Tag: Eli Manning (Page 16 of 22)

      NFL Week 16 Primer Early Games

      December 19, 2008 /

      Here’s a quick Week 16 preview for all of the early games with playoff implications in the NFL this week:

      Joe FlaccoRavens at Cowboys, 8:15PM ET Saturday NFL Network
      It’s a shame that only four people will have the opportunity to see this game Saturday night due to the broadcast being on NFL Network. It appears that Marion Barber will play again this week but he doesn’t have a great matchup against a stout Baltimore defense. The Ravens will continue to pound the ball on the ground and keep rookie quarterback Joe Flacco protected, which was one thing the Giants failed to do last week for Eli Manning when they gave up eight sacks in a loss to Dallas. The Cowboys are playing their best defense of the season right now but will all of their off-field issues eventually catch up to them? Can Terrell Owens behave? Will Tony Romo hold this team together?

      Steelers at Titans, 1:00PM ET, CBS
      Home field advantage in the AFC is on the line in this game, but Tennessee is in trouble. Not only are the Titans coming off a loss, but they also lost DT Albert Haynesworth for the season and managed to score just 12 points on the suddenly hot Houston Texans last Sunday. The Steelers, meanwhile, continue to play the best defense of any team in the NFL and while they still have of a fair amount of issues on the offensive side of the ball, they appear to be the team to beat in the NFL right now. We’ll find out a lot about both teams this Sunday in a game that should be a massive defensive struggle.

      Cardinals at Patriots, 1:00PM ET FOX
      New England is currently locked in a three-way tie in the AFC East although a win over Arizona would go a long way in earning a division crown because they wrap up the season against the hapless Bills next week. The Cardinals might have won the NFC West two weeks ago, but at 8-6 they don’t look like a team ready for the postseason. They have yet to beat a quality opponent on the road and their defense looked disastrous last week in allowing the Vikings’ Tarvaris Jackson to throw four touchdown passes and Adrian Peterson to do whatever he wanted on the ground. If they hope to get any momentum before the playoffs, the Cards might want to start with a win this Sunday in Foxboro. But that might be tough to do against a Patriots team on a mission.

      Chargers at Buccaneers, 1:00PM ET CBS
      The Broncos have kept the Chargers in the playoff mix but San Diego’s hopes are hanging by a thread. One more loss or a Denver win and they would officially be eliminated. Tampa Bay is coming off two straight losses to divisional opponents and injuries are mounting along the defensive line. The Buccaneers’ once stout run defense has been gashed for over 450 yards the past two weeks and if LaDainain Tomlinson can get going, the Chargers might be the next opponent to run amuck on Tampa. Still, the Bucs are in good shape for the playoffs if they can muster a win Sunday and they should have a huge advantage this week with wideout Antonio Bryant going against a spotty San Diego secondary. If the Bucs win out, they’ll secure one of the Wild Card seeds in the NFC and after hosting the Chargers this week, they wrap up the season against the Raiders at Raymond James.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Cowboys’ defense stifles Giants – NY drops two straight

      December 14, 2008 /

      Dallas Cowboys DefenseThe Dallas Cowboys put all of the internal bickering and inner squabbling that dominated the headlines at Valley Ranch last week behind them Sunday night and came up with a massive 20-8 win over their division rivals the New York Giants, who lost back to back games for the first time all season.

      Tony Romo was excellent, completing 20 of 30 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns, as well as Tashard Choice, who rushed nine times for 91 yards and a game-clinching 38-yard touchdown run. But the Dallas defense was the true hero, sacking Eli Manning eight times, intercepting him once and limited a Brandon Jacobs-less Giants’ running game to just 72 yards.

      For the moment, the win puts the Cowboys in the fifth playoff spot in the NFC. They’ll host the Ravens next Sunday before wrapping up the season in Philadelphia on December 28. If they continue to get this kind of defensive effort and can keep from killing each other in between games, Dallas will not only make the playoffs but they could potentially make a deep run, as well. One game at a time though.

      As for the Giants, they’re now 0-2 since Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg at a nightclub and suddenly their offense looks incredibly ordinary. Getting Jacobs back will obviously help, but if the offensive line plays as badly as they did Sunday night in Dallas, the G-Men won’t get past anyone come January.

