The Ultimate Football Fans

Colts Win NFL-Record 22nd straight as they beat the Broncos 28-16!

2009-12-29T22:36:00.000-08:00

Brandon Marshall of the Broncos may have broken an individual NFL record Sunday in Indianapolis, but the Colts set a team record. In beating Denver, 28-16, the Colts established a new standard of greatness by winning their 22nd consecutive regular-season game. That breaks the previous NFL record, which was held by Tom Brady's New England Patriots. Interestingly enough, the Patriots and Colts along with the Steelers have been the most dominant teams of this decade. What the Colts do in the postseason, however, will define their ultimate legacy much more than this record. They've "only" won the Super Bowl once, while the Patriots have three rings and the Steelers have two. "It does [feel good]," Colts linebacker Clint Session said staying unbeaten and breaking the consecutive regular-season wins record. "I'm a part of history right now, so it feels real good. It's something we can tell our kids and grandkids that we did something no one else had done. It's definitely a great accomplishment."

On Sunday, they stormed out of the gates, jumping to a 21-0 lead within the first quarter and a half. The Broncos were able to climb back into the game on the strength of the sensational Marshall and an uncharacteristic three picks from Peyton Manning. When Marshall caught a touchdown with 9:49 left in the game, the Colts led by just five, 21-16. What happened on the ensuing drive shouldn't really surprise anyone who has followed the NFL for the past decade.

Manning methodically took the Colts 80 yards in 14 plays, eating up more than seven minutes. The drive concluded with Dallas Clark's third touchdown catch of the game and it was Manning's fourth TD pass. Yes, just another Indianapolis Colts win. They are now 13-0 and have clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Rookie head coach Jim Caldwell is still undefeated in his career, and the team is now 88-21 since the start of 2003. Sunday's victory also gave them the NFL record for most wins in a decade (114), breaking the previous mark held by the 1990s 49ers. If nothing else, the Colts are synonymous with winning in the regular season. And they are working to shed the last little caveat there, which is why you're likely to see them resting regulars in spots for the last three regular-season week.

Big Day for RB Johnson as the Titans destroy the Rams 47-7!

2009-12-28T02:24:00.000-08:00

The Tennessee Titans have fast become one of the leading sides out there. Their win-loss record alone this season, is 2nd to only a few, with quarterback Vince Young behind center. As the Titans and St. Louis Rams battled for 60 minutes at LP Field, Young would play but injure himself midway through the second quarter failing to return. Fortunately for the Titans, Young’s absence didn’t hurt them as Kerry Collins threw for a score while Chris Johnson scored three times, as Tennessee easily disposed the Rams 47-7.

The first quarter could have very easily been renamed the Chris Johnson Quarter as he scored twice for the Titans, once on a 39-yard touchdown run and a 66-yard touchdown reception from Young, giving Tennessee a 14-0 lead with 6 seconds left in the period. Another three drives led to a trio of field goals by Rob Bironas (27, 34 and 36 yards, respectively) driving the Titans advantage to 23-0 at halftime. After a 50-yard FG by Bironas, Johnson would score his third TD of the game, taking the Titans’ lead to 33-0. The Rams would finally get on the scoreboard as Keith Null connected with Randy McMichael on an 11-yard TD pass, narrowing their deficit to 33-7; Alge Crumpler would score on a 1-yard TD pass from Collins and safety Vincent Fuller would return an interception 45 yards for a score, making it 47-7. Young, who got injured in late second qtr, went 6 of 8 for 132 yards and a TD while Collins went 11 of 19 for 154 and a TD; Null went 27 of 43 for 157 yards and 5 interceptions. Johnson led the Titans rushing attack with 117 yards on 28 carries and 2 TD’s and caught 3 passes for 69 yards and a score; Tennessee (6-7) look to hang onto their very slim play-off hopes as they continue their home stand, hosting the Miami Dolphins next Sunday while St. Louis (1-12) returns home to host the Houston Texans next Sunday.

Pathetic Rams no match for the Bears in the windy city after 17-9 loss...

2009-12-28T02:16:00.000-08:00

The same old sorry ass Rams showed up at Soldier Field in Chicago this week. They found a way to lose again by giving up big pass plays on defense and committing mistakes on offense. It was the same script as the past two weeks as the St. Louis Rams continually settled for field goals when they were able to get into field goal range and never had any semblance of a passing game. They were ineffective on offense all game. However, what was most glaring was when they got the ball to start their drive 3 times around midfield in the first half, but were unable to muster any points on those 3 drives, instead settling for punts.

The second half was not much different than the first as their offense moved slowly if ever as the Bears focused on Steven Jackson when he was in the game and Boller was unable to threaten the Bears secondary. Boller continues to assert himself as a quarterback you would never want starting for any team in the NFL. He was easily rattled and inaccurate when he had time to throw. The Bears knew he likes to run to his right and kept a defensive end out there that caused a lot of problems for Boller and the Rams offense. Even Steven Jackson was less than his normal self as he looked as ginger as he did last week against Seattle. He was unable to break out of arm tackles on most cases, but he was still able to push the pile when he needed to. But, that was not enough for the Rams to beat the Bears. Their defensive secondary was burned early by Jay Cutler on a long pass and a long pass interference penalty on Quincy Butler.

In the second half, the same problems continued as Jay Cutler threw an easy short touchdown pass to Earl Bennett. That score put the game out of reach for the anemic Rams offense, which only passed 200 yards of total offense inside 2 minutes in the fourth quarter. The Rams managed a late frantic drive down 8 points, but once again stalled right after making it into Bears territory which made it an even 9 times into Chicago Bears territory and only 9 points. The Rams are really bad, and there is not much else to say about that. There’s no progress, there’s very little fire and there are many more questionable decisions than good ones. The front office is certainly concerned about their team’s performance this season, and is looking for more options to come along next season.

Colts fell the Titans 27-17 to stay undefeated!

2009-12-28T02:12:00.000-08:00

As I have said on more than one occasion in reference to the Colts, they find new and creative ways to win each and every week. Some weeks, it is Peyton Manning and his arm; others are down to their secondary. They are also developing a real ability to come back from the brink in the last minutes of the game! The Colts didn’t have to rely on a 300-yard game from Manning or a comeback attempt during Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium; instead, they more or less played “keep away” with the ball, allowing Indianapolis to tie an NFL record with their 21st consecutive win, in this case a 27-17 win over Tennessee.

The Colts started things by going on a 75-yard drive, capped by a 8-yard Joseph Addai touchdown run, taking a 7-0 lead; after a 20-yard field goal by kicker Rob Bironas, Indianapolis drove 77 yards down the field over nearly 4 minutes with Addai hitting on a 1-yard run, boosting the Colts’ advantage to 14-3. Although the Colts failed to cash in on the Titans’ first turnover, Manning would capitalize as he threw a 4-yard TD pass to Austin Collie, padding the Colts’ lead further at 21-3. Tennessee finally got back in the game on a 6-yard Vince Young to Kenny Britt TD pass, narrowing their deficit to 21-10. With no time left in the third quarter, Matt Stover connected on a 43-yard FG, giving the Colts a 24-10 cushion; Stover would put the nail in the Titans’ coffin as he converted a 36-yard FG with 3:14 left in the game, icing the victory for Colts. Manning had a decent outing for the Colts, going 24 for 37 for 270 yards with a touchdown while Young went 24 of 43 for 241 yards with 2 TD’s and an INT.

Indianapolis (12-0) goes for win number 13 and a NFL-record 22nd win when they host the Denver Broncos next Sunday while Tennessee (5-7) returns home to host the St. Louis Rams next Sunday.

Benson Impresses on his return, as Bengals muscle the Lions 23-13!

2009-12-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

The Cincinnati Bengals were happier than ever in slop knowing that running back Cedric Benson would start for them during Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions at Paul Brown Stadium. Benson ran like the proverbial pig running to the trough; he ran for 110 yards in his return from a hip injury, leading Cincinnati to the impressive 23-13 win over Detroit. The Lions struck first as Matthew Stafford hit paydirt, throwing a 54-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson with 3:27 left in the opening quarter, allowing Detroit to take a 7-0 lead; the second quarter was all Bengals as they scored in three different ways: on a 45-yard interception return by defensive end Jonathan Fanene, a 36-yard Carson Palmer to Chad Ochocinco TD pass followed by a 44-yard Shayne Graham field goal; the 17 unanswered points gave the Bengals a ten-point lead going into halftime. Cincinnati poured it on in the third quarter as Graham connected on a 39-yard FG, pushing their lead to 20-7 and would ice the game on another Graham field goal and this one a 23-yarder.

The Detroit Lions, in addition to losing the game, may lose Stafford for at least a game as he was slammed to the turf by Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones late in the fourth quarter and would not return. Palmer was mediocre, going 17 of 29 for 220 yards with a TD and an interception while Stafford went 11 of 26 for 143 yards with a TD and 2 INt’s before he was hurt. Dante Culpepper came in relief, going 2-of-3 for 49 yards. Benson was impressive in his return, rushing 36 times for 110 yards to lead the Bengals while Kevin Smith led the Lions rushers with 75 yards on 16 carries. Ochocinco led all Bengals receivers with 9 receptions for 137 yards and a TD. Cincinnati (9-3) plays again next Sunday when they visit Minneapolis to take on the Vikings while Detroit (2-10) travels to Baltimore to face the Ravens next Sunday.

Turnovers cripple the Bucs after losing 16-6 to Carolina!

2009-12-21T02:26:00.000-08:00

The Carolina Panthers are the epitome of inconsistency right now. Poor quarterback play along with regular loss of possession has contributed to poor sets of results for some time. During Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium, they displayed some sloppy quarterbacking and even committed a couple turnovers. Perhaps the only saving grace was that the Panthers’ defense was superb as they were responsible for 5 interceptions, enabling Carolina to claw their way to a 16-6 win over Tampa Bay. The Panthers took a 10-0 first quarter lead on a 3-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Stewart and a 23-yard field goal by kicker John Kasay. The Buccaneers came back as Connor Barth connected on a pair of FG’s in the second quarter to put them to within 10-6, the score that both teams would take to their locker rooms at halftime.

The third quarter was nondescript as time of possession was the rule, with the only scoring courtesy of a 40-yard Kasay FG, boosting the Panthers’ advantage to 13-6; the Panthers would score once in the final quarter again on a FG by Kasay which would be enough to seal the victory for Carolina. Josh Freeman, who is still going through the growing pains that all rookie QB’s go through, went 23 of 44 for 321 yards, but hurt himself by throwing 5 interceptions. Meanwhile, Matt Moore, subbing for Jake Delhomme, was mediocre at best as he went 14 of 20 for 161 yards and an INT. Jonathan Stewart, getting his first start, led the Panthers rushing attack with 120 yards on 26 carries and the game’s only TD while Carnell Williams led Tampa Bay’s rushers with 92 yards on 17 carries. Carolina (5-7) plays again next Sunday when they visit Foxborough, MA to take on the New England Patriots while Tampa Bay (1-11) returns home to host the New York Jets.

