Tag: Tennessee Titans (Page 34 of 40)

      Breaking News: Larry Johnson suspended one game…

      October 16, 2008 /

      …and it isn’t for stiff-arming that woman in the nightclub. This is a team suspension.

      The Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday suspended running back Larry Johnson one game for violating a team rule.

      Chiefs coach Herm Edwards refused to disclose what rule the two-time Pro Bowler broke. Edwards did say the violation had nothing to do with the charge of simple assault filed against Johnson earlier this week.

      KansasCity.com says that Kolby Smith, not Jamaal Charles, will get the start, but Charles will no doubt see increased action.

      Neither guy is a good play against a great Tennessee defense, but if you have room you could stash one or both away in case LJ sees further punishment from the league for the assault.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      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

      Ravens jobbed by blown call in loss to Titans

      October 5, 2008 /

      Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun writes that the Ravens were screwed in Sunday’s 13-10 loss to the Titans after Terrell Suggs was called for a personal foul penalty late in the game.

      John HarbaughIt has been my policy for a long, long time — long before I became a blowhard blogger — to avoid any discussion of officiating that might appear partisan unless the situation is so impactful that it cannot be left out of any meaningful conversation about the game.

      I think the personal foul call on Terrell Suggs late in today’s game rises well beyond that standard. Suggs was rushing Kerry Collins and was batting at the ball when his right arm came down on Collins shoulder pad. The supposed helmet contact that basically turned the game around was ridiculously incidental and should never have been called.

      “I was nowhere near his head,” Suggs said afterward. “We just hit arms. I’m guilty of playing physical football. They said I hit him in the head. I wasn’t anywhere near his head.”

      Perhaps the strangest thing about the call was the revelation after the play that the officials had called a false start on the Titans, but it was outweighed by the personal foul because the NFL’s 5-15 rule. I understand the rule and agree with it. In cases where there is a minor penalty and a major personal foul, the personal foul is penalized instead of offset. In this case, however, I’m trying to figure out why the play continued long enough for the second foul to be called.

      There was no flag visible at the beginning of the play and no attempt by the officials to stop the play. Frankly, I’m surprised they even mentioned it after the play, since the result would have been the same without it. It simply made them look even more inept.

      That’s two weeks in a row that personal foul penalties played a huge role in Raven losses. Good teams overcome those calls and still find ways to win, but momentum swings can have such a damning effect for teams, especially young ones like Baltimore.

      Small change of subject – how clutch is Tennessee’s defense? They remind me a little of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens defense, not necessarily for how dominant they are, but how they always seem to come up with the big play at the end of the game. And just like those ’00 Ravens, the Titans’ D isn’t getting a ton of help from the offense.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Week 5 Primer

      October 3, 2008 /

      Donovan McNabbSunday’s Best: Redskins (3-1) at Eagles (2-2) 1:00 PM ET FOX
      Who would have thought after four weeks that the Washington Redskins would be right in the thick of things in the NFC East? Especially after they bombed in the opener against the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants. But they are, and a big reason for that is the maturity of QB Jason Campbell, who has looked comfortable running Jim Zorn’s West Coast Offense the past three weeks. But he’ll get a major test this weekend against Jim Johnson’s blitz-happy defense. The WCO is predicated on short timing routes and getting the ball into the hands of receivers so they can get yards after the catch. If Campbell can’t get the ball out of his hands quickly, Philly is sure to produce plenty of sacks and turnovers. Whether or not the Eagle offense converts those turnovers into points remains to be seen, however. In their loss last week to Chicago, Donovan McNabb struggled getting the Eagles into the end zone without the threat of Brian Westbrook in the backfield. Westbrook will be a game time decision, although he has seen a fair about of practice time this week, which might be a good sign that he’ll play. Expect another physical matchup between NFC East rivals.

      Upset Watch: Bills (4-0) at Cardinals (2-2), 4:15 PM ET CBS
      I’m not fooling oddsmakers by calling this a potential upset because they’ve already established the Cardinals as 1-point favorites. But considering how well the Bills have played this year and how Arizona surrendered 56 points in last weeks loss to the Jets, a Cardinal victory would be an upset. The fact of the matter is that the Cards just flat out play better in the desert than they do on the road. They’re a completely different team and while dynamic wide out Anquan Boldin is not expected to play after suffering a nasal injury last Sunday, the Cards have more than enough offensive weapons to pull out a win. The key will be Kurt Warner not turning the ball over and for the team to play all four quarters. Buffalo has trailed in the second half of three of their four victories this year, which means that they’ve been outstanding in the clutch. Arizona will have to play a complete game to earn a win, but an upset could be in the making.

