Tag: Eli Manning (Page 18 of 22)

      NFL Week 9 Primer

      October 31, 2008 /

      Brad JohnsonSunday’s Best: Cowboys (5-3) at Giants (6-1), 4:15 PM ET
      This game has lost a lot of its luster with Brad Johnson starting at quarterback in place of the injured Tony Romo and the uncertainty of Jason Witten’s (ribs) status. But it’s still a classic NFC East matchup and the Dallas defense is coming off its best performance of the season in a win over the Bucs. Let’s be frank – the Giants should roll. Their pass rush should eat Johnson alive, which could mean we see Brooks Bollinger before the day is over. But the wildcard in this scenario is Marion Barber. If the Cowboys can get him going and Johnson doesn’t turn the ball over, Dallas might be able to play conservative and sneak out a win. But if they get down early, a second half comeback is unlikely and New York might post a double-digit victory. The Cowboy defense will have to produce an effort similar to the one they did last Sunday against Tampa or else Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs and the rest of the G-Men offense should have no problem putting up 30 points.

      Upset Watch: Cardinals (4-3) at Rams (2-5), 1:00 PM ET
      Since Jim Haslett took over in St. Louis, the Rams are playing more physically sound football. They hung tough against the Patriots last week in Foxboro despite not having Steve Jackson in their backfield and the defense is starting to show signs of life. The Cardinals are coming off a disappointing loss to the Panthers, a game in which they led 17-3 early in the third quarter. Arizona continues to struggle on the road and although he’s played well this year, Kurt Warner can’t seem to avoid costly turnovers. Jackson might not play again this week, but the Cards’ defense doesn’t post that much of a threat and the Rams should have enough offensively to pull out a win. Obviously they’ll need to keep Warner and ‘Zona’s prolific passing attack at bay, but this could be one of the better upsets in Week 9 if St. Louis keeps playing hard under Haslett.

      Indianapolis Colts      Intriguing Matchup: Patriots (5-2) at Colts (3-4), 8:15 PM ET
      Boy this game has lost a lot of pizzazz hasn’t it? Who would have thought that when this game was schedule, it would feature a Tom Brady-less Patriots and a 3-4 Colts team? Regardless, this is still the most interesting matchup on the Week 9 schedule. Indy has to win this game to at least keep within sniffing distance of a Wild Card berth and New England is in a great battle with the surprising Buffalo Bills in the AFC East. The Colts have major issues on the defensive side of the ball and things got worse earlier this week when it was discovered that starting CB Marlin Jackson would miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Without Jackson and Bob Sanders in the secondary, the Colts are giving up big plays on third downs. If they sell out to stop the run, opposing quarterbacks are picking apart the beleaguered secondary. If they play not to get burned deep, opposing backs are having a field day running against Indy’s smaller front seven. A loss to the Pats on Sunday night could mean a Colts-less postseason in the NFL. That’s hard to imagine.

      Other Notable Games:
      Packers (4-3) at Titans (7-0), 1:00 PM ET
      With “Elbow Bad” Johnson starting for the Cowboys this weekend in New York, the Green Bay-Tennessee game might wind up being the best matchup on the Week 9 schedule. With the Titans coming off a short week and finally getting the monkey off their backs in beating the Colts, are they primed for the taking? Aaron Rodgers vs. the Titans’ D should be an intriguing battle.

      Ravens (4-3) at Browns (3-4), 1:00 PM ET
      Some believe that Baltimore is a legitimate playoff contender in the AFC and Cleveland is starting to resemble the team that many thought would take the next step this year. You gotta love it when Art Modell has to travel to Cleveland, too.

      Dolphins (3-4) at Broncos (4-3), 4:05 PM ET
      Miami continues to be one of the better surprises this year in the NFL and will look to build off their impressive win over Buffalo last Sunday. Denver needs to shake off its embarrassing loss to the Patriots two weeks ago on Monday night.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Eli tipped off Steelers on goal line stand – Brett Keisel a little confused

      October 28, 2008 /

      Apparently Eli Manning needs to do a better job of covering his mouth in the huddle. During the Giants’ 21-14 win over the Steelers on Sunday, Pittsburgh players knew what play New York was going to run when they stopped Brandon Jacobs short of the goal line in the first half because Manning accidentally tipped the off.

