Page 707 of 2957

      Joe Flacco does his best Jake Delhomme impression in loss to Bengals

      September 19, 2010 /
      CINCINNATI - SEPTEMBER 19: Michael Johnson and Geno Atkins of the Cincinatti Bengals sack quarterback Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens at Paul Brown Stadium on September 19, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

      There are bad days in football and then there’s whatever Joe Flacco just did in Cincinnati today.

      In a putrid display of football on Sunday, Joe Flacco was intercepted four times and completed just 17-of-39 passes for 154 yards in a 15-10 loss to the Bengals. At the start of the third quarter, he was 5-of-17 for 23 yards and one pick…yikes.

      He did manage to lead the Ravens on an 80-yard scoring drive to start the second half, but everything went downhill again from there. He wound up throwing three of his four picks in the second half when the game was still in reach.

      Credit must be given to Bengals’ defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who played a key role in Flacco’s horrendous outing. Following their embarrassing 38-24 loss to the Patriots last weekend, Zimmer took the blame for his defense playing so poorly. But he won’t have to do that this week, as his unit limited Baltimore to only 14 first downs and an average of 3.8 yards per pass completion (which is huge considering that most teams win when their average yards per pass is higher than their opponents’).

      That said, while the Bengals’ defense got back on track, their offense was rather stagnant. Carson Palmer finished with a QB Rating of 60.1 on 16-of-35 passing for 167 yards and no touchdowns. Cedric Benson was also limited to 3.4 yards per carry (78 yards on 23 carries), although he was going up against a solid Ravens’ front seven.

      On a positive note for the Bengals’ offense, T.O. caught three passes for 57 yards, which included a 29-yard reception. Chad Ochocinco also hauled in four passes for 44 yards and rookie Jordan Shipley got into the act with five catches for 42 yards. Palmer wasn’t very efficient overall, but he did complete passes to seven different receivers and also targeted rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham, who eventually has to get more involved in the passing game.

      While I’ll stop short of calling this a statement game for the Bengals, it was important for them to beat a division rival one week after getting smacked by the Patriots. As for Flacco and the Ravens, this certainly played out like a letdown game, which is unfortunate considering Cincinnati is a division foe.

      External Sports, NFL

      The Vikings may want to trade for Vincent Jackson, like, yesterday

      September 19, 2010 /

      Apparently without Sidney Rice, the Vikings’ offense is about as explosive as toothpaste.

      In what had to be an agonizing game for Viking fans to watch, Brett Favre completed 22-of-36 passes for 225 yards and three interceptions in a 14-10 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. One interception was Percy Harvin’s fault, but the other two were vintage Brett. (He threw an absolute pea-rocket into the gut of Jason Allen on one pick, while the other came when he underthrew an intended receiver that had been blanketed by not one, but two Miami defenders.)

      Outside of tight end Visante Shiancoe (6 catches, 86 yards), Favre doesn’t appear to be on the same page with any of his receivers. Harvin did catch five passes for 32 yards, but the second-year receiver once again battled injuries throughout the day. He played sparingly in the second half after re-injuring the same hip that kept him out of practice for most of the week.

      With Rice (hip) is expected to miss at least another six or seven weeks (and that’s being optimistic – some believe he’ll be out the entire season), maybe it’s time for the Vikings to get serious about acquiring Vincent Jackson from the Chargers. I wrote earlier this week about how I don’t think a move like that would be good for the team’s long-term future, but the Vikes can’t sit idle and watch Favre continue to destroy their season. He’s fun to watch when he’s on, but when he’s off there isn’t a more reckless signal caller in the league.

      The trade winds may start blowing hard in Minnesota this week.

