Tag: Ben Roethlisberger (Page 9 of 34)

      Steelers closing in on AFC North title

      December 24, 2010 /

      When a team suffers a loss and needs a good pick-me-up, the Carolina Panthers often offer the perfect remedy.

      A week after losing at home against the Jets, the Steelers rebounded on Thursday night to beat the Panthers 27-3. Ben Roethlisberger completed 22-of-32 passes for 320 yards and one touchdown, while also adding a second score on the ground. On his lone passing touchdown of the night, he read blitz and quickly hit Mike Wallace for a 43-yard score to give Pittsburgh an early 10-0 lead. Thanks to the Panthers’ brutalness, the Steelers went on to collect their easiest win of the year.

      With the win, Pittsburgh is now in position to wrap up the AFC North and clinch a bye in the first round of the playoffs if it can beat Cleveland on January 2. And actually, the Browns could help the Steelers well in advance if they can knock off the Ravens this Sunday in Cleveland.

      As for the Panthers, the season couldn’t end fast enough for them and John Fox. Their roster is so devoid of talent and it’s tough to evaluate young players like Jimmy Clausen when he has no support around him. Carolina’s running game isn’t bad, but who does Clausen have to throw to? Defenses double-team Steve Smith, leaving Clausen to throw to fellow rookies who are trying to learn the game along with him. And forget protection – Clausen doesn’t have any.

      Of course, by this time one would think he would look a little better than he has. He has little to no pocket presence and his accuracy is suspect at best. His decision-making might be coming along a little, but he still does some things that make you want to pull your hair out (like taking a sack on a 4th and 5 in the second quarter instead of just heaving one in the direction of a receiver). Maybe he’ll develop into a solid starter one day but as of right now, he’s showed zero signs of developing. (Again, that’s not all his fault either.)

      The Panthers will have an awfully different look to them next season, that’s for sure.

      External Sports, NFL

      T.G.I. Friday’s NFL Weekend Preview – Week 13

      December 3, 2010 /

      “This series is brought to you by T.G.I. Friday’s, where every Sunday means Food, Fun & Football! Hut, hut, hut!”

      The Scores Report has teamed up with T.G.I Friday’s to promote the action in Week 13 of the NFL. Here’s a look at Sunday’s top games.

      The Top-5 Games of Week 13:

      1. Jets (9-2) @ Patriots (9-2), 8:30PM ET, Monday
      Besides Panthers-Seahawks on a Sunday evening, does it get any better than Jets-Patriots on Monday Night Football? Rex Ryan vs. Bill Belichick. Tom Brady vs. Darrelle Revis. Mark Sanchez vs. Mark Sanchez. It’s outstanding football! The winner of this game will own sole possession of first place in the AFC East and if the Jets win, they’ll essentially have a two-game lead over New England by virtue of a tiebreaker (they would have won both games in the series this year). If last year is any indication, the Patriots could roll on Monday night. They lost to the Jets earlier in the season (Week 2 in fact, the same week they lost to gang green this year) and then stomped them 31-14 in Foxboro later in the year. Can Ryan figure out a way to beat Belichick on his home turf?

      2. Steelers (8-3) @ Ravens (8-3), 8:20PM ET, Sunday
      The two primetime games are outstanding this week. Just like in the Jets-Pats matchup, the winner of this game will have sole possession of first place in the division. And just like the Jets, if the Ravens win they’ll have a two-game lead over the Steelers because they would have beaten Pittsburgh twice this season. Of course, that win came during Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension and even though he suffered an ankle injury last Sunday in a win over the Bills, Baltimore has had issues with Big Ben in the past. Roethlisberger has missed four games against the Ravens due to injury or suspension since entering the league, and the Steelers have lost all four games. But when he starts, they’re 7-2 against Baltimore. Can the Ravens get the best of Big Ben this year?

