Tag: New England Patriots (Page 65 of 72)

      Thirty-Two reasons to love the 2008 NFL Season so far

      October 6, 2008 /

      The 2008 NFL Season is only a quarter of the way finished, but it already looks like it could be one of the craziest years in some time. And as if anyone needed a reason to tune in this year, I’ve gone ahead and listed 32 of them below.

      In no particular order:

      1. Parity still rules. Who would have thought that the Bills and Titans would have better records at this point than the Colts, Patriots and Jaguars?

      2. The Giants. The G-Men are the best team in the league and nobody is talking about them.

      3. Aaron Rodgers is holding his own. The Packers have dropped three straight after starting the year 2-0, but that’s hardly Rodgers’ fault. The young man has gone through a lot this year and he continues to impress, including playing with an injured shoulder and throwing nine touchdown passes in five games.

      4. The Colts 17-point fourth quarter comeback against the Texans in Week 5.

      5. Preseason predictions still mean nothing. There’s no greater feeling than checking out who the pundits predict will be the best teams in the NFL in preseason…then realizing how wrong they were after the first couple weeks of the season.

      6. Jason Campbell’s development. People in the know say that it usually takes a quarterback 2-3 years to fully learn the West Coast Offense but so far this year, Campbell has thrown for over 1,000 yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions. And oh-by-the-way, he also has the Redskins at 4-1. First-year head coach Jim Zorn has done a remarkable job in Washington so far.

      7. The Titans. There’s not a defense in the league that has been more clutch late in games than Tennessee has.

      8. Ronnie Brown. No offense to Ricky Williams, but it’s nice to see that the guy who didn’t quit on the game because he wanted more time to smoke weed is having more success than the guy who did.

      9. The balance of power is starting to shift between the two conferences. The AFC has long dominated the NFC in terms of teams and quality of play, but so far this year those roles have been reversed. Four of the top five or six teams in the league belong to the NFC.

      Brett Favre10. Brett Favre. Through five weeks, no signal caller in the league has a better QB rating than Favre. And his six-touchdown performance against the Cardinals in Week 4 was vintage Brett.

      11. Baltimore’s defense. They might be aging unit, but Ray Lewis and Co. can still lay the wood can’t they?

      12. Rookie quarterbacks playing well. Matt Ryan just went into Lambeau and knocked off the Packers, while Joe Flacco almost pulled off upsets against top defenses in Pittsburgh and against Tennessee. These first round signal callers have been impressive to say the least.

      13. Adrian Peterson. Forget the sophomore slump – the 2007 Offensive Rookie of the Year is proving that he’s no fluke.

      14. The Bears finally have a quarterback. Kyle Orton is nowhere close to being the best quarterback in the league, but watch him play – he has a little gunslinger mentality in him. And hey, he’s no Rex Grossman, which is a great thing (just ask Bear fans).

      15. Kurt Warner. Some groaned when the veteran unseated youngster Matt Leinart in preseason, but so far head coach Ken Whisenhunt’s decision to go with Warner has paid off.

      Miami Dolphins16. The Dolphins. They might be all hype right now, but who cares? The Fins’ fan base saw only one win last year – let them enjoy the ride.

      17. Ben Roethlisberger’s toughness. This is arguably the worst offensive line the Steelers have produced in years, yet Big Ben continues to show how underrated he really is. His performance against Jacksonville in Week 5 was simply amazing.

      18. The Bills. It’s easy to pull for a young team and most of their wins this year have been nail bitters. Hopefully QB Trent Edwards is okay from the hit he took against Arizona last Sunday and he’ll get back on the field soon.

      19. The young Titans’ secondary. Cortland Finnegan and Michael Griffin share the league lead for interceptions. And they play in the same defensive backfield.

      20. Marty Booker’s catch against the Lions.

      21. Jay Cutler. The kid is cocky but it’s hard not to like his swagger.

      22. Michael Turner’s running style.

      23. Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. The Packers’ wideouts are just two example of why teams don’t need to spend first round picks on receivers.