Seattle demolish 49ers playoff hopes after a 20-17 loss.

2009-12-21T02:18:00.000-08:00

Back in Week 2, the San Francisco 49ers dismantled the Seattle Seahawks with an old school game plan. They ran the football and played sound defense. Thus, it would have only made sense to enter Seattle with a similar game plan. Instead, with their backs against the playoff race wall, the Niners did a complete 180 and it didn't work, as they lost 20-17.

Alex Smith attempted 45 passes and Frank Gore had just nine rushing attempts. The result was a ton of 310 passing yards from Smith and a loss. The Seattle Seahawks won the football game despite being outgained by 64 yards, due to timely defense and moving the chains when it mattered. They may have allowed over 300 yards passing, but they took the ball away from the Niners twice, including a huge fourth quarter fumble recovery by Josh Wilson. Also, the Seahawks held the 49ers to just one third down conversion on 13 chances and made them kick field goals in their two red zone trips. That was enough to limit the Niners, but they were still tied at 17-all with less than a minute left in the game. And the Niners had the ball. It was time for more timeliness. They took the ball with 51 seconds left at their own 11. So they had less than a minute, one timeout, and almost the length of the field to go. It was questionable, to say the least.

A 21-yard Nate Burleson punt return, a defensive holding penalty and a 32-yard strike from Matt Hasselbeck to Deon Butler all-of-a-sudden had the Seahawks ready for a game-winning field goal. This after the 49ers took the ball with 51 seconds left in a tie game. San Francisco head coach Mike Singletary's head had to have been spinning. A quick setup run by Julius Jones was all the Seahawks then needed before having Olindo Mare kick a 30-yard field goal as time expired to win the game. It was a big blow in more ways than one. Seattle’s kick virtually ended any chance of the 49ers making a run at the Wild Card. With the Arizona Cardinals victory over Minnesota Sunday night, the writing is on the wall for both of these 5-7 teams. They are playing strictly for pride in 2009, as neither has a realistic shot at the postseason. Still, it had to be nice for the Seahawks to ruin the season of a division rival.

Gradkowski grabs winning TD to cruise past the Steelers!

2009-12-18T02:33:00.000-08:00

If the Steelers season was fading following their three-point loss to the Ravens last week, this loss to the Oakland Raiders officially puts their year on life support. For what seems to have been the theme of the 09 season, the defense again was letdown in the fourth quarter, as they allowed Bruce Gradkowski to carve them up for a touchdown drive with 9 seconds left for a 27-24 loss. “You know, really not a lot needs to be said in regards to how that game ended,” Mike Tomlin said. “I’m not going to make any excuses for it. We didn’t make a play. We didn’t make a play to win that football game defensively.” You can say that again. The defense allowed big plays one after another, and in the end, they had a chance to easily win it but rookie DB Joe Burnett dropped an easy interception that would have bailed out the Steelers against a team that is simply not that good. Instead, they now have lost four straight for the first time since the 2003 season.

They have four games left, but right now the playoffs look like light years away. Tomlin, who in his second year led the team to the Super Bowl, now has to answer the question about how to keep the team together amid all the issues they are having on and off the field. The Steelers looked to have the game won when Ben Roethlisberger threw an 11-yard score to Hines Ward with 1:56 left to take a 24-20 lead. The defense allowed Oakland three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, this after allowing just two field goals in the first three quarters. Roethlisberger was 18-for-24 for 278 yards with two TD’s and another end zone pick. Rashard Mendenhall ran for 103 yards and a score as well. Now, the 6-6 club will be in Cleveland on Thursday.

Carpenter kicks home to surpass the Patriots 22-21.

2009-12-18T02:24:00.000-08:00

Over the last four weeks the New England Patriots have looked less like contenders and more like pretenders as they are making their way through the NFL campaign. On November 15, New England lost a game they should have won to the Indianapolis Colts due to a terrible decision made by head coach Bill Belichick and a display of ineptitude by the team’s defense in the last quarter.

The following week they had some consolation as they beat a lackluster New York Jets team as a payback for their loss earlier this season. Last Monday night they were run over by the New Orleans Saints and were pummeled by a score of 38-17. The Patriots this Sunday played in Miami’s Land Shark Stadium against division rivals the Dolphins. New England needed a win against the Dolphins not mathematically but psychologically; they needed to show themselves that they could bounce back from a beating they had gotten Monday night.

The Patriots would hold the lead the entire contest; except when it counted as the game became a final with the Dolphins getting a 22-21 come from behind victory. Kicker Dan Carpenter kicked a 41 yard field goal with 1:02 left to play giving the Dolphins their first lead of the game at 22-21. The Patriots had the time to make one more drive to comeback and grab the victory. Unfortunately for the Patriots that did not happen as their QB Tom Brady was intercepted by Dolphins linebacker at the Patriots 40 with 35 seconds to play. It was the first interception Crowder had made in the NFL and it could not have come at a more opportune time as it clinched the come from behind win for the Dolphins. If you just look at the statistical breakdown of this game the Patriots really had no business leading for most of the contest. Miami held onto the rock for 32:37 while New England had it for 5 minutes less at 27:23.

However in spite of those numbers, the Patriots would dominate the scoreboard for most of the contest and appeared that they would take this game quite easily until the latter stages of the game. The two quarterbacks were a study in contrast as Henne improved as the game went along and completed 29/52 pass attempts for a total of 335 yards; with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception where it seemed Brady peaked early on and then trailed off completing 19/29 for 352 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Miami is back to even as they are now 6-6 with the victory and they will be in Jacksonville next Sunday to take on the Jags. New England still leads the mediocre AFC East with a record of 7-5 and will play host next Sunday to Carolina.

Saints Crush the Pats 38-17 to remain Unbeaten this season!

2009-12-14T01:05:00.000-08:00

The team that showed the New England Patriots how to really play, on Monday night, also proved exactly why they won 11-0 and 6-0 at the “Superdome”. The Saints are just an unstoppable force right now.

They demolished the Patriots without in a total rout 38-17. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees was pretty close to perfect as he completed 18/23 passes for a total of 371 yards and 5 touchdowns.

On the other side of the field New England QB Tom Brady didn’t have his best game, completing just 21/36 pass attempts for 237 yards with 0 touchdowns and two interceptions. The loss put the Patriots at 7-4, still at the top of AFC East Division. The Saints join the Indianapolis Colts as the only two teams without a loss this season at 11-0.

The Saints were on a mission from the beginning of this contest. There was no “Battle of New Orleans”; just a good old fashioned butt-kicking. New England fans had little to celebrate after the completion of the first quarter. To be fair though, this is exactly where their luck ended, just before the massacre began. The Saints went on to take the lead for the last time with 13:04 left in the second as Brees connected with Pierre Thomas for an 18 yard touchdown.

Carney kicked the extra point and New Orleans Saints lead 10-7. Just a little over 3mins later Brees would hoist a 75 yard pass to Devery Henderson for another touchdown. Carney once again kicked the extra point and with 10:02 left in the half the rout, he was on as the Saints now led 17-7.

When the smoke cleared at the end of the first half the Patriots were trailing 24-10 and never came close to being any sort of threat in the final 30 minutes of play. There will be no second guessing after this loss and the New Orleans Saints showed their machine like efficiency in the way they just dominated this game from the second quarter onward.

Back up QB Redman leads Atlanta to 20-17 win over the Bucs!

2009-12-09T04:31:00.000-08:00

It had been 27 regular-season games since Falcons backup quarterback Chris Redman had thrown a pass in the NFL. However Sunday would bring an end to this as he led his team to victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers!

"As a backup in this league, it's a very difficult position, especially the quarterback position," said Atlanta head coach Mike Smith "You maybe get 15 snaps during the week [of practice], and Chris, when called upon, made the most of his opportunity."

Redman finishes the day with an 89.8 quarterback rating after throwing two touchdown passes. The biggest was his last pass of the day, a five-yard scoring strike on slant pattern to Roddy White with 23 seconds remaining. This gave Atlanta a 20-17 victory. "I'm always ready at any time," Redman said. "That's what I'm here for."

Meanwhile, starting QB Ryan left the game after playing just a single series. He was sacked twice by Tampa Bay's Tim Crowder and Stylez G. White with 10:57 remaining in the first quarter and with his foot bent awkwardly underneath him. Ryan looked fine leaving the field, but immediately met with trainers, he tried to loosen up his foot, but Redman entered the game after he was unable to do so.

Smith has been very tight-lipped about Ryan's status in the press conference following the game, giving only one scrap of information, "I know it's a toe injury." The Atlanta Falcons coach said that any further news would have to wait until Wednesday, when the team was required by league rules to file an injury report.

McNabb Rallies the Eagles to 27-24 win against the Redskins...

2009-12-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

While the Indianapolis Colts quarterback, Peyton Manning is the undisputed king of comebacks, Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb isn’t too shabby either. Sunday’s game between the Eagles and Washington Redskins at Lincoln Financial Field saw McNabb performing well.

He drove a 24-all score and kicker David Akers converted the game-winning field goal, allowing Philadelphia to rally and defeat Washington 27-24. The Redskins would strike first however, as they needed only four plays to score as Jason Campbell ran in from a yard out. The Eagles fought back, scoring ten points on a 6-minute span, capped by a 35-yard McNabb to DeSean Jackson TD pass, giving Philadelphia a 10-7 lead. However, the Eagles would lose Jackson later in the second quarter with a concussion.

Washington would also enter the second quarter scoring first on a 4-yard TD pass from Campbell to Santana Moss with 11:44 left in the half, allowing the Redskins to regain the lead. An additional pair of Akers field goals 46 seconds apart would help the Eagles take a 16-14 lead.

This was short lived however as Washington went ahead 21-16 on their first possession of the second half, driving 80 yards on nine plays, capped by a 10-yard TD pass from Campbell to Fred Davis. This is all academic though, given that the Redskins would up their lead to 24-16 on a Shaun Suisham FG. But then McNabb would drive the Eagles 90 yards, capped by a 1-yard run by Eldra Buckley and a two-point conversion, tying the game at 24-all.

Akers would put the icing on the cake for Philadelphia Eagles when he kicked a 32-yard FG with 1:48 left in the game!

Vikings embarrass the Bears 36-10!!

2009-12-08T01:37:00.000-08:00

The Chicago Bears entered this season, under the illusion that they were capable of competing with the Minnesota Vikings for the division title. This however, wasn’t to be. After a 36-10 thrashing at the Metrodome, the teams are now separated by six games, after playing just 11 in total.