      Two weeks ago the Giants beat the Redskins in convincing fashion and everyone thought they were a lock for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Now a loss next week at home against the Panthers and Carolina would own the top spot in the conference. It’s amazing how quickly things can turn on a dime in the NFL.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Week 15 Primer

      December 12, 2008 /

      Tony RomoSunday’s Best: Giants (11-2) at Cowboys (8-5), 8:15 PM ET NBC
      We’re getting down to crunch time in the NFL and there’s nothing better than an NFC East battle with playoff implications. If the regular season ended today, the Cowboys would be in as the sixth seed. But the regular season doesn’t end today and Dallas has one of the toughest final stretches of any team with playoff aspirations. After playing host to the Giants on Sunday night, they’re home against the Ravens next week and then travel to Philadelphia in the season finale. That’s a brutal three-game stretch for any team, nevertheless one that is dealing with injuries (see Marion Barber) and internal bickering (see Cowboys’ wideouts vs. Tony Romo). The Giants, meanwhile, are sitting pretty for the top seed in the NFC, but they’ll have to earn it after losing to the Eagles at home last Sunday. Suddenly the Carolina Panthers are just one game behind the Giants in the quest for capturing home field advantage throughout the postseason and the two teams play each other next week in Jersey. Can the Cowboys bounce back from their collapse last Sunday in Pittsburgh? Will the Giants lose two in a row for the first time all season? Like several matchups on the Week 15 schedule, this game is must-see.

      Upset Watch: 49ers (5-8) at Dolphins (8-5), 1:00 PM ET, FOX
      Let me state for the record that I think the Dolphins have been one of the best storylines in the NFL this season. That said – they’re due for a letdown. Just when the public is ready to hop on a team’s bandwagon and ride its coattails the rest of the season, they hit a pothole and send everyone flying off. Miami is a better team than San Francisco and they should win Sunday in convincing fashion. But San Fran is a dangerous team right now because they have nothing to play for and have fiery Mike Singletary leading the way – the same fiery Mike Singletary that is trying to prove he deserves a head-coaching job. The Niners have been more competitive since Singletary took over and quarterback Shaun Hill has been a pleasant surprise. You might think I’m crazy (and I am) for predicting a 49er upset considering Frank Gore is expected to miss the game, but DeShaun Foster is no slouch and is likely craving the opportunity to carry the full load. Just when you think you’ve got the NFL figured out, it throws you a punch to the gut. Do we have another punch coming this Sunday in Miami?

      Jon GrudenIntriguing Matchup: Buccaneers (9-4) at Falcons (8-5), 1:00 PM ET, FOX
      Call this “Sunday’s Best II.” With the Bucs’ loss to the Panthers in Carolina on Monday night, the NFC South is now 0-10 this season when playing on the road against other NFC South opponents. And considering Jeff Garcia has missed significant practice time this week due to a calf injury, things don’t bode well for Tampa. However, Monte Kiffin’s defense has always given the Falcons trouble. Both of these teams are coming off of divisional losses and both need a win to stay in the NFC playoff picture (especially Atlanta), so we can probably expect one hell of a fight. Look for Tampa to take away Michael Turner and the Falcons’ running game and force rookie Matt Ryan to beat them through the air. They had this same approach in their Week 2 victory and Ryan failed miserably, although it’s safe to say he’s a completely different player nowadays and he showed once again last week in New Orleans that he can make every throw in the NFL. Will the Bucs get back on track this week or will the legend of Matt Ryan continue to grow?

      Other Notable Games:

      Steelers (10-3) at Ravens (9-4), 4:15 PM ET CBS
      Call this game “Sunday’s Best III” or “Sunday’s Best 1A.” Whatever you call it, it’s going to be one of the best games of week. Pittsburgh remains one game ahead of Baltimore in the AFC North and currently has the head to head advantage after beating the Ravens earlier in the year. No team is playing better defensively right now than Pittsburgh, but the Ravens have suddenly hit their offensive stride in recent weeks and still boasts one of the best defenses in the league. This game might wind up being a 6-3 final.

      Vikings (8-5) at Cardinals (8-5), 4:05 PM ET FOX
      The Cardinals may have locked up the NFC West crown last week, but they still have plenty to play for as they try to improve their playoff seeding. And with the Bears’ victory over the Saints on Thursday night, the Vikings must win to stay one game ahead of Chicago in the NFC North. Can backup Tarvaris Jackson lead Minnesota to victory?