      24. Fresh starts in Oakland, Detroit and St. Louis. Yes these three franchises are a mess. But maybe there is a silver lining now that Lane Kiffin, Matt Millen and Scott Linehan all received their walking papers. Maybe…

      Eli Manning25. Eli Manning. The former first overall pick is proving that last year’s postseason performance wasn’t a fluke and he really has taken the next step as a NFL quarterback.

      26. The Panthers. Jake Delhomme is healthy and playing well again, rookie Jonathan Stewart has been a great complement to DeAngelo Williams and the run defense has been fantastic so far. Carolina is a legitimate contender in the NFC.

      27. Monte Kiffin’s defense. The Bucs don’t even rank in the top 10 in any major defensive category except for points allowed, but ask Matt Ryan, Kyle Orton and Aaron Rodgers if they would want to face Kiffin’s unit on a weekly basis.

      28. The Patriots are still finding ways to win. It hasn’t been pretty, but Bill Belichick and New England are still finding ways to win despite not having Tom Brady under center. Even after being blown out by Miami at home in Week 3, the Pats are still a team to watch out for in the AFC.

      29. Reggie Bush. He might not be able to run consistently between the tackles but he sure as hell can run outside of them.

      Tony Romo and Terrell Owens30. Terrell Owens…when he shuts up and just plays. And Tony Romo…when he can hang on to the football.

      31. The Bengals. For providing the casual football fan with plenty of entertainment off the field.

      32. Al Davis. For providing the casual football fan with plenty of entertainment off the filed.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Photos of the Week: Week 5

      October 6, 2008 /

      Here are a few of my favorite photos from Week 5 action. You can see a full slideshow of larger versions on NFL.com.

      I’m not a fan of Randy Moss, but the league is better off when he’s playing his best ball. After Matt Cassel’s first couple of starts, many were wondering if he had the arm strength to hit Moss with the deep ball. I like photos that capture more than just a single play. This one also answers a question that was plaguing the Patriots and their fans.

      The Texans/Colts game turned out to be one of the most exciting finishes of the day due in no small part to Reggie Wayne’s terrific one-handed touchdown catch. Wayne is clearly one of the best (and most consistent) wideouts in the game and this photo captures his immense ability.

      Sage Rosenfels would probably like to forget Sunday’s game against the Colts. He had a chance to take hold of the starting job in Houston, but he managed to give the game away with two fumbles and an interception in a miserable fourth quarter. This picture captures his boneheaded decision to go airborne as the Texans tried to put the game away.

      Throughout his career, Donald Driver has been one of the most consistently underrated wideouts in the game. This catch against the Falcons looked like it was going to be knocked away or even intercepted, but Driver out muscled Erik Coleman for the ball.

      The Redskins have been one of the biggest surprises of this young season, and much of their success is due to the steady running of Clinton Portis. His game was on display against the Eagles, as the Redskins utilized his power running as an effective deterrent to the Eagles’ blitz happy defense.


      The Packers are now 2-3 and this week’s loss to the Falcons signifies just how far Green Bay has to go. The tackling was sloppy and they hurt themselves with too many mental mistakes and penalties. It’s tough to see my favorite team in this position, but the picture captures the Packers’ current ineptitude.

      NFL

      Fantasy Fallout, Week 5: Sunday’s Games

      October 6, 2008 /

      Everything you need to know (and some stuff you don’t) about the fantasy implications of Week 5 NFL action.

      Steelers 26 @ Jaguars 21
      Ben Roethlisberger (309 yards, 3 TD, INT) was questionable all week, but he played well, hooking up with Hines Ward (7-90-1), Nate Washington (6-94-1), Heath Miller (5-45-1) and Santonio Holmes (4-65) with regularity…Mewelde Moore (20 touches, 116 yards) filled in admirably for Willie Parker, but failed to score. He looks like a starter caliber fantasy back as long as Parker is out…The Steelers defense was a bit of a disappointment, registering just three sacks and a forced fumble while allowing 21 points to the Jags…David Garrard (200 yards, TD) played pretty well and it looks like he’s starting to develop a rapport with second-year WR Mike Walker, who followed up last week’s five-catch, 46-yard effort against Houston with a six-catch, 107-yard performance tonight. He might be taking over the WR1 role from Matt Jones (2-25) who had a disappointing game just as fantasy owners were starting to trust him in their lineups…Fred Taylor (12 touches, 25 yards) was a non-factor, while Maurice Jones-Drew (11 touches, 30 yards, TD) caught six passes and scored a TD on the ground.

