Category: NFL (Page 964 of 1282)

Ronnie Brown scores 5 TDs as Dolphins crush Patriots

Ronnie BrownMiami head coach Tony Soprano decided to give Ronnie Brown the start at running back Sunday in New England.

Good call, coach.

Brown rushed for four touchdowns and even threw for one in the Dolphins’ 38-13 thrashing of the Patriots.

Lining up mostly in the “Wildcat” formation, which is largely used at the collegiate level, Brown rushed for 113 yards and his one pass attempt was good for a 19-yard touchdown to tight end Anthony Fasano. Brown’s touchdown runs were good from 2, 15, 5 and 62 yards.

It was amazing to watch Brown and the Miami offense do absolutely anything they wanted to against Bill Belichick’s defense, shredding New England for 461 total yards and 38 points. Even when the Pats had no idea how to stop Brown, even though they knew he would run the ball when he was lined up at quarterback and in the shotgun.

What a great idea for the Dolphins to run that offense knowing Belichick and the Patriots wouldn’t see it coming. Soprano and offensive coordinator Dan Henning look like geniuses. New England hasn’t lost a regular season game in 21 tries and a college offense beats them. Amazing.

Report: Chiefs inquire about Browns’ QB Brady Quinn

Cleveland BrownsRotoworld.com (via Jay Glazer of FOX Sports.com) is reporting that the Kansas City Chiefs contacted Cleveland about acquiring second year quarterback Brady Quinn, but the Browns turned them down.

Cleveland turned them down and Quinn dynasty owners can only hope that the Browns don’t reconsider. With Cleveland 0-2 and Derek Anderson struggling mightily over his past seven games, Quinn’s chances of taking over at some point appear pretty good. Also interesting to note: Chiefs fans recently started a “GetBradyNow.com” website. We doubt a deal will happen.

The Chiefs are hurting. Brodie Croyle wasn’t ready to be an NFL starter, but KC had little choice but to throw him into the fire this year and now he’s out with a separated shoulder. Croyle’s backup, Damon Huard, got hurt last week and now former Vikings-reject Tyler Thigpen is the starter. (Yikes.)

With how bad Anderson has been in two games, the Browns had no choice but to turn the Chiefs away. If Anderson continues to struggle, there’s no doubt Romeo Crennel will throw Quinn into the mix in efforts to save his job.

AFC, NFC even par in the NFL?

Is the AFC still the NFL’s dominant conference? Probably not. The reigning Super Bowl champion New York Giants reside in the NFC. Two of the AFC’s best players (New England Patriots QB Tom Brady and San Diego Chargers LB Shawne Merriman) are lost for the entire season. And the NFC is 4-2 vs. the AFC in interconference play after two weeks of the season.

The NFC has not had a winning record against the AFC since 1995. Last season, the conferences were even (32-32) in head-to-head competition for the first time since 2001. And entering last season’s Super Bowl, the AFC had won six of the last seven title games.

Improved offensive play is a big reason why the NFC is flourishing once again, as 13 of the 16 NFC teams are averaging 20 or more points per game this season. A few star players in the conference have successfully returned from injury this season. Donovan McNabb is healthy, rejuvenated, and the Philadelphia Eagles are once again one of the top scoring teams in the league. And Jake Delhomme has brought his signature enthusiasm and gunslinger personality back to the undefeated Carolina Panthers after missing all of last season due to ligament-replacement surgery in his right elbow.

Scoring has been a staple in the AFC, thanks largely to the play of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Historically, the AFC has always been considered “the conference of the quarterback, “and on most Sundays they will have more first-round starting quarterbacks than their NFC rivals. But Brady’s season-ending knee injury and the struggles of Carson Palmer have hurt the QB quality in the AFC.

Typically, the NFC has been a conference that features strong defenses and solid running games. But that philosophy could be changing, as some NFC teams are copying the AFC formula: basing their success on the play from the quarterback position. The statistical numbers do not lie; Tony Romo, Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning, and Drew Brees are all having hot starts to their seasons. The passing numbers haven’t been this good in the NFC since the Kurt Warner era in St. Louis. And during this recent AFC’s domination, Brett Favre and McKnabb have been only premier quarterbacks the NFC had to offer in competition.