      Ben RoethlisbergerIntriguing Matchup: Steelers (3-1) at Jaguars (2-2), 8:15 PM ET NBC
      The Steelers may be 3-1, but they can’t feel too good about the way things are unraveling as injuries continue to mount. Not only will Pittsburgh go into this game without their top two backs in Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall, but Ben Roethlisberger is also dealing with shoulder and hand injuries and OT Kendall Simmons is now lost for the year. The Steelers had offensive line issues coming into the season with Simmons in their lineup. Now they have to play without him, which isn’t good news for Big Ben and the rest of the offense. The Jaguars started the year 0-2 but are now gaining confidence after beating the Colts and Texans in dramatic fashion over the past two weeks. The running game has opened up the passing attack for David Garrard, who is starting to play like the quarterback who led the Jags deep into the playoffs last season. We’re going to see what Pittsburgh is made of, because Jacksonville is starting to show signs of the Super Bowl contender that everyone that they’d be in preseason.

      Other Notable Games:
      Titans (4-0) at Ravens (2-1), 1:00 PM ET
      Tennessee is one of only two teams still undefeated and perhaps is playing the best defense in the AFC. Rookie Joe Flacco looked like he was starting to come into his home against the Steelers, so it’ll be interesting to see how he fares against a tough Titans’ defense.

      Buccaneers (3-1) at Broncos (3-1), 4:05 PM ET
      This is one of the best matchups on the Week 5 schedule as it pits Monte Kiffin’s defense against the Broncos’ offense, which has been one of the best units in the league so far. Can Denver bounce back from its embarrassing loss to the Chiefs last week? Can the Bucs further convince people that they’re a contender with Brain Griese under center?

      Bengals (0-4) at Cowboys (3-1), 4:15 PM ET CBS
      Ocho Cinco vs. Grab Your Popcorn. Should be a good one.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Fantasy Fallout, Week 4: Sunday’s Games

      September 29, 2008 /

      Everything you need to know (and some stuff you don’t) about the fantasy implications of Week 4.

      Eagles 20 @ Bears 24
      Matt Forte (24 touches, 85 yards) continues to be the Bears’ workhorse back, even though he failed to score…Kyle Orton (199 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT) has his second straight high-scoring fantasy game, throwing scores to Greg Olsen (4-35-1), Devin Hester (3-27-1) and Marty Booker (1-23-1)…Brandon Lloyd was injured this week but finished with two catches for 33 yards…Donovan McNabb (262, TD, INT) had a decent game, but DeSean Jackson (receving: 5-71-1, rushing: 2-35) was the Eagles’ offensive star…Correll Buckhalter (18 touches, 90 yards, TD) filled in admirably for the injured Brian Westbrook, but failed to score on a 4th and goal that would have given Philly the late lead…Reggie Brown (6-79) looks like he’ll be the guy targeted most aside from Jackson.

      Chargers 28 @ Raiders 18
      LaDainian Tomlinson (22 touches, 115 yards, 2 TD) had his second consecutive multiple TD game and looks to be almost 100% healthy…Phillip Rivers (180 yards, TD, 2 INT) didn’t have a great day throwing the ball against what should be a pretty solid Oakland secondary…Antonio Gates (5-58-1) had a nice game, but both Vincent Jackson (3-52) and Chris Chambers (2-42) were relatively quiet…JaMarcus Russell (277 yards, TD, INT) finished with pretty good passing stats, but he still seems to be struggling with his accuracy at times…Michael Bush (21 touches, 128 yards) filled in for Darren McFadden (9 touches, 37 yards) who was hobbled with an injury…Zach Miller (5-95-1) finally broke out with a big game. It’s not clear if he’s worth picking up, though if you’re hurting at TE, you could do worse. It seems like the entire Oakland passing game will be pretty spotty week to week.

