Broncos walking a dangerous line with Dumervil Posted by Anthony Stalter (05/06/2010 @ 10:19 am)  When Josh McDaniels and his new coaching staff took over in Denver last year, one of the changes that they implemented was switching from the 4-3 to the 3-4. With that change, one of the things they did was ask defensive end Elvis Dumervil if he would switch positions and stand up as an outside linebacker. Even though most players don’t like switching positions (why would they if they got to the NFL playing the position they’re most familiar with), Dumervil did so without complaint. He then proceeded to rack up a league-high 17 sacks in a career year. Thanks to the un-capped year, Dumervil is a restricted free agent. The Broncos assigned a first and third round tender on the 26-year-old linebacker, but he has yet to sign it because he’s seeking a long-term deal. He’s also working out on his own in Florida instead of in Denver, as he waits for the Broncos to come through with a long-term offer. Read the rest of this entry » NFL Week 16 MVP Power Rankings Posted by Mike Farley (01/03/2010 @ 7:00 am) 
It’s been two weeks since we last did these rankings, and while not much has changed at the top, the teams our top two guys play for have been very shaky. In fact, Philip Rivers’ Chargers are the only one on a roll heading into the postseason. 1. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts—If Jim Caldwell benching his starting quarterback in the third quarter against the Jets proved anything, it’s that Manning is clearly and unequivocally valuable. His numbers (4405 yards, 33 TDs) don’t suck either. 2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints—There is no question that Brees hasn’t been the same since DeMarcus Ware terrorized him two weeks ago in the Superdome. But the MVP race is not based on a few games and Brees still has a league-high 109.6 QB rating, and leads the NFL with 34 touchdown passes. 3. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans—This guy was racking up yards even before the Titans started winning games this season. And he’s so far ahead of the pack right now, with his sights on 2000 yards and even Eric Dickerson’s record of 2105 yards for a single season. That’s saying something. 4. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers—Yes, he has numbers — 4155 yards, 27 TDs to 9 picks, second to Brees in QB rating with 104.5. But here is why Rivers belongs on here—because all he does is win games. 5. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings—Let’s not lose sight of the fact that Favre brought his Vikings back from a 17-point deficit in chilly Chicago before losing in OT. His season has been and continues to be bordering on magical. Honorable Mention— DeSean Jackson, Eagles; Aaron Rodgers, Packers; Cedric Benson, Bengals; Reggie Wayne, Colts; Jared Allen, Vikings; Vince Young, Titans; Elvis Dumervil, Broncos; Darren Sharper, Saints; Wes Welker, Patriots; Darrelle Revis, Jets; Andre Johnson, Texans; Dallas Clark, Colts; DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys Posted in: NFL Tags: Aaron Rodgers, Andre Johnson, Brett Favre, Cedric Benson, Chicago Bears, Chris Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Clark, Dallas Cowboys, Darrelle Revis, Darren Sharper, DeMarcus Ware, Denver Broncos, DeSean Jackson, Drew Brees, Elvis Dumervil, Eric Dickerson, football, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jared Allen, Jim Caldwell, Minnesota Vikings, National Football League, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, NFL Most Valuable Player, NFL MVP, Peyton Manning, Philadelphia Eagles, Philip Rivers, Reggie Wayne, San Diego Chargers, Superdome, Tennessee Titans, Vince Young, Wes Welker
NFL Week 14 MVP Power Rankings Posted by Mike Farley (12/19/2009 @ 7:00 am) 
The first four names on here, all quarterbacks, did nothing to hurt their MVP chances in Week 14. Each won their game, and helped their team win. Especially Drew Brees and Peyton Manning, who continue to roll along without a loss this season. 1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints—Against Atlanta, in what turned out to be another game too close for Saints’ fans comfort, Brees still completed 31 of 40 (77.5%) passes for 296 yards, 3 touchdowns and zero picks. His case for MVP keeps getting stronger. 2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts—Manning uncharacteristically threw three interceptions against Denver last weekend, but he still racked up 220 yards and 4 TDs, leading his Colts to victory again. Then he went ahead and threw for 308 yards, four more scores and 1 pick that wasn’t his fault Thursday night against Jacksonville. 3. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers—This guy throws one of the best deep balls in the game, he’s extremely accurate and he just wins. Don’t think Rivers’ Chargers can’t upset the Colts again in the postseason too. 4. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings—Not a great game against the Bengals, but the Vikings still won, and at this point in the season, that counts for something. 5. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans—The NFL’s leading rusher just keeps racking up yards and touchdowns. Johnson has 1626 rushing yards, with a realistic shot at 2000 and an outside shot at Eric Dickerson’s record of 2105 yards in a single season. He also has 42 catches for 391 yards and 13 total TDs. Honorable Mention— DeSean Jackson, Eagles; Aaron Rodgers, Packers; Cedric Benson, Bengals; Adrian Peterson, Vikings; Reggie Wayne, Colts; Jared Allen, Vikings; Vince Young, Titans; Elvis Dumervil, Broncos; Darren Sharper, Saints; Wes Welker, Patriots Posted in: NFL Tags: Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson, Brett Favre, Cedric Benson, Chris Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals, Darren Sharper, Denver Broncos, DeSean Jackson, Drew Brees, Elvis Dumervil, Eric Dickerson, football, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings, National Football League, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, NFL, NFL MVP, Peyton Manning, Philadelphia Eagles, Philip Rivers, Reggie Wayne, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Vince Young, Wes Welker