      Eli ManningDefensive end Brett Keisel overheard Manning mouthing the play call and lined up the defense before Jacobs was stopped inches short of the goal line on the fourth-and-1 play early in the second quarter.

      The goal-line stand — Jacobs failed on three successive plays to get in from the 1 — temporarily preserved Pittsburgh’s 7-3 lead.

      “I was watching Eli’s lips the whole time and I saw him say, ’32,’ so I went over and tried to tell everyone, ‘It’s right here,’ and we stopped it,” Keisel said. “That was a big play in the game.”
      Asked if he heard Manning yell out the play call, Keisel said, “Yeah.”

      Actually Brett, the big play in the game was when your long snapper snapped the ball over your punter’s head for a safety that tied the game at 14-14 in the second half. Then the bigger play was when you and your teammates allowed Manning to march up the field for a game-winning touchdown.

      Your play was the big play in the first half. The big play of the game was the touchdown that allowed the Giants to win the game.

      NFL

      Midseason NFL Power Rankings: Contenders & Pretenders Edition

      October 27, 2008 /

      The NFL is mixed bag of emotions every week in terms of how teams play from Sunday to Sunday, but it’s fair to at least take an early look at the contenders and pretenders.

      Below is a midseason power ranking of all 32 teams. Along with a ranking, each team gets slapped with a “contender,” “pretender,” or “What time does April’s draft start?” label as well.

      We’re heading into Week 9. I fully expect that these rankings will mean absolutely nothing by Week 10, but screw it – let’s have some fun.

      Midseason Power Rankings

      1. Tennessee Titans (6-0)
      It’s kind of hard not to rank the only undefeated team left in the NFL at the No. 1 spot, but the Titans also deserve it. Their offense isn’t flashy outside of Rookie of the Year Candidate RB Chris Johnson, but QB Kerry Collins has provided enough savvy veteran play to allow the defense to win ballgames. And speaking of the defense, it might be the most clutch unit in the NFL season.
      Midseason Status: Contender

      2. New York Giants (6-1)
      What the hell happened in Cleveland two weeks ago? Eli Manning looked like…well…he looked like Eli Manning pre-postseason 2007 and the defense clearly had no idea how to stop Derek Anderson and that high-powered Browns’ offense (read the sarcasm please). Still, the defending champs have four things going for them right now that make them the best team in the NFL: A quarterback, a running game, a defense that gets after the quarterback and they can win on the road.
      Midseason Status: Contender

      3. New England Patriots (5-2)
      People are just going to think I’m putting the Pats this high because they’re the Pats. But the reason why I’m putting the Pats this high is because Bill Belichick is on a mission to prove people wrong. And once he sets his sites on proving people wrong, nothing can stop him. Not even Tom Brady on the sideline.
      Midseason Status: Contender

      4. Carolina Panthers (6-2)
      Their win against Arizona in Week 8 was unimpressive to say the least, but good teams find ways to win even when they don’t play that well. I think this team has a ton of fraud in them, but it’s hard to argue with how well the defense is playing and how much of a different team they are with Jake Delhomme under center. If they can keep running the ball as well as they have, Carolina will win the NFC South.
      Midseason Status: Contender

      5. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)
      The Steelers should have beaten the Giants last Sunday – plain and simple. They had control of the game but a botched snap and some failed protection for Ben Roethlisberger cost them a win. I still think the offensive line is going to be an issue all season, but every time you think Pittsburgh is going to take a step back and start stumbling, they prove that they can win tight games with key players on the sidelines.
      Midseason Status:       Contender