The supremacy of the AFC could be ending this season, as the gap seems to be closing between the two conferences. Perhaps now the NFC will get the respect it deserves.

NFL News & Notes: Willis McGahee to play, not start

Willis McGaheeThe Baltimore Sun is reporting that Ravens running back Willis McGahee will play in Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns, but won’t start or be the feature back. The Ravens will likely go with a running back-by-committee approach with McGahee and rookie Ray Rice sharing carries.

Rotoworld (via Chargers’ beat writer Kevin Acee on NFL Network) is reporting that Darren Sproles is likely to see more carries than LaDainian Tomlinson, who is batting a toe/foot injury. LT didn’t run last week against the Broncos, so it’s probably a wise move to limit his workload.

– The Cleveland Browns’ official website notes that receivers Braylon Edwards (shoulder) and Donte’ Stallworth (quads) are both listed as questionable this weekend against Baltimore. That certainly doesn’t bode well for a Browns’ offense that has struggled mightily in the team’s two losses this season.

– The Green Bay Packers official website is reporting that RB Ryan Grant has been upgraded to probable for the team’s Sunday night matchup with the Cowboys. Grant didn’t fare too well against a brutal Detroit front seven last week and he’ll need to step up to help take the pressure off of QB Aaron Rodgers.

Top 10 Active NFL Passing TD Leaders

When you think of passing touchdowns, you think guys like Peyton Manning and Brett Favre and Tom Brady, right? Who else do you think of? Hmm, you have to knock your head a bit, don’t you? Well, we’ve come to the rescue with a list of the active Top 10 in that category…..

1. Brett Favre, New York Jets (445)—Well sure, if you start every game since 1992, you’re going to put up numbers like this. But it’s not all longevity—because Number 4 has had 30 or more TD passes in eight different seasons. And by now, we forgive him for that yes-no-yes-no-yes-no-yes act of this past summer.

2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts (308)—If he stays healthy, there’s no reason to believe that Manning won’t eventually pass Favre. Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne don’t hurt his game, but Manning could complete passes to you and me if he had to.

3. Tom Brady, New England Patriots (197)—Brady is out for 2008 after breaking Manning’s NFL single-season record in 2007 with 50 TD passes. But it wasn’t like Brady was a slouch before that—his only season with less than 23 TD passes was 2001, the year he took over for Drew Bledsoe.

4. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles (175)—McNabb never seems to be 100% healthy, but regardless, he still manages to have huge games frequently. Well, at least when Osi Umenyiora isn’t knocking him down six times in a game.

5. Kerry Collins, Tennessee Titans (175)—Collins might have his best chance ever of winning a Super Bowl ring this season, as he has taken over for the mentally and physically injured Vince Young. We won’t even count that debacle with the Giants against Baltimore in 2001.

6. Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals (156)—When you look at the big picture, it’s a wonder that robo-Warner doesn’t have twice as many TD passes. But injuries and backup status with various teams has contributed to that fact. Now, at 37, he’s the starter again in Arizona and flinging balls all over the field.

7. Jon Kitna, Detroit Lions (151)—Forget about the fact that Kitna plays for the hapless Lions. He had 23 TDs with Seattle in 1999 and 26 with the Bengals in 2003. He’s no pretender.

8. Jeff Garcia, Tampa Bay Bucs (150)—No matter what kind of numbers he puts up or what kind of leadership he displays on the field, Jeff Garcia seems to earn zero respect.

9. Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks (143)—Is Matt Hasselbeck really only 33? He’s dealt with injury, but he’s shown that he’s a better QB when he has a decent running game to complement the passing attack.

10. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints (138)—In any season in which Brees started all or almost every game, he’s never had less than 24 touchdown passes. The guy is a solid QB—but more than that, he’s a very smart and talented football player.

Source: Pro Football Reference

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