Tag: Ronnie Brown (Page 3 of 4)

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

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.

New regimes changing the culture in Miami, Atlanta

Ronnie BrownTwo of the worst teams in the NFL last year resided in Miami and Atlanta. So following the 2007 season, the two franchises decided to start fresh with new front office personal, new head coaches and a lot of new faces on their respective rosters.

The Dolphins hired Bill Parcells to run the football operations and former Cowboys’ assistant Tony Sparano to replace Cam Cameron as head coach. The Falcons tabbed former Patriots’ director of college scouting Thomas Dimitroff as GM and ex-Jaguars’ defensive coordinator Mike Smith as head coach.

Few pundits figured that with all of the changes that were made, that the Dolphins and Falcons would compete right away. But that’s exactly what’s happening.

After beating the Patriots two weeks ago, the Dolphins pulled off another big upset on Sunday, knocking off the Chargers 17-10 in Miami. The team once again used the “Wildcat” formation with Ronnie Brown taking direct snaps and gashing San Diego for 125 yards and a touchdown. Chad Pennington (one of those new roster faces) was also solid, completing 22 of 29 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown.

Matt RyanMeanwhile, the Falcons and rookie QB Matt Ryan (one of the many new faces on the Falcons’ overhauled roster) waltz into Green Bay, mounted a 17-7 lead and eventually hung on for a 27-24 win. It was Ryan’s first win on the road as a starter, and the team’s third victory of the season. Not bad for a team that many prognosticators predicted would only have one or two wins total in 2008.

One thing that both of these teams lacked in prior years was toughness and neither franchise was very physical. But Sparano and Smith have changed that in just a short period of time and it’s amazing how much of a difference a year can make. Especially in Atlanta’s case, which was left in complete disarray following Michael Vick’s arrest and Bobby Petrino’s spinelessness.

NFL News and Notes: Rams bench QB Marc Bulger

Marc Bulger– After stumbling to a 0-3 start and looking atrocious while doing so, the St. Louis Rams have decided to make a change. Veteran Trent Green will reportedly start at quarterback this weekend against the undefeated Buffalo Bills as the Rams have decided to bench Marc Bulger. (NFL.com)

– Willie Parker will miss Monday night’s game against the Baltimore Ravens after spraining his knee in last week’s loss to the Eagles. Rookie Rashard Mendenhall is expected to make his first NFL start. (NFL.com)

– Packers’ CB Al Harris could be lost for the entire season with a ruptured spleen, which was the same injury that knocked out former Bucs’ QB Chris Simms for the entire 2006 season. Tramon Williams, a second-year undrafted free agent, is currently Harris’s backup at left corner. (National Football Post)

– RB Brian Westbrook reportedly suffered a high ankle sprain during the Eagles’ win over the Steelers Sunday, a game in which “Westy” had to leave the game in the first half. His status for this Sunday’s game is still up in the air, but Westbrook expects to play. (Rotoworld.com)

– Struggling quarterback Derek Anderson is expected to start in Week 4 for the Cleveland Browns, but the team is prepping second-year backup Brady Quinn to play. Anderson could have a quick hook if he struggles Sunday against Cincinnati. (ESPN’s Chris Mortensen)

– Despite his poor performance in Tennessee last Sunday, Matt Schuab will reportedly keep the starting quarterback job in Houston. Unfortunately for Schaub, things don’t get any easier against Jacksonville this Sunday. (Houston Chronicle)

– After destroying the Patriots with it last Sunday, the Miami Dolphins will keep the ‘Wildcat’ package in their offensive. RB Ronnie Brown shredded New England for over 100 yards and four touchdowns while lining up predominately in that formation last Sunday. (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)


