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      Chad Pennington has been solid for young Dolphins

      October 26, 2008 /

      Chad PenningtonThe knock on Chad Pennington his entire career is that he has a noodle-arm and can’t complete passes over 15 yards. But in the Dolphins impressive 25-16 win over the Bills on Sunday, Pennington proved that there is something attached to his right shoulder.

      Pennington completed 22 of 30 passes for 314 yards and a touchdown against an underrated Buffalo defense and his 46-yard pass to Ted Ginn on the first play of the game set up a Anthony Fasano touchdown to put Miami up 7-0.

      I was definitely skeptical of the Pennington signing in the offseason because I felt the Dolphins weren’t giving their young signal callers a chance to compete. But Pennington has been great for a young Miami squad and at 3-4 they’re certainly in the playoff hunt in the AFC, albeit a long shot.

      The Bills really blew an opportunity to stay ahead of the Patriots in the AFC East. Trailing 17-16 at the start of the fourth quarter, Trent Edwards was intercepted, which Miami eventually turned into a field goal. On their next possession, Edwards fumbled and although Miami didn’t turn the turnover into points, they pinned the Bills at their own three-yard line and then sacked Edwards for a safety. Then down 25-16 with less than four minutes to play, Robert Royal fumbled, which allowed the Dolphins to run out the clock.

      This was a disappointing step back for a Bills team that was building momentum after beating the Chargers last week.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Condoleezza Rice interested in becoming president of 49ers

      October 26, 2008 /

      Apparently Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is interested in a front office job with the San Francisco 49ers, perhaps even becoming their president.

      Condoleezza Rice“We all know that change has swept through San Francisco, but now it looks like more could be coming. The 49ers have said they’re in the market for a front-office type of executive — a president.

      And interestingly enough … Condoleezza Rice has told people that she would like to become president of a football team. So, she’s headed to be out in California in January, the two sides could wind up speaking. The 49ers told me this week they are definitely interested in speaking to … Rice about taking on a president-type of role within the organization; a lot of people feel she could be very instrumental in procuring a new stadium for the … 49ers.”

      Yes, because a new stadium will solve the team’s inability to win games. Look, I know Rice is a huge sports fan, but why exactly is she qualified for the job? Oh, right, because she was so effective as National Security Advisor and later Secretary of State.

      The absurdity of it all naturally results in Warren Sapp providing a not completely insane observation: “The multi-tasking didn’t work in Washington so maybe the single-tasking will work in San Francisco.”

      Not that this is the same situation, but remember when the Lions pulled Matt Millen out of the broadcast booth to become their general manager because they liked his player evaluations? That it didn’t turn out too well. Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t see how Rice helps the 49ers situation outside of creating a buzz. Hiring a good football mind (you know, somebody who actually has been in the NFL), makes a little more sense.

      NFL

      NFL Week 8 Primer

      October 26, 2008 /

      Giants (5-1) at Steelers (5-1), 4:15 PM ET
      Does a matchup get more physical than this? The biggest news surrounding this game on the injury front is that Willie Parker is expected to return to the Steelers’ backfield this week after missing last Sunday’s win over the Bengals after aggravating his knee injury. He faces a tough front seven of the Giants, who bounced back last Sunday against San Francisco after being embarrassed on Monday night football two weeks ago in Cleveland. New York’s defense complied six sacks, forced four fumbles, intercepted two passes and held the 49ers to 2 of 10 on third downs. One thing to note is that the Steelers were manhandled by an Eagles team early in the season that runs a similar defensive scheme as the Giants do. Expect the G-Men to game plan against the run while blitzing Ben Roethlisberger early and often. Pittsburgh’s banged up offensive line is ranked 28th in sacks allowed, which doesn’t paint a pretty picture for Big Ben this weekend. Still, expect a Steeler defense pumped for the opportunity to stifle Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs and the rest of New York’s explosive offense.

