Tag: Anthony Stalter (Page 69 of 133)

      Beanie Wells’ injury more serious than Cardinals let on

      September 24, 2010 /
      EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 25: Beanie Wells #26 of the Arizona Cardinals fends off Terrell Thomas #24 of the New York Giants on October 25, 2009 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

      If Ken Whisenhunt were a doctor, I wouldn’t want anything to do with him giving me injury updates on a family member.

      “Good news Mr. Stalter, your mother is going to be just fine. It’s just a bruise.”

      “Oh, thank God Dr. Whisenhunt – that is good news.”

      “Yep, and in about two weeks I’ll inform you that I had to do surgery on her.”

      “Wait, what?”

      “All right, you take care now.”

      According to a report by the Arizona Republic, running back Beanie Wells underwent surgery earlier this month to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee – the same right knee injury that Whisenhunt called a “bruise” three weeks ago. Wells is expected to make his season debut against the Raiders on Sunday, but clearly the knee injury that he suffered in the final preseason game was more serious than originally thought.

      Of course, it’s nothing new for a head coach to mislead the media about a player’s injury status. I’m not sure why Whisenhunt wouldn’t just come out and say that Wells would need minor surgery and that he’d be back in two weeks, but I’m sure he had his reasons.

      That said, it’ll be interesting to see how many carries Wells receives on Sunday and this news certainly changes things for the Cardinals. If he had suffered a bruise like Whisenhunt had earlier claimed, then one could expect Wells would get a fair amount of touches in the offense. But seeing as how he’s only a couple of weeks removed from surgery, chances are Beanie could be limited against the Raiders.

      I’m sure Beanie Wells fantasy owners are feeling real good about now.

      “All right, you take care now.”

      External Sports, NFL

      Are the Bills trying to showcase Marshawn Lynch for a trade?

      September 24, 2010 /
      ORCHARD PARK, NY - SEPTEMBER 12: Marshawn Lynch of the Buffalo Bills runs against the Miami Dolphins during the NFL season opener at Ralph Wilson Stadium on September 12, 2010 in Orchard Park, New York. Miami won 15-10. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

      Unless you feel the need to break down the differences between Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick’s throwing mechanics, about the only intriguing storyline in Buffalo these days is what intentions the Bills have for running back Marshawn Lynch.

      Lynch received an increased workload in the team’s loss to the Packers last week and head coach Chan Galiey has already said that the former Cal product “will play a lot” this Sunday against the Patriots depending on the offensive package.

      That begs the question: Are the Bills trying to showcase Lynch so they can deal him before the October trade deadline or do they really want to involve him more in the offense?

      I don’t want to draw concussions off of 17 carries (which is what Lynch had in Week 2) and one vague quote from Gailey, but it stands to reason that the Bills are apt to play Lynch more so that they can showcase him in a trade. C.J. Spiller is the future and Fred Jackson has already proven that he can handle a full rushing load, so why keep Lynch?

      That said, it’s not a bad idea for the Bills to get Lynch more involved anyway, regardless of whether or not they’re going to trade him. Spiller is only a rookie and while he dazzled in preseason, he’s proved in the early going that he’s going to need time to develop. Jackson was also limited this offseason and in Week 1 due to a hand injury.

      In the meantime, the Bills don’t have a quarterback so they need to rely on the running game to keep them in games (or at least, try to keep them in games). And only giving a running back (any running back) three carries (which was Lynch’s total in a Week 1 loss to the Dolphins) isn’t going to help him get into a rhythm on Sundays. Thus, upping Lynch’s carries helps the Bills whether they intend to trade him or not.

      I did find it a tad ironic, however, that Lynch received three carries in Week 1 against the Dolphins and 17 against the Packers in Week 2, seeing as how Green Bay may be in the market for a running back. Again, it’s hard to draw conclusions from the information that is at hand, but would anyone be surprised if Lynch is dealt sometime over the next couple of weeks? I certainly wouldn’t.

      External Sports, NFL

      The time is now for Alex Smith to win

      September 24, 2010 /
      Aug 28, 2010; Oakland, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith (11) reacts during the preseason game against the Oakland Raiders at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The 49ers defeated the Raiders 28-24. Photo by Image of Sport Photo via Newscom

      For those that stayed up to watch the final two minutes of the 49ers’ loss to the Saints on Monday night, you were treated to a rare sight: Alex Smith on the verge of leading his team to victory.

      Granted, the 49ers could only tie the game when Smith led them on an 8-play, 82-yard touchdown drive that took only 53 seconds off the clock in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. But the key is that he put them in position to potentially win the game at some point by throwing the ball with pinpoint accuracy, scrambling for extra yards and making smart decisions to keep the chains moving.

      In the end, Drew Brees just had too much time on the clock not to lead the Saints to victory. That’s what Brees does – he finds ways to win. And now it’s Smith’s turn to do that very thing.

      The 49ers have to win the NL West this year, period. The Rams are rebuilding, the Seahawks are short on overall talent and the Cardinals don’t have a quarterback. Thus, it’s Smith and the Niners’ division to lose.

      That said, they’re already 0-2 and now have to go on the road this Sunday to face a 2-0 Chiefs team brimming with confidence right now. Furthermore, Smith is just 16-24 as a starting quarterback, which is why the time is now for him to step up.

      While some aren’t enamored with his arm strength, he proved on Monday night that he could throw the ball. Believe it or not, he’s also one of the smartest quarterbacks in the league and this season is the first time in his career that he’s had the same offensive coordinator (Jimmy Raye) and playbook for two years straight.