      Bills 31 @ Rams 14
      Marshawn Lynch (23 touches, 81 yards) had a relatively quiet game and failed to score…Fred Jackson turned 10 touches into 55 yards and a TD…Trent Edwards (197 yards, TD, INT) yet again posted solid numbers, hooking up with Lee Evans (2-88-1) on a 49-yard TD late in the game…Josh Reed (4-47) might be worth a pickup in large PPR leagues…The Buffalo defense (4 sacks, INT return for a TD) continues to play well…Trent Green (236 yards, INT) wasn’t the answer at QB. With Scott Linehan reportedly out after the loss, it will be interesting to see if Marc Bulger is reinstated as the starter…The Rams wisely featured Steven Jackson (29 touches, 188 yards, TD) but Torry Holt (4-65) just had a so-so day. Linehan’s possible departure should be good news for Holt since the two reportedly don’t get along…Donnie Avery (3-22) also had a 37-yard TD scamper.

      Redskins 26 @ Cowboys 24
      Jason Campbell (231 yards, 2 TD) and the entire Washington offense was impressive in the win…Santana Moss (8-145) continues to be the main threat in the passing game, with Antwaan Randle El (4-36-1) and Chris Cooley (4-28) chipping in with the occasional strong game…Clinton Portis (23 touches 135 yards) racked up some major yards, but didn’t score…Tony Romo (300 yards, 3 TD, INT) continues to put up stud numbers in the passing game…Jason Witten (7-90-1) scored a TD and continues to post solid stats as the league’s best tight end…Patrick Crayton (7-87) had a good game and Terrell Owens (7-71-1) posted decent numbers despite a couple of drops…Miles Austin (3-45-1) had another nice game out of the Cowboys’ WR3 position…It was a very quiet day for Marion Barber (10 touches, 37 yards) who failed to score…Felix Jones didn’t get a touch offensively.

      Falcons 9 @ Panthers 24
      The Carolina passing game looked great. Jake Delhomme (294 yard, 2 TD) hooked up with Muhsin Muhammad (8-147-1) and Steve Smith (6-96-1) all day. Muhammad should be owned in all leagues…DeAngelo Williams (18 touches, 66 yards) and Jonathan Stewart (14 carries, 52 yards, 1 TD) split the backfield duties again, though Stewart looks like the Panthers’ goal line back so he carries more value…Donte Rosario (2-18) and D.J. Hackett (2-24) were minor factors…Roddy White (7-90) was the lone bright spot for the Falcons’ offense…Matt Ryan (158 yards) didn’t throw a TD or a pick, and Michael Turner (18 carries, 56 yards) is starting to look like a back that you bench against good defenses and start against bad ones.

      Browns 20 @ Bengals 12
      Since he got the win, Derek Anderson (138 yards, TD, INT) may live to start another day…Jamal Lewis (27 touches, 94 yards, TD) had a very solid game…Kellen Winslow (5-54) and Braylon Edwards (3-22-1) were the only major players in the Browns’ passing game…Carson Palmer was the team’s third QB this week with elbow problems; Ryan Fitzpatrick (156 yards, TD, 3 INT) didn’t play very well in his place…Chris Perry (17 touches, 43 yards) had a disappointing day against a suspect defense…T.J. Houshmandzadeh (6-50) and Chad Johnson (3-28-1) had decent days.

      Texans 27 @ Jaguars 30
      David Garrard broke out with a nice game (236 yards, pass TD, rush TD) and threw a TD to Matt Jones (5-71-1) who is developing into the Jags’ best receiving threat…Maurice Jones-Drew (9 touches, 49 yards) and Fred Taylor (13 touches, 46 yards) both had surprisingly quiet days against a mediocre (at best) Texans defense…Steve Slaton (18 touches, 116 yards, TD) continues to be the main main in the Houston backfield…Matt Schaub (307 yards, 3 TD) had a great day throwing the ball to Slaton (8-83-1), Owen Daniels (7-87) and Kevin Walter (8-76-2)…Unfortunately for Andre Johnson (3-38) owners, he continues to struggle.

