Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Favre, Pennington Cross Paths on Sunday

How great is it that the playoff hopes of the New York Jets hinge on their juicy matchup Sunday in the Meadowlands against the Miami Dolphins, who are led by the man run out of New York when the Jets acquired Brett Favre. Chad Pennington has a chance not only to ruin the Jets' once-flourishing season but also the New England Patriots', as well.

Just four weeks ago, the Jets sat at 8-3 following back-to-back wins on the road against the Pats and unbeaten Tennessee Titans. But bad losses to Denver at home as well as San Francisco and Seattle on the road have left the Jets in a precarious situation. However, if they can beat the Dolphins on Sunday and have either New England or Baltimore lose, they will find themselves with a playoff berth and renewed life. The Pats travel to Buffalo to play the Bills, while the Ravens will host the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, the Jets must take care of business against a Dolphins team led by the castoff QB with the second-highest passer rating in the NFL. Pennington has helped lead the Dolphins' incredible transformation from a 1-15 team to a sound 10-5 group that is playing with the utmost confidence in coach Tony Sparano's first season at the helm. What many considered to be the one team with no chance of competing in the AFC East this season now stands as the team that controls its own destiny.

For the Jets, Favre has struggled mightily just when the team has needed him the most. He leads the NFL in interceptions with 19 and has looked, quite frankly, like a 39-year-old quarterback. His arm strength seems to have waned, and he is back to throwing the rock up for grabs. The key Sunday for the Jets is to employ a healthy dose of Thomas Jones and to utilize Dustin Keller and their wideouts in shorter passing routes. Third-and-long situations could bring out the worst in Favre and pave the way for--what at the beginning of the season looked like--a Dolphins victory and the ultimate vindication.

Monday, December 22, 2008

How 'Bout Them Cowboys?

Really, how 'bout them Dallas Cowboys? After pulling to within two points twice on Saturday night in the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens, Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain ripped off two incredibly easy, long runs up the middle to take the life out of the Texas Stadium crowd and stun the Cowboys 33-24. The loss crippled Dallas' playoff hopes while providing the Ravens with a banner win in coach John Harbaugh's first season. Unable to pick up the Ravens blitz throughout the game, the Dallas offensive line looked sluggish, lost and old. Tony Romo threw two desperation fly balls to Ed Reed that had no business being tossed. And now, the Cowboys find themselves needing help to sneak into the NFC playoffs.

By the way, how tough is Derrick Mason? Certainly a nice contrast to the main wideout on the opposing sideline, as Mason played through a dislocated left shoulder and caught the lone Joe Flacco touchdown.

Another NFC East team flopped big-time this weekend, as the Philadelphia Eagles played a clunker of a contest in a 10-3 loss to the Washington Redskins. The Eagles blew a chance to move ahead of both Dallas and Tampa Bay in the race for the final NFC wild-card spot with a game to play and now need a victory over Dallas--and help--to get in. The loss also snapped the Eagles' three-game winning streak, as a seemingly resurgent offense during the streak went suddenly inept on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants remained the class of the NFC East--and of the entire conference--with a 34-28 overtime victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night. The victory, fueled by Derrick Ward's career-high 215 rushing yards and Brandon Jacobs' three touchdowns, earned the Giants the NFC's top seed for the playoffs. The Panthers wasted a terrific effort by DeAngelo Williams, who rushed for four touchdowns en route to setting Carolina's single-season rushing touchdown mark.

The New York Jets wasted no terrific efforts in their pathetic showing in a loss to Seattle. The Jets continued their losing ways on the West Coast, falling to 0-4 in games three time zones away from home as Brett Favre failed to throw a touchdown for the third time in four games. He now has just one touchdown and six picks in that period as the Jets' playoff hopes are now on life support.

The Arizona Cardinals certainly looked playoff-ready in their 47-7 loss to the New England Patriots, as quarterback Kurt Warner went just 6-of-18 for 30 yards in his worst performance of the season. Just as the Jets can't win out West, the Cards can't win out East. The past two weeks have seen the Cards down at least 28-0 at the half, the first time a team has trailed by at least four touchdowns at the half in back-to-back games since the '61 Raiders.

Is there any reason at all to mention the AFC West "battle" taking place between Denver and San Diego? Good luck to both teams next week as the two collide in a battle of mediocrity on Sunday Night Football.

