Tag: Donovan McNabb (Page 4 of 27)

      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

      Redskins shockingly give Donovan McNabb a $78 million extension

      November 15, 2010 /
      PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 03: Donovan McNabb of the Washington Redskins celebrates after throwing a first quater touchdown pass against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 3, 2010 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

      Leave it to the Redskins to make a decision that not only sends shockwaves through the NFL, but also leaves everyone questioning whether or not owner Daniel Snyder has a fully functioning brain.

      The Redskins agreed to terms with quarterback Donovan McNabb on a five-year, $78 million contract extension though 2015. This is the same McNabb that was benched for Rex Grossman two weeks ago in Detroit because Mike Shanahan believed he wasn’t physically fit enough to run the two-minute offense. This is the same McNabb that has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns this year, has posted his lowest completion percentage since 2006 and who reportedly has been extremely slow to pick up Shanahan’s offense.

      Oh, and he’s also set to become 34 at the end of the month.

      Maybe the Redskins know something we don’t. Maybe McNabb drank from the fountain of youth recently and he’s about to lead the Redskins on a miracle second half run that nets them a playoff berth and a Super Bowl victory. Maybe people will look back at Washington’s decision and deem it the greatest personnel move in the history of football.

      Or maybe, and this seems more likely, McNabb will post very average numbers over the next couple of years and he’ll never see the end of this contract. Maybe Snyder (or Bruce Allen, or whoever is making the final decisions in D.C. now) once again overpaid a player and when the new CBA deal is signed, his team will permanently have a place reserved in cap hell.

      I’m a McNabb fan but he hasn’t earned this raise. He’s not working with much, but how can the Redskins build a decent core around him if they’re paying him $78 million over the next five years?

      And why now? Why not wait to see if McNabb starts to play better before you sign him to an enormous extension? He wasn’t good enough to beat out Rex Grossman for the opportunity to run your two-minute offense but he’s worth $78 million? I don’t get it.

      Again, this could all work well for the Redskins but I severely doubt it. And if McNabb is worth $78 million, what will Michael Vick or Peyton Manning command next March?

      External Sports, NFL

      Writer plays race card when it comes to Donovan McNabb’s benching

      November 15, 2010 /
      Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb outruns the St. Louis Rams defense for a 26-yard gain in the second half at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis on September 26, 2010. UPI/BIll Greenblatt Photo via Newscom

      Author John Feinstein says race is factoring into how Mike Shanahan is handling Donovan McNabb in Washington.

      After he benched McNabb for Rex Grossman at the conclusion of the Redskins’ game in Detroit two weeks ago, Shanahan said that McNabb wasn’t physically fit enough to run the two-minute offense because of a hamstring injury. Later it was reported that the Redskins have had to cut the playbook in half because McNabb is having a hard time picking everything up.

      That prompted Feinstein to play the race card when he appeared on a local Comcast Sports talk show in Washington recently.

      From FOX Philadelphia:

      “The situation with Shanahan and McNabb has gotten completely out of control. Shanahan simply won’t say ‘I made a mistake. I got mad at Donovan, I put Rex Grossman in the game and it was a mistake.’ Instead, the first spin is that he doesn’t know the terminology of the two-minute offense, i.e. he’s stupid. The next day, it’s, well, his cardiovascular, he’s out of shape, i.e. he’s fat. Now, he’s leaking to Chris Mortensen — who is culpable in this, too, because I guarantee he didn’t call Donovan McNabb for a response — that we had to cut the playbook in half because of McNabb.”

      “I think there’s racial coding going on here, and it’s my belief that that kind of behavior is worth firing a coach for. Dan Snyder’s not gonna do it, but I think it’s out of control.”

      I’ve got one, big, fat trump card for Feinstein and his name is JaMarcus Russell.

