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      Texans would be wise not to overlook Raiders

      October 1, 2010 /
      Sep 26, 2010; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski (5), left, and offensive coordinator Hue Jackson during the game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Raiders 24-23. . Photo via Newscom

      The Raiders are about where everyone thought they’d be at this point in the season: sitting with a losing record.

      The Titans crushed them in Week 1, they hung on to beat the Rams in Week 2 and Sebastian Janikowski missed a 32-yard field goal in the closing seconds against Arizona last week that would have put them at 2-1.

      But at least Al Davis’ team has shown that they have a pulse and a lot of that has to do with the spark that quarterback Bruce Gradkowski has given them. According to ESPN.com, his 10.6 yards per attempt average leads all NFL quarterbacks this season, which provides some proof that he’s throwing the ball vertically and staying aggressive in the passing game.

      After Davis acquired Jason Campbell from the Redskins this offseason, not many people expected Gradkowski to be leading this team so early in the season. But he’s playing well and now has a golden opportunity to make a name for himself if he can lead Oakland to a victory over Houston this weekend.

      The Texans currently rank 31st in total defense and 32nd in pass defense. They start a rookie in Kareem Jackson at one corner and a second-year player in Glover Quin at the other. There’s no need to make Gradkowski out to be Peyton Manning, but he could definitely do some damage against the young, inexperienced secondary that he’ll face this weekend.

      Houston may also be depleted, as Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels have both missed practice this week with injuries. Johnson says he’ll play, but a high ankle sprain has left him sore throughout the week and Daniels is dealing with a hamstring injury (and is still recovering from knee surgery). It should go without saying that teams can’t overlook any opponent in the NFL, but that’s especially the case this Sunday for the Texans when they travel to Oakland.

      Could there be an upset in the making?

      External Sports, NFL

      It’s now or never for Padres

      October 1, 2010 /
      San Diego Padres third baseman Chase Headley holds his head as he hands at the dugout fence as he stands with teammates in the ninth inning during a loss to the Chicago Cubs in their MLB National League baseball game in San Diego, California September 30, 2010. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      August 19th seems like a decade ago.

      That’s when the San Diego Padres, who had just won five straight, had a commanding six-game lead over NL West rivals the San Francisco Giants. The Friars were 26 games above .500 at that point and given the strength of their pitching, they seemed destined for a playoff spot.

      It’s October 1st and now the Padres are clinging to desperation after losing three of four to the second-to-last-place Cubs. With just three games to play in the regular season, they’re three games back of the Giants in the West and two games back of the Braves in the Wildcard (who will take on the Phillies’ scrubs over the next three days). They’re just 5-5 in their last 10 games, while San Fran is 8-2.

      Six days ago they were just a half game back of the Giants and with the lowly Cubs coming to down, they had an opportunity to potentially take the division lead back. But with their season on the line, the Padres only mustered five runs over a four-game stretch and the Cubs took three of four at Petco Park.

      The Padres now have to sweep the Giants and hope to win a one-game playoff in San Diego on Monday. It’s hard enough to beat a team three times in a row and four times seems nearly impossible. The good news is that the Padres have swept the Giants twice this year, but those were different teams back then. All you need to know about that San Francisco team was that Bengie Molina was still the cleanup hitter.

      There’s still hope for the Padres, but the time is now. Two of their top guns, Clayton Richard and Mat Latos, will take the hill in two of the three games, but the key is the offense. The Giants had the best team ERA in the major leagues last month and if the Cubs’ pitching could shut San Diego’s offense down, what do you think San Fran’s will do to them?

      If the Padres are going to make the playoffs, they’ll have to erase a month and a half of poor play in four days. But for them, the only way to approach this situation is one game at a time, starting tonight in the “City by the Bay.”

      External Sports, MLB

      WEC 51 Main Card Results: Aldo vs. Gamburyan

      October 1, 2010 /

      In case you missed the action, Nate Lawson of HeavyMMA.com has the results from WEC 51, including the Aldo vs. Gamburyan bout.

      Jose Aldo vs. Manny Gamburyan for the WEC Featherweight Title
      Gamburyan started off strong with a big right hand, but Aldo looked completely fine with his power. Aldo looked to get his timing down, while the challenger looked to get to work quickly. Two minutes into the fight, and Aldo seemed content to display his patience. The fans, however, were not thrilled, pleading for some action. Aldo went back to the same style he had in his fight against Urijah Faber, landing several big kicks to the leg of Gamburyan. With 10 seconds to go, the challenger looked for a takedown, but the incredible balance of Aldo prevented that from happening.