      Upset Watch: Falcons (4-2) at Eagles (3-3), 1:00 PM ET
      Bragging alert: I’ve called the last four upset-watches and five of the first seven this season. And if Martin Gramatica wasn’t awful, I would have nailed the Saints over the Broncos in Week 3 as well. I’m going out on a major limb this week in calling a Falcons upset over the Eagles. Not only is Philly a 9-point favorite, but the Eagles are also 9-0 under Andy Reid coming off the bye. But I’ve bought hard into the Matt Ryan hype and happen to believe Atlanta is better than what people are making them out to be. They trust Ryan to make throws in the passing game, can run the ball with Michael Turner and have beaten two quality teams in the Packers and Bears in their last two games. For them to walk away with a win on Sunday, however, the defense will need to step up. Donovan McNabb is shredding opposing defenses and will likely have Brian Westbrook, Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis back from injuries. But the Falcons have moved the ball well this year, are protecting Ryan (which will be huge this week against Jim Johnson’s blitz-happy defense) and are coming off a bye themselves. They have a lot of momentum after the win over the Bears and have been a more physical team under first-year head coach Mike Smith. A win might be out of reach, but at the very least, I’m calling for a Falcons cover.

      LaDainian TomlinsonIntriguing Matchup: Chargers at Saints, 1:00 PM ET
      Both of these teams were highly regarded as playoff contenders in preseason – if not Super Bowl contenders. But both of struggled with inconsistency so far and the Saints will be without Reggie Bush for the next 3 to 4 weeks. LaDainian Tomlinson has not looked like the same MVP back he’s been in recent years, but QB Philip Rivers has more than picked up the slack. Which one of these teams can get back on track this week playing overseas in London? Chances are, the winner might be able to save its season while the loser could start to fall off the playoff radar. (Especially New Orleans, who now plays in a surprisingly tough NFC South.)

      Other Notable Games:
      Cardinals (4-2) at Panthers (5-2)
      Had it not been for the Giants-Steelers game, this matchup might have been the best the NFL had to offer this week. Each team is starting to make some noise, but both have also looked incredibly bad at times this year (see the Cardinals effort against the Jets and the Panthers against the Buccaneers).

      Buccaneers (5-2) at Cowboys (4-3), 1:00 PM ET
      No Tony Romo again for Dallas – will Monte Kiffin’s defense eat Brad Johnson alive?

      Colts (3-3) at Titans (6-0), 8:30 PM ET Monday
      The Monday night matchup is a great one. Can Peyton Manning turn around the Colts’ misfortunes this year against the surprising undefeated Titans?

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      World Series Game 3: What everyone is saying

      October 26, 2008 /

      – Mike Vaccaro writes that the Phillies win was the perfect ending that had something for everyone. (New York Post)

      – Phil Sheridan notes that the Phillies’ victory was well worth the wait of a rain delay (Philadelphia Inquirer)

      – Martin Fennelly writes that the Rays just can’t find that winning feeling. (Tampa Tribune)

      – MLB.com has tidbits from the Phillies’ thrilling win. (MLB.com)

      MLB

      Ready for another Big Ten team in the national championship?

      October 25, 2008 /

      Penn State-Ohio StateIt’s probably fair to say that most college football fans would rather pull off one their arms and beat themselves with it than see another Big Ten team play for a national championship. But that’s exactly what might happen after Penn State defeated Ohio State 13-6 (their first win in Columbus since 1978) on Saturday night.

      Joe Paterno’s bunch has just one road game left on its schedule (at Iowa next Saturday), before wrapping up the 2008 season with home contests against Indiana and Michigan. And while the Hawkeyes are an improved team, there isn’t a whole lot standing in the Nittany Lions way of running the table and finishing the year undefeated.

      Those who watched Saturday night probably didn’t come away too impressed with PSU, but don’t forget that the Buckeyes have one of the most experienced defenses in the country. They held tough runner Evan Royster under 100 yards and even though Daryll Clark completed 12 of 20 passes for 121 yards, OSU’s defense battered him all night. (He even had to come out for most of the fourth quarter after taking a legal hit to the head.)

      This game came down to Terrelle Pryor’s fumble early in the fourth quarter that PSU eventually turned into a touchdown. On a 3rd and 1 from the 50-yard line, Pryor tried to make a big play by bouncing outside instead of rushing forward for what should have been an easy first down. He had the ball stripped and in the end, it was the key play that turned the game around in the Lions favor. Still, he’s only a freshman and he’s got an incredible future ahead of him because despite the loss and what ESPN’s Mark May said earlier in the season, Pryor is clearly ready for prime time.

      Penn State might not stand a chance against the best in the Big 12 or SEC, but outside of a bad half against Michigan last week, they’ve soundly beat opponents all season. They’re not flashy, but they play hard and do the little things right. General college football fans might not want to see another Big Ten team play for a title, but they might not have a choice after Saturday night.

      College Football

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