      But he has to win. That’s what great quarterbacks do and while Smith is far from great, he doesn’t have to be at this point. The 49ers don’t come without some glaring weaknesses (i.e. two rookies are starting on the offensive line and some of the decision-making by Raye and head coach Mike Singletary is questionable at best), but the ’08 Lions could win this division. It’s there for the taking.

      Smith doesn’t have to be a Pro Bowler and he certainly doesn’t have to live up to his draft status (No. 1 overall). He shouldn’t have to worry about what Aaron Rodgers (who was taken 23 spots after Smith in 2005) is doing in Green Bay either.

      But he does have to start fulfilling some of the expectations that have been laid out for him. He has plenty of weapons around him and he’s comfortable in the offense; thus, there are no more excuses. Win now.

      External Sports, NFL

      2010 College Football Week 4 Predictions

      September 23, 2010 /
      TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 11: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks on from the sidelines against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 11, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

      Last week was the first time I posted predictions for the new college football season and after going 3-1, I’m fired up for a reversal of fortune this Saturday. (The college football prediction gods can be a very fickle bunch, not unlike their cousins, the NFL prediction gods.)

      Ohio State, Alabama and Arizona State were winners in Week 3, while Texas Tech was my only loser. Here are my predictions for Week 4.

      No. 1 Alabama –7 vs. No. 10 Arkansas, Saturday, 3:30PM ET
      This game makes my head hurt. I can absolutely see a good Razorback team staying with the Tide for four quarters before finally succumbing to defeat and I wouldn’t be completely shocked if Arkansas pulled off the upset entirely. But now that Alabama is back at full strength with Mark Ingram’s return, something tells me Nick Saban’s squad flexes its muscles this weekend. ‘Bama held quarterback Ryan Mallett to only 160 passing yards last year and intercepted him once. Mallett is a better quarterback then he was in September of last year (where the Tide cruised to a 35-7 victory), but ‘Bama has the second best pass defense in the country and I think the Razorback QB is going to have a tough go of things again this year.
      THE PICK: ALABAMA -7

      Temple +13.5 at No. 23 Penn State, Saturday, 3:30PM ET
      No longer are the Owls just a patsy for the Nittany Lions, who have often scheduled Temple early in the year as a tune up game. Temple is 3-0 and coming off a two-touchdown win over a Connecticut team that people had high hopes for entering the year. Penn State routed Kent State 24-0, but are just two weeks removed from a brutal effort against Alabama. Freshman quarterback Robert Bolden is still trying to find his way and has turned the ball over at least once in each of his first three games. The Lions haven’t lost to Temple since 1941, but I think this game will be closer than people expect.
      THE PICK: TEMPLE +13.5

      No. 12 South Carolina +3 at No. 17 Auburn, Saturday, 7:45PM ET
      With this game being played in Auburn, the line is set right. But I still feel as though South Carolina isn’t getting the respect it deserves. The Gamecocks routed a better-than-average Southern Miss team on opening night, then dominated Georgia 17-6 before waxing Furman, 38-19. Auburn, meanwhile, took it to Arkansas State in the first weekend, barely edged college football’s equivalent of the Seattle Mariners (Mississippi State) in Week 2 and then had to come from behind to top Clemson last week. Thanks to Cameron Newton, Onterio McCalebb and Michael Dyer, the Tigers can run the football but South Carolina has the sixth-best run defense in the nation and I see them containing the Tigers’ offensive attack. Again, the line is set right but I like the Gamecocks.
      THE PICK: SOUTH CAROLINA +3

      No. 22 West Virginia at No. 15 LSU -10, Saturday, 9:00PM ET
      The Tigers are a very quiet 3-0 right now. After nearly blowing a win against North Carolina in the opening week, their defense has looked solid the past two Saturdays in wins over Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. The Tigers have won 28 consecutive home games against non-conference foes, although they have lost their past three home games against top 25 opponents. Still, West Virginia has had issues with turnovers the past three weeks and needed overtime to beat Marshall two weeks ago. Noel Devine will have a tough time finding room against the 16th-best run defense in the nation and Jordan Jefferson should have no problem moving the ball through the air against the Mountaineers’ suspect secondary.
      THE PICK: LSU –10

      Season Record: 3-1

      College Football, External Sports

      Phil Simms returns to chat with The Scores Report

      September 23, 2010 /
      Feb 3, 2010; For Lauderdale, FL, USA; Phil Simms emcees the FedEx Ground & Air NFL Players of the Year press conference at the Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center.

      Obviously we’re doing something right here at The Scores Report if a Super Bowl MVP quarterback is willing to chat with us two years in a row.

      Over the past four years, Giants’ legend Phil Simms has worked with FedEX to promote their “Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week.”

      What is it? Every week during the NFL season six finalists are chosen for the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week award. Three are nominated as the FedEx air player (so quarterbacks, obviously) and three are nominated as the FedEx ground player (so punters, obviously) online at NFL.com. At the end of the season, fans nominate three finalists for each category and then two players (one air and one ground) are chosen as the FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Year. Last season, two worthy receipts in Drew Brees and Chris Johnson won the awards.

      Why is it important? The winners of the awards will each receive a $2,000 donation in their name to a local Safe Kids coalition in the player’s areas. Over the years, FedEx has donated over $13 million to this program, which educates people on pedestrian safety – especially around schools and playgrounds.

      Over the past two years, we’ve been fortunate enough to chat with Phil about his involvement in the program and what it means to him. He’s also been gracious enough to talk football with us and this year we got to pick his brain about whether or not Mark Sanchez is the Jets’ Achilles heel, what quarterback (Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers) he would select if he were starting a franchise tomorrow, and what his take is on the Brandon Jacobs situation in New York.

      The video interview is below and to check out our first interview with Phil last year, click here.

      External Sports, Interviews, NFL, Video

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