Tag: Pittsburgh Steelers (Page 58 of 61)

      Eagles sack Ben Roethlisberger, drop Steelers 15-6

      September 21, 2008 /

      The Eagles bounced back from their Monday night defeat in Dallas by shutting down Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers 15-6 in Philadelphia on Sunday.

      Ben RoethlisbergerIt was over when …
      Steelers backup QB Byron Leftwich threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-10 with 35 seconds remaining to end their slim chances of pulling off an improbable comeback. The Eagles took over on downs and kneeled down to run out the clock.

      Game ball
      This contest featured a dominant performance by the Eagles’ front-seven on defense, but not to be overlooked was the sensational effort from Philadelphia punter Sav Rocca. Rocca punted the ball three times in the fourth quarter and all were pivotal in the victory. In the Eagles’ first possession of the quarter, they were forced to punt from their own 11-yard line. The Steelers expected to get the ball back in good field position, but Rocca boomed a 64-yarder that Santonio Holmes was only able to return for 5 yards because of its hang time. On his next effort, Rocca blasted another 54-yarder that went out of bounds and pinned the Steelers at their own 6-yard line. Finally, Rocca used his touch to kick a 37-yarder that bounced out at the Steelers’ 7-yard line. Without those punts, the Eagles may not have gotten the win.

      Key stat
      The Eagles recorded nine sacks and a safety during the game and had at least twice that many knock-downs. Even more amazing, is that the stat is somewhat deceiving because Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger barely escaped four other times and was credited with 6 rushing yards on those plays. If Roethlisberger was less elusive, the Eagles very easily could have tallied 15 sacks or more.

      Noteworthy
      Eagles RB Brian Westbrook left in the second quarter with an ankle injury and did not return. … Roethlisberger left late in the fourth quarter with a hand injury and did not return. … The Steelers did not have a play of 20-yards or more until Heath Miller’s 21-yard grab with less than two minutes left. … In one eight-play stretch of the second quarter, the Steelers gave up five sacks, committed a false start penalty and threw an interception. … Pittsburgh did not get into the red zone until its final drive. … Donovan McNabb set a new Eagles franchise record with his 176th career touchdown pass..

      I think Eagles’ defensive coordinator Jim Johnson took out his frustrations from Monday night on the Steelers today because he was absolutely relentless in blitzing his defenders (even more than he usually is). And had RB Brian Westbrook not suffer an injury early in the game, it’s likely the Eagles would have won by more than nine points.

      It was clear Big Ben’s shoulder dramatically affected his play today. Several times throughout the game he set up to throw long and checked down to his running back instead. And while he normally has issues holding on to the ball too long in the pocket, it was a major problem today. It’ll be interesting to see whether or not the Steelers choose to rest Roethlisberger over the next couple weeks with tough defenses in Baltimore and Jacksonville coming up.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Week 3 NFL Primer

      September 19, 2008 /

      Aaron RodgersSunday’s Best: Cowboys (2-0) at Packers (2-0) 8:15 PM ET NBC
      General NFL fans and fantasy football owners alike are pumped for this Sunday Night Football matchup. The home team generally has the upper hand, with the host going 14-2 in the last 27 years of this underrated rivalry. Before becoming a starter this season, Packers’ QB Aaron Rodgers only saw significant playing time one other time in his career – last year in a regular season loss to the Cowboys after Brett Favre was injured following two interceptions. Rodgers did well, too, completing 18 of 26 passes and tossing one touchdown. The Dallas defense will be well prepared for Rodgers this time, although the Cowboys are coming off a short week after beating the Eagles on Monday night.

      Upset Watch: Saints (1-1) at Broncos (2-0) 4:05 PM ET FOX
      If there’s one thing the NFL has taught fans over the years is to expect the unexpected. After two weeks, the Broncos look like world-beaters and after losing last week in Washington, the Saints appear to be vulnerable. But Denver’s defense didn’t play well in the second half last week and even without WR Marques Colston, New Orleans has more than enough offensive weapons to make things interesting this weekend in Denver. The Broncos are coming off an emotionally draining win last Sunday against San Diego, not to mention an emotionally draining week having to answer questions about Ed Hochuli’s blown call. Could the pissed off Saints be catching Denver at the right time?