      Buccaneers 13 @ Broncos 16
      Jay Cutler (227 yards, TD) had an efficient, if unspectacular game…Eddie Royal (3-23) and Brandon Marshall (3-25) were quiet, so Tony Scheffler (4-65) and Brandon Stokley (6-52-1) picked up the slack…Royal may miss the next two games with a bad ankle, and Scheffler will likely miss some time with a strained groin…Denver’s running game was once again split up between Selvin Young (11 touches, 39 yards), Michael Pittman (8 touches, 61 yards) and Andre Hall (7 touches, 30 yards). None of these guys are worth starting on a regular basis, though Pittman is worth a look since he’s getting a vast majority of the goal line carries…Brian Griese (88 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT) was knocked out of the game, so Jeff Garcia (93 yards, TD, INT) came in in relief…Antonio Bryant (7-58) and Ike Hilliard (4-29-1) were the main receiving threats…Warrick Dunn (14 touches, 87 yards) and Earnest Graham (15 touches, 80 yards) once again split running back duties.

      Bills 17 @ Cardinals 41
      Kurt Warner (250 yards, 2 TD) continues to post good fantasy numbers…Larry Fitzgerald (7-52-2) was the star in the passing game, but Steve Breaston (7-77) and Early Doucet (6-42) are proving that the Cardinals have a deep receiving corps…Edgerrin James (23 touches, 78 yards, TD) had a pretty good game but saw two more TD vultured by Tim Hightower (nine touches, 45 yards, 2 TD)…Trent Edwards was knocked out of the game and J.P. Losman (220 yards, TD, INT) had an Edwards-like day in relief. He hooked up with Lee Evans (2-100-1) for an 87-yard TD…Josh Reed (4-45) and James Hardy (3-35) made some short catches…Marshawn Lynch (16 touches, 65 yards) failed to score…The Bills failed to register a sack or force a turnover which is unbelievable considering Warner’s propensity to give the ball to the other team.

      Bengals 22 @ Cowboys 31
      Tony Romo (176 yards, 3 TD, INT) continues to post great fantasy numbers…Jason Wiitten (8-79-1) and Terrell Owens (2-67-1) were his favorite targets, though Patrick Crayton (1-15-1) also scored on a tipped ball…Marion Barber (25 touches, 92 yards) had a rather quiet fantasy day, while Felix Jones (10 touches, 103 yards, TD) scored on a 33-yard run…Carson Palmer (217 yards, 2 TD, INT) returned to post some good numbers…T.J. Houshmandzadeh (7-85-2) had a huge day, while Chad Johnson (3-43) was rather quiet…Antonio Chatman (7-55) caught a bunch of underneath stuff…Chris Perry (16 touches, 50 yards) fumbled for the fifth time in as many games, and could be in danger of losing his job to Cedric Benson (10 carries, 30 yards).

      Patriots 30 @ 49ers 21
      Randy Moss (5-111-1) busted out with a big day after struggling for much of the time that Matt Cassel (259 yards, TD, 2 INT) has been under center…Wes Welker (8-73) continues to thrive in PPR leagues with all of the underneath stuff…Once again, Laurence Maroney (10 carries, 26 yards) was a non-factor. Kevin Faulk (11 touches, 61 yards, 2 TD) and Sammy Morris (16 carries, 63 yards) both had more touches…J.T. O’Sullivan (130 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT) continues to post good fantasy numbers despite three picks…Isaac Bruce (3-49-2) continues to surge and is a regular target at the goal line. He has a knack for finding an opening in the back of the end zone…Bryant Johnson (3-27) was the next best 49er WR…Frank Gore (16 touches, 78 yards, TD) had a solid game. He didn’t rush for a score, but he caught a TD.