This said, allot of the season had gone well for Chicago, with some areas of its play running strong. This wasn’t the case on Sunday though and almost every player in a Chicago jersey had a bad game. Jay Cutler threw two more interceptions. Matt Forte ran for just 27 yards on eight carries. The offensive line was kept in check all day long. However, despite the fact the Bears were clearly lacking, it’s only right that we give the Vikings full credit for their heart, determination and ability to outplay.

Brett Favre was strong yet again. He's playing better than he's ever played before in his career and is certainly enjoying his football at the minute! His pass rate had previously been 99.5. After shredding the Bears for 392 yards and three touchdowns, it is quickly soaring to 120 to date.

He's thrown 24 TDs this season compared with just three interceptions and he is certainly the man of the hour. But these Vikes are 10-1 and don't appear to have a single weakness right now. Favre is your MVP by miles, though he's getting plenty of help. Percy Harvin is growing as a player and Sidney Rice is a legitimate go-to receiver. Shiancoe is a phenomenal red zone target and we know about Adrian Peterson, but Chester Taylor is also someone to watch. They have the best defensive line in football and the offensive line is no pushover either.

It’s fair to say that the guys are on fire right now and are gathering the momentum to really take the league by storm. This said, their next matchup in Arizona won't come easy, so they'll be scoreboard watching Saints games in hopes the road to the Super Bowl runs through Minnesota!

Jets get back to basics and upend the Panthers 17-6.

2009-12-07T02:57:00.000-08:00

The old-school route worked, as the Jets beat the Carolina Panthers, 17-6, in a game that was never really in doubt. Jets rookie and quarterback Mark Sanchez had been struggling. Sunday, saw the game plan from Rex Ryan and his coaching staff, pay off. It was clear the defense and running game was at its peak. "We're rolling now and we can't think about a month ago," said Sanchez, who left for four plays after injuring his left leg. He was however, able to return late.

He wasn't given a heavy workload at all, unless you consider handing off a daunting task and attempting just 17 passes, while RB’s Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene combined for 35 carries. Carolina briefly worked themselves back into the playoff picture a few weeks ago at 4-5, but consecutive losses to AFC East teams have them looking to build toward next season.

Young pulls of a stunning Final Drive as they beat the Cards 20-17!

2009-12-07T01:18:00.000-08:00

In a semi replay of the Rose Bowl dating back to 2006, Vince Young once again out played Matt Leinart, in dramatic fashion as the Titans beat the Arizona Cardinals 20-17. It’s the first time that a team that started 0-6 has won five games on the spin. But that’s exactly what the Titans have done since starting the season left for dead. Young, who also had a shaky start, is set to receive award for “comeback player of the year” as a result of his last few outings. Sunday was by far his best, as he threw for a career-high 387 yards, and hit rookie WR Kenny Britt on the last play of the game from 10 yards. This completed the win. Chris Johnson had another great game on the ground for the Titans, as he ran for an 85-yard score and wrapped up the win with 154 yards. It’s his sixth straight game that has seen him rush over 125 yards. Britt caught 7 passes for 128 yards, including the final one that sealed the deal.

The final drive saw the Tennessee Titans go 99 yards, as Young hit big conversion after conversion, including 3 four down conversions. Leinart went 21 of 31 for 220 yards, executing a solid attack in his replacement for the injured Kurt Warner, who sat out the game with a neck injury, picked up in the last match up. The Titans will need to go all out next week if they want to go to 6-6, as they play against the undefeated Colts.

Dallas stuffs Oakland 24-7 in Thanksgiving beating...

2009-12-07T01:06:00.000-08:00

All eyes were on the Dallas Cowboys on their Thanksgiving Day game! The critics were taking a close look at their offense to see how they would respond after being shutdown the last two games. They had only been able to score 7 points in each game.

They needn’t have waited long as they did respond, led by their “number two” receiver Miles Austin who torched the Oakland Raiders defense! Austin finished the game with 7 receptions for 145 yards and a touchdown.

The Raiders came in on a high after upsetting the Cincinnati Bengals at home. While Oakland was able to move the ball early, they were unable to score points. The Raiders’ struggles on offense continued, and the defense was unable to hold the Cowboys down for long. The Raiders looked like they would be able to run the ball all day long on the Cowboys with RBs Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden both breaking off big runs.

However, the Cowboys defense stayed strong, and was able shut down any momentum the Raiders may have gained in the first quarter. The Cowboys dominated the first-half with big plays, out gaining the Raiders 324 – 119 in yardage. They also and had a commanding 17 – 0 lead heading into the half.

They started the second half slowly, allowing the Raiders to narrow the lead to 10. Oakland failed to capture any more momentum as the Cowboys drove down the field to ensure Oakland was not able to crawl back into the game!

Packers spoil Detroit’s Thanksgiving party with a 34-12 win.

2009-12-04T01:55:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day has never been kind to the Detroit Lions. Thursday saw a big match up, as the Green Bay Packers visited Ford Field to take on the Lions. However, true to form, the Lions were once again outclassed. Aaron Rodgers threw for 3 touchdowns, enabling Green Bay to embarrass Detroit 34-12. Detroit struck first on a 1-yard TD pass from Matthew Stafford, allowing Detroit to take their only lead of the game at 7-0 with 13:04 left in the opening period.

The second quarter was all Green Bay as they scored three times. The 13 unanswered points enhanced Green Bay’s advantage to 13-7, which they would take to their locker room at half-time.

The Green Bay Packers piled it on in the third quarter as Rodgers would throw a pair of TD passes six minutes apart, giving Green Bay a 27-7 lead. Detroit would then go on to score a safety, curtsey of linebacker Jordan Dizon and a 22-yard Jason Hanson FG, putting the Lions within 27-12. However, it wasn’t to be, as Charles Woodson would seal the deal for Green Bay, intercepting a Stafford pass and returned it 38 yards for a score with 3:47 left in the contest.

Rodgers had an excellent outing as he went 28 of 39 for 348 yards and 3 TD’s while Stafford slumped compared to last week. The stats don’t lie and he went 20 of 43 for 213 yards with a TD and 4 INT’s. Green Bay (7-4) play again on Monday December 7, playing host to the Baltimore Ravens. Detroit (2-9) will make the short trip to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals on Sunday, December 6.

Colts Edge Ravens 17-15 to remain perfect at 10-0...

2009-12-04T01:24:00.000-08:00

Typically with the Indianapolis Colts, they usually rely on their Star Quarterback Peyton Manning to get the job done, which he does with alarming regularity. But since last few games, it has been the defense that has saved the day for the Colts, as evidenced by their narrow win over the New England Patriots last Sunday. The Colts would have their hands full Sunday when they went up against a pesky Baltimore Ravens at M&T Stadium.

Curiously enough, Indianapolis’ defense once again were the heroes as they intercepted a Joe Flacco pass, allowing Indianapolis to remain undefeated, edging Baltimore 17-15. The Colts drew first blood, going 87 yards on seven plays, capped by a 3-yard TD pass from Manning to tight end Dallas Clark (one-handed), giving Indianapolis an early 7-0 lead. The third quarter was 15 minutes of ball control warfare, for the most part as no scoring took place. The fourth quarter would find Baltimore tacking on field goal by Cundiif, giving the Ravens their first lead at 15-14; just over three minutes later, former Ravens kicker Matt Stover put Indianapolis ahead 17-15 with a 25-yard FG with 7:02 remaining in the game. The Colts would ice the win when the Ravens’ Ed Reed fumbled on a punt return with 17 seconds left.

Manning put up un-Manning-like numbers as he went 22 of 31 for 299 yards with a TD and 2 interceptions while Joe Flacco went 23 of 35 for 256 with an INT. Addai rushed 19 times for 74 yards and a score while Ray Rice rushed 20 times for 71 yards while catching 7 passes for 64 yards. Pierre Garcon led all Colts receivers with 6 receptions for 108 yards while Reggie Wayne caught 7 passes for 89 yards; tight end Tom Santi caught 6 passes for 80 yards. Derrick Mason led the Ravens receiving corps with 9 receptions for 142 yards while Rice caught 7 for 64 yards. Indianapolis (10-0) looks to extend their winning streak to 20 when they travel to Houston to take on the Texans next Sunday while Baltimore (5-5) remains at home to host the Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday.

Eagles fly late as they top Bears 24-20...

2009-12-04T01:20:00.000-08:00

The Eagles needed a big late effort against the Bears on Sunday night to move to 6-4, and got just that with a late drive from Donovan McNabb as the team topped Chicago 24-20. The Bears were up 20-17 when Antonio Dixon blocked a 48-yard field goal with 11 minutes left. That block opened the door for the Eagles offense, as McNabb led the team on a 62-yard touchdown drive that LeSean McCoy capped with a nice 10-yard run, sending Chicago to its fifth loss in six games and delivering another big hit to its playoff hopes. The Eagles built a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on a David Akers 25-yard field goal then a McNabb 13-yard pass to Jason Avant with 2:48 left in the first quarter.

The Bears clawed their way back though, as they scored three times in the second quarter, but all three were field goals, but it made it 10-9 at the half. The Bears got another field goal in the third quarter to take a 12-10 lead, but then the Eagles were able to score quickly as after a 16-yard pass to Jeremy Maclin, McNabb found DeSean Jackson for a 48-yard score down the middle of the field to make it 17-12. Jay Cutler, who was held in check all night, came right back as well, going six plays and 55 yards as Cutler found Kellen Davis with a 15-yard score. They also got the two-point conversion to make it a 20-17 Bears lead. Then the tide turned after the blocked field goal and then the long drive that ended with the McCoy 10-yard score.

The defense sealed the win as the Bears got the ball back at their own 21 with 1:51 left, but six plays into the drive Sean Jones picked him off, ending the final Bears threat. McNabb was 23-for-32 for 244 yards with two scores and a pick. McCoy ran for 99 yards on 20 carries with the game-winning score.

History in New Orleans as they crush the Bucs 38-7!

2009-12-04T00:03:00.000-08:00

The New Orleans Saints are 10-0 for the first time in franchise history. Brees and the offense rolled to a 38-7 win against the 1-9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the offensive line not allowing any sacks, he threw for less than 200 yards; however, he had 3 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions. Robert Meacham finished the game with only 10 yards but had two touchdown receptions.

This was his third straight game with a receiving touchdown. He now has 6 in the season. RB Mike Bell added two touchdowns of his own. The running game overcame a slow start as they gained 147 of their 183 rushing yards in the second half. The defense picked off Bucs rookie quarterback Josh Freeman 3 times and recovered a fumble. All three quarterbacks selected in the first round of this year’s draft have thrown 3 interceptions against the Saints. The Saints face the New England Patriots next Monday night.

Falcons on road fell short against the Giants in OT!