      6. Buffalo Bills (5-2)
      I know they lost to Miami last week, but a young team is going to have games like that. If Trent Edwards and the rest of the offense doesn’t don’t turn the ball over as much as they did in the fourth quarter, they might beat the Dolphins and ride a 6-1 start into the postseason. They need to start game planning on how to take the Pats down though, because their Week 17 showdown could determine if they make the postseason.
      Midseason Status: Contender

      7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-3)
      The Bucs are who they are at this point – a team that will rely on defense and play it close to the vest on offense. Jeff Garcia will never be the guy slinging frozen ropes into the secondary, but no one is asking him to. As long as he continues to take care of the football, he gives his running backs and defense a chance to win the game. This team won’t impress all season, but they’re fundamentally sound and should bounce back from blowing opportunities to win in Dallas on Sunday.
      Midseason Status: Contender

      8. Washington Redskins (6-2)
      I know they’re 6-2, but something is up in Washington. Clinton Portis has been fantastic, but they couldn’t beat the previously winless Rams at home after beating division rivals Dallas and Philadelphia on the road, and then struggled against Cleveland and Detroit the past two weeks. Jason Campbell has excelled in the West Coast Offense up to this point and Clinton Portis has been the best back in the league, but eventually the passing game will have to come up with more big plays and Portis needs to stay healthy. I’ve liked this team since preseason (I picked them to go to the playoffs), but again, something doesn’t seem right with this team.
      Midseason Status: Contender

      9. Chicago Bears (4-3)
      If the Bears could play four quarters on a consistent basis, they might be 7-0 right now or at worst, 6-1. They had the Panthers, Bucs and Falcons beat in the fourth quarter of each of their losses and found ways to lose. But QB Kyle Orton is playing fantastic and the defense (while banged up) is still one of the best. They need to get healthy though, because Orton and the offense can’t put up close to 50 points a week like they did against the Vikings in Week 7.
      Midseason Status: Contender

      10. Philadelphia Eagles (4-3)
      The Eagles’ record isn’t very impressive, but watch out – this could be the second half team of the season. Donovan McNabb is playing as well as he has in recent years and if he and Brian Westbrook can stay healthy, Philly could still make a run at the Giants and Redskins in the NFC East. The defense is also playing incredibly well and props to Asante Samuel for living up to that huge free agent contract so far.
      Midseason Status: Contender

      11. Green Bay Packers (4-3)
      Kudus to QB Aaron Rodgers because nobody expected him to play this well in the first half of the season. He’s getting a ton of help from wideouts Greg Jennings and Donald Driver in the passing game, but he needs the offensive line to start opening up holes for Ryan Grant, and for Grant to start breaking off some longer runs like he did last year. Getting Al Harris back on defense will certainly help and the Pack should battle the Bears in the NFC North the rest of the way.
      Midseason Status: Contender

      12. Denver Broncos (4-3)
      The Patriots proved on Monday Night Football two weeks ago that Denver is fraudulent. The defense isn’t good has been saved by the incredible play of QB Jay Cutler and the offense up until this point. If the defense can figure out a way to start tackling people, this could be a dangerous team. But for now, there should be major skepticism surrounding the Broncos, especially considering they are one Ed Hochuli correct call and one Martin Gramatica made field goal away from being 2-5.
      Midseason Status: Contender because of their record and the fact that the rest of the AFC West is a mess.

      13. Arizona Cardinals (4-3)
      I would have no issue ranking the Cards higher if they could only win on the road. They outplayed the Panthers for two and a half quarters last Sunday but couldn’t avoid key mistakes and big plays in the end. Still, this team is incredibly tough to beat at home and plays in a weak division. The NFC West is still theirs to win, but again, they need to figure out a winning recipe for their road woes.
      Midseason Status: Contender

      14. Dallas Cowboys (5-3)
      Who knows if Tony Romo will come back 100% and until he does, Brad Johnson will have plenty of opportunities to sink Wade Phillips and company. The defense played well in the win over the Bucs, but Tampa had their opportunities all game and probably should have handed the ‘Boys their third loss in a row. Considering the rising Eagles and the rest of the tough division, I’m going out on a limb now: Dallas misses the playoffs this year.
      Midseason Status: Pretender