      While the Redskins didn’t sign the mammoth bust, Shanahan did bring Russell in for a workout two days after the Lions game. If Shanahan doesn’t want to work with black quarterbacks, then why bring in Russell? If Shanahan feels as though he has to cut his playbook in half for black quarterbacks, then again…why bring in Russell? It doesn’t make sense.

      I think what happened here is that Shanahan got caught overthinking. Grossman had been running the two-minute drill in practice because McNabb had been nursing a hamstring injury, so Shanahan thought he could sneak one past the goalie by bringing in Grossman. Plus, it’s not like McNabb had been sharp up until that point, so Shanahan took a gamble.

      Obviously that gamble didn’t pay off, but to accuse the man of racial coding is a bit extreme. This appears to be a classic example of the media looking too much into a situation instead of keeping the matter on the surface. McNabb wasn’t benched because he’s black. He was benched because Shanahan thought he was smarter than everyone and it backfired.

      External Sports, NFL

      The time is now for Donovan McNabb to prove doubters wrong

      November 10, 2010 /
      LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 10: Quarterback Donovan McNabb of the Washington Redskins greets fans before playing against the Green Bay Packers at FedExField on October 10, 2010 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

      I’ve always liked Donovan McNabb and have always felt that he’s gotten a bad rap for, in my estimation, absolutely nothing.

      But let’s go already.

      During a weekly appearance on ESPN 980, the Redskins’ quarterback said the idea that he doesn’t know the offensive playbook or has difficulty calling plays is ridiculous.

      “That is hilarious to me. That is really funny to me,” McNabb said during the interview. “For everyone who may not have heard this, it’s probably a shock.”

      Then prove it.

      Look, I thought Mike Shanahan’s decision to bench McNabb for Rex Grossman at the end of the Lions game was horrendous. You don’t bench Donovan McNabb for Rex Grossman. Hell, you don’t bench Jon Kitna for Rex Grossman. He’s Rex Grossman, how good did Shanahan think the guy was when he decided to put the game on his shoulders in Detroit a couple of weeks ago? What a brutal decision.

      That said, it’s not like McNabb has set the NFL ablaze with his play this year. I realize he’s only in year one of a new system, but in eight games he’s thrown for 1,971 yards with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions with a 76.0 QB Rating. If that’s not the definition of “meh” then I don’t know what is.

      He says he knows the offense. Then prove it. He says this idea that he can’t handle Shanahan’s playbook is hilarious. Then prove it. Shut everyone up once and for all by taking over a game, Donvoan. Put everything on your shoulders and will the Redskins to victory. Let’s see it.

      Don’t get it twisted – I’m not calling out McNabb. I want him to succeed so that he can prove all of his doubters wrong. I want him to have the last laugh because he’s a good player and he still doesn’t get the credit he deserves. I want him to lambaste the Eagles on Monday night not because I don’t like Philly or that I’m biased, but because I’m a Donovan McNabb fan. I want him to win.

      But crap or get off the pot already. I realize the Redskins’ offensive line has been putrid at times this year and he has nothing to work with in terms of skill players, but I don’t care. The great ones know how to win with less.

      I’m not saying he needs to win a Super Bowl and he’s not going to with the talent that the Redskins currently have. But how about giving everyone the ol’ one-figured salute for once by going out and winning a game in the midst of all this doubt? He doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone, but for once, be great, Donovan. Leave no doubt.

      External Sports, NFL

      2010 NFL Week 10 Odds

      November 9, 2010 /
      BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 10: Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens huddles the offense during the game against the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium on October 10, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. Players wore pink in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Ravens defeated the Broncos 31-17. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

      Ravens (6-2) @ Falcons (6-2), Thursday, 8:20PM ET
      The best game on the Week 10 schedule and nobody will get to see if because it’ll be on the NFL Network. What a shame. The Falcons are 4-0 at home this year and have only lost once at the Georgia Dome when Matt Ryan starts. The Falcons’ secondary better be up for the challenge because the Ravens definitely have an advantage against the 26th overall pass defense in the league. Atlanta has the sixth-best run defense in the league but if it can’t stop Joe Flacco and Anquan Boldin then it’ll be a long night in the dirty south.
      CURRENT ODDS: FALCONS –1