2009-12-01T22:43:00.000-08:00

In a matchup with possible playoff implications, the Atlanta Falcons lose 34-31 in overtime to the New York Giants in New Jersey. Both teams hoped to build on their success from last season and entered the regular season with very high expectations. Right now, they are both in the thick of the young wild-card race and the Falcons did not help their cause with today’s outcome. Without its top two running backs, the Falcons relied on New Jersey native Jason Spelling to fill their void. The third year fullback/tailback gained 76 yards on the ground and had 2 touchdowns.

Needless to say, it was not enough. Eli Manning’s career high 384 yards and 3 touchdowns bested quarterback Matt Ryan‘s 268 yards and 2 touchdown passes. Tony Gonzalez hauled in 8 catches for 82 yards and 1 touchdown. He has 52 receptions for 583 yards and 5 touchdowns this season. After a promising 4-1 start, the Falcons are 1-4 in their last 5 games. Barring an unprecedented miracle, the Falcons have no chance of winning their division. To gain ground on the wild-card race, the Falcons must turn things around and start winning games. They play their next three games at the Georgia Dome where they are 4-0 so far this season.

Crazy finish gives Detroit 38-37 victory over Cleveland...

2009-12-01T22:25:00.000-08:00

It went down to the wire, but the Detroit Lions were able to take advantage of a crazy last play penalty, and because of it the Lions won their second game of the year Sunday, 38-37 over the Browns.

The Lions were down 37-31, and on the last play of regulation they were given an untimed play because Cleveland Browns safety Hank Poteet was called for pass interference in the end zone when Matthew Stafford threw a desperation attempt. Stafford then threw his fifth touchdown pass from 1 yard out to Brandon Pettigrew, and Jason Hanson’s extra point with no time on the clock gave the team the crazy one-point win. He threw for a career-high 422 yards with five TD’s and two picks. His fourth touchdown pass of the day gave the Lions their first lead of the game, 31-27, with 2:47 left in the third quarter.

Not to mention they also had comeback from a first quarter 24-3 deficit. It looked bad for the Lions as Brady Quinn threw four TDs, surpassing his previous career total, and connected with Michael Gaines with 5:44 left to put the Browns ahead after helping them score a franchise record 24 points in the first quarter. The Lions though hung in, just as they did all day, and were able to get the last second attempt as Stafford scrambled around and then heaved the ball in the end zone. Overall it was a day of happiness in Detroit, as the Lions were able to escape some of the demons that usually haunt them for the improbable win.

Steelers suffer a stunning OT loss to the Chiefs 27-24.

2009-11-30T02:47:00.000-08:00

Call it a trap game. Call it a lack of focus. Whatever you call it, the Steelers 2009 season is now officially in a world of trouble. That was the case after Sunday’s 27-24 shocking overtime loss to the formerly 2-7 Kansas City Chiefs. The Steelers are now 6-4, and in big trouble when it comes to even thinking about playing in the post season. The team dominated the game from the stats standpoint, and after they allowed an opening kickoff for a touchdown took charge, scoring 17 straight points. Then turnovers took their toll, as first a pick from QB Ben Roethlisberger that bounced off the shoulder pads of Heath Miller early in the third quarter led to a KC touchdown.

The Steelers then had another shot to rally and put the game away, as they marched to the KC 20, but Roethlisberger threw a pick in the end zone that Andy Studebaker took back 94 yards. That’s when things went wrong. KC marched from their own 9 and went 8 plays, including a pass play of 30 yards then another of 47 yards to get to the Steelers 13. The Steelers, who had over 500 yards of offense total, were unable to get past midfield, and were forced to punt. The Chiefs tried a play, but then downed the ball and the game went to OT. More bad news.

The Pittsburgh Steelers got the ball first, and seemed to be moving the ball well. They got to the KC 49, but then on a run Roethlisberger was kneed in the head, and had to leave the game. His status for next week’s game is still questionable. Then though backup QB Charlie Batch came in and made a big play, hitting Santonio Holmes for 17 yards to the Chiefs 43. The Chiefs got the ball at their 20, and quickly struck. After three plays, Cassel hit Chris Chambers, who caught the ball in stride and went down the sideline for a 61-yard gain to the Steelers four.

The next play Ryan Succop put the Steelers out of their misery with a 22-yard field goal to make it the 27-24 final. Pittsburgh had outgained the Chiefs in regulation 463-206. The Chiefs stayed in the game with a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to start the contest. The Steelers also held the ball for 19 more minutes. Roethlisberger was 32-for-42 for 398 with three TD’s and two picks.

Steelers Kick Coverage may break the record... In a Bad Way!

2009-11-30T02:34:00.000-08:00

If you're a Steelers Die-hard fan, then you should know that their kick coverage has been putrid, but considering how bad the Steelers coverage teams over the years have been, it's easy to not realize just how rank this year's special teams are. Thankfully, the Football Outsiders are able to give it some perspective. In the 15 years of stats the FO guys now have data for; the Steelers are coming up on a very dubious record. The 1995 Bills have the record for the worst kick coverage unit of all time.

They are so bad that the difference between them and the second worst team is as much as the difference between the second worst and the 53rd worst unit. But now the Steelers are not far behind the 1995 Bills for putridity. And it's not just the kick coverage. Jeff Reed's kickoffs have been the worst in the league, significantly worse than anyone else, which is another argument why they should be OK with bringing in another kicker next year.

Football Outsiders ranks the kick coverage units by points. The Falcons are the best in kick coverage at 11.1 points. The Lions are second worst at -12.8. Pittsburgh is sitting at -26.2. Only three teams in those 15 years have finished worse than -20 with the Bills' -31 easily the worst since 1994. It's unlikely that the Steelers will catch the '95 Bills. It's hard to keep being as bad as they've been in recent weeks, but it is a good reminder that this unit isn't just a group that's having a couple of problems, it's a group that is one of the worst kick coverage units you'll ever see.

Dick Jauron gets the chop after a miserable start to this season...

2009-11-22T23:42:00.000-08:00

True to previous form, the Bills have underachieved in 2009. As a result, its management has made a stunning move, firing head coach Dick Jauron. The decision was taken by owner Ralph Wilson, just a few days after the team was beaten badly in Tennessee.

“I am announcing today that I am relieving Dick Jauron from his duties as our head coach, effective immediately,” said Wilson in a press statement. “I have tremendous respect for Dick and thank him for all of his efforts during these past four years. While this was a very difficult decision, I felt that it is one that needed to be made at this time for the best interest of our team. We will now focus on moving forward and preparing for our game this week in Jacksonville.”

He is the first head coach to be fired during a regular season, since Hank Bullough’s termination, which also came after nine games in the 1986 season. Jauron’s job has long been on the line, and the team started 1-4 including an awful defeat at home, 6-3 to the Cleveland Browns. They are 3-6 through the first nine games. Run defense was a major issue for the Bills, as they ranked higher than 22nd in the league against the run and are currently last in the NFL in that category this season.

Bills owner Ralph Wilson said this year that he was expecting a big turnaround, and he loosened the purse strings for some expensive free-agent signings, including wide receiver Terrell Owens. But it hasn't worked, and now Jauron is out of work. The Buffalo Bills announced that defensive coordinator Perry Fewell would serve as interim head coach for the remaining seven games.

Jets continue their Downward Spiral as they lose 3 straight at home...

2009-11-19T02:42:00.000-08:00

After starting the season 3-0, including impressive victories at Houston and New England, the Jets have fallen flat on their faces. With a home loss to the Jacksonville J aguars last Sunday, against a team that was previously 1-3 on the road, the Jets have now lost four of their last five games.

Three of these games were at home, against the Bills, Dolphins and Jags. Their problems emanated from losing the turnover battle (3-to-1), and their inability on the run defense to stop Maurice Jones-Drew. He ran for 123 yards on 24 carries and also threw in 22 receiving yards for good measure. The Jets were able to move the ball at times, amassing 322 yards on 60 plays (compared to 347 on 60 plays for the Jags). They were also pretty comparable in terms of time of possession. When the two teams play that evenly from scrimmage, the game is usually decided on turnovers. And it was. Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez set the tone, throwing an interception on the first play of the game.

Then in the third quarter, the Jets sandwiched two turnovers, Braylon Edwards fumble and another Sanchez pick was around a takeaway of their own. In a game where every inch counts and was decided on a last minute field goal, you can't turn the ball over like that. Despite that, they still had a chance to win. They held a one-point lead after a solid drive concluded with a Thomas Jones touchdown. But at the end it wasn’t enough for them to get the win they were looking for. They don't have much time to grieve after this loss, however, because they head to New England for a rematch with the hated Patriots next Sunday. You can expect the Pats to be out for a little revenge, too, so the Jets have their work cut out for them.

The Jags will look to win their third consecutive game next week when they face the Bills at home and look to thrust in the play-off picture.

Belichick’s Gamble fails as Colts edge the Pats 35-34!

2009-11-19T02:30:00.000-08:00

The Indy Colts have gone from winning games with relative ease, to escaping by the skin of their teeth. As luck would have it, their opponents on Sunday were the New England Patriots, led by Tom Brady. However, there was a twist in the tale at the Lucas Oil Stadium. The Pats would seal their fate not by anything that Brady did, but by a bold and questionable play called by head coach Bill Belichick.

The screw up enabled Indianapolis to rally from 17 down to edge them 35-34. We will talk more on the Belichick gamble later. The Indianapolis Colts drew first blood as Peyton Manning tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Addai, giving them 7-0 lead. The second quarter would find New England racking up points in short order. They would score twice in 4 minutes, the first being a 63-yard TD pass from Brady to Randy Moss and the second being a 9-yard Brady to Julius Edelman, which gave them a comfortable 24-7 lead with 7:19 left in the half.

However, the Colts reduced New England’s lead to ten as Manning riffled a 20-yard TD pass to Reggie Wayne, making it 24-14 which would be the half-time score.

As opposed to the previous periods, the third quarter was a battle of attrition albeit scoreless. The fourth quarter found Patriots striking early as Brady threw a 5-yard TD pass to Moss, increasing their lead to 31-14. Sounds like lights out?

Hold on fans, things got better, just gets better, especially for a Colts fan. With 12:14 remaining in the game, Manning tossed a 29-yard TD pass to Garcon which narrowed the Patriots’ lead to 31-21. They would come storming back; all credit goes to Manning and a little help from Belichick. Addai would score from a yard out, putting the Colts to 34-28 with 2:23 left in the game; then came the erroneous judgement by Belichick.

New England had the ball but Belichick called two timeouts during the series, with the second TO setting up their fourth down play. Typically on a fourth and 2 against Indianapolis, you’d punt the ball and let Manning try and beat you. But Belichick opted to go for it on fourth down. The gamble didn’t pay off and they gave the Colts the ball at the opposition 29-yard line with 1:57 left in the game, an eternity when Manning is in charge. He would run three plays before connecting with Wayne for the winning score, a 1-yard TD pass. Manning played true to form, throwing for 327 yards with 4 TD’s and 2 INT’s while Brady went for 375 yards with 3 TD’s and an INT. Indianapolis (9-0) play again on Sunday, when they face the Baltimore Ravens while New England (6-3) returns home to host the New York Jets on Sunday.