Finally, the Atlanta Falcons clinched an incredibly unlikely playoff berth with a 24-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome. The Falcons forced four Minnesota turnovers and Matt Ryan was steady again under center, as Atlanta prevented the Vikings from clinching the NFC North division title. They now must hope the Bears lose at home tonight to Green Bay or at Houston next week, or the Vikes must beat the New York Giants at the Metrodome next Sunday.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Manning On Cruise Control in Colts Win

Peyton Manning completed his first 17 passes of the game, threw for 364 yards and tossed three touchdowns in leading the Indianapolis Colts to their eighth consecutive win by defeating Jacksonville 31-24 last night. Despite trailing 14-0 and 24-14, Manning was calm, cool and effective as the savvy vet led the Colts comeback despite playing without Joseph Addai and Marvin Harrison. The Jaguars, meanwhile, fell to 5-10 and are undoubtedly one of the biggest disappointments in the league this year.

One of the biggest questions remaining is whether the Dallas Cowboys came together last week in midst of team turmoil and used their game against the New York Giants as a springboard to bigger and better things. We will find out on Saturday night as the 'Boys host the Baltimore Ravens in the final regular season game at storied Texas Stadium.

The Giants, meanwhile, play another big Sunday night game this week against the Carolina Panthers. Back-to-back poor performances against the Eagles and Cowboys have Giants fans wondering if this team can indeed win without Plaxico Burress. The bigger key, indeed, is the health of Brandon Jacobs, as his presence and productivity allows Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw to be bigger factors.

Mike Holmgren will be coaching his last home game as head honcho of the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday fittingly against Brett Favre and the New York Jets. While Holmgren will be stepping away from Seattle at the end of the year, I would be shocked if he was not back in the league after a year away from the game to re-energize. I wouldn't even be shocked if he contemplated coaching somewhere else next season, as he surely will be wooed by another team this offseason and has already admitted to St. Louis media that he has had second thoughts about his decision. This game for the Jets, meanwhile, will make or break their season, as the team is winless on the West Coast this year.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Paterno Inks Extension With Penn State

Kudos to Penn State for giving head football coach Joe Paterno a three-year extension, a deal that quiets any talk of dissension between Paterno and university administration. The soon-to-be 82-year-old clearly showed this season that he can still coach after guiding his Nittany Lions to an 11-1 campaign, a season that potentially could have culminated in a berth in the BCS title game if not for a slip-up at Kinnick Stadium against Iowa. The winningest coach in major college football history has his Nittany Lions instead in the Rose Bowl against Southern Cal on New Year's Day in what should be a vintage college football January 1st game.

The best part of this deal is the fact that Paterno most likely won't stay on as coach through 2011. This extension is merely a way for the university to show its appreciation for the coach who did more for the school than any other figure over the past 50-plus years. By extending his contract, it eliminates the year-to-year wrangling from both sides and allows Paterno the comfortability and peace of mind that he deserves after having to put up with his critics for the last decade.

It's just amazing that Paterno's salary is nowhere close to some other big-name coaches who have accomplished far less in shorter careers. But then again, Paterno has always been underappreciated for his efforts both on and off the football field.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Giants Need Offense to Rush Back to Consistency

Much has been made of the struggles of the New York Giants' offense without star wideout Plaxico Burress. And while it's true that the lack of Plax's presence and production has hindered the effectiveness of the offense, the real culprit has been the lack of a ground game in recent weeks. The absence of Brandon Jacobs to injury has clearly affected the performance of Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw. Both backs have been effective in this offense because of their change-of-pace nature when contrasted against Jacobs. With both being thrust into more prominent roles, defenses have been able to force a lot of unmanageable third downs. Thus, Eli Manning has looked uncomfortable in the pocket and has been forced to scramble because defensive linemen are pinning their ears back and rushing the O-Line with authority in evident passing situations. The return of Jacobs to good health is vital for the offense to have any chance to move on without Plax.

Brett Favre on the AFC Pro Bowl roster and not Chad Pennington? Believe me, the Favre New York story is great, but Pennington--even Philip Rivers, Matt Cassel and Kerry Collins--deserved to go over Favre.

Meanwhile, Tennessee's Albert Haynesworth actually made a lot more money with his Pro Bowl invite, as a clause in his contract allows him to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end with his selection to the game. Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch, however, must be able to return from injuries if the Titans are to fulfill their Super Bowl aspirations. Having a first-round bye will give the the defensive standouts an extra week to heal.