      Ben RoethlisbergerIntriguing Matchup: Steelers (2-0) at Eagles (1-1), 4:15 PM ET CBS
      If it weren’t for the mega matchup in Green Bay on Sunday night, the Steelers-Eagles game Sunday evening would be the best of the Week 3 schedule. Pittsburgh has looked very good in its two victories, but questions remain about the health status of QB Ben Roethlisberger, who is dealing with a bad shoulder (although head coach Mike Tomlin says Big Ben’s shoulder isn’t separated). Philadelphia will be coming off a short week after playing on Monday night, but the Eagles are always tough to beat at home. Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook will also look to bounce back after fumbling away an opportunity to beat the Cowboys. This should be a physical game between two very good teams.

      Other Notable Games:
      Jaguars at Colts, 4:15 PM ET CBS
      Jacksonville’s offensive line is incredibly beat up, which hasn’t bode well for the usually-explosive Jag running game. But Indy lost its best run-defender in Bob Sanders for 4-6 weeks and the Vikes’ Adrian Peterson ran wild on them last Sunday. Could the Jaguars really start the season 0-3? Could the Colts really start 1-2? Neither team looks like the potential Super Bowl contenders everyone thought they would be entering the season.

      Panthers at Vikings, 1 PM ET FOX
      The Vikings are looking for their first win of the season while the Panthers are looking to gain even more of an edge in the NFC South. Can Carolina keep Adrian Peterson in check? Will Steve Smith take advantage of a weak Minnesota secondary in his first action of the season after serving a two game suspension?

      Cardinals at Redskins, 1 PM ET FOX
      Usually this game would be a bore-fest, but Arizona is 2-0 and Washington might have gotten on track after beating the Saints last Sunday. The Cardinals could open up a decent size lead in the NFC West with a victory.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Mistakes doom Browns as Steelers nab 10-6 victory

      September 15, 2008 /

      Derek AndersonThe Pittsburgh Steelers continued their dominance of the Browns, beating Cleveland 10-6 on a gusty Sunday night.

      • The Steelers won their 10th straight over the Browns, and now own the NFL’s longest active win streak against a single opponent.
      • Willie Parker topped 100 yards for the second straight week.
      • The Browns rushed for 53 yards and are averaging 39.2 rushing yards in their last four games against the Steelers.

      The Browns had their opportunities, but could never convert. In the first half, Derek Anderson threw two costly interceptions, the second one deep in Pittsburgh territory that cost the Browns an opportunity for points before halftime. Then, late in the third quarter down 10-0, Cleveland had a first and 10 at the Pittsburgh 11-yard line, but proceeded backwards after Jamal Lewis was stuffed for a three yard loss on second down and Kellen Winslow was called for a false start on 3rd and 7 from the 8-yard line. Anderson proceeded to throw an incomplete pass on the next play and the Browns had to settle for a Phil Dawson field goal. The Browns’ offense just couldn’t sustain momentum all night.

      As the score suggests, the Steelers weren’t overly impressive but the weather conditions played into that. Battling a sore shoulder, Ben Roethlisberger threw for 186 yards and a touchdown, while Willie Parker rushed for over 100 yards for the second straight week. As previously noted, the Pittsburgh defense proved to be the difference, forcing two Browns’ turnovers and holding them to field goals when they reached Steeler-territory.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Fantasy Fallout, Week 2: Sunday’s Games

      September 15, 2008 /

      Much of Week 2 has come and gone, and road teams were 9-5 in Sunday’s games. Here is just about everything you need to know (fantasy-wise) from Sunday’s action.

      Steelers 10 @ Browns 6
      Ben Roethlisberger has been fighting a sore shoulder, but he manned-up in tough conditions tonight, throwing for 186 yards and a TD in an important divisional matchup…Hines Ward (5-59-1) and Santonio Holmes (5-94) were his main targets, but Heath Miller (2-33) was also involved…Willie Parker rushed 28 times for 105 yards, while Rashard Mendenhall didn’t register a single carry. This is the Willie Parker show for now…The Steelers defense showed up with two sacks and two picks, and allowing just six points to the Browns…Derek Anderson had a rough game (166 yards, 2 INT) and Braylon Edwards (3-32) wasn’t much help…Kellen Winslow (7-55) was the only bright spot in the Cleveland passing game and he wasn’t even on the field for the final play…In a tough matchup, Jamal Lewis grinded 22 touches (including three catches) into 66 total yards.