Singletary helped by Cutler as the 49ers claim victory!

2009-11-18T03:37:00.000-08:00

The Chicago Bears had entered 2009 with a single aim in mind. They wanted to strengthen their defense, and obtain a strong armed QB, to lead them to victory.

However, Thursday night was a shocker for the guys. They stepped out in San Fran, to a face a 49ers team in a match up that should have been theirs. Jay Cutler had a nightmare of a game, throwing five interceptions, including one on the last play of the game.

The Bears pushed on towards what would have been the game-winning score. Looking for tight end Greg Olsen in the end zone from the Niners 12yard line, Cutler ran up in the pocket and threw, only to have it picked off by Michael Lewis to end the game. On the night, He was 29 for 52 for 307 yards with no TD’s and five picks. He had a QB rating of 33.6. Between Thursday night and the loss to the Packers in week one, he has thrown 9 of his 17 interceptions. San Fran did just enough to get the win. They put up just 216 yards. However, RB Frank Gore that put up 110 yards. Alex Smith was 16 for 23 for 118 yards with no TD’s and a pick, but he didn’t make the killer mistakes that Cutler did.

The only TD of the night came in the second quarter with the Bears up 3-0. Cutler was picked by Tarell Brown who returned it to the Bears 14. Gore took care of the rest by running14 yards out to give San Fran the 7-3 lead.

Luckily they held on for the rest of the night, to finally break their 4 game losing streak.

Change in Cleveland as Quinn to start for the first time this season against the Ravens.

2009-11-16T04:13:00.000-08:00

Brady Quinn has been officially named the starter for Monday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens. Eric Mangini made his announcement last night.

It hasn't ever worked out quite perfectly for Quinn here in Cleveland and it probably won't. We won't act like this is some kind of crowning achievement, if Derek Anderson had played well at all; Quinn wouldn't have taken another meaningful snap for the Browns. Prove what he has to offer. Unless he picks up an injury, he should be under center for the remainder of the season.

He should be able to throw the ball down field with fewer inhibitions. “I’m excited to play,” Quinn said. “I’m excited to be a part of Monday night.

There are 8 games left this season, and maybe just 8 games left in Brady Quinn's Cleveland Browns career. Support is sparse. The offensive scheme isn't any good and organization is poor. But just maybe, if Brady Quinn shows some promise somehow; he'll be back next season with the Browns and Mangini will be shown the door. So after so many big dreams of Quinn restoring this franchise to respectability, here is what we've arrived at. One last ride before the sun sets on the lake. And one last chance for Brady Quinn to prove himself.

Larry Johnson left out in the cold after being released by the Chiefs...

2009-11-16T04:07:00.000-08:00

In October of this year, RB Larry Johnson was accused of making homophobic comments through his Twitter account and was subsequently suspended. The ban was scheduled to be lifted Monday.

However, Johnson failed to rejoin the team. He had been just 75 yards shy of surpassing the Legendary Priest Holmes to become the franchise's all-time rushing yards leader.

The Chief’s owners are said to have had enough of Johnson. It is thought that he may have taken exception to his recent criticism over his coaches, along with his use of a gay slur that embarrassed the franchise and the league.

He has been released by the Chiefs and is subsequently a free agent. Now the question is whether any team wants him. Johnson, the former Chiefs running back, passed through the NFL's waiver wire without a single team showing an interest. That makes him an unrestricted free agent, available to sign with any team.

Johnson had 132 carries for 358 yards this season, which is a disappointingly low average of 2.7 yards per carry. A number of commentators have been forced to question whether he still has what it takes to play in the big leagues and at 30 years of age, he has a fair amount of critics.

When you combine the age with his increasing lack of productivity, not to mention his bad attitude, things look bleak.

Second half Surge Lifts the Steelers to a Big win Denver...

2009-11-12T23:05:00.000-08:00

I think it’s safe to say that the SUPER BOWL CHAMPS are officially back. After a slow start to their Monday night matchup with the Broncos, the Steelers exploded in the second half, outscoring the Broncos 21-7 as they walked out with their fifth straight win 28-10. For the Steelers, the first half could not have been any uglier, except for the score. They did nothing worth talking about in the first quarter, running 11 plays and gaining 20 yards while Ben Roethlisberger was sacked twice.

The second quarter was as much of the same till Carter picked off Orton about three minutes into the second quarter, and took it back untouched for the defensive score that put the Steelers up. It was after the half that the team started to finally assert itself. They started fast, going from their 17 to the Broncos 33, when the last negative play of the night happened for the Steelers. Roethlisberger was under pressure, and stripped by Kenny Peterson. The ball rolled around until Robert Ayers picked it up and went 54 yards for a score to make it 10-7 Denver.

The lead would be short lived for the Broncos as the Pittsburgh Steelers responded right away; they needed just two minutes to go the distance. A pass to Mike Wallace went for 18 yards, and then Rashard Mendenhall went 24 yards. A deep pass to Santonio Holmes went for 35 yards to the Broncos three. One play later the team took the lead for good, as Big Ben hit Hines Ward for a three-yard TD to make it 14-10. The game stayed tight till midway through the fourth quarter. Then came a big play from a huge playmaker (Troy Polamalu) who picked of Orton to set the Steelers up at the Broncos 25. On third down Roethlisberger extended the play, and threw deep to Wallace, who beat Brian Dawkins for a score to extend the lead to 21-10 with 7:03 left. Then the defense started to pounce.

Orton and the Broncos were unable to do anything, and quickly went three and out and were forced to punt. That’s when the offense put the finishing touches on the win. Led by Mendenhall, who had 155 yards on 22 carries, the team marched to the Denver three, when Roethlisberger hit Ward for a second score to close out the game at 28-10 with 1:22 left. Roethlisberger was 21-for-29 for 233 yards with three scores and a pick. His QB rating was 116.0. Orton was under stress for most of the second half. He was just 23-for-38 for 221 yards with three picks. The Steelers amassed 375 yards of offense, holding Denver to 242 yards. After a first half that was not so hot, the team held the ball total for 33:03 to 26:57 for the Denver. The defense also held Denver to zero first downs rushing, and just 27 yards on the ground while the Steelers put up 173 yards rushing.

This win sets up a big North showdown with the fellow first place Cincinnati Bengals Sunday at Heinz Field. Both teams will enter the game at 6-2.

CINCY’S Defense beat the Ravens in 17-7 win...

2009-11-12T22:53:00.000-08:00

The Bengals have faced a fair bit of criticism of late, with commentators claiming that they had beaten the Ravens by a fluke. However, the watching faithful adhere to the fact they are the better team, proving the stronger side against Joe Flacco and the Ravens in a 17-7 win to top the Baltimore and the AFC North. The win means that with two victories over Baltimore, they essentially have a three-game lead over them in the division. The Cincinnati Bengals move to 6-2 with the win, dropping the Ravens to 4-4.

The Ravens have lost four of their last five games after starting the season 3-0. The Bengals put the game away early, dominating from the first quarter as they scored two touchdowns to go up 14-0, and they held the ball for 22 plays to just 10 for the Ravens. Flacco was held in check, going just 18-for-32 for 195 yards with two picks, and he was sacked four times for minus 35 yards. He was pressured all day, and the Ravens offense had the ball for a total of just 20 minutes to 40 for Bengals. The only Baltimore Ravens score came with 12:54 left when Ray Rice went in from two yards out. However, the Ravens punted five times, had two picks, missed a field goal and then lost possession on downs.

The Bengals on the other hand, outplayed Baltimore 369 to 215.

Giants Stunned at the Meadowlands 21-20 by the Chargers!

2009-11-12T22:42:00.000-08:00

You could cut the atmosphere for this match up with a butter knife. Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers have never met head to head. Ever since the 2004 draft, both fans and experts have debated whether the Chargers or Giants had been more successful in the big trade that day. To date, it would appear that the Chargers are on top, having beaten the Giants on the last drive of the game.

The standard of the passing was pretty indistinguishable between the two quarterbacks. Rivers threw 24/36 for 209 yards and 3 TD’s and 2 interceptions. While Manning threw for 2 TD’s going 25/33 for 215 yards.

The Chargers didn’t seem to have much luck in managing to get a run together. They only had a total of 34 yards rushing with 15 of those yards coming from Phillip Rivers scrambling for a first down. Tomlinson ran the ball 12 times for 22 yards. Meanwhile, Giants ran for 116 yards total.

Jacobs ran 11 times for 67 yards and Bradshaw carried it 14 times for 39 yards. It looked like the Chargers were going to score more through the air but both Malcolm Floyd and Antonio Gates dropped key passes that cost them dearly, and forcing them to punt the ball to the Giants. Smith and Boss caught Eli Manning’s two touchdown passes.

The Giants sacked Phillip Rivers twice while the Chargers got to Eli Manning 5 times. They have now lost 4 games in a row. They are due to host the Atlanta Falcons while the Chargers find themselves in the middle of a 3 game winning streak and they host the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday.

Colts loose Jackson and Sanders to season ending injuries...

2009-11-09T23:36:00.000-08:00

There's never a good time to have half of your defensive backfield out of action. Having it happen in middle of the season and immediately before facing the Houston Texans' is not a great start. But that is exactly what's happening in Indianapolis. News broke on Wednesday that Marlin Jackson would be out for the season with a torn ACL for the second consecutive year.

He is expected to have surgery next week. His contract expires at the end of the season, so he is set to become a free agent unless the Indianapolis Colts think about re-signing him.

On Friday, the Colts learned that Bob Sanders also needs surgery to repair his injured elbow which will end his season. To add insult to injury, cornerback Kelvin Hayden has also been ruled out for Sunday's game Sanders, the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is also having surgery on an injured elbow. For now, the Colts are saying he's out for the foreseeable.

The Colts are certainly used to playing without him, as he's only suited up twice this year after missing 10 games last season. It's a real shame Sanders can't keep himself fit because he is a punishing player. By all accounts, he is more than capable of making an impact. Some reports claim he'll miss at least a month while ESPN broke the news that he'll miss the rest of 2009.

Only time will tell if this will affect their season!

Cowboys must work harder to stand a chance against the Eagles this Sunday.

2009-11-08T22:27:00.000-08:00

Think back to December 28th, 2008. This was the last time these two teams met at Lincoln Field. There isn’t a Cowboys fan on the planet that isn’t aware of the outcome of that game. The Dallas Cowboys were a no show and the Eagles buried them 44-6. Fast forward 2 years to this week. The Cowboys are playing for two things, first in the NFC East, and maybe even more importantly, revenge!

So the hype has already begun and you could cut the tension surround this game with a knife. Both sides are chomping at the bit!