In the NBA, the Boston Celtics put their 15-game winning streak on the line tonight against the Atlanta Hawks, the team that took the C's to seven games in their first-round playoff series last year. The game is in Atlanta, where the Hawks took all three home games in last year's series and have only one defeat there this season. After stopping the Cleveland Cavaliers' seven-game winning streak on Saturday, can the Hawks do the same to Celts? The streak has to end sometime. Not to make too much of a regular-season NBA game in December, but this is a statement game for the Atlanta Hawks franchise.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Eagles Win Third Straight, But Questions Remain

The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Cleveland Browns 30-10 last night in yet another subpar Monday Night Football game. I keep hearing about how good the Eagles defense looked after giving up less than 200 total yards--and they did look good--but can we keep in mind that they were playing the Browns...with Ken Dorsey at quarterback? Sorry, but every time the Eagles are brought into NFC playoff conversation I instantly think of two things: 1. Terrible play calling in short-yardage situations; and 2. Donovan McNabb not winning a big game. Perhaps giving up 36 points to Baltimore and rookie QB Joe Flacco three weeks ago was indeed the wakeup call this team needed, but keep in mind that they played a fading Kurt Warner-led Cardinals team the next week followed by a Giants team re-adjusting to life without Plax prior to Monday night's game against lowly Cleveland. Sorry to temper the enthusiasm Eagles fans, but your season will ultimately be defined in the next two weeks against the 'Skins and 'Boys. It's playoffs or bust for Andy Reid's squad.

Monday, December 15, 2008

'Boys Notch Huge Win Behind Witten, Not T.O.

Oh, sorry for that headline T.O. I didn't mean to pull an Ed Werder on you.

Seriously, maybe the best thing I've seen in the NFL this season was the dropped pass by T.O. on third down in the opening series of the Cowboys' 20-8 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday night. The second-best thing I've seen had to be Jason Witten picking up the first down on third-and-9 to prevent the G-Men from getting the ball back and mounting a comeback. Hopefully--for the Cowboys' sake--all is now quiet on the Southwestern front...until T.O. has another three-catch performance...

By the way, was Tim Hightower on the field at all yesterday for Arizona in its terrible loss to Minnesota? The Cardinals proved once again that they don't match up favorably with a team with a winning record, while the Vikings may have just wrapped up the NFC North. One Vikings win or a Chicago Bears loss gives them the division crown.

Pittsburgh out-Baltimored the Ravens yesterday and now look like the team to beat for sure in the AFC. How quickly I forget about the Titans, right? Truth be told, I'm a little worried about Kerry Collins matching up against a Dick LeBeau-led defense. I'm also worried about Albert Haynesworth potentially being out for an extended period of time with that left knee injury sustained in Sunday's loss to Houston. You just cannot replace the likely NFL Defensive Player of the Year. As for the Colts, they did not impress me on Sunday against the Lions. Take away a few Dallas Clark catches and the Lions have their first win. New England? They played the Raiders, who while being more competitive than I thought this year, are still owned by Al Davis.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Harrell's Heisman Snub a Travesty

Let me preface this piece by stating that I really could care less about the Heisman Trophy because the award does not go to the best player in college football each year; it goes to the best player on the best team. So I really much prefer to watch the games being played on the field rather than the political campaigning that occurs off it. But this particular year actually piqued my interest because of the crazy talent and sick numbers we saw every Saturday.

For Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell not to be invited to New York City on Saturday evening for the awards ceremony is an absolute crime and a joke. If you are going to invite last year's winner--and potential Archie Griffin two-timer--Tim Tebow, sophomore gunslinger Sam Bradford and cowboy Colt McCoy--all quarterbacks--it is an absolute no-brainer to invite the guy who made throwing the football look like taking a stroll on the beach. Forty-one touchdown passes and just seven interceptions and not even an invite? Wow. Travesties like this make me embarassed to say that I'm a college football fan. Harrell's touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree to beat then-No. 1 Texas in Lubbock may have been the signature play of the year in college football, yet once again the lords of college football find a way to mess up a great story.

Meanwhile, on the NFL beat, congratulations to Devin Hester for being the best pass-interference drawer ever. And to Bears fans who hate Rex Grossman: Kyle Orton now has thrown six picks in the last three ballgames.

Finally, I absolutely refuse to believe this Terrell Owens story. I mean, you cannot script this juicy of a controversy. First it was San Francisco, then it was Philly. T.O., baby, you were always my guy, but this has now become absolutely ridiculous and absurd. Upset with Tony Romo for supposedly scripting secret plays behind your back? If I had Jason Witten as my tight end, I'd throw to him more than you, too. Shut up and try to get your team back into the playoffs.