      Broncos 19 @ Chiefs 33
      Larry Johnson (28 carries, 198 yards, 2 TD) had a huge game against a bad Denver rush defense. He also had five catches for zero yards…Damon Huard (160 yards, TD) was efficient in the win…Dwayne Bowe (7-85) continues to shine and is a must-start in PPR leagues…Tony Gonzalez (3-47-1) had another solid game…Jay Cutler (361 yards, TD, 2 INT) finished with pretty good fantasy numbers but struggled against the Chiefs defense…Eddie Royal (9-104), Brandon Stokley (7-80) and Brandon Marshall (7-77-1) split the receiving duties…Selvin Young led the Broncos in rushing with 49 yards on 11 carries, and it doesn’t look like any of the Denver RBs are solid starts right now…Matt Prater (4/5 FG, including a 56-yarder) continues to shine.

      49ers 17 @ Saints 31
      Drew Brees had a great day (363 yards, 3 TD, INT) throwing to Lance Moore (7-101-2) and Robert Meachem (2-99-1). Moore looks to be a fantasy starter as long as Marques Colston is out…Reggie Bush (15 touches, 37 yards) had a quiet day but Deuce McAllister (20 carries, 73 yards, TD) took over for Pierre Thomas as the Saints’ between-the-tackles back…Frank Gore (18 touches, 113 yards) had a relatively quiet day…J.T. O’Sullivan (257 yards, TD, 2 INT) finished with decent fantasy numbers, but was sacked six times…Arnaz Battle (7-120) and Isaac bruce (5-54-1) were the only big players in the passing game…Vernon Davis (1-19) continues to disappoint.

      Cardinals 35 @ Jets 56
      Rumors of bad weather didn’t really affect this game…Brett Favre (289 yards, 6 TD, INT) had a huge game throwing to Laveranues Coles (8-105-3) and Jerricho Cotchery (4-67-2)…Favre also threw a TD to Dustin Keller (1-24-1)…Chanci Stuckey (2-12) was a non-factor for the first time this season…Thomas Jones (20 touches, 69 yards) had a quiet day…Kurt Warner (472 passing yards, 2 TD, 3 INT) had a good fantasy day but turned the ball over six times (3 INT, 3 fumbles)…Larry Fitzgerald (8-122), Anquan Boldin (10-119-1) and Steve Breaston (9-122-0) led the way in the receiving game. Boldin left with a scary neck injury but apparently was just knocked out and should be fine…Edgerrin James had a solid game, rushing for two TD and catching five passes for 37 yards…Tim Hightower vultured a TD again.

      Packers 21 @ Bucs 30
      Brian Griese (149 yards, TD, 3 INT) was shaky but got the win…Earnest Graham finished with 111 yards on 20 carries and a TD, but doesn’t seem to get regular carries unless the Bucs are ahead late in the game. For that reason, he’s sometimes a questionable fantasy start…Warrick Dunn turned 18 touches for 86 yards…Alex Smith (2-26-1) caught the Bucs only passing TD, while Antonio Bryant (4-39) led all TB receivers in yards and catches…Ike Hilliard (2-21) was basically a non-factor…Aaron Rodgers (165 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT) had a rough day. He looked great on the opening drive, but for the rest of the game, the Packer offense never got in synch…Greg Jennings (6-109-2) had a huge day and has officially taken over WR1 duties from Donald Driver (1-8)…Jordy Nelson (4-31) was the next best threat in the Green Bay passing game…Ryan Grant (15 carries, 20 yards) once again struggled in the running game, though he looked a lot better than he did two weeks ago against the Lions. The holes just weren’t there…

      Vikings 17 @ Titans 30
      Chris Johnson (20 touches, 75 yards, 2 TD) continues to thrive in the Titans run-heavy attack…LenDale White (11 carries, 13 yards, TD) scored but struggled rushing between the tackles…Kerry Collins (199 yards) had a quiet game, but Justin Gage (5-92) returned from injury to post a solid game. He should be owned in most PPR leagues as long as Collins is under center…Adrian Peterson (22 touches, 101 yards, 2 TD) was listed as questionable, but had a nice game…Chester Taylor (1 carry, 0 yards) was a non-factor…Gus Frerotte (266 yards, INT) finished with good yardage, but failed to throw a TD…Bernard Berrian (5-78) and Bobby Wade (7-75) were decent, and TE Visanthe Shiancoe (4-47) had his second consecutive solid game.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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