OFFENSE: The Cowboys haven’t scored all season on their first drive whereas the Eagles have been outstanding in the first quarter in nearly all of their games this season. This coupled with their quick strike capability, may well mean that the Cowboys are in for a rough ride on Sunday. The Eagles like to blitz and will do so often; an effective running attack can keep the blitz at bay. They have one of the top pass defenses in the league, and are third for most interceptions with 14. They will however, need to continue the hard work!

DEFENSE: The Cowboys are without a doubt, going to need to be more systematic in this department. The Philadelphia Eagles are 13th passing and 14th on the run. This is a team that likes to pass and run the ball, and they do it well.

It’s always sound logic to stop the run first. Forcing the Eagles to pass puts the game in McNabb’s hands, and that can be just as effective. The Cowboys are 13th in the league at stopping the run, and this is where the Cowboys front line will need to earn their money this week. Once the run game is put to a stop the task will not become easier as the Eagles have a great receiver’s who can catch balls, break tackles, mind you that they can even use Vick as an option in Wildcat formation.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Well, what can we say? The Cowboys Special Teams unit just needs to keep doing what it does best. If Patrick Crayton can run another one back for a Touchdown great, but those kinds of things don’t happen in every game.

If the Cowboys can put their previous losses behind them they may well stand a chance. The Eagles however, have gained a great deal of momentums so let’s watch this space!

Young shines as Titans record first win of the season against over the Jacksonville Jags!

2009-11-08T22:23:00.000-08:00

Vince Young did everything he needed to do on Sunday to stake a claim to the Titans' starting job for the rest of the season, but did he really do enough to show that he should be around in 2010 and beyond? Young clearly gave the Tennessee Titans a spark. In the most important stat of all, Young is 1-0 this season as a starter while Kerry Collins is 0-6.

Vince Young says the year of watching Kerry Collins from the bench helped him grow and mature. Young helped the Titans (1-6) win their first game of 2009, a 30-13 rout of Jacksonville on Sunday that snapped an eight-game skid dating back to Dec. 21. Now the 2006 Offensive Rookie of the Year, the quarterback who’s called Tennessee's future at the position over n over, has the final nine games to show how much he's really grown and whether he's worth keeping past this season.

Young currently is estimated to count $14.2 million against Tennessee's salary cap in 2010 with a $4.25 million roster bonus due in March. Owner Bud Adams wanted Young starting so the Titans could see what the quarterback could do. "We've got to find out how he's developed over the last two years," Adams said after the game. "He hasn't played that much.

We've got to get him in and find out what he can do. Otherwise we're going to have a high draft choice, and we're going to be looking for another quarterback."Adams liked what he saw as Young was 15-of-18 for only 125 yards, and almost all of his passes were of the dump-off variety. He also showed that he was just as comfortable taking off and running if no one was open downfield. Young was helped greatly by the Titans running more than throwing. Tennessee ran 49 times for a season-high 305 yards, and RB Chris Johnson set a franchise-record with 228 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Receivers that had struggled holding onto the ball didn't drop any this time around.

Questions still remain. How does Young react after a bad game or a couple interceptions? Or when fans boo? He handled himself very well and showed he can do it," the owner said. Coach Jeff Fisher isn't looking past Sunday's visit to San Francisco (3-4) when he was asked how much sway the rest of this season holds on Young's future. "That's not an issue of his or ours. What's important for us and for Vince is just to improve and play well this week. That's all.

Giants beaten 40-17 as the Giants climb the ranks...

2009-11-08T22:15:00.000-08:00

The recent performance by the NY Giants has prompted a number of critics to question whether they are going downhill. After suffering a beating at the hands of the Eagles (40-17), the offense looked weak. The defense couldn’t get a single stop, and kick-off coverage was atrocious. The Giants truly need to get their act together and it’s safe to say they need to do it fast. The Eagles started off the scoring a minute and a half in, with a 41 yard run by fullback Leonard Weaver.

They did appear to pick up the pace later on in the half, and got a touchdown on an 18 yard pass to Kevin Boss. This only ruffled some feathers for a brief moment, and the Philadelphia Eagles scored on a 54 yard bomb to DeSean Jackson just 14 seconds later.

The Eagles led 30-7 at the end of the half but started off scoring in the third quarter, as the Giants gave away a fumble which turned in to a 35 yard field goal. The Giants added a touchdown late in the 3rd quarter, off the back of a 1 yard run from Ahmad Bradshaw. The Eagles started off the 4th quarter with another touchdown, this time on a 66 yard run by LeSean McCoy.

The defense was just as bad, if not worse. The tackling was horrible. Downfield coverage was worse. Eli looked a shadow of himself. There was no running game whatsoever and it’s fair to say that the Giants are a team in trouble. Both defense and offense are struggling. The Giants have been exposed in their three straight losses, all of which were against the bigger teams. Their wins, save for the Dallas Cowboys, were against the worst of the worst. We’re now wondering, can this Giants team beat the good teams? Or are they a mediocre team, capable of beating the bad teams, but not beating the good teams. The Giants will be debating that all week. And so will all the fans.

Favre overcomes all his emotions to pulls a Win at Lambeau against the Packers.

2009-11-04T05:01:00.000-08:00

Love him or hate him Favre is an awesome player. Fans previously wore shirts calling Favre everything from "Traitor" to "Judas" and even “Drama Queen."

One fan carried a poster with "True Legends Don't Wear Purple." Behind the Vikings' bench, someone hung a "Welcome Back to Lambeau Field ... B-R-E-N-T" sign, but once again, he got one over on his old team and is 2-0 against them. Favre took the field at Lambeau on Sunday as the visitor, and walked out a hero to those that love purple, all at the expense to a side he played with for 16 seasons.

It was tough to watch, but in the end, Favre did what he does best, gunning his way to a win. He outplayed Aaron Rodgers, and beat the Packs just when it looked like Green Bay was ready to rally and put together a win that would have made the NFC North race a lot more interesting to watch.

When asked for comment, Favre said: “Packers fans cheer for the Packers first, I know that. I hope that everyone in the stadium watching tonight said, ‘I sure hate those jokers on the other side, but he does play the way he’s always played.’” And Favre played well. He completed 17 of 28 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. He led the team to a 38-26 win, putting Minnesota at 7-1 and the Packers at 4-3. It would now seem that they need to win just about every game, whilst praying that the Vikings collapse.

Dallas sitting pretty after victory over the Seahawks...

2009-11-04T04:35:00.000-08:00

A month ago, the Dallas Cowboys were a 2-2 mess; inconsistent with their offense, generous on defense and seemingly already out of contention in the cutthroat NFC East Division. Following a long drawn out thrashing at the hands of the then-undefeated Broncos in Denver, they looked far better in Sunday's lopsided 38-17 victory over the battered Seattle Seahawks. This was the Cowboys' third consecutive win in multi billion dollar stadium.

Quarterback, Tony Romo completed 10 successful passes, including touchdown throws to the increasingly popular Miles Austin (five catches, 61 yards). Romo's performance, where he hit on 21-of-36 passes for 256 yards, capped off the first three-game span without an interception in his seven-year career.

The running back; Marion Barber is still trying to get over his injury. However, this didn’t stop him from making a stunning touchdown. Toss in an 82-yard Patrick Crayton punt return for a touchdown, his second in as many games, and Dallas (5-2) looks like a complete team at the halfway point.

Dallas is currently sitting pretty at the top of the division with the Eagles, thanks to a complete offense-defense effort. As a result, all is well in the Dallas camp. Things are looking good and as Brooking said, this is a surging team that can't let its guard down.

QB hassle ends in Tennessee as Young gets the Starting Job!

2009-11-02T05:09:00.000-08:00

After a fair amount of consideration, the Tennessee Titans are benching veteran Kerry Collins in favor of 26-year-old Vince Young.

The team’s owner, Bud Adams is reported to have pushed for Young this week. Head coach; Jeff Fisher deliberated on the decision, though, before finally agreeing with Adams and choosing Young as his starter against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Collins has been the Titans' starter since Week 2 of 2008 when he guided the Titans to 13-3, but an 0-6 start to the 2009 season combined with a lack of ingenuity urged a move under center. However, the question is, can Young now step up to Rescue the Titans? In the midst of a lost season, there's no harm in seeing whether or not Young can captain the Titans' ship next yr and beyond. Many feel that he is worth a shot, given his 56.9 percent completion percentage, 67.8 QB rating.

He has also won 18 of his 29 as starter back in his rookie season. Most rookies struggle to win games right out of the gate. With Wildcat football being all the rage, maybe people expected Young to be part of the popular offense this year, but so far Jeff Fisher has stuck with one QB center philosophy. With Young at the helm, the defense should in theory, be opened up. This is thanks to the danger that Young creates, tucking the ball and picking up five or six yards at a time.

If the third year PRO out of Texas impresses, we can expect him return with a bang in 2010. If not, the Titans will be forced to look for a young QB in next April's NFL Draft or in the off-season free agency market.

Johnson lands himself in trouble for gay slur on twitter...

2009-11-02T05:04:00.000-08:00

The Kansas City Chiefs spokesperson has made the public announcement that Johnson has been suspended for two weeks. Essentially this is a one-game suspension The NFL is thought to be conducting it’s own investigations, along with and the Chiefs combined are conducting an investigation into his recent statements.

The Twitter account, belonging to the Chiefs running back Larry Johnson has landed him in hot water after particular comments caused a great deal of contravener and subsequent accusations that he is homophobic. Despite the fact, he was profusely apologetic; he has been banned for forthcoming match ups.

He spoke out for the benefit of his team, fans and the NFL. Now, there are a couple of factors to consider here. First, Johnson apologized (you can read it at the KC Star if you want, but it's pretty standard, including a bit about not being a "good role model" and telling his coach, the fans and his team-mates that he's sorry). Commentators are divided on whether he should be given a break. At the same time though, Bob Griese apologized too, and he's still staring down a one-week suspension for talking about Juan Pablo Montoya and tacos.

The fact of the matter is, the KC Star is liable to be dropped all together, if not released if he does not change his attitudes with many of his teammates already sick of his lax attitude.

Monday Night Showdown ended with an injury filled game as the Eagles run over the Redskins.

2009-10-30T04:42:00.000-07:00

Monday night, in front of a national-TV audience, Washington simply went through the motions. Physical mistakes, lack of talent, bad breaks all this is forgivable. Half-hearted efforts aren't, especially when a team is playing for an embattled head coach. And the Washington Redskins, now 2-5 on the season, are fooling themselves if they think they gave all they could against the Eagles.