      3. Falcons (9-2) @ Bucs (7-4), 4:15PM ET, Sunday
      The Bucs have earned respect around the league for hanging with teams like the Falcons and Ravens over the past month. But if they truly consider themselves a playoff contender, then they need to do more than just gain teams’ respect. They’re lacking that signature win this year – one in which they beat a playoff contender (or at least beat a team with a winning record). Their seven wins have come against the Bengals, Rams, Cardinals, Panthers and 49ers. Not exactly a murderous row of opponents. But they have an opportunity this Sunday to beat a team that has struggled against them in the past. The Falcons own the top record in the NFC but Tampa Bay has always proven to be a difficult place for them to win, which dates back to the Michael Vick era. Win, and the Bucs will keep their playoff hopes very much alive. Lose, and maybe reality will start to set in for this team that they’re still a year away from competing for the postseason.

      4. Redskins (5-6) @ Giants (7-4), 1:00PM ET, Sunday
      The pressure is on the Giants after the Eagles beat the Texans on Thursday night. If New York loses this weekend, then it’ll be a full game behind Philadelphia in the NFC East and the Eagles already own the tiebreaker between the two teams (although they do play again in three weeks). This is a game that the Giants should win, but they’ve had issues with Donovan McNabb-led teams in the past. When McNabb was with the Eagles, he beat the Giants 11 out of 18 times, including once in the playoffs. That doesn’t mean his success will carry over now that he’s with the Redskins, but the Giants are well aware of what he’s done to them in the past. New York has been a careless team for most of the season and now would be a great time to start protecting the football more. They’re averaging –0.6 turnovers per game, which ranks them 26th in the league. If Tom Coughlin’s team can’t figure out a way to stop turning the ball over, then they may cough up an opportunity to go to the playoffs.

      5. Cowboys (3-8) @ Colts (6-5), 4:15PM ET, Sunday
      Everyone wants to know what’s wrong with Peyton Manning. Is his poor play of late a direct result of the injuries that the Colts have or are his skills as a passer declining? He still owns a 90.8 QB rating this season, but he’s thrown seven interceptions the past two games. Granted, those numbers are a little misleading. In the Colts’ loss to the Chargers last Sunday night, Eric Weddle should have been flagged for pass interference on one interception and another pick came at the tail end of the game when Manning was just trying to make a play by heaving one to the end zone. Still, even if you subtract those two interceptions he would still have five INTs in two games. That’s a very Brett Favre-like ratio. On the other side, the Cowboys are playing remarkably better under Jason Garrett than Wade Phillips. This isn’t the same team that was blown out by the Packers on Sunday Night Football a couple weeks back, even though Tony Romo is still nursing a shoulder injury. This is a game Manning and the Colts need to win so they can avoid dropping to 6-6 on the year. (Can you imagine the Colts at .500 this late in the season? Yeesh.)

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      External Sports, NFL

      2010 NFL Week 13 Odds

      December 2, 2010 /
      New York Jets Jayson Taylor forces a fumble and sacks New England Patriots Tom Brady in week 2 of the NFL season at New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on September 19, 2010. The Jets defeated the Patriots 28-14. UPI /John Angelillo Photo via Newscom

      Jets (9-2) @ Patriots (9-2), 8:30PM ET, Monday
      After that 49ers-Cardinals debacle last Monday night, ESPN owes fans one. Fortunately for them, we get to cash that favor this week with a battle of two 9-2 AFC East teams fighting for the top seed in the playoffs. Round 1 went to the Jets back in Week 2 and if they can beat the Bill Belichick’s again this Monday, they’ll essentially be up two full games over their division rivals. Tom Brady completed 20-of-36 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns against Rex Ryan’s defense earlier this season, but he also threw two costly interceptions. Can he get the best of gang green this time around?
      CURRENT ODDS: PATRIOTS –3.5

      Steelers (8-3) @ Ravens (8-3), 8:20PM ET
      The Sunday Night Football game hits another home run this week. The Ravens own a tiebreaker over the Steelers by virtue of their win earlier this season in Pittsburgh, but that victory came during Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension. Big Ben was in a walking boot after the Steelers’ win in Buffalo on Sunday and could be limited in practice throughout the week. He says he’ll play, but if he’s immobile then the Ravens’ aggressive front seven could have a field day. Pittsburgh better hope its banged up offensive line is up for the challenge this week. This should be a knock-‘em-down, drag-‘em-out kind of a fight between two heavy-hitters in the AFC North.
      CURRENT ODDS: RAVENS –3