Alright I lied. One more finally: Manny Ramirez apparently is threatening retirement because of a lack of suitable free agent offers. Wow, just when we thought Manny Could Not Be As Manny as he was last season. Amazing.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Falling Suns Look to Rise Again

First, in an attempt to prepare for the rigors of half-court NBA playoff basketball, he landed the Diesel. Then, when prolonged philosophical differences between himself and coach Mike D'Antoni led to D'Antonio's fleeing to the Big Apple, he found a more defensive-minded coach in Terry Porter who was intent on toning down the high-powered offense. Now, is Phoenix general manager Steve Kerr having second thoughts about his redeveloped low-octane offense?

The Suns continued their roster makeover on Wednesday, acquiring high-scoring guard Jason Richardson from the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Boris Diaw and Raja Bell, easily the team's two best defenders.

While point guard Steve Nash may be unhappy about losing good friend Raja Bell and forcing the Suns to rebuild team chemistry, the trade hints at the rearrival of a more uptempo pace of basketball, something Nash surely was craving as he adjusted to the change in pace implemented by Porter.

What this trade does is make the Suns a little more fun to watch again--but at what cost? How long can Porter coach a team that has been rebuilt into a product that he surely cannot have success molding into an image of his own?

So much for the committment to defense and the failed emulation of the San Antonio Spurs...

How about Carmelo Anthony notching 33 of his 45 points in the third quarter last night. Not 33 points in a game, not 33 in a half--but 33 in a single quarter. Anthony tied George Gervin's NBA record for most points in a single quarter with the feat, and I'm really interested to see how the Nuggets fare the rest of the way with Chauncey Billups at the point. Thus far, I've been impressed with the results and I've never been the biggest Carmelo guy either.

A huge game takes place tonight at Soldier Field in Chicago, as the Bears will host the New Orleans Saints in a battle of 7-6 teams fighting for a playoff spot in the NFC. The game is big for the Saints because they have no chance to win their division and must stay afloat for a wild card berth, but it's big for the Bears because they can't make the playoffs without winning their division and they currently sit a game behind the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Gators, Crimson Tide Ready to Roll

Florida and Alabama will battle for the SEC Championship on Saturday afternoon at Atlanta's Georgia Dome with the winner earning a trip to the BCS Championship Game. Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban will need his defense--led by safety Rashad Johnson and defensive tackle Terrance Cody--to not allow the Gators to score early and often. For Alabama to have a chance against the high-octane Gators, the Tide must stay within seven points to efficiently utilize its power running game led by Glenn Coffee. If Tim Tebow and the freshman backs get Florida out to an early lead, it will be interesting to see if John Parker Wilson will be forced to make plays in the passing game. But does Florida have a chance to score big points without Percy Harvin? Will he be able to play with his bum ankle? We shall soon find out...

For all of the bad press he received as head coach of the Cincinnati Begals, I think it's time that Dick LeBeau gets a steady stream of praise showered on him for designing a pretty incredible--and still underrated--Pittsburgh Steelers defense. The master of the 3-4 zone blitz scheme, LeBeau manages to get his unit to play not only with intensity every week but with a central focus, as well. The Cowboys-Steelers game on Sunday should be fun to watch. Can Tony Romo get off quick passes against the Steelers' blitz scheme? Is Marion Barber going to be available?

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Tuberville, Auburn Part Ways

Tommy Tuberville stepped down as head football coach at Auburn on Wednesday after 10 seasons on the sideline at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers completed a 5-7 season last week after a blowout 36-0 loss to rival and top-ranked Alabama, a team Tuberville beat seven out of ten tries in his career. Tuberville compiled an 85-40 record with the Tigers, including a perfect 2004 season when they went 13-0 but finished second in the country. I don't think there's any doubt that athletic director Jay Jacobs started nudging Tuberville out the door immediately after the loss to Alabama. Heck, he probably even wanted him to follow his poor spread offense guru out the door in mid-October. This is the same school--depite being under a different president and athletic director--that tried to hire Bobby Petrino away from Louisville in the middle of the night five years ago, only for Tuberville to record an undefeated season the next year. Tuberville hasn't forgotten how to coach. Rather, a new sheriff is in town in the state of Alabama, and he's residing in Tuscaloosa, which made the Auburn administration a little uncomfortable. Another Tommy coaching at Clemson? I would venture to say that he'd be on the short list.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Were Sean Avery's Remarks Really Suspendable?