      Chiefs 0 @ Panthers 34
      The Carolina defense was my DTBWW pick and they didn’t disappoint, posting zero points allowed, three sacks, two INT and two fumble recoveries…DeAngelo Williams had a huge day (21 touches, 148 yards, 3 TD) but he probably wasn’t in too many starting lineups this week…Jonathan Stewart turned 20 touches into 80 yards…Jake Delhomme (236 yards, 2 TD, INT) had a nice day throwing to Steve Smith (6-96) and Muhsin Muhammad (3-71-1)…Dante Rosario didn’t have a catch…The Chiefs offense was brutal…Damon Huard (86 yards, 2 INT) and Tyler Thigpen (37 yards) struggled all day…Larry Johnson had seven carries for two yards…Dwayne Bowe (5-57) and Tony Gonzalez (3-17) had quiet days.

      Ravens 10 @ Titans 13
      There wasn’t a whole lot of offense in this game…Kerry Collins (163 yards, TD, 2 INT) posted decent numbers throwing mainly to Bo Scaife (7-72). Scaife is starting to look like a starter-caliber fantasy TE, as long as Collins is under center, anyway…Chris Johnson (20 touches, 48 yards) struggled against a good Ravens defense…LenDale White (4 touches, 4 yards) was a non-factor…Brandon Jones (3-54) seems like the main guy (after Scaife) when Gage is out…Joe Flacco (153 yards, 2 INT) had a predictably rough game against a good defense, but he did finally target Todd Heap (4-41) a few times…Derrick Mason (5-38) and Mark Clayton (4-37) had quiet days…Willis McGahee (23 touches, 65 yards) played, but had a TD run vultured by Le’Ron McClain (13 touches, 63 yards).

      Bears 34 @ Lions 0
      Kyle Orton was a sneaky good start this week and he didn’t disappoint (334 yards, 2 TD)…Matt Forte (19 touches, 61 yards, 2 TD) had a big day and is a must-start week to week…Rashied Davis (6-97) led the Bears in receiving, but Greg Olsen (3-87) had a big yardage day as well…Devin Hester (5-66-1) might be worth a pickup if you need help at WR…In addition to the shutout, the Bears defense posted four sacks, an INT return for a TD and a fumble recovery…Jon Kitna (74 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT) had a rough day, and might be in danger of losing his job…Roy Williams (7-96) got a ton of looks, and the Lions may have been trying to showcase him for a possible trade…Calvin Johnson (2-16) struggled…Kevin Smith turned 12 touches into 56 yards and a D, while Rudi Johnson posted 32 yards on eight touches.

      Falcons 27 @ Packers 24
      Matt Ryan (194 yards, 2 TD, INT) played pretty well and would have had a third TD (and no INT) if he hadn’t severely underthrown a wide-open receiver in the second half…Roddy White (8-132-1) caught all of his passes in the first half…Justin Peele (2-15-1) caught the other Ryan TD…Michael Turner (26 carries, 121 yards, TD) had a very nice day…Aaron Rodgers (313 yards, 3 TD, INT) was bothered by a sore shoulder, but managed to post good fantasy numbers…Ryan Grant (18 carries, 83 yards) looked good running the ball…Greg Jennings (4-87-1) and Donald Driver (3-68-1) had solid days, while Donald Lee (4-25-1) and Tory Humphrey (4-67) gave the Packers a good one-two punch at TE.