      Broncos (8-5) at Panthers (10-3), 4:15 PM ET, CBS
      With their win over Tampa on Monday night, many purists are talking about Carolina possibly being the No. 1 seed in the NFC come playoff time. But they’ll get a challenge this Sunday from a Denver team trying to clinch the AFC West crown.

      Bills (6-7) at Jets (8-5), 1:00 PM ET, CBS
      After losing two straight, the Jets now find themselves in a three-way tie with the Dolphins and Patriots for first place in the AFC East. Can they get back on track or will the Bills play spoiler?

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Do the Giants miss Plaxico Burress now?

      December 7, 2008 /

      Eli ManningWhen the New York Giants placed wide receiver Plaxico Burress on the non-injury football list earlier this week and effectively ended his season, everyone said all the right things. The players said they could win with or without him and the media said the Giants were all about the team – both true.

      But nobody could say following their 20-14 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday that the Giants couldn’t have used Burress. Eli Manning was just 13 of 27 for 123 yards and a touchdown, while no Giant receiver had more than four catches or 40 yards.

      I don’t want to take anything away from the Eagles’ defense, because they blitzed and swarmed Manning the entire game. They also should have had at least one interception, but Asante Samuel and Brian Dawkins collided with each other and the pass fell to the ground.

      That said, Manning looked completely out of sync with his receivers and Domenik Hixon dropped a perfect pass that could have been a touchdown. And once Brandon Jacobs left the game with a knee injury in the third quarter, the Giants could have really used a playmaker like Burress to breathe life into their offense.

      Burress doesn’t deserve to be playing right now and it’s only fair he’s being punished for his selfish actions. But the idea that the Giants are a better team without him still remains to be seen and their loss Sunday proves that. They’re still the best team in the league and they will bounce back from their defeat. But it’ll be interesting to see whether or not the offensive woes that were on display on Sunday will reappear in the postseason without Burress in the lineup.

      As for the Eagles, this was a massive win and it keeps their slim playoff hopes alive. With the Saints’ win over the Falcons, the final NFC Wild Card spot is up for grabs and if Brian Westbrook (203 total yards, 2 total touchdowns) and the Eagles’ defense plays as well as they did against the Giants, than Philly’s playoff hopes are far from dead.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Could we see an all-New York Super Bowl?

      November 24, 2008 /

      Brett FavreWith their back-to-back road wins over the Patriots and previously unbeaten Titans the past two weeks, the talk of the NFL world is now Brett Favre and the New York Jets. Some are even suggesting that the J.E.T.S, Jets, Jets, Jets are even the best team in the AFC right now.

      While there is still some debate over which team is the best in the AFC (remember, the Titans are still pretty damn good at 10-1), there’s no question that the New York Giants are the top team in the NFC, especially after they knocked off the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale on Sunday.

      What are the chances that we could see an all-New York Super Bowl come January?

      Let’s look at the Giants first. With their win over the Cards, they improved to a conference-best 10-1 on the year and sit comfortably atop the NFC East Division by three games with only five remaining. However, they have a tough schedule down the stretch: at Washington, vs. Philadelphia, at Dallas, vs. Carolina, at Minnesota. NFC East games are always tough, and the Panthers and Vikings will be competing for playoff berths themselves, so they won’t be pushovers either.

      Barring a total collapse, the G-Men will make the playoffs and of the top teams in the NFC – Arizona, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Dallas, Washington, Atlanta – nobody outside of maybe the surging Cowboys should scare the Giants. (Although the Bucs’ defense should keep o-coordinators up at night.)

      Conversely, the Jets have an easier road. They play the inconsistent Broncos next week, travel to San Fran, home against Buffalo, at Seattle and home against Miami to end the season. Considering they just crushed the Titans, one could probably assume the Jets finish no worse than 11-5.

      Eli ManningThe one main thing to consider in all of this is that the Jets would have a tough road in the postseason. The Steelers are flawed, but they’re a veteran team with a solid defense, while the Pats and Colts remain dangerous, although they’re more beatable now than ever. And if the Jets have to go back to LP Field, they can probably bet the Tennessee defense won’t surrender 400 total yards like it did Sunday.

      Still, the possibility of an all-NY Super Bowl is a reality and it would be a cool sight come playoff time. And think about the story lines: Favre leads Jets to Super Bowl; Giants try to defend title; Clash of New York; etc, etc.

      It’s fun to think about the scenario.

      NFL

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