The Eagles made a move at the trade deadline for Rams linebacker Will Witherspoon. And that move paid off right away on Monday night, as the vet had a pick six as well as a forced fumble in the team’s 27-17 win over the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. “You can’t expect to get a sack, cause a fumble, turnover, and interception for touchdown—whatever,” Witherspoon said. “It’s like, ‘What? Who in their right mind would think that in their first game?’ But when it comes down to it, it happened.” Donovan McNabb Eagles QB completed 15 of 25 passes for 156 yards, getting his 200th touchdown pass and surpassing 30,000 yards passing for his career. Most of the highlights on both sides of the ball came in the first half, as the Eagles led 27-10 at halftime.

The Philadelphia Eagles defense also took it to Washington’s banged up offensive line and QB Jason Campbell, as they forced six sacks, four total fumbles and a pick. Campbell was 29-for-43 for 284 yards with two TD’s and an interception. The makeshift offensive line again failed to protect Campbell or create room for Clinton Portis, who rushed for only 43 yards and at one point chucked his helmet on the sideline in frustration. About the only bad thing for the Eagles was early in the game when running back Brian Westbrook left in the first quarter with a concussion. His status is still uncertain until further test results.

Coach Andy Reid said he expects Westbrook to recover fully but wasn’t certain whether his star running back will play next week play against the Giants at home on Sunday.

Giant stumble at home as they embraced a loss against the Cards...

2009-10-30T03:45:00.000-07:00

The New York Giants spent the week shrugging off the last week’s loss and promised to be better this week at home against the Cardinals as it was a ‘Get Right” game. The defense promised more blitzing and less trepidation. The offense promised to be sharper. To a man, the Giants were certain they'd come up with a big win Sunday night over the reigning NFC champs... and then they lost.

The Cardinals played their own style of takeaway on Sunday night at the Meadowlands against the Giants, stunning the big blue with a 24-17 win. It’s the third straight win on the road for the Cards. They stopped Giants QB Eli Manning all night, forcing four Giants turnovers, including two on their last two possessions as Ahmad Bradshaw fumbled and then Manning threw a pick after the Giants appeared to be driving towards what could have been the tying score.“Tonight,”, “we definitely fed off our defense” said Kurt Warner who was 20-for-36 for 231 yards with a touchdown to running back Jason Wright that put the team up 24-14 with 2:32 left in the third quarter.

The Cards were outgained by New York 327 to 288 in the passing dept., but the turnovers by Manning helped the birds take advantage of the chances they were given. Safety Adrian Wilson had an interception and a fumble recovery, Antrel Rolle picked off Manning to seal the win for Arizona. The Arizona Cardinals (4-2) scored 17 straight points from the end of the second quarter to late in the third quarter to go up 10 points at 24-14, putting all the pressure on Manning and the Giants offense.

Arizona spent most of the night taking advantage of great field position. They had three touchdown drives that went no farther than 55 yards, taking advantage of field position via poor punting and turnovers. Their drives of 46, 55, and 20 yards were enough to hand the Giants their second straight loss to drop them to 5-2 after a 5-0 start. The Cards are now by themselves in the NFC West, a game up on the 49ers. Next week they host the Carolina Panthers (2-4). It's all part of a weird and surprisingly substandard vibe the Giants are giving off the past couple of weeks.

After two years as a dominant NFC force, they have looked lately like a team that still has a ways to go before we can call it a Super Bowl contender.

Defense steps up a notch as the Steelers sweep the Vikings of their Feet...

2009-10-29T00:42:00.000-07:00

Steelers defense storms past Vikings to steal a convincing win!

It may have been a long time coming, but the infamous Steelers defense, and their trade mark big-play, has finally paid off. The side came out victors on Sunday afternoon, after a hard fought game in Heinz Field.

They cruised back to form, stopping the Vikings in their tracks with a pair of huge fourth quarter plays in a 27-17 win to move to 5-2. It was the first time since 1998 that the defense had scored two TD’s in a game. The points were crucial, as the first made it 20-10, whilst the second sealed the win to make it 27-17. Favre threw an important pass that Chester Taylor couldn’t contain. It bounced off his face and shoulder pads, falling directly into the Pittsburgh Steelers laps. Before they were unable to say “we’re still undefeated” the game was over.

They achieved not one, but two defensive touchdowns in the last six minutes! The Minnesota Vikings made up important yards, and controlled the time of possession. However, it was those key plays that proved to be the final nail in an imminent coffin for the Vikings. They have certainly improved their pass rush defense and secondary play and it is certainly safe to say that the offensive balance between Favre’s vertical passing attack and Peterson’s ground game is bang on!

However, the critics have been out in full force of late, many accusing the Vikings of giving up throwing away important touchdowns. The Vikings don’t appear to be lacking in discipline on the training pitch, but the results appear to be disagree.

They may well be looking at the blip as a blessing in disguise. It is the difference between being good, and being elite. With a little more concentration and hard work, the boys may still pull through this season!

Favre making his presence felt as the Vikings(6-0) considered super special going into Week 7!

2009-10-28T23:43:00.000-07:00

The Minnesota Vikings have been through a number of “special” moments. The 98 Vikings were the most explosive offensive force that the NFL had to offer, bar the infamous Patriots.

With Randall Cunningham handing the ball off to Robert Smith success was their middle name. The 15 – 1 season was spoiled only by a mid-season loss in Tampa Bay. They have proven that they can slay the bigger teams against all odds, with the likes of Brett Favre, who has previously been classed as over rated, proving every bit of his worth!

However, fans have now been won over by the way he runs down field to throw a block on a much larger player just because that’s how he plays the game.

He is an ambassador for at least some of the things that are right about the NFL, but he has more importantly, added real weight and strength to a team that is getting better and better!

Colts strengthened by Sanders imminent return...

2009-10-28T23:40:00.000-07:00

The undefeated Colts are going from strength to strength this season. Gaining additional quality, they are fast becoming one of the top play-makers in terms of their defense.

Safety; Bob Sanders, is hoping to make his season debut this Sunday at St. Louis. The 2007 NFL defensive player of the year hasn’t played a single game since January. He’s expected to train this week. He had been sidelined for the first time this season, despite the fact he had not been listed in the team’s injury report.

Head Coach Jim Caldwell commented: “He’s improving and been ramping up his activity over the last three weeks and we anticipate he will be able to do something for us (Sunday).”Sanders has previously been left out of the side. The two-time Pro Bowl safety returned to practice and was going to travel with the first team to Nashville for the Oct. 11 game. But with a bye last week, the Colts opted to hold him out.

He has previously much of his training as the result of a knee operation and although the Colts had hoped he would make a return within 6 weeks, it would appear he may be back sooner. Sanders told the press: I feel better than I’ve felt in a long time,” Sanders said Wednesday. “I feel excited about that and I’m ready to get in there. But we’ve not made that decision (about playing) yet.”

Titans hit by another crushing defeat as Patriots cruise to 59-0 victory.

2009-10-23T04:43:00.000-07:00

The fate of the Titans has been called into this question this week. After losing to the colts at home, they went on to play what was to be the thrashing of the season, at the hands of the New England Patriots who were on the offensive from the off, in response to their own defeat at the hands of Denver.

Tom Brady was able to show flashes of his former 2007 glory in the previous 5 games, throwing 6 top class touchdown passes, five of which were in just a single quarter, an overall NFL record. Tight end Bo Scaife said. “This is the worst it gets.” “I don’t think anybody in this league is 59 points better than us”.

The Titans are now 0-6, and have lost their last three by 20, 22 and 59 points after making the NFL’s best record, 13-3, last year.

Head Coach Jeff Fisher said “I’m really disappointed and embarrassed”. “Fortunately for me, career-wise, I have never been through anything like this before and, unfortunately, it did happen tonight. I can assure you one thing; it’s not going to happen again.”

Commentators have begun to question their ability to defend and feel they are lost when it comes to throwing the ball. In fact, Titans QB Kerry Collins was pulled after going 2 of 12 passes for minus-7 yards. Replacement QB Vince Young came in and threw an interception, one of five Tennessee turnovers, on his first play.

The only bright side for Sundays Game from the Tennessee Titans was running back Chris Johnson, who had 128 yards on 17 carries, including a 48-yard gain that of course didn’t produce anything.

The team have been left to reflect on the defeat ahead of the next match up.

Steelers strengthened by the return of Polamalu and Parker...

2009-10-23T04:37:00.000-07:00

The Steelers have been strengthened by the return of 2 previously injured players this week, with safety Troy Polamalu and running back Willie Parker, both back for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field.

However it would seem the coach has been left with a selection nightmare, with just one of them set to start. Polamalu, who missed four games with a sprained medial collateral ligament, has been in training all week. He is due to make his comeback and will start against the Browns, wearing a protective brace.

Parker on the other hand, who missed the past two games with a toe injury, is expected to be replaced again in the starting lineup by Rashard Mendenhall, despite the fact he had been present during training all week. Meanwhile, Mendenhall returned to practice today after missing Thursday's session with flu. The Steelers are without any pre planned rotation system for Mendenhall and Parker, meaning the flow of the game will ultimately determine whether Parker gets a run out.

Tons to work on as the Cowboys go into BYE WEEK...

2009-10-16T02:41:00.000-07:00

Heading into the bye week, the Dallas Cowboys are carrying a modest 3-2 record. After successive victories against teams that are a combined 1-13, they have also had a string of defeats against teams that are 10-0.

Commentators are often left questioning their consistency after watching them steam roll the Buccaneers, only to suffer a heart breaker at the hands of the Giants. After winning against the Panthers; they went on to let the Denver Broncos slip through their hands.

They did however manage to keep the Chiefs in check, and to go on to win the game in what was to be an overtime thriller. The boys of Dallas still have a fair bit of work to do and LB Bradie James admitted as much during a press conference on Monday.

Let’s see how the Cowboys have been playing the field:

So far, the Cowboys have committed 68 penalties in the 5 games played according to NFL.com. They currently rank in the top three in the league for most penalized team. In the first five games of the season, four of them have come down to the last possession, forcing overtime on 3 separate occasions. Whilst the defense was excellent in the overtime period against Kansas City on Sunday, it was the failure to stop the Chiefs from scoring a touchdown with under a minute to play that knocked them down a peg or 2.

Steelers dealt a costly blow as Aaron Smith is sidelined with injury.

2009-10-15T04:32:00.000-07:00

The beleaguered Steelers have been dealt a hefty blow in the form of yet another injury. This time it’s 11 year veteran DE Aaron Smith. He received a knock so severe, commentators predict he will be sidelined for the foreseeable.

33-year-old Smith has recorded 44 sacks and 385 tackles in 150 career games with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Speaking at Tuesday’s press conference, head coach; Mike Tomlin said he had suffered a torn rotators cuff in his right shoulder during Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions.

Smith picked up the injury in the third quarter but soldiered on to play the remainder, only missing a handful of snaps here and there. The Pittsburgh ace will undergo surgery late next week. The loss of Smith couldn’t have come at a worse time. He is widely regarded as the best 3-4 end in the entire league, known for his ability to create gaps for the linebackers to make plays.