      15. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4)
      I’m trying to stand behind this team, I really am. But if they can’t run the ball, they can’t win. And the defense hasn’t been as good as it was last year to make up for the offense losing its luster. This is another team like the Colts where I know they should probably be ranked lower, but it’s hard knowing that at any point they can turn things around.
      Midseason: Status: Pretender

      16. Indianapolis Colts (3-3)
      It’s tough ranking the Colts this low despite knowing full well that at any moment Peyton Manning could start being Peyton Manning again and Indy goes on a tear. Maybe they beat the undefeated Titans on Monday night and turn things around. Who knows, But the defense has major issues and without a completely healthy Manning, there’s not much optimism in Indy this year.
      Midseason Status: Pretender

      17. Atlanta Falcons (4-3)
      They’re better than you think – they’re just not there yet. Rookie Matt Ryan and Michael Turner are the real deal and Roddy White is quickly emerging as one of the best young wideouts in the league. The defense is also playing better than the stats indicate, although injuries and a possible suspension for Grady Jackson are starting to mount up. Given the division they play in, the Falcons probably fall short of the postseason this year. But after the disaster that was 2007, an 8-8 finish would be an incredible accomplishment for first-year head coach Mike Smith and his team.
      Midseason Status: Pretender

      18. New Orleans Saints (4-4)
      The Saints are probably better than the Falcons at this point, but what’s going to happen if they lose Deuce McAllister and half of their defensive line to suspensions? They’re already without Reggie Bush and no team can lose that many starters and still be competitive week in and week out. This will be an interesting team to follow over the short term because they’re certainly good enough to make the playoffs, but trouble is looming on the horizon.
      Midseason Status: Pretender

      19. Baltimore Ravens (4-3)
      It’s hard what to make out of the Ravens this year. They were absolutely trounced by the Colts three weeks ago, but have since rebounded to beat the Dolphins and Raiders in convincing fashion. I guess that’s a mark of a young team playing with a rookie quarterback. Either way, the defense is still elite and there’s no reason the Ravens can’t challenge in the AFC North, but similarly to the Atlanta, Baltimore should take an 8-8 finish.
      Midseason Status: Pretender

      20. San Diego Chargers (3-5)
      This is no better than an 8-8 team this year, which is tough to swallow considering they should have been competing for a Super Bowl. LanDainian Tomlinson and the defense are struggling and Philip Rivers (as good as he’s been) can’t do it on his own. They just haven’t been consistent all season.
      Midseason Status: Pretender

      21. New York Jets (4-3)
      There’s no doubt that Brett Favre has provided this team with a spark and they’re finally exciting to watch. But he’s also killing them with his reckless play and they could have easily lost their second consecutive game to a weak Chiefs team last Sunday in the Chiefs. Favre will keep them afloat, but probably not for much longer.
      Midseason Status: Pretender

      22. Cleveland Browns (3-4)
      The Browns are certainly on the comeback trail after winning three of their last four games and hung with the Redskins in a tough environment two weeks ago. They could easily rank higher if Derek Anderson can play as well as he did against Cleveland and Jacksonville the rest of the year. Defensively, this is a much-improved team with the offseason additions they made (namely Shaun Rodgers) and the Steelers still haven’t pulled away in the AFC North. The Brownies could still turn things around.
      Midseason Status: Pretender

      23. Miami Dolphins (3-4)
      It’s hard to argue with the job Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano have done in Miami this year and the Dolphins could really rank anywhere from 19 to this spot. I rank them a little lower because I still think some of the teams listed ahead of them have more upside this year, although their win over the Bills last Sunday was impressive. As with the Falcons and Ravens, the Fish are moving in the right direction.
      Midseason Status: Pretender

      24. Houston Texans (3-4)
      This team has so much young talent, but they can’t put it together on a week-to-week basis. Matt Schaub has had a roller coaster ride so far, too, but Houston is getting nice contributions from rookie Steve Slaton and of course, big-time playmaker Andre Johnson. Some thought that this team would be one of the big surprises in the NFL, but they might have to wait another year for the Texans to make a postseason run.
      Midseason Status: Pretender