      Gamburyan came out with some leg kicks of his own to start the second, followed by a takedown, which Aldo easily avoided. Aldo looked completely focused, trying to find his opening to finish the fight. He found one with a quick one-two that staggered Gamburyan. A follow-up uppercut sent Gamburyan to the floor, and Aldo went to work. The Brazilian sensation unloaded on his downed opponent, putting him out after an incredible amount of punishment. Aldo def. Gamburyan via knockout at 1:32 of Round 2.

      Read the full article here.

      External Sports, Mixed Martial Arts, WEC

      2010 Fantasy Football: Week 4 Rankings

      September 30, 2010 /
      Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers warms up before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago on September 27, 2010. UPI/Brian Kersey Photo via Newscom

      Updated Friday, October 1.

      Below are my rankings for Week 4. I’m participating in a study as part of Fantasy Pros, where they keep track of the accuracy of many of the top fantasy ‘experts’ around the country. As of Week 3, I’m ranked #3 out of 39 experts that post their rankings at the site. If you utilize my advice on the Q&A, please take a moment to sign up at Fantasy Pros (it’s free) and rate me as an expert.

      These rankings are for a standard (non-PPR) scoring system:

      Quarterbacks

      1. Aaron Rodgers (GB vs. DET)
      2. Peyton Manning (IND @ JAC)
      3. Michael Vick (PHI vs. WAS)
      4. Philip Rivers (SD vs. ARI)
      5. Drew Brees (NO vs. CAR)
      6. Tom Brady (NE @ MIA)
      7. Matt Ryan (ATL vs. SF)
      8. Donovan McNabb (WAS @ PHI)
      9. Kyle Orton (DEN @ TEN)
      10. Jay Cutler (CHI @ NYG)
      11. Eli Manning (NYG vs. CHI)
      12. Chad Henne (MIA vs. NE)
      13. Matt Schaub (HOU @ OAK)
      14. Mark Sanchez (NYJ @ BUF)
      15. Bruce Gradkowski (OAK vs. HOU)
      16. Matt Hasselbeck (SEA @ STL)
      17. Ryan Fitzpatrick (BUF vs. NYJ)
      18. Vince Young (TEN vs. DEN)
      19. Sam Bradford (STL vs. SEA)
      20. Carson Palmer (CIN @ CLE)
      21. Charlie Batch (PIT vs. BAL)
      22. Joe Flacco (BAL @ PIT)
      23. Shaun Hill (DET @ GB)
      24. Alex Smith (SF @ ATL)
      25. Derek Anderson (ARI @ SD)
      26. David Garrard (JAC vs. IND)
      27. Seneca Wallace (CLE vs. CIN)
      28. Jimmy Clausen (CAR @ NO)

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, Fantasy Football, NFL

      Drew Brees, Pierre Thomas banged up for Saints

      September 30, 2010 /
      Sep 20, 2010; San Francisco, CA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) throws a pass during the Saints' 25-22 victory over the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park. Photo via Newscom

      Good thing the Saints take on the hapless Panthers this Sunday, because they’ve become the walking wounded.

      Reggie Bush (broken fibula) doesn’t need crutches anymore and is walking without pain. He believes he’ll be back sooner than expected, but that’s about the only injury news that favors the Saints right now.

      Drew Brees will play Sunday against Carolina, but he’s expected to wear a brace on his sore left knee. He suffered the injury late last week in an overtime loss to the Falcons and while he doesn’t think the knee will affect his performance, you never know how a player will respond to an injury until he gets on the field. The good thing is that Brees is a tremendous pocket passer and even if he had two good knees we wouldn’t be seeing his best Michael Vick impression.

      The other significant piece of injury news surrounding the Saints has to do with Pierre Thomas’ ankle. He’s going to be a game-time decision after missing practice the past two days, although the team has yet to active DeShawn Wynn from the practice squad so that’s a good sign. Head coach Sean Payton also said on Thursday that Thomas is a rare player in that he can miss practice and still be mentally ready to play on Sunday.

      The Saints struggled to run the ball last week against the Falcons and it hurt them late in the game. Their passing attack was still unstoppable, but come overtime their defense was worn down from being on the field all day and Atlanta took advantage. I don’t expect the Panthers to pull off an upset this week, but with Brees and Thomas hobbled the game could be tighter than anticipated.

      External Sports, NFL

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