Prone to injury in the past, Smith tore his bicep in 2007. This proved to be a significant factor in their decline that season from top spot. The real test will be their match up with the Minnesota Vikings! Ziggy will replace Smith!

Last minute heroics help Miami on to convincing victory over Jets...

2009-10-15T03:33:00.000-07:00

Miami ran 16 snaps out of the Wildcat formation, to secure a clinical victory over rivals, the New York Jets on Sunday. They won 31-27, which was one of their most convincing victories to date. What will please them all the more is that their win has come against Coach Rex Ryan, whose own unconventional defensive plays had proven too much for the Wildcat last year.

It was a big night for big players in a game filled with rivalry. The performance was helped along by the Jets QB, Mark Sanchez who just wasn’t on form, failing to make as many as 50% of his passes, throwing for just 172 yards.

Fresh signing, Edwards gave them that extra boost. He held on to 2-touchdowns passes, grabbing those much needed points. In only his second NFL start, Miami Dolphins QB Chad Henne completed 20-26 for 241yards, bringing back memories of the golden day shoot-outs, reminiscent of the Dolphins during the Dan Marino era.

Even Jets linebacker Calvin Pace said “We made him look like Dan Marino," "They did what they want, and they did it at will." Last minute heroics from RB Ronnie Brown, brought play to a close as he stomped in the end zone with 10 seconds left on the clock, to seal the game for Miami.

Brown ran for 75yards and had two touchdowns including the game winner.

Steelers hold their ground to play Chicago off the park!

2009-10-14T00:08:00.000-07:00

For the first time this season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have clinched a convincing away victory, after playing Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears off the park. Roethlisberger was the hero of the hour, throwing three touchdown passes toward the end of 3rd quarter. The Pittsburgh defence was just too good in the fourth, holding off the Detroit Lions for a 28-20 win Sunday. Corner back William James intercepted a bad ball, allowing him to create a damaging field goal in the second quarter.

The Detroit Lions had the chance to take the game in overtime in the fourth quarter against the defending Super Bowl champs. However, it wasn’t to be as the Steelers held it together, spurred on by thousands of black-and-gold clad fans chanted "DE-FENSE!"

Quarterback Dante Culpepper threw one interception and was sacked seven times, including three successive plays on the Lions’ final drive. But it was none other than the offensive line who helped Big Ben move around in the pocket and complete throws for big gains. The performance truly was reminiscent of their Super Bowl victory in 2006 at the same stadium.

Eli Manning & Matthew Stafford leaves Sunday with Leg Injury’s

2009-10-13T23:53:00.000-07:00

New York Giants QB; Eli Manning has suffered a setback this week, injuring his heel during Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Manning who left the game in the 4th quarter implied that it was a non-contact injury and is not going to miss any games. He was replaced by David Carr. It was at this stage that the Giants had almost sealed a 27-16 win over the chiefs. The question of whether he will be fit for Sunday’s match up has been answered this week. His MRI results haven’t revealed any major injuries, leaving the New York Giants fans breathing sigh of relief.

Another player to be blighted by injury is Detroit Lions rookie; Matthew Stafford. After twisting his knee against the Chicago Bears, he has been referred to a specialist for tests and the Lions have said they will assess his injury in due course.

Colts Cruise Against Seahawks as Manning Reaches Another Milestone

2009-10-13T23:35:00.000-07:00

This might well be the most impressive start to this season yet for Peyton Manning. The Indianapolis Colts crushed the Seattle Seahawks in Sunday’s game, beating them 34-17 to win the 13th game on the spin. Manning was on fire, displaying his trademark touchdown passes in the first half, matching Fran Tarkenton’s record. The stadium erupted from the moment he connected with Reggie Wayne on a 5- yard pass in the 2nd quarter.

He is now third on the NFL's career list with 342 trailing only Marino (420) and Brett Favre (469). He received a standing ovation from both his team and opposition. Seattle coach Jim Mora said. "He's one of the finest of all times."

Favre achieves yet another record on night filled with emotion

2009-10-08T04:56:00.000-07:00

Legendary quarterback; Brett Favre has achieved yet another record, on top of his succession of achievements on the field. He has been crowned the first quarterback in history to beat all 32 NFL teams and some may say he saved the best for last; the Green Bay Packers. The long standing veteran of the field achieved the feat in his first game against his former team.

True to form, Favre was cool and calm personified as he completed 3-touchdown passes, covering 271 yards to grab a 30-23 victory on Monday night. He celebrated with a cheeky body bump with former Packers kicker & current team-mate; Ryan Longwell.

Brett wore his heart on his sleeve on what he described as the most emotional night of his career. and team mate Andrew Peterson said: “I definitely wanted to get this win for Brett. He tried to neglect it all week, but we all knew how much it meant to him”.

The game was Brett’s sixth in a Vikings jersey and fans and critics alike were out in full force for this one, as flash photography and roaring fans saw Brett cruise to a well earned victory.

Dallas Cowboys Stadium

2009-09-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

The hyper Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones can’t stop flaunting his renovated stadium. Of course, he has all the reasons in the world to flaunt because, if you look at it nobody has ever come up with an idea like this and even if they did come up with an idea they weren’t able to implement it. But Jerry did it. The stadium now holds the capacity of more than 82,000 seats, with 20,000 standing-room space. They are hoping to break an NFL regular-season attendance record (102,368) set in 1957.

Jones brags about the seven acres of plaza space outside the end zone entrances, with its green space and fountains, "Oceanfront property". He was also proud to brag about the frit treatment in the sloping glass walls, which change colors depending on the light. When it is cloudy outside, the Dallas Cowboys renovated stadium looks silver and on a clear day, it’s blue just like their official team’s color.

The most amazing thing about this new renovated stadium is the $40 million video board, suspended 90 feet above the field with four screens; stretches nearly 60 yards and weighs 600 tons. It is seven stories, attached to the stadium's signature arches, which also houses tracks for a translucent retractable roof. The stadium is also to host the 2010 NBA All-Star Game and the Super Bowl in 2011 — proving itself the nation's premier multipurpose facility because there have been no compromises in its design.

Dobovan McNabb’s Injury

2009-09-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Eagles QB ‘Donovan McNabb’ fractured his rib in the latter half of the game during a touchdown run in Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, but he has not ruled himself out from playing next Sunday – a home opening game against the New Orleans Saints.

As we all know, he is a tough man; Donovan has done everything for his game; played with a broken ankle, a broken sternum and much more… He did appear on the field on Thursday afternoon but didn’t take part in any of the drills run by Philadelphia Eagles. He is working very hard to get fit and be available for the home opener against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Although a back QB has been signed by the Eagles incase if the injury proves serious for the ALL-PRO QB. The name JEFF GARCIA might not surprise you. Signed by the Eagles, Garcia will join the Eagles Club this Sunday and be a mentor to Kevin Kolb. Michael Vick is not eligible to play until the 3rd week, but the Eagles have already added his name on the 53-man Roster.

Troy Polamalu’s Injury

2009-09-16T23:23:00.000-07:00

This might be the first time Troy Polamalu is happy to hear that an injury will keep him out from just few games and not the entire season. The 2-Time ALL-PRO injured his left medical collateral ligament that occurred during a scramble for the ball on a blocked-field goal attempt Thursday against Tennessee Titans.

After medical scans, the doctors have decided that he wouldn’t require a surgery on his knee. The condition could have been worse but he feels blessed that he wouldn’t have to undergo a surgery for this injury or miss the whole regular season. Pittsburgh Steelers will definitely miss his presence on the field and the way he used to adapt to different plays.

His ability to be a pass defender makes him one of the NFL’s most versatile players. But no worries for Pittsburgh Steelers! They’ve got a backup – Tyron Carter; we all know that nobody can stand in Polamalu’s shoes, but Carter will do the job. Troy Polamalu is expected to recover from this injury within 4 to 8 weeks.

Steelers Defeat Titans in Overtime

2009-09-14T03:06:00.000-07:00

The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to wear the seventh ring on their finger with their defense-oriented game that was hard fought and well played.

The true strength of the Steelers was one-handed interception by Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu and Big Ben Roethlisberger, who proved his mastery of the two-minute no-huddle offense hooked up with receivers Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward. The fact that Steelers were on their home ground, did not help them much, as Titans did prove to be a good stone wall against Steelers running backs.

The Steelers tied the game with just over 2 minutes left in the game on a 32 yard field goal with 2:57 left on the clock. Pittsburgh won the toss in overtime and Roethlisberger moved the Steelers down the field on 3 pass completions setting up Jeff Reeds 32 yard game winning field goal. The win, however cost the Steelers defensive leader Troy Polamalu, as he suffered from a knee injury on a blocked field goal.

It seems that Steelers’ fans are not getting enough of customized Roethlisberger jerseys, bags and totes as more and more NFL fans are seen sporting bags and totes with number ‘7’.

Steelers vs. Titans

2009-09-10T05:37:00.000-07:00

Today the Steelers are going to take on one of the best teams from last year, the Titans. Of course, Steelers are at home and are considered favorite, and the fact that Titans had crushed them in the game played down south in December, 08 adds to the spice of this game. Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to play this game with a vengeance. They are looking super strong and they have Rashard Mendenhall to top it up.

This game means a lot to both teams. For the Steelers, this game means finishing with the best record in the conference. For the Titans it means getting closer to the best season in their history. For both it will do a lot to determine who earns home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The difference here is that the Steelers defense is much better, ranking first in many categories of defensive statistics. The Titans have struggled in a few games and haven't faced as many high caliber offenses.

There are definitely going to be more Pittsburgh Steelers caps and jerseys around today and Tim Mc Graw and Blck Eyed Peas are going to rock! The performances are said to be a part of the celebration to kick off the 2009 season and to honor the six-time Super-Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the city of Pittsburgh.

If I had to bet, I would certainly put all my money on Steelers, whaddya think?

Hot Products

2009-09-10T01:05:00.000-07:00

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Welcome to The Ultimate Football Fans

2009-09-09T05:22:00.000-07:00

You may be wondering why one more blog for football… Well, I believe the answer lies in football fans craving! We fans never settle for less and so here’s one more blog, something that is beyond the game. The appeal of reaching out to the world and fellow football fans is way too much to resist and blogging is a good way to dish out thoughts, discuss matches and boast about memorabilia collection.

Football fans such as yourself, myself and countless others need a source to let out their emotions, blame the managers for losses, swank about wins, (use curse words at times) and brag about football statistics! This blog is meant for all these and more. This blog is not for modern football wannabes but ultimate, die-hard fans who eat, live and dream football.

Whether you are from New Orleans or New York, Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, San Francisco or San Diego, you will feel right at home here as I will keep all the bases covered. This blog is not meant to sing praises about one team but to celebrate an American religion, we call ‘Football’.