      Falcons (9-2) @ Bucs (7-4), 4:15PM ET
      Do the Falcons ever catch a break? After facing the Bucs, Ravens, Rams (on the road) and Packers in consecutive weeks, Atlanta will once again face a playoff contender when it travels to Tampa this Sunday. The good news is that the Falcons face the Panthers twice in their last five games. The bad news is that the Saints and Bucs are breathing down their necks in the NFC South, so they can’t afford to take a week off. Both of their losses came on the road this year and the Bucs played them tough in the Georgia Dome a month ago. Bettors, be weary of a trap.
      CURRENT ODDS: FALCONS –2

      Cowboys (3-8) @ Cowboys (6-5), 4:15PM ET
      Given what has transpired over the past couple of weeks, this game is incredibly intriguing. Thanks to interim coach Jason Garrett, the Cowboys are playing with a renewed sense of confidence and could have beaten the Saints last week had Roy Williams not fumbled in the closing minutes, which set New Orleans up for its game-winning touchdown drive. On the other side, the Colts have looked overmatched the last two weeks and are now on the verge of dropping to .500 on the year. Peyton Manning looked horrid last Sunday night against the Chargers and while Dallas’ defense can be had, the ‘Boys are playing much better on that side of the ball these days. If Peyton Manning puts together his third straight poor performance, there will be no doubt that someone in the media will start to question if age is starting to catch up to him.
      CURRENT ODDS: COLTS -5

      2010 NFL Week 13 Odds & Over/Under Totals

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      External Sports, NFL

      Refs hose Dolphins in loss to Steelers

      October 24, 2010 /
      Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) is sacked in first half action by Miami Dolphins Cameron Wake at Sun Life Stadium in Miami on October 24, 2010. UPI/Michael Bush Photo via Newscom

      The end of the Steelers-Dolphins game on Sunday is a perfect example of why referees need to allow plays to come to their completion before they move on to the next play, a challenge, or what have you.

      With the Steelers down 22-20 with less than two minutes remaining, Ben Roethlisberger fumbled the ball while diving head first into the end zone. The refs ruled the play a touchdown, then they reviewed it, determined that it was a fumble, but because none of them bothered to figure out which team recovered the ball in the end zone (it appeared that two Miami players hopped on it but the refs never made a ruling either way), they put the ball back on the 1-yard line. On fourth down, Jeff Reed converted a chip shot field goal and the Steelers went on to win, 23-22.

      Football games don’t come down to one play. The Dolphins had their opportunities throughout the day, but they continuously settled for field goals and gave the Steelers a chance to win in the end. But there’s no doubt that the refs hosed Miami. Had they bothered to do their jobs, they would have determined that the Dolphins recovered the ball in the end zone and then after they reviewed the play, they would have correctly made a ruling of a touchback. And the worse part is that all they had to do was determine which team recovered the ball. Their ruling of a touchdown was fine (wrong, but fine), but they didn’t allow the play to run through its completion and there’s no excuse for that.

      Instead, they screwed the pooch and they handed the Steelers a gift win. Granted, we don’t know what would have happened in that final minute and change. Maybe the Dolphins would have turned the ball over and the Steelers would have won anyway. Who’s to say?

      But the fact that they weren’t given that opportunity is on the refs and I wouldn’t be surprised if the NFL reviewed the situation and offered Tony Sparano an apology.

      Not that an apology replaces a loss in the standings.

      Update: Big Ben says he was holding onto the ball at the bottom of the pile. Even if that’s the case, the refs should have determined who had the ball and made the correct ruling.

      External Sports, NFL

      NFL Week 6 MVP, COY and ROY Power Rankings

      October 24, 2010 /

      Every week we have different candidates here, because the 2010 NFL season has been wacky. And that’s okay, as it makes ranking MVP, Coach of the Year and Rookie of the Year candidates more fun. Anyway, here we go….

