Tag: Ndamukong Suh (Page 3 of 12)

      2011 NFL Week 8 Primer

      October 27, 2011 /
      Dallas Cowboys DeMarco Murray cuts upfield as St. Louis Rams Quintin Mikell defends during the first quarter at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on October 23, 2011. UPI/Ian Halpeirn

      Patriots @ Steelers, 4:15PM ET
      This is an intriguing matchup not only because of the two teams but also due to the individual matches within the game. The Patriots arguably have the most efficient passing attack in the league, but they’ve struggled defending the pass for much of the season. Thanks to Ben Roethlisberger and the big-play ability of Pittsburgh’s receivers, the Steelers could strike for a long score at any point. I think this one will live up to the hype and with a whole slew of garbage matchups on the Week 8 schedule, I hope it does.

      Cowboys @ Eagles, 8:20PM ET
      It’s time to see how many of the Eagles’ problems Andy Reid was able to iron out over the bye week. Philadelphia looked great against Washington the week before its bye, but Dallas will provide a more difficult challenge than the Redskins did. DeMarco Murray is coming off a breakout game and the Eagles haven’t been able to stop the run all season. If Murray can get going again, the Cowboys have a chance to potentially put the nail in the coffin of their bitter rivals.

      Lions @ Broncos, 4:05PM ET
      The Lions have more pressing issues to worry about than whether or not Ndamukong Suh is a dirty player. Matthew Stafford (ankle) is hobbled, Jahvid Best (concussion) is out for another week and the defense can’t stop the run. The Broncos might not be the better overall team in this matchup but Tim Tebow has breathed new life into Denver and will be fired up to play at home. This will not be an easy road trip this weekend for the Lions.

      Vikings @ Panthers, 1:00PM ET
      Rookie quarterbacks will be on display this Sunday in Carolina when the Panthers host the Vikings. Outside of the two interceptions he threw to Charles Woodson in the third quarter last week, the Vikings had to be pleased with Christian Ponder’s first professional start. If Minnesota wants to give Ponder an opportunity to notch his first win, then the Vikes better get Adrian Peterson revved up. Carolina’s run defense has been bad all year and it would be wise to keep Cam Newton on the bench considering how bad Minnesota’s pass defense is.

      Chargers @ Chiefs, 8:30PM ET Monday
      This matchup certainly got more interesting over the past few weeks. After starting the year 0-3 the Chiefs have rattled off three-straight and who can forget the beating they gave the Chargers on Monday night last season? Of course, they won’t have Jamaal Charles this time around but Jackie Battle is starting to come on as KC’s leading rusher. The Chargers’ offense was blanked in the second half last Sunday against the Jets, leading to speculation about whether or not Philip Rivers may be hurt. If he’s not, then it’s time for him to step up on Monday night in what has turned out to be a pretty big divisional game.

      Jaguars @ Texans, 1:00PM ET
      Blaine Gabbert has received most of the attention this year in Jacksonville, but it’s been the Jaguar defense that has stolen the show. They absolutely dominated the Ravens on Monday night and thanks to strong play out of linebackers Daryl Smith and Paul Posluszny, Jacksonville ranks sixth in yards allowed this season. The Jags’ defense will certainly be tested this weekend, especially if Andre Johnson returns from the hamstring injury that has held him out for nearly a month.

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      External Sports, NFL

      The Lions have bigger issues to worry about than whether Suh is a dirty player

      October 25, 2011 /
      Detroit Lions’ Ndamukong Suh (L) celebrates after making a fourth down tackle of Chicago Bears’ Matt Forte in the first quarter of their NFL football game in Detroit, Michigan, October 10, 2011. At right is Lions’ Cliff Avril. REUTERS/Mike Segar (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

      When Ndamukong Suh and the rest of the Detroit Lions show up to Allen Park on Wednesday, the next comment out of their mouths in relation to their war of words with the Atlanta Falcons should be, “We’ve moved on.”