      49ers 33 @ Seahawks 30
      All in all, a pretty mediocre performance by the Seattle defense, even though they posted eight sacks, forced a fumble and returned an interception for a TD. The fantasy points are nice, but they allowed 26 points to the 49ers offense…J.T. O’Sullivan seems to be settling into Mike Martz’s system. He had 321 passing yards and threw a TD to Bryant Johnson (who posted 6-78-1 in the win)…Isaac Bruce showed up with a 4-158 day, while Frank Gore had a solid all-around game, turning 24 touches (including five catches) into 99 yards and a TD. For those that were worried about Martz forgetting about his RB, I think the first two weeks of the season indicate that Gore is very much on Martz’s mind…Vernon Davis failed to register a catch, which is pretty worrisome considering all the success O’Sullivan had through the air…Matt Hasselbeck’s woes continue (189 passing yards, 2 INT) – he just doesn’t have the weapons to throw to. It might be a good time to try to buy low, as he should get Deion Branch and Bobby Engram back in Week 5…With Maurice Morris out with an injury, Julius Jones took advantage by turning 29 touches into 141 yards and a score. He looks like a solid start as long as Morris is out…Rookie TE John Carlson went for 6-78 and should be a fringe starting TE as long as Seattle is having WR troubles…Speaking of wideouts, Billy McMullen was the best of the bunch with three catches for 48 yards.

      Falcons 9 @ Bucs 24
      Brian Griese played decent as Tampa Bay’s starter. He hit on 18 of his 31 passes for 160 yards and a TD. He looks like a backup option or possible starter in 2 QB leagues…Earnest Graham was kind of quiet to start, but busted a 68-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to finish with 128 total yards on 16 touches. Hopefully, that will earn him some more work, but right now he and Warrick Dunn (15 touches, 70 yards, TD) are pretty much splitting the work…Joey Galloway (2-18) and Ike Hilliard (4-41) both had relatively quiet days…Michael Turner came crashing to Earth with a 15-touch, 48-yard, zero-TD effort. He looks like a starter depending on the matchup…Matt Ryan threw for 158 yards and two interceptions, and never really seemed to get on track…Roddy White (4-59) and Laurent Robinson (4-45) shared the receiving duties.

      Dolphins 10 @ Cardinals 31
      Kurt Warner filleted the Miami defense for 361 yards and three scores, which were all thrown to Anquan Boldin (6-140-3)…Larry Fitzgeraled (6-153) also had a very nice day…It looks like Tim Hightower (11 touches, 44 yards, TD) is going to continue to poach goal line carries from Edgerrin James (19 touches, 55 yards)…The Cardinals defense played pretty well with 10 PA, two sacks and a forced fumble…Where in the world is Anthony Fasano? After a huge game last week, he put up a goose egg this week, so he’s obviously not a safe option at TE…Chad Pennington struggled all day and finished with just 112 passing yards and no TD…Ricky Williams (12 touches, 29 yards) and Ronnie Brown (13 touches, 44 yards, TD) both struggled to get things going on the ground…Derek Hagan (3-51) and Greg Camarillo (4-49) led a pretty unimpressive group of WRs…For Ted Ginn owners, it might be time to look elsewhere for help at wideout. He had just one catch for nine yards.

      Chargers 38 @ Broncos 39
      San Diego got screwed in the best game of the day, but given the score, there were obviously a number of different fantasy stars…Brandon Marshall returned from his one-game suspension to post a mind-boggling 18 catches for 166 yards and a score…Jay Cutler (350 yards, 4 TD, INT) ignored everyone else at times, throwing only to Marshall. However, Tony Scheffler (6-64-2) and Eddie Royal (5-37-1) both managed big games as well…Selvin Young led Denver’s RBBC with nine touches for 86 yards. Andre Hall (7-31) and Michael Pittman (7-30-1) did their part as well. Pittman is clearly the team’s short-yardage back…Phillip Rivers (377 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT) had a huge day and looks like he’s made serious progress in his game since last season…LaDainian Tomlinson was bothered by a sore toe, so he was limited to just 12 touches for 40 yards. The team might want to shut him down if it means the toe will heal, because Darren Sproles managed to turn nine touches into 125 yards, including a dynamic 66-yard reception for a score…Chris Chambers (4-83-2) is turning into a good receiving threat, while Vincent Jackson (6-73) is making progress as well…Antonio Gates turned in a modest four catches for 61 yards.