      Colts 31 @ Texans 27
      Peyton Manning (247 yards, 2 TD, INT) and the Colts were able to capitalize on Sage Rosenfels’ mistakes…Reggie Wayne (7-97-1), Dallas Clark (5-81), Marvin Harrison (4-32) and Tom Santi (4-27-1) were the main receivers in the Colts’ passing game. Manning and Harrison don’t seem like they’re on the same page right now…Joseph Addai (17 carries, 71 yards, TD) had a solid game, but he’s not very involved in the passing game (1 catch, 3 yards)…Anthony Gonzalez (1-3) had a very quiet day…Rosenfels (246 yards, TD) played pretty well until the final quarter, when two fumbles and an interception allowed the Colts to steal the win…Andre Johnson (9-131-1) had a huge game and Owen Daniels (5-47) had another solid outing…Steve Slaton (16 carries, 93 yards, 2 TD) had a big day against a very bad Colts rush defense…Ahman Green (12 carries, 47 yards) returned from injury and played pretty well…Kevin Walter (2-36) had a quiet game.

      Chargers 10 @ Dolphins 17
      Chad Pennington was solid (228 yards, TD) throwing mainly to Greg Camarillo (6-68-1) and Ted Ginn (7-55). Camarillo is turning into a good spot starter in PPR leagues and Ginn is starting to show some life…Anthony Fasano (3-47) hada prety good game at TE…Ronnie Brown (24 carries, 125 yards, TD) had another big day…Ricky Williams (14 touches, 39 yards) is taking a back seat in the running game…The Chargers offense was disappointing, starting with Phillip Rivers (156 yards, TD), continuing with Antonio Gates (1-12), and ending with LaDainian Tomlinson (17 touches, 57 yards)…Vincent Jackson (2-56) and Chris Chambers (3-30-1) had decent games.

      Seahawks 6 @ Giants 44
      Eli Manning (267 yards, 2 TD) continues his strong play…Domenik Hixon (4-102-1) took advantage of the absence of Plaxico Burress to have his coming out party…Amani Toomer (4-64) had a disappointing day, all things considered…Sinorice Moss (4-45-2) scored twice…Brandon Jacobs (16 touches 145 yards, 2 TD) had a monster day, while Ahmad Bradshaw (11 carries, 65 yards) and Derrick Ward (9 touches, 50 yards) spelled Jacobs…Kevin Boss (2-9) was a big disappointment after talk that he’d be getting extra looks with Burress out…Bobby Engram (8-61) had a nice first game back and looks like a WR3-type in PPR leagues…Deion Branch’s return (3-31) was less encouraging, especially considering the score…Matt Hasselbeck (105 yards, INT) had a bad day, and his stock is probably as low as it has been all season…Julius Jones (18 touches, 74 yards) had a quiet game considering how strong he’s been the last few weeks…T.J. Duckett (4 carries, 14 yards) wasn’t much of a factor…The Seahawks defense should only be started when the matchup is favorable.

      Redskins 23 @ Eagles 17
      Clinton Portis (31 touches, 158 yards, TD) had a huge game against a good Eagles defense…Jason Campbell (176 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT) had a quiet day, but he did connect with Chris Cooley (8-109-1) several times…Santana Moss didn’t have a catch…Antwaan Randle El (3-34) threw the TD to Portis…Shaun Suisham is starting to look like one of the steadier K plays in the league…The Eagles offense didn’t look too good, and it started with Donovan McNabb (196 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT)…DeSean Jackson returned a punt for a TD, but otherwise had a very quiet game (3 touches, 21 yards)…Reggie Brown (4-84) looks like a solid play in most PPR leagues…Brian Westbrook (18 touches, 84 yards, TD) had his normally productive day…L.J. Smith (3-26) is still a TE2 at this point.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Week 5 Quick Recaps: Ocho Cinco fails to kiss Dallas star

      October 5, 2008 /

      Chad Johnson– Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson said earlier this week that he would kiss the Dallas star if/when he scores a touchdown against the Cowboys on Sunday. But Dallas held him to only 43 yards on three catches in their 31-22 win over the Bengals, so the only kiss he got to plant was on head coach Marvin Lewis’s face. You know that kid at a birthday party who does a couple of funny things, gets people’s attention, but then eventually becomes annoying? That’s where I’m at right now with Ocho Cinco.