      MVP Power Rankings

      1. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts—Okay, so Philip Rivers and Kyle Orton have more yards per game, but they play for 2-4 teams. Manning’s Colts are 4-2, and check out these numbers through six games—1916 yards, 67.3 completion percentage, 319.3 yards per game, 13 touchdowns (leads NFL) and just 2 interceptions, for a QB rating of 103.4. As usual, Manning sort of defines what the term MVP is all about.

      2. Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers—I heard someone on NFL Network the other day call Matthews the “best defensive player in the NFL.” Not bad for a linebacker in his second year, who was selected after 25 other players in the 2009 draft. Anyway, Matthews has 9 sacks to lead the NFL, and 21 tackles through five games…and the Packers sorely missed him last Sunday in a loss to Miami when Matthews sat out with a hamstring injury.

      3. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers—We’re leaving Antonio on here this week because he left the game against the Rams last Sunday with an ankle injury, leaving Philip Rivers without his favorite target. And then the Chargers lost the game. To the Rams. Gates only had 2 catches for 12 yards in that one, but on the season he still has 31 receptions for 490 yards and 7 TDs (which leads all tight ends and receivers).

      Honorable mention: Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles (thanks to Kevin Kolb’s performance last Sunday, Vick got bumped off the list); LaDainian Tomlinson, New York Jets; Brandon Lloyd, Denver Broncos; Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos; Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers; Osi Umenyiora, New York Giants; Arian Foster, Houston Texans

      Coach of the Year Power Rankings

      1. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers—If you start the season without your star quarterback for four games, and have the likes of Charlie Batch, Dennis Dixon, and Byron Leftwich at the helm, coming out of that 2-2 would be a huge moral victory. Well, Tomlin came out of that stretch 3-1 and it could have been 4-0 if not for that last-gasp drive by Joe Flacco and the Ravens a few weeks ago. Of course, the D led by a healthy Troy Polamalu and hard-hitting-to-a-fault James Harrison, has helped, but let’s give Tomlin some huge and well-deserved props here.

      2. Steve Spagnuolo, St. Louis Rams—Has anyone noticed that the Rams are 3-3, having already equaled their win total from 2008 and 2009 combined. And they’re giving up less than 19 points per game after allowing 27 per game last year—something that has much to do with the Rams’ defensive whiz of a coach.

      3. Tom Coughlin, New York Giants—How do you go from the scorching hot hot seat to a coach of the year nomination? Ask Tom Coughlin, who the New York media had being replaced by Bill Cowher a few weeks ago when they lost badly to the Colts, and then beat themselves badly in a loss the Titans at home. The Giants rallied around Coughlin and squashed the previously unbeaten Bears, then crushed the upstart Texans in Houston 34-10, before not allowing the dreaded trap game against Detroit ruin his team’s winning streak. So from 1-2 to 4-2, and tied with the Eagles for the division lead. That’s why Tom Coughlin is on here.

      Honorable mention: Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks; Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay Bucs; Todd Haley, Kansas City Chiefs; Rex Ryan, New York Jets; Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles

      Rookie of the Year Power Rankings

      1. Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions—Suh leads all NFL defensive tackles with 5 sacks, and he also has 21 tackles through six games, plus an interception—a pretty rare feat for a DT. Is there any doubt that this young big man is the real deal?

      2. Jahvid Best, Detroit Lions—Injury may have slowed Best down, but how about the fact that to go along with 249 rushing yards, Best has 31 catches for a league-high 285 receiving yards among running backs. That’s 534 all-purpose yards through six games.

      3. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams—He’s way down the list of quarterbacks stat-wise, but Bradford is averaging 226 yards per game and has 7 TD passes. We’ll let the 8 picks slide for now, because let’s face it—the kid is helping to lead the Rams to respectability.

      Honorable mention: Max Hall, Arizona Cardinals; Rolando McClain, Oakland Raiders; Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys; Jermaine Gresham, Cincinnati Bengals

      External Sports, NFL

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