      Patriots 19 @ Jets 10
      New England isn’t dead yet. The defense turned in two sacks, an interception and just 10 PA…Matt Cassel was efficient yet unspectacular with 165 yards passing and no scores or picks. The Patriots didn’t ask him to do too much. They were pretty content just to kick field goals once they got into the redzone…Wes Welker had seven catches for 72 yards and outshined Randy Moss, who caught just two passes for 22 yards. Cassel and Moss almost connected on a bomb, but the ball was seriously underthrown. Moss still should have made the catch, however…Laurence Maroney only managed seven carries before leaving the game with a shoulder injury. He came back into the game to carry the ball one more time, finishing with eight carries for 16 yards…Sammy Morris (10 touches, 7 yards, TD) and LaMont Jordan (11 carries, 62 yards) continue to cut into Maroney’s touches…Brett Favre had a decent game, posting 181 yards, a TD and a pick in the loss…He and Laveranues Coles (3-72) seemed to find a little bit of a groove, while Jerricho Cotchery was held to just one catch for 20 yards…Favre seems to like rookie Chansi Stuckey (4-43-1), who has now caught a TD in each of the first two games…Thomas Jones (19 touches, 75 yards) had a quiet game against a good Patriots defense.

      Bears 17 @ Panthers 20
      It looks like Carolina is destined to be in a lot of close games this season…Donte Rosario fought an injury this week and fell back to Earth with just one catch for six yards…Jonathan Stewart got a lot of work late in this game and finished with 14-77-2. It looks like he and DeAngelo Williams are going to form a RBBC until further notice…Muhsin Muhammad (5-59) was the only Carolina receiver of note as a result of Jake Delhomme’s quiet day (128 passing yards, INT)…Matt Forte had another nice day (26 touches, 113 yards) but failed to score…Brandon Lloyd (5-66) was the only Bears receiver to catch more than three passes.

      Titans 24 @ Bengals 7
      It looks like the Bengals offense is in serious trouble…Carson Palmer had another miserable day, throwing for just 134 yards and two interceptions…As a result, Chad Ocho Cinco (4-37) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (3-26) had quiet days…Chris Perry’s touchdown was Cincinnati’s only offensive bright spot…For the Titans, Justin Gage turned his sleeper status into 5-59-1, but otherwise the Titans’ passing game was pretty quiet. Kerry Collins represents an improvement in the passing game, but Tennessee didn’t really need to throw the ball much against the Bengals…Chris Johnson (19 carries, 109 yards) and LenDale White (18 carries, 59 yards, TD).

      Packers 48 @ Lions 25
      Aaron Rodgers was a strong start against Detroit and he didn’t disappoint, throwing for 328 yards and three TD, while also gaining 25 yards on the ground…Ryan Grant was a fantasy dud, posting just 20 yards on 15 carries. Meanwhile, Brandon Jackson gained 61 yards and scored once on seven carries…Greg Jennings (6-167), Donald Driver (7-52-1), James Jones (4-29-1) and Jordy Nelson (1-29-1) all had good games for the Packers receiving corps…The Green Bay defense posted five sacks, three interceptions and two interception return TD in a big defensive day…The Lions got off to a slow start, but started getting their offense going once they fell behind by 21 points…Calvin Johnson was the Lions’ brightest star, posting 6-129-2, while Roy Williams went for just 3-48. It appears that Calvin is taking over as the Lions WR1…Jon Kitna threw for 276 yards and two TD, but also had three costly picks…Rookie Kevin Smith turned 14 touches into 61 yards, but became an afterthought in the offense once Detroit fell behind.

      Bills 20 @ Jaguars 16
      Trent Edwards (239 passing yards, TD) had a nice day throwing the ball, specifically to Fred Jackson (7-83) and Lee Evans (4-77)…Marshawn Lynch turned 20 touches into just 67 yards, but did score a TD…After a big game last week, Robert Royal failed to register a catch this week…The Jaguars offense is in trouble…David Garrard threw for 165 yards and had a pick…Fred Taylor (54 total yards) and Maurice Jones-Drew (42 total yards, TD) both had pretty quiet games…Matt Jones was the Jags’ top receiver (5-50)…The Bills defense (16 PA, two sacks, one INT) looks pretty good.

