPI/Brian Kersey

      For those wondering, no, Brian Urlacher wasn’t yelling at teammate Lance Briggs on the sidelines during the Chicago Bears’ Week 5 loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday night.

      “Everyone asked me what happened after the game: ‘Was I yelling at Lance on the sideline?’ I said: ‘I wasn’t yelling at Lance on the sideline. He didn’t do anything wrong,” Urlacher said. “We were both mad because we aren’t used to this. As long as (Briggs) and I have been here, we haven’t played like this.”

      It’s been a frustrating year for the 2-3 Bears, who rank 29th in yards allowed per game (419.6) and 17th in points allowed (24.4). Chicago’s play has been down all season, from a poor pass rush to a suspect run defense that allowed Detroit’s Jahvid Best to rush for 163 yards on just 12 carries. In four games prior to his performance on Monday, Best had yet to total more than 72 yards in a single game, which came back in Week 1 against Tampa Bay.

      Julius Peppers’ knee injury that he suffered against the Lions only compounds the Bears’ issues on that side of the ball. Peppers has yet to be ruled out for this Sunday’s game against the Vikings, but a sprained MCL usually takes weeks to heal. Briggs also requested a trade at the beginning of the year, so things aren’t going the way the Bears expected they would, especially considering they hosted the NFC Championship Game a year ago.

      External Sports, News, NFL

      Cincinnati Bengals plan to keep Carson Palmer despite approaching trade deadline

      October 14, 2011 /
      Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer looks at two receivers as he passes against the San Diego Chargers in the first half during their NFL football game in San Diego, California December 20, 2009. REUTERS/Mike Blake (United States – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown reiterated on Thursday that he has no plays to trade disgruntled quarterback Carson Palmer.

      “I don’t have anything more to say on that,” Brown told the media. “I’ve had my say on that, and it remains all there is to say.”

      Following the team’s 4-12 season in 2010, Palmer requested a trade on January 23, 2011. Brown turned down the request almost immediately and Palmer retaliated by saying he’s prepared to retire if necessary. The veteran quarterback hasn’t filed his retirement papers with the league but he remains steadfast that he won’t play another down for the Bengals.

      Cincinnati has seemingly found its quarterback of the future in 2011 second round pick Andy Dalton, who has compiled a 78.7 QB rating through five games this season. Thus, with the trade deadline coming up, many have speculated that the Bengals would be willing to move Palmer. Miami, Seattle and Indianapolis are all in need of a quarterback, so Cincinnati has trade partners if it eventually decides to deal the former USC product.

      That said, Brown has made it perfectly clear that he is not willing to deal Palmer, who won’t become a free agent until 2015. If the trade deadline passes, the next chance Palmer has to get out of Cincinnati won’t be until March of 2012 when the new league year begins.

      External Sports, News, NFL

      2011 NFL Week 6 Primer

      October 13, 2011 /
      San Francisco 49ers new Head Coach Jim Harbaugh makes a point to officials during play against the Oakland Raiders at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on August 20, 2011. UPI/Terry Schmitt

      49ers @ Lions, 1:00PM ET
      Neither of these teams has to prove anything this weekend. Both the Lions and 49ers are legit and if you disagree then you really haven’t been paying attention lately. No team in the league is playing better defensively right now than San Francisco and Detroit’s passing game is only overshadowed by the league’s elite (i.e. New England, New Orleans and Green Bay). This is the most intriguing matchup in Week 6 and I can’t wait to see the result.

      Bills @ Giants, 1:00PM ET
      What a great test for both of these teams. The Bills are 4-1 but in their two road games this season, they crushed a bad Kansas City team and lost to the Bengals after squandering a double-digit lead at halftime. The Giants, meanwhile, were playing with loads of confidence until they overlooked the Seahawks last week at home. Focus won’t be an issue for either of these teams as they both look to use this game as a measuring stick.

      Eagles @ Redskins, 1:00PM ET
      It’s funny, the Eagles haven’t played a full four quarters since Week 1 and have dropped four straight and yet, you get the feeling that people still expect Andy Reid and Co. to figure it out. Well, it’s now or never. If the Eagles can get to 2-4 with a bye week coming up, maybe they can put a little run together in the second half. But if they lose this week to another divisional foe then Reid and his coaching staff will have to sit on a five-game losing streak for two weeks. With their backs against the wall, if the Eagles can’t win this Sunday their deficit in the NFC East may be too much to overcome.

      Panthers @ Falcons, 1:00PM ET
      People are attempting not to break their necks jumping off the Falcons bandwagon – and for good reason. Their offense is broke and coordinator Mike Mularkey keeps trying the same conservative tactics to try and fix it. He’s either unable or unwilling to change and either way, the Falcons keep losing. Even though Atlanta owns the better record coming into this NFC South showdown, it’s Carolina that’s covered in optimism right now.

      Rams @ Packers, 1:00PM ET
      The mini scare they received last week in Atlanta may have proven to be great for Green Bay. Before the Falcons built a 14-0 lead on the Packers, Green Bay may have believed it was invincible. But they quickly got things corrected, won the game, and now they can get re-focused with another inferior team in the Rams coming to town this weekend. Two weeks ago the Packers crushed the Broncos and if they want to keep firing on all cylinders, Green Bay needs to rout a bad St. Louis team as well.

      Jaguars @ Steelers, 1:00PM ET
      I guess all those claims that the Steelers’ run was over after they lost to the Texans were a tad overstated, huh? The Steelers looked like their dominant selves last Sunday against the Titans and now get to feast on a rookie quarterback in Blaine Gabbert this weekend. The Jaguars haven’t had much offense since Gabbert took over the quarterback reins and they could once again struggle at Heinz Field this Sunday. That’s not an easy place to play when your resume is lacking experience.

      Colts @ Bengals, 1:00PM ET
      The Bengals have a golden opportunity to get to 4-2 on the season but they face a huge test this Sunday. No not on the field, as the Colts are less fearsome than a box of puppies. But mentality this is a prime opportunity for Cincinnati to be overconfident. They know they should beat the Colts and that’s often how NFL teams get burned. If anything, Marvin Lewis and his team should remember how overconfident the Bills were coming into Cincinnati a few weeks ago. Buffalo believed it had a win locked up after knocking off the Patriots the week before and the Bills squandered a double-digit lead at halftime. Beware the letdown, Cincinnati.

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      External Sports, NFL

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