Elvis Dumervil chats with The Scores Report Posted by Anthony Stalter (12/18/2009 @ 2:21 pm)  If you’re an NFL fan that is unfamiliar with Elvis Dumervil – get familiar. The four-year linebacker out of Louisville is having a tremendous 2009 season and currently leads the league in sacks with 15. TSR recently sat down with Elvis to talk about a variety of subjects, including his transition from defensive end (the position he played the first three years in the league) to outside linebacker, what first-year head coach Josh McDaniels is like and how defensive coordinator Mike Nolan has helped him become the rising star he is today. The Scores Report: People talk about you emerging as one of the best young defenders in the game, but you recorded 8.5 sacks in your rookie season and 12.5 sacks in your second season. So obviously you’ve had success before. Do you feel that people have been sleeping on your ability? Elvis Dumervil: I do sometimes feel as though my production has often times gone unnoticed, which I credit to the fact that I really stay under the radar for the most part. It’s something that has followed me through my entire career – even in high school and college. It keeps me striving everyday to work hard and prove my value out there. Like my mom always tells me: There is nothing wrong with hard work. I don’t take it personally; I know that I am a valuable asset to the Broncos defense and I have been an integral part of the team since being drafted 2006. As long as the team is doing well, and benefiting from having me out there, the personal praise is not necessary. TSR: What has the transition been like for you from defensive end to a hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end? ED: It’s has been very challenging transition I must say, but also very exciting and fun. I was fortunate to have a coaching staff that could see my potential to thrive at this position and allowed me the opportunity to run with it. I definitely had to make some changes to my diet and had to humble myself in order to learn a craft and a skill set that I was unfamiliar with. Read the rest of this entry » NFL Week 13 MVP Power Rankings Posted by Mike Farley (12/12/2009 @ 7:00 am) 
The way the Saints have been winning each week has been like a gift to their fans. That is, it’s been a SURPRISE each week. Sometimes they dominate, sometimes they make it more interesting than it should be, and sometimes they flat out get a, well, gift, from the opposing team. Last Sunday it was the latter against a Washington team that let the Saints back in the game by missing a chip shot field goal. Drew Brees and company took care of the rest, and that’s why our man remains atop this list, with Peyton Manning right there behind him. 1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints—He’s got a 111.3 QB rating to lead the NFL—3536 passing yards, 69% completion percentage and 29 touchdowns to 10 picks. Oh, and yeah…his team is 12-0 and has already clinched the NFC South. 2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts—Not much different from Brees’ numbers—3685 passing yards, a ridiculous 70% completion rate, 25 TDs and 11 interceptions…and the same 12-0 record for his Colts, with a clinched AFC South. 3. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings—A much more human game for Favre against Arizona Sunday night, but despite those 2 interceptions, he still threw for 275 yards and two scores. It just wasn’t enough, and even worse, the Cardinals may have gotten into the Vikings’ collective head. 4. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers—Despite being sacked a league high 45 times, Rodgers had led his team to four straight wins and has them in position for a wild card berth. And he probably hates this comparison, but his numbers are very Favre-esque: 3399 yards, 25 TDs, 7 picks. 5. Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals—After missing a few starts due to injury, Cedric returned (albeit against Detroit) and promptly carried 36 times for 110 yards. Sure, there are two RBs with more yards per game (Chris Johnson and Steven Jackson), but Benson is making more of an impact for his team…the definition of MVP. Honorable Mention—Chris Johnson, Titans; Philip Rivers, Chargers; Adrian Peterson, Vikings; Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars, Reggie Wayne, Colts; Jared Allen, Vikings; Vince Young, Titans; Elvis Dumervil, Broncos; Darren Sharper, Saints; Randy Moss, Patriots; Wes Welker, Patriots Posted in: NFL Tags: Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson, AFC South, Arizona Cardinals, Brett Favre, Cedric Benson, Chris Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals, Darren Sharper, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Drew Brees, Elvis Dumervil, football, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jared Allen, Maurice Jones-Drew, Minnesota Vikings, National Football League, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, NFC South, NFL, NFL MVP, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Randy Moss, Reggie Wayne, San Diego Chargers, St. Louis Rams, Steven Jackson, Tennessee Titans, Vince Young, Washington Redskins, Wes Welker
|