      Raiders 23 @ Chiefs 8
      The Oakland running game really looked good, with Darren McFadden (21-164-1) taking over for Justin Fargas (9-43) after an injury knocked Fargas out of the game…Michael Bush (16-90-1) also got some serious work late in the game…JaMarcus Russell (55 yards passing) struggled and Ronald Curry failed to catch a pass…Zach Miller (2-24) led the Raiders in receiving…Damon Huard was knocked of the game and Tyler Thigpen came in to throw for 151 yards, a TD and a pick…Dwayne Bowe (6-90) and Tony Gonzalez (5-39-1) predictably led the Chiefs in receiving…Larry Johnson had 12 carries for 22 yards and zero catches in a very disappointing day.

      Colts 18 @ Vikings 15
      Peyton Manning and the Colts passing game got off to a slow start, but Manning finished with 311 yards and a TD, though he did throw two picks…Anthony Gonzalez (9-137) and Reggie Wayne (5-93-1) were his favorite targets while Marvin Harrison caught just one pass for 16 yards…Joseph Addai never really got the running game going, finishing with 20 yards and a score on 15 carries…Ryan Longwell accounted for all of Minnesota’s points, hitting five field goals on the day…Adrian Peterson gained 180 total yards on 33 touches…Tarvaris Jackson had a bad day, throwing for just 130 yards without throwing a TD or a pick…Bobby Wade was the Vikings’ top receiver with 42 yards on three catches…Neither Bernard Berrian nor Sidney Rice managed to catch a pass in the game.

      Giants 41 @ Rams 13
      Eli Manning had a great day, throwing for 260 yards and three TD. Plaxico Burress (5-81-1) and Amani Toomer (6-67-1) were his two favorite targets…Brandon Jacobs (15-93) led the Giants in rushing, but Ahmad Bradshaw (six touches, 70 yards, 2 TD) had a big game in garbage time…Torry Holt (6-76-1) had a pretty solid stat line, while Marc Bulger (177 passing yards, TD, INT) had a mediocre game…Steven Jackson only had 53 yards on the ground, but caught seven passes for 37 yards to post decent numbers in PPR leagues.

      Saints 24 @ Redskins 29
      The Redskins got big games out of Clinton Portis (21 carries, 96 yards, 2 TD) and Santana Moss (7-164-1), and Chris Cooley chipped in with five catches for 72 yards…Jason Campbell had a nice day, posting 321 yards and a TD, and the nice all-around numbers from the Redskins indicate that maybe the implementation of the West Coast Offense isn’t going so badly after all…Drew Brees had a medicore game (216 passing yards, TD, 2 INT) and the Saints had a tough time running the ball…Reggie Bush posted good numbers in PPR leagues with seven catches for 63 yards even though he only had 28 yards on the ground…David Patten went for 5-55…Pierre Thomas (8 touches, 37 yards, 1 TD) continues to back up Bush…Robert Meachem had one catch for 19 yards and a TD.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Week 2 Game Recaps

      September 14, 2008 /

      Below are snippets of all the Week 2 action in the NFL. For more analysis and discussion on each game, click on the links provided.

      Aaron Rodgers– Aaron Rodgers looked fantastic for the second straight week as the Packers put up 24 fourth quarter points in a 48-25 thrashing of the Lions.

      – The upstart Bills pulled off one of the better upsets of the day, beating the winless Jaguars 20-16 in Jacksonville.

      – The Bengals’ offense looked brutal again this week in the Titans’ 24-7 win in Cincinnati.

      – For the second straight week, the Panthers pulled off a fourth quarter comeback, this time rallying to beat the Bears 20-17 in their home opener.

      – Jason Campbell and the Redskins’ offense bounced back from a dismal Week 1 performance to beat the Saints 29-24.

      – The Colts avoided going 0-2 for the first time since Peyton Manning’s rookie season in 1998 by beating the Vikings 18-15.

      – Eli Manning threw for three touchdowns in the Giants’ 41-13 romp over St. Louis.

      – Despite rumors circulating that head coach Lane Kiffin could be fired Monday, the Raiders cruised to a 23-8 win over division rival Kansas City.

      Brandon Marshall– After a controversial call went in their favor, the Broncos rallied to beat the Chargers 39-38 after Denver went for two with only 24 seconds remaining in the game.

      – The Bucs’ defense harassed rookie quarterback Matt Ryan as Tampa beat the Falcons 24-9 to earn their first win of the season.

      – Matt Cassel won his first career start as the Patriots beat Brett Favre and the Jets 19-10.

      – Kurt Warner threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns in Arizona’s 31-10 win over the Dolphins.

      – The Seahawks fell to 0-2 after losing 33-30 to the 49ers in overtime. Matt Hasselbeck threw two interceptions in the loss.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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