Obviously, the Bulger news is big, but I doubt there were too many owners starting him last week. His numbers are down and I think most of us were expecting him to eventually turn it around and finish somewhere in the top 15. Scott Linehan is apparently desperate and feels like he’s on the verge of getting fired. Trent Green is old, but STL has some weapons so he could be a decent spot starter if he can get in the groove…As for Westy, Correll Buckhalter looks like the primary backup despite all the preseason talk about Lorenzo Booker…Rashard Mendenhall will be a hot pickup this week, but don’t break the bank in Blind Bidding leagues. He faces a tough Ravens defense and Parker could be back as early as next week. But if you can add him cheaply, do so, as you never know with knee sprains…Brady Quinn is a guy to target in larger leagues. The “Bench Derek Anderson” talk seems to be getting louder and louder and Quinn has a chance to be good with all the weapons in the Browns’ offense.

Fantasy Fallout, Week 3: Sunday’s Games

Chiefs 14 @ Falcons 38
If the matchup is good, you have to get Michael Turner in your lineup. He posted 104 rushing yards and three TD against a bad Kansas City rush defense…Jerious Norwood turned 12 touches into 105 yards…Matt Ryan had an efficient day, throwing for 192 yards and a score…Roddy White (5-119-1) had his first big game of the season and looks startable again…The Falcons defense had three picks (and returned one for a score, registered two sacks, and looks like a good start against bad defenses, especially at home…Larry Johnson looked like his old self rumbling for 121 yards and a score, though he’s still (mysteriously) not involved in the passing game…Dwayne Bowe (4-43-1) continues to play well despite the Chiefs problems at QB…Tony Gonzalez (4-35) had a quiet game but was involved…Tyler Thigpen threw for just 128 yards and a score, and was picked off three times.

Raiders 23 @ Bills 24
The Buffalo defense struggled in a game where they shouldn’t have. They gave up 23 points, and only registered a single sack and a single turnover…Marshawn Lynch looked great, turning 27 touches into 115 yards and two TD…Trent Edwards continued his steady play, posting 279 yards, one TD and one pick…Lee Evans (4-65) and Josh Reed (6-72) led the Bills in receiving, though Roscoe Parrish (3-42-1) was the only Buffalo wideout to score…JaMarcus Russell threw for 156 yards, one TD and also had a 1-yard touchdown run…Darren McFadden only had 48 yards on 17 touches, while Michael Bush had 60 yards on 15 touches…Zach Miller and Ronald Curry each failed to catch a ball, but there was a Javon Walker sighting as the gimpy wideout caught two passes for 18 yards.

Bucs 27 @ Bears 24
Brian Griese surprised everyone with 407 yards and two TD. He also threw for three picks, but since the Bucs couldn’t run the ball (Dunn – 31 yards, Graham – 16 yards), Tampa Bay called 67 passes…Antonio Bryant (10-138) seems to be the main beneficiary of Joey Galloway’s absence and is worth a pickup as long as Galloway is out…Ike Hilliard (6-57-1) thrives underneath and Jerramy Stevens (5-61-1) finally capitalized on some of that physical talent he has…Even Michael Clayton (5-54) got into the act…Brutal day for Earnest Graham (16 yards rushing, no catches)…Matt Forte (27 carries, 89 yards; 7-66-1 receiving) is an every week starter…Brandon Lloyd stepped up with 6-124-1, and after 5-66 last week, he’s starting to look like a wideout to roster…Kyle Orton (268 passing yards, 2 TD, 2 INT) had a nice fantasy day.

Panthers 10 @ Vikings 20
Carolina was in control (10-3) until a sack and fumble return for a TD late in the first half…Jake Delhomme (191 passing yards) had a disappointing day, especially with Steve Smith (4-70) back, against a suspect Minnesota secondary…Predictably, the Panthers couldn’t run against the Vikings stout defensive line. Jonathan Stewart (7 touches, 15 yards, 1 TD) and DeAngelo Williams (12 touches, 44 yards) just couldn’t get anything going…Muhsin Muhammad (3-25) and Dante Rosario (2-18) suffered through Delhomme’s bad day…Gus Frerotte (204 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) had a solid if unspectacular day…The same goes for Adrian Peterson (17 carries, 77 yards)…Chester Taylor had 14 touches for 66 yards…Bernard Berrian (3-79) and Visanthe Shiancoe (2-38-1) seemed to benefit the most from Frerotte under center.