      – After getting destroyed by the Jets last Sunday, the Cardinals had one hell of a bounce back this week, beating the previously undefeated Bills 41-17. But ‘Zona has got to do something about its secondary. They gave up 56 points and allowed Brett Favre to throw six touchdown passes last week, and then proceeded to allow J.P. Losman to complete 15 of 21 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown today. That’s brutal. Losman hasn’t played in over a year and even when he did he was downright atrocious in most of his games. When J.P. Losman shreds you through the air, something’s up.

      – Seven carries, two yards. That’s what Carolina held Chiefs’ RB Larry Johnson to in its 34-0 win Sunday. This coming just one week after LJ rushed for nearly 200 yards against Denver. Rightfully so, everyone talks about the Vikings’ run defense being so good, but take a look at what the Panthers have done against some of the best running backs the past couple of weeks: LaDainian Tomlinson – 97 yards. Adrian Peterson – 77 yards. Michael Turner – 56 yards. Larry Johnson – 2 yards. Wow.

      Jay Cutler– Out of their three victories this season, the Broncos can be most proud of their 16-13 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday. They beat a quality opponent (unlike their Week 1 win over the Raiders), they didn’t need a controversial call to go in their favor (unlike their Week 2 win over the Chargers) and for the first time all year, they didn’t surrender 30-plus points defensively.

      – So…who’s the real J.T. O’Sullivan? The one that threw for over 300 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions in a win over Seattle or the one that played Sunday and threw three picks against New England? (Although in O’Sullivan’s defense, he did throw three touchdowns in the Niners’ 30-21 loss to the Pats, too.)

      – Did Laurence Maroney kick Bill Belichick’s cat one time at a team barbecue or something one time? For the life of me I can’t figure out why Sammy Morris continues to get more carries than Maroney.

      – Gutsy, gutsy performance by Big Ben on Sunday night. The Jags couldn’t get any pressure on him early on, but when they started to get to him in second half, he hung in tough and delivered a huge win the Steelers. Just when you think Pittsburgh is going to crash with so many injuries in the backfield and along the offensive line, they step up and play a complete game like they did in Week 5. The final score wasn’t a good indicator of how much the Steelers actually dominated the Jaguars.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Lisa Guerrero rips Patriots fans

      September 30, 2008 /

      As SPORTSbyBROOKS.com reported less than a week ago, former MNF reportor Lisa Guerrero is now blogging for the L.A. Times. In one of her first blogs, she takes aim at New England Patriot fans.

      Lisa GuerreroLet me get this straight: Boston fans suffered through 80 years of Red Sox disappointment but can’t sit through the first Patriots loss in 21 regular season games?

      I, of all people, should not be surprised. From 1992 to 1994, I was the director of entertainment for the Patriots. Believe me, those bleak years were anything but entertaining.

      Back then, they played at Foxboro Stadium, best known for having the worst field conditions in professional football, in front of maybe 20,000 fans, best known for urinating off the upper terrace and assaulting women in the dirt parking lot. Really!

      In other words, this was a drunken, dirty, obnoxious crowd. I don’t mean that in a good way.
      Those fans were an embarrassment. The team stunk — 6-10 in 1991 and 2-14 in 1992 — and there wasn’t a lot to cheer about. Remember Dick MacPherson? Exactly.

      But isn’t that when true fans continue to show up … and know how to use the indoor plumbing?

      Well, exit Hugh Millen/Scott Zolak and enter Drew Bledsoe/Tom Brady. Guess what? The crowds started showing up again.

      It’s easy to be a fan when your team wins three Super Bowls in four years, but one loss at home in a couple of seasons and the rats jump off the sinking ship like Tom Brady jumped off Bridget Moynihan.
      This past Sunday, when the Pats took a beating, their fans couldn’t take a hit.

      In fairness to Patriot fans, anybody would have left with the way Ronnie Brown was shredded New England that day. But Guerrero brings up a good point and it’ll be interesting to see how loyal Pats fans are if the team starts to go down without Brady.

      Fantasy Football, MLB, NFL

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