      25. Minnesota Vikings (3-4)
      Everyone’s chic pick in the NFL has stumbled this year and things could go from bad to ugly in the matter of a week or so. Both Pat Williams and Kevin Williams could be suspended soon and without them, the Vikings’ vaunted run defense will look awfully suspect. This team could really collapse in the second half.
      Midseason Status: Pretender

      26. St. Louis Rams (2-5)
      Jim Haslett has this team playing hard again and had the Rams played with Steven Jackson Sunday in Foxboro, but they might have come away with a huge upset. The NFC West is brutal this year, but St. Louis will probably struggle to win five or six games, although that would certainly be an improvement over where Scott Linehan had this team going.
      Midseason Status: When does April’s draft start?

      27. Seattle Seahawks (2-5)
      The fall of Mike Holmgren’s team has been painful. Holmgren shouldn’t go out this way, but injuries and poor defensive play has ransacked one of the best teams in the NFC for under a decade. It’ll be weird not seeing the Hawks in the postseason this year.
      Midseason Status: When does April’s draft start?

      28. Oakland Raiders (2-5)
      The Raiders have fight under interim head coach Tom Cable, but they also had fight under Lane Kiffin before Al Davis axed him a couple weeks ago. The defense could be very good with a few more pieces and the offense is loaded with young talent, but it’ll probably be another year of the Raiders drafting in the top 5 again.
      Midseason Status: When does April’s draft start?

      29. San Francisco 49ers (2-5)
      Mike Singletary should be commended for trying to light a fire under the Niners’ asses, but it’s probably too little too late. They need a real quarterback and an offensive line to open up holes for RB Frank Gore. (Mike Martz just read that and said, “Offensive line? What the hell is that?”)
      Midseason Status: When does April’s draft start?

      30. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6)
      This once proud franchise is a mess and Larry Johnson’s situation is despicable. It’s nice to see the team take action and keep him on the sidelines, but somebody better get through to him quick because there’s not a lot of hope for this franchise. They need some of the key players to start being leaders and obviously a crap load more talent.
      Midseason Status: When does April’s draft start?

      31. Cincinnati Bengals (0-8)
      I still think the Bengals are the best winless team in the league…
      Midseason Status: When does April’s draft start?

      32. Detroit Lions (0-7)
      …wait, no – the Lions are the best winless team in the league. Ah forget – who gives sh*t?
      Midseason Status: When does April’s draft start?

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Steelers collapse against Giants could come back to haunt them

      October 26, 2008 /

      Steelers-GiantsThere are times throughout a season when a team can look back at a game they should have won and it wound up costing them a spot in the playoffs. Considering they don’t play in the toughest division, the Steelers might be a lock to make the postseason anyway, but their 21-14 loss to the Giants on Sunday could come back to bite them in the ass.

      The game was far from over when Pittsburgh had a 14-9 lead early in the fourth quarter, but they had been in control. The defense was flustering Eli Manning and the Giants couldn’t get their run game going. But while facing a 4th and 5 from New York’s 34-yard line with 14 minutes remaining, Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin decided to go for it instead of attempting a long field goal or pinning the Giants back with a punt. Ben Roethlisberger was then intercepted and on the change of possession, NY drove 62 yards and cut their deficit to 14-12 after a John Carney field goal.

      On the Steelers next possession, punter Mitch Berger had the snap fly over his head and out the back of the end zone for a safety. All of a sudden the game was tied and the air was sucked out of Heinz Field. The Giants then marched 53 yards on seven plays and Manning found Kevin Boss for a 2-yard touchdown pass.

      Pittsburgh never recovered.

      Not to take anything away from the Giants, but the Steelers blew an opportunity to only take a commanding lead in their division, but also beat a very good team and keep pace with the other elite teams in the AFC. Penalties, turnovers and some questionable coaching decisions cost Pittsburgh a win and spoiled an otherwise great defensive effort.