Dolphins 38 @ Patriots 13
This was a stunner…Fantasy owners ballsy (or desperate) enough to start Ronnie Brown against a normally stout Patriot rush defense were rewarded with one of the all-time best fantasy lines; he had 17 rushes for 113 rushing yards and four rush TD and also threw for a score…Anthony Fasano followed up last week’s goose egg with nice 3-66-1 day…Chad Pennington was solid (226 passing yards), but failed to throw for a score…Ricky Williams turned 18 touches into 119 yards, but didn’t score…Greg Camarillo (4-60) and Ted Ginn (5-49) led the WR corps…Matt Cassel might be in trouble as the starter if the best he can do against the Dolphins is 131 passing yards, one TD and a pick. He had a rushing TD that was called back because the ref thought he was in the grasp. Bad call…Wes Welker (6-55) led the Patriots in receiving and also had a 19-yard run…Jabar Gaffney (6-51-1) had a nice day but Randy Moss (4-25) did not. It looks like Cassel under center is really affecting Moss…Sammy Morris (10 touches, 27 yards) and LaMont Jordan (6 touches, 22 yards) filled in horribly for Laurence Maroney…The Patriots DT failed to register a sack and only forced one turnover. A horrible all-around day for New England.

Bengals 23 @ Giants 26
Eli Manning got off to a slow start but finished with 286 yards passing and a TD…Plaxico Burress (3-45) wasn’t much of a factor. Amani Toomer (5-64) led the Giants in receiving yards, while Steve Smith (7-60) and Kevin Boss (3-51-1) picked up Burress’ slack…Brandon Jacobs (14 carries, 35 yards, TD) was largely ineffective, while Derrick Ward (12 touches, 106 yards) was the Giants’ best RB on the day…Ahmad Bradshaw only saw three touches on the day…Carson Palmer broke out of his slump with 286 yards and a TD, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (12-146-1) had a monster day…Chad Johnson (3-29) was quiet…Chris Perry (22 touches, 93 yards and a TD) looks like he’s startable under certain circumstances…Shayne Graham looks like a decent option now that the Bengals offense looks like it’s back on track.

Texans 12 @ Titans 31
LenDale White was the Tennessee RB to shine this week with 49 yards and two TD. Chris Johnson turned 18 touches into 79 yards…With Justin Gage out, Kerry Collins (189 passing yards, TD, INT) focused on Justin McCareins (4-90) and Bo Scaife (3-26-1), who continues to be a better fantasy TE than Alge Crumpler (2-26)…Matt Schaub (188 passing yards, no TD, 3 INT) had a horrible day, and Andre Johnson (2-29) suffered as a result…Owen Daniels (4-71) posted nice numbers, but it was Steve Slaton (22 touches for 124 total yards and a TD) that was the Texans’ offensive star.

Cardinals 17 @ Redskins 24
Things are looking pretty good for Washington’s new West Coast Offense, as Jason Campbell threw for 193 yards and two TD…Clinton Portis (23 touches, 86 yards, TD) had a solid day…Santana Moss (7-75-1) continued his strong play, while Chris Cooley (7-72) had nice numbers for a TE…Antwaan Randle El (3-23) was quiet…Kurt Warner (192 yards, 2 TD, INT) put up nice stats and Larry Fitzgerald (7-109-1) was the main beneficiary…Anquan Boldin (3-25-1) had a quiet day but did score…Edgerrin James (20 touches, 108 yards) didn’t score for the third consecutive week.