      Patriots (6-2) @ Steelers (6-2), Sunday, 8:20PM ET
      After that debacle last week with the Cowboys in Green Bay, NBC deserves this matchup on Sunday night. The Patriots may have been caught looking ahead to this game when they were crushed by the Browns last weekend in Cleveland. Bill Belichick’s teams usually don’t play poorly two weeks in a row but Pittsburgh’s defense has a way of making opponents look bad. That said, the Steelers have a mess of injuries on their offensive line and while New England isn’t a great pass rushing team, the Pats may have an advantage down in the trenches. No offense to the Colts or Ravens, but will this be a matchup of the AFC title game?
      CURRENT ODDS: STEELERS –4.5

      Eagles (5-3) @ Redskins (4-4), Monday, 8:30PM ET
      If Donovan McNabb wants to shut his critics up and prove to Mike Shanahan that he should be the only one taking snaps this year for the Redskins, then a win against the Eagles on Monday night would go a long way. He beat his former team earlier in the season but that was when Michael Vick left the game with a rib injury. Assuming Vick stays healthy, things could play out much differently this Monday in D.C. Perhaps no quarterback is playing as well as Vick is now, but he’ll face a pissed off McNabb that had two weeks to stew over Shanahan’s ridiculous decision to play Rex Grossman in the final minutes of a loss to the Lions in Week 8. Buckle your chip strap because we’re about to have an ol’ fashioned NFC East showdown in Washington this week.
      CURRENT ODDS: EAGLES -3

      Titans (5-3) @ Dolphins (4-4), Sunday, 1:00PM ET
      Outside of the Steelers, no team has attempted less passes this year than the Tennessee Titans. Considering Randy Moss can get a little cranky when he doesn’t get enough looks in the passing game, things might get a little tense in Tennessee over the remainder of the year. That said, there’s no doubt that Moss makes the Titans’ more dangerous and teams won’t be able to stack the box in order to take away Chris Johnson. They just better make sure that Moss sees his fair share of passes or else things could get real ugly in a hurry.
      CURRENT ODDS: TITANS -1

      2010 NFL Week 10 Odds & Over/Under Totals

      105 Baltimore Ravens +1 (43)
      106 Atlanta Falcons –1 (43)
      215 Cincinnati Bengals +7.5 (47)
      216 Indianapolis Colts -7.5 (47)
      217 Houston Texans +1 (50)
      218 Jacksonville Jaguars –1 (50)
      219 Tennessee Titans -1 (42.5)
      220 Miami Dolphins +1 (42.5)
      221 Minnesota Vikings –1 (40)
      222 Chicago Bears +1 (40)
      223 Detroit Lions +3 (43)
      224 Buffalo Bills -3 (43)
      225 New York Jets –3 (37.5)
      226 Cleveland Browns +3 (37.5)
      227 Carolina Panthers +6.5 (35.5)
      228 Tampa Bay Buccaneers -6.5 (35.5)
      229 Kansas City Chiefs –1 (42)
      230 Denver Broncos +1 (42)
      231 St. Louis Rams +5.5 (38.5)
      232 San Francisco 49ers –5.5 (38.5)
      233 Seattle Seahawks +3 (41)
      234 Arizona Cardinals -3 (41)
      235 Dallas Cowboys +13.5 (45)
      236 New York Giants -13.5 (45)
      237 New England Patriots +4.5 (45)
      238 Pittsburgh Steelers -4.5 (45)
      239 Philadelphia Eagles –3 (41.5)
      240 Washington Redskins +3 (41.5)

      Make some cash with your questionable habits! SBR’s Beat the Prick Handicapping contest kicks off on Sept. 7, with up to $10,000 up for grabs in weekly prizes. Do you know football? Enter now!

      External Sports, NFL

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