      This little exchange between Suh and the Falcons is rather inane. I would expect players like “Rodney” White and Todd McClure to be upset if opposing players were taunting Matt Ryan as their quarterback lies on the ground withering in pain. They’re right – the alleged taunts were uncalled for and I find it rather humorous that Suh called Ryan’s injury “karma” for the Falcons when a) Atlanta wound up winning the game, 23-16 and b) it appears as though Matthew Stafford emerged from the game with a more serious injury than Ryan did.

      But Suh is also right when he suggested that the Falcons’ complaints were akin to the kettle calling the pot black. For years Atlanta’s offensive linemen have been accused of blocking past the whistle and cutting defenders well downfield in attempts to “clean them up.” It was much worse when nasty guard Harvey Dahl (now with the Rams) was around, but it’s nothing new for the Falcons to be called dirty.

      That said, so what? It’s time for the Lions to move on because they clearly have bigger problems to worry about. Suh has the right to defend himself and he did that. But the Falcons have a bye this week, which means Roddy White has all the time in the world to respond to anything Suh says. Thus, the big DT and the rest of his teammates would be wise to drop the situation and devote their focus to more pressing issues.

      Not only is Stafford’s health once again up in the air but the team has also lost two straight and Jim Schwartz looks like a man without answers. He has a top-5 pass rush and an overachieving secondary but that means very little when opponents can shred you on the ground and run towards victory. Plus, thanks in large part to Calvin Johnson, Detroit’s passing game is solid but they can’t stay balanced because they don’t have a running back and they couldn’t run-block even if they did.

      Furthermore, Schwartz and his players would likely benefit from turning it down a notch. Schwartz is trying to change the mentality of a franchise that has been losing for over a decade and in some respects, it has to be refreshing for fans to see their head coach and players get so fired up. But after a post-game scuffle with the 49ers and a pre-game scuffle with the Falcons, tension seems to be building in Detroit and if Schwartz doesn’t get his team re-focused, the Lions’ previous 5-0 record might vanish in a heartbeat.

      Good teams manage adversity and the great ones overcome it. Last season the Packers were a walking infirmary and they found a way to overcome all of their injury issues to win the Super Bowl. Not only do the Lions have injury concerns because of guys like Stafford and Jahvid Best, but they also have serious weaknesses on both sides of the ball that teams are exploiting.

      For years the Lions have been irrelevant but their 5-0 start gained everyone’s attention. Now let’s see if they can handle the adversity that often comes with overnight success.

      External Sports, NFL

      Could the Lions actually contend for a playoff berth in 2011?

      August 29, 2011 /
      Detroit Lions guard Manny Ramirez (L), quarterback Matthew Stafford (2nd L), and their teammates celebrate with fans their victory over the Washington Redskins after their NFL football game in Detroit, Michigan September 27, 2009. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook (UNITED STATES SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Every morning I have a routine when I log onto the computer for the day. I read as much NFL content from beat writers, columnists and bloggers that I can, and then I outline story ideas that I want to develop for my own articles.

      For a couple of weeks I’ve thought about tackling the Detroit Lions and the possibility that they could contend in 2011. But every time I look down at the Lions on my list of ideas, I bypass them because I believe they’re still a year or two away from competing.

      But today, for whatever reason, I felt compelled to write about them. Maybe it was because of their impressive performance against the Patriots on Saturday night or the fact that I’m sick of reading about Peyton Manning’s neck, but today was the day I chose the Lions as a topic. And after getting a shocking phone call from an old friend in Detroit, I’m glad I did.

      After graduating from Central Michigan University in 2004, I moved to Detroit and lived there for about four years. During that time, I got a job on the promotions team and as a nights and weekends producer for WDFN Sports Radio AM1130. Passing out free swag to people in bars wasn’t the ideal job for a college graduate, but I felt very fortunate to even have a foot in the door at a sports radio station and was more than happy to do the work.

      One of my favorite promotional events that I looked forward to every week during the football season was a Monday evening Lions recap show with WDFN host and MLive.com beat writer Tom “Killer” Kowalski. While driving out to the bar and setting up the show together, on-site engineer Albert Dale and I used to talk about our fantasy teams or football games from the previous weekend. When Killer arrived, he and Albert would often trade friendly barbs and I would try to get both of them to bet me on the Monday Night Football game. (I don’t remember Tom ever partaking in my sharking, but Albert and I always had something insignificant on the line.)