Saints 32 @ Broncos 34
Jay Cutler threw for 264 yards, 2 TD and was picked off once in another nice game…Brandon Marshall (6-155-1) had another huge game, but Eddie Royal (4-11) wasn’t very involved…Tony Scheffler (4-32) followed up last week’s huge game with a quiet one…Selvin Young turned 12 touches into 72 yards, but was once again pulled around the goal line. Michael Pittman (5 carries, 2 yards, TD) scored again…Drew Brees (421 yards, TD) had a monster day throwing to Reggie Bush (11-75-1), Jeremy Shockey (8-75), Lance Moore (7-78) and six other receivers…Bush also carried the ball 18 times for 73 yards and a TD, but was pulled at the goal line for Pierre Thomas (9 touches, 23 yards, 2 TD)…Still no sign of Deuce McAllister.

Lions 13 @ 49ers 31
J.T. O’Sullivan (189 passing yards, 2 TD, 32 rushing yards) is turning into a good start against certain competition…Frank Gore (31 touches, 162 yards, TD) continues to play like a beast…Bryant Johnson (1-25) was a disappointment, while Delanie Walker (3-44-1) turned in a nice game…Isaac Bruce (2-19-1) also caught a TD, while Vernon Davis (1-17) had another disappointing game. For some reason, Mike Martz does not like using Davis…Jon Kitna (146 yards, TD, INT) struggled, and Calvin Johnson (4-40) and Roy Williams (2-18) posted bad numbers as a result…Rudi Johnson (17 touches, 131 yards, TD) capitalized on the mysterious disappearance of Kevin Smith from the Lions’ gameplan. Rudi looked spry and should be owned in all leagues pending word of Smith’s status.

Rams 13 @ Seahawks 37
Despite Seattle’s decimated receiving corps, Matt Hasselbeck (172 passing yards, TD) still had a decent day. With Bobby Engram and Deion Brach supposedly back in Week 5, Hass is a guy to try to buy low, especially if his current owner has another good QB to lean on…Julius Jones had another huge day (140 yards rushing, TD) and looks like a good start as long as Maurice Morris remains out…T.J. Duckett (19 carries, 79 yards, 2 TD) was a big factor as well…In the receiving game, it was Billy McMullen (4-75), TE John Carlson (2-38) and Michael Bumpus (2-29-1)…Marc Bulger struggled (184 yards, TD, INT) and Torry Holt (4-37) continues his relatively quiet season…Steven Jackson had 128 total yards on 28 touches, but failed to score.

Browns 10 @ Ravens 28
The Ravens defense racked up four sacks, one fumble recovery and picked off three passes (including an Ed Reed return TD)…Joe Flacco struggled (129 passing yards, 2 INT), but it didn’t matter…Willis McGahee returned to carry the ball 15 times for 64 yards and a score, while Le”Ron McClain carried the ball 17 times for 66 yards and two TD…Ray Rice was a non-factor (5 carries, 21 yards)…Derrick Mason led all Baltimore receivers with 4-42, while Todd Heap chipped in with 2-32…Mark Clayton (2-14) wasn’t very involved…Derek Anderson (125 yards, TD, 3 INT) and Jamal Lewis (15 touches, 77 yards) struggled, as did Braylon Edwards (3-27) and Kellen Winslow (2-14). I wonder when the Brady Quinn talk will start.

Jaguars 23 @ Colts 21
Fred Taylor (26 carries, 121 yards) and Maurice Jones-Drew (19 carries, 107 yards, TD) took advantage of a very bad Colts rush defense that was missing Bob Sanders. Jones-Drew also had 4-59 in the passing game…Despite the win, David Garrard (167 yards, INT) continued his disappointing season…Matt Jones (4-32) should be rostered in bigger PPR leagues…Peyton Manning (216 yards, TD, 2 INT) wasn’t particularly sharp and Reggie Wayne (3-72) and Marvin Harrison (4-40-1) had quiet games as a result…Anthony Gonzalez (2-37) came back to Earth after a huge game last week…Joseph Addai turned 17 touches into 88 yards and two scores.