      Hand it to Eli and the Giants for hanging tough and coming away with a huge road win. They didn’t look sharp at times, but then again Pittsburgh’s defense is still one of the best in the league. Good teams find ways to win games when they don’t play to their capabilities and the G-Men did that on Sunday.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Week 8 Primer

      October 26, 2008 /

      Eli ManningSunday’s Best: Giants (5-1) at Steelers (5-1), 4:15 PM ET
      Does a matchup get more physical than this? The biggest news surrounding this game on the injury front is that Willie Parker is expected to return to the Steelers’ backfield this week after missing last Sunday’s win over the Bengals after aggravating his knee injury. He faces a tough front seven of the Giants, who bounced back last Sunday against San Francisco after being embarrassed on Monday night football two weeks ago in Cleveland. New York’s defense complied six sacks, forced four fumbles, intercepted two passes and held the 49ers to 2 of 10 on third downs. One thing to note is that the Steelers were manhandled by an Eagles team early in the season that runs a similar defensive scheme as the Giants do. Expect the G-Men to game plan against the run while blitzing Ben Roethlisberger early and often. Pittsburgh’s banged up offensive line is ranked 28th in sacks allowed, which doesn’t paint a pretty picture for Big Ben this weekend. Still, expect a Steeler defense pumped for the opportunity to stifle Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs and the rest of New York’s explosive offense.

      Upset Watch: Falcons (4-2) at Eagles (3-3), 1:00 PM ET
      Bragging alert: I’ve called the last four upset-watches and five of the first seven this season. And if Martin Gramatica wasn’t awful, I would have nailed the Saints over the Broncos in Week 3 as well. I’m going out on a major limb this week in calling a Falcons upset over the Eagles. Not only is Philly a 9-point favorite, but the Eagles are also 9-0 under Andy Reid coming off the bye. But I’ve bought hard into the Matt Ryan hype and happen to believe Atlanta is better than what people are making them out to be. They trust Ryan to make throws in the passing game, can run the ball with Michael Turner and have beaten two quality teams in the Packers and Bears in their last two games. For them to walk away with a win on Sunday, however, the defense will need to step up. Donovan McNabb is shredding opposing defenses and will likely have Brian Westbrook, Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis back from injuries. But the Falcons have moved the ball well this year, are protecting Ryan (which will be huge this week against Jim Johnson’s blitz-happy defense) and are coming off a bye themselves. They have a lot of momentum after the win over the Bears and have been a more physical team under first-year head coach Mike Smith. A win might be out of reach, but at the very least, I’m calling for a Falcons cover.

      LaDainian TomlinsonIntriguing Matchup: Chargers at Saints, 1:00 PM ET
      Both of these teams were highly regarded as playoff contenders in preseason – if not Super Bowl contenders. But both of struggled with inconsistency so far and the Saints will be without Reggie Bush for the next 3 to 4 weeks. LaDainian Tomlinson has not looked like the same MVP back he’s been in recent years, but QB Philip Rivers has more than picked up the slack. Which one of these teams can get back on track this week playing overseas in London? Chances are, the winner might be able to save its season while the loser could start to fall off the playoff radar. (Especially New Orleans, who now plays in a surprisingly tough NFC South.)

      Other Notable Games:
      Cardinals (4-2) at Panthers (5-2)
      Had it not been for the Giants-Steelers game, this matchup might have been the best the NFL had to offer this week. Each team is starting to make some noise, but both have also looked incredibly bad at times this year (see the Cardinals effort against the Jets and the Panthers against the Buccaneers).

      Buccaneers (5-2) at Cowboys (4-3), 1:00 PM ET
      No Tony Romo again for Dallas – will Monte Kiffin’s defense eat Brad Johnson alive?

      Colts (3-3) at Titans (6-0), 8:30 PM ET Monday
      The Monday night matchup is a great one. Can Peyton Manning turn around the Colts’ misfortunes this year against the surprising undefeated Titans?

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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