      Killer was a smart ass but he was funny and extremely likable. He was also kind and generous, and most importantly he cared about people whether his exterior expression showed it or not. He was also a little quirky and it never ceased to amaze me how the big guy always wore shorts, even during the coldest of Detroit winters. Lion fans didn’t always agree with him, but he had a big following because he often told it like it was and yet, he had a way of providing optimism even in the darkest of times (which have come all too often for Detroit fans). He was also a damn fine reporter and always provided quality content, which isn’t the case for every beat writer around the country.

      In the middle of writing today’s column, I listened to a voicemail that Albert left for me on my cell phone and I could tell by his tone that something was wrong. Apparently Tom passed away this morning after his fiancé found him unresponsive in his home. The long-time Lions beat writer was only 51-years-old.

      When I called Albert back, we both expressed our shock over the news but eventually started talking about all of the nights spent with Tom putting on his show. When I eventually got off the phone, I looked back at my computer screen and saw the half-finished Lions column that I had started.

      Yeah, today is a good day to talk Lions football. This one is for you Killer, may you rest in peace.

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      External Sports, NFL

      NFL Week 17 ROY power rankings

      January 8, 2011 /

      The top guys we chose on offense and defense should run away with these awards, but stranger things have happened.

      Offensive rookie of the year power rankings

      1. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams—Almost led the Rams to a playoff berth, but either way had a great rookie year—3512 yards, 18 TDs, with 15 picks.

      2. Aaron Hernandez/Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots—Along with their QB, these two guys are probably the biggest reason the Patriots are 14-2. Check out these combined numbers – 87 catches, 1109 yards, 16 touchdowns. For two rookies!

      3. Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Bucs—Finished with 11 touchdowns and was a big reason the Bucs became relevant again this season.

      4. Colt McCoy, Cleveland Browns—Can someone explain to me how this guy fell to the second half of the third round of last April’s draft?

      5. Christopher Ivory, New Orleans Saints—In just 12 games, had 716 yards and 5 scores

      Defensive rookie of the year power rankings

      1. Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions—Led all DTs with 10 sacks, but more importantly, earned the respect of everyone and had O-coordinators having to game plan against him.

      2. Devin McCourty, New England Patriots—Finished with 7 picks and 82 total tackles.

      3. Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs—With Cassel, Charles and Bowe, the Chiefs now have a game-changer on defense too.

      4. Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns—65 tackles and 6 picks on a team that is going to be really good in a year or two.

      5. Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants—Everyone wondered what the Giants would do with another defensive end, but this kid exceeded everyone’s expectations.

      External Sports, NFL

      NFL Week 16 ROY power rankings

      January 2, 2011 /

      It’s definitely been a solid year for rookies in the NFL, and here are the top offensive and defensive ones ranked in order of who we think wins the honors for 2010:

      Offensive rookie of the year power rankings

      1. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams—Led the Rams to the team’s biggest victory in years last Sunday, and has to do it again this Sunday.

      2. Aaron Hernandez/Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots—These two guys continue to put up ridiculous numbers if you combine them (81 catches, 1007 yards, 15 TDs).

      3. Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Bucs—Two more TDs gave this kid 10 on the season, and he’s on the verge of 1000 yards.

      4. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys—He had 8 TDs (receiving and return) through 13 games before getting injured.

      5. Colt McCoy, Cleveland Browns—Okay, so this time the young McCoy had a rough go against the Ravens, but we won’t wipe him off the list.

      Defensive rookie of the year power rankings

      1. Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions—60 tackles and 9 sacks through 15 games for a DT is amazing for anyone, much less a rookie.

      2. Devin McCourty, New England Patriots—He hasn’t had an INT since Week 13, but the guy is all over the field making plays.

      3. Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs—I’m sure U of Tennessee fans winced when they saw their former star return a pick for a TD against the Titans.

      4. Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns—Had another pick against Baltimore along with five tackles. You think Mike Holmgren knows what he’s doing or what?

      5. Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants—Even though he’s on a line that already has Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, JPP has 29 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 6 passes deflected. I think Jerry Reese chose well when many doubted this kid.

      External Sports, NFL

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