Am I the only one who doesn't think Sean Avery's comments were punishable via suspension? What's the big deal with using the term "sloppy seconds" anyway? Don't get me wrong, Sean Avery might be my least favorite hockey player in the league, and I love Dion Phaneuf's game on the ice. But didn't Gary Bettman overreact a bit? I mean, give the guy a break. The source of jealousy is Elisha Cuthbert, after all. Is Avery getting punished because of his reputation? More than likely. If he was going to get suspended indefinitely, though, don't you think he should have had to at least commit an infraction on the ice to be sidelined?

So what does the NHL want its players to do? Not talk to the media? I'm sorry but a lot of hockey players are characters and sometimes they'll provide some colorful comments. Can't we just allow these guys to be themselves, especially when the NHL can garner a smidgen of well-deserved attention from them?

I happened to catch PTI today on the four-letter network, and I must admit that it was really disappointing to hear Michael Wilbon cite race as an issue in these successor-in-waiting scenarios being popularized recently in college football. Come on Mike. Seriously? I agree that the lack of African-American head coaches in college football is a serious problem. But an equally big problem is the lack of African-American coaches on the assistant level, as well. So how can there be a realistic number of quality African-American candidates for head jobs when the numbers are scarce on the assistant level? Will Muschamp at Texas is qualified to succeed Mack Brown. Chip Kelly will be a quality successor to Mike Belotti at Oregon. Are these AD's implementing these successors-in-waiting to avoid interviewing minority candidates as Wilbon suggests? I highly doubt it. I am usually skeptical of all things NCAA, but this one's a stretch Mike.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Plaxico's Plight

Look for the New York Giants to use the bullet wound--and not the hamstring injury--as the reason to sit Plax for the rest of the season, as the team most likely will put Plax on the non-football injury list. To be eligible for this list, however, a player must have suffered an injury in a non-football incident; thus the importance of the bullet wound. The main reason, of course, why the Giants will have their doctors look at the wound is so that the Giants can get the money owed to Plax off the books. Now this is all dependent on whether or not the league steps in first. The Giants could also suspend him for conduct detrimental to the team, especially if his lawyer steps in to try to prevent the Giants from citing a medical reason for their benching of Plax. Bottom line is, Plax has played his last game as a Giant, as the team will no longer allow him to be associated with the franchise, especially after Mayor Bloomberg's remarks yesterday. The biggest concern for the Giants, in my opinion, is how the involvement of Antonio Pierce in this shooting will affect the team. To me, Pierce is more valuable to that squad than a guy who has not even been healthy all year on an offense that has been clicking without him.

Tough year for Romeo Crennel. Ken Dorsey? Wow. Not only do you lose Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn, but then Kellen Winslow can't even stay healthy. I'd love to see him get another year, but the odds are heavily against it.

Look for the diuretics issue to be resolved today, as Kevin and Pat Williams are more than likely looking at four-game suspensions, which would absolutely cripple the playoff hopes for the Minnesota Vikings. They came into last week's showdown with the Bears in must-win mode, as the team clearly had the toughest remaining schedule of the contending NFC North teams. With the win, Minnesota looked to have the upper-hand, but these suspensions probably cannot be overcome.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Blame the Big 12, Not the BCS

I apologize for my delayed posting. I accidentally shot myself while in line at Dunkin Donuts this morning. Yeah, see I was wearing these really nice designer gloves, and I had a lot of quarters on me, so I thought it was in my best interest to protect myself.

Oh Plax, how you have ruined one of my (four) fantasy football teams. Here's hoping that you can get your professional and personal life on track.

Ok, now onto the drama that is college football and the BCS. My whole problem is with college football fans placing blame on the BCS right now when all of the finger pointing should be directed at the Big 12 conference. Let's remember, the BCS was designed to designate the top two teams to play for the national championship at the end of the regular season. The Big 12 should never have instituted such a tiebreaker rule that employs a ranking system that is valid only at the end of the regular season (or at the completion of conference championship games).

If you are stubborn, though, and you still want to blame the BCS system, yell at the coaches. If you take a look at the USA Today Coaches' Poll, you will see that Oklahoma was ranked one spot ahead of Texas. I personally find it hard to believe that any self-respecting coach in America would vote OU over Texas considering that the Longhorns beat the Sooners on a neutral field. We talk about playoffs being the answer because teams could settle it on the field. Didn't Texas and Oklahoma do that in Dallas the first Saturday of October? Moronic.