Steelers 6 @ Eagles 15
This was an all-around ugly game…Donovan McNabb (196 passing yards, TD, INT) finished with decent numbers…Brian Westbrook (five carries, 12 yards) was knocked out of the game with an ankle injury and is iffy for Week 4. The guy to pick up is Correll Buckhalter, who turned 16 touches into 87 yards and a TD…Hank Baskett (8-84) had a nice game, while DeSean Jackson (5-40) was a mild disappointment…The Eagles DT posted nine sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception and should be owned in most leagues…The Steelers struggled offensively…Ben Roethlisberger (131 yards, 2 INT, 2 fumbles) had an awful game and was knocked out after a wrist injury…Willie Parker (13 carries, 20 yards) was also a disappointment, as was Hines Ward (4-34) and Santonio Holmes (3-32)…The only real bright spot was Heath Miller (4-63).

Cowboys 27 @ Packers 16
The Packers limited Terrell Owens to just 2-17, but Miles Austin (2-115-1) and Jason Witten (7-67) had big days…Patrick Crayton failed to catch a pass, and probably isn’t worth starting unless he can get on track…Tony Romo (260 pass yards, TD, INT) finished with decent numbers…Marion Barber (31 touches, 157 yards, TD) was the star…Felix Jones also contributed with seven carries for 76 yards, which included a 60-yard TD run…Aaron Rodgers (290 yards, rush TD) finished with good numbers but he didn’t have a great game…Greg Jennings (8-115) continues to shine while Donald Driver (4-76) is taking more of a complementary role…Jordy Nelson (4-42) seems to be the team’s WR, while Donald Lee (5-41) is simply a solid backup fantasy TE…Ryan Grant looked a lot better, but only finished with 54 yards on 13 carries. Still the ypc (4.2) is respectable and it looked like he had his burst back. I expect him to pick it up over the next month as long as he doesn’t tweak that hammy.

NFL Week 3 Recaps

Below are snippets of all the Week 3 action in the NFL. For more analysis and discussion on each game, click on the links provided.

Ronnie Brown– Ronnie Brown scored five touchdowns as the Miami Dolphins shocked the New England Patriots 38-13.

– The New York Giants avoided their first loss of season thanks to John Carney’s 22-yard game-winning field goal in a 26-23 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime.

– Matt Ryan and Michael Turner helped the Falcons earn their second win of the season as Atlanta crushed the Chiefs 38-14.

– The Bills needed a 38-yard game winning field goal from Rian Lindell as time expired to beat the Oakland Raiders 24-23.

– Brian Griese attempted a near-record 67 passes as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Chicago Bears 27-24 in overtime. It was the second time in as many weeks that the Bears lost despite having a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.

– The Vikings used a great defensive effort to beat the Carolina Panthers 20-10, earning their first win of the season.

– The Tennessee Titans flustered Houston QB Matt Schaub in a 31-12 rout of the Texans.

– Jason Campbell and the Washington Redskins earned their second victory of the year, beating the Arizona Cardinals 24-17.

Denver Broncos– The red-hot Broncos won their third straight, beating the New Orleans Saints in a wild, 34-32 shootout in Denver.

– The Eagles harassed QB Ben Roethlisberger all game, coming away with a 15-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Philly.

– Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens notched their second win of the year, beating Derek Anderson and the struggling Cleveland Browns 28-10.

– Julius Jones rushed for 140 yards and a touchdown as the Seattle Seahawks crushed the hapless St. Louis Rams, 37-13.

– Offensive coordinator Mike Martz and his San Francisco 49ers beat his former team, the Detroit Lions 31-13.

– The Jacksonville Jaguars avoided falling to 0-3 on the season thanks to Josh Scobee’s 51-yard field goal with less than 10 seconds remaining in a 23-21 win over division rival Indianapolis.

« Older posts Newer posts »