      External Sports, NFL

      2010 NFL Week 2 Picks & Predictions

      September 19, 2010 /
      Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver (80) celebrates a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles with teammates Aaron Rodgers (12) and Greg Jennings during the third quarter of NFL football action in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 12, 2010. REUTERS/Tim Shaffer (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Here are my top 4 plays to fade in Week 2 of the NFL:

      Ravens at. Bengals +2.5, 1:00PM ET
      Odds makers claim that they don’t lay traps for bettors. Well then, what do you call this game, you undeniable witchdoctors? Am I really not going to take the Ravens minus less than a field goal against a Bengals team that the Patriots shellacked in Week 1? Pssh. Well, I’m not. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer took the blame for the Bengals’ defensive effort last week, which he should have. He couldn’t have telegraphed where he was sending pressure any more than he did against Tom Brady, who picked Cincy’s defense apart. This week, however, he’s going to come better prepared and now it’s up to the Bengals’ players to execute. I say they rise to challenge. The Bengals beat the Ravens twice last season and have something to prove after last week. They win this game outright.
      THE PICK: BENGALS +2.5

      Bills at Packers –13, 1:00PM ET
      I try to not make it a habit of taking teams who lay double-digit points in the NFL, but I can’t help myself here. The Packers are that good and the Bills are that bad. The loss of Ryan Grant (out for the season) certainly hurts, but some people are acting like the Packers just lost Walter Payton. Brandon Jackson is a serviceable starter and besides, the passing game is still the focal point of the offense in Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers was shaky last week, but he shouldn’t face as much pressure on Sunday as he did last Sunday in Philadelphia. That means big plays to Greg Jennings, Donald Driver and Jermichael Finley in the passing game. Green Bay rolls in this one.
      THE PICK: PACKERS –13

      Texans vs. Redskins +3, 4:15PM ET
      Here’s another example of why odds makers are full of crap. The Texans are coming off a huge win in which Arian Foster rushed for over 230 yards and are now only laying 2.5 points to a Redskins team that still has plenty of doubters. Why not take Houston here and lay the measly 2.5 points? Because the NFL is a fickle bitch when it wants to be – that’s why. The Texans are coming off an emotional win over the Colts and now have to travel to D.C. to play a very beatable Redskins team. And while Washington did beat Dallas by holding the ‘Boys to just one touchdown, they’re still lacking believers. For at least one week, I believe.
      THE PICK: REDSKINS +3

      Rams at. Raiders –3.5, 4:05PM ET
      I don’t like this matchup one bit for the Rams. They have a rookie quarterback making his first road start of his career in a hostile environment and a less-than 100% Steven Jackson. Plus, I don’t think the Raiders’ defense is as bad as it showed last week in Tennessee and the Rams don’t have enough pass-rushers to make Jason Campbell uneasy in the pocket. Not having Michael Bush hurts Oakland, but the Raider defense should force a turnover or two to put the offense in good position to score a couple of times. Taking the Raiders when they’re favored makes my stomach hurt, but I feel pretty good about this one.
      THE PICK: RAIDERS –3.5

      External Sports, NFL

      Texas’ defense shuts down Tech in second half to preserve victory

      September 19, 2010 /
      LUBBOCK, TX - SEPTEMBER 18: Running back Eric Stephens of the Texas Tech Red Raiders is tackled by Jackson Jeffcoat of the Texas Longhorns at Jones AT&T Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

      The Texas-Texas Tech matchup was being billed as the best game in Week 3, but it certainly didn’t live up to the hype.

      That’s because the Longhorns’ defense held Tech to 144 total yards and forced three turnovers in a 24-14 victory.

      The Tech offense never really got going and even when it started to show signs of life, somebody would turn the ball over. A Jarvis Phillips 87-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the first quarter was huge because Texas was driving for another score already up 14-0. But even when Tech tied the game 14-14 on a Lyle Leong 15-yard touchdown pass from Taylor Potts early in the second, the Raiders still couldn’t drum up much offense against UT.

      The decisive blow for Tech came in the fourth quarter when Garrett Gilbert orchestrated a 23-play, 80-yard drive that took 9:25 off the clock and resulted in a Barrett Matthews 1-yard touchdown catch. Even with over nine minutes left on the clock, you got the feeling that the Raiders were finished.

      Tech rushed for minus-16 yards on the night, which was their worst total since October 24 (also against Texas). Ouch.